Page:The Czechoslovak Review, vol4, 1920.pdf/66

of the Czechoslovak government to see to the return of some 30,000 prisoners of war, who are citizens of the Republic of German race.

National Assembly met on January 7 for its last stretch of constitutional and legislative activity. It had a big task ahead: adopt new constitution which the committee on constitution had agreed upon, pass election laws for the first elected parliament, settle the question of languages in public service, pass the budget for 1920, decide the size of army and obligation to military service, create Greater Prague and a number of other urgent matters. It was the plan of the ministry to get through with all this before the end of January, so that elections could then be proclaimed and held the first week in March. Apparently there is again a delay of one or two weeks in this program, though it seems certain that elections will be held early in March. At the time of writing, the draft of the constitution prepared in the committee has not been made public, but certain principal features have become known and may be considered as definitely a part of the future constitution. The Czechoslovak state is declared to be a democratic republic with a president and national assembly. President is elected by the National Assembly for a term of six years and may be re-elected for one more term. This provision does not apply to the first president; this is meant as a compliment and vote of confidence to President Masaryk. President may dissolve both or either chamber of the legislature, but must call for new elections in 60 days; he may veto bills passed by both houses, but a simple majority vote in both houses may pass such bills against his veto. The chamber of deputies will consist of 300 members, elected for five years; all citizens, men and women, 21 years of age, are entitled to vote; the candidate must be 30 years old. Senate will consist of 100 members elected for 8 years by electors who are at least 26 years of age, while the senators must be 45 years old. Regular sessions will be held in March and October of each year. There will be a separation of church and state. All citizens are equal before the law, and members of minority races can use their own language in dealings with governmental officials in districts, where the particular minority numbers 20% of the population; besides each race is entitled to have the children instructed in public schools in its own language.

Organization of the army has made great progress. On January 1 Czechoslovak legions became fused with the domestic formations, thus unifying the structure and equipment of the entire army. The legions which fought during the war on the Allied side in France, Italy and Russia are composed of picked men, all volunteers; they now become the cadre out of which the permanent regiments are built by being filled up with men who had seen service only in the Austrian army and with new drafts. The army bill provides for a standing army of 150,000, composed of 48 regiments of infantry, 4 of mountain infantry and 10 independent battalions, 11 regiments of field cavalry, 12 of light artillery and 12 of heavy artillery, 5 bat. for air service with 310 aeroplanes, 1 railroad regiment,a transportation corps with 2285 motors and 5 battalions of train. There is even a navy, of course for service on rivers only, consisting of 6 monitors, 6 guardships and 2 gunboats. The peace status of the armed forces will be 8090 officers and 141,910 men. Service in the army will be compulsory and will probably include two years under arms, while undergoing training, with a longer period in reserve.

Although elections are approaching, party warfare has somewhat decreased in bitterness; only the national democrats are making campaign material out of the failure of the coalition government to lower prices and raise the exchange value of the crown. The quarrel of Czechoslovak socialists with social democrats arising out of discrimination of social democratic labor unions against workers belonging to the younger labor party, has been composed by a decree of the government which created workingmen’s arbitration courts. An employee who lost his place through violence or intimidation of a labor union may sue the union before the new arbitration court for damages; the court is composed of representatives of the rival labor unions, and the chairman is the county judge. Provision is made for collecting damages assessed and for re-employment of the discharged worker. Among other political happenings the dissolution of the