Page:The Czechoslovak Review, vol3, 1919.djvu/136

  by Moravian settlers. One still finds traditions of Bohemian Brethren here in abundance, and in the old cemetery tombstones bear names with Czech sound. Under the auspices of the local Rotary Club and Salem College a hearty reception was tendered to Mr. Pergler. He was fortunate in making the acquaintance of Bishop Edward Ronthaler who has been in charge of the Moravian church institutions at Salem since 1877. The bishop takes a keen interest in the welfare of the Bohemian people, to whom he traces the spiritual ancestry of his church, and was very cordial to his visitors who in their turn were pleased to find that exiles from Bohemia made their influence felt in the Colonial days of North Carolina.

Mr. Pergler’s second lecture trip covered the Central West, states and cities which unlike the South know something of Bohemia through Bohemian immigrants who live in hundreds of thousands in this section of the United States; but even to the educated people of Chicago and Cleveland conditions and events in the Czechoslovak republic are a sealed book. Addresses made by the official representatives of the new state were received everywhere with much interest. In Chicago addresses were made before the Women’s Club and the University Club, in Cleveland before the Western Reserve University. From there Mr. Pergler, accompanied by Thomas Capek, proceeded to the capital of Nebraska and made his first speech to a convocation of the University of Nebraska; many of his hearers were children of pioneers who came to the western prairies directly from Bohemia. At a luncheon given to the Czechoslovak commissioner by the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce the address dwelt on the possibility of establishing flourishing commercial relations between the great American republic and its young sister in Europe. Later in the day Mr. Pergler had the honor of addressing the Nebraska House of Representatives.

The following day in Omaha, a great Bohemian center, about twenty state senators heard an address delivered by the Czechoslovak representative at a luncheon given in his honor by the Omaha Chamber of Commerce. In the afternoon Mr. Pergler spoke in the Hotel Fontenelle to the Fine Arts Society, his audience being composed mostly of women. At night a mass meeting for the Czechoslovaks of Omaha was held at the South Side Sokol Hall at which Mr. Pergler spoke in Bohemian. The interest which his finished speeches aroused may best be appreciated by the following incident: An elderly gentleman followed the Commissioner about in Lincoln, apparently never tiring of hearing him speak. He appeared at the Omaha luncheon the following day and again at the Bohemian meeting at night accompanied by several ladies. None of them could understand a word of what was spoken at the mass meeting, until Mr. Pergler’s attention was called to this party with the result that he made a few remarks in English for their benefit.

In Iowa the Czechoslovak representative was in his home state. Two years ago he had been practicing law in Cresco, Ia., and now his former law partner, Mr. Reed, elected state senator, had the pleasure of introducing him to the Iowa Senate. An incident was witnessed there by the writer which is rather amusing. When the announcement was made that the Senate would now have the pleasure of listening to a distinguished son of Iowa, etc., etc. one of the senators was heard to complain to his neighbor: “Oh, h, some more speeches; we will never leave this place before May.” In a few minutes this statesman was listening intently and applauding the speaker at every period. Afterward he was the first to step forward and congratulate him. Previously to this an address was made before the local Bar Association and judges of the state supreme court before whom the guest of honor used to argue his appeal cases generously applauded the lawyer turned into diplomat. In the evening Mr. Pergler spoke once more at a dinner tendered to him by the University Club. From Des Moines he returned directly to Washington.

Audiences addressed by Mr. Pergler consisted of representative men of each community, men hard to reach and not easy to convince; but once convinced these men become zealous supporters of the cause. Friendship between America and Czechoslovakia has been greatly strengthened by the tireless work of the Czechoslovak representative.

The United States Department of Commerce has taken a step which will be cordially welcomed by all who are interested in the development of close commercial relations between this country and the new Czechoslovak Republic. The announcement was made at the end of March that Vladimir A. Geringer had been appointed trade commissioner to Czechoslovakia with headquarters in Prague.

Mr. Geringer is a native-born American citizen, but his parents came here from Bohemia, and he himself speaks and writes Bohemian fluently. He is well known to Czechoslovaks in America as manager of the great Bohemian daily, the Svornost. An attorney by training and business man of many years’ experience, he is peculiarly fitted for the important position to which he was appointed as the result of an examination. His first duty will be to re-establish old business connections between American firms and Bohemian importers and exporters; he requests. all commercial houses which traded with territory now included in the CzechcoslovakCzechoslovak [sic] Republic to get in touch with him at his office, Room 604 Federal Building, Chicago. Mr. Geringer plans to sail for his posts about April 20.

Speaking of Count Karolyi the New York Times says: “They are all alike, these Magyar grandees. If they coquet with Bolshevism, it is for the purpose of breaking down, if they can, the Czechoslovaks, Rumanians, and South Slavs, and out of the general destruction recreating the old intolerant, masterful Magyar state with a government of, for and by the Magyars.”