The daily progressive-miner., 1918-07-06

among the officials of the old Russian regime distrusted the Czecho-Slovaks In other words. their hatred for the Teuton was too ardent, They were not allowed 10 fight against their an cient enemies. In fact they were treated almost like ordinary prisoners and great groups of them were sent as track workers to Siberia, where for want of food and clothing thous- ands or them died
 In Thick Of Fighting
 With the revolution however, they promptly organized their own army under their own leaders. Yet it was not until the great Russian offensive Of 1916 had been prepared that they were placed on the line in east Gal icia. On July ?. when the attack was ordered. q Czecho-SloYak brigade swept forward and took the village Of Presovce. the first town captured in kornilof's drive together with S.l50 men. 62 officers. b cannon, and many machine guns. Day after day. as the Teutons reeled backward, the Czecho- Sloyaks were in th ethiek of iI, here 3 cavalry regiment, there 8 battery. and always the inyincible infantry. War Minister Kerensky publicly compli- mented them on their valor.
 Then came the great retreat when the Russian morale undermined by Bolshevism. gave way utterly. After the fall Of Tarnopol three regiments c. Czecho- -Slovak volunteers. left to their fate by the Russians 10 the right and left oE them. fought until the last, the men plunging into direct shell breaks and the officers finally blew out their own brains. Only three Czech soldiers were captured. These were summarily hanged A little later Czechs recap-ured the position Three German prisoners were forced 10 cut down the bodies and were then left dangling from the same rope ends.
 Here are the official words Of Gen eral Brusilof on this action: The Czacho-Sloyaks. perddiously abandon ed at Tarnopol b. our infantry. fought so that the whole world ought to,fal! on it's knees before them.
 Yet ir was but an oasis Of heroism in the vast wilderness Of coward;ce and flight The Czecho-Sloyaks were carried back with the Russians. ker- ensky had promised the independence of Bohemia if Russia could achieve il. As ir turned out, Russia was helpless to maintain her own. The eyes Of the Czecho-Slovaks turned 10 America as the first stopping place on the road to the western front where they could still fight their old-,ime foes.
 There are 50,000 of these veteran soldiers in Siberia waiting 10 come to the United States, where the Bohem- ian National Alliance will care for them and send them on to France il 900 in Vladivostock, 10000 in lrk- utsk. and the rest in other centers- There are 50,000 more still in old Rus sia who expect to make the same eXo- dus little later.
 Few people realize how even now the Czecho-Slovak fighting men are scattered down the battle line. There are 1000 in the French trenches, 22.- GOO in Italy, and several thousand more in Saloniki In places as un- likely as Australia, Algiers, and Mo rocco they are forming fresh battal- ions. and 60,000 are said to be in the armies Of the United States.
 Over 100000 Of them there are, all old,-fghters with genius for inde- pendence and single purpose Out side they are leaning against the mill tary wall that surrounds Austria, heT- ing we'll into it at points of weakness, while from within their compatriots are pulling down the supports and has tions. stone by stone.
 In the inevitable wreckage the throne o3 The Hapsburgs will be mere gilded knidling.