Page:Czecho-Slovak Student Life, Volume 18.djvu/167

agreement and, finally, to zealous cooperation.

Concerning his work during the war, we quote the following from a recent issue of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat: “Dr. Hynek Dostál was associated with Dr. Thomas G. Masaryk in the work of liberating the Czechs and the Slovakians from Austrian rule and in 1919—1920 was largely instrumental in the creation of the present Republic of Czechoslovakia. He worked for that cause both in America and Europe. Dr. Masaryk, now president of the new republic, twice visited St. Louis to confer with Dr. Dostál; so it may be said that, in a sense, the map of Europe was changed by zealous liberators who met in a small room on South Eleventh Street in St. Louis, near the center of the Bohemian settlement.’

In 1919, Dr. Dostál suffered a severe blow in the death of his wife. This drove him again to his work. He joined the Second American Commission to Czechoslovakia where, in a period of four months, he delivered more than a hundred lectures in various cities of the republic and attended numerous councils and conferences with the political and cultural leaders of the country.

Before he returned to America, in 1920, he was received in private audience by His Holiness, Pope Benedict XV., who consulted with him on religious and cultural conditions in Czechoslovakia.

Two years later Dr. Dostál again visited Czechoslovakia and among the commissioners who, at the request of the Rt. Rev. Archbishop Stojan, journeyed to Poland to study conditions among the Czech emigrants there. Thence he travelled to Slovakia where he again occupied himself with lecturing.

In December, 1922, he returned to St. Louis and resumed his journalistic work. However, his strenous labors had impaired his health, and shortly after his return, Dr. Dostál fell seriously ill. After several temporary cures and relapses, Dr. Dostál yielded to the persuasions of numerous friends from Czechoslovakia, here for the Eucharistic Congress, and again made the trip to Czechoslovakia. Here he underwent a successful operation.

While he was convalescing at the Brno clinic, he received from Rome a special recognition for his work in literature, apologetics, and science. He received an honorary doctor’s degree of letters, and was made a corresponding member of the Pontificia Accademia Tiberina. He was further decorated by His Holiness, Pope Pius XI., with the “Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice” Cross.

When his condition permitted, Dr. Dostál removed to Italy. After his convalescence, he was present at the laying of the corner-stone of the Czechoslovak Papal College at Rome, where he again had audience with the Holy Father. From Rome he went via Florence, Milan and Venice to Prague. After a short stay in Czechoslovakia he returned to the United States and is at present deep in his journalistic work at St. Louis.