Page:The Czechoslovak Review, vol3, 1919.djvu/70

 ly, friends, to help wherever you can to still the passions. Disorders would cause us grave political harm, and England and America especially would be unfavorably affected. I ask your cooperation very earnestly.

I came to Prague accompanied by a part of our army abroad; you will see that we have all of us taken it very seriously, offering our goods and our lives. I am sure that the whole nation will love our boys as I love them. I had been an anti-militarist and disliked the Austrian soldier, but our armies were not organized for militaristic reasons, but for the winning and maintaining of liberty and democracy. To defend this we must have our army; it will be the serious task of men entrusted with this work to create a republican and democratic army. Now democracy in the army, as in every other sphere, cannot be had merely by doing away with Austrianism, but by a rebirth of the spirit.

I have finished. May you all enjoy a Happy Christmas!

Next to Masaryk, Dr. Karel Kramář, premier of the Czechoslovak Republic, is the biggest man of Bohemia. He is also one of the two delegates to the peace conference.

Upon his arrival in Paris at the end of January Premier Kramář sent the following cablegram to Chicago, addressed to the Czechoslovak Board, Bohemian National Alliance and Slovak League:

“Having just arrived in France and before entering upon the work of the peace conference I am very happy to address to all Czechoslovaks in the United States, on behalf of the government of the Czechoslovak Republic, an expression of our greatest gratitude for all their work in the cause of our independence and liberty. You have worked as true American and Czechoslovak patriots; you have helped our nation and all the Allies. Free Czechoslovak Republic can never forget the services you have rendered in doing your national duty.

“Prague and Slovakia hope to see soon your delegates on the soil of the liberated republic.”

The interest which America was compelled to take in European affairs by reason of the war gives fair promise of being kept up even after the war. One of the signs pointing in that direction is the announcement by the University of Pittsburgh of a course of lectures on the “Slavic Nations and Slavic Problems.” What is quite as important is the fact that the lecturer has the qualifications to make the course interesting and instructive. Mr. Edward O. Tabor, the lecturer, is of Czech descent, has the degree of M. A. from the University of Wisconsin and LL. B. from Harvard. He has been recently executive secretary of the Americanization bureau of the Pa. Council of National Defense. While the scope of the course covers all the principal Slav nations, the Czechoslovaks come in for especial attention. In connection with the regular university course Mr. Tabor will also give a series of popular lectures on the same topics under the university auspices.

A selected bibliography in the western languages. By Robert Kerner, Ph. D. Harvard University Press.

Both the book and the author are of interest to the Czechoslovaks of the United States. Dr. Kerner is son of one of the publishers of the Denní Hlasatel and at present is in Bohemia on a mission for the American government. For a year before that Dr. Kerner was gathering data for the House Commission, so that one may feel certain that the American peace mission is in possession of correct facts bearing on ethnographical and other phases of the Czechoslovak problem.

The book which Mr. Kerner recently completed is a monument to his untiring diligence. He cites some 8000 distinct works in English, French, German, Italian, Latin etc., dealing with the general subject of Slavic Europe. Out of 4521 titles about 800 are cited which deal with the Bohemians and Slovaks. Here his book covers somewhat the same field as Mr. Čapek’s “Bohemian Bibliography”, but Dr. Kerner cites works in other languages than English only. For his chapter on writings dealing with Bohemia Dr. Kerner searched the University and Museum libraries of Prague, and his list is quite exhaustive and thorough. But the usefulness of the book to others than scholars would be increased, if a shorter list had been prepared giving only the few important boks under each nation and each subdivision.

Please note that the subscription price to the Czechoslovak Review is now $1.50; single issues cost 15 ''cents. Old issues of the 1917 and 1918 volumes may be had at 3 cents each, and subscribers of the Review can render it important service by distributing old numbers to friends who in their opinion might be interested in this publication.''

''There are no complete sets of the first volume on hand. The 1918 issues complete may be had for $1.10; bound volume for'' $1.60.