Show Slovak Czecho Nation I Declares Independence Federalization 8 and iid 1 Under Hapsburg Rule Asserted j to Mean N Nothing b by T Council of De Dc Facto Government in Paris Pails Pal is t B By Associated Press WASHINGTON W Oct 18 In Independence of the Slovak Czecho nation was as wasI I V declared formally formal today by b tho Slovak national council recognized by tho United States and tho the entente allies as a n belligerent dc do facto government gO The declaration renouncing nb allegiance to the tho Hapsburg dynasty dyn n asly asty and amid announcing principles for tho tim foundation foun of a n. republic was issued in Paris and nd a copy was handed to President Wilson by J. J Cisar of tho the councils council's staff at Washington L L The Tho document Is signed ned by Dr Thomas G. G ryk lk pr president of or the tho council as premier and anel minister of or fl- fl nance antI and I h by other officers of or the provisional provisional provisional pro pro- visional government Ro It follows Declaration of ot Independence of the th Slovak Czecho-Slovak nation II by its provisional g government ov er ii mu C 11 t At t this grave gra moment when the are offering p peace ace In Inor order or or to stop atop tho the advance of ot tho the allied Armies and to prevent the dismemberment of or Hungary Austria and ancl Turkey and und when the tho bur s sarc arc are promising the federalization of tho the empire and autonomy to tho the dissatisfied tied fied d nationalities committed to their rule we the Slovak CzechoSlovak national council recognized b by the tho allied and nd American governments as the provisional provi provi- government of ot the tho CzechoSlovak Czecho Yak vale state and nation In complete accord accord accord ac ac- ac- ac cord with the tho declaration of or the thc Czecho deputies made mado In Pr Prague gue on January 6 61 1 1918 and realizing that federalization and still more mere autonomy mean nothIng nothing noth noth- ing under a Hapsburg dynasty do hereby make and declare this our declaration dec dee of ot Independence Mock Federation Spurned Wo We do this because of or our belief beller that no peoples should bo be forced to live e under a a. sovereignty they do not recognize find and because of ot our knowledge knowledge knowl knowl- edge o and antI firm conviction that our naI nation na na- na- na I tin tion cannot freely freol d develop dolop in a n. Imps Imps- bur burg federation which Is only a anew anew anew new form torm of the tho denationalizing op oppression oppression oppression op- op under which we e have o suffered Buttered fa tot for I the last three hundred years ears We consider freedom to bo be the first pre prerequisite prerequisite prerequisite pre pre- requisite for tor federalization and believe o that the free freo nations of ot central and eastern Europe may ma easily federate derato f should they find it necessary We Wo make this declaration on the basis of oC our historic and ancI natural rights right's Wo We 0 have havo been an independent nt state since sinco the seventh century and an in 1526 rs wS as an independent state consisting of oC Bohemia Moravia and Silesia we Joined with Austria and Hungary in a defensive union against the tho Turkish danger We e have havo never voluntarily surrendered our rights as ns an nn Independent Independent independent dent state In this confederation The burs broke broko their compact with our nation by Illegally tran transgressing our rights and violating the tIme constitution constitution tion lion of ot our state which the they liaa haa pledged cd themselves to uphold antI and we therefore refuse longer to remain a apart apart apart part of or Hungary Austria in any form torm Oppression Scored We claim the tho right Of Bohemia to tobe tobe tobe be reunited with her lo Elc br brethren of or anla once part par of ot our national state later torn tern from our national I bod body and fifty years oars ago incorporated In the Hungarian state of or the tho Magyars I who bv by tl the unspeakable c violence en and Jl Al- Al l J L oppression or 01 I races have lost all moral and human rt right ht to rule an any bod body but themselves The Tho world knows tho the history of ot our struggle le against the tho Hapsburg oppression oppression sion slen Intensified and systematized b by bytho tho tIm Austro duAlistic compromise com coin promise premise e of or 1561 This dualism is on only I a shameless organization of or brute force and exploitation of or tho the majority b by bythe bytho tho the minority It is a a. political conspiracy no ae acy of ot the Germans and Magyars against our own as well as aa the other I Slav and the I nations of the monI mon mon- alch archy The world knows tIme the justice of ot I our OUI claims which the s themselves themselves them them- selves dared cIare not den Francis Joseph in lit the tIme most solemn manner repeatedly recognized the sovereign sO rights of ot out our nation The Germans and Magyars laCars op opPosed opposed op- op posed this recognition and anel Austria Austria- Hungary bow bowing In before tho the Pan-Ger- Pan mans became a colony of or Germany German and ns as her ler vanguards to the east provoked pro pro- voIced thu tho last Balkan conflict as ns well aa as tho the plesent world war var which was begun by the alone alono wi without tho the consent of ot the e e of ot the people Inaction Impossible Vo Wo cannot antI and will not continue to live I under tho the direct or indirect rule rulo of tho tIme violators of Belgium Franco France and Serbia tho the woul would would-be bo murderers of ot Russia and Rumania the murderers of tens of thousands of ot civilians and antI soldiers soldiers sol sol- diers diem of or our blood and the accomplices I In a n numberless U in b e rI es S u unspeakable a it p crimes committed In this war against humanity human hUman- ity Hy by the two degenerate and Irresponsible irresponsible irre Irre- dynasties We Vo will tot pot re remain romain ro- ro main maui a 1 part of or a state which ban imas nR no Justification fur for existence and which refusing to accept tho the fun fundamental principles of modern world organization tion lion remains only an nn artificial and an Immoral political structure hindering every even moment toward democratic and social progress 8 The Tho Hapsburg dynasty dynast dynas- dynas t tv ty weighed down by a D. huge hugo inheritance inheritance inheritance inherit inherit- ance of or error and crime Is a perpetual menace to tho the peace of ot tho thio world worM and wo so deem deom it cur dut duty toward humanity and civilization to aid In bringing about Its downfall and destruction Wo We 0 reject tho the sacrilegious I assertion assertion asser asser- tion that th tIm tho power of or time trie Hapsburg and Hoh n dynasties Is Of t divine e origin wo we refuse to reco recognize the di divine dl- dl vine ine rights of kings Our nation elected the to the tho throne of or Bohemia of or Its own free treo will sill and b by that same Sl right light deposes them We Ve hereby declare the tho Hapsburg d dynasty unworthy of ot leading our nation and deny den nil all of or their claims to rule rulo In the th Czecho land which we here hero and now declare shall henceforth be a free tree and In Independent nt people and nation Modern Ideals Accepted Wo Yo accept and shall shaH adhere to 10 the tho i ideals of oC modern democracy as tho they havo been th the tho Ideals of or our nation for tor centuries We c accept the American principles as laid down b by President Wilson tho the principles of oC liberated mankind of mankind of tho the actual equality of na nations na- na and lions and of or o deriving all their Just power poor from th the consent of ot the tho governed We e the nation nallon of oC Co- Co menius cannot but accept these prin- prin expressed In the Am American declaration dec of Independence the tho principles of or Lincoln and of or the lbs declaration of or the rights of man titan arid and of ot tho the citizen citizen- For FOI these the e principles our nation shed sited Its blood In the tho memorable wars COO years ear ago o for these same sante principles beside her allies our nation n Is shedding its blood bloo today in Russia Italy I and France Wo shall hall outline only onh the main principles of or tIme the constitution of or time the thoI Slovak nation the tho final d decision deci cl- cl sion flon as RS to the constitution Itself falls nUs to tho the legally chosen representatives I of or time the liberated and united people It Republic tJ lIe I IN Is lit seii Chu Tho Time Slovak alc state be c ft a r republic In constant endeavor ol for tor progress It will guarantee complete freedom of ot conscience religion and science literature and art speech the theIre theress Ire press ress and the right of ot assembly and atH petition Tho The church shall bo ue u ot separated sepa- sepa pa- pa rated from tIme the state Our democracy I shall l' l most rost t on universal suffrage wom women en shall he bo placed on an nn equal ennal with men socially and culturally cul cul- Tho The 11 of or the minority shall he be by h proportional no representation it res C n t a I I o it a national mm I I Oh ft 1 In minorities i a o r i I I en shall enjoy enJo equal ri rights rho Tho goven gevert o ert ment shall be parliamentary In form torm and shall n the principles principle of ot Initiative e and referendum Tho The III Ing arm army arm will ho bo replaced b by militia The TIme zech Slovak nation will HI ear cut RI nry out f far farr r social rille and ceo ceo- reforms tho lie largo large estates tata will willbe he be redeemed cI for home colonization tents patents of nobility will be he b Our OUI nation will till assume its Us part of or th Austro Hunt prewar public debt tIme the debts for this war we wo leave to those who Incurred them thorn In its foreign poliCY the CzechoSlovak Czecho Slovak ak nation will vill accept Its full share of or responsibility In tIme the reorganiZation reorganization of or eastern Europe It accepts fully the democratic and amid social principle prin prin- ciple of or nationality and nd subscribes to the doctrine that all covenants and treaties shall be bo entered Into openly and frankly without diplomacy Constitution to ne lie Just Our constitution shall provide pro an efficient rational and Just government which will exclude all all' special privileges privileges leges and prohibit class Ic legislation Democracy has ha defeated theocratic autocracy Militarism Is overcome democracy Is victorious victorious victorious-on on time the basil of ot democracy mankind will bo ho Tho The forces of darkness have havo served ter the tIme victory of or light the light the longed longed- for ago ngo of humanity is dawning We 0 believe in democracy democracy we we believe believe be be- lieve in liberty and liberty and liberty over mOn moru Given In Paris on the of ot Or- Or I tober 1918 Prof Thomas Thoma G. G Masaryk print I minister of finance Gen Dr Milan fl R. R minI ter of ot national defense Dr Edward Bones Benes minister of or to foe fo- affairs and of oC Interior Interior |