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Show Returned Missionary Tells Of Situation In Czecho-Slovakia BY RULON D. ORTON This question of paramount importance im-portance is being asked by every conscientious and intelligent American citizen today. The last Great War with its attending horror and shocking human atrocity at-rocity is still remembered, and the thought of the world being plunged into another human fratricide fra-tricide causes the weakest heart to beat out a frantical protest. Since my return from Czechoslovakia Czecho-slovakia many people have asked just how conditions really are over there. My response has been as optimistic as could be allowed in view of the things heard and observed during three years spent in the heart of Europe. How do the Czech people fee) about being taken over by the Germans? This question always makes me want to ask, "Just how would you feel if the United States was taken over by a foreign fore-ign power and your liberty, free-( free-( Continued on page three) Czech Situation (Continued from first page) dom and expression of thought destroyed?" The insidious and inhuman propaganda that dares to suggest that liberty loving people would willingly give up the principles of democracy for the tyranical despotism of a dictatorship is among the most base and foul of human lies. The Czech nation prior to its dismemberment was among the most prosperous of the smaller nations of Europe. Primarily Czecho-Slovakia is an agricultural nation. The soft rolling hills and the fertile lowlands make it ideal for this purpose. Farm commodities have always been an important source of income in-come to the nation. An abundance of coal, iron ore, zinc, lead, gold and silver served to create a highly industrialized country out of the Czech nation. The largest shoe manufacturer in the world, the largest brewer of fine beer, and the largest manufacturer of guns and material for war, Is located in Czecho-Slovakia. High Standard of Culture The prosperity created and enjoyed by these energetic people has served to build up a high standard of culture and learning. As a matter of fact the Czech people have been long known for their high standard of culture. The Charles University, located in Prague, was the first institution of higher learning to be established establish-ed in Europe. It is not at all uncommon to meet Czech people who speak five and six languages fluently. I remember one evening an introduction made to a group of young people. My Czech friend said that I should get along famously I could either speak, German, French, Italian, Spanish or Russian and be perfectly understood. There I stood with just my English and a fleeting knowledge of several Czech words. The customs of this delightful country are quite different than ours. There isn't the bustle, hustle and hurry that we endure here in America,, and I think that perhaps they understand and enjoy life just a bit more than we. For instance, to walk into the cool countryside, breathing the fresh air as it comes filtered from the trees and flowers is their idea of a most enjoyable time. On Saturdays and Sundays the forests are filled with bright-j bright-j eyed boys and girls playing volleyball, vol-leyball, tennis, and other outdoor out-door games. Special holidays find a great and colorful display of the Czech national costume. Beautiful girls in lovely embroidered em-broidered blouses and skirts dance the national folk dance with handsome men with funny short breeches. The Czech people were and are a proud and haughty race. The creation' of Czecho-Slovakia as an independent state at the close of the World War freed these people after being subjected to the rule ,ot the Austrian-Hapsburg monarchy mon-archy for 300 years. This new freedom of thought and action provided a force that swept the nation serenely through the troublesome seas of hate, greed and unrest. The Czech social system of taking care of the aged and infirm in-firm was second to none throughout through-out the entire world. The question ques-tion of socialized medicine was perfected to such an extent that any person could receive proper medical and surgical care for a nominal fee. This was done by means . of a compulsary insurance for the protection of the workers. Naturally, as with all nations and governments, there were problems demanding the utmost intelligence and effort to solve them on the part of the leading governmental officials. Racial problems were among the foremost, and the Czecho-Slovakian Czecho-Slovakian government was pursuing pursu-ing a course whereby each race would be entitled to representation representa-tion in the National Government according to their respective population. Before the plans for the governing govern-ing of the minorities could be set into operation trouble broke out between the German political party and the Czech National Government. The then critical situation was further accentuated by the seizure of Austria, which caused as a means of protection, a general mobilization of the Czech army in the month of May, 193S. A million men were under fighting colors within 24 hours, and this astonishing feat from a small nation so surprised the Germans that they were forced to bide their time until the month of September, 1938. Meanwhile German propaganda continued. Czech-German people were told how ill they were being treated and how oppressed they were under the Czech regime. Where formerly peace existed strife, malice and discontent were stirred up until conditions became unbearable for both Czechs and Germans. The break occured when two German soldiers crossed the frontier fron-tier without proper authority, and upon their refusal to halt when challenged were shot and killed. From this over-emphasized incident in-cident came the decision of the German High Command to illegally il-legally enter the country to protect pro-tect the German minorities. Rioting Riot-ing broke out in the heavily populated German districts and it seemed that the Czech State Police sent to quell the disturbances distur-bances served only to add fuel to the fire. Conditions were such that another an-other war seemed imminent. The German and Czech armies were facing one another ready to fight at the drop of a hat. It was at this time that Chamberlain began to shuttle back and forth in an effort to avert disaster. The results of his efforts are now readily seen. Where formerly existed a happy and prosperous nation lies today a gutted and despoiled country. Where laughter, happiness and pride of country abounded we have today sorrow, despair, increasing in-creasing poverty and the heartrending heart-rending sight of weeping people. Did the Czech people want the Germans to come in and take them over? Such a thought is absurd. Have you ever seen strong men weep from utter frustration ? I hope never to see it again. The people wanted to fight until the last man or woman, if need be, for the preservation of their republic, re-public, but under that farce of international justice, the Munich agreement, all fortifications and types of heavy artillery had to be surrendered. With the result that when Germany took over the country in April of this year, the. Czech army was seriously handicapped through the lack of necessary weapons. Just how has the dissolution of the Czecho-Slovakian Republic affected the international situa- tion? It has immeasurably strengthened the German posiiton, the Democracies have been the losers of 14 fully equipped divisions. divi-sions. The agressive nations have not been checked in " the least, and the possibility of averting a major disaster fades with each coming day. England, France, Germany, Italy, in fact all nations of Eu-' rope, are preparing for a coming war. Just how soon it will start is the question, but the consensus con-sensus of opinion is that war is inevitable. |
