Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-12-23
BOHEMIANS LOYAL ID
 COUNTRY Of ADOPTION
Joe Omcirk of Pine Bluff Proud of
 BOhemians' Record. and of BO- .... hemian Daily.

The attitude of .Bohemians in the United States toward the country of their birth and that of their adopt ion is thus described blythe Chica- go Daily Svornost, which claims to be the oldest daily nefspaper publish ed in Chicago: 'Imbued with patriot ism the Bohemians are ready to lay down their lives for the U. s. A., Of the first contingent of volunteers go ing to Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, fully one-third were of Bohemian ex- traction"
 Joe Omcirk of 1904 East Sixth ave- nt1e, a subscriber of the Svornos5,
 printed in Bohemian, and of The Graphic, is rather proud of the loyal ty to the United States Bohemians are showing in this conflict. MT. Omcirk sent The Graphic an an- niversary number of the Svornosk, whicb is creditable in every way, and which contains much of interest to Americans generally. From this issue the following excerpts are talk en:
 August Geringer the publisher of the Svornost, came to Chicago in 1869 when Chicago's population numbered less than 3O0,OO0. He has seen the city grow until it has become the second largest city on this continent. At the time of his arrival the Bohe- mians of Chicago numbered less than 5000, while now there are over 200,- 900 in the city, making it the second largest Bohemian city in the world, having had as many as seven alder men of Bohemian extraction ill the city council at one time.
 ''The Svornost has always stood for loyalty to this country, expounding it's laws and teaching it's history. Imbued with patriotism the Bohemians are ready to lay down their lives for the U. s. A. Of the first contingent of volunteers going to Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, fully one third were boys of Bohemian extraction.
 Few BOhemians Illiterate
 Prof. w. s. Monroe in his elabor' ate work Bohemian and the CechS' writes:
 "The Bohemians in America make excellent citizens and readily adjust themselves to the civilization and institutions of their adopted coun- try. They come to America to make a living and they generally succeed. They are industrious and thrifty and exceptionally honest in their deal ipgs. I doubt, whether any foreign nationality prizes more highly what this country stands for, or, more will lingly contributes to it's advancement than the Bohemian people in the Uni ted States. si.
 Students of the statistics will re- call that among 7the various races from Austria that come to America, Bohemia furnishes the lowest per- centage of illiteraGy and the highest of skilled 'laborers."
 'The first Bohemian immigrant, Augustine Herman, came to America in 1883. He was man of excellent acquired in the first uni versity in Central Europe, a Prague, Bohemia. Herman, because of his ability and wisdom, filled many i'm portant public offices in New Amster- dam, which later on became New York. Among other prominent Bo- hemians, who, according to John Jay the first Chief Justice of the United States, came to America in the earl jest time, was Frederick Filip, whose Marie, was courted by George Washington. Had not Marie given preference to Colonel Morris, who was among ler numerous admir- CTS, the list of "the first ladies of the land" would have been headed by one of Bohemian descent.
 Since 1883 many hundreds of Bohemian immigrants have come to our shores; during the last fifty years they have come principally to Chicago, which today is the second largest Bohemian city in the world.
 "The statistics of the United States bureau show that only one per cent of immigrants from Bohemia cannot read or write, mak- Ing a better showing in this regard than immigrants from the foremost of Europe"
 Many little Belgian hovS and girls