Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-09-11


I% festival which focused The in
terest ~ Nebraskas $4,000
- Bohemian citizens upon the Tel
.lAlG4NlH Jed SokOl hall on South Thir-
~ teenth street for three days
is matter OF history and the
large number OF Bohemian men and
women who came 20 Omaha to Join
IN the weekend OF mixed fun and seri-
Gus elaboration have left the city days ago.
Many OF the things said and done at that
festival viii not soon he forgotten. however.
and Il is generally felt among Omaha Bo-
hemlans that Its influence will be great
among their people OF the state and nation.
For decades thege. Bohemian Americans
have been struggling toward the orgsnlza-
tior of some SORT of an association The
need which is felt is not for an organlEa-
tlou simply to keep alive the memory of
things Bohemian In such a way as to make
its members one whit poorer Americans;
too much love is felt by the Bohemians for
their adopted country to make any such re-
suit possible At the same time they have
realized that to the country which gave
them birth, now struggling and oppressed
by Austrian power, they owe an immense
debt and the prime object OF any organiza-
ton they may form win be the helping of
their kindred who still linger across the
Atlantic.
The Omaha meeting brought these people
closer to such an organization than they
have ever been before. For the festival
here the Bohemians OF the city dropped the
religious feeling which have always, to a
considerable extent, held them apart and
worked shoulder to shoulder for its success.
Those who came from a distance fell
readily into the spirit which the local Boz
hemians had shown and az a result meet
ing has been arranged for September II at
which g. srppreseutatlve Of every lodge IN
the state will be present to discuss the
forming OF a state association. 1t is almost
certain that this committee will report
favorably and It does not require an elab-
crate flight of the Imagination to picture a
national Bohemian association resulting
from the efforts of Joseph L. Padrnos and
the other local Bohemans who worked
night and day TO make this festival a sue
cess.
A second object OF the meeting was the
furthering OF Sducation Of the Bohemian
children in the old country and in achiev-
ing this object the festival was equally
successful There was not single session
where some word was not spoken for educa-
ton. Even in the less serious events. the
social, the parade, the play and the child
ren's party, one heard constant references
to the deplorable educational conditions
among the Bohemians In the old country.
So great an impression did this all make
upon the Bohemians present that at the
session on Sunday substantial sum OF
money was raised to build and equip school
houses In Bohemia and to otherwise further
the education of these children whom
Austria Is SO sadly neglecting.
Omaha has been fortunate during the
summer in being called upon to entertain
several associations of foreign born Ameri-
cans and as each body or them has come
and gone the impression has become more
firmly rooted that Americas adopted child.
rem are among her best citizens As IL was
with the German Sangerbund as IL was
with the German editors, as II was with
the kriegerbund, so 1t was with these 30.
hemian- Americans. Among the number
who gathered In Omaha for the festival
one saw hundreds OF men and women who
are occupying prominent ~ IN the ar
fairs OF the state DIR. T. al, superin