The Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 191?-19??, 1919-06-21
DISQUIET seen
AMONG SLOVAKS
Honeymoon Of Revolution Passes
and DisiIIusion Comes
Upon Them.
THREE ELEMENTS IN NATION
New Government So Far Has Reco0-
nized but Ono Of Them In Rule
-Magyars and the Peas &
.n" ants Are Ignored.
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Pressburg. SloVakIa, Bohemia. Cen
orally speaking. the situation In SO.
vakIa. formerly 4 pfII1cS q H16-
gary. now Sn6sxed 70 CsSSh9 SIQYEflk,
q not EIt6S9t &sSgIsaps fNatIise
The k0ReylSS66 81 tHs sg6latiOa BAL
pasSsd ED Come 81 Che dIsll lSsI cGimrSS6t
bound to follow the Introduction Of a
new regime has set in. The Magyars
and the Magyarized elements have not
as yet been recOnclled to the new re-
CLINE. and the peasants have recovered
from their first enthusiasm. A difficult
task Of reconciliation remains to be
performed by the Czechs.
The population of SIovakia Is made
up OF three elements-SlOvak intelll-
gencia, which has always been very
strong for the union with Bohemia
the Magyars and Magyarlzed 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.
Magyars 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 ill the job Intense loyalty to the
old Hungarian rule characterlzes these
people. They could be reconciled to
new conditions were they taken into
the Czech administration. But the
government at present prefers to fill
the vacancies left by the SlOvak intel
ligencia with officials from Bohemia
and Moravla. 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. On
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 that
they were allowed to plumber the Jews
for only three days in the interval be-
tween the withdrawal of 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 did
not completely clean up the Jewish
population, who are the shOpkeepers
and small traders, and at times les
sOrs of estates. Now the peasants have
no longer the Jews to plumber their
interest in the new state has dimin-
ished. They were kept in a state Of
illiteracy by the Hungarlans and
therefore are by no means ripe for
real seIf-g0wernment. However, Just
1ow they are very bitter because they
claim the Czechs take their food sup
plies away. aa
BoIOheVlsm Not Popular.
BOlshevism has not taken q great
grip on the peasantry. Slovakia is
argely an agricultural district and we
know farmers are always the most
element. In the few In
lustrlal communities In the more
north and east a certain
amount of unrest has developed. In
Nassav, far eastward, the large mills
ire not working and the food situation
S very bad, as 1t Is In most Of the In
Iustrial districts. Here the workmen
lold meetings and growl in bolshevik
one. Naturally Kassav is rather near
he Hungarian border. So that boil
jhevism there would be natural. In |
he other industrial districts the work
nen seem to have taken out their
Acknowledgements in making big de-
hands upon their employers. Not I'M
usual was it for workmen to come to
heir employers and demand that they
eceive a percentage of all profits ac-
,IuGu SlhNC lhC wal WIN
Ill this discomfort the food situation
s very much involved. The mountain
,us, which happen to be the Industrial,
districts are mostly very short Of food
ind clothes. Many factories where
Gather and other products of the land
ire used function part time, but the
men have not enough to keep them
jelves and their families IN food. In
iome localities there are not even
,nough potatoes. Hence, az in some
districts of Bohemia, the trend is to-
ward bOlsheviSm.
Generally speaking, Slovakia would
lot be the nrst province to- so mp in
lnarchic flames. For the time being
he bolshevlk oyerturn in Hungaria
has had indeed rather quietlng ef-
'ect on Slovakla. The wealthy or
we'll to do who were most attached
% their old fatheFland now do not
.ellsh the idea of returning to Hun
gary which will take all their property,