Page:Czecho-Slovak Student Life, Volume 18.djvu/94

nized. Its object was to finance and support these Czechoslovak armies, especially the one in Russia. In 1915 the members of this Council began a world wide work by rallying all the Czechs and Slovaks to aid in the struggle for independence, and received wholehearted support everywhere.

“Of all the emigrated groups of Czechoslovaks living in foreign countries, the American group was not only the most numerous, but also best prepared to render efficient help to the fatherland at this critical moment. There are over a million and a half Czechoslovaks in the United States, who first came here in 1633, when Augustine Herman settled in New Amsterdam and then moved to Maryland in 1660, where he founded Bohemia Manor. In course of time, the Czechs settled in almost every state of the Union. The greatest number of them however is found in Illinois, Nebraska and Texas. Many of them settled in large cities, such as New York, Baltimore, Cleveland, St. Louis, Omaha, and Chicago, the latter having 250,000 Czechoslovaks. The Slovaks settled in the eastern states, chiefly in Pennsylvania. They soon adapted themselves to American conditions, became American citizens and took active part in the development of our Commonwealth. We find them holding prominent places in education, music, arts, science, agriculture, business and politics.

“Socially the Czechoslovaks are well organized. They have their societies, federations, trade unions, dramatic and athletic clubs. They have an efficient parochial school system, they have their academies and a college and seminary at Lisle, Ill. Very important in the social life of the Czechoslovaks have been their newspapers. As early as 1860, Czech newspapers were published in Racine, Wis., and St. Louis, Mo. Today they have ten dailies, four of which are published in Chicago. The total number of Czechoslovak newspapers, periodicals and parish bulletins reaches the two hundred mark. This complete social machinery was utilized during the war to help win Czechoslovak Independence . . . .

“The movement for emancipation was directed from headquarters in Chicago. The cause was ably conducted by a group of men comprising the following: Dr. Fisher, Ch. Pergler, Jar. Smetanka, Hajíček, Zmrhal, Štěpina, Mamatey, Tvrzický, Bosák, Šindelář, Straka, Dostal and Fathers Kestl, Zlamal, Kohlbeck, Jedlička and Vaniščák and many others too numerous to mention.

“The leaders of the movement in the United States were successful in enlisting the interest of the leading American statesmen. A hearing was granted a member of the Czechoslovak Independence Committee by the Committee of Foreign Affairs in the House of Representatives. The Czechoslovak problem makes its first appearances in the United States on May 25th, 1927. It then received a public endorsement when Senator W. S. Kenyon introduced the resolution that Bohemia should