New Britain herald., 1930-04-02
|CzECH PRESIDENT l WAS SON OF SERF
Masaryk Was Marked Man Dur ing Stormy World War Days

cook: he sold" a great idea to President Wilson and, as result, has just celebrated his Soth birth day in the Castle of Prague, once the seat of Bohemian kings and for three centuries the official Prague residence of Austrian en- perors.
 These are some of the high spots in the life of enc of the most re- markable and romantic of modern eaders-President Thomas Garrl- que Masaryk of the war-born Czechoslovak republic.
 Like American President
 His story reads like the tale Of some of the best loved American Presidents, who rose from humble beginnings to great heights Of fame. Indeed, many of the threads of his life are closely interWoVen with America.
 Fate seemed to hold out few ad- yantascs to the little son born to the coachman and the cook in March, 1850, at Hodonin in Mo- rayia. His people, of course, were very poor and very humble. But they planned that the boy Thomas should learn a trade, and both passionately desired also that he should have the education denied them. He got all the schoolins the neighborhood could offer and then started out in life as a blacl,- smith.
 Next he became teacher, saved up his slender earnings and went to the universities of Vienna and Leipzig. At the age of % he had secured a staff position in the Vi cnna University, teaching philos- ophy. At S2 he was made pro, lessor in the new Bohemian sec, ton of the University of Prague. All this would seem to be a fair. ly easy path, but all his life Ma. saryk has been fighter; all his life he has sought the truth, and has done things regardless q whether they were dangerous ol unpopular. Here are a few C1 many such incidents:
 Proved Writings Forgeries In 1882, when professor al | Prague University. he proved that | certain Czech writings, which hi: people cheNsheA as proofs of theil early culture, were merely fors. cries. Super-patriotic Czechs de. nounced him as a traitor to hi' race.
 In 1899 he reused the public tc a perfect fury when he defended 8 humble Jewish cobbler whc | had been condemned on the ol1 fable of ritual murder. Ill trumpe tones, he said the man had beer the victim of an act of blind in. | justice.
 | Elected to the Austrian parlia ment in 1907, he threw down tn: gauntlet to the whole mass of tho then powerful Austro- Hungarian hierarchy when he proved that th' government was responsible fol forgcries used against Czechs ant Greats on trial at Agram.
 He Was Marked Man When the World War broke out | he knew he was q marked mar and left Austro- Hungary. But h, left with q vision before his eyes It was that of the rebirth of tn submersion in the Hapsburg em pire. His was for some years tn Odyssey of a man who lived an. fought for an idea.
 Masaryk went to Russia and sue ceeded in persuading the Car ministers to form army brigade Of Czech soldiers who had desert ed from the Hapsburg army. O been captured. The Czech banno thus was flown in the breez against it's ancient oppressors. H. went to France and got the Frencl government also to organize Czecl regiments. He went to London an, taught Kings College, the while h. pied the Czech cause with tn government.
 Finally he went to America. ] vas inevitable that he would som day. While a student at Leipzig h. had met brilliant girl from Ncv York who was also a student. Sh vas Miss Charlotte Garrigue, who's father at that tirpe was prcsiden Of an insurance company. The, were married and he added he name to his.
 Then Masaryll went 10 Washing ten, where he set up the real head quarters of the provisional Czcci government. It consisted of sit ting room next to his bedroom I a Washington hotel. He was abl seconded by a young Iowa lawye of Czech extraction. Charles Perg Ter, who neglected his law prac tice and, at great financial sacrific to himself, made himself Masaryk man. of all work.
 They gained access to Prcsden Wilson, who was not an easy ma to sec in those war days. But tn two college professors got on fl mOuSly. lney were Dotn profOun scholars and, in addition, Masary talked eight languages to Wilson one.
 He won Wilson's sympathies :. the idea of a resuscitated Czec state, and when the America president went to Versailles for tn treaty the Czechs had Il frmer friend than he.
 Returned in Triumph
 The Czech sttae became a real ity and its champion. Masaryt went back to Prague in trump, They took him up to the gre1 castle near the cathedral. atop tn high hill overlooking the city an the broad river Moldau, and the made him president.
 | Hn hnS beeD chief eXecutiye eyy