The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-10-23
8 NATIONS TO UNITE
IN FREEDOM PLANS
Former Subjects of Austria
Hungary Will Gather in
Independence Hall. "
BARRIER FOR GERMANY
Declarations Of New Republics
to Be Made Under Amer
ica's Historic Roof.

WASHINGTON. oct. 72.--Unity OF ac-
ton in proclaiming their independence
OF the Teutonic yoke In pursuance OF
President Wilson's suggestion to the
ustro-Hungarian Government :. that
sef-determination by her former sub
5ect peoples was his policy. and that
mere autonomy" was unacceptab BILE ex-
cept II 1t satisfied the Czechs, Poles,
Slavs and other peoples OF middle Eu-
rope, is the purpose OF n conference to
be held In Independence Hall. Phila-
delphia. on Friday and Saturday.
DR.. Thomas s. Masarvk. Prime Minis
ter OF the new Czecho-SlovaK republic,
will the presiding officer OF the in
ternational gathering. The invitation to
make use of the historic birthplace of
American liberty was extended by the
Mayor Of Philadelphia, and a delegation
Of the representatives OF the intere sted
peoples left here to-day for that city.
The nationalities which will be repre-
sented at-~titis conference will be Bo-
hemians. Czecho-Slovaks. Jugo-Slavs.
Poles, Italians (from the unredeemed
Adriatic provinces). Galicians. Lithuan-
ians. Rumanians and Uhro- Rusins
Barrier Against Germany.
The underlying purpose Of this con-
vention is unity OF action In the crea-
ton Of the group of new nations which
In the days to come will erect the bar
rier against >Germany's eastward ag-
gressions. At the present time the
Czecho-Slovak peoples have proclaimed
a republic. The Jugo-Slavs at the con-
ference in the Island OF Corfu more than
year ago determined to erect n con-
stitutional monarchy composed OF Serbs
Bosnians, Herzogovinians, Slovenes.
Dalmatians and Croats, with the Kara
george dynasty established as the titu-
lar headship Of the State.
The Poles partially freed through the
German permissive control of internal
affairs, with the regency council at the
helm. are engaged now in forming a
new nation with its exact form yet to
be determined. Rumanla, just now &C.
cupied by Teutonic armies. already is
a constitutional monarchy. The remain
ing national elements have not yet de-
cided on the form their governments
shall assume. though presumably they
will be either independent republican
States. or attach themselves to adjacent
nations under satisfactory guarantees of
autonomous existence ana liberty gov
eminent.
The Nations Represented.
Before leaving Washington DR.. Ma
saryk said:>
The following organizations and rep
resentatives are authorized to help in
formulating a declaration of indepen-
dence for their respective nations in Eu-
rope: John +. Smulski for the Polish
committee. DR.. John Szlupas for the
Lithuanian National Council. Capt vasile
Stoica for the Rumanian National
League, DIR. II. Hinkovic for the Jugo-
Slav National Council. Charles ]. Toma-
zolli for the Italian Irredentists, NJ
Sichinsky for the Ukrainian Federation
and Gregory ]. Zatkovich for the Ameri-
can National Council OF Uhro- Rusins.
Possibly other representatives will in
certain cases be chosen 10 afflx their
signatures to a document which I trust
will go down in the history of the OPP
more nationalities may be represented.
II 50 this will be announced later.
I'VE consider IL an honor and a sim
gular privilege that our conferences.
based as they will be on the principles
of self-determination and cooperation
among all groups against Teutonic ag.
erosion, may be carried on under the
roof where the American Declaration OF
Independence was drafted and published
We shall do our work under the shadow
of a great tradition"