South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-12-27
CZECH REPUBLIC.
CREATED BY WAR
Sliced Out of Northern Austria
and Hungary by Sword
of War God.

NEW YORK.-Sliced out OF the
heart of northern Austria and Hun
gary by the sword of war, the
Czecho- Slovak republic, youngest
recognized member of the allied
family of nations, is in reality a
merger under democratic govern
ment Of the ancient Bohemian, Mo-
ravian. Silesian and Slavic king
doms. subjected for almost 500
years to Teuton and Magyar domi-
nation.
The re-birth Of Czech and Slav in
dependence forms one of the most
striking romances of the war For
centuries Bohemia stood in the
forefront of European culture, Civ
ing to the world the Christian mar
tyrs and educators. Huss and Je-
rome of Prague, the poet Kollar,
the Hnguist and teacher COmenius,
and. in the field of art. Brozik, the
painter. and the musician DVonak.
with many others whose deeds have
found places in history. Hardly
less advanced was the civilization
of her sister states. With such in
/ spiratiOu. the Czecho-SlOvaks re-
tanned. despite Austrian oppression,
a national organization. and were
prepared even before the start of
the conflict now terminated to strike
! the blows that have given them
freedom.
Opposed Mobilization.
They opposed the mobilization of
1.-The Austrian army. resisted Undue
ton Of their manhood despite
CONTINENTAL and wholesale eXecu-
lions. and throughout the war OBJ
structed and undermined the Aus
trian administration From their
ranks, through desertion or cap
ture thousands Of fighting men
found their way into the Russian
and Italian armies. where they
turned and fought the power that
had conscribed them. BY their spir-
il and efficiency as soldiers they
gained recognition by the allies Of
Czecho- Slovak units. and before the
war ended more than 100000
Czecho-Slovak troops, under their
own commanders, were embattled
for the allied cause in France, Italy
European Russia and Siberia.
In Russia the CzechO-Slovaks
have 10000 men under arms, some
recruited from the demobiliZed
Russian army others deserters
from the Austrian forces or former
Austrian prisoners of Russia re-
leased by the Kerensky or bolshevik
government. The CzechO-Slovak
force i'm Italy is 10000 strong, COM
posed wholly of individuals or
units from the Austrian army taken
prisoner by the Italians. In France
the organization numbers 1900, in
Guiding 5000 men from the Czech
army in Russia and 5000 volunteers
from the United States.
Czecho- Sovaks are ruling their
liberated countrymen from their
capital in Prague today because
they fostered through generations
the pickering fame Of freedom
which Austria and Hungary at
tempted 70 snuff out in 1921. They
maintained succession Of secret
political organizations. eliminating
i'm that which set afoot active op-
position 10 Austria in the early days
of the war, and, through propagan-
da conducted among emigrants in
Russia. laid the foundation for the
independent Czecho-SlOvak force
which has held for more than
year the Volga front preventing
the Germans and bolsheviki from
drawing on the food supplies OF 81
IBERIA.
OF new nations formed or in
progress Of formation through the
upheaval Of war. the Czecho-SlOvak
was the first 10 win allied recogni-
ton. and the only one SO far fully
recognized by America. Existing
only on paper as long as the Haps-
burg dynasty remained in power,
the republic became an actually