Page:Edvard Beneš – Bohemia's case for independence.pdf/84

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BOHEMIA'S CASE FOR INDEPENDENCE

the following facts, which show the political situation in Bohemia during the war:—

Klofáč, deputy, and leader of the Nationalist Party, in prison since the commencement of the war; four of his colleagues, all deputies to the Reichsrath, and important members of the party, condemned for high treason.

Kramář, deputy, and leader of the Liberal (Young Czech) Party, with his colleague, Deputy Rašín, condemned to death, and subsequently pardoned.

Masaryk, deputy, and leader of the Progressive Party, and the real intellectual leader of the whole nation, exiled, condemned to death.

Soukup, deputy and leader of the Social Democratic Party, charged with high treason.

Scheiner, leader of the "Sokols" and unquestionably one of the chief leaders of the nation, imprisoned, then released and put under police supervision.

To this must be added the shooting of soldiers en masse, and hundreds of political trials. All this needs no comment.

Financial circles in Bohemia also caused annoyance to the government on account of their reserved and hostile attitude towards war loans. The results of subscriptions in Bohemia were pitiful. Certain banking institutes in Prague were even suspected of keeping in touch with Russia