Page:The Czechoslovak Review, vol3, 1919.djvu/258

 out the approval of the principal Allied and associated governments. And even if the Czechoslovak government assumed to do so, it could not get ships for the transport of an army half way around the world without active co-operation of these same governments. What has been done so far to improve the tense situation consists in the transportation of invalided soldiers home; some 1550 were carried home around India by boat, and 100 just passed through the United States. About 4000 more men, chiefly veterans over 42 years, are now on the way to the United States from Vladivostok. But the main body numbering still over 50,000, remains on the Siberian rail road between Omsk and Irkutsk living in box cars and chasing bolshevik bands into the depths of Siberian forests.

There is not much that Czechoslovak organizations in America can do to relieve a situation that can be relieved properly only by the return of the boys home. But as they are much nearer to Siberia than the people in the old country, they decided to do what was in their power. The American Czechoslovak Board at its meeting in Chicago on June 9 asked two visiting journalists from Prague, Mr. Vincenc Červinka and Mr. Gustav Šmejc, to go to Siberia and talk to the boys there, rather than continue their talks in the United States. While the Czechoslovak people in the United States are eager to hear of the situation in the new republic from first-hand witnesses, the boys in Siberia need the news more. The two editors consented to take the trip which will keep them from their families far longer, than they planned, and immediately cabled to the Czechoslovak peace delegates in Paris for a message to the army, as definite as circumstances permit, as to when the transportation of the Czechoslovak soldiers in Siberia home would begin.

The two Prague journalists will be joined by delegates of the three principal Czechoslovak organizations in America, Joseph Martinek for the Bohemian National Alliance, John Straka for the National Alliance of Bohemian Catholics, and Joža Žák Marušiák for the Slovak League. The delegation will sail from San Francisco on July 17 and will take with them a considerable sum of money for tobacco and other gifts to the boys.

Since the armistice quite a number of men from this country have visited the new republic and brought back first hand reports. The delegates of the Slovak League were the first to return. Milan Getting, Joseph Hušek and Edward Kováč made detailed reports to the congress of the Slovak League, held at Scranton on May 29 an 30, and as a result the League made a number of important decisions. Naturally the question of relief came first. The larger part of Slovakia is mountainous and does not raise much food, and the richer districts bordering on Magyar territory have been to a large extent robbed and wasted by Magyar incursions. A plan was worked out by a committee of the League and formally adopted at a later meeting of the executive board which will result in substantial addition to the meagre food supply of Slovakia. Among the Slovak immigrants in America, far more than among the Czechs, there are many comparatively recent arrivals whose families remained abroad. It is natural that these men who have been unable to send anything to their wives and children during the war are anxious now to send them substantial help. The plan worked out by the Slovak League provides for the deposit in certain designated banks of money that men here desire to send to their families. The whole sum will be used to purchase through the American Relief Administration a shipload of food and other necessaries which will be taken over at the European port by the minister for Slovakia, each individual to whom money is sent from America will get the amount in crowns, while the government will sell the American supplies to all at cost price. Thus both money and food will be sent to the suffering Slovak people.

The Czech organizations do not find it necessary to undertake such a complicated business transaction. They will continue to give opportunity to their people here to send boxes of food and clothing material to relatives and to the needy in general;; [sic]through the co-operation of the Czechoslovak authorities the cost of sending which caused many complaints during the first shipment has been considerably reduced.

Of many Czech delegates who have gone abroad during the last six months three have already returned: Joseph Holeček, correspondent of the Chicago Daily Hlasatel, who during his stay in Prague sent to his paper a number of interesting stories; Frank J. Hajíček, president of the Lawndale National Bank, who went to the old country as delegate of the National Alliance of Bohemian Catholics, and also as representative of important business interests; and Joseph Tvrzický, delegate of the Bohemian National Alliance, who rendered a great service to the new republic by his inspiring speeches that helped to keep up the morale of the people.

Two delegates of the Catholic organization are still in the old country: Father Oldřich Zlámal and Monsignor E. A. Bouška. It is interesting to read in Prague papers that Father Zlámal and several socialists from among American volunteers in the Czechoslovak legions appear on the same platform and exhort the people to imitate the Czechoslovaks in America in common sense and harmony. By this time these workers have no doubt been re-enforced by Vojta Beneš, secretary of the National Alliance whose great gifts as popular speaker will be employed during the summer to strengthen the determination of the people to make a success of their dearly bought liberty. Among other