An important interview with President Masaryk appeared in the "Outlook" of April 16. It was secured by Gregory Mason on March 1, and as on that date the topic of uppermost interest in Prague was the discovery of German conspiracy against the safety of the Czechoslovak Republic, it was natural that Dr. Masaryk in his interview emphasized the fact that German mentality has as yet undergone no change. To our readers Masaryk’s views on Russia will probably prove of most interest. We quote from the Outlook:
“What do you think the Allies ought to do about Russia, Dr. Masaryk” I asked.
His always thoughful face grew more rigid. He half turned in his chair and his eyes, too, seemed to look across to the opposite hill and rest on that symbol of Russia, fantastic and beautiful.
“A man who could answer that question justly would perhaps be the biggest statesman of his time,” said the Czechoslovak leader slowly, just the tremor of a smile breaking the seriousness of his face. “I think the biggest problem for the Allies is Russia. We must do something, but what? Yet we must do something; we cannot let Russia drift any longer. In my opinion, we must intervene, justly, consistently, and decisively. However, that is only my opinion. But it is self-evident that we must make up our minds to do something. The greatest need of the Allies is a policy toward Russia.”
SENDING MONEY TO BOHEMIA.
The American Relief Association has taken charge of the sending of money from this country to Central and Eastern Europe. The plan under which it operates deserves to be thoroughly advertised among foreign speaking people of the United States who desire to send food to their relatives in Czechoslovakia and near-by countries.
By an order of Fred I. Kent, director of the Division of Foreign Exchange of the Federal Reserve Board, all dealers in foreign exchange in the United States—and that includes banks, express companies, steamship ticket agencies etc.—must transmit money received by them for payment in Czechoslovakia, Jugoslavia, Poland, Roumania and neighboring states through the American Relief Administration. This organization will periodically notify Mr. Hoover in Paris of the amount of money, received let us say for payment in the Czechoslovak Republic. Mr. Hoover gives the Czechoslovak government the equivalent of this money in American food at whole sale prices, and at the same time a list is mailed to the Czechoslovak government of persons to whom money was sent by their American friends. These individuals then can use their credits to buy at home American food at smaller cost, than if it had been bought here and sent to them by parcel post.
Funds from this country will continue to be sent through bankers, but bankers must transmit exclusively through the Relief Administration. It is very gratifying to the Czechoslovaks that tentative rates announced by the American authorities show the Czechoslovak crown to be worth a great deal more than the Austrian crown. A dollar buys 20 Austrian crowns and only 15 Czechoslovak crowns.
MY ANTONIA By Willa Sibert Cater,. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.
This is a story of pioneer farmers in Nebraska, the men and women who lived in dugouts and were the first to bring under the plow the fertile rolling prairies beyond the Missouri. In form it is a record of the memories of a boy who grew up among the Bohemian and Scandinavian settlers and returned to visit his early home many years later, when he was a successful lawyer in New York. There is no plot, but the story centers around Antonia Shimerda, a remarkable Bohemian girl of strong character and unusual vital force. The story has a peculiar ending in leaving us a picture of Antonia as a farmer’s wife with nearly a dozen children around her.
To Bohemian farmers of Nebraska and neighboring states, especially the older generation, the book is sure to appeal. It makes real those early days of hardship and its descriptions of prairie life and scenery are well drawn.
STATEMENT OF THE OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, CIRCULATION, ETC., REQUIRED BY THE ACT OF CONGRESS OF AUGUST 24TH, 1912.
Of The Czechoslovak Review, published monthly at Chicago, Ill., for April 1. 1919.
District of Columbia. City of Washington, ss.
Before me, a notary public in and for the State and county aforesaid, personally appeared J. F. Smetanka ,who, having been duly sworn according to law, deposes and says that he is the editor of the Czechoslovak Review, and that the following is, to the best of his knowledgeand belief, a true statement of the ownership, management (and if a daily paper, the circulation), etc., of the aforesaid publication for the date shown in the above caption, required by the Act of August 24, 1912, embodied in section 443, Postal Laws and Regulations, printed on the reverse of this form, to-wit:
1.That the names and addresses of the publisher, editor, managing editor and business managers are: Publisher. The Bohemian Review Company, 2324 S. Central Park Ave., Chicago; editor J. F. Smetanka. District National Bank, Washington, D. C.; managing editor, none; business manager, V. Vanek, 2324 S. Central Park Ave., Chicago.
2.That the owners are: (Give names and addressesof individual owners, or, if a corporation, give its name and the names and addresses of stockholders owning or holding or holding 1per cent or more of the total amount of stock.):
Owner: The Czechoslovak Review Company.
Stockholders: J. F . Smetanka, District National Bank, Washington. D . C.
Stockholders: J. J. Fekl, Czechoslovak Army 22nd Reg’t.
Stockholders: Joseph Tvrzicky, Prague, Bohemia.
3.That the known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or holding 1 per cent or more of the total amount of bonds, mortgages,or other securitiesare: (If there are none, so state.) None.
4.That the two paragraphs next above, giving the names of the owners,stockholders, and security holders, if any, contain not only the list of stockholders and security holders as they appear upon the books of the company but also, in cases where the stockholder or security holder appears upon the books of the company as trustee or in any other fiduciary relation, the name of the person or corporation for whom such trustee is acting, is given: also that the said two paragraphs contain statements embracing affiant’s full knowledge and belief as to the circumstances and conditions under which stockholders and security holders who do not appear upon the books of the company as trustees, hold stock and securities in a capacity other than that of a bona fide owner: and this affiant has no reason to believe that any other person, association, or corporation has any interest direct or indirect in the said stock, bonds, or other securities than as so stated by him.
