The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-09-18
ISLOVAK SOLDIERS
 DESERT GERMANS 1 CAUSE FOR RUSSIA

Along with the men in my com sian troops, but as soon as I revealed the fact that I was a Bohemian and not a German or Austrian, the attitude of the Russians underwent a change" says Lieut.. Antonin Holy, who has re- gently arrived in this country to secure recruits for the Czecho-Slovak army in France. Lieut. Holy is stationed at Stamford and is a frequent visitor in Bridgeport.
 'They looked upon me not as a prisoner of war, but as a friend.
 q was taken to a prison camp in central Russia, but was soon trans ferred to one in Siberia. This suited my plans and the majority of the | Czecho-Sloyak prisoners of war were | held in Siberian camps. Immediately I set to work to or | ganize my countrymen into an army to fight for the allies.
 We formed a regiment and were l taken into the Russian army. But the czar's officers did not trust us com 1 pletely, and they would not send us to the front to fight the Germans. It was not until the revolution of 1917 l that overthrow the czar that we gain ed freedom to join in the fight to free l Bohemia
 Since then the work of organizing the Czecho-Slovak army has gone rap idly forward. Today part of that army Is fighting for the allies on the western front, while thousands more are on their way through Siberia tC
 embark for France as soon as they
 can get ships.
 "The Russian people were heart and
 soul in our cause. They treated us
 as their friends. and gave us all the | help they could. As an instance
 when our train was en route to Arch,
 angel we were obliged to stop as 2
 result of a car shortage. People ir
 the town where we stopped wanted u!
 to stay and protect them from theil
 own soldiers.
 But we did not wish to do duty a;
 policemen in Russia. We were eagel
 to get to the front and fight for thu
 independence of small and oppressed
 nations.
 I've now have 15,OO0 troops il
 France and 22,OO0 in Italy Sixt!
 thousand more are in Russia, on thei way to France. Recently the Bol sheviks have given them some troubl,
 because they do not understand ou , cause, and fear that the Czecho-Slo
 walks will turn against them. Onc'
 the Russians are made to understant
 that our cause is their cause, they vii withdraw their opposition. We have come to America to re
 cruit Bohemian-American patriots fo
 our army. We have been in this coun
 try only ten days, but already ou f work has brought results. We hay , a training camp at Stamford, Conn f from which eleven expeditions of 15 l men each have already gone to joi I the Czecho- -Slovak army in Franc = More are joining the camp ever r day.
 . When our work of recruiting S America is finished we, too, will re t turn to France.
 d Our leader is General Tchervink;
 but at the front we serve at the pre-: d ent under a French general, wh S knows the Czech people and under - stands them. We wear the Frenc tt uniform with the insignia e S'' (Cz 2 cho- -Slovak) on the collar. # We are satisfied to serve in the gret = war for freedom in any way we cal y When we are able to return to our nt n tive land freed from the Hapsbur is yoke our army will form its own n; e tional organization.
 ,e At present we are serving under tf If Czecho- -Slovak National Counc of which appoints the officers of ol 1t army and directs our work. Pro s, Thomas G. Masaryk is head of u V council, but we do not regard hi le alone as such. We look upon him i'd president of the Republic of Boh In mia