The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-11-27
.CZECHO- SLOVAKS
HAVE A CULTURE
That STOOD 800
YEARS OF MISRULE
Republic Now the Young
est Member of the Al
lied Family
(Ry Assoctated Press.l

New York, Nov. 27.--Sliced out OF
the heart Of northern Austria and
Hungary by the sword of war, the
Czecho-S lovak republic, youngest
recognized member OF the allied
family OF nations, is in reality a
merger under democratic govern
ment of the ancient Bohemian, Mo-
rayian, Silesian and Slavic king
doms, subjected for almost 800 years
to Teuton and Magyar domination.
The rebirth Of Czech and Slav in
dependence forms one of the most
striking romances of the war. For
centuries BoherQia stood in the fore
front of European culture, giving to
the world the Christian martyrs
and educators, Huss and Jerome of
Prague, the poet Kollar, the linguist
and teacher Comenius, and, in the
field of art, BroZik, the painter, and
the musician Provak with many
others whose deeds have found
places in history. Hardly less ad-
vanced as the civilization OF her
sister states. With such inspiration.
the Czecho- Slovaks retained, despite
Austrian oppression, national or
ganization, and were prepared even
before the start OF the conflict now
terminated by armistice to strike
the blows that have given them free
dom. g.- . r..
They opposed the mobilization of
the Austrian army, resisted induce
ton of their manhood, despite
courtsmartial and wholesale execu-
lions, and throughout the war OBJ
structed and undermined the Aus
trian administration. From their
ranks, through desertion or capture.
thousands os fighting men found
their way into the Russian and
Italian armies, where they tried and
fought the power that had conscrip-
ted them. BY their spirit and ef-
flciency as soldiers they gained
recognition by the allies Of czecho-
Slovak units, and before the, war
Slovak troops, under their own
commanders, were embattled for the
allied cause in France, Italy, Eu-
ropean Russia and Siberia.
Great Force Under Arms.
In Russia the Czecho- Slovaks have
$4,000 men under arms, some re-
cruited from the demobilized Russian
army, others deserters from the AUS
trian forces or former Austrian pris-
oners OF Russia released by the
Kerensky or Bolshevik governments.
The Czecho-Slovak force in Italy is
10000 strong, composed wholly OF in
dividuals or units from the Aus
trian army taken prisoner by the
Italians. In France the organization
numbers 1900, including 5000 men
from the Czech army in Russia and
5000 volunteers from the United
States.
Czecho-S1ovaks are ruling their
liberated countrymen from their
capital in Prague today because they
fostered through generations the
Pickering flame Of freedom which
snuff out In 1871 They maintained
a succession of secret political or
CARNATIONS, eliminating in that
which set afoot active opposition to
Austria in the early days OF the war.
and, through propaganda conducted
among emigrants in Russia, laid the
for the independent
Czecho- Slovak force which has held
for more than a year the Volga front,
preventing the Germans and Boil
sheviki from drawing out the food
of Serbia. ...
First To Win Recognition. ~
OF new nations formed or in pro-
cess Of formation through the up
heavaI OF war. the Czecho-Slovak
was the first to win allied recogni-
ton, and the only one so far fully
recognized by America. Existing
only on paper as long as the Haps-
burg dynasty remained in power, the
republic became an actuality with
the dissolution of the Austro Hun
garian empire. Its president, Pro-
lessor Thomas G.. Masaryk, formerly
of the University OF Prague and
lately stationed in Washington,
through DR.. Karl Kramarz, the vice
president, for years political pris-
oner charged with treason against
and his associates in
Prague, is administering the affairs
of 100000 people occupying $4,000
square miles of territory (approxi-
mately the size of New York state.)
Extending from Saxony and
Bavaria on the west to Ungvar and
the Carpathian mountains on the
east, a distance Of 800 miles, Czecho-
Slovakia cuts a swath 100 miles wide