The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-12-10
THEY ARE HAPPY
CZechO-Sl0vak Premier Talks
of Peace and World.
Says It Is First Time Gener.
Osity Has Beaten Selfishness.
TRYING FOR GOOD REPUBLIC
Speaks of the Future of His
Country After War.
Arranging Laws for Betterment
of-All of the People.
(By the Associated Press.J

Prague, Dec 1o.-"There are people
who believe the world must come to
an end because the Austrian and Ger
man empires no more exist, but
know we will all be happier and es-
pecially you in America. 1t IS the
first time in the history of nations that
generosity has ever conquered selfish
ness and when the news came to me
within my prison wall that America
had entered the war, was unable to
believe it,
DR.. Karl kramarZ. premier of
Czech-Slovakia, made this statement
to representative of the Associated
Press today. The interview took place
ancient Bohemian kings This mag
nifcent pile overlooks the city of
Prague from the northwest When the
correspondent entered the waiting
-oom, the first object he noticed was
he bust of President Wilson draped
With the stars and stripes. Doctor
Eramarz for many years fought for
the rights of the Czech people. He
was arrested at Prague on July l.
1915. and following his trial at Wen
ma, was sentenced to death King AL
fonso Of Spain, appealed in his behalf
and the death sentence was cOmmuted
to Is years imprisonment Doctor
kramarZ was released under Emperor
Charles amnesty proclamation of July
II, 1917. He was named premier OF
SZCC1O- dhid~ OA -NOhCtIRSL
! last
We are doing our best to set up a
businesslike republic where prosperity
may be distributed. Already we have
an eight-hour day instead of compel
| ling workmen to labor for eleven
! hours We have abolished titles and
prepared a law to care for the unem-
| ployed. Election laws which will give
/ the minority a chance to hold office
( and which will recognize women, altho
/ they may not hold the highest posts
! such as president, have been prepared.
/ The division of large estates is one OF
| the items in our program. We also
seek to develop electric power for our
factories by an international plan and
| to build a transversal railroad run
ming to the Black sea-
! NJ. Klafoc. minister of the national
/ defense of the Czecho-Slovak repub-
/ lie, spoke freely of conditions in the
! country, He said:
| There are three points which 1t is
necessary for the allies. especially
| America. to understand:
| First our weak military position
second, that we are menaced by Boil
| shsvism from without, and that third
| we have food but for two or three
! months Under the first head. both
Austrians and Hungarians appear to
| ignore the conditions of the armistice
| We think the French were too slow
/ in occupying Budapest and also that
| the allies should take possession OF
arserals and munition factories al
| Vienna, Pressburg and other points
! Otherwise these arms may be used
/ against us or the allies later. We
| would like particularly to have Ameri-
| can troops with US both for military
reasons and because they would help
| to establish friendly relations for the
| future They would also show our
/ people what a republic means Their
presence here would bring immediate
/ order by moral effect. If the aAies de-
! lay our fate may be that of Serbia"