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months of intensive and fruitful labor. It laid the foundations of the new republic, foundations that are democratic, as democracy is understood in this country. Among its notabe achievements is the election of Masaryk for president, abolition of titles of nobility, expropriation of large landed estates, separation of Czechoslovak money from Austrian money, creation of an efficient Czechoslovak army and the adoption of a constitution. The amount of work performed by it is enormous; this was made possible by the fact that on most matters all parties were in agreement and even on controversial matters the real fight took place in committees, without lengthy debates in the house itself. Among the last laws passed by the National Assembly was one definitely establishing a national flag. Its foundation is the ancient Bohemian flag, white and red, to which the blue of Slovakia is added in the form of a wedge running the full depth of the flag at the side attached to the pole with the point of the triangle extending half of the width of the flag to the point, where the white and red stripes meet. The original proposition of the government provided for a blue wedge extending only one third across. Another law adopted in the last days of the Assembly acknowledges the liability of the state for damages caused by riots, but only where the loss affected one’s ability to earn a living. Severe punishment by long imprisonment and fine was provided for the crime of smuggling the necessities of life out of the country a sad commentary on the abnormal conditions under which the states of Central Europe live today.

Of more general interest is the action taken by the National Assembly on the difficult question of compensation for large landed estates taken over by the state for distribution to small cultivators. The principle of compensation was generally admitted by all, but various motives came into play in opposition to a generous compensation. It was to be expected that the socialists would want to cut down the amount as much as possible; however, all classes of the nation had always looked upon the German noblemen who owned most of the large estates as wrongfully in possession, since their ancestors received them after the battle of White Mountain from Emperor Ferdinand who took them from the executed or exiled Czech owners. In popular opinion even three hundred years was not enough to confirm possession of the estates in the wrongful owners. In addition the fact was that most of the former noblemen were Germans, or in Slovakia Magyars, enemies of the Czechoslovaks and now disaffected citizens of the Republic. Taking this sentiment into consideration, it is rather remarkable that the ex-nobles received as considerate treatment as the National Assembly extended to them. The state will pay for the expropriated land on the basis of prices for the years 1913 to 1915, deducting from the valuation five percent for smaller estates with a progressive increase to 40% deduction in case of the largest tracts. The compensation cannot, of course, be paid in cash; it is payable in a state rent bearing interest at 3% with an additional half a percent yearly for amortization.

Transportation is not as serious a problem in Czechoslovakia, as it is in Eastern Europe, but nevertheless the railroad system has greatly decreased in efficiency. For one thing railroads in Bohemia had been built so as to converge on Vienna, in Slovakia on Budapest, and now the net of iron pathways has to be reconstructed; in particular Slovakia and Rusinia must be brought into closer touch with the western, more populous half of the Republic. In addition the rolling stock is insufficient. The state railways of Czechoslovakia have 3500 locomotives, 8500 passenger coaches and 65,000 freight cars; to function properly they need 4500 locomotives and 140,000 cars. The National Assembly has just approved the government’s plan to spend 6500 million crowns on the railroads within the next five years. New carshops and roundhouses will be erectted so that the deficiency of equipment may be repaired faster; new track will be laid in Slovakia and some of the old lines will be doubletracked. Prague yards will be enlarged and systematized, and electric motive power will be used in the neighborhood of large cities.

Chicherin’s offer of peace was replied to by minister Beneš on April 15. Dr. Beneš pointed out to the soviet representative that the Czechoslovak Republic was not at war with Russia and had no occasion to make peace. The two countries have no common