The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-10-19
CZECHS REFUSE BAIT,
PROCLAIM REPUBLIC
Continued from First Page.

have lost all human and moral right
to rule anybody but themselves"
Autonomy as proposed by Kaiser Karl
In the effort to hold together his empire
Is fatty refused by the Czecho -Slovaks.
The declaration declares the new Czecho-
Slovak State a republic. halls freedom
and the American principles and Presi-
dent Wilson, the principles OF Lincoln.
the American Declaration of 1ndepen-
dence and the rights OF man as the guild
ing lights Of the newly launched ship OF
state.
To-day's declaration Is not a Const!-
tuition, but II proclaims complete reli-
gious freedom, universal suffrage. with
women on an equal footing politically.
socially and culturally" with men. pro-
portional representation as a guarantee
OF the defence OF minority rights. rec
ognitlon of the principle OF the right to
the enjoyment of equal rights before the
law by minorities, and the recognition OF
the principles OF initiative and referen-
dun.
To-day's declaration Is signed by Prof.
Thomas @. Masaryk, Prime Minister of
the embryo Government; Gen. Stefanik.
Minister of National Defence. and DR..
Edward Renes, Minister OF Foreign AZ
fairs. The following is the complete text
of the declaration:
Declaration of independence OF the
Czecho-Slovak nation, by its provisional
Government
AT this grave moment, when the Ho-
henzollerns are offering peace in order to
stop the victorious advance OF the allied
armies and to prevent the dismember-
ment of Austria Hungary and Turkey.
and when the Hapsburgs are promising
the liberalization Of the empire and au-
tnnnnnv tho dtQaa iaAad lilies
committed to their rule. we, the Czecho-
Slovak National Council. recognized by
the allied and American governments as
the provisional Government OF the
Czecho-Slovak state and nation, in conf
plete accord with the declaration of the
Czech Deputies made in Prague on jan
uary 6. 1918. and realizing that federal
ization. and still more autonomy, mean
nothing under Hapsburg dynasty. do
hereby make and declare this our dec
laration OF independence.
we do this because OF our belief that
no people should be forced to live under
a sovereignty they do not recognize. and
because of our knowledge and firm con-
viction that our nation cannot freely de-
velop in Hapsburg mock federation.
which Is only new form of the dena-
tionalizing oppression under which we
have suffered for the last 400 years.
I'VE consider freedom to be the first
prerequisite for liberalization, and be-
lieve that the free nations OF central and
eastern Europe may easily federate
should they find It necessary.
HapsburEs Broke Compact.
I'VE make this declaration on the basis
of our historic and natural right. We
have been an independent state since
the seventh century, and in 1925 as an
Independent state consisting OF Bohemia.
Moravia and Silesia We Joined with Aus
tria and Hungary in defensive union
against the Turkish danger. We have
never voluntarily surrendered our rights
as an independent state In this confed-
GRAFTON. The Hapsburgs broke their
compact with our nation by illegally
transgressing our rights and violating
the Constitution of our state. which they
had pledged themselves to uphold. and
We therefore refuse longer to remain a
part of Austria-Hungary in any form.
I'VE claim the right of Bohemia to
be reunited with her Slovak brethren of
Slovakia- once part, Of our national
State, later torn from our national body
and fifty years ago incorporated in the
Hungarian state Of the Magyars, who
by their unspeakable violence and ruth
less oppression OF their subject races
have lost all moral and human right 20
rule anybody but themselves.
THE world knows the history of our
struggle against the Hapsburg oppres-
sion. intensified and systematized by the
Austro-Hungarian dualistic compromise
of 1867. This duallsm Is only a shame
less organization OF brute force and ex-
ploltation Of the majority by the minor
ity; it is q political conspiracy of the
Germans and Magyars against our own
as well as the other Slav and the Latin
nations Of the monarchy.