Evening star., 1940-06-23
Sudeten Czechs
Settle in Canada
By Frederic J. Haskin.


forgotten that the name of the Sudetens
OF Czecho-Slovakia was the name which,
for the time being. focused the attention
Of the world. 1t will be remembered
that it was on the pretext of rescuing the
people OF the Sudeten Mountain region
of Czecho- -Slovakia that the Nazi Ger
man government moved against Czecho-
Slovakia and. despite previous guaran-
tees and treaties, seized the country
Adolf Hitler had asserted that the Sude-
ten Czechs were Czech citizens against
their will and insisted upon taking over
the country to make them German.
Today, in Canada, there is colony of
Czechs who constitute an interesting ex-
ample of the possibility of man to be
mistaken. The colony consists of Czechs
from the Sudeten region who not only
were not eager to live under German
rule, but who resented the invasion and
seizure of their country so bitterly that
they expatriated themselves completely,
crossed the sea and are making q new
home for themselves in what must seem
to them a wilderness.
Today, in the Province Of Saskatche-
wan in Western Canada, colony of lat
families of Sudeten Czechs are beginning
to harvest the first crops of their own
planting in a new world This colony,
which numbers some 800 men, women
and children. came to Canada in the
spring of 1899. They had managed to
flee from their native land before the
German invasion and, with organized
assistance, reached the Dominion of
Canada.
A Czech refugee committee which had
been set up in London, in cooperation
with the colonization department of the
Canadian National Railways, lent finan-
cial assistance to the colonists. Each
family was advanced $500 to enable it
to reach the New World.
Canada is a much underpopulated
country. Although its territory is about
equal to that of the United States, the
total number of its inhabitants scarcely
exceeds that of greater New York City,
One Of the principal reasons for this
small population is the highly selective
immigration policy pursued by the Do
minion government. Aliens are by no
means as free to enter the Dominion as
the United States. The government, de-
string to build up nation along the
soundest possible lines. picks and chooses
among the aliens desiring to enter.
The Dominion does want great many
immigrants to develop its vast country
but it wants to be certain they are of
the most desirable type. 1t is said that
Canada has profited by observing some
Of the tribulations the United States has
suffered over the problems raised by the
foreign born.
At any rate each of these Sudeten fam
lilies was supplied with land, with two
horses, one or two cows, depending on
the size of the family, several pigs and
chickens. Fifty-two new houses were
constructed while several old houses were
entirely reconditioned.
The place of settlement Of the new
colony is pretty close to the wilderness
1t is in the northwest section Of the
Saskatchewan Province, in Tlrtleford
County. The nearest town of st. WAL
burg is but hamlet A tributary Of the
North Saskatchewan River runs through
the area. The nearest railroad Is many
miles away.
However, the place was not precisely
carved out of the wilderness, because
much of the colony's land had been oc-
cupied before. Indeed, arrangements
1oH fn ke t4 ~f
the earlier settlers to fresh lands and,
for that reason. the Sudetens found some
of their land already seeded when they
reached their new home year ago. Last
autumn fine crops were reaped, grain,
for instance, running 80 or 40 bushels to
the acre. The crops were pooled at that
time, but that practice is not continuing
this year. Each family works its own
land. These people are highly individual
and there is little of the communistic
about them.
The chief crops of Saskatchewan are
grain and cattle, and, as the peasants of
Czecho-Slovakia are skilled in the rails
ing of both, great hopes are held out for
their success. But it probably will take
them a few seasons to become accus-
toned to the wilderness life and the cold
of the winters There are only two or
three towns between the new colony and
great white wilderness of the Arctic In
the long winters the temperature drops
far below zero. For instance, at Regina,
capital of the province which is 500
miles south of where the colony Is To-
Gated. the mean winter temperature is
exactly zero. This, of course, indicates
that on many occasions, the temperature
drops much below that figure and, while
there is no weather bureau at st. Wal
burg 1t is safe assumption that the
mean winter temperature there is well
below zero.
Summer temperatures run between so
and 10 with an occasional very hot spell.
The growing season is brief, but long
enough to make good grain crops. The
colonists will have valuable resource
in trapping. This is some of the best fur
trapping country in the world. Mink.
marten, beaver, otter. ermine and musk
rat are all found in the region while the
musk-ox comes in large numbers to the
northern lakes. In the wooded regions
are moose and deer and also bear fox
and gray wolf.
Not all of these settlers we're farmers
IN the old country, but they are bound
by contract to remain at least two years
f> - 49, - III >kA 49,