Page:The Czechoslovak Review, vol3, 1919.djvu/146

 unexpected guest, Mr. Antonín Fencl, director of the Pragafilm Company, the principal Bohemian moving picture concern. Mr. Fencl came to the United States for a brief visit partly on business of his firm and partly on a mission for the Czechoslovak ministry of education to secure here data relating to America’s part in the movement for Czechoslovak independence. Mr. Fencl had barely time to visit Chicago, where he spoke of conditions in Bohemia to a tremendous crowd in the Pilsen Park Pavilion March 17th. The necessity of taking passage by the first ship available made it impossible to have him speak in Pittsburgh and New York as was intended.

Mr. Fencl is an able and interesting speaker, as well as an efficient business man. He took back with him a number of films showing Masaryk’s reception in various cities in this country, large numbers of photographs and documents, as well as films of the Cleveland meeting of the American Czechoslovak Board and of the Czechoslovak Legation and its staff in Washington.

Newspapers state that this first visitor will be followed some time in April by two missions from Prague, one of newspapermen and one of businessmen. They will be received with much enthusiasm by their countrymen in America, who are anxious to hear news from the old country at first hand.

For some time it has been planned by the American Red Cross to send out surgeons and nurses and medical supplies to the Czechoslovak Army in Siberia. It is known that Czechoslovak troops have their own medical officers and Russian nurses; many of their invalids were sent to Japan where they received good attention from the Japanese Red Cross. Recently about 500 wounded soldiers unfit for more fighting were sent home directly by sea from Siberia to Trieste. At the same time it is well known that drugs and medical supplies are extremely scarce in Siberia and that more surgeons are needed there.

The American Red Cross, which is doing so much to relieve the terrible suffering prevailing in Siberia sent out at the end of March the so-called Siberian-Czechoslovak Commission, consisting of 20 doctors, 20 graduate nurses, 20 nurses’ aid, 4 druggists, 5 dentists and a number of technical assistants. Among the Bohemian physicians enlisted in this Red Cross work are Dr. J. Rudiš-Jičinský, Dr. J. Čepelka, Dr. Václav Anýž, Dr. Joseph Otradovec, all of Chicago, Dr. A. R. Hemala, Dr. A. Moravka and Dr. F. A. Sedláček, of Omaha, Neb.

The first great eastern university to introduce courses in Bohemian language, literature and history is Columbia University in New York. The Rev. A. B. Koukol has been appointed instructor of Bohemian and Slovak in the department of Slavic languages, presided over by Prof. J. Dyneley Prince.

Mr. Koukol, who is excellently qualified for this important work will open his classes in September. There will be then four colleges giving courses in Bohemian: University of Nebraska, Coe College of Cedar Rapids, la., University of Texas and Columbia University.

So far it is not known, whether the peace conference commission dealing with Czechoslovak claims has granted the request of the Rusins of Hungary to be joined to the Czechoslovak Republic. But the delegates of Uhro-Rusin organizations in the United States, Gregory Zsatkovich and Julius G. Gardos, feel confident that they will be successful. Mr. Gardos writes from Paris that they were welcomed cordially by Czechoslovak officials there. He says that he and his colleague take off their hats before the Czechoslovaks who have seventy experts serving their peace commissioners, thoroughly posted on any phase of the complicated Central European problem. The delegate of the Rusins from Hungary, Mr. Beskyd, tells his American brothers that no strong liberating movement could take hold among their people in Hungary owing to Magyar oppression, until news came that the Rusins in America were working for their freedom. Now the entire people at home look forward with assurance to their liberation.

The delegates intend to go to Prague and from there to the Rusin part of Hungary, as soon as their claim is favorably settled by the peace conference.

The good work of telling the American people who the Czechoslovaks are and what they stand for is being kept up. In addition to the activities of Mr. Pergler, men and women of Bohemian descent give much of their time freely to boost the people of whom they are so proud. One may mention here Prof. B. Shimek who in spite of ill health addresses frequently American audiences in the Central Western states on the subject of the Czechoslovak Republic. In Chicago Prof. J. J. Zmrhal gives lectures on the same topic in the public evening schools. In the East Jeremiah L. Trnka, one of the original four-minute men, has worked unceasingly for two years to make the word Czechoslovak familiar in the large Jersey suburbs of New York, while Mr. E. F. Prantner of Albany publishes many articles dealing with this topic in the New York papers. On the Pacific Miss Madeline Veverka, assistant superintendent of schools at Los Angeles, gives addresses in schools and clubs about the land of her fathers.

It is to be devoutly hoped that in the course of the present generation through efforts like these all of the one hundred and ten millions of America will learn to know who the Czechoslovaks are.