Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1916-03-03
level surprising that Of any other ma
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arts it is second to no nation Of its nu-
merical strength; economically it has
been making rapid strides forward,
being second only to the Austrian Ger
mans, while in cultural respects it
stands at the head of all Austrian ma
tionalities. The Czechs have not quite
four per cent of persons who can Meth
er read nor write, while the Germans
of Austria have six per cent and the
Magyars forty per cent.
With all this high degree of develop
ment, it still cannot be said that the
existence of the Czechs as nationality
is secure. The Austrian constitution
declares all nationalities to be equal,
but in practice this provision means very
little. Eleven million Germans in
Austria have five universities, while
ten million Czechs, including Slovaks,
have but oneeuniversity; the provisions
for other school facilities are no better.
This leads to the germanization of
thousands of Bohemian children; the
only means of defense the Czechs have
against this is an organization which
maintains schools in many places for
Bohemian children from funds raised
by contributions of patriotic Czechs.
The Slovaks of Hungary, who now
demand that they be united in an
Independent state with their Czech
brethren, have suffered and suffer now
even worse under the Magyar regime.
Just before the outbreak of the pres
ent war, the last measure of Bohemian
autonomy was destroyed by the dissolu
ton of the so-called council of the
Kingdom, and by the creation of q
special Imperial commission to govern
Bohemia. This act was illegal and
unconstitutional. The destruction of
Bohemian independence after the battle
of White Mountain was an equally
illegal act, and the Bohemians never
acquiesced in it. 1t appears therefore
that in demanding independence
Bohemians can base their demands not
only upon the right of any nation to
self-government, but also upon laws
and constitutions which have never
been repealed or abrogated with the
consent of the Bohemian people.
1t is the devout desire of all right
minded men that the present terrible
European confagration be followed by
a permanent and durable peace. But
the peace following this war cannot be
durable and cannot be permanent if
ancient injustices are perpetuated. 1t
is in the interest of all neutral powers
that the last vestige of injustice be
removed in the future peace confer
ence. In adopting resolution demand
ing the discussion by neutral powers of
liberation of oppressed nationalities,
the Congress of the United States can
place itself not only upon the high
moral ground of justice and righteous
ness, but also can do SO as matter of
enlightened American self-interest.
Zone of tie main causes of the pres
ent war was the mal-adjustment of
Balkan affairs, and the failure to solve
the Balkan national question. AS long
as single nation anywhere remains
under the heel of the conquerer, just
so long the peace of the world is
insecure. In one of his recent speeches,
the President of the United States
spoke of the dangers infinite and
constant which surround this country.
The days Of isolation and self-sufficiency
of any country are gone. A conflagra
ton started in the Balkans may cause
war that would spread throughout
the world. The neutral powers have a
right to protect themselves against
such danger. If our neighbours house
does not answer the requirements of
the fire ordinance, we have the right to
demand that he conform to such require
ments so that at some future time our
own house may not be set afire. The
analogy holds true today in Inter-
national relations.
During the Kossuth visit to this coun-
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Webster concluded one of his most re-
markable orations with the following
sentiment: Hungarian independence,
Hungarian control of her own desti-
MES, and Hungary as distinct nation
atty among the nations of Europe. 1t
is regrettable that the Magyars, since
gaining complete autonomy for them
selves, themselves turned oppressors of
Slav nationalities, but this does not
change the applicability of the senti-
ment expressed by Daniel Webster, and
does not mean that the same attitude
as against oppressed nationalities
should not be taken by American states
men. Why not Bohemian independ-
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