Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-05

TF MRS. GREENE PICKENS should ask
L her husband when he goes home tonight,
"Who are the Czecho.Slovaks" Mr..
Greene Pickens would doubtless reply
without hesitation: They are the people
who live in Czecho-Slovakia the country,
you know, whose independence Secretary
Lansing has just recognized in behalf of
the United States.
Where is hoSlovakia?" Mrs G. P.
might insist.
"Oh, don't you know?" Mr.. G. p. would
counter. 1T is over in Russia some.
where Get Johnny's geography and look
it up. You know the Czecho-SlovaAs have
been fighting the Bolsheviks in Russia for
a long time"
THIS is about as near guess as the
l. average man would make. We know
that the CzechoSlovaks have been doing
marvels in Russia But only the man "hose
business it is to inform himself on such
matters is aware that this force Is made
up of the Bohemian and Slavonian
prisoners of war taken by the Russians
while they were fighting Austria. After
the Brest.Litovsk treaty they were re-
leased but they decided not to return to
Austria Hungary. There were about $4,000
of these soldiers. They wanted tosjoin the
armies Of the Entente Allies and started
to get to the western front by way Of
Vladiyostok. But before the whole force
could reach that port they found they had
to fight the Bolsheviki REINFORCED by the
German and Austrian and Hungarian sol.
diers who had been held as prisoners by
the Russians. Their achievements have
been as heroic as any credited to Keno
phon's Famous Ten Thousand
DUT Mrs. Greene Pickens is still in
- ignorance of the location of Mr.. c. P.'s
CzechoSlovakia. And so is Mr.. G. p. for
that matter.
TNHE Czechs and the Slovaks are both
i Slav races. The Slovaks live on the
southern slopes of the western Carpathians
| and extend southwark into the great Hun.
garian plain The Czechs constitute a ma
| jority Of the population of Bohemia and
| Moravia, two provinces in northwestern
Austria. There are about $500 900 Czechs
and 1000 900 Slovaks living in a district
| approximately the size of Pennsylvania.
There are about 3,SO0O00 Germans in the
| same territory. IL we ohooiu Soh ehc
| Czechs Bohemians their racial identity
| would be clearer.
| TNHERE was a time when Bohemia was
L an independent kingdom with Its own
native rulers. When the line Of its kings
ran out Hapsburg king was elected to the
throne in 1925 and he pledged himself to
maintain the independence of the Bohe.
man kingdom. But the Hapsburgs broke
their pledges. They refrained from being
crowned kings of Bohemia in Prague and
gradually destroyed the independence of
the kingdom. 1t was revolt of the Bohe-
mians against the Hapsburgs in 1913 that
started the Thirty Years War. The popu-
lation of the country was reduced by this
bloody conflict from 100000. when it
began, to 100000 when 1t ended The sur
vivors meekly bore the Hapsburg yoke. In
the latter part Of the eighteenth century
there was an awakening Of the national
spirit among the Czechs which developed
into a desire for independence 1t had at
tanned such proportions that Pan-Slavic
congress was held in Prague in 1s4s. which
provoked an insurrection that had to be
put down by force. The Czech leaders at
tended the Pan,siavic Congress In Moscow
.| i. g. +.