Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1919-07-24
Honeymoon of Revolution Passes
and DisiIIusion Comes
Upon Them.
Three ELEMENTS IN nation
New Government So Far Has Recou-
nized but One Of Them in Rule
--Magyars and the Peas
ants Are Ignored.


vakia, formerly province of Hun
gary. now annexed to CZecho-Slovakia,
is not without disquieting features
The honeymoon of the revolution has
passed and some Of the disillusiOnment
bound to follow the introduction of a j,
new regime has set in. The Magyars
and the Magyarzed elements have not
as vet been recmciled to the new re-
gime. and the peasants have recovered
from heir first enthusiasm. A difficult
task of reconciliation remains to be
performed by the Czechs.
The population of Slovakia is made
up of three elcmentS-SlOvak intell-
gencia, which has always been very
:'trong for the union with Bohemia
the Magyars and Magyarized Germans,
and the peasantry. The intelligencia
has been completely satisfied by the
CZecho- Slovak government. The ad
ministration has been handed over
completely to the very small number
Of Slovak doctors, lawyers, authors
and professors that could be mustered
for service.
Maeyars Ignored.
Meanwhile the Magyars and Mag.
yariZed elements have been quite ig
nOred by the government except where
the government could not find Slovak
to fill the job. Intense loyalty to the
old Hungarian rule characterizes these
people. They could be recOnciled tC
new conditions were they taken into
the Czech administration. But the
government at present prefers to- fiL
the vacancies left by the Slovak intel
ligcncia with officials from Bohemia
and MOravia. This naturally angers
both the Magyarized element and those
SlOvakS who are unfit but would like
to occupy all the jobs.
A decided sentiment for real Local
autonomy is making itself felt. Or
the whole, the government may not be
opposed to granting an Outspoken de
mand for home rule in the province
The peasants do not take much inter
est in theoretical politics. They com
plain that the republic lasted only
three days. By this they mean thai
they were allowed to plunder the Jew:
for only three days in the interval be
tween the withdrawal Gf the Hungar
ians and the arrival of the Czechs.
During this time the peasants had
very free hand. There were very
few towns or villages where they die
not completely clean up the Jewish
population, who are the shopkeepers
and small traders, and at times les
Of OF
no longer the Jews to plunder theii
interest in the new state has dimin
ished They were kept in state OF
illiteracy by the Hungarians anC
therefore are by no means ripe fol
real self-g0vernment. However, just
now they are very bitter because they
claim the Czechs take their food sup
plies away.
BoIshevism Not Popular.
Bolshevism has not taken a great
grip on the peasantry. Slovakia Is
largely an agricultural district and we
know farmers are always the mos,
conservative element. In the few In
dustrial communities in the more
mountainous north and east certain
Kassav, far eastward, the large mills
are not working and the food situation
Is very bad, as it is in most OF the IN
dustrial districts. Here the workmer
hold meetings and growl In bolshevik
tone. Naturally Kassav is rather neal
the Hungarian border. So that boil
sheyism there would be natural. III
the other industrial districts the work
men seem to have taken out thelr
class-conscisusness in making big de-
mands upon their employers. Not un'
usual was it for workmen to come TIC
their employers and demand that they
receive a percentage of all prohts ac'
crued since the wars beginning. WITH
all this discomfort the food situation
is very much involved. The mountain
Gus, which happen to be the industrial
districts are mostly very short of fooc
and clothes Many factories where
leather and other products of the lane
are used function part time, but the
men have not enough to keep them
selves and their families in food. In
some localities there are not even
enough potatoes. Hence, as In some
districts of Bohemia, the trend Is TO
ward bolshevism.
Generally speaking, Slovakia would
not be the first province to- go up Id
anarchlc flames. For the time being
the bolshevik overturn in Hungaria
has had indeed rather quieting ef-
feet .on Slovakia. The wealthy or
we'll to do who were most attached
to their old fatherland now do not
relish the idea of returning to- Hun
gary which will take all their property.