The San Francisco call., 1896-12-30
.CROAT|ANS AND
THE Y. NJ |.
New Strossmayer Council
Instituted Last
Night.
1t Is Named After the Famous
Bishop Strossmayer Of
Croatia.
Rev. Father Crowley Outlines the
Life of That Prelate and
Philanthropist.

The Young Mems Institute received an
other important addition last night in the
shape of Strossmayer Council, which as its
name suggests is somewhat unique in
character.
The new council will be composed OF
natives OF Croatia, province of the Aus
tro- Hungarian empire, or of those who
can claim descent from Croatian ancestors,
This new departure is abund antly justi-
fed by the fact that in San Francisco
alone there are more than 5000 Croatians,
the large majority of whom are memb bers
of the Roman Catholic Church.
The council is named after the famous
Slavic prelate, Bishop Strossmayer, who
has so long been identified with national
and patriotic movement to win by peace
full methods autonomy or home rule for
Croatia while still retaining that province
as an integral part of the Austro-Hunga-
rian federation.
Strossmayer Council starts with a
charter mem bership of fifty, and was
formally instituted last night in the El
Dorado Hall, Alcazar building, by the
grand deputy organizer, Richard Dowdal,
who also installed the following officers:
President, L. w. Piskulich; first vice
president, A. Pilcovich; second vice. e-presi-
dent, M. Tutich; recording secretary, 7.
Jerech; financial secretary, V. Zimich; !;
treasurer, V. Mirko; conductor, John
Francovlch; trustees, N. Megica, NJ.
Keko, l. Violich and A. ZItkovich.
Routine business having been con-
cluded, Rev. Father Crowley delivered
an eloquent and timely address on the
subject of the councils famous namesake.
Bishop Strossmayer, he said, was leader
among his people, who numbered nine
millions. In 1S49 be abandoned the luxury
and splendor of the Austrian court in or
der to devote his life entirely to the eleva-
ton of his race. When he thus returned
to his native land he found there a de-
plorabe state of things. OF the numerous
schools which had been established in
Croatia not one included the language of
that country in its curriculum. The
Bishops first work was to remedy this
deficiency.
Since then he had founded the Uni
versity of Agram at a cost of over So, 000,-
600, an institution which had proved an
lnestlmable blessing to the people. He
also established a great printIng-house,
from which the literature and folklore of
Croatia were continually disse minated.
His third great work was the erection of
tne cathedral costing five million francs
at Diacovo, the seat of the bishopric, and
he gave further evidence of his devotion
to his philanthropic and patriotic mission
by refusing the offer of CARDINALS hat.
The Croatians, Father Crowley stated,
are trying to regain their national auton-
omy, and hope to accom- plish this object
while still remaining subject to the
Austro-H hungarian empire. For ages in
tellectual and social progress has been re-
tarded in Croatia by the dangerous position
of that country as an armed barrier be-
tween the Turk and the rest of Europe,
and to the heroic efforts of its soldiers
above any other single factor in modern
history the repulse of the Mohammedan
power is to be attributed. Apropos OF his
subject Father Crowley said:
Zone of the most distinctive indications
of slavery is the loss of a nations
language. And nation is never entirely
enslaved until its language-the greatest
tie that binds it together-ls entirely
lost.'