The Czechoslovak Review/Volume 1/President Judson's message

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3030816The Bohemian Review, volume 1, no. 7 — President Judson’s message1917Harry Pratt Judson

PRESIDENT JUDSON’S MESSAGE

At the John Hus memorial meeting, held in Chicago on July 6th, President Harry Pratt Judson of the University of Chicago was to be the principal speaker. At the last moment his duties as member of the Council of National Defense called him to Washington. He sent a telegram which was read at the meeting and was received with genuine enthusiasm. It is given herewith:

Cordial greetings to my American fellow citizens of Bohemian descent!

Americanism is not determined by race or place of birth, but by loyalty to the constitution of the United States and by willingness to give all that one has, even his life, in the defense of his land.

By that test there are no better Americans than those who trace their parentage to Bohemia.

We are engaged in war against a far reaching plot to dominate the world by Prussianism. The forces are the same which have crushed freedom in Bohemia and Moravia. There can be no secure peace until these forces are utterly defeated and secure guarantees are had which will prevent a renewal of the attack.

It must be made impossible for Prussian power to hold the road to Constantiople and Bagdad. One of the most effective bars would be a Czecho-Slovak state and that free state, I confidently hope, will emerge from the contest.

The ancient glories of the Bohemian people will flower anew in a free democracy which will always be found in close ties of friendship with our Republic on this side of the Ocean.

Hail to that day!

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1929.


The longest-living author of this work died in 1927, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 96 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.

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