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to Preminger. “You will allow me, gentlemen, to have my lunch, I suppose?”

Preminger bowed. “In the meanwhile we will have a look at the books, everything is of interest to us, both written and printed matter.” They sat down and took down from the shelves; I had my lunch in the next room. I was calm and said to myself: whatever it may be, I must show no weakness. I ate slowly, from outside could be heard the measured snorting of the motor-car, in the next room my guests were engaged in conversation. “I tell you that the Roumanians will go against us, I was ten years in a Roumanian regiment and I know them,” expounded the Captain.

“I don’t believe it,” declared Preminger and closed one of my books noisily.

I was finished and went in to them.

“I will take these letters with me,” remarked Preminger and he thrust some letters of Kramář into his breast pocket. “And now we will see whether anything else will suit us. First of all show us all your correspondence.”

“War-time? Or all of it?”

“The whole lot.”

I began with the dead. Winter—“Who was he?”

“An author, and excellent man.” Further: Čech—”

“Who was he?”

“A great poet. A field-marshall was ordered to his funeral. Vrchlický—”

“Ah, Vrhliky,—I have heard of him. Is he dead too?”

“Slavíček, a painter―”

“Is he dead too?”

“He shot himself”—Šimáček, Neruda, Sládek—

“Dead?” This is a regular graveyard. We want live ones.” remarked Preminger.

“Here. Leger.”

“Why Leger? Why not Ležé?”^[1]

“His name is Leger and he lives at Kolín. A poet.”

Preminger looked suspiciously at the letters. “At Kolín? Not at Paris?”

“Ah, you mean Louis Leger? No, I have nothing from him.”

He laid aside our Leger disappointedly. “And you have no letters at all from abroad?”

“Yes. Here is a letter from Denis.”

“Oh, that’s something,” and he took the letter out of my hand.

“It’s no good to you. The letter is already several years old. Denis thanks me in it for the dedication of my book The Apostles.”

“We shall see,” and Denis’ letter joined those of Kramář. “Nothing else from abroad?”

“Nothing else.”

“Now for home affairs.”

I opened drawers, undid bundles.—hundreds and hundreds of letters tumbled out, congratulations, literary matters, bills, telegrams, personal communications, cuttings from papers, rough drafts of poems—all in Czech, and these piles were shared out among the three officers, of whom only the Captain understood Czech: They looked at the signatures and dates, and asked questions.

Jaroslav F. Smetanka has been appointed by the Czechoslovak Republic as its first Consul for the Chicago district. Coincident with entering upon his new duties he severs his editorial connection with the “Czechoslovak Review.”

Before and since the first appearance of this publication Mr. Smetanka has consistently striven to place before the thinking public the cause of the Bohemian and Slovak people. In this he has been singularly successful. This is not only our conviction but similar opinions are strongly voiced by numerous readers scattered over this great country. Rightly he belongs to that band of seers led by President Masaryk who first conceived the practical means of realizing the ideal of an independent Czechoslovakia.

Principally through Mr. Smetanka’s efforts our American public was brought face to face with the oppressed Slavs of Central Europe. His presentation of their aspirations and ambitions was lucid, accurate and simple. Its force carried conviction. Being one of the foremost American journalists of Czechoslovak origin his forceful personality will be sadly missed by the “Review”. Nevertheless we have the satisfaction of knowing that he will give his energies to useful work in which his training and abilities will practically serve the Czechoslovak people. In his new endeavors he has our hearty and sincere wishes. An intimate acquaintance of almost twenty years convinces us that the confidence bestowed has not been misplaced.

The future policy of the “Review” will follow the trail blazed by our predecessor. Realizing that the needs of the hour are economic we shall enlarge this magazine, at no distant day, to provide for that department. In our efforts to make this publication authoritive, timely and attractive we shall have the cooperation of Czechoslovak commercial interests, public officials and individuals.

To our subscribers and advertisers we extend a sincere appreciation of their cordial support