The Czechoslovak Review/Volume 3/Pittsburgh meeting of National Council

PITTSBURGH MEETING OF NATIONAL COUNCIL.

A plenary meeting of the Czechoslovak National Council of America was held at Pittsburgh in the Hotel Henry on November 7. As the preident of the Council, Prof. B. Šimek, resigned, the first vice-president, Albert Mamatey, acted as chairman.

Reports were made by the three organizations which compose the Council, describing their work and their future plans. For the National Alliance of Bohemian Catholics Father Kestl emphasized that in their opinion not merely political activity on behalf of Czechoslovak independence, but also relief activity was practically over; their organization will send the balance of their funds collected in the past to President Masaryk to be applied by him to charitable and relief purposes, and for the future the Alliance will devote its attention to America.

For the Bohemian National Alliance Dr. Pecival, its president, stated also that all political activity naturally ceased with the establishment of the Czechoslovak Republic, and while he agreed with the attitude of the Catholics that the main activity henceforth must consist in looking after the interests of Americans of Czechoslovak descent, rather than of Czechoslovaks in Europe, he was of the opinion, and in that he voiced the sentiment of the Bohemian National Alliance, that it was too early to abandon material help for the widows and orphans, the crippled and hungry of the struggling new Republic.

Albert Mamatey, president of the Slovak League of America, reported that the League was stronger than ever. It has over 40,000 direct members and enjoys a large income, even though temporarily its treasury is not overflowing with money due to the fact that the League made recently large appropriations for its purposes. He stated that the Slovaks are in a somewhat different position than Czechs: Slovaks in America constitute numerically a very large fraction of their race and intellectually they are more advanced, than the people in the old home, who were only recently emancipated from Magyar rule. Thus the League feels that, even though Americanization must and does get its serious attention, it is not yet through with the old country. Very recently emissaries of Hlinka applied to the Executive Committee of the Slovak League for support of the Slovak People’s Party campaign in behalf of Slovak autonomy. The League unanimously refused because the members do not trust Father Hlinka and his associates, but at the same time by an overwhelming majority the Executive Committee voted in favor of Slovak autonomy with separate diet, to be introduced gradually, as the people are ready for it. This has been the attitude of the Slovak League throughout the campaign for independence and was embodied in the Cleveland and Pittsburgh agreements with the Czechs.

During the debate ensuing upon this statement of the Slovak attitude the Czech delegates defined their attitude as one of strict non-interference in the affairs of the Czechoslovak Republic, but at the request of the Slovaks adopted a resolution affirming the bona fide character of the Cleveland and Pittsburgh agreements and bringing them to the attention of the future constitution making body of the Republic.

Mrs. Libuše Moták, director of relief work, made a report of the work of her office. On March 31 the last box of cigarettes and comforts was sent to Czechoslovak volunteers from America; all the boxes sent to the men in France had been received, except the last 23 which are still being traced. Immediately afterwards came the rush connected with the shipment of the first relief boxes to the Czechoslovak Red Cross and to individuals in Czechoslovakia. Packages for the Red Cross kept on coming even later; since June the New York office sent 44 large boxes to Prague and 40 to Bratislava, and 46 more are ready for shipment. The value of the great donation of clothing and shoes secured from the American Red Cross exceeds one million dollars, not including in this the value of second hand clothing; transportation alone, paid from the funds of the Czechoslovak National Council, cost 929,000. During the last two months the New York office was kept busy welcoming the boys who enlisted here to fight in the Czechoslovak army in France and now came back discharged. Each was given a bonus of $30; thus far nearly $42,000 was paid out for this purpose from the funds of the Council. More recently the New York relief office took care of the war brides that arrived to join their husbands who had returned to America after their discharge from Czechoslovak legions.

Among decisions taken by the Council at the Pittsburgh meeting was the vote to erect a monument at Stamford, Conn., on the site of the old training camp, in memory of all the brave men from America who volunteered to serve in the Czechoslovak army and lost their lives in the war. It was also decided to close the Chicago office for the forwarding of relief boxes to the Czechoslovak Republic, in view of the fact that parcel post service has been restored.