Page:The Czechoslovak Review, vol3, 1919.djvu/419
In Slovakia great progress has been accomplished in furnishing schools to Slovak children. Under the Magyar rule only a minority of Slovak children received instruction in their own language; the great majority had to attend Magyar schools and the fact that there is today considerable illiterary in Slovakia is due to the fact that children were taught in a language which they did not understand. In the course of the first year of freedom public schools have been provided for all Slovak pupils, grammar schools have been established in the larger villages and towns, and 45 secondary schools with Slovak language of instruction have been opened. The whole system culminates in the Slovak university of Bratislava which was opened in November. For the education of Lutheran ministers a faculty of theology was established in Bratislava. One of the serious problems still remaining is the appointment of new Catholic bishops to episcopal sees in Slovakia; the former bishops were Magyars who fled upon the overthrow of Hungarian rule.
American ways and institutions are being introduced or copied in the Czechoslovak Republic. The country adopted the idea of national parks, and the historical castle of Karlštýn with the forests surrounding it has been proclaimed a national park. Other spots of historical interest and natural beauty will be gradually turned over to the nation for its enjoyment. Among American institutions which the Republic adopted are the Y. M. C. A. and Y. W. C. A. Even the Salvation Army has established a number of posts and finds support from the government and the people. The Czechoslovak Red Cross copies its methods and plans its work after the American Red Cross. Physical training is made compulsory in all schools, and team and track athletics is fostered by American instructors. In business American ways are held up for an example, although unfortunately it is not possible to introduce them generally overnight.
The government introduced in the National Assembly a bill for a new flag as the official flag of the Republic. The Czech national flag was white and red, the Slovak white, blue and red. The flag uses the three colors in a distinctive way: the upper half is white, lower red; from the left side a triangle or wedge of blue is inserted. The base of the triangle is the width of the flag, the point is on the line dividing the white field from red, one third of the distance from the left edge of the flag. Thus if the flag is three yards long and two yards wide, the white strip is three yards long at the top and two at the bottom, while the red strip is two yards at the top and three at the bottom; both strips are one yard wide. The colors of the Republic are, like the American colors, red, white and blue.
Coal crisis is a serious matter with the approach of winter. Although there are no coal strikes, the production is still far below the needs of country and the amount needed for export. Prague city council asked the government to suspend deliveries to neigboring countries, until home necessities are supplied, but the government is compelled by its pledges to the Allied coal commission to send large quantities weekly to Austria and Poland. Germany also gets some coal in exchange for coke and other raw materials, and as it sends its own cars for the coal, it gets all it contracted for. Lack of railroad cars is the greatest impediment to increase of production. The entire stock of the Republic numbers 53,000 cars, while its needs are fully twice as much.
Navigation on the Danube has been reopened. The Czechoslovaks operate now 3 steamers, 33 barges and 20 tank boats with which they do big business with Jugoslavia, Roumania and through Roumania with southern Russia. They bring in oil, tobacco, manganese ore, wool, hemp, grain, skins, fats, and give in exchange matches, sugar, woolen goods, bags, shoes, agricultural implements, steel products, bottles, medicines. The whole trade with the East is done on what is called compensation basis or speaking plainly barter. To the West is sold for real money glass, Gablonz ware, furniture, steel, and above all sugar. The preliminary estimate of sugar crop is seven and a half million quintals (825,000 tons), equal to the estimated yield for all of Germany. There is universal shortage of sugar; thus Germany expects to produce