Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-11-17
HOW CzEcHO-SL0VAKs WON
A PLACE AMONG NATIONS
Organized Mt First, While Prisoners
Of War, to Help Russia,
In Its Struggle.
WERE AIDED By THE GEAR
Their Opposition After Revolution to
Gcrman-ContrOlled Soviet Leader
ship ut Once Attracted Attention
and Sympathetic Support of Allies.
BY GENERAL GoURKO.

Speaking of the Austro- German forces
! IN SIBERIA some time ago l advanced
VI 10000 was grossly exaggerated,
even allowing that considerable
, ,StTe OF boisheviki might be assisting sting
nave entirely corroborated the truth
Oh this statement.
b. their brilliant deeds in Siberia the
sponsible for the satisfactory state Of
affairs pertaining there to-day, have
lions Of the world, The principle of
a Czech state has been recognized by
ane allies. and IL only waits for the
coming of peace TO see this Intelligent,
warlike race firmly established as an
independent state.
men Of this Gzesh Stat, the ssd bsa
agreed some, months prior TO the Rus
Sian sian revolution. the events of March.
time being. But during the troublous
months which followed the leaders OF
the Czech National Council. with IL rare
lo,eSisht which ausured we'll for their
political future, busted themselves in
the formation Of, ighting units, The
Tfn 's Se ns SSss asay ysa
Szsch state coming into existence.
i,n BY mas n;srG, p2ley which had the
allies recognition OF the right OF the
Czechs to. their own government. the
leaders OF the Czecho-Slovaks began
military operations against the Bolshe-
viks and Austro-Germans, who were
threatening the allied cause in the
east. These Czecho. Slovak troops have
fought maEnificcntly. and so assured
ellis of the allied nations now At war.
Now that junction with Western
Siberia, in viii en- he Czecho-Slovaks
have played such prominent role. has
been accomplished, i, is interesting 70
|. Czecho-Slovaks organized themselves
into lighting units. The idea OF pro?os-
Ing 10 the Slavs who had been taken
nv hs Pms gian ,v,
that they should fight for Russia arose
at that time. but for different reasons.
only received realization in the middle
Ct 1915.
WE'RE ENLISTED IN
DIFFERENT ARMY CORPS
AT that time separate Czecn battal-
ions and companies were enlisted in
different Russian army corps under the
e9mmand Of Russian and Austrian
an offensive ,hiough Bui iHaeGit terri
tory with the idea OF giving aid to the
Serbian troops. who. in The year 1916.
| to Saloniki. gave the idea to organize
. first one and ,hen second Serbian
division. with the proviso that every
soldier enlis; as a volunteer. These
men were also prisoners OF war. taken
by the Russians. They were Serbs or
Slovaks. both OF which nations speak
the same language. and are OF the
same religion.
Those TWO divisions. with exceptional
bravery. fought in the DobrudJa. but
the BuIgars. who at that time had
been able 10 throw nearly Ali their
troops against the Russian and Ser
/ Dobrudja, where at that time not
single Roumantan soldier was left.
The latter had been compelled 70
4 their capital. Bucharest. These events
took place towards The end OF 1916.
Shortly afterwards there arrived in
hEanullartrrA
! members OF the Czech National Coun-
ell, who explained their idea OF or
Austrian prisoners OF Czech national
i u. lie explained the difficulties that
arose in the formation OF those units
| These lay partly in some preconceived
| IDEAS OF the Russian authorities and
also in a certain divergence OF opinions
that arose between the czechs. who
had organized something like Czech
National Council. and The members OF
The real council, The Kussi az bead head
Cling those TWO bodies and their re-
\ spective opinions.
II was necessary TO abandon entirely
| the idea OF organizing the Czech units
or 10 adopt the idea OF one or the
other Of those TWO groups The sec.
meddling in the Czechs own immediate
Affairs Both sides belonged TO the
Czech nation and explained that they
were acting for the benefit OF the future
Czech state. The main difference be-
tween these two groups consisted in
| line fact that the Czechs who lived In
Russia proclaimed that in gathering
| the Czech people under their own flag
They had in mind first OF all the inter-
| est OF Russia and ultimately the well
| fare Of the CZcchs.
WANTED CZECH ARMY
FOR INDEPENDENT NATION
The real Czech National Council
lopenly declared that the formation of
lCzcch units was first OF all wanted as
| La nucleus OF the future Czech Army
| belonging TO an independent nation.
| but they quite realized that they could
| attain that ideal only with the aid of
1.-The Russians. or that which represented
1.-The same ideal. an allied victory. In
| lgiving help TO the Russian Army they
could materially assist that purpose.
liz ut that time the Russian authori-
lies should have regarded the matter
tfrom an eEostic standpoint they would
| have adopted the idea Of the first group,
1.-The one possessing q more Russian
orientation. But In that case it was
not certain that the organization Of