New-York tribune., 1918-02-27

elemental truth is revealed For many
years the United States has been in
vting alien labor to its shores. On the
ether hand, many Americans, so many. in
fact. that they have secured the adoption
of Il literacy test, have argued that inllni-
grafton should be decreased for the benefit
OF tire country. Tho has been period
Of testing.
Who among The aliens are the friends of
those principles for which America stands ?
Who are not?
About some we already have an answer
About others VIC have learned less Among
the latter the Bohemians and Slovaks
OF whom there are upward OF a million in
iris country. How do these people, whose
European relatives have just made so much
disturbance in the Austrian Reicfsrat in
their desire to have that country take steps
toward separate peace, react to the war?
Let attempt to answer the question with
q description Of an East Side gathering
which attended two or three days ago.
may intcrpolate that the oxoerience deep-
encd my insight into the things that are
America and made me realize afresh that
in the preparation for war we must always
take into account the spirit of self f-sacstce.
The Meeting Place
The chilly blast of a February night blew
down the slope of East Sixty-third Street
Just off Second Avenue, on the south side
my companion, a leader among the American
Czechoslovaks. turned in at a door on the
right hand side of saloon. My companion,
brought to this country from Western Hun
gary at the age of eleven years. was a son
OF Bohemian and Slovak parents Fdu-
Gated at Yale and married to Il descendant
o. John Alden and sold or Of the Povolu-
tcn he presented an interesting example of
now the processes Of AmericanizatioM ere
gloomy hallway and through the rear Of the
saloon, entered a room about fortv feet
square. On the wall were glass covered
cases containing the banners Of several Bo-
hcmian Sokols, or patriotic athletic societies.
The plaster one side was hidden beneath
a crude mural decoration representing the
Robin Hood of Slovak history visiting his
lnaMorta IN the town. The general design
suggested the balcony scene in "Romeo and
Juliet The centre Of the room was occu-
pied by couples OF all ages waltzing grace
fully to music furnished by four piece or
oheStra, composed of a piano, two volins
and tzimbale orchestral instrument
used principally by Hungarian gypsies
At tables ranged along side Of tie
loom were seated more than one hundred
Bohemians in the prime of life ALTHOUGH
few if any of them could be included in
the draft class. At round table. upon
which fell the eyes Of Juliet swocpinc over
nc shoulder OF Romeo--if thcv wereZsat
two men of more than ordinary interest.
Ore OF them was slender. With th;n why.
Black ha!r. eyes tina. moved watchful1v and
increasingly from side to side. long mar
row nose and thin-Iipped mouth 7onpcd with
closely clipped black mustacho
Two Men With Records
That man. said my companion. was in
RUSSIA when the war broke out, represent
ing widely known American corporation
He enlisted as private and attained ,hc
r,Anl' of captain on q generals staff. Two
hundred times he put on the Austrian uni
form and crossed the lines in search Of in
formation. On one occasion he entered ,he
tenn of an Austrian general and secured hie
p@rers."
Tic other man, who was thick set, also had
q record
"He was connected with the Austrian Con
sulato here IN New York" whispered NV
friend. "The mail passed through his hands
before going to the consul general OWN,
to connection with an American nanor
which has gained reputation for its nm
canny forecasting of official Teutonjc actjvi-
ties of an unneutral nature before the Jrni4oa
States declared on Germany. no ,,as
able to be OF great service to the Allies"
lhe company OF men at the tables rose
and IN fours, with locked arms ,narcbod
around the room singing Slav sono Eao;s.
the centre of the room, they ranged them.
selves along one side and remained stand
ing while number of brief addresses We've
mace and an American flag on a standard
was presented to them. These were in.or.
spersed with several of the old bohemia,
and Slovak songs, THE Star-Spanplad pan
ner" and the "Marscllaise" Tears ro)1ea
down the cheeks of some as they sane the
las There was richness of tone. q choral
quality which betokened the fact that tbe
singers came of a race that has long loved
music and contributed to the musical riches