Page:The Czechoslovak Review, vol3, 1919.djvu/242

 old Italian front by Magyar regiments. It was also proved that Bela Kuhn received several batteries of guns from Italy, presumably because the Magyars were enemies of the Jugoslavs.

The Czechoslovak army lacked cannon, horses, trucks, munitions, officers of high rank, and it lacked numbers. Supplies of all sorts were rushed to Slovakia by minister of defense Klofáč; Italian officers were replaced by experienced French generals, and general Pelle was appointed by Masaryk commander-in-chief of the Czechoslovak armies. Mobilization of certain classes was ordered and volunteers were called for. Guns and rifles came from France, and by middle of June not only was Magyar invasion stopped,, [sic]but they were being pushed back. At the same time the Allies issued an ultimatum to Bela Kuhn ordering him to withdraw beyond the demarcation line, and at the end of June he complied reluctantly with the ultimatum. The material damage done by his barbarous troops is estimated at more than one billion crowns, and since Hungary is bankrupt, it will be hard to compel restitution. But at least the danger to the state re-created patriotism in Bohemia, and so the Magyar war was not altogether a calamity.

Municipal elections held on June 15 came out very much as everyone expected. They have proved a great growth of socialist sentiment; while the old social democratic party approximately held its own, as compared with the last elections under the Austrian regime in 1911, the Czechoslovak socialist party, formerly the national socialists, manifested a great increase of strength, mainly for the reason that clerks, school teachers and government employees whose lot is worse than that of workingmen look to this party to improve their economic position. National democrats and agrarians lost, and the Catholic party did not make much of a showing. In Prague itself the national democrats topped the list, the vote being: National democrats 38,933, national socialists 27,301, social democrats 26,498, people’s party (Catholic) 7,087; then there were several minor parties, including Germans.

A remarkable result of the elections was the demonstration, how artificial had been the German rule in many cities of Bohemia and Moravia. Brno and Olomouc, former strongholds of Germanism in Moravia, voted Czech two to one; in cities where formerly there was not a single Czech vote, there appeared now a Czech minority, strong enough to secure representation in the city council.

Municipal elections had no direct reference to the National Assembly and, the composition of the cabinet. Those are problems that will be settled by general elections in the fall. It is evident, however, that no party will be strong enough to form the government alone, and that some sort of a coalition will be necessary even in the future.

At the elections of June 15 both men and women voted. As voting is compulsory, the total vote cast was enormous. No disorders marked the casting of ballots.

Dr. Alice Masaryk, as president of the Czechoslovak Red Cross, has sent Miss Emma Novákova to America as her personal representative to carry a very vital message to the friends of Czechoslovakia in this country. Miss Novákova is accompanied by the writer of this brief article, who has just returned from several weeks of active work in child relief in the suffering country. Miss Novákova and Lieut. Peck are at present touring the United States to talk to Americans and carry to them the message from Dr. Alice Masaryk.

As soon after the armistice as it was possible to secure transportation, the American Relief Administration sent a Food Relief Mission into Czechoslovakia. This Mission was headed by Doctor Lionel Hutchinson, who had been for some time one of Mr. Herbert Hoover’s most trusted allies. This Mission has as its duty the distribution of food relief under the Congressional appropriation for the food relief of Europe.

It is the purpose of this article to dwell chiefly upon the activities of American relief as it concerns the feeding of children