Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-24
By WALTER LITTLEFIELD

In the New York Times
THE declaration of the British Gov
L eminent, last Tuesday. recognizing
the Czecho- -Slovaks as an allied nation
as q geographical, political and military
entirety---not only creates belligerent
State in the heart of middle Europe
amid German Austria, Magyar Hungary
and Prussian Germany, and recognizes
the legality of three armies, one in ST.
IBERIA, one in France. and one in Italy,
but the prestige of the power uttering
it, whose protecting wings have through
the ages shielded political refugees from
Bohemia and Moravia, is such that 1t
deals vital blow at the very founda-
ton of the fabric of which the Dual
Monarchy Is composed. 1t is worth
while. if merely as a text, repeating in
full:
Since the beginning of the war the
CZecho- -Slovak nation has resisted the
common enemy by every means in its
power.
The Czecho -SIovaks have constituted
considerable army. fighting on three
different battlefields. and attempting
in Russia and Siberia TO arrest the
Germanic invasion: In consideration
of its efforts to achieve independence.
Great Britain regards the Czecho-S -Slo-
vaks as an allied nation and recog-
nizes the unity of the three Czecho-
slovak armies as an allied and bell'g-
erent army waging regular warfare
against Austria-Hungary and Ger
many.
Great Britain also recognizes the
right of the C2echo-Slovak National
Council, as the supreme organ OF
CZecho-Slovak national interests and
as the present trustee Of the future
Czeoho- Slovak Government, to exercise
supreme authority over this allied and
belligerent army
Grave Error Corrected
One of the most il-advised phases Of
the International policy of the Allies
was for a long time. to assume the
status quo ante OF Austria Hungary as
a political integrity to be dealt with
after the war. The Pact of Rome.
April 9-11. changed at that Here not
only the Jugo-Slavs received official rec
but delegates of the Poles.
Czechs SlOvaks Rumanians and other
subject races of the Hapsburgs pleaded
their individual causes and were heard.
The debate at Rome cleared the air. 1t
had been different in lS4s. when ALL had
been fighting at cross-purposes and
were played off against each other by
Budapest and Vienna until German Aus
,ria and Magyar Hungary reconstructed
the empire in 1867 and divided the sub
ject races between them. Then they
fought blindly and with mutual jealou-
sizes. Now, thanks to the Pact of Rome,
they are not fighting blindly. They are
fighting to destroy the dual realm of the
Hapsburgs. and thanks also to the asy-
lum offered by the Allies their director
ates have debated and have agreed to
postpone the internal questions, which
annihilated their common purpose in
1S4S, until after the war.
The story Of the adventures of the
Czecho- -Sorak army in Siberia reads like
another "Anabasis." Originally the army
numbered $4,000 men--a recent Berlin
dispatch says it has grown to 300.Oa0--
and was made up of Bohemians and
Moravians and Slovaks. all Slavs. who
belonged to the Eighth and Ninth Aus
tro-Hungarian Army Corps. and some
to the Second and the rteenth. who
had freely surrendered TO Brusiloh in
July. 1917, and We're sent to Russian
prison communities beyond the trals.
Many Czecho -Slovaks. who had surren-
dered to the Russians at various times
during the war. beginning at the battle
Of I.emberg. in September. 1914. had
previously been organized into small
units of the Russian army, and had been
Joined by many OF the Czecho-S -SloVak
subjects OF Austria who were in business
in Russia before the war.