New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1920-07-09

absorb the moribund organism of Austria-llun
gary; the C2rcho-Slovak people was doomed :;
Prague was to he the first in HE series of stepping
stones of Irussian power; Vienna, budapest, Bel
grade, Sofia, ConStnntinople, Bagdad, the Persian
gulf. He recognized that the cause Of the Czecho-
Slovak people was the cause of the allies, and.
fleeing from Austria. he proceeded to convince
statesmen and public opinion in the entente
countries.
At the outset the task seemed almost hopeless.
There he was, II lone fugitive, under sentence of
death in the land of his fathers. the encmy-Haps
burg Hohcnzollcrn autocracy-enthroned on the
pinnacl" of military success, Masaryk was un-
dauntcd.
"He found says the Bohemian Review,
Czech eXilcs In Switzerland he established rela-
tfons with emigrants in Paris. London and Russia.
He told them that the hour had come to strike %
blow for free Bohemia His call reached
across the ocean TO the Bohemians of America .
He lectured I'm universities. talked to statesmen.
gave interviews TO journalists. wrote for the re-
views. established n French periodical in the in
terests Of his country. enlisted gifted writer's and
generous friends of freedom in the cause of
Bohemia
In 1913 MIasnryk founded the Czeclio- Slovak
National Council in Paris. This body assumed
the role of provisional government of a country
embedded in the very center of the power Of the
victorious enemy. Vienna cursed. bur did not take
Masaryk too seriously. Step by step the govern
ment without n country" advanced it came tu
have nm eXchequer-Supported chiefly by assess
ments and voluntary contributions of the Czecho-
Slovak organizations in the United States; 1t main
tanned an army in Siberia, and military units In
France and Italy. Vienna still scorned. but the
signs of panic became visible behind the sheer. for
meanwhile the passive resistance, the silent revo.
luton" of the Czecho- Sloyak people at home con
tinued, impeding the war activities of the dual
monarchy at every step.
Allied recognition of Czccho- Sloyakia ms a
beIligerent power and the Czecllo -Slovak National
Council as It's de facto government came in The
summer of 1918. and on October rs OF that year
governmental authority at Prague was taken over
by its local committee. Free Czecho-Slovaki was
a reality.
But IL is seldom that Masnryk speaks OF him.
self. The one personal passage of his birthday
address on March Z was that In which he dis
claimed personal merit and good fortune. He said
MANY pleasG.,t messages came TO me today.
bringing out that NV life was Il very fortunate
one. I must confess that the word fortunate
never carried much meaning for me. ! never be-
lieved In accident. | did nor believe in good luck
in the life 81 individuals and nations. Fortunate
is he who has a life rich In contents. fortunate is
he who can. ~ least partly. through honest effort
realize his ideals. In this sense I am fortunate.
but II Is not my good fortune alone. but of all who
with me struggled for the liberty of the nation.
I never talked much Of myself. and even today
it is difficult to say something of myself. | will
only promise you that the task intrustel 10 me
by the will Of the people I shall faithfully and
tireleSsly carry out"
And today the Austro- Hunga rian empire.
Hapsburgs and HohenzolleuIs are evil memories.
The two elnperors. William and Kari. lead a
parasitic existence in exile: and Masaryk. the
coachman's son. onetime blacksmith's apprentice.
is governing the Czecho-Slovak republic. probably
strongest and best organized of central European
countries and quite possibly destined to become
a model democracy Of the Old World. from the
same Hradcany castle where once the Hapsburys
reigned over n third of Europe.