Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-07-18
CzECHOSLOVAK|A
POSITION PER|L0US
Frontiers Indefensible and
1t Is Surrounded by
Enemies.
BY PAUL SCOTT MOWRER.
BY Gable to The Star and Chicago
| Daily News. Copyright. 1920.

Daily News. Copyright. 1920.
PRAGUE. Czechoslovaki ia. July II
III ever any state had a paramount
interest in keeping the peace it is
tiers almost indefensible. but 1t is
completely surrounded by enemies.
It's superlative industrial and eco
monte riches and the fact that 1t is
an entirely new state apparently
| make all it's neighborS jealous. They
| consider it an upstart state and unan-
| imouSly predict it's early downfall.
! Germany regards CzechosloVakia as
a rival in the coming struggle Tor
the markets of Poland, Russia and
! southeastern Europe. With Poland 1t
is involved in bitter dispute over
the Teschen coal region. Moreover,
| the Czechs accuse the Poles OF COW
etng eastern Slovakia and Sub-Carpa-
| THAN Ruthenia. Austria views CZecho-
slovakia with jealous contempt and
| the Czechs fear that by some turn
of fate they may fall again under
the sway of Vienna This contingency
| they are determined to prevent at
any cost.
Hungary considers that the Czechs
robbed it of Slovakia and consequent
| ly hates the CZechs intensely. The
attitude of the RumanianS is doupt-
| full. The Czechs would like to be
| friends with the Rumanians, but the
latter seem rather inclined toward the
| Poles.
OF the entente powers France is
perhaps the best friend to CZecho-
slovakia, but France is also friendly
to Poland. Great Britain is suspected
! of favoring Austria and Hungary,
while Italy is regarded with sus-
picion. The Czechs consider their
friends to be Jugoslavia on the one
| hand and Russia on the other, even
obtain from the peace conference
| corridors" connecting them with
both Russia and Jugoslavia- The
corridor in the latter state was re-
fused.
| The only direct way of communication
| between the two states is over the
| Danube. The corridor to Russia was
granted by the peace conference and
for this purpose the mountain region
called sub Carpathian Ruthen1a was
tackled to the eastern end of Slovakia.
| The advance of the Poles into the
Ukraine, however, has blocked this
famous corridor, which serves now
merely to connect CzechosloVakla
with Rumania.
The Czechos are working so nara
| at internal reconstruction that they
seem to be almost unconscious OF the
ring of hatred and jealousy which
surrounds them. Their foreign sit
uation. undoubtedly, is filled with
peril, but they seem imbued with
spirit of confidence and self-reliance.
/ They seem to feel sure of their own
strength and to be confident that they
can hold their own. Still they are
laot neglecting the national defense.
! Army Is Recognized.
The army is being reorganized by
experienced French officers. AT pres
ent it numbers about 100000 men,
many of whom saw service through
out the war and are beginning to de-
mand their freedom. Their demobili-
cation is progressing slowly. Under
! the new universal service law all the
young men on reaching the age OF
| twenty will be liable to two years OF
military service. This will give the
country normal standing army of
| 10000 men. The army is heavy
financial burden upon the people, but
| it is considered indispensable in the
existing circumstances. Foreign OBJ
servers consider the quality of the
soldiers good. but they feel that the
CZechs must learn to exclude from
their army life their passion for poll
tics For example, it is considered
mistake to allow the soldiers to vote
There is a lack of superior army
officers, especially in the artillery, but
steps are now being taken to train
them. The American Y. NJ. c. A. has
undertaken a large program of ath-
! letic and moral education for the
Czech army. Sixty centers have been
established under the care of fifty
| American secretaries. The Czechs are
among the most athletic people in
| Europe and take readily to new sports,
| but the American instructors are as
tonished at the almost universal pref
| erence of the CZechS for chess as the
| leading indoor game. The educational
work conducted by the American Y.
NJ c. A. consists in instruction in the
English and Bohemian languages and
| lectures on morals and the duties of
| citizenship.