New-York tribune., 1918-08-18

- there are 100000 of them,
that six and half millions of Czechs
are inhabiting the greater part of b.
hemia, Moravia and Siesia; that two
and half millions of Slovaks occupy
extensive districts in upper Hungary
that together with the Poles they form
the group of the Western Slays, and that
there are over 100000 Czechs and Slo-
vaks living in the United States and
Canada; but here the knowledge of the
average newspaper reader regarding
them respectfully stops.
That Vienna, the German capital Of
the German Princess of Hapsburg,
counts nearly one-half million of Czechs;
that they are very numerous in Russia
particularly in Nolhynia; that their an
cestors lived in parts of Bohemia as
early as the sixth century before the
Christian era, 1. e., before any Teutonic
tribe appeared on her soil in its shining
armor, and the insolent Il am 1t" on
their Goddess lips; that Prague was the
seat of the oldest university founded
1348) in Germany; that, under the lead
ership of the predecessor of Martin
Luther by full century, ohm Huss tdied
at the stake July g, 14i5, as a martyr to
his religious convictions), the Czech ma
tion became the champion of the freedom
of thought and Of national liberty in Eu-
rope; that from 1920, the date of the
fateful Battle of the White Mountains to
about 1920, the Czech language was
cruelty prosecuted and the monuments
of ancient Bohemian literature wantony
destroyed by the Austrian government
well, / stop here for a moment in my
turn. not to tire the reader too much and
make him blush because Of his ignorance
TIE Germans and Magyars tried to
disunite the Czechs and Slovaks. but, be.
ing of the same race and speaking prac-
tical'y tie same anguage-Sovak is
merely a more archaic form Of Czech
both soon turned upon their common
tvrants, and now, through their heroic
armies in Siberia, France and Italy
morally backed by the Jugo Slavs. these
little Slavic races are paying back to
their big sister, Russia the debt they
owe to her for her powerful moral pro-
lection often granted to them in hours
of national danger Professor Masaryk
the recognized leader of tie Czecho-
Slavic nation, is himself by birth Slo-
wax.
When Martin Luther arose in Ger
many against Rome Pope Leo X called
the budding Reformation a quarrel
among monks, and continued TO inspect
his plans for the rejuvenated Church OF
st. Peter. When, at the beginning Of
the nineteenth century, Joseph Dobrov-
sky G753-1S29). Joseph Jungmann
(1773-184O, Paul Joseph Safarik ll79S-
1860 and Franz Palacky (l798-ls67)
began to reawaken the spirit of their
nation, the wiseacres at Vienna saw IN
this great national movement nothing
but an innocent philologico-lite re-
vival.
In 1857 the i~al nation was handed
over to the mere es of the Magyars, snd
in 1870 Francis Joseph added to treason
a breach of faith-he promised to the
Czechs that he would crown himseh
King of Bohemia. and thereby recognize
the historical rights of the Czech nation
The old sinner forgot to redeem his I'M
perial word
Well, on some beautiful summer DAY
of the year of the Lord 1919. the DO
hemian Woodrow Wilson, Professor u
7. Masaryk. will take possession OF 'ae
imperial palace on the Hradschin' 'ns
famous citadel of Prague. and proclaim
from its heights the freedom, OF the D0'
hemian nation. DIDEROT, Jr.