Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-02

accusing the whole judicial system of
the empire. international public opin-
ion became too strong for the Haps-
burss. A retrtal was ordered, because
questionable evidence seems to have
been submitted" The tramps life was
saved, and Masaryk had earned the
undying gratitude of all the Jews Of
Europe.
This attack the authorities could not
permit to pass unheeded. Masaryk felt
the governments discipline at once.
Organized demonstrations prevented his
lecturing in the university. Newspapers
spread horrible attacks on his home and
family. For the only time in his life he
was ready to give up and leave the
country. Only the courage of his Amer
lean wife prevented 1t. His duty lay
with his own people, she insisted, and
MaSaryk remained In Prague.
He became still more unpopular with
the Hapsburg government when, a few
years later, he was elected to Parlia-
ment. Here he speedily became the
recognized leader not only of his own
people, but of all the oppressed minori-
ties in their struggle for justice within
the empire. He 1t was who wrote their
programs. He led their organized eff
forts TO win q measure of autonomy
from the HapSburg government. Every
speech of his was a sensation; here was
one member who had the courage to
speak the truth. His broadSide against
the government for its dishonesty in
the case Of Bosnia and Herzegovina was
a terrible blow to Austrian prestige In
international affairs. With all the
power the Hapsburg empire against him,
one man, armed with the truth, fought
through to victory.
When the war broke out Masaryk
FaNnorat1Gd itNy II
sure the old empire would crumble;
from the wreckage he must rescue
freedom for his people. No more re-
markable record of prophetic insight
has appeared in any of the postwar
memoirs than MaSaryk's own modest
story Of what he saw in the years lust
ahead of 1914. II only the conflict
should be long drawn out, he felt, he
would have time to build a new and
Independent state for his own nation.
He guessed that 1t would be q long
war. But he wasted no time in begin
ming his work.
First he organized a secret society
of patriots at home. The record Of
their service through four long years
OF war-code messages, jail sentences.
executionS-reads like q novel Then.
leaving his home for what he knew
would be permanent exile If his plans
should fail, Masaryk set out to carry
his battle into other countries.
Already under surveillance by the
Austrian police, by sheer -blooded
nerve he compelled the border oficials
to permit him to pass into Italy in
December, 1914. He little suspected it
then, but he was setting out on a Jour-
ney around the globe. He must win
the allied governments to his view that
the Austro Hungarian Empire should be
broken up.
This proposal ran counter to the
strongly intrenched tradition of the
French and British foreign ofices.
After months of painful effort in
France, writing, interviewing, carrying
on VcluminouS correspondence with
Czechs the world around, MaSaryk got
MS f1rSt sign of announcement in an
interview with BRAND In England 1t
was not much better. The war was not
going well for the allies, and this
Dreamer with his talk of minority ma
lions seemed to be getting in the way.
some loyal friends, to be sure, gave
him encouragement. Prof. Seton
watson and Henry Wickham Steed,
then editor of the London Times, pub
ncIy supported him. He needed It. At
nome the best members of his organi-
zatlon, including his daughter Alice,
hao oeen sentenced to death. His wife
was constantly troubled by the atten-
lions OF Austrian secret agents. Still
ne refused to give up. 1T would be
easy TO go back" he said. Here we
must go ahead"
BY this time he had an able ma
tional committee in Paris. Leaving the
larger portions of the effort in their
hands. Masaryk set out for one Of the
most dangerous Of all his wartime adj
ventures. II the allies were slow to
talk with one professor armed only with
an idea, he would see what they thought
OF commander with an army ct his
disposal. In Russia were tens of thou
sands Of Czech prisoners. former Aus
trian soldiers. He would organize these
into an army and place 1t at the dis
posaI of the allies.
Chaos Is the only word At to describe
the conditions Masaryk had to face In
Russia, Governments changed almost