Evening star., 1938-10-02

20 requests from rGG1O LaStenerS.)
and his own genius to the improvement
of his favored land. Under him there
was a quickening in the tempo Of Bo-
hemian life. Order was thoroughly
established, the capital city Of Prague
was embellished, and through his in
1uence the bishopric of Prague was
made an archbishopric. The first uni
versity established in the lands of the
German Empire was his University of
Prague. In constitution which he
drew up for the empire, princes were
ordered to have their children in
structed in Slavic as we'll as in Ger
man and Italian. Artists and scholars
were brought in to make their addi-
tions to the culture of his realm, and
under his influence succession Of
great preachers began spiritual re-
vival. In his two sons Bohemia was
not so fortunate.
The quickening of Bohemian national
consciousness in the 14th century pro-
duced a great national figure in John
Huss. This man produced a reforma-
ton in Bohemia a century and a
quarter before Luther. He stirred up
the national feeling against the Ger
mans as it had never been stirred be-
fore and set into motion forces which
produced some of the finest chapters
in Bohemian history, but at the same
time that they fired the Bohemian soul
they led to political confusion and
disaster. The sectarian troubles of the
Hussites cannot blot out the states
manship and the generalship of the
great zizka and Prokop. 1t was dur
ing the Hussite wars that Slovakia was
for a time taken by the Bohemians
from the Hungarians. Thus the old
ties of culture and racial kinship be-
tween the two peoples were renewed
and kept alive during the period of
separation which shortly returned.
Bohemia Fell in 1870.
On November g. 1870, brief en-
gagement at White Mountain, near
Prague, brought to an end the hopes
and aspirations that had lived on
since the time of Huss. Bohemia fell
before the empire and before the en-
pire was to remain PROSTATE for three
centuries while eager GermaniZa ton
was carried on by one imperial gov
eminent after another. Forced from
their homeland by religious conviction
and strong national feeling, many
great Czechs added their contributions
to the good of the larger world. Among
these none is more honored than the
great Komensky or Comenius as he is
better known, the great 18th century
educational reformer. perhaps the
greatest figure in the history of educa-
ton
But unyielding Germanization did
not quench Czech national conscious
ness. The enlightenment Of the 18th
century and the unloosing of the great
forces Of democracy by the French
Revolution profoundly Influenced the
Czech people. BY the time of the
revolutionary movement Of 1848 the
Czechs were ready to play large part.
They were alarmed by the growing de-
mands of the Hungarians under Kos
suth and fearful of what Hungarian
resurgence linked with German in.
terest might mean to the cause of the
West Slavs, with the Czechs held by
German Austria, the Slovaks by Mag
var Hungary.
Aware of National Sense.
Never before had the CZechS been
more aware of their national sense.
The work of great historians like
Palacky in constructing the national
picture in great prose had not been in
vain. To formulate a program for all
Slavs, Pan-Slav Congress was sum-
moned to meet in Prague in l848 and
from it went forth a manifesto de-
manding new freedom for the Slav
states. Riots put down ruthlessly by
the military brought the congress to
an unceremonious end. For time
the Czechoslovaks were silent, but with
the defeats of Austria at the hands
of Italy and France in 1859 hope be-
gan to return. The collapse of Austria
would mean Czechoslovak freedom.
But for each step forward there was
generally step backward. The COM
promise of 1867, whereby Austria was
reconstructed into the dual monarchy
of Austro Hungary seemed to unite in
stronger bonds of union the German
oppressors of the Czechs and the
Magyar masters of the Slovaks. When,
when would the unyieldy dual
monarchy break up? It was to take
a world war to do it. In the mean
while Czech scholars could inspire new
respect for their people by writing
and wide contacts. Czechoslovaks
who had found homes in the new
world could extend aid and solace to
their brethren at home. All men, re-
gardless of race, could remember the
martyrdom of the heroic Huss and the