Imperial Valley press., 1918-11-23
NEWEST REPUBLIC.
(By Associated Press)

CZechO SloVak republlc, HounSeSV
recognized member of the Allied fam
lily of nations, is in reality merger
under democratic government of lhe
ancient Bohemian, Moravian, Silesian
and Slavis kingdoms, subjected for
almost 800 years 10 Teuton and Mag
var domination.
The rebirth of Czech and Sav in
dependence forms one of the most
striking romances of the war. For
centuries Bohemia stood in the fore
front of European culture, giving to
The world The Christian martyrs ana
educators, Huss and Jerome OF
Prague, The poet Kollar, the hnguis
and teacher Comenius, and, in the
field of art, Brozik, the painter and
he musician Dvorak with many oth-
iers whose deeds have found places in
history. Hardly less advanced was
the civilization of her sister states.
With such inspiration, The Czecho
Slovaks retained, despite Austrian op-
preston, national orsanization, and
were prepared even before the star
iof The conflict now terminated by
iaimisice 10 strike The blows hal have
given them freedom.
They opposed The mobilization OF
he Austrian army, resisted Undue
of their manhood. despite courts
martial and wholesale executions, and
throughout the war obs ructed and un
dermined The Austrian admins ration.
From their ranks, through deserion
or capture. thousands of fighting men
found their way into The Russian and
italian armies, where they turned and
fought HE power hat had conscrip' ed
Them. By their spirit and efficiency
as soldiers hey gained recogniIion by
he Allies of Czecho-S -Slovak units, and
before the war ended more 'han 1OO,-
1000 Czecho- -Slovak troops under lhelr
own commanders, were emba lied for
the Allied cause in France, Italy, Eu
ropean Russia and Siberia.
In Russia the Czecho- Slovaks lave
10000 men under arms. some recruit
ed from the demobilized Russian
army, others deseriers from The Aus
Irian forces or former Aus rian nris-
oners of Russia released by he Ker-
ensky or Bolshevik governments. The
Czecho- -Slovak force in Italy is 10000
. strong. composed wholly of individu
ais or units from the Austrian army
taken prisoners by the Italians. IN
France the organization numbers H.
900, including 5000 men from the
Czech army in Russia and 5000 vol
unleers from the United States.
Czecho- Slovaks are ruling heir 'ib-
erated counirymen from their capi' a
in Prague today because Ihey fosler"d
through generations The. Pickering
flame of freedom Which Austria and
Hungary attempted to snuff ouf IN
1921. They manila a succession
of secret political oreaniza ions. cul-
minaling in HAT which sci afoot ac-
live opposition to Austria in he early
DAYS of the war, and through propa-
oanda conducted among emiorants IN
Russia. laid the foundation for Inc
inderenden' Czecho- Slovak force
which has held for more han a year
the Vol@a front. preventing HE Ger
mans and Bolsheviki from drawing
on he food supplies of Siberia.
Of new nations formed or in pro-
cess of forma ion through b" up
heaval cf war the Czecho- Slovak was
The frsI 10 win Allied recoGnition.
and tho only one so far fully recog-
nized by America. Existing only or
paper as long as The Hapsburg dy-
nasty remained in power, the republic
became an actually with the dissold-
lion Of the Aus rian- Hun=arian en-
pire. lis president, Prof. Thomas G.
A Masaryk, formerly of The University Y
of Prague and lately stationed in
Washing on, Ihrou@h DR.. Karl Kram-
arr, the vice president, for wears a
political prisoner charged with trca-
son against Austria, and his associ-
ales ins Prague. is admini- lering The
affairs of 100000 people occupy
ing $4,000 square miles of territory
(apprcxima ely he size of New York
sjate).
Extending from Saxony and Ba
varia on the west 10 Un@var and HE
Al Carpa hian mountains on the east, a
di~ ance of 800 miles, Czecho- Slova'
4 kia cuts swath 120 miles wide into
he former Auslro- Hungarian do
main. Us western half, comprising
he one me Austrian provinces of
Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia, follows
The borders of SaXony and Prussia
4 on HE north and skirts Bavaria on
4 the south until the Austrian boundary
4 j. reached. when il swings 80 miles
north of Vienna 10 lhe March river.
I The estern half, formerly thc Hun
I garian province Of Slovakia, follows
Z The Danube from Pressburg 10 thn
River Inola, 20 miles norIg of Buda
I nrs, whore i turns norlhea- -tward 10
\ he Carpahians. From Ungvar, the
] eastern limit. the line follows The old
Galician border wesI 10 he Prussian
l line 80 miles west of Cracow. Thr
new stale effeclually culs Hunpary
off from lis former province, Galicia
which is no wclaimed by Poland.
The republic boasts he University
of Prague, lcng cenler of eastern
European culture. With independence
lis representatives in this country de
n'clare another university, for which
\ large funds alredya have been sub
scribed, will BE- erected a Brunn and
a countrywide public school system
will be established.