Page:Czecho-Slovak Student Life, Volume 18.djvu/304

We see him again in 1923 entering the municipal campaign as a candidate for office of City Treasurer, having for his running mates William E. Dever, candidate for Mayor, and Senator Al. F. Gorman for City Clerk. The three defeated their opponents by a majority of over one hundred thousand votes. In handling the finances of Chicago (a turn-over of over two hundred million annually), he displayed his usual interest and caution.

During the year 1926, he visited the land of his birth after an absence of forty-five years, and while in Europe travelled extensively through France, Switzerland, Germany. While in the Czechoslovak Republic, he called on President Masaryk at his summer residence in Topolčanky, and tendered to him the good wishes of the Czecho-Slovak Council of America.

In the month of December 1927, John A. Cervenka was one of the few selected by the government of the new republic for decoration in recognition of valuable services rendered to Czechoslovakia. The medal was presented to him by the Counselor of the Czecho-Slovak Legation in Washington, Dr. Jaroslav Lipa.

At present, he is perfecting the plans for a pilgrimage of Czechs and Slovaks to the city of Prague, the capital of the new republic, there to participate in unveling and dedicating the statute of the great American president, Woodrow Wilson, the artistic creation of Prof. Albin Polasek, the famous American sculptor of Czech ancestry. Erection of this monument was made possible by liberal subscriptions of those of our American Czechs and Slovaks who fully realize what the late President Wilson had done for the liberation of all the people across the sea. It will be located in the beautiful city park of Prague directly opposite the Wilson Railway Station.

In leading the hundreds of Czechs and Slovaks to the dedication scheduled for July 4th of this year, John A. Cervenka will interpret the feelings of the thousands of our people residing in America for their native land. At the same time he will remind the citizens of Czechoslovakia of the measure of gratitude they owe to this great American president who sacrificed his health and life to secure for all the people of Europe, especially the small nations suffering under the tyranny of despotism, the right of self-government.

Referring to the heroic proportions of Albin Polášek’s statues, Irving St. John Tucker says, “It may well be that the same is true of Polášek himself, that we shall not know how big a man he is until years have set the vista. But I do know that from under his ardent, skillful teaching a whole race of young sculptors, men and women, go forth from the Art Institute school, setting a new seal of beauty athwart the land.”

This, then, is the tribute his adopted land has paid to Albin Polášek, and it calls up a host of