Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-01-20
INF ant NATION
MOST STRIKING
War ROMANCE
People Of New Republic Sub
jugated for 300 Years to
Domination Of TeutOns
and Magyars.

New York, Jan. 19-Sliced out Of
the heart of northern Austria and
Hungary by the sword of war, the
Czeeho-Slovak republic, youngest
recognized member of the allied fam
lily Of nations, is in reality a merger
under democratic government OF
the ancient Bohemian, Moravian, Sill
esian and Slavic kingdoms, sub
jccted for almost 800 years to leu
ton and Magyar domination.
The re-birth Of Czech and SlovalS
independence forms one of the most
striking romances Of the war. For
centuries Bohemia stood in the fore
front of European culture, giving 10
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, Bfozik, the painter, and
the musician Pvofak with many 9TH
ers whose deeds have found place in
history. Hardly less advanced was
the civilization of her sister states.
With such inspiration the Czecho-
Slovaks retained, despite Austrian
oppression, a national oranization,
and were prepared even before the
start of the conflict now terminated
BY armistice to strike the blows that
have given them freedom.
Undermined Austria.
They opposed the mobilization of
the Austrian army, resisted induc-
ton of their manhood, despite court
martial and wholesale execution, and
throughout the war obstructed and
undermined the Austrian administra-
ton. From their ranks, through de-
sertion or capture, thousands of
fighting men found their way into
the Russian and Italian armies,
where they turned and fought the
power that had conscripted them By
their spirit and efficiency as soldiers
they gained Reorganization by the
allies Of Czecho-Slovak units, and
before the war ended more than
100000 Czecho-Slovak troops under
their own commanders were embat-
tied for the allied cause in France,
Italy, European Russia and Siberia.
in Russia the Czecho-Slovaks have
10000 men under arms, some recruit
ed from the demobilized Russian
army, others deserters from the Aus
trian forces or former Austrian pris-
oners OF Russia released by the Ker-
ensky and bolshevik governments.
The Czecho-Slovak force in Italy is
10000 strong, composed wholly OF
individuals or units from the Aus
trian army taken prisoner by the
Italians. In France the oranization
numbers 1900 including 5000 men
from the Czech army in Russia and
5000 volunteers from the United
States.
Conquered In 1921.
Czecho-Slovaks are ruling their
liberated countrymen from their cap
ital in Prague because they los
tered through generations the flick
ering fame Of freedom which Aus
tria and Hungary attempted to snuff
out in 1921. They maintained sue
cession Of secret political oraniza-
tions 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
foundation for the independent Gee
cho-Slovak force which has held tor
lmofe than a year the Volga front,
preventing the Germans and bolshe-
Wiki from drawing on the food sup
plies of Siberia.
OF new nations formed or in proc
ess of formation through the up
heayaI of war, the Czecho-Slovak
was the first to win allied Tecogni-
ton. and the only one so lar 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-
Hungarian empire. Its president,
Prof. Thomas G. Masaryk, formerly
Of the university of Prague and late
" stationed in Washington, through
Or. Karl Kramarz, the vice-presi-
dent, for years a political prisoner
charged with treason against Aus
tria. and his associates in Prague,
IS administering the affairs of 49,
100000 people occupying $4,000
square miles of territory (approxi-
rnately the size of New York state).
viii Establish Schools.
Extending from Saxony and Ba-
varia on the west to Ungvar and
the Carpathian mountains on the
east, a distance Of $40 miles, Czecho-
Siovalia cuts swath 100 miles
wide into the former Austro- Hunga-
rian domain. Its western half, COM
prising the one time Austrian prov
inces Of Bohemia, Moravia and ST.
lesia, follows the borders of Saxony
and Prussia on the north and skirts
Bavaria on the south until the Au-
strian boundary is reached. when it
swings 80 miles north of Vienna to
the March river. The eastern half.
formerly the Hungarian province of
Sioyakia, follows the Danube from
Pressburg to the River Ipola, 20
miles north Of Budapest, where it
turns northeast to the Carapathians.
From Ungvar, the eastern limit,
the line follows the old Galician
border west to the Prussian line 80
miles west Of Cracow. The new
state effectually cuts Hungary off
from its former province, Galicia,
which is now claimed by Poland.
The republic boasts the University
Of Prague, long a center Of east
ern European culture. With indie
pendence, its representatives in this
country declare, another university
for which large funds already have
been subscribed, will be erected at
Brunn, and countrywide public
school system will be established.