The Czechoslovak Review/Volume 1/Carnegie Hall Meeting

CARNEGIE HALL MEETING

 

Probably the most important meeting in the history of the Bohemian National Alliance was a manifestation in favor of a Czechoslovak army, held at the Carnegie Hall in New York on September 16th. The meeting was presided over by the mayor of New York, John Purroy Mitchel, and was attended by large numbers of prominent and influential people. Mayor Mitchel praised the Czechoslovaks for their determination to conquer liberty for their native land and declared that their cause was bound up with the victory of America and its allies. He presented then the speaker of the day, M . Franklin Bouillon, vice-president of the French Chamber of Deputies and minister in the new cabinet. Minister Bouillon spoke of the gratitude felt by the French people toward the Bohemians who alone in 1871 protested against the spoliation of Alsase-Lorraine; he declared against premature peace and for the creation of an independent Czechoslovak state. The most interesting part of his address was the announcement that France has approved the formation of a distinct Czechoslovak army to take part in the offensive on the western front; and he urged all who wanted to see Bohemia free to enter this army. The only other speaker was Dr. Milan Štefanik, vicepresident of the Czechoslovak National Council of Paris, who stated that we would not cease in our fight on Austria-Hungary, until complete independence was attained.

Later in the day M. Bouillon received at the Plaza Hotel a large Czechoslovak delegation and assured it that France would do all in her power to liberate the oppressed Czechs and Slovaks. But again he emphasized the truism that the fate of Bohemia is in the hands of her sons and that they must be ready to sacrifice everything, if need be.

The meeting and the reception may be said to have been the culmination of political activity of Bohemians and Slovaks in this country.