JEWS IN THE CZECHOSLOVAK STATE.
It is to lay at rest and prevent such statements as the foregoing, founded on ignorance of facts, prejudice and often willful malice toward the Czechoslovak Republic that this article has been written. The facts stated speak for themselves and proclaim more loudly than could be done by the best oratory or art the gross injustice done to the Czechoslovaks in the statement quoted. The writer sincerely hopes that all fairminded, all intelligent, impartial and well meaning men and women will agree after reading this brief statement of facts that this is the highest time to put a stop to the vicious propaganda of the enemies of peace and harmony, to this vitiating of truth and feeding race hatred and prejudice in order to further ulterior ends of the enemy just conquered.
We most earnestly solicit all readers of this pamphlet to spread the truth among their friends and prevent fomenting unnecessary dissensions and ill feeling.
We think it the patriotic duty of all to do so to the best of their ability.
What are the facts about this so-called expelling of Jews from Bohemia?
1. Bohemian Jews were not expelled, nor any other Jews as such. The order was for the Galician war refugees, 17,000 in number, families without homes and occupations, to go home now that the war was over. Majority of these refugees are Galician Jews, but not all.
Only a malicious enemy, a prejudiced partisan looking for a pretext to injure the Czechoslovaks could make a case of this and say that the Czechoslovak government expelled all Jews as such from Bohemia, and therefore was prejudicd against the Jews.
But, of course, there are many such enemies of the New Czech Republic. Prof. Masaryk in countermanding the order in question, did so, no doubt, because he would not give these enemies any chance and not because there was anything wrong with the order itself. Then, too the order was untimely owing to the unsettled conditions in Galicia, where the refugees will surely gladly return as soon as conditions permit.
This view will be seen to be correct because in Bohemia there never has been anti-semitic feeling to any great extent. Just reflect on the following facts:
When in New York a Jewish Convention was passing resolutions asking equal rights for Jews in the newly formed states, the Czechoslovak Republic had acted upon that principle as one that was self-evident and the only possible one in a free state by appointing two Jews to the ministry, namely Adolph Stransky, minister of commerce and L. Winter, minister of public welfare. It was probably the latter who signed the order asking the Galician refugees to return home, and he, a Jew, certainly could not have acted out of religious or racial prejudice against his own kind.
