The Cordova daily times., 1918-07-16
RECOVERABLE NATURE OF
 CZECH0-SL0VAK FIGHTERS

WASHINGTON, July lG.-Amid the
 many easy triumphs which enabled the Tcutous this year to slice great
 sections from the map of Russia, like coupons from d bond, Germany and Austria both suffered one lrightiuI disappointment. And the pang Was in
 the weakest part of their political anatomy the collective stomach ot their peoples.
 The grain of which the two kaiscrs expected to plunder the Ukraine was not there-at least there was so little of il that Germany had to lower her bread ration while Austria continued to starve a bit more rapidly. The supplies had been burned
 These fires were lighted with a kind of poetic justice by the rem nants of the Czecho-Slovak army de scrtcrs from the Austrian ranks and invotorato enemies of the Hapsburgs, who had been reconstructed into Rus sian military units under the keren- sky regime and fought so splendidly for Russia before the whole nation collapsed from the gnawing of the BolsheviN
 Until March of this year this C2cyho- o-SloNak Army had been station ed in the Ukraine 5o.0Oo men in line and 5O.000o more in reserve. Then Bolshcvik representatives dis. solved their organization and took away their arms. though about 2O,0O0 refused to part with their weapons. They were given promises that they would be allowed to leave Russia for the United States. but. of course. no means of transportation was provid- ed, And so they remained where they were.
 Systematic Burning
 It was fortunate for the allies that they did. As soon as they realized that Germany's chief objective in Russia was the Ukranian grain sup ply they began a systematic campaign of pillage and burning, in which they were assisted by the peasants them selves. aroused at the thought that l the old landowners were to return 1 under German protection.
 The evidence that the Czecho- o-Slo- l walks were successful Is incontestble. Count Czernin. Austro Hungarian premier until his little exchange of plcasantries with NJ. Clemenceau. placed the responsibility for the bare Ekranan cupboard on the shoulders of the CzeCho-Slovaks. German rep presentatives in the Austrian reichsrat repeated the charge in greater detail, A Magyar deputy in the Hungarian parliament recently declared that the C2echo-Slovak army in the Ukraine had burned or taken away everything of value.
 Not only did they destroy what they could, but they fought bitterly to pre- vent the Teutons taking what was left Retiring and hampered by their lack of equipment, they stopped to meet the advancing Germans repeat edly in the field Their last battle one of those confused struggles which get little space in the cable reports was fought near Bachmac halfway bet cen Kieff and Kursk on the road to Moscow. After the fight. though thc Czccho SlOvaks had been armed chi fly with axes. they themselves brr - more than 300 Germans.
 .ainly in the Ukraine the Czecho- Slovnks have had their revenge for three centuries of suffocation and op- pression in Bohemia. But through tering blows against their Austrian and German enemies and the whole idea of MittelEuropa.
 Eating Into Austrian Unity
 As early as August 10, 1914. riots against mobilization began at Prague, and thenceforth Czech soldiers and Bohemian nationals have been tre- mendous disintegrating influence both on the eastern front and in the heart of Austria The desertion of the Twenty-eighth regiment in the Car pathians In the spring of 1915 is fam ous These Boys of Prague" as they were known, marched over to the Rus snapped the Bohemian flag, the split ..i,.I .ii,... lio. rn rnnnnt on a scarlet |