El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-10-26
.CZECHO-SLOVAKS
HELP THE ALLIES
Czechs Have Earned, by
Hard Fighting, Right to
Form Their State.
By GEN. GOURKo.


Formerly Chief OF the AUssiAh SeoAA-
Stockholm, Sweden, Oct 26.-Speak-
ling Of the Austro-German forces in
I Siberia some time ago advanced the
dominion that their alleged numbers OF
15O. 600 was grossly exaggerated even
ALLOWING that a considerable force OF
iPolsheviks might be assisting them
Events have entirely corroborated the
truth Of this statement.
BY their brilliant deeds in Siberia
the Czecho-slovaks, who are mainly
RESPONSIBLE for the satisfactory state
! Of affairs pertaining there today have
at last won their place among the na-
lions Of the world. The principle OF
the Czech state has been recognized
Nv the allies. and il only waits Tor
I the coming OF peace to see this IN
I telligent. warlike race firmly estao-
lfshed as an Independent state
/ Although. in principle. the establish
ment of this Czech state had been
I agreed some months prior to the Rus
sian revolution, the events or March
l1qI7. crushed its realization for the
I time being. But during the troublous
months which followed the leaders OF
the Czech national council, busted
themselves IN the formation OF fight
! ing units
r-xeobs Tf~ht ANiesf Enemies
Rv a mastery policy which had the
! immediate effect OF securing from - -
allies recognition Of the right OF tHe
I Czechs TO their own government, tne
/ leaders OF the Czecho- Slovaks began
rnfIitarv operations against the Boil
shevfIls and Acknowledgements Wiio
were threatening the allied cause ~
/ the east These Czecho- SloTak troops
& have fought magnificently, and so as
suerd their right to take part IN tne
Councils OF the allied nations now al
war. ~. .-.o-,
J Siberia. in which the CZecho-SloYahs
have rlaved such a prominent role. has
! been accomplished, it is interesting -, to
! illustrate when, how, and why the
! Czecho-S Iovaks organized them =
into fighting uni-s- The idea OF pro
posing to the SlaEs VINO nau 80. -.
| taken prisoner by the Russian troops
lin 1914 that they should Ilght loI
I Russfa. arose at that time, but Tor OH
ferent reasons. which are too long 70
/ recapitulate. it only received reallza-
I ton in the middle OF 1919
! Prisoners volunteers Organized
At that time separate Czech bat
taIions and companies were enlisted
lin different Russian army corps un-
! der the command of Russian and Aus
( trfan Czech officers The prospective
! OF an offensive through bulgarian
TERRITORY Win inc AlEI u t7-H-AA7
{ 70 the SerVian troops. who. IN lue
! wear 1916. were fighting with the
/ BulEars close to Salonika, gave the
idea to organize first one ana ana
3 then a second Servtan DIVISION Win
the proviso that every SOLDIER snoulo
/ enlist as 4 volunteer. These men
! were also prisoners OF war taken Ds
] the Russians. They were SERBS or
Il Sloval<s. both Of which nations speak
i the same language and are Of the anne
! religion
4 +fonal bravery. fought in the Do
brudia, but they met very strong re-
4 sistance from the Bulgars, who al
THAT time had been able to throw near
!, Iiv all their troops against the Russian
and Servian divisions VINO eat ere
i into the Dobrud1a. where Al IhaI time
not a single Rumanian soldier was
left. These events took place towards
the end Of 1916
shortly afterwards there arrived IN
the Russian headquarters one OF the
members Of the Czech national coun-
4 ell. who explained their idea OF or
eanizing special Czech troops out OF
u austrian prisoners of Czech nation
a1ftv. He explained the difficulties
j that arose in the formation OF those
units These lay partly IN some pre-
n conceived ideas Of the Russian au-
thorities and also in certain a.
! vereence Of opinions that arose pc
! tween the Czechs who before the war
I lived in Russia and had organized
! something like a Czech nauonsI eou.,-
! ell and the members Of the real coun-
Z ell. The Russian headquarters mao
mo FEASIBILITY Of reconciling those two
tbodies and their respective opinions
Abandon Forming Czech Units.
Il It was necessary TO abanoon eI -lt 8
y the idea Of oragnizing the CzecA
z units or to adopt the idea OF one OF
the other Of those two groups Inc
, second alternative would have mean
lmeddlfnE in the CZechs' own INN eol-
ate affairs. Both sides belonged %
the Czech nation and explained the'
= thew were acting for the benefit OF the
= future Czech state The main olIIel-
T ence between these two groups con-
] sisted in the fact that the Czechs who
! lived in Russia proclaimed that II
Il Gathering the Czech people under
y their own flag they had in mind first
OF all the interest Of Russia and u
= timateIy the welfare Of the Czechs-
The real Czech national council
iopenly declared that the formation OF
b Czech units was first Of all wanted as
: nucleus Of the future Czech army
belonging TO an independent nation
E But they quite realized that they coulc
1 attain that ideal only with the aid Of
I the Russians or that which represent
ed the same ideal, an allied victory
. Nicholas Deserves Credit.
For the moment it is not necessary
to give the name Of the great Czeef
patriot who has carried through tbs
tepoch making task Of creating a new
nation. IN time TO come when th'
Czechs are enjoying the fruits Of this
mans laboEs, he will receive thai
which is due TO him. and his nam'
shall be remembered forever
The establishment OF an independent
Czech state is not the creation Of th'
last year. IN principle it was sane.
- toned by Nicolas Il in his capacity
Of Russian monarch and generals
simo 1t was owing to the emperor
s. personal interest that IN the month!
Immediately preceding the Russian
posi- bility Of organizing military
units, and for the presence Of tbs
Czecho-Slovaks fighting in Siberia to
7 day and their recognition as bel
4 1igerent nation the credit is due Il
Nicol.s II. who despite warnings a.
I to the possible danger Of a futur
Czech republic. agreed to the lorna
ton Of an independent state
Had the nucleus of the futurl
: / Czecho-Slovak army not been 1orme'
Z prior to the revolution one can posi-
: lively state that neither OF the TEN
= porary governments. and especially
= she soviets who controlled them. woul'
: have permitted the organization o
nit Of a strong Polish army only be
v cause this army. which could easil,
q attain the nun Der Of 100000 or 10000
e men. with about 10000 officers o
d Polish nationality, refused to hav
y military committees
Il The beginning Of the formation o
= Czech units. once il had taken place