The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1919-06-07
D|SQU|ET SEEN
AMONG SLOVAkS
Honeymoon OF Revolution Passes
and DisiIIusion Comes
Upon Them.
Three ELEMENTS IN nation
New Government So Far Has Recoo.
nized but One Of Them In Rule
-Magyars and the Peas. ..e.5s.-..
ants Are Ignored.

o"eS NtS b9nOTcO.
Pressburg, SlOvakia, Bohemia.-Gen.
orally speaking, the situation in Slo.
Vakia, formerly a province of Hun
gary, now annexed to Czecho-Sloyakia.
Is not without disquieting features.
Inc honeymoon Of the revolution has
passed and some Of the establishment
bound to follow the Introduction Of a
new regime has set in. The Magyars
ana the Magyarized elements have not
as yet been reconciled to the new re-
CINE. and the peasants have recovered
from their first enthusiasm. A difficult
task OF reconciliation remains to be
performed by the Czechs.
The population of Slovakia Is made
up OF three elements-Slovak intelli-
gencla, which has always been very
strong 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-
mlnistration 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
yar1zed elements have been quite ig.
nored by the government except where
the government could not find Slovak
TO I'LL the Job. Intense loyalty to the
OLD Hungarian rule characterizes 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
Hgencia 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. 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 state of
illiteracy by the Hungarians and
therefore are by no means ripe for
real self-government. 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 most
conservative element. In the few in
dustrial communities in the more
mountainous north and east a certain
amount of unrest has developed. In
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 workmen
hold meetings and growl in bolshevik
tone. Naturally Kassav is rather near
the Hungarian border. So that boil
shevism there would be natural. In
the other industrial districts the work
men seem to have taken out their
Observation-Disclosures in making big de-
mands upon their employers. Not I'M
usual was it for workmen to come to
their employers and demand that they
receive percentage Of all profits &C.
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 food
and clothes. Many factories where
leather and other products Of the land
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 in
anarchic flames. For the time being
the bolshevik overturn in Hungaria
has had indeed rather Quieting ef-
feet on Slovakia. The wealthy or
well 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.
NoHas Thau1ra IA rpiAd