The Czechoslovak Review/Volume 1/Bohemians are known in Canada

BOHEMIANS ARE KNOWN IN CANADA

 

An interesting little story from Canada has just reached the editor. It shows that the Bohemian people and their principal organization, the Bohemian National Alliance, enjoy the confidence of the Canadian authorities. Soon after the outbreak of the war all alien enemies in Canada were compelled to register and report at regular intervals to the police. A Bohemian in a city in Ontario, ignorant of the English language and reading only Bohemian papers from the United States, did not learn of this requirement, until nearly three years later. He was very much perturbed about it, not knowing whether he should come forward and submit to a severe penalty for violating the law, or say nothing in the hope that the authorities had overlooked his case and would not trouble him. His doubts were resolved suddenly, when a police officer called at his home in his absence and left him a notice to show up at the police headquarters next morning. He obeyed, full of apprehension, because technically he was an Austrian subject. When asked for his nationality, he stated boldly that he was Bohemian and produced his membership card from the Winnipeg office of the Alliance with his photo, identifying him as a good Bohemian. The officer looked at it uncertainly, took it inside to the chief and came out saying: “You are all right. Keep this card; you need not register.”