The Czechoslovak Review/Volume 2/Masaryk at work in America

3292984The Bohemian Review, volume 2, no. 6 — Masaryk at work in America1918

MASARYK AT WORK IN AMERICA.

Prof. Thomas G. Masaryk is still in the United States and finds so much to do here that he will stay here for some time longer. His headquarters are in Washington where he arrived on May 9. He was welcomed at the depot by a large number of senators and congressmen, chiefly members of the foreign affairs committees of the two houses, and by representatives of the French embassy, as well as by the local Bohemians. Of his conferences with the government officials, members of congress and Allied diplomats nothing has been given out to the public, but one may assume that Masaryk had something to do with the announced approval by the American government of the Congress of Rome.

After two weeks work at Washington, Prof. Masaryk went to Boston where he addressed the annual meeting of the American Unitarians, and from there proceeded to New York where his countrymen prepared for him a reception such as has never been known before in the history of the Czchoslovak colony in New York. Masaryk spoke to a tremendous audience that filled every corner of Carnegie Hall, and was introduced by Nicholas Murray Butler, president of the Columbia University. From New York Professor Masaryk traveled to Chicago, where in three days he had to deliver three addresses. On May 26 he spoke at the University of Chicago at the invitation of President Harry Pratt Judson; the following day he was to speak at an open air meeting to the Bohemians and Slovaks of Chicago, but bad weather compelled the transfer of the meeting to the auditorium of the Harrison High School where in a hall holding 2500 seats some 3500 people, pressed against the walls and standing in the doorways, listened until midnight to an intimate talk by Masaryk and to speeches by representatives of the Czechoslovak revolutionary organizations. The day after, May 29, Masaryk spoke on the problem of small nations before a distinguished audience in the Chicago Press Club.

On Decoration Day Masaryk was in Pittsburgh at the meeting of the American Branch of the Czechoslovak National Council. Among many invitations received by him is one by Governor Cox of Ohio to be the principal speaker at the Americanization Day in Columbus on June 14.