11 50 763 https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/a6b5b447ac77a477ba858b0858c52bd7.pdf 36c06838ceb2978564eaacc8adb3cfa4 PDF Text Text 4 SLOVAKIA Paean to Integrity Who goes into battle in defense of truth, For the rights of people sacrifices youth: When oppression rages, who will mercy bring, Him my voice will honor and his glory sing. When the cannon thunder, when the eagles soar, Who will shed his lifeblood freedom to restore, Who will shield his nation from the Dragon's sting, Him my voice will honor and his glory sing. He who keeps his pledges though the heavens fall , Who regards his honor as the crown of all; Whom no threat can cower, bribe can never swing, Him my voice will honor and glory sing. Evil cannot conquer, God had cursed its part, As he built a Heaven for the noble heart; He who keeps His mandates, to His truth will cling, Him my voice will honor and glory sing. Karol Kuzmany's "Kto za pravdu hori" translated in 1943 by George A. Ga Ii k, in collaboration with his sister, Cecilia G. Kennedy. � 4 SLOVAKIA Paean to Integrity Who goes into battle in defense of truth, For the rights of people sacrifices youth: When oppression rages, who will mercy bring, Him my voice will honor and his glory sing. When the cannon thunder, when the eagles soar, Who will shed his lifeblood freedom to restore, Who will shield his nation from the Dragon's sting, Him my voice will honor and his glory sing. He who keeps his pledges though the heavens fall , Who regards his honor as the crown of all; Whom no threat can cower, bribe can never swing, Him my voice will honor and glory sing. Evil cannot conquer, God had cursed its part, As he built a Heaven for the noble heart; He who keeps His mandates, to His truth will cling, Him my voice will honor and glory sing. Karol Kuzmany's "Kto za pravdu hori" translated in 1943 by George A. Ga Ii k, in collaboration with his sister, Cecilia G. Kennedy. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1972, Vol. 22 Description An account of the resource Vol. 22 (No. 45), 1972. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1972 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document 4 SLOVAKIA Paean to Integrity Who goes into battle in defense of truth, For the rights of people sacrifices youth: When oppression rages, who will mercy bring, Him my voice will honor and his glory sing. When the cannon thunder, when the eagles soar, Who will shed his lifeblood freedom to restore, Who will shield his nation from the Dragon's sting, Him my voice will honor and his glory sing. He who keeps his pledges though the heavens fall , Who regards his honor as the crown of all; Whom no threat can cower, bribe can never swing, Him my voice will honor and glory sing. Evil cannot conquer, God had cursed its part, As he built a Heaven for the noble heart; He who keeps His mandates, to His truth will cling, Him my voice will honor and glory sing. Karol Kuzmany's "Kto za pravdu hori" translated in 1943 by George A. Ga Ii k, in collaboration with his sister, Cecilia G. Kennedy.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Paean to Integrity (Kto za pravdu horí) Description An account of the resource Karol Kuzmány trans. George A. Galik Slovakia, Vol. 22 (No. 45), 1972 p. 4 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kuzmány, Karol, 1806-1866 Galik, George A. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1972 LCNAF name https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/f9288cf8d18ff709ac08247a75df8ed5.pdf 51bd81874bd9e51112561089d782b497 PDF Text Text SLOVAKlA 3 Dr. Tiso's Last Message to the Slovak People ( Two hours before he died on the gallows, Dr. Joseph Tiso, wartime P resident of the Slovak Republic, wrote the following last message to the Slovak people in Bratislava prison.) In the spirit of this sacrifice which I am about to make, these are my words to the Slovak people: Be unanimous and united in pursuing always, everywhere and in every respect the great principle: "FOR GOD AND FOR THE NATION!" This is not only the unequivocal intent of Slovak history, but also the explicit command of God, who made it the law of nature, and inculcated it in the nation and all its members. This law I have served all my life. And for this r eason I regard myself as a martyr in the defense of Christianity against Bolshevism, against which our nation must in all possible ways defend itself, and only in order to remain true to its Christian character, but also in the interest of its future survival. In the same way as I am asking all of you to remember me in your prayers, so will I also pray to God Almighty on your behalf and supplicate that He bless the Slovak people in their life-struggle for God and for the nation, and that the Slovak nation shall always remain a faithful and devoted son to the Church of Christ. Bratislava. April 18, 1947, 3 o'clock a. m. Dr. Joseph Ti s o � SLOVAKlA 3 Dr. Tiso's Last Message to the Slovak People ( Two hours before he died on the gallows, Dr. Joseph Tiso, wartime P resident of the Slovak Republic, wrote the following last message to the Slovak people in Bratislava prison.) In the spirit of this sacrifice which I am about to make, these are my words to the Slovak people: Be unanimous and united in pursuing always, everywhere and in every respect the great principle: "FOR GOD AND FOR THE NATION!" This is not only the unequivocal intent of Slovak history, but also the explicit command of God, who made it the law of nature, and inculcated it in the nation and all its members. This law I have served all my life. And for this r eason I regard myself as a martyr in the defense of Christianity against Bolshevism, against which our nation must in all possible ways defend itself, and only in order to remain true to its Christian character, but also in the interest of its future survival. In the same way as I am asking all of you to remember me in your prayers, so will I also pray to God Almighty on your behalf and supplicate that He bless the Slovak people in their life-struggle for God and for the nation, and that the Slovak nation shall always remain a faithful and devoted son to the Church of Christ. Bratislava. April 18, 1947, 3 o'clock a. m. Dr. Joseph Ti s o � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1972, Vol. 22 Description An account of the resource Vol. 22 (No. 45), 1972. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1972 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document SLOVAKlA 3 Dr. Tiso's Last Message to the Slovak People ( Two hours before he died on the gallows, Dr. Joseph Tiso, wartime P resident of the Slovak Republic, wrote the following last message to the Slovak people in Bratislava prison.) In the spirit of this sacrifice which I am about to make, these are my words to the Slovak people: Be unanimous and united in pursuing always, everywhere and in every respect the great principle: "FOR GOD AND FOR THE NATION!" This is not only the unequivocal intent of Slovak history, but also the explicit command of God, who made it the law of nature, and inculcated it in the nation and all its members. This law I have served all my life. And for this r eason I regard myself as a martyr in the defense of Christianity against Bolshevism, against which our nation must in all possible ways defend itself, and only in order to remain true to its Christian character, but also in the interest of its future survival. In the same way as I am asking all of you to remember me in your prayers, so will I also pray to God Almighty on your behalf and supplicate that He bless the Slovak people in their life-struggle for God and for the nation, and that the Slovak nation shall always remain a faithful and devoted son to the Church of Christ. Bratislava. April 18, 1947, 3 o'clock a. m. Dr. Joseph Ti s o  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Dr. Tiso's Last Message to the Slovak People Description An account of the resource Dr. Joseph Tiso Slovakia, Vol. 22 (No. 45), 1972 p. 3 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tiso, Jozef, 1887-1947 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1972 LCNAF https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/de3e24b2737590f66339f43803fa0a29.pdf 474a49aa5b7f00c90fb8c8693d9692e6 PDF Text Text �SLOVAKIA VOLUME XXII • 1972 • NO. 45 Editor JOSEPH PAUCO, Ph.D. Published by THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA 313 Ridge Avenue • Middletown, Pennsylvania 17057 �Printed by JEDNOTA PRINTERY, Middletown, Pennsylvania, U. S. A. � �SLOVAKIA VOLUME XXII • 1972 • NO. 45 Editor JOSEPH PAUCO, Ph.D. Published by THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA 313 Ridge Avenue • Middletown, Pennsylvania 17057 �Printed by JEDNOTA PRINTERY, Middletown, Pennsylvania, U. S. A. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1972, Vol. 22 Description An account of the resource Vol. 22 (No. 45), 1972. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1972 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document SLOVAKIA VOLUME XXII • 1972 • NO. 45 Editor JOSEPH PAUCO, Ph.D. Published by THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA 313 Ridge Avenue • Middletown, Pennsylvania 17057 Printed by JEDNOTA PRINTERY, Middletown, Pennsylvania, U. S. A.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Front Matter, Slovakia, Vol. 22 (No. 45) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1972 https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/2daa090993cdcff74a9d21ad738d28f2.pdf dd5d44121cea5e5b0e6ebf2df13625de PDF Text Text 158 SLOVAKIA CURRENT ISSUES ·Proclamation Adopted by Sf oval< League of America CHICAGO, ILL. - MAY 27, 1972 Assembled in the Congress, the delegates to the 43rd Biennial Congress of the Slovak League of America, unanimously adopt this resolution: 1. The Slovak League of America will continue with all its energies to support, to advance and to spread the doctrine of self determination and freedom for all nations, as these are principles espoused by our own United States of America. 2. The Slovak League of America will continue with its cultural and civic programs, by means of its scholarships and other undertakings. Thus, we will better inform the free world, especially here in our own country, of the centuries-old aspirations and rights of Slovak nation. We feel these rights will be best enjoyed in some type of European federation or union in which the citizens of a free and independent Slovakia will decide their own destiny. 3. In furtherance of the above goals, the Slovak League of America will continue to work closely with all Slovak organizations, publications and institutions everywhere; thereby giving moral, financial and practical support to the aspirations of more than three million Slovaks torn away from their native soil, as well as to the downtrodden brethren in subjugated Slovakia. 4. As one of the founders of the Slovak World Congress, the Slovak League of America endorses the program of the Slovak World Congress and make available to it all its powers and resources. �SLOVAKIA 159 5. The Slovak League of America makes special request to all Slovak groups to appeal to the Slovak youthfor they are our future-without them the Slovak cause, especially here in the United States of America, will not long endure. 6. Finally, we solicit the continued sacrifices and dedication of all Slovak-Americans and American-Slovaks, fortunate enough to enjoy the freedom and privileges of our great Country, so that in our hopes for peace to men of goodvill, our subjugated brethren, may in God's good time likewise enjoy such freedoms. THE SWVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA Edward J. B eh u n c i k, President Joseph Pa u co, Secretary MEMORANDUM of the Slovak Catholic Mission in Australia Director-General UNESCO Place De Fontenoy Paris vrre France Dear Sir: The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has proclaimed the year 1972 as "International Book Year". This is a worthy undertaking and deserves every good success, but it is to be regretted that not all of mankind is in a position to freely participate in it. \ rticle IX of the Charter of the Book states: "The free flow of books between countries is an essential supplement to national supplies and promotes international understanding." �168 SLOVAKIA Contrary to this statement and the current year program of UNESCO is the practice of the Government of the Czecho-Slovak Socialistic Republic and the Governments of other countries under Communist rule and culturally dominated by Moscow. These countries discriminate in the exchange of books and printed matter in general. While the free world is flooded with propaganda and literature issued by the Soviet Block countries, there is great discrimination in the Communist countries against literature published in the free world, and into CzechoSlovakia the entry of religious and the like books is actually prohibited. This is being done in spite of the fact that Communist Block countries are members of the United Nation organization and are signitories of the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The purpose of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization according to its constitution is "To contribute to peace and security by promoting collaboration among the nations through education, science and culture in order to further universal respect for justice, for the rule of law and for the human rights and fundamental freedoms which are affirmed for the peoples of the world, without distinction of race, sex, language or religion, by the Charter of the United Nations." The Slovak Nation, one of many enslaved by Communism, has a high regard for this noble objective of UNESCO but is prevented in carrying out its part in it. The purpose of this memorandum is to draw your attention to the plight in which the Slovak Nation has been placed by no fault of its own, and also to point out that the action required to remedy the ills of the systems dominating the life of Slovaks under Moscow supremacy is long overdue. The Slovak Nation is the oldest Christian Nation in Central Europe. Its country is Slovakia with a population of 4,542,098. This Nation is not in a position to exercise the rights as enumerated for every human being by the United Nations. At the time when the most fundamental freedoms of �SLOVAKIA 161 mankind were announced by the United Nations, the Slovak Nation was stripped of them by the power of Moscow which marked the end of the Slovak Independent Republic, .and Slovakia was forcibly joined with Bohemia and Moravia in the Czecho-Slovak Socialistic Republic. By this arbitrary act the Slovak Nation was in 1945 deprived of the principle of self-determination affirmed by the Charter of the United Nations. Chapter I, article 1, paragraph 2 reads: (The purposes of the United Nations are) "To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and selfdetermination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace." The Slovak Nation is not free to choose its form of government and is ruled by the totalitarian system under the banner of international Communism. Consequently with regard to the objectives of UNESCO the Slovak Nation is not in a position to develop itself according to its Christian character and thus it is not free either to contribute to the cultural wealth of the human family or to enjoy its benefits. UNESCO holds that for the promotion of its activities, three of the rights, enumerated in the Universal Declaration are of outstanding importance: 1. "The right to education ( article 26) 2. "The right of culture (article 27) 3. "The right to freedom of information (article 19)". The Slovak Nation does not enjoy freedom to claim and exercise any of these rights. 1. Paragraph 2, of article 26 reads: "Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace." �162 SLOVAKIA Human personality can be fully developed when an individual enjoys the most fundamental freedoms such as: freedom freedom freedom freedom of speech, of belief, from fear, from want. The Slovak Nation enjoys none of these. The whole educational system in Slovakia is saturated with Marxism, which is contrary to the Christian character of the Slovak Nation. The promoting of tolerance is unknown to Communism which is disseminating hatred and it is disrupting unity on all levels of life. For Communism "peace" means the domination of private and public life according to the teaching of Marxism. According to paragraph 3 of article 26, "Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children." The Slovak parents are denied this right for in Slovakia there is only the Communist system of education. In 1945 Slovakia had 1887 Catholic schools. All of them were confiscated by Communists and the children of Catholic parents (also other religions) were indoctrinated in Marxism. 2. Article 27, paragraph 1, reads: "Everyone has the right freely participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and it..s benefits." In Slovakia culture, arts, science have been made servants of Communism and they have no value unless they are guided by principles of Marxism and unless they are designed for the promotion of Communism. 3. According Article 19: "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." �163 SLOVAKIA In Slovakia there is no freedom of opinion and expression. These have to be in conformity with Marxism. Ideas and opinions are usually communicated by books, newspapers, radio, television and public addresses. But in Slovakia, these medias are Communist controlled and are designed to promote militant atheism. What has been said about the situation in Slovakia, applies also to a lesser or greater degree to other countries under Communist rule, and while Communist propaganda and literature is freely distributed in the countries of the Western Democracies, the frontiers of the countries under Communist domination are virtually sealted to the printed word from the West. This especially applies to articles of a religious nature. This state of affairs is contrary to the spirit of the United Nations and is alien to the objectives of UNESCO. Its toleration would only strengthen the hand of international Communism and encourage all actual or potential dictators in their drive to enslave the rights and freedom of mankind. Having this in mind, we respectfully request that: a) You bring the plight of the Slovak Nation to the attention of the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization, b) the dignity of Slovaks be fully restored, so that the Slovak Nation can take an honorable place in the family of free Nations according to the spirit of the United Nations and aims of UNESCO. We trust that you will assist us in our request that justice be done to the Slovak Nation and so fulfill the principles of the United Nations and aims of UNESCO. Yours respectfully, Rev. Jan Krasnansky, s. V.D. Chaplain to the Slovak Community in Sydney Jan Secansky Sydney, August 1972 Delegate to the Religious Section of the Slovak World Congress �164 SLOVAKIA Ethnic Studies at C.C.N.Y. and the First Course on the Slavic American Heritage The City College of the City University of New York has long taken pride both in the achievements of its students and in the leading role it has played in recognizing and adapting to new ethnic and cultural developments in New York's multi-cultural and multi-national community. For many years C.C.N.Y. has ranked with Harvard and the University of California at Berkeley in the number of its graduates who go on for doctorates. This year The City College again took a leadership role by initiating the nation's first college level course on the Slavic American Heritage. Different ethnic groups at City College have long struggled for recognition and have broadened the college's involvement in the community by pressing for the establishment of new programs and courses more "relevant" to their ethnic backgrounds. In response to the students' demands at C.C.N.Y. in 1969, New York's Board of Higher Education authorized The City College to establish a Department of Urban and Ethnic Studies (UES) which would engage in both instruction and research. This department assists students in preparing for new careers in community leadership, public service, education, and work with voluntary agencies in urban areas. In September of 1969 the new Department of Urban and Ethnic Studies opened its doors with 183 students enrolled in two courses in Afro-American and Puerto Rican Studies. The following semester courses in urban and community affairs were added. During the second year the curriculum was expanded to include the beginnings of Chinese-American and Carribean Studies. From the beginning the Department of Urban and Ethnic Studies exhibited striking vitality and growth. The number of courses given by the Department rose from two (in the fall of 1969) to thirteen (in the spring of 1970) and then to twenty-three (in the spring of 1971). From �SLOVAKIA 165 seven sections in the first semester it grew to forty-two in the spring of 1971, while student enrollment rose from 183 to about 1400. By Fall 1971, UES had been divided into three separate departments: Black Studies, Puerto Rican Studies, and Asian Studies. At the same time a separate department of Jewish Studies had been created. It became administration policy that an ethnic studies department could be established only if the particular ethnic group consisted of at least 5 percent of the student population at C.C.N.Y. Only the four ethnic groups listed above contributed this much. Others would have to be satisfied with basic courses only. At present, City College's four ethnic studies departments offer a total of over 120 courses; these are attended by more than 2300 students. Courses cover such varied subjects as "Asian Women", "Black Folklore", "Community Power Analysis and Research", "Political Modernization in Black America", "The Contemporary Puerto Rican Family", "Jewish Identity", "Jewish American Community", "Ethnic Leaders", "Field Work Experience in a Bilingual Environment", and "Creative Research in Urban and Ethnic Studies". Although hundreds of Slavic-American students attend The City College, they do not constitute 5 percent of the student body. Nonetheless many of them are eager to explore their ethnic heritage within the context of college study. America's Slavic-speaking population constitutes one of the most significant "white minority" groups in the country. Today, when all minority groups are trying to assert their contribution to the nation's growth, very little has been done to explore this group's history, culture, social problems and its struggle to maintain its identity in the United States. Systematic study of Slavic-Americans and their heritage is long overdue. There is a strong feeling of ethnic awareness among some members of the younger generation, there are also strong indications that the melting pot conception can not be maintained any longer and that America is beginning to recognize and appreciate the diversity of its ethnic elements in terms of a new cultural pluralism . .As Prof. Michael Novak puts it in his new book, The Rise of the Unmeltable Ethnics, "It is time for a new cultural pluralism �166 SLOVAKIA and a politics that requires this new cultural pluralism -one that draws from resources other than Anglo-Saxon history and values." The first course (being offered at City College), called Slavic American Heritage, is listed among the College's core requirements and is open to all interested students. The course is presented by Prof. Peter Goy and is being attended by 19 students. It is a survey of Slavic American Heritage. It attempts to explore the history of Slavic Americans. The course encompasses all Slavic-speaking groups in the country (Belorussian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Polish, Russian, Serbian, Slovenian, Slovak and Ukrainian, to mention a few) and includes a brief history of Slavs in the U.S.A. from the early XVII century to the present. It stresses their struggle for survival in the New World while emphasizing the participation of Slavs in American life and the role they have played in U.S. History. It expands upon current problems of identity and assimilation facing the younger generation. It takes into scope the Slavic historical background, characteristics of the Slavic population, economic conditions, religious conditions, education and contemporary literatures of the different ethnic groups. One of the aspects of this course is original research and analysis made by the students on various aspects of our contemporary Slavic groups, such as: Polish Ethnic Press, Ukrainian Scientific Institutions, Contemporary Ethnic Leaders, Czech Community in New York, Contemporary Slovak Women in America, Rhuthenians in U.S.A., Youth Organizations and the Impact of Assimilation on SelfIdentity, Bicultural Conflict and Synthesis, etc. In order to facilitate and further the original research of the students and faculty, a collection of a Slavic Contemporary ethnic archive and library materials is essential. Therefore, we would appreciate a donation of materials such as books, pamphlets, periodicals, newspapers, leaflets, films, etc, from all Slavic ethnic groups (Belorussian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Polish, Russian, Serbian, Slovenian, Slovak, Ukrainian and others) in the United States, a~ well as their organizations and patriotic individuals. We strongly believe that in the near future other colleges and universities, specifically those located in large �SLOVAKIA 167 Slavic communities such as Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, Buffalo, etc., will accommodate their Slavic residents and open the door to the vast richness, resourcefulness and abundance of Slavic American Heritage. Professor P. G o y 201 Goethals Hall The City College of the University of New York New York, N. Y. 10031 What Did the Slovak Communists Want in 1968? Dr. John M. Kochik (A translation from the Slovak of Viktor Pavlenda's co chcu Slovdci published in Svet socializmu, No. 32, August 6, 1968 by Obzor Publishers, Bratislava.) "In January the movement was initiated for a democratic Czech and Slovak socialism which would be economically more dynamic, socially more just, ideologically more progressive, comprehensively more human,-making it more attractive than any existing socio-economic system. The movement for this type of socialism is fast developing across the country which two peoples and nationalities inhabit. From the very essence of this movement proceeds its most basically inherent feature, namely, the very democratization of the relationship between the two peoples, between them and the nationalities living among them, and between the nationalities living side-byside. However, should this essential element be disregarded the movement would become pseudodemocratic, despite the fact that one sector of society has been the ruling nation until now and is reputedly the most democratic. Therefore, the Slovaks have the complete right to formulate their national claims, while the Czechs have the moral responsibility of seriously considering and democratically accepting them in the new democratic atmosphere of thought and action. �168 SLOVAKIA What is the Basis of Our National Movement as a Natural Ri ght,-A Right Suppressed and Ignored in the Past? 1. A half-century should suffice for an elder brother to recognize the younger as thoroughly related, not adopted, without a stepmother, but having his same very own Czecho-Slovakian homeland. There could be no more fitting occasion to acknowledge this self-same truth than the fiftieth October-anniversary of governing together. 2. In its current history "something" always went wrong in the real autonomy of the Slovak nation. First, a word only about autonomy, later about all the remaining issues. We regard as our most natural and sacred rights the proclamation and recognition of the actual, genuine self-rule of our people. This presupposes the elimination, not only in words but in actual fact, of the present humiliating- position of Slovakia, and the providing of it with an equal opportunity of realization in all aspects of social life. 3. The road to a new, just solution of the relationships between our peoples should proceed through a politicaleconomic Czecho-Slovakian federation: an economicallyrational and nationally-just federation. Thus, we desire neither that kind of federation which would crush the Republic through a rigid control of the greater over the lesser, nor such as would shatter the Republic by indecisive free choice, one yelling 'To the left!', the other 'To the right!'. 4. The Czecho-Slovak federation should systematically transfer the inclusive spirit of the democratizing process as such into the living conditions of both nations and into the relationship between them. That means that, taken objectively, henceforth it would insure more intensively the acceleration of the process of raising the quality of conditions in realizing the Czech and Slovak labor potential both on the job as well as in life. But, simultaneously-and this indeed holds true for socialist society-it must accelerate the process of making conditions of realization of the national labor forces approach each other, and of further equalizing the comparatively large discrepancies in economic and living standards between Slovakia and the Czech regions . In these processes-the quality of conditions of utilizing the citizen as such and the relatively-equal utiliza- �SLOVAKIA 169 tion of both peoples-we realize the sense o! an economically-rational and a nationally-just federation. 5. It is completely natural (especially from the experiences of their former development) that nowadays the Slovaks are not satisfied with promises nor with a referral to the good intentions of another even though be is one's very own brother, but they require the systematic guarantee of inclusive national autonomy in a federation. We visualize the starting-point as in a nationally-just pyramid of authoritative governmental bodies; national governmental bodies with original authority-federal governmental bodies with derived competency agreed upon by the national governmental bodies. 6. We wish to establish a federation and the functioning of federal governmental bodies upon three principles: economy, flexibility and effectiveness, and national justice. The realization of these principles are demanded so that federal governmental bodies would be numerically minimal with a small apparatus. We demand the nationallyjust activity of federal governmental bodies in: the prohibition of majority-rule in legislative acts, the equal structuring of the administration and applicable solutions (that is, the prohibition of majority-rule, parity, agreements) in the federal executive governmental bodies. We implore the second, Czech, party, that is the Czech citizen:-consider this matter in silence, without prejudice, and give an answer six times! It is not an expression most completely natural that from these six basic principles the Slovaks proceed, placing one bother on an equal footing with the other brother? Or, does someone wish to shout us down repeatedly with the renewed expression: "Co vlastne ti Slovdci chteji?" (In the original Slovak text this question is given in the Czech language and meaning "What do those Slovaks actually want?", note that this question relates to the title and theme of the article.-Translator's comment.) I will not cease being an optimist. I still believe that the answer of our Czech brother will be non-Antonine (A passible reference to Antonin Novotny, First Party Secretary and the President of the Republic, his regime, policies and character.-Translator's comment), different in substance from its present usage, and that it will be worthy to the development of the Czech people." �170 SLOVAKIA AS OTHERS SEE IT The Church in Czecho-Slovakia been forced into early retirement is very weak, but it will continue to make them scarcer. Yet, strange as it may sound, the to survive. There are 14 dioceses, but only two bishops. The govern- government is not suppressing rement will not permit any more to ligion altogether. Firstly, it is be consecrated, so 12 of the 14 afraid to do so. Secondly, the Comdioceses must function with a munist Party is split on the issue priest who serves as vicar for the of how much to suppress religion. diocese. The vicars are chosen Some argue that it must be persecuted as fiercely as it is in Red largely by the state. No Catholic schools are permit- China. Others say that if it is kept ted in Czecho-Slovakia, though two weak, it will gradually die out as seminaries are still functioning, Communism takes over. A third one for Czechs and one for Slovaks. point: Communist leaders for the There are about 150 in the Czech most part are becoming increasingseminary, not many for 10 million ly pragmatic. They persecute religion only in Czechs, most of whom are Catholic. There are about 200 seminarians a ritualistic way, paying lip service in the seminary for Slovaks, in to Communist ideology. They persecute it mostly inasmuch as it Bratislava. About 3,500 priests are active. constitutes a force outside of the Another 500 must work as laymen, total power structure they have since the government does not re- allocated to themselves. Absolute cognize them as priests. Approxi- dictators have always tried to permately 35 priests are ordained each secute religion and weaken it to year. Worst of all, most of the the point where it has no power, nuns have recently been confined unless they have the power in their to work as staff in mental institu- hands. The police are not much in evition. Had we a Catholic Anti-Defamation League in the United dence in Czecho-Slovakia. Nor are States, we could bring enough there Russian soldiers on the street. pressure to bear to stop such but everyone knows there are 80,000 Soviet troops stationed just abuses. Remember how Stalin used to 30 miles away. Everyone rememcall it "changing the guard" when bers how Moscow sent in 650,000 he had a purge of Party officials? troops in a great hurry four years It still goes on. Three hundred ago, to crush the "human face" thousand members of the Commu- type of Communism Alexander nist Party have been purged in Dubcek had tried to introduce. One of the first buildings I saw Czecho-Slovakia in the past four years. Forty per cent of the writers in Prague was a training school have been forced out of their pro- for future members of the Party. fession. Fifty thousand union mem- It is the Party members and they bers were purged. The remaining alone who get all the good jobs writers stick to the Communist and who run every facet of governline, attacking the clergy as "fas- ment. Membership is limited to cists" and "Nazi." A large percent- those the Party invites, such as age of the monasteries have been sons or friends of Party members, closed recently, and priests have or those who do not practice their �SLOVAKIA religion and for other reasons appeal to the ruling class. Only Party members can be candidates in a system where to be nominated by the Party is a guarantee of "election." Only Party members can hold trusted position. Only they have all the power. Communists argue that if the whole world were Communist, there would be no wars. But Czecho-Slovakia is a direct refutation of that theory. The country was brutally invaded in 1968 when it tried to humanize its type of Communism. Nor is it true that Communism lessens crime. Any visitor to Czecho-Slovakia sees prostitutes walking the main streets at night. Cars are often stripped or stolen. Drugs are not a problem, though they are in Moscow. Alcohol, which we often fail to think of as a drug, is a huge problem in all those countries. Stealing stocks and bonds is not a problem. But stealing from the state is on a much greater scale than anything we can imagine. "The whole system," I was told repeatedly, "is built on stealing."-Father Dan Lyons. Twin Circle, November 10, 1972. VIENNA (AP) - Travel fo a Westerner may be occassionally troublesome, but this is nothing compared to the battle with red tape an East European traveler encounters, if he just goes from one Communist country to another. The Slovak Assn. of Journalists recently issued what it called "a recipe for avoiding difficulties with passport and customs control" which lists so many things to do that it might in fact discourage anybody from making the trip in the first place. The association's biweekly publication, listed the regulations applying in the various East Europe- 171 an countries, which in the case of the Soviet Union alone covered 21 lines. The hard-core measures are nearly the same in every East European country. Each wants to know who crosses the border, watches that not too much of its national currency is taken out, nor rare consumer goods which the East European countries prefer to sell in the West for hard currency. Red tape starts at home. Slovaks have to file customs and foreign currency declarations; in some cases they must also have exit permits. Anyone intending to take a gift exceeding $20 along must obtain permission. Anyone wanting to visit the Soviet Union or Poland must have a visa. Joining a tour of a state travel agency makes this relatively simple. But anyone who wants to visit privately must have an invitation authenticated by a Soviet militia.-Werner Olimann WAKE FOREST, N. C. (NC)Ethnic Americans are "neither angels nor devils" but an unusual combination of political liberals and old fashioned patriots, according to Father Andrew Greeley. The ethnic "believes that progress is possible and that change is desirable," Father Greeley told a conference here on Civil Religion in America. "If he is less likely now than he was 20 years ago to describe himself as a liberal, the reason is not that he is any less committed to change or any less sympathetic with the oppressed but simply that he has much less confidence in American liberalism now." The ethnics, Father Greeley said, "like the United States of America. The flag, the 'Star Spangled Banner,' the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the �172 SLOVAKIA Capitol building, the office of the presidency-all of these are admired symbols which together sum up the gratitude the ethnic feels for what the United States has made possible for him: freedom, dignity, comfort, security-things which his ancestors in the countries from which they fled or were driven would not have dreamt possible." Father Greeley, director of the University of Chicago's Center for the study of American Pluralism, said that members of ethnic groups are "less likely" than other Americans to favor the Vietnam war and, despite a tradition of anti-communism, they do not object to reapproachment with China or the Soviet Union." Members of ethnic groups, descendants of the most recent waves of European immigrants, have not been in America "long enough or achieved that level of security where it becomes easy to hate and despite the United States," the priest-sociologist said. "An appeal to the conscience of the ethnic against war and against injustice that is based on American patriotism has much better chance of being effective than one based on denunciation of America as a sick society, burning American flags, and ridiculing American institutions," Father Greeley said. Ethnics want to eliminate "hunger, misery, poverty, bad housing, bad education, and every other sort of social ill wherever is can be found in America," he said. "They supported the New Deal social reforms and have continued to vote for liberal congressional candidates who have extended and enlarged the New Deal." At the same time, Father Greeley said, ethnics place "a strong emphasis on the freedom and dignity of the individual person. A person should not be messed with or hassled by large bureaucratic agencies, be they governmental, labor, business, or ecclesiastical." Father Greeley spoke at a conference sponsored by the ~outhwestern Baptist Theological Seminary here and the American Jewish Committee. PITISBURGH-Tbey aren't the Same Old Steelers anymore. Just ask Gerela's Gorillas, Franco's Italian Army or the newly formed Dobra Shunka fan club. All those have been spawned by the success of the Pittsburgh Steelers, making a strong bid for the first division title in their 40-year pro football history. Gerela\s GO!fillas favor placekicker Roy Gerela, and rookie running sensation Franco Harris is the honorary commander of Franco's Italian Army. But what about Dobra Shunka? "That's Slovak for 'Great Ham,' " says Steeler linebacker Jack Ham, whose ancestors were European. "They're a great bunch of guys," Ham added. "Most of them live over in Port Vue, same as Gerela's Gorillas. You can't beat enthusiasm like that." Ham knows first hand the degree of Steeler mania. He's probably the only pro football player ever to get an ovation during a church sermon. "It happened at evening Mass the Sunday we beat Kansas City," recalls Ham, who attends St. Bernard's Roman Catholic Church in suburban Dormont. The monsignor was sermonizing on parish matters when suddenly he decided to switch topics and proclaimed from the pulpit, "How about those Steelers!" During the ensuing praise, he asked if Steeler vice President Dan �SLOVAKIA Roomey, a member of the parish, was in attendance. Rooney wasn't but Ham was and one of the faithful stood up and introduced him as "Jack Ham-the Steelers great linebacker. " 173 "It was really something," recalls Ham. "They gave me a big ovation just like we were out at the stadium, I even stayed after Mass and signed autographs."( Associated Press) Astronaut Gene Cernan is of Slovak origin. His grandfather migrated to the U.S.A. from Vysoka, Kysuce region, Slovakia �174 SLOVAKIA BOOK REVIEWS BOOKS ON SLOVAKIA Reviewed by J.M. Kirschbaum The Czechoslovak Reform Move- of view. It also put into proper ment by Galla Golan, Cambridge, perspective the economic as well at the University Press, 1971, as political and national reasons for which young Slovak intellectuBibl., 334 pages. Among the dozens of books on als, all of them staunch supporters the de-Stalinization and liberation of the Communist Party, began to movement in Czecho-Slovakia, the rebel against the Stalinist system. present book by Galia Golan, Lec- There is no doubt that economic turer in Political Science and Rus- as well as political disparity betsian Studies at the Hebrew Univer- ween Slovakia and the Czech lands sity in Jerusalem, is one of the became intolerable even to Slovak most objective and best research- Communists. The spark for the ed works. Whereas many authors moment came, however, from the of books on the reform movement writers and intellectuals who cravin Czecho-Slovakia viewed the situ- ed for more freedom and could not ation from Prague and dealt with tolerate the injustice committed on the events mostly on the basis of so-called Slovak "bourgeois nationCzech sources (see our reviews in alists" who were freed from prisSlovakia for 1970 and 1971, and in ons, but not rehabilitated. The Slavica Canadiana A. D.1970), the Czech intellectuals joined the present book does not suffer from movement three or four years any anti-Slovak bias. The author later, in 1967 and 1968, and gave objectively analyzed the beginnings it the weight which paved the way of the reform movement from 1963 for the events of 1968. Unfortuto 1968, and recognized the role nately, it would appear that they which was played by Slovak writ- not only helped the movement to ers, journalists and politicians. As get momentum, but also pushed it a result, the picture is quite dif- to the extreme and in the end gave ferent from many other books on the Soviets a prete~t for the inthe subject. Because except for vasion. the books by Skilling, Shawcross, The book is an excellent survey Fejto, Lungi and Ello, the reform of the whole period from 1963 to movement in Czecho-Slovakia and 1968. It is divided into six chapespecially its last phase, was a- ters. In its Introduction the book scribed by Western observers and surveys the years 1956-1962 and analysts to Czech intellectuals and then it analyzes the revolt of the several books were published under intellectuals, the economic reforms, the title: The Prague Spring. In reforms in the social cultural some instances, even Dubcek's .role spheres, political reforms, the ewas played down and other Slovaks vents of 1967 and 1968. The author wei"e omitted or ignored. paid special attention to Slovaks Galla Golan's book is, however, in the second chapter, as well as obje<:tive not only from this point in Chapters V and VI. In one chap- �SLOVAKIA ter the author analyzes specially the "pressures from the Slovaks and the youth." In the chapter on economic reforms, the book gives credit to the efforts of Dr. Eugen Loebl and to his plan for reforming the bankrupt economy. Other Slovak reformers, either in economic fields or in the political structure of Czecho-Slovakia are equally mentioned and so are Slovak periodicals, especially Kulturny Zivot and Slovenske Pohl'ady. Galia Golan seems to understand much better than other specialists in Eastern Europe the basic issues which separate Slovaks and Czechs and which dramatically came to the surface during the years 19631968. Trying to present an objective picture of the whole situation she avoided simplifications and, therefore, her book will remain as one of the best researched and scholarly written analysis of the attempts by Slovaks and Czechs to give Communism a human face. Wolfgang Venohr: Aufstand fii,r die Tschecho-Slowakei (Uprising for Czecho-Slovakia), Christian Wegner Verlag, Hamburg, 1969, bibl., ill., doc., 372 p. The War period of the Slovak history has been avoided for a long time in German historiography. Many more books were published in English than in the German language. When finally books on Slovakia appeared in Germany, they were written by historians coming not from Germany but from other Eastern European countries (Ludwig von Gogolak, Jorg K. Hoensch, Almar Reitzner) and the backgrounds of the authors influenced their attitudes and interpretation of the dramatic period of modern Slovak history. The book under review is the first one by a Western writer on the uprising which occured in Slo- 175 vakia in the Fall of 1944 and was presented until now only by memoirs or books written by the Communist participants, except for one volume of documents edited by V. Precan. Venohr's book does not agree completely with the Communist interpretation and sheds a new light on the bloody and controversial rebellion which was at least three times re-interpreted by the Communists themselves. There is no note on the author of the book and of his credentials. The work is comprehensive and refers not only to many printed sources but also to personal interviews with the Communist participants and officers of the Slovak army involved in the uprising. Interviews with non-Communist participants, even though some of them live in Germany, are missing. In view of the fact that the non-Communist organizers and participants of the uprising did not publish uptil now their version of the political aims and of the part played by the Slovak army or non-Communist population, Venohr's book fills an important gap. It is, however, very hard to say how far his interpretation is free of any bias, in spite of the fact that he states in his epilogue that he tried to avoid an ideological approach. As he says, the aim of his book was to "help the Slovaks to gain their international respect and develop brotherly relations built on equality of rights with the Czechs." At the same time the book should "serve to create a better understanding between Germany and Czecho-Slovakia." Venohr's presentation of the Slovak Republic and his survey of Slovak history would indicate that he endeavored to look at Slovaks without the usual bias which we can find in some Western and �17~ SLOVAKIA Communist history books. Throughout the book, there is an effort to avoid the negative attitude towards the Slovak struggle for independence. There is no a priori denial of bonafide actions and goodwill on the part of the Slovak politicians and in one instance the author even states that from the scientific point of view nobody can seriously speak about Fascism in Slovakia (p. 30). Nevertheless, on many pages of the book he uses the term "Klerikal Faschismus" ( clerofascism) coined by the Communists. Venohr accepted as valid the statement by President Dr. Tiso that the existence of the Slovak Republic will be of great importance for the future generations, but in his view the uprising is even of greater importance for historical claims of Slovak national identity. This is, of course, a debatable view but it sums up Venohr's attitude towards the uprising. From this premise, the author approached all the events and persons involved in the history of Slovakia from 1938 to 1945. The volume is composed of two parts. In the first part he writes about the independent Slovakia, the Slovak army until 1943, about the political opposition; the unwanted partizan war; the military conspiracy; the memorandum by General Catlo§ and the mission to Moscow by Smidke. The second part is entitled: "Occupation and Uprising." It contains six chapters in which the author speaks about military events of the uprising from the time Germany sent two divisions to fight the Soviet partizans. Their arrival, however, triggered off the uprising of the Slovak army units and led to events of historical importance. Venohr describes the battles in various parts of Slovakia with the Slovak army which was preparing an uprising against Germans independently of ,t he Soviet partizans, as well as the political aims of the whole uprising. It is mainly in this part of the book where the author differs from the Communist historiographers but it is to be regretted that he did not confront statements of the people with whom he had interviews with the writings and opinions of the nonCommunist participants who live in the West. He also failed to mention that the Communists originally aimed at establishing a Slovak Soviet Republic and not Czecho-Slovakia. In spite of this, Venohr's description and evaluation of the events seems to be much more objective and closer to the historical truth than the one-sided interpretation published in today's Slovakia by Communist writers, or by some Western historians who adopted the Czech or the Communist interpretation. His stress on the divergence of views between the Communists and military leadership on one side and the Bene§ Government on the other sheds a new light on the uprising whose final history is still to be written. The memorandum and the attempts by the Minister of National Defense of the Slovak Republic, General F. Catlo§, to come to an agreement with Moscow to save Slovakia of occupation is another important revelation in the book, since it has not been taken into consideration by Western historians. A number of documents attached to the book also enhance its value. However, in spite of Venohr's endeavor to be objective towards the leaders of the Slovak Republic, there are, of course, still some inaccuracies in his book which could have been corrected if the author �SLOVAKIA had interviewed the emigre Slovak historians or political leaders. His survey of Slovak history also suffers accepting the Czech rather than the Slovak interpretation of the Slovak past. There is no doubt that Slovakia suffered a sort of social decapitation and lost their leading classes to Hungarian assimilation and policy. There was, however, Slovak national consciousness a long time before Stt'.ir's period and we can safely say that Slovak national renaissance started in the 17th century and the Bernolak group, which is not even mentioned by Venohr, deserves credit for the national awakening of the Slovak people. Economically, Slovakia also presented a different picture. Even with these shortcomings Venohr's book is, however, much closer to the historical facts and objective interpretation of the War period in Slovak history than . any other work published in the West, exept for books written by Slovak exiled historians who defe nd the right of the Slovak people to self determination and independence. vm and IX. · Historica 5-6, Slovak Institute, Cleveland-Rome, 1969, pp. 216 and 231, bibl., ill. Slovak Studies, Volume The recent volumes of Slovak Studies are an additional contribution to the research into. the Slovak history in ,t he English language. In comparison with the previous volµmes, the contributors are mostly from the younger generation and several of them from among Slovak intellectuals educa.ted at American universities. For this reason, both volumes also contain essays on American Slovaks. In view of the fact that there is no history book on the achievements and contribution of American Slovaks to Slovak national develop- 177 ment, these contributions are of particular value. The first volume contain four contributions: "The Role of American Slovaks in the Creation of Czecho-Slovakia, 1914-1918," by M. M. Stolarik; a study "Education in Slovakia" by M. I. Angelovic SS.C.M.; "The Quadrennial Reports of the Bishops of Nitra to Rome," by E. Bouydosh; and "A Short Survey of the Eastern Catholic Churches," by Prof. M. Lacko, S.J. To the second volume contributed Msgr. J . Rekem "Selected Chapters from the Slovak Cultural History"; F. Vnuk, a study "British Recognition of Independent Slovalda in 1939"; M. Tybor, "Fa_ther Matthew Jankola (1872-1916)"; J . J. Karch, . Slovakia Under Communism, 1944-1964"; Prof. M. Lacko, "A Historical Song from Eastern Slovakia" and "Camaldulese Red Monastery-Cerveny Klastor." All contributions are on the level of academic papers and point to new aspects and new knowledge of the Slovak past. From the historical point of view, the most relevant is, of course, the well researched and well written assay on British recognition of independent Slovakia in 1939 and Stolarik's M.A. thesis on the role of American Slovaks in the creation of Czechoslovakia, while from the cultural point of view the thesis on education in Slovakia by Sister .Angelovic and the essay on J ankola by Sister Tybor deserve particular mention. F. Vnuk's research into the British archives brought forth some very interesting information on the attitude of Great Britain towards Slovakia and many unknown documents which prove· that the Government of Great Britain and British diplomats had quite a different view of the Slovak problem than the Czech exiles, headed by Dr. �178 SLOVAKIA Bene§, made us believe and smuggled into Western historiography. It would appear from Vnuk's study that Great Britain was neither eager to recognize the Czecho-Slovak government in exile, nor believed to adverse reports on Slovakia, and that Slovaks needed only some good diplomats in London to put Slovakia and her striving for independence into a different light in the West. Vnuk certainly deserves recognition for studying the British archives because our knowledge of Great Britain's attitude towards Slovakia was very limited until now. Msgr. Rekem's contribution "Selected Chapters from the Slovak Cultural History" is a concise view of Slovak cultural development from the Middle Ages to the Bernolak period, written on the pattern of his previous studies either in English, German, or Slovak and, as usual, well documented. The essay would deserve to be distributed as a separate publication. M. Stolarik's contribution to the volume is an M. A. thesis and as such indicating that we can expect from the young historian further valuable contribution to the exploration of the history of Slovaks in the United States. His thesis is well balanced and based on research into the unknown as well as published sources, and enhanced by a useful bibliography. There is no need to write about Prof. Lacko's contribution since he has been an accepted authority on the subjects he writes about and his contributions are marked by thorough knowledge and originality. E. Bouydosh's contribution is a continuation of his previous research and writings and of interest for Slovak religious past. From - the Slovak point of view the contributions by the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius, M. I. An- gelovic and M. Tybor deserve special mention. It would seem that both contributions are M. A. theses or parts thereof. They are valuable not only by their contents but also by their originality and research into the unknown and unpublished sources. In view of the fact that scholars in today's Slovakia are not allowed to extend their research into the history of Slovaks abroad, both contributions are of particular interest for Slovak historiography. The essay by J. J. Karch "Slovakia Under Communism, 1944-1964" is a well written account but too short to give a complete picture. It would be useful if this theme could be enlarged in Slovak Studies by the author or other Slovak specialists in modem Slovak history. To conclude, we can say that both volumes honorably represent the efforts of Slovak intellectuals in the West to fill the gap of knowledge of the Slovak past among Western historians and students of Central Eastern Europe. L'oecumenisme at le panslavisme de l'abbe JEAN PALARIK, par Joseph Vavrovic; These presentee a la Faculte des Arts de l'Universite d'Ottawa en vue l'obtention du Ph.D. en Etudes Slaves, Ottawa, 1972, 470 p. The thesis under review is a mature scholarly work, apparently the result of a long and thorough research into the archives and published sources pertaining to the historical background and to the activities of Jan Palarlk, whose dramatic works survived until the present time, but whose ecumenism was forgotten and his panslavic ideas were over-shadowed by his famous countrymen: Jan Koll.Ar and L'udovit Stur. In view of tlle present trend in the Catholic �SLOVAKIA Church, and the misuse of the idealistic panslavism by the Soviet Union, Palarik's 19th century ideas, for which he suffered persecution from the ecclesiastic superiors and was scorned by adherents of panslavism based on Russian leadership, are actual and timely and the thesis is, in many ways, an original work. The thesis is divided into three parts: historical background of the activities of Jan Palarik; the ecumenism of Palarik, and the panslavism of Palarik. In the first part the author of the thesis discusses the nationalist wave in Hungary after the Congress of Vienna, the insurrection in 1848 and the period of absolutism of Bach and the di· vision of the monarchy into the Austrian and Hungarian part. In part two, the thesis deals with the origins of Palarik's ecumenism, his activities as editor of the monthly Cyrill a Method and with the con·flict with his ecclesiastic superiors. Part three gives a survey of the origins of panslavism and draws a distinction between Palarik's idea of panslavism and that of Jan Kollar. Palarik's ecumenism stemmed from his concern for the Slovak people who were menaced by Magyarization and weakened by religious division. The Slovak Catholic clergy made many efforts towards uniting with Slovak Protestants in cultural and literary activities even before Palarik's time. Encouraged by J. M. Hurban's work on the union of Slovak Lu• therans with Calvinists in Hungary (Unia cili spojeni Lutheranu s Kalviny v Uhrach, Budin, 1846, 240 p.), Palarik took, however, a step further. He recommended also a religious union, basing his views on similar tendencies of Catholic theologians in Germany and France and insisting on it for patriotic rea- 179 sons. Palarik developed his national ecumenism in a series of articles published in the monthly Cyrill a Method of which he was editor. Supported by several other young Catholic clergymen who advocated not only the union with Slovak Protestants but also far reaching reforms of the Catholic Church in Hungary, Palarik came into conflict with the hierarchy and especially with the Archbishop-Primas Scitovsky. His progressive and democratic ideas gained him, nevertheless, many adherents amongst Slovak Catholics. Unfortunately, he failed to obtain an adequate response on the part of Slovak Lutherans and after Palarik had to submit to the Church authorities, the movement for uniting Slovaks in their religion slowly died down. In Msgr. Vavrovic's analysis it was nevertheless an interesting movement on the part of Slovak Catholics and Palarik emerges from the thesis as a well educated idealistic patriot concerned about the progress of the Slovak people and about the reform in the Catholic Church on much similar lines as have been accepted by the last Vatican Council. In his series on the necessity of union of Catholics with Lutherans in Slovakia, he referred to well-known contemporary theologians and fought for his ideas in prose as well as in verses to make an impact on the leaders and believers of both churches. Palarik's panslavism was generally as idealistic as Kollar's or Stur's concept of Slavic reciprocity. He differed, however, from them in his favorable attitude towards Poland and not only failed to advocate Russian supremacy and leadership but also insisted on the necessity of equality of all Slavic peoples. There are echoes of Herder's and Hegel's philosophy and prophecies about the role the Slavs �180 SLOVAKIA will play in the world in Palarik's panslavism, ·. even though he did not refer to them. From Stur who advocated . the acceptance .of the Russian orthodoxy · by all Slavic peoples Palarik also differed in religious respect by advocl;l.ting the union of all Slavs in the Catholic Church, referring to the words of Christ about "one shepherd and one fold." His defense of Poles who were subjugated by the Russians caused him criticism from other Slovak panslavists. Nevertheless Palarik deserves recognition for creating two concepts of panslavism in Slovakia, and the present Soviet domination of Slavic peoples proves that he was right in refuting panslavism based on Russian leadership and supremacy. Since Palarik has been known for the past 100 years mostly as a playwright and dramatist, whose works : Incognito (i858), D'rotar (1860), Smierenie and Dobrodruzstvo pri Obzinkach (1862), Dimitrij samozvanec (1870), have been played until the present day, the thesis by Msgr. Vavrovic contributes to the knowledge of Palarik's activities and ideas which make him one of the most progressive and democratic Slovak leader of the 19th century. In conclusion we can say that the thesis is a valuable piece of academic writing. In view of the role played by panslavism in Slavic literatures and in the awakening of Slavic peoples, the thesis will add to this movement a new dimension: the ecumenic idea and a new conception of mutuality among Slavs. The knowledge of numerous languages by the author and his intellectual training made it possible to shed light on both movements from various points of view: philosophical, theological and literary. He also presented the subject in a clear style and methodically well balanced. The author of the thesis used practically all relevant sources in several languages and displayed a thorough knowledge of ·the basic works on panslavism and ecumenism. At the same time, he seems to know all writings by and on Palarik as his numerous quotations and bibliography indicate. Editor's remark: The reviewer, Prof. Joseph M. Kirschbaum, was a member of the jury which examined the a:uthor at the defense of his thesis · and recommended its acceptance summa cum laude. Milan S. :i'>urica: La Morte di M. R. Stefanik Alla Luce Dei Documenti Militari Italiani Inediti, Collana di Studi Sull'Europa 0rientale, Univsersita Degli Studi di Padova, Padova, 1971, pp. 94. For the past fifty years, the mysterious death of. one of the co~ founder of Czec.ho-Slovakia, General Milan R. Stefanik, gave ground to various hypotheses and accusations and created dissensions between Czechs and Slovaks. While on the part of the Prague government Stefanik's death was attributed to an accident, on the Slovak side persisted the belief t];J.at Stefanik lost his life because Dr. Benes and also T. G. Masaryk disagreed with Stefanik's political views and wanted to prevent him from taking part in the political life of Czecho-Slovakia. The circumstances in which the aeroplane bringing Stefanik from Italy to his native land crashed near Bratislava favored the . hypothesis that the crash was due to an artillery attack ordered by an officer of the Czecho-Slovak army who allegedly mistook the Italian aircraft for a Hungarian one. Also the manner in which the �SLOVAKIA 181 Prague government handled the investigation of the accident and fought the rumors and allegations accusing Dr. Benes of the responsibility for Stef{mik's death, helped to strengthen the belief that Stefanik actually was a victim of a political plot. Even though he was a member of the Czecho-Slovak government and his arrival was announced, there were no preparations for his reception and the archives containing the investigation records were kept top-secret during the whole existence of the pre-war Czecho-Slovakia. directly confirms the belief that Stefanik was the victim of a political plot. As all historical works by !Jurica, also the present one is well researched and well written. Its scholarly value is enhanced by references to practically all known books and articles on Stefanik's life and death, in addition to his own thorough research of Italian military archives. The essay was originally published in the periodical n Mondo Slavo of which Prof. !Jurica is one of the founders and editors. For the above reasons, the death of Stefanik attracted writers as well as historians. Professor :i'.>urica has reviewed in his publication riot only the circumstances of Stefanik's death, but also analyzed the probability of all hypotheses advanced in the past. In addition, he ~xamined for the first time the Italian military archives pertaining to the departure of General M. R. Stefanik from Italy to his native Slovakia. In the past, the life and death of Stefanik were usually treated on the basis of French, Slovak and Czech sources, memoirs, . and reminiscences. Professor nurica rightly considered it necessary to study the Italian archives and by doing so, he made a valuable contribution to the efforts of solving the mystery of Stefanik's death. He was successful in proving incorrect several assertions of the Prague government especially those concerning the meteorological conditions, the alleged inexperience of the pilot and the allegation that Stefanik's arrival was not announced before. As historian, :i'.>urica avoided pronouncing any firm conclusion as to which hyphothesis is correct but his research destroyed the Prague government's version of Stefanik's death and in- Michael Novak, The Rise of the Unmeltable Ethnics, The McMillan Company, New York, N. Y., 1972, pp. 321, Price $7.95. For the past four or five years, many American scholars expressed their doubts as to whether the United States became a "melting pot" or if that theory was just a myth. Several conferences of historical societies and sociologists and linguists suddenly discovered that America was a multi-cultural society and that the ethnic groups were not melted. The result of this academic discovery called the attention of the politicians and results in debates and finally in a Bill on Centers of Ethnic Studies in the Congress. However, neither the studies of sociologists and historians, nor the recent Bill of Schweiker and Pucinski are as palatable and, by their approach, as human as is the book by Prof. Novak. Besides being well researched, the book is a real confession and a deep reflection on the human structure of America of today, written in excellent style, placing the book between a work of science and a novel. The author is professor of philosophy and religious studies at the State University of New York at �182 SLOVAKIA Old Westbury and has to his credit the reader; his hardly ornamental ten books, mostly dealing with name for the ethnic groups "PIGS." philosophy, theology and Catholics. He also separates Poles from other Prof. Novak is a third generation Slavs, even though the Polish AAmerican Slovak whose conscious- mericans preserved some of the ness of ethnic background was a- most Slavic characteristics. wakened not long ago during the Novak's book is bound to shake presidential campaigns by Barry the conscience of many Americans, Goldwater and Governor George and will probably do so for a deWallace in 1966. As Novak writes cade to come. It may be worthwhile in his book, he was "alarmed by the for many American Slovaks to concleavage between the old WASP sider as to whether they should and the new technological con- actively join this new political sciousness" and "felt increasingly force. It would perhaps be good to uncomfortable with the condescen- do so not only for their own sake sion and disdain heaped upon and the United States but also for Catholics." So he found himself the country of their fathers and beginning to say "we" rather than forefathers-Slovakia. "they" when he spoke of ethnics (page 63). Since that time, Prof. Slavs in Canada, Vol. m, Compiled and Edited by Prof. Cornelius J. Novak made a thorough study of Jaenen, University of Ottawa, the ethnic problem in the United 1971, 348 pages. Price: $7.00. States, mostly in its psychological, sociological and political aspects. The third volume of Slavs in Due to his philosophical educa- Canada contains proceeding of the tion and writing talent, Novak Third National Conference on Cawrote in his book some of the , nadian Slavs held in 1969 at York most interesting insights into the ' University in Toronto. Professors life, aspiration and problems of the of Slavic Studies at various Canamany millions of Americans who dian universities organized in 1965 are neither WASPS nor Blacks. under the leadership of Professor It is a delight to read for instance B. Bociurkiw a committee whose his chapter "Confessions of a task was to study the problems of White Ethnic" in which he ana- Canadian Slavs. The committee was lyses some of the basic psycho- successful in organizing the first logical problems which various Conference on Canadian Slavs in ethnic groups, especially Slavs, and Banff, the second in Ottawa, and as far as religion is concerned, all the third in Toronto, attracting American Catholics, had to face many specialists in Slavic and ethfrom the time of their immigration nic studies. While the first and up to the present day. second Conferences were dealing Prof. Novak who has been a staff predominantly with the general member in several recent political problems of Canadian Slavs, the campaigns, envisages the "unmelt- third Conference was divided into able ethnics" as the new political six sections dealing with research, force of the seventies. politics and law, education, IanHe came to that conclusion as guages and literature, journalism a result of the study of numerous and folklore. Altogether 22 papers books dealing with present day were presented and discussed in America, as his many references those sections and the volume unand quotations indicate. There is der review contains the edited text one thing which bothers, however, of the papers. �SLOVAKIA One of the most interesting studies in the volume is a volumi• nous paper on the ethnic identification and attitudes of university students of Ukrainian descent by Prof. B. Bociurkiw. His conclusions can apply to students of other Slavic groups not only in Canada but apparently also in the United States. Another paper of general interest was presented by Prof. V. Szyrynski on the subject "Ethnic Integration and Psychological Adjustment," while Prof. J . D. Gagnon from the Universite de Montreal gave his views about the position of immigrants in Quebec if that Province became independent 183 Jaroslaw A. Piekalkiewicz: Public Opinion PoUing in Czechoslovakia, 1968-69, Results and Analysis of Surveys Conducted During the Dubcek Era, Praeger Publishers, New York, Washington, London, 1972. The number of books which dealt with the political upheavals in Czecho-Slovakia in 1968, was so great that another book would seem superfluous. Some 60 books were published in the English language alone, and there were a dozen books in other West European languages. Nevertheless, the present volume on Public Opinion Besides these basic studies, the Polling will be very useful for hisvolume contains interesting intorians and students of Eastern sights into the Canadian education and minority rights, a study on the Europe. influence of the English language Its specific value lies in the fact on Slavic languages and the por• that it embraces the whole territory trayal of Canada's ethnic groups in of Czecho-Slovakia and pays attensome French Canadian novels. For tion to the relations between Slothe first time, the Conference paid vaks and Czechs which, in many attention to the ethnic press and other publications, was overlooked the papers dealing with the sub- or minimized. In addition, this book ject contained an essay on Byelo- expresses the opinions of many russian publications in Canada by Czechs and Slovaks and, as a result, A. A. Hrycuk, "The Ideological is not a write-up by an observer Orientation of the Canadian Slavic who was only partly familiar with Press" by J. M. Kirschbaum, and the problems and judged them on "Analysis of the Periodical Pub- the basis of his observations or lications of Canadian Slavs," by A. limited information received in Malycky. Prague. The book also seems to be free of the usual anti-Slovak bias, Some of these papers were of which we often find in political strictly scientific character while writings by Western historians and others contained general informa- specialists on Eastern Europe. tion or basic facts for further studies, and, therefore, the contents of The book is divided into 11 chapthe volume are uneven in their ters in which the author endeavorscholarly value. Nevertheless, the ed to find an answer to the quesbook is of importance not only for tion as to whether there was a acquainting Canadians with the revolution or counter-revolution; Slavic groups but it should also be what kind of socialism the Czechs considered as a valuable contribu- and Slovaks wanted to achieve; the tion to the general trend to build role of the existing non-communist Canada as a multi-cultural society. parties; the role of the National �184 SLOVAKIA Front, political parties and political opposition; popularity of individual leaders and attitudes on the economic system. _In conclusion, the author applied the findings to other communist states of Eastern Europe. The Slovaks resented their subjection aiid both physically and theoretically opposed the real or imaginary political, economic and cultum l dominance of the Czechs. With this dissatisfaction simmering throughout the years, it is not surprising to £ind that the 1968 Reformist Movement originated in Slovakia and was led by many Slovak individuals. It seems apparent...:....Concludes the author-that the Slovak · people viewed the Reformist Movement as an opportunity to gain . a real and equal autonomy within the Czechoslovak Federal system." If we take into consideration that all polls display flaws and inaccuracies, we could question s·ome of the results of the polls which the . author organized in Czecho-Slovakia and based thereon his conclusions. Nevertheless, his book seems to be closer to the real situation and feelings of the Slovaks and Czechs than the works of According to the polls, 94% of many observers who relied on more limited information either in per- Slovaks expressed the opinion that sonal contacts or printed sources. there was a· need for a new form of relationship between the Czechs One of the topics of interest for and Slovaks. Contrary to the opinSlovaks in this book is unboubtedly ion of other writers on the upheav"the traditional conflict between als in Czecho-Slovakia in 1968, the Czechs and Slovaks." This topic author also found a great number was treated in many books publish- of Czechs who supported the need ed in the West either inadequately for .a re-definition of the relationwith parti pris or else it was over- ship of Slovaks and Czechs within looked completely. In the view of the Republic. According to his the author "a discussion of the pub- findings, "of all the individuals lic's conception of the new politi- surveyed, only one out of 14 discal system in Czechoslovakia would agreed with the need for a ·re-definbe incomplete wi.thout considering ed relationship; This evidence the role and relationship of the says ,t he author-leaves no doubt two nations that composed the that the future realization of socialCzechoslovak Socialist Republic. He ist democracy . in Czechoslovakia dwelt, therefore, on this problem was to include a democratic and and found out that "historically, equal relationship between the the post-war communist govern- Czech and Slovak peoples" (pp. ment in Czechoslovakia closely fol- 110-112). There is no doubt · that lowed the one-nation philosophy about the same ·number would opt outlined in 1918 by ,t he founders for independence; if Slovaks had of Czechoslovak Republic. Urider full freedom of choice. this theory the Czechs and Slovaks were a single nation divided not by Milan S. f>urica (Ed.). Il Mondo ethnic differences but only by disSlavo, Vol. ni Ceseo, Centro similar historical patterns of deStudi Europa Orientale, Padova, velopment. These two peoples were 1971. to be bound together in a unified While in Slovakia books dealing state· under which the Slovaks enjoyed only a minimum autonomy. wrth Slovak culture, history, liter- �SLOVAKIA ature or philology are still directed predominantly towards Eastern Europe, Slovak intellectuals in the West have the duty to fulfill the gap which has been created by separating Slovakia from the free world. Among Slovak intellectuals in Europe Prof. Milan s. :Ourica distinguished himself by performing this role not only by his books and lectures in Western European countries, but since 1969, by editing the Italian academic periodical n Mondo Slavo (The Slavic World). In all three volumes of the periodical, which appeared until now, the contributions . on Slovak matters contain valuable information on history, language and culture of the Slovak people. The first volume, published in 1969, contained a well-written survey on the development of the Slovak literary language during the past 50 years by Adriana Feriencikova, and an article on Italian artizans and merchants in Slovakia in the 18th century by Anton Spiesz. In the second volume, published in 1970, Lisa Guarda Nardini analyzed the political and social doctrine of the late Slovak President, Dr. Joseph Tiso, under the title "Ideological Premises of Czecho-Slovak Federalism." In the third volume, Prof. Milan S. :Ourica, published some unknown and very interesting military documents from Italian archives about the death of M. R. Stefanik. (The essay is available also in a reprint and has been reviewed separately in Slovakia). From the Slovak point of view all these contributions are of special value. Not only for the reasons that under the present regime in Slovakia cultural contacts with the West are practically non-existent, 185 but also for the fact that there are still many misconceptions about Slovak culture, language and history among Western Slavists. The essay on the development of the Slovak literary language during the past 50 years by A. Feriencikova has also the merit of being well researched and containing all the basic facts and sources which can put the development of the Slovak language into proper perspective. In spite of many efforts of Slovak intellectuals in the West, historl still lln-·1 ...n th ans 5.....,.., or ere ~ 1 who W?te about the Slovak as being a dialect of the Czech language. Studies on the subject in Western languages are, therefore, never superfluous. Since Slavic studies considerably developed in all Western countries after the Second World War, n Mondo Slavo will acquaint Slavists with Slovakia not only in Italy, but also in many Western countries. This can be expected all the more in view of the high academic value of all contributions and careful edition of the periodical by Prof. !>urica. Among the contributors there are in all three volumes known Slavists of Italian or Slav origin, teaching at Italian universities. While several periodicals on Slavic matters published in other Western countries deal mostly with Russian culture and literature, 1l Mondo Slavo has shown distinction in paying attention to smaller Slavic nations and their cultures such as Slovenes, Croats and Slovaks. Students of Eastern Europe will, therefore, welcome Il Mondo Slavo since it will provide reliable scholarly information on Slavic peoples which are either misrepresented or rarely mentioned in academic periodicals published in French, English or German languages. �186 SLOVAKIA NEW COLLECTIONS OF SLOVAK EMIGRE POETRY Rudolf Diloni, Hladn11 vetrf.k (Hun- poetic biography in short poems gry Breeze), Edition Polana, full of grace, imagination and deep feelings. The collection, as well as Zurich, 1972, 86 pages. the entire Dilong's literary work Jan L. Dorfmsky, Od splnu po za- in exile would deserve a thorough tmenie (From the Full Moon to analytic evaluation, and not only the Eclipse), Series Lyra, Slovak passing reviews as this one, to apInstitute of SS. Cyril and Meth- preciate fully his work. odius, Rome, 1972, 110 pages. Doransky's book From the Full Slovak emigre literature is grow- Moon to the Eclipse deserves our ing inspite of the fact that we are special appreciation because due to again cut off from Slovakia and the unfavorable circumstances in exile, assimilation of the younger genera- we know -only a very small pa1t of tions is rapidly progressing among his literary work. Doransky is a Slovaks abroad. It is, however, poet of considerable versatility, mostly the first wave of Slovak and besides many lyrical verses post-war emigres who still create and patriotic poems, he wrote in belles lettres, and not the writers Canada a drama called Stara mat', who left Slovakia in recent years neopust'ajte nas (Grandmother Do Not Leave Us Alone, 1953), sucfor Western countries. The two collections of verses cessfully played by Slovak groups under review are by poets whose across Canada. Before coming to reputations were established in Canada, Doransky had published Slovakia and who during the past a play called Novou cestou (On A two decades belonged to the best New Path, 1930), and a collection and most prolific Slovak emigre of satirical verses Slep£ pasazieri (Blind Passengers, 1943). writers. In exile Doransky's poetry was Dilong's Hungry Breeze is again personal lyrical poetry in which published in various anthologies: his talent and mastership remind Vo vyhnanstve (1947); Zdravica sv. us of pleasant spiritual vibrations Cyrilovi a M etodovi ( 1963) ; in litfull of color, joy, sadness, mixed erary periodicals and in almanacs with hope and faith. The book is and newpapers. In recent years his divided into four chapters, each epigrams, published either in the chapter starting with appropriate quarterly Most, Literarn11 Almaillustrations by Jan Mraz, a talent- nach Slovaka 11 Amerike or in ed graphic artist from the new newspapers and almanacs, became preferred reading among Slovak wave of Slovak emigration. While all chapters contain beauti- intelligentsia in the free world. ful lyrical poetry, readers will wel- Besides poetry, Doransky wrote a come especially Chapter 4 entitled: number of short novels and other Slovak Women (Album). Dilong prose contributions under the penpublished here some of the most name Hamornik and J. D. Oravee. Doransky came from a part of beautiful verses which we can find in modern Slovak poetry and in Slovakia which gave to Slovak litSlovak poetry in general, except erature and public life many outfor Mari na by Sladkovic. In the first standini poets and novelists. He three chapters Dilong dreams a- inherited a love for literature and bout his young years, his parents, began to write in his early youth, his native Orava. It is a sort of first for students' periodicals, later �SLOVAKIA for literary and cultural monthlies. When the Russian armies over-ran Slovakia, Doransky with thousands of other Slovak intellectuals left with his family for the West. After spending a few months in Austria and two years in Assissi and Rome, he landed in Canada in 1949 and has lived in Montreal for the past 23 years. Very recently a collection of his epigrams was published with a lengthy commentary by F. Vnuk and enthusiastically received by critics and readers. Those who know Doransk:y are aware of the fact that the published epigrams are just a selection of the large number he wrote during his lifetime. We can say the same about the present collection of Iyrical and patriotic verses. They are also a selection from his many verses and we have to acknowledge that it is an excellent selection. The book is dd.vided into four parts and presents a spiritual profile of the poet and poetic sketches from his journey from Slovakia through Italy to Canada, as well as fine lyrical verses dedicated to his wife, daughter and grand-daughter. As in Dilongs's collection, the best part seems to be his chapter on Slovak women, in Doransky's book the finest verses are about his mother, and mothers in general. The title of the book expresses accurately the contents of the collection which certainly will rank among the best lyrical Slovak poetry in exile. A short biographical note was added to the collection by J . M. Rydlo and the cover was artistically designed by the poet's son :Cudovit In the opinion of this reviewer, Doransky deserves a thorough analysis and evaluation of his literary work in order that we may appreciate it adequately. 187 Rudolf Dilong: Ponukam chlieb so sol'ou-I Offer Bread and Salt, Translated by Sister M. Martina Tybor. Published by Dobra kniha 1971, Galt, Ontario, Bilingual, 151 pages. By publishing this bilingual collection of poetry in prose, Rudolf Dilong proved once more that he is the most prolific and versatile contemporary poet in exile. The number of books he published in Slovakia, which he left in defiance of her Communist rulers, as well as the number of books published during his long exile in Argentina and the U.S.A., is impressive and unrivalled by any other Slovak writer. Attracted by new currents in French inter-war Catholic poetry and surrealism, Dilong experimented in many poetic forms and due to his great love for life and gay temper, was the "enfant terrible" among the Slovak Catholic poets of his generation. The present book is another experiment in fo rm and contents and by publishing it in English and Slovak, it was the merit for acquainting foreign readers with an interesting sample of Slovak literature as well as with the author himself. Dilong's reputation as a poet was well established before he left his native country. Besides publishing 14 collections of poems, two dramas, and two collections of prose, he also was very active in organizing literary journals, and contributed practically to all Slovak cuttural periodicals and anthologies of Slovak poetry. In addition, he was either co-founder or editor of two literary periodicals Postup (193436) and Nove Slovo (1939-40). In exile he remained one of the leading and again most profilic poets. His poetry remained strongly nationalistic, deeply religious in essence but not homiletic in form �188 SLOVAKIA or content, humble and rebellious and usually expressed in beautiful images and practically varied forms. While several other Slovak poets did not find opportunities in exile to publish their works, Dilong's books were published in rapid succession. From 1950 to 1970 he produced and published some 20 books either in Buenos Aires, where he spent nearly 20 years of his exile, or recently in the United States. Many of his manuscripts perished together with his books, when Peron was burning churches in Argentina. As in Slovakia, his poetic production in exile has been varied in forms and themes but the basic overtones of a patriot and Franciscan friar, even if not following always the dogma and rules of his religious order, remained the main characteristic of his entire literary work in immigration. Some of his verses became hymns for Slovak exiles, recited on various solemn occasions and re-published many times in Slovak periodicals and newspapers. Several of Dilong's poems were translated into Spanish, Polish and French. With his great love for life and because of his patriotic zeal and fiery poetry, he became one of the most interesting figures among Slovak writers. Some of his first poems inspired by their contents and musical rhythm Slovak composers in their compositions, and several poems became songs of the Slovak youth, as well as of the Slovak army. The book under review is divided into three parts: The house will bleach to ash; Out of bounds without bounds, and Human hands. Each part contains a number of short reflective and highly imaginative poems in prose which compel the reader to meditate and think about our age, our neighbor, poverty, suffering, rebellion, smile; about our life and death, emotions and beliefs, about God and man. As such, it is a valuable addition to Dilong's work and to Slovak literature. Jan Okal': Cielito Lindo, Edicia Dobra kniha, Galt, Ontario, 1972, Illustration by J. G. Cincik, 65 p. For the past several years Slovak emigre poetry was enriched by a number of beautifully illustrated collections of verse by leading Slovak poets abroad. While some of the collections contained patriotic verses and personal lyrical poetry with Slovak topics, in other collections we find poetry inspired by the beauty of foreign countries in which Slovaks either lived or visited. Okal"s masterfully illustrated collection Cielito Lindo is an outstanding example of this new poetry, and it is not easy to say if the reader enjoys more the verses or the beautiful illustrations. In any case, there is a lot of artistic value and enjoyment for the reader and we cannot but feel a certain pride that in the modest circumstances in exile, Slovak literature can afford the luxury of such books. In a certain way, Jan Okal' deserves credit for introducing into Slovak literature this combination of poetry and visual arts. Already his first published collection George Janosik: A Carpathian Saga, published in 1953, and his chronicle in 13 poems entitled Kronika Slovakov (The Chronicle of Slovaks, 1954), were published in the same form. Then for a number of years, this gifted Slovak poet remained silent, except for publishing here and there verses in the literary journal Most or the Literarny Almanach Slovaka v Amerike. In �SLOVAKIA 1970, appeared his colleetion of verses Vada a vino (Water and Wine), in which Okal' reminisced about the years spent in Italy and especially in Rome. The present collection is a sort of continuation of the book Voda a vino. This time he is drawing in his poems, usually not longer than one or two verses, beautiful images of places in Mexico. Jan Okal' is a gifted and refined poet, and we hope that he will continue to publish poetry of such outstanding taste and artistic value. Jan E. Bor, Eugen Vesnin - Un poeta Eslovaco en tierras Mediterraneas, Buenos Aires, 1972, 71 pages. Among Slovak intellectuals who assiduously worked in exile for the past 20 years in order to make Slovak literature known to the Spanish reading public, Jan E. Bor has been the most prolific. Either in his own writings or in translations, he published a considerable number of essays and studies on Slovak poetry and prose not only in periodicals but also in book form. The present essay on the poet Eugen Vesnin is one of his most recent publications. The publication is divided into eight chapters in which Bor analyzes Vesnin's poetry, his personality, the reaction to Vesnin's poetry by readers and literary critics either on the part of Slovaks or Italians who acclaimed Vesnin for his collection of verses in Italian 189 language. In the last two chapters Bor analyzes Vesnin's attachment to Etruria and his enchantment with feminine beauty. Bor writes on Vesnin's poetry with the usual skill and knowledge of literary science for which he was known already in Slovakia where he belonged to the best known literary critics of his generation. In exile he lowered sometimes his yardstick when writing on Slovak emigre writers and poets, but his erudition in literary science has been evident in every book and essay he had published during the past twenty years. The portrait of Vesnin in Bor's publication is not only favorable but also well balanced and presented in Bor's baroque style. According to Bor, Vesnin belongs to the best Slovak lyrical poets among Slovak emigre writers and enriched Slovak literature by many themes inspired by the beauty of Rome and the Mediterranean area where Vesnin has lived the past three or four decades. Several collections of Vesnin's poetry undoubtedly prove that Italy enchanted him, though many of his verses were written with patriotic overtones and "heimweh" for his native Slovakia. Since every book on Slovak literature in foreign languages is a valuable contribution to our efforts to acquaint the Western world with Slovak culture, we cannot but welcome the newest publication by Prof. Jan E. Bor. J. M. K i r s c h b a um THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA heartily commends all efforts of our governmental and other organs to ferret out and unmask all Communists and fellow travellers, as well as all persons and organizations who wittingly or unwittingly give aid and comfort to the conspiracy of Communism promoted by the Soviet Union. �190 SLOVAKIA BOOKS ON JEWS IN SLOVAKIA Reviewed by Dr. Arved G r e b e r t during the past several centuries. The first volume contains an especially worthwhile article in two parts by Dr. Lidia Rothkirchen, a member of the research staff of Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. Her contribution, "Slovakia (1848-1938)" presents a very keen and rather accurate picture of the history of Slovakia and the Jews in that country. Naturally, in all of the articles dealing with the law, religion, social organization, etc., the writers faithfully record the history of the Jews in Slovakia. The second volume contains the article of Rabbi Hugo Stransky who was a former chief rabbi in Zilina. His is an arresting chapter on "The Religious Life in Slovakia and Subcarpathian Ruthenia," Then, too, Frank Reichenthal's "Jewish Art in Slovakia" is a very interesting review by the former chief of the department of decorative art at the State School of Applied Arts in Bratislava from 1932 to 1938. Before emigrating to United States in 1948 he served as president of the Slovak Artists' Association from 1946 to 1947. This first volume contains Eugen Barkany's "Jewish Cemeteries in Slovakia" article by the late architect and builder ( 1886-1967) and co-founder of the Jewish Museum in Presov, Slovakia. Some of the artistic motives on the gravestones, the writer observes, show a definite influence of Slovak folk art, indicating a close, intimate relationship between the Jews and the Slovaks. Gertrude Hirschler's "The His- The Jews of Czechoslovakia, histori- Europe cal studies and surveys, edited by "The Jewish Publication Society of America," Philadelphia, and the "Society for the History of Czechoslovak Jews," New York, Vol. I, 5728-1968, pp. 583, Vol. II, 5732-1971, pp. 707. Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 67-12372. Up to the present time two volumes on the history of the Jews in Czecho-Slovakia constitute an unusually valuable contribution on the history of the inhabitants of that state. The Jews in Czech lands, in Slovakia and in Sub-Carpathian Russia (Ruthenia) made a vital contribution to the Jews in general but also to the history of the people in those regions, namely, the Czechs, Germans, Slovaks, Magyars and the Ukrainians. The authors of the various articles by their objective and calm tone do not digress from a strictly scientific analysis, even when the themes, which in their tragic dimensions and consequences, understandably provide the occasion for an outburst of wrath and recrimination. In this respect the work is extraordinary effective and convincing. In no way do the authors avoid sensitive subjects. They neither ignore nor sidestep realities that have frequently been used as pretexts for criticism by the enemies of Jewry. These they explain and place in special categories in the destiny of the Jews, for example, in the framework of the historical evaluation of central and eastern �SLOVAKIA tory of Agudah Israel in Slovakia (1918-1939)" is interesting, too. Of course, in all of the articles ranging from studies of various movements, organizational life, religious welfare, education, art, etc., there is a large number of facts about the life of the Jews in Slovakia and their relationship to the local inhabitants, chiefly, the Slovaks and Magyars. The number is so great that it is virtually impossible to review them all but at least we have mentioned some of them relating specifically to Slovakia. Dr. Lidia Rothkirchen's "Slovakia (1848-1938)" deserves special attention. Her article in two parts covers 53 pages. A number of facts mentioned are known only by Slovak historians and experts. For instance, the writer states that in 1858 there were 308 Jewish schools in Hungary. Of this number 131, ie., almost 45%, were located in the Bratislava school district. Bratislava, therefore, was a very important center of Jewish learning in the kingdom of Hungary. Among the charter members of the Matica Slovenska (the leading cultural organization of the Slovaks in the last century) we find a number of Jews. When the government in Budapest gave orders to close down the Slovak central schools (junior colleges) in Revuca, Klastor pod Znievom and Turciansky Svaty Martin (all in Slovakia at the time under Hungarian imperial rule), two Jewish members of the Diet (Moritz Wehrman and Eduard Horn) spoke up and requested that the schools be kept open. Dr. Lidia Rothkirchen notes that before the Jews won equal rights in Hungary, the people of Liptovsky Sv. Mikulas elected Izak Diner, a Jew, as Mayor of the city. A number of Jews later served as mayors in the same city. She 191 reminds the reader that Slovak Jews played an important role in the Zionist movement in the kingdom of Hungary. Two Jews from Bardejov (eastern Slovakia), Julius Davidsohn and Julius Davidovic, attended the first Zionist Congress in Basle, Switzerland (1897). Eight of thirteeen Zionist chapters established in Hungary were located in Slovakia, namely, in Bratislava, Nitra, Trnava, Prefov, Ko~ice, Kezmarok, Dolny Kubin and Banska Bystrica, and the first Zionist congress in Hungary convened in Bratislava in 1903. The following year the World Mizrahi Congress met in the Slovak capital. The writer notes that the Magyar government in Budapest considered the Zionist movement with the same disfavor as it did the nationalistic movement of the Slovaks in their country. During World War I both the Zionist movement and the activities of the Slovak patriots were banned by law. Names of outstanding Jewish writers and scientists are listed by Dr. Rothkirchen. She points out that Jewish writers in their novels and romances touched upon the J ewish problem in the framework of a Slovak historical background. Dr. Lidia Rothkirchen cites that in 1921 of a totaI of 135,918 Jews in Slovakia, 70,522 were registered as Jews, 29,290 as Slovaks and the rest as Magyars, Germans, Rusins, etc. The 1930 census showed 44,009 registered as Slovaks and 72,644 as J ews. This figure represents quite convincing proof of the rapid Slovakization of the Jewish population. Had it not been for the tragic events of World War II, this process of amalgamation would have inevitably resulted in a very advantageous symbiosis of the Slovak Jews and the Slovaks. She writes (page 105): From 1933 on "the Slovaks more and more o- �192 SLOVAKIA penly advocated either detachment from Czechoslovakia altogether and establishment of an independent Slovakia, or a Slovakia which would enjoy much wider autonomy and self-rule." In general this work may be accepted as a very valuable contribution to the history of the people inhabiting Czecho-Slovakia. Every public or private library should have it on its shelves. No scholar who is interested in the history of this area can be without it. To a large extent without the untiring efforts of L'udovit Sturc, president of the Society for the History of the Czechoslovak Jews in New York, this important work in two volumes would not have come to press. Mr. Sturc is a native of Slovakia and a friend of Slovak writers and artists. Unfortunately, so far his work has not been adequately appreciated. cin, Kosice, Jasov, Spisske Podhradie, Levoca, Kezmarok, Podolinec, Nove Zamky and Hlohovec. Kosice, Bardejov, Trencin, Skalica, Hlohovec, Trnava, Pezinok and Bratislava are listed separately as centers of Jewish libraries and culture. Dr. Schreiber, recognized universally as an authority in his field, considers the material found in the area now known as Slovakia as an important part of the culture of the Jews who inhabited Hungary during the Middle Ages. This work, which was lacking in scientific literature, is the beginning of further research in the archives and libraries in this direction throughout Slovakia. It is, at the same time an interesting proof, or evidence, for the tradition of the high degree of culture of the population in Slovakia during the Medieval era. Karl Baum: Nazi Anti-Jewish Legislation in the Czech Protectorate, a Documentary, in "Soviet Jewish Affairs," a Journal on Jewish Problems in the USSR and Eastern Europe, London, No. 3, May, 1972. Published by the Institute Dr. Alexander Schreiber, director of Jewish Affairs, London, in asof the Rabbinical Seminary in Busociation with the World Jewish dapest, has written a very noteCongress in Geneva. worthy book on the cultural history Karl Baum's article is noteworthy of the Jews in Slovakia during the Medieval era. The book contains a for several reasons. In his introlist and analysis of 172 Hebrew duction the writer states that the codex fragments which were used anti-Jewish legislation in the Czech protectorate (1939-1945) has not for book-bindings. Together with Arpad Zoltan of been properly treated in ternationthe Slovak Academy of Sciences in al scientific writings so far, while Bratislava the author studied the a rich and documented literature archives and libraries in the fol- about anti-Jewish regulations in lowing Slovak cities and towns: Hitler's Germany does exist. Those Bratislava, Cerveny Kamen pri who studied this question outside Modre, Pezinok, Jur near Bratisla- of Hitler's sphere ordinarily did va, Trnava, Nitra, Nova Bana, Ban- not study the laws of the protectorska Bystrica, Turciansky Svaty ate, which they assumed were an Martin, Dolny Kubin, Bytca, Tren- integral part of the Reich and those Alexander Schreiber: Hebriiische Kodexuberreste in Ungarlb."ndischen Eibandstafeln. Heber Kodexmaradvanyok magyarorszagi kotestablakban. Budapest, 1969. I �SLOVAKIA who studied anti-Jewish laws in Hitler's Germany did not consider the protectorate because it did not belong directly to the framework of the Third Reich. Baum, at least, partially fills this void. The writer gives a detailed study on anti-Jewish legislation in the Czech Protectorate and traces the execution of the laws not only by the Nazis but also by the Czech government officials in the Protectorate. Baum's study from this viewpoint is highly important because he has brought to the international forum little known or unknown facts which were hidden on the pages of "The Collection of Laws and Regulations" promulsignatures of President (Dr.) Hacha or Czech ministers. Baum emphasizes that these laws of the wartime Czech protectorate "reflect only part of the unmitigated evil to which one of the leading Jewish communities was to fall victim. They carry little evidence of persecution and harassment on the local level, nor do they mirror the share of those of non-German vintage in Czechoslovakia who had come in to participate in the great hunt of the century and to divide its spoils. It must be left to future historians to establish their contribution to the tragedy of Czechoslovak Jewry." Baum calls attention to the December 1, 1930, Census in CzechoSlovakia as listing the number of Jews as 356,830, which is inaccurate inasmuch 15,000 Jews from Germany found refuge there when Hitler came to power. Of 854,600 who were registered as atheists in Czecho-Slovakia, according to Baum, at least 10% were of Jewish origin. Moreover, there was no provision for a natural increase of the Jewish population from 1930 to 1939. Consequently, the author's estimate has some 457,000 Jews in Czecho-Slo- 193 vakia by 1938, hence actually 100,000 more than is generally indicated in the figures. All of the above, the author concludes, became innocent victims of inhumane discrimination and inhuman mistreatment in the lands of the Czech Protectorate during World War II. ANNUAL FURDEK Jednota Annual FURDEK 1973, Vol. XII, 1973. Edited by Joseph C. Krajsa. Publisher, The First Catholic Slovak Union. Printed by Jednota Press, Middletown, Pa. 208 pages. This publication, Jednota Annual Furdek, continues commendably in the footsteps of Philip A. Hrobak, the first editor who conceived the idea of addressing it to our youth for their benefit. The present volume offers the youthful reader valuable information and inspiration as well. The 12th volume is definitely youth oriented, for it gives several phases of the background of our early Slovak immigrants to American shores and a look at the historic homeland of our parents and grandparents. Quite appropriately the Furdek leads off with a pictorial introduction of the officers of the Jednota because they are the official representatives of the organization that has a membership close to 100,000. Daniel Tanzone discusses fraternalism and the Slovak immigrant in a highly readable and documented study of the origins and growth of Slovak fraternal organizations in this country. Introduction of Janko Kral', Slovak revolutionary poet of the 19th century, by Joseph Kirschbaum, Ph.D., LL.D., of Toronto, Canada, is rather timely in view of current �194 SLOVAKIA Catholic unity is a .serious reminder in our times to stand united in the Faith of our Fathers when diversity of opinions, various modes of liturgical worship, and even divergent doctrinal proposals are dangerous challenges to the orthodoxy of our faith. Father Franko's Slovak Christmas Eve sacred vignette should be adopted by every Christian family to help preserve the spirit and true meaning of a genuinely Christian yuletide season. Reproductions (in exquisite color) of the stained glass windows adorning the Chapel of the Jednota Home are a pictorial portrayal of the spirit of faith that inspired their creation and at the same time a public testimonial of honor of two of the most famous Slovak priests of our age, namely, Father Furdek, founder of the Jednota, and Father Tiso, the martyr-president of the Slovak Republic. Clevelanders will no doubt find the article by Slovak Bet1edictine scribe, Fr. Andrew V. Pier, 0.S.B., on early Slovak immigrants interesting . . . and his other contributions informative. The story about Staff Sergeant Frank Mitka, a Veteran of the U.S. Army for more than thirty years, brings into the limelight a career soldier who enjoyed military life . . . he was a forerunner of the present-day volunteer army. The valaska, a traditional Slovak weapon designed for protection ... not aggression . . . is a national symbol of strength and resistance The Slovak Catholic Federation against the forces of injustice and of America is primarily an associa- tyranny. Sheep and their shepherds in tion of Slovak Catholic fraternal organizations that hold the Church Slovakia are the subjects of a roin highest esteem because their mantic setting (an idyllic scene on members accept it as a society the mountainside) with the venerestablished by Christ for the salva- able 'baca' holding his young proteges spell-bound as they listen to tion of their immortal souls. Monsignor Gallik's article on an endless series of thrilling epi- trends that are characterized by the same spirit of restlessness, r adical change, disillusionment and a mixture of hope and despair that marked the life and work of a Slovak poet who was in the forefront of the struggle for social justice and political freedom. St. Joseph the Workman, the universal patron of workingmen everywhere, is a favorite saint of men who must toil at manual labor. The statue of St. Joseph overlooking the industrial environs of St. Michael Slovak parish, Munhall, Pa., in the heart of the steel industry of the Pittsburgh area is a constant inspiration to the passerby. Tribute to Karl Pacanovsky, 'a philosopher-craftsma n' at the Hill School in Pottstown, Pa. for more than three decades, is a well deserved one for a Slovak worker who was dedicated to his tasks in his workshop. R. H. Andrews' article on India is an eye-opener for those who know so little about the great work accomplished by Catholic missionaries in the Far East. Furdek's youth panel of scholarship winners (39 young men and 2:5 young women) is a fine representation of Jednota's honor students of the past year. Paul Berish in his Relevant contribution finds fault ... and rightly so . . . with the mishandling of facts about the Slovaks and their history by American journalists, newsreporters, and even socalled editorial writers and historians. �SLOVAKIA sodes around the fireside after the evening chores are done, but members of a definite economic class that is an asset to the country and its people. Even the Croatians, by exception, get a boost in this year's Furdek as Father Wuerl recalls the 1,000th anniversary of the feast of St. Blaise, celebrated in the town of Dubrovnik, Croatia, on February 3, 1972. Paul Berish uncovers the 'hidden life of Brother Rudolf' over a span of fifty years as a tailor in the service of the Lord in the tailorshop of a monastic Redemptorist community. Salt in Slovakia has been a rich commodity for Slovakia and neighboring states in central Europe for many centuries. Solivar, near Pre~ov, continues to mine salt to the present day by modern methods and techniques. Michael Kurak of the Holy Trinity Slovak parochial school in Yonkers, N. Y. tells the world he is a Slovak . . . and proud of it! Father Robert Terentieff is presented by Dr. Michael Simko to our readers as an artist, teacher, dramatist, zealous shepherd of souls and preserver of Slovak customs in Connecticut. The pictorial contribution of Paul C. Fallat, Slovak artist, on an important phase in the life of Father Hlinka who was 'a fearless fighter for Slovak freedom' is an atractive re-enactment of the highlights of the Slovak leader's dynamic career that helped win the struggle for the Slovak nation's political freedom before World War II. American and Canadian Translators of Slovak poetry by Dr. J . M. Kirschbaum, Slovak diplomat and writer, not only touches upon translations of Slovak poems but lists a considerable number of 195 translations from Slovak prose. Included in the list of translators with such world known personalities as Bjornson, Seton-Watson and Denis are W. Kirkconnell, J. Vajda, I. Kramoris, M. Sprinc, K. Strmen and Sister M. Tybor, SS.C.M. The Tool Box by Alvin Lehar brings to light an amusing incident in the early life of Stan Sladek, a Slovak professional football player from the Bronx in the 1950's and 1960's. Dorothy Day, the 74-year-old Catholic social worker, speaker, publisher and activist during most of her lifetime, is given tribute by Joseph McLellan who characterizes the remarkable champion of social justice and evangelical poverty as 'a prophet of Catholic social concern.' Dr. Kirschbaum attempts to sift the truth from falsehood in the conflicting accounts involving the creation of the Slovak Republic on March 14, 1939 . . . almost six months before the German invasion of Poland started the war. Australia beckoned several thousand freedom-loving Slovaks to seek their livelihood there after their country was locked up behind the Iron Curtain. Approximately ten thousand Slovaks in exile are found in southern Australia. Father Matthew Jankola (founder of the Religious Order of SS. Cyril and Methodius in Danville, Pa.) has a proper evaluation of his lifework in the biographical sketch of Daniel Tanzone, young Slovak writer. Another promising young Slovak writer, Michael J. Krajsa, rightly gives credit to our early American Slovak leaders for establishing fraternal societies, churches, schools and social-cultural centers that flourished in their time. Krajsa concentrates on the story of the Jednota primarily. �196 SLOVAKIA Interspersed throughout the volume are short poems, designed no doubt for inspiration as well as variety . . . these adequately fulfill their purpose. Rt. Rev. Jerome Koval, 0.S.B SLOVAK PIONEERS IN AMERICA Jozef Pauco, Ph.D. Slovenski priekopnici v Amerike (Slovak Pioneers in America). First Catholic Slovak Union, Cleveland, 0. , 1972. 358 pages. Illustrated. $4.95. Slovak Pioneers in America (Slovenski priekopnici v Amerike), from the pen of Dr. Joseph Pauco, is another publication of the Jednota Press of the First Catholic Slovak Union. The book is dedicated as a living witness to the staunch and lasting accomplishments of those Slovak pioneerspriests, religious and laity-who with their whole being stood in the service of the American Slovaks. Many made outstanding cultural and literary contributions that have become part of the lasting treasury of America's worth. On these factual pages, the author and the First Catholic Slovak Union fulfill an obligation which is due to Slovak nation since it gave to America fully one-third of its people. These immigrants filled all facets of American labor and pulled themselves up from the mines, the iron pits and steel mills to the ranks of Generals, professional men, and business men, but most of all they led their people to be loyal citizens of their new country, the United States of America. It is in this vein that Pauco presents his new book Slovenski priekopnici v Amerike. When the book is translated into English, the third and fourth generations of American Slovaks will be able to fully evaluate all the accomplishments and contributions of their pioneer parents and grandparents-not only what they did for them, but for the over three million American Slovaks and for the whole of America. Pauco's work required serious research and documentation. In an objective manner he credits the life and works of the pioneers and categorizes them in their proper niche in the history of the American Slovaks, in America and the Slovak nation. He presents those leading pioneers who played the greatest role in the cultural field; those who organized fraternal societies, parishes, schools, and religious orders; those who preserved the literary culture with the publication of newspapers and books; and those who were fired with the ideal of liberty that even permeated to Slovakia. It was the American Slovaks who initiated the movement for an independent Slovakia prior to World War I. They were proud of the document known as the "Pittsburgh Pact" which became the platform of the political party in Slovakia seeking autonomy for the Slovak people. This was a unique display of cooperation and a symbolic gesture between the Slovak nation and the emigrated American Slovaks. Father J oseph A. Gajdosik, Supreme Chaplain of the First Catholic Slovak Union and Chairman of its Literary Committee-himself an eloquent and gifted writergave a few thoughts concerning Pauco's new book as he remembered reading the installments in the Jednota. "The stories of the Slovak pioneers are very provocative, enlightening and very stimulating. They reveal the joyous faith that the Slovak pioneers had, which in �197 SLOVAKIA turn motivated them in their endeavors to better their lives, and help assure a better future for their loved ones, and for Slovaks in general. The realism that FAITH has many faces is beautifully depicted in the lives of the many characters who appear in the Priekopnici! "The lives of these pioneers communicate the personal and devoted consecration to the Slovak motto of living for God and People, to such a degree, that undoubtedly young adults of the second, third, etc., Slovak generation, who perhaps have difficulty of choosing a career, will be aided by the publication of this book to select a career, which will fulfill their vocation for life. "The 'Slovak Cause' is no longer a hot issue in the average life of an American of Slovak ancestry, in fact, I find a reversing trend. However, if this book can make one cognizant of his Slovak origin, it may serve to help one gain heights which otherwise would be out of bounds, e.g. Michael Novak, and his noted book The Rise of the Unmeltable Ethnics. "Pauco's book is one sure way to arousing interest in the Slovak heritage on a personal and individual basis, especially among our younger people. Hopefully, an English translation will be made in the near future, so that devotion to the Slovak ethnicity will be fostered. "The book should bolster Dr. Joseph Pauco's strong thoughts about the termination and death of the Slovak language in the United States. The book is also a warning to our fair-weather-Slovaks, who claim that they received little if anything from their Slovak ancestors, for it teaches that much Slovak affluence and prestige is di- rectly the result of the conduct and work of our pioneers. "It behooves our brethren who are ashamed of their Slovak ethnicity, to study their history, and learn how everything they have was given to them, and that they should give themselves for others as our pioneers did. The ultimate lesson is that we, Americans of Slovak ancestry, should foster and serve the Slovak cause and ideal, at least as much, if not better then our pioneers in early America." Dr. Joseph Pauco came to the United States 22 years ago. He earned his doctorate in Philosophy at the Slovak University in Bratislava. As a historian and journalist, he has dedicated himself fully to the service of the American Slovaks. He has spent all his time in the United States on the editorial staff of Jednota, the Catholic Weekly of the First Catholic Slovak Union. He is also the publisher of the oldest Slovak newspaper in America Slovak v Amerike (American Slovak) and is a contributor to many other periodicals. He is the author of over 20 books, mostly dedicated to the life of the American Slovaks, including the history of the First Catholic Slovak Union and the lives of Fr. Stephen Furdek and Fr. Matthew Jankola. His many hundreds of articles, especially the column "Slovaci a ich zivot" (Slovaks and Their Life ) in Jedno ta, systematically record the accomplishments and efforts of the American Slovaks and their institutions. Slovenski priekopnici v Amerike is in itself a pioneer book. Nothing to date has been published in such documentary detail about American Slovak pioneers. The First Catholic Slovak Union is proud to publish this vital literary work of Dr. Joseph Pauco. Joseph c. Krajsa �198 SLOVAKIA JANKOLA'S CENTENNIAL Jankola centennial Books.-Pamiitnica 100-ho vyrocia narodenia Otca Matusa Jankolu (1872-1972). - Jankola Book. Honoring the Centennial of the Birth of Father Matthew Jankola (1872-1972) Both of these books were prepared and published by the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius, collaborating at Jankola Library in Danville, Pennsylvania, July-August, 1972, under the chairmanship of Sister M. Martina Tybor. The historian of the future who undertakes a study of the history of the Slovak people will inevitably reach out for the most objective of resource materials available. And it is just such a balanced, such a level and extraordinary objective and tastefully factual contribution that has appeared this year as an enrichment in the specific field of Slovak-American immigrant chronicles. The work consists of two distinct volumes, one in English and one in Slovak (similar but not identical in content), delineating the life and the achievements of Father Matthew Jankola, pioneer SlovakAmerican priest and patriot, who was a leader, educator, writer, and the founder of the American community, Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius. This eminently commendable publication project was endorsed and sponsored by Mother M. Valeria Romanchek, Superior General of the congregation, and it became a reality only by reason of the dedication, diligence, and scholarship of the Sisters who were fittingly associated with Jankola Library in this undertaking. Jankola Library is directed by Sister M. Martina Tybor and under her chairmanship there evolved an editorial committee consisting of Mother M. Emerentia Petra~ek, Sister M. Lilliana Kardo~, Sister M. Consuela Gregorovic, Sister M. Philomena Abbick, Sister M. Tarcisia Gregorovic and Sister Donna Marie Ivanko. By their personal effort and professional talent these Sisters worked to contribute every aspect of the publication: the researching and compiling of data, literary composition, technical composing and preparation of copy, multilith reproduction, collating and binding. Susan Oravec of Peckville, Pa. designed the artistic and becoming cover portrait, and photography was done by Joseph McGlinn of Danville and John Gre~kovic of Olyphant, Pa. The books credit items of information etc. contributed by Sisters M. John Vianney, M. Eileen McCoy, M. Regina, M. Bernardine, M. Raphael, and M. Yolanda. Each volume consists of 134 pages, is fully protected by copyright and is dedicated to the memory of the esteemed Founder of this American community of sisters whose prime apostolates are teaching and caring for the orphaned and the aged. The sisters thus express the gratitude which is justly due to Father Jankola not only by this community but by all the Slovak people both in this country and abroad, especially for his priestly zeal in promoting spirituality and culture, for his selfsacrifice on behalf of his fellowman, his leadership and vision as well as his determination to better the lot of the Slovak immigrant in America. The opening pages of each souvenir book contain commemorative poetry of high quality. The text also includes rich and informative articles such as a biography which cover the fruitful work of Father Jankola's lifetime of less than fifty �SLOVAKIA years, a historical survey of the founding of the community and reminiscences of some who knew Father J ankola well. Another important contribution in these books is the descriptive account of Jimkola Library at Danville, Pa., its holdings, areas of service, prospects, etc. Of special interest is a picture of Father J ankola's two surviving sisters, Mrs. Irma J ankola Srbova and Mrs. Luisa J ankola Sopkova of Slovakia, together with a reproduction of the congratulatory lines which they sent to grace the centennial celebration. As a special supplement in each book are the news reports and 199 photographs which record the centennial observance and the Jankola Exhibit of Memorabilia held at Danville on August 13, 1972. The news accounts were prepared by Dr. Joseph Pauco, Slovak journalist and editor, and by Rev. Augustine J. Zan, Chaplain at Maria J oseph Manor. These unique books creditably record the work of Father Jankola and honor him worthily for the legacy which he bequeathed to the Church, to the Slovak nation and to his adopted country, the USA. Although this is a limited edition, copies are still available at J ankola Library, Danville, Pa. 17821. Rev. Augustine J. Za n Annual S L O V A K I A is published by the Slovak League of America, 313 Ridge Ave., Middletown, Pa. 17057. Subscription $3.00. Editor: Joseph Pauto, Ph. D. Editorial Board: Draga 0/vlnska, Louis Kandra, Joseph M. Kirschbaum, Ph.D., Joseph A. Miku§, Ph. 0., Fr. Andrew Pier, O.S.B., M.A., Daniel F. Tanzone, M.A., Sister M. Tybor, SS.C.M., M.A. �SLOVAKIA 200 Contents The Slovak Word Abroad - Gorazd Zvonicky - 3 Twenty Years of the Slovak Institute in Cleveland - Joseph Paufo,Ph.D. -16 The Inflectional Morphology of Standard Slovak: A Descriptive Analysis John Michael Kochik, Ph:D. - 24 The Ethnical Philosophy of nudovit Stur - Stefan Polakovi~ - 29 Fortieth Anniversary Canadian Slovak League - Edward J. Behuncik -48 Youth in Search of Slovak Identity and Pride - John Llhani, Ph.D. -53 A New Phase in the Socialist Economic Reform - V. J. Hurley - 57 The Renaissance of the Slovak American Literature - P. O'Reilly - 66 Cultural Revival of American and Canadian Slovaks - Jozef Paufo, Ph.D. -72 Dr. J. M. Kirschbaum - F . Vnuk - 82 Select Bibliography of Foreign Language Writings by Prof. J. M. Kirschbaum - 92 Evaluation of Dr. Kirschbaum's Writings by Critics - 101 /Diplomatic and Consular Relations of Slovakia with Neutral States - J. M. Kirschbaum, Ph.D. - 111 Mother M . Emerentia Petrasek - 123 The Declining Democratic Facade: Czecho-Slovakia 1948-1960 - S. J.B. -129 Youth, Our Hope - Pavo! 0 . Hviezdoslav - 140 Ethnicity and Research - Dr. Steven I. Miller - 141 Ethnics Work Hard - Msgr. James T. McHugh - 153 The American Political Question - Edward M. Zelenak - 155 Current Issues - 158 As Others See It - 170 Book Reviews (J. M. Kirschbaum - Books on Slovakia - Galla Golan: The Czechoslovak Reform Movement - Wolfgang Venohr: Aufstand fiir die Tschecho-Slowakei - Slovak Studies, Volume Vlll and IX - Joseph Vravrovic: L'oecumenisme et le panslavisme de l'abbe Jean Palarik - Milan S. f>urica: La Morte di M. R. Stefanik Alla Luce Dei Documenti Militari Italiani Inediti - Michael Novak: The Rise of the Unmeltable Ethnics - Slavs in Canada, Vol. III - Jaroslaw A. Piekalkiewicz: Public Opinion Polling in Czechoslovakia - Milan S. f>urica (Ed.): II Mondo Slavo, Vol. Ill; New Collections of Slovak ~migre Poetry - Rudolf Dilong: IIladny vetrik - Jan L. Doransky: Od splnu po zatmenie - Rudolf Dilong: Pomikam chlieb so sol'ou - Jan Okal': Cielito Lindo Jan E. Bor: Eugen Vesnin; Books on Jews in Slovakia -reviewed by Dr. Arved Grebert - (Ed.): The Jews of Czechoslovakia Alexander Schreiber: Hebriiische Kodexilberreste in Ungarliindischen Eibandstafeln - Karl Baum: Nazi Anti-Jewish Legislation in the Czech Protectorate - Jednota Annual FURDEK reviewed by Rt. Rev. Jerome Koval, O.S.B. - Jozef Paufo, Ph.D.: Slovenski priekopnici v Amerike (by Joseph C. Krajsa) - Jankola Centennial Books (by Rev. Augustine J. Zan) - 174 �Our Contributors Gorazd Zvonicky - poet, professor, Rome, Italy author, historian, Middletown, Pa. Joseph Pauco, Ph.D. - assistant professor of Czech and Russian, University of Nebraska, Lincoln John M. Kochik, Ph.D. - former professor at the Slovak University, Bratislava, Slovakia, now in Argentina Stefan Polakovic, Ph;D. - attorney-at-law, Stratford, Conn. Edward J. Behuncik - professor of Hispanic Linguistics, University of John Lihani, Ph.D. - Kenrtucky Francis Vnuk - historian; professor, Institute of Technology, Adelaide, Australia Joseph M . Kirschbaum, LL.D., Ph-D. - historian, author, Toronto, Ontario Pav ol 0. Hviezdoslav - noted Slovak poet Sr. M . Martina Tybor, SS.C-M. - teacher and author, Danville, Pa. assistant professor, Sociology of Education, Loyola University, Chicago, Ill. Dr. Steven I. MiUer - Msgr. James T. McHugh - diocese of Harrisburg, Pa. Edward M. Zelenak - musician, college student, Detroit, Michigan Dr. Arved Grebert - former Slovak diplomat, now in Switzerland Rt. Rev . Jerome Koval, O.S-B. - Abbot, St. Andrew's Svorad Slovak Abbey, Cleveland, Ohio Joseph C. Krajsa - Editor, Jednota, Middletown, Pa. Rev. Augustine J . Zan - author, Danville, Pa. V . J . Hurley; P. O'ReiUy and S. J. B. - Slovak American students �PRI NTI D IN U.S. A. JIDN OTA PlllN TER Y, MID DLli TOW N, PA. � 158 SLOVAKIA CURRENT ISSUES ·Proclamation Adopted by Sf oval< League of America CHICAGO, ILL. - MAY 27, 1972 Assembled in the Congress, the delegates to the 43rd Biennial Congress of the Slovak League of America, unanimously adopt this resolution: 1. The Slovak League of America will continue with all its energies to support, to advance and to spread the doctrine of self determination and freedom for all nations, as these are principles espoused by our own United States of America. 2. The Slovak League of America will continue with its cultural and civic programs, by means of its scholarships and other undertakings. Thus, we will better inform the free world, especially here in our own country, of the centuries-old aspirations and rights of Slovak nation. We feel these rights will be best enjoyed in some type of European federation or union in which the citizens of a free and independent Slovakia will decide their own destiny. 3. In furtherance of the above goals, the Slovak League of America will continue to work closely with all Slovak organizations, publications and institutions everywhere; thereby giving moral, financial and practical support to the aspirations of more than three million Slovaks torn away from their native soil, as well as to the downtrodden brethren in subjugated Slovakia. 4. As one of the founders of the Slovak World Congress, the Slovak League of America endorses the program of the Slovak World Congress and make available to it all its powers and resources. �SLOVAKIA 159 5. The Slovak League of America makes special request to all Slovak groups to appeal to the Slovak youthfor they are our future-without them the Slovak cause, especially here in the United States of America, will not long endure. 6. Finally, we solicit the continued sacrifices and dedication of all Slovak-Americans and American-Slovaks, fortunate enough to enjoy the freedom and privileges of our great Country, so that in our hopes for peace to men of goodvill, our subjugated brethren, may in God's good time likewise enjoy such freedoms. THE SWVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA Edward J. B eh u n c i k, President Joseph Pa u co, Secretary MEMORANDUM of the Slovak Catholic Mission in Australia Director-General UNESCO Place De Fontenoy Paris vrre France Dear Sir: The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has proclaimed the year 1972 as "International Book Year". This is a worthy undertaking and deserves every good success, but it is to be regretted that not all of mankind is in a position to freely participate in it. \ rticle IX of the Charter of the Book states: "The free flow of books between countries is an essential supplement to national supplies and promotes international understanding." �168 SLOVAKIA Contrary to this statement and the current year program of UNESCO is the practice of the Government of the Czecho-Slovak Socialistic Republic and the Governments of other countries under Communist rule and culturally dominated by Moscow. These countries discriminate in the exchange of books and printed matter in general. While the free world is flooded with propaganda and literature issued by the Soviet Block countries, there is great discrimination in the Communist countries against literature published in the free world, and into CzechoSlovakia the entry of religious and the like books is actually prohibited. This is being done in spite of the fact that Communist Block countries are members of the United Nation organization and are signitories of the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The purpose of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization according to its constitution is "To contribute to peace and security by promoting collaboration among the nations through education, science and culture in order to further universal respect for justice, for the rule of law and for the human rights and fundamental freedoms which are affirmed for the peoples of the world, without distinction of race, sex, language or religion, by the Charter of the United Nations." The Slovak Nation, one of many enslaved by Communism, has a high regard for this noble objective of UNESCO but is prevented in carrying out its part in it. The purpose of this memorandum is to draw your attention to the plight in which the Slovak Nation has been placed by no fault of its own, and also to point out that the action required to remedy the ills of the systems dominating the life of Slovaks under Moscow supremacy is long overdue. The Slovak Nation is the oldest Christian Nation in Central Europe. Its country is Slovakia with a population of 4,542,098. This Nation is not in a position to exercise the rights as enumerated for every human being by the United Nations. At the time when the most fundamental freedoms of �SLOVAKIA 161 mankind were announced by the United Nations, the Slovak Nation was stripped of them by the power of Moscow which marked the end of the Slovak Independent Republic, .and Slovakia was forcibly joined with Bohemia and Moravia in the Czecho-Slovak Socialistic Republic. By this arbitrary act the Slovak Nation was in 1945 deprived of the principle of self-determination affirmed by the Charter of the United Nations. Chapter I, article 1, paragraph 2 reads: (The purposes of the United Nations are) "To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and selfdetermination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace." The Slovak Nation is not free to choose its form of government and is ruled by the totalitarian system under the banner of international Communism. Consequently with regard to the objectives of UNESCO the Slovak Nation is not in a position to develop itself according to its Christian character and thus it is not free either to contribute to the cultural wealth of the human family or to enjoy its benefits. UNESCO holds that for the promotion of its activities, three of the rights, enumerated in the Universal Declaration are of outstanding importance: 1. "The right to education ( article 26) 2. "The right of culture (article 27) 3. "The right to freedom of information (article 19)". The Slovak Nation does not enjoy freedom to claim and exercise any of these rights. 1. Paragraph 2, of article 26 reads: "Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace." �162 SLOVAKIA Human personality can be fully developed when an individual enjoys the most fundamental freedoms such as: freedom freedom freedom freedom of speech, of belief, from fear, from want. The Slovak Nation enjoys none of these. The whole educational system in Slovakia is saturated with Marxism, which is contrary to the Christian character of the Slovak Nation. The promoting of tolerance is unknown to Communism which is disseminating hatred and it is disrupting unity on all levels of life. For Communism "peace" means the domination of private and public life according to the teaching of Marxism. According to paragraph 3 of article 26, "Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children." The Slovak parents are denied this right for in Slovakia there is only the Communist system of education. In 1945 Slovakia had 1887 Catholic schools. All of them were confiscated by Communists and the children of Catholic parents (also other religions) were indoctrinated in Marxism. 2. Article 27, paragraph 1, reads: "Everyone has the right freely participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and it..s benefits." In Slovakia culture, arts, science have been made servants of Communism and they have no value unless they are guided by principles of Marxism and unless they are designed for the promotion of Communism. 3. According Article 19: "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." �163 SLOVAKIA In Slovakia there is no freedom of opinion and expression. These have to be in conformity with Marxism. Ideas and opinions are usually communicated by books, newspapers, radio, television and public addresses. But in Slovakia, these medias are Communist controlled and are designed to promote militant atheism. What has been said about the situation in Slovakia, applies also to a lesser or greater degree to other countries under Communist rule, and while Communist propaganda and literature is freely distributed in the countries of the Western Democracies, the frontiers of the countries under Communist domination are virtually sealted to the printed word from the West. This especially applies to articles of a religious nature. This state of affairs is contrary to the spirit of the United Nations and is alien to the objectives of UNESCO. Its toleration would only strengthen the hand of international Communism and encourage all actual or potential dictators in their drive to enslave the rights and freedom of mankind. Having this in mind, we respectfully request that: a) You bring the plight of the Slovak Nation to the attention of the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization, b) the dignity of Slovaks be fully restored, so that the Slovak Nation can take an honorable place in the family of free Nations according to the spirit of the United Nations and aims of UNESCO. We trust that you will assist us in our request that justice be done to the Slovak Nation and so fulfill the principles of the United Nations and aims of UNESCO. Yours respectfully, Rev. Jan Krasnansky, s. V.D. Chaplain to the Slovak Community in Sydney Jan Secansky Sydney, August 1972 Delegate to the Religious Section of the Slovak World Congress �164 SLOVAKIA Ethnic Studies at C.C.N.Y. and the First Course on the Slavic American Heritage The City College of the City University of New York has long taken pride both in the achievements of its students and in the leading role it has played in recognizing and adapting to new ethnic and cultural developments in New York's multi-cultural and multi-national community. For many years C.C.N.Y. has ranked with Harvard and the University of California at Berkeley in the number of its graduates who go on for doctorates. This year The City College again took a leadership role by initiating the nation's first college level course on the Slavic American Heritage. Different ethnic groups at City College have long struggled for recognition and have broadened the college's involvement in the community by pressing for the establishment of new programs and courses more "relevant" to their ethnic backgrounds. In response to the students' demands at C.C.N.Y. in 1969, New York's Board of Higher Education authorized The City College to establish a Department of Urban and Ethnic Studies (UES) which would engage in both instruction and research. This department assists students in preparing for new careers in community leadership, public service, education, and work with voluntary agencies in urban areas. In September of 1969 the new Department of Urban and Ethnic Studies opened its doors with 183 students enrolled in two courses in Afro-American and Puerto Rican Studies. The following semester courses in urban and community affairs were added. During the second year the curriculum was expanded to include the beginnings of Chinese-American and Carribean Studies. From the beginning the Department of Urban and Ethnic Studies exhibited striking vitality and growth. The number of courses given by the Department rose from two (in the fall of 1969) to thirteen (in the spring of 1970) and then to twenty-three (in the spring of 1971). From �SLOVAKIA 165 seven sections in the first semester it grew to forty-two in the spring of 1971, while student enrollment rose from 183 to about 1400. By Fall 1971, UES had been divided into three separate departments: Black Studies, Puerto Rican Studies, and Asian Studies. At the same time a separate department of Jewish Studies had been created. It became administration policy that an ethnic studies department could be established only if the particular ethnic group consisted of at least 5 percent of the student population at C.C.N.Y. Only the four ethnic groups listed above contributed this much. Others would have to be satisfied with basic courses only. At present, City College's four ethnic studies departments offer a total of over 120 courses; these are attended by more than 2300 students. Courses cover such varied subjects as "Asian Women", "Black Folklore", "Community Power Analysis and Research", "Political Modernization in Black America", "The Contemporary Puerto Rican Family", "Jewish Identity", "Jewish American Community", "Ethnic Leaders", "Field Work Experience in a Bilingual Environment", and "Creative Research in Urban and Ethnic Studies". Although hundreds of Slavic-American students attend The City College, they do not constitute 5 percent of the student body. Nonetheless many of them are eager to explore their ethnic heritage within the context of college study. America's Slavic-speaking population constitutes one of the most significant "white minority" groups in the country. Today, when all minority groups are trying to assert their contribution to the nation's growth, very little has been done to explore this group's history, culture, social problems and its struggle to maintain its identity in the United States. Systematic study of Slavic-Americans and their heritage is long overdue. There is a strong feeling of ethnic awareness among some members of the younger generation, there are also strong indications that the melting pot conception can not be maintained any longer and that America is beginning to recognize and appreciate the diversity of its ethnic elements in terms of a new cultural pluralism . .As Prof. Michael Novak puts it in his new book, The Rise of the Unmeltable Ethnics, "It is time for a new cultural pluralism �166 SLOVAKIA and a politics that requires this new cultural pluralism -one that draws from resources other than Anglo-Saxon history and values." The first course (being offered at City College), called Slavic American Heritage, is listed among the College's core requirements and is open to all interested students. The course is presented by Prof. Peter Goy and is being attended by 19 students. It is a survey of Slavic American Heritage. It attempts to explore the history of Slavic Americans. The course encompasses all Slavic-speaking groups in the country (Belorussian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Polish, Russian, Serbian, Slovenian, Slovak and Ukrainian, to mention a few) and includes a brief history of Slavs in the U.S.A. from the early XVII century to the present. It stresses their struggle for survival in the New World while emphasizing the participation of Slavs in American life and the role they have played in U.S. History. It expands upon current problems of identity and assimilation facing the younger generation. It takes into scope the Slavic historical background, characteristics of the Slavic population, economic conditions, religious conditions, education and contemporary literatures of the different ethnic groups. One of the aspects of this course is original research and analysis made by the students on various aspects of our contemporary Slavic groups, such as: Polish Ethnic Press, Ukrainian Scientific Institutions, Contemporary Ethnic Leaders, Czech Community in New York, Contemporary Slovak Women in America, Rhuthenians in U.S.A., Youth Organizations and the Impact of Assimilation on SelfIdentity, Bicultural Conflict and Synthesis, etc. In order to facilitate and further the original research of the students and faculty, a collection of a Slavic Contemporary ethnic archive and library materials is essential. Therefore, we would appreciate a donation of materials such as books, pamphlets, periodicals, newspapers, leaflets, films, etc, from all Slavic ethnic groups (Belorussian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Polish, Russian, Serbian, Slovenian, Slovak, Ukrainian and others) in the United States, a~ well as their organizations and patriotic individuals. We strongly believe that in the near future other colleges and universities, specifically those located in large �SLOVAKIA 167 Slavic communities such as Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, Buffalo, etc., will accommodate their Slavic residents and open the door to the vast richness, resourcefulness and abundance of Slavic American Heritage. Professor P. G o y 201 Goethals Hall The City College of the University of New York New York, N. Y. 10031 What Did the Slovak Communists Want in 1968? Dr. John M. Kochik (A translation from the Slovak of Viktor Pavlenda's co chcu Slovdci published in Svet socializmu, No. 32, August 6, 1968 by Obzor Publishers, Bratislava.) "In January the movement was initiated for a democratic Czech and Slovak socialism which would be economically more dynamic, socially more just, ideologically more progressive, comprehensively more human,-making it more attractive than any existing socio-economic system. The movement for this type of socialism is fast developing across the country which two peoples and nationalities inhabit. From the very essence of this movement proceeds its most basically inherent feature, namely, the very democratization of the relationship between the two peoples, between them and the nationalities living among them, and between the nationalities living side-byside. However, should this essential element be disregarded the movement would become pseudodemocratic, despite the fact that one sector of society has been the ruling nation until now and is reputedly the most democratic. Therefore, the Slovaks have the complete right to formulate their national claims, while the Czechs have the moral responsibility of seriously considering and democratically accepting them in the new democratic atmosphere of thought and action. �168 SLOVAKIA What is the Basis of Our National Movement as a Natural Ri ght,-A Right Suppressed and Ignored in the Past? 1. A half-century should suffice for an elder brother to recognize the younger as thoroughly related, not adopted, without a stepmother, but having his same very own Czecho-Slovakian homeland. There could be no more fitting occasion to acknowledge this self-same truth than the fiftieth October-anniversary of governing together. 2. In its current history "something" always went wrong in the real autonomy of the Slovak nation. First, a word only about autonomy, later about all the remaining issues. We regard as our most natural and sacred rights the proclamation and recognition of the actual, genuine self-rule of our people. This presupposes the elimination, not only in words but in actual fact, of the present humiliating- position of Slovakia, and the providing of it with an equal opportunity of realization in all aspects of social life. 3. The road to a new, just solution of the relationships between our peoples should proceed through a politicaleconomic Czecho-Slovakian federation: an economicallyrational and nationally-just federation. Thus, we desire neither that kind of federation which would crush the Republic through a rigid control of the greater over the lesser, nor such as would shatter the Republic by indecisive free choice, one yelling 'To the left!', the other 'To the right!'. 4. The Czecho-Slovak federation should systematically transfer the inclusive spirit of the democratizing process as such into the living conditions of both nations and into the relationship between them. That means that, taken objectively, henceforth it would insure more intensively the acceleration of the process of raising the quality of conditions in realizing the Czech and Slovak labor potential both on the job as well as in life. But, simultaneously-and this indeed holds true for socialist society-it must accelerate the process of making conditions of realization of the national labor forces approach each other, and of further equalizing the comparatively large discrepancies in economic and living standards between Slovakia and the Czech regions . In these processes-the quality of conditions of utilizing the citizen as such and the relatively-equal utiliza- �SLOVAKIA 169 tion of both peoples-we realize the sense o! an economically-rational and a nationally-just federation. 5. It is completely natural (especially from the experiences of their former development) that nowadays the Slovaks are not satisfied with promises nor with a referral to the good intentions of another even though be is one's very own brother, but they require the systematic guarantee of inclusive national autonomy in a federation. We visualize the starting-point as in a nationally-just pyramid of authoritative governmental bodies; national governmental bodies with original authority-federal governmental bodies with derived competency agreed upon by the national governmental bodies. 6. We wish to establish a federation and the functioning of federal governmental bodies upon three principles: economy, flexibility and effectiveness, and national justice. The realization of these principles are demanded so that federal governmental bodies would be numerically minimal with a small apparatus. We demand the nationallyjust activity of federal governmental bodies in: the prohibition of majority-rule in legislative acts, the equal structuring of the administration and applicable solutions (that is, the prohibition of majority-rule, parity, agreements) in the federal executive governmental bodies. We implore the second, Czech, party, that is the Czech citizen:-consider this matter in silence, without prejudice, and give an answer six times! It is not an expression most completely natural that from these six basic principles the Slovaks proceed, placing one bother on an equal footing with the other brother? Or, does someone wish to shout us down repeatedly with the renewed expression: "Co vlastne ti Slovdci chteji?" (In the original Slovak text this question is given in the Czech language and meaning "What do those Slovaks actually want?", note that this question relates to the title and theme of the article.-Translator's comment.) I will not cease being an optimist. I still believe that the answer of our Czech brother will be non-Antonine (A passible reference to Antonin Novotny, First Party Secretary and the President of the Republic, his regime, policies and character.-Translator's comment), different in substance from its present usage, and that it will be worthy to the development of the Czech people." �170 SLOVAKIA AS OTHERS SEE IT The Church in Czecho-Slovakia been forced into early retirement is very weak, but it will continue to make them scarcer. Yet, strange as it may sound, the to survive. There are 14 dioceses, but only two bishops. The govern- government is not suppressing rement will not permit any more to ligion altogether. Firstly, it is be consecrated, so 12 of the 14 afraid to do so. Secondly, the Comdioceses must function with a munist Party is split on the issue priest who serves as vicar for the of how much to suppress religion. diocese. The vicars are chosen Some argue that it must be persecuted as fiercely as it is in Red largely by the state. No Catholic schools are permit- China. Others say that if it is kept ted in Czecho-Slovakia, though two weak, it will gradually die out as seminaries are still functioning, Communism takes over. A third one for Czechs and one for Slovaks. point: Communist leaders for the There are about 150 in the Czech most part are becoming increasingseminary, not many for 10 million ly pragmatic. They persecute religion only in Czechs, most of whom are Catholic. There are about 200 seminarians a ritualistic way, paying lip service in the seminary for Slovaks, in to Communist ideology. They persecute it mostly inasmuch as it Bratislava. About 3,500 priests are active. constitutes a force outside of the Another 500 must work as laymen, total power structure they have since the government does not re- allocated to themselves. Absolute cognize them as priests. Approxi- dictators have always tried to permately 35 priests are ordained each secute religion and weaken it to year. Worst of all, most of the the point where it has no power, nuns have recently been confined unless they have the power in their to work as staff in mental institu- hands. The police are not much in evition. Had we a Catholic Anti-Defamation League in the United dence in Czecho-Slovakia. Nor are States, we could bring enough there Russian soldiers on the street. pressure to bear to stop such but everyone knows there are 80,000 Soviet troops stationed just abuses. Remember how Stalin used to 30 miles away. Everyone rememcall it "changing the guard" when bers how Moscow sent in 650,000 he had a purge of Party officials? troops in a great hurry four years It still goes on. Three hundred ago, to crush the "human face" thousand members of the Commu- type of Communism Alexander nist Party have been purged in Dubcek had tried to introduce. One of the first buildings I saw Czecho-Slovakia in the past four years. Forty per cent of the writers in Prague was a training school have been forced out of their pro- for future members of the Party. fession. Fifty thousand union mem- It is the Party members and they bers were purged. The remaining alone who get all the good jobs writers stick to the Communist and who run every facet of governline, attacking the clergy as "fas- ment. Membership is limited to cists" and "Nazi." A large percent- those the Party invites, such as age of the monasteries have been sons or friends of Party members, closed recently, and priests have or those who do not practice their �SLOVAKIA religion and for other reasons appeal to the ruling class. Only Party members can be candidates in a system where to be nominated by the Party is a guarantee of "election." Only Party members can hold trusted position. Only they have all the power. Communists argue that if the whole world were Communist, there would be no wars. But Czecho-Slovakia is a direct refutation of that theory. The country was brutally invaded in 1968 when it tried to humanize its type of Communism. Nor is it true that Communism lessens crime. Any visitor to Czecho-Slovakia sees prostitutes walking the main streets at night. Cars are often stripped or stolen. Drugs are not a problem, though they are in Moscow. Alcohol, which we often fail to think of as a drug, is a huge problem in all those countries. Stealing stocks and bonds is not a problem. But stealing from the state is on a much greater scale than anything we can imagine. "The whole system," I was told repeatedly, "is built on stealing."-Father Dan Lyons. Twin Circle, November 10, 1972. VIENNA (AP) - Travel fo a Westerner may be occassionally troublesome, but this is nothing compared to the battle with red tape an East European traveler encounters, if he just goes from one Communist country to another. The Slovak Assn. of Journalists recently issued what it called "a recipe for avoiding difficulties with passport and customs control" which lists so many things to do that it might in fact discourage anybody from making the trip in the first place. The association's biweekly publication, listed the regulations applying in the various East Europe- 171 an countries, which in the case of the Soviet Union alone covered 21 lines. The hard-core measures are nearly the same in every East European country. Each wants to know who crosses the border, watches that not too much of its national currency is taken out, nor rare consumer goods which the East European countries prefer to sell in the West for hard currency. Red tape starts at home. Slovaks have to file customs and foreign currency declarations; in some cases they must also have exit permits. Anyone intending to take a gift exceeding $20 along must obtain permission. Anyone wanting to visit the Soviet Union or Poland must have a visa. Joining a tour of a state travel agency makes this relatively simple. But anyone who wants to visit privately must have an invitation authenticated by a Soviet militia.-Werner Olimann WAKE FOREST, N. C. (NC)Ethnic Americans are "neither angels nor devils" but an unusual combination of political liberals and old fashioned patriots, according to Father Andrew Greeley. The ethnic "believes that progress is possible and that change is desirable," Father Greeley told a conference here on Civil Religion in America. "If he is less likely now than he was 20 years ago to describe himself as a liberal, the reason is not that he is any less committed to change or any less sympathetic with the oppressed but simply that he has much less confidence in American liberalism now." The ethnics, Father Greeley said, "like the United States of America. The flag, the 'Star Spangled Banner,' the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the �172 SLOVAKIA Capitol building, the office of the presidency-all of these are admired symbols which together sum up the gratitude the ethnic feels for what the United States has made possible for him: freedom, dignity, comfort, security-things which his ancestors in the countries from which they fled or were driven would not have dreamt possible." Father Greeley, director of the University of Chicago's Center for the study of American Pluralism, said that members of ethnic groups are "less likely" than other Americans to favor the Vietnam war and, despite a tradition of anti-communism, they do not object to reapproachment with China or the Soviet Union." Members of ethnic groups, descendants of the most recent waves of European immigrants, have not been in America "long enough or achieved that level of security where it becomes easy to hate and despite the United States," the priest-sociologist said. "An appeal to the conscience of the ethnic against war and against injustice that is based on American patriotism has much better chance of being effective than one based on denunciation of America as a sick society, burning American flags, and ridiculing American institutions," Father Greeley said. Ethnics want to eliminate "hunger, misery, poverty, bad housing, bad education, and every other sort of social ill wherever is can be found in America," he said. "They supported the New Deal social reforms and have continued to vote for liberal congressional candidates who have extended and enlarged the New Deal." At the same time, Father Greeley said, ethnics place "a strong emphasis on the freedom and dignity of the individual person. A person should not be messed with or hassled by large bureaucratic agencies, be they governmental, labor, business, or ecclesiastical." Father Greeley spoke at a conference sponsored by the ~outhwestern Baptist Theological Seminary here and the American Jewish Committee. PITISBURGH-Tbey aren't the Same Old Steelers anymore. Just ask Gerela's Gorillas, Franco's Italian Army or the newly formed Dobra Shunka fan club. All those have been spawned by the success of the Pittsburgh Steelers, making a strong bid for the first division title in their 40-year pro football history. Gerela\s GO!fillas favor placekicker Roy Gerela, and rookie running sensation Franco Harris is the honorary commander of Franco's Italian Army. But what about Dobra Shunka? "That's Slovak for 'Great Ham,' " says Steeler linebacker Jack Ham, whose ancestors were European. "They're a great bunch of guys," Ham added. "Most of them live over in Port Vue, same as Gerela's Gorillas. You can't beat enthusiasm like that." Ham knows first hand the degree of Steeler mania. He's probably the only pro football player ever to get an ovation during a church sermon. "It happened at evening Mass the Sunday we beat Kansas City," recalls Ham, who attends St. Bernard's Roman Catholic Church in suburban Dormont. The monsignor was sermonizing on parish matters when suddenly he decided to switch topics and proclaimed from the pulpit, "How about those Steelers!" During the ensuing praise, he asked if Steeler vice President Dan �SLOVAKIA Roomey, a member of the parish, was in attendance. Rooney wasn't but Ham was and one of the faithful stood up and introduced him as "Jack Ham-the Steelers great linebacker. " 173 "It was really something," recalls Ham. "They gave me a big ovation just like we were out at the stadium, I even stayed after Mass and signed autographs."( Associated Press) Astronaut Gene Cernan is of Slovak origin. His grandfather migrated to the U.S.A. from Vysoka, Kysuce region, Slovakia �174 SLOVAKIA BOOK REVIEWS BOOKS ON SLOVAKIA Reviewed by J.M. Kirschbaum The Czechoslovak Reform Move- of view. It also put into proper ment by Galla Golan, Cambridge, perspective the economic as well at the University Press, 1971, as political and national reasons for which young Slovak intellectuBibl., 334 pages. Among the dozens of books on als, all of them staunch supporters the de-Stalinization and liberation of the Communist Party, began to movement in Czecho-Slovakia, the rebel against the Stalinist system. present book by Galia Golan, Lec- There is no doubt that economic turer in Political Science and Rus- as well as political disparity betsian Studies at the Hebrew Univer- ween Slovakia and the Czech lands sity in Jerusalem, is one of the became intolerable even to Slovak most objective and best research- Communists. The spark for the ed works. Whereas many authors moment came, however, from the of books on the reform movement writers and intellectuals who cravin Czecho-Slovakia viewed the situ- ed for more freedom and could not ation from Prague and dealt with tolerate the injustice committed on the events mostly on the basis of so-called Slovak "bourgeois nationCzech sources (see our reviews in alists" who were freed from prisSlovakia for 1970 and 1971, and in ons, but not rehabilitated. The Slavica Canadiana A. D.1970), the Czech intellectuals joined the present book does not suffer from movement three or four years any anti-Slovak bias. The author later, in 1967 and 1968, and gave objectively analyzed the beginnings it the weight which paved the way of the reform movement from 1963 for the events of 1968. Unfortuto 1968, and recognized the role nately, it would appear that they which was played by Slovak writ- not only helped the movement to ers, journalists and politicians. As get momentum, but also pushed it a result, the picture is quite dif- to the extreme and in the end gave ferent from many other books on the Soviets a prete~t for the inthe subject. Because except for vasion. the books by Skilling, Shawcross, The book is an excellent survey Fejto, Lungi and Ello, the reform of the whole period from 1963 to movement in Czecho-Slovakia and 1968. It is divided into six chapespecially its last phase, was a- ters. In its Introduction the book scribed by Western observers and surveys the years 1956-1962 and analysts to Czech intellectuals and then it analyzes the revolt of the several books were published under intellectuals, the economic reforms, the title: The Prague Spring. In reforms in the social cultural some instances, even Dubcek's .role spheres, political reforms, the ewas played down and other Slovaks vents of 1967 and 1968. The author wei"e omitted or ignored. paid special attention to Slovaks Galla Golan's book is, however, in the second chapter, as well as obje<:tive not only from this point in Chapters V and VI. In one chap- �SLOVAKIA ter the author analyzes specially the "pressures from the Slovaks and the youth." In the chapter on economic reforms, the book gives credit to the efforts of Dr. Eugen Loebl and to his plan for reforming the bankrupt economy. Other Slovak reformers, either in economic fields or in the political structure of Czecho-Slovakia are equally mentioned and so are Slovak periodicals, especially Kulturny Zivot and Slovenske Pohl'ady. Galia Golan seems to understand much better than other specialists in Eastern Europe the basic issues which separate Slovaks and Czechs and which dramatically came to the surface during the years 19631968. Trying to present an objective picture of the whole situation she avoided simplifications and, therefore, her book will remain as one of the best researched and scholarly written analysis of the attempts by Slovaks and Czechs to give Communism a human face. Wolfgang Venohr: Aufstand fii,r die Tschecho-Slowakei (Uprising for Czecho-Slovakia), Christian Wegner Verlag, Hamburg, 1969, bibl., ill., doc., 372 p. The War period of the Slovak history has been avoided for a long time in German historiography. Many more books were published in English than in the German language. When finally books on Slovakia appeared in Germany, they were written by historians coming not from Germany but from other Eastern European countries (Ludwig von Gogolak, Jorg K. Hoensch, Almar Reitzner) and the backgrounds of the authors influenced their attitudes and interpretation of the dramatic period of modern Slovak history. The book under review is the first one by a Western writer on the uprising which occured in Slo- 175 vakia in the Fall of 1944 and was presented until now only by memoirs or books written by the Communist participants, except for one volume of documents edited by V. Precan. Venohr's book does not agree completely with the Communist interpretation and sheds a new light on the bloody and controversial rebellion which was at least three times re-interpreted by the Communists themselves. There is no note on the author of the book and of his credentials. The work is comprehensive and refers not only to many printed sources but also to personal interviews with the Communist participants and officers of the Slovak army involved in the uprising. Interviews with non-Communist participants, even though some of them live in Germany, are missing. In view of the fact that the non-Communist organizers and participants of the uprising did not publish uptil now their version of the political aims and of the part played by the Slovak army or non-Communist population, Venohr's book fills an important gap. It is, however, very hard to say how far his interpretation is free of any bias, in spite of the fact that he states in his epilogue that he tried to avoid an ideological approach. As he says, the aim of his book was to "help the Slovaks to gain their international respect and develop brotherly relations built on equality of rights with the Czechs." At the same time the book should "serve to create a better understanding between Germany and Czecho-Slovakia." Venohr's presentation of the Slovak Republic and his survey of Slovak history would indicate that he endeavored to look at Slovaks without the usual bias which we can find in some Western and �17~ SLOVAKIA Communist history books. Throughout the book, there is an effort to avoid the negative attitude towards the Slovak struggle for independence. There is no a priori denial of bonafide actions and goodwill on the part of the Slovak politicians and in one instance the author even states that from the scientific point of view nobody can seriously speak about Fascism in Slovakia (p. 30). Nevertheless, on many pages of the book he uses the term "Klerikal Faschismus" ( clerofascism) coined by the Communists. Venohr accepted as valid the statement by President Dr. Tiso that the existence of the Slovak Republic will be of great importance for the future generations, but in his view the uprising is even of greater importance for historical claims of Slovak national identity. This is, of course, a debatable view but it sums up Venohr's attitude towards the uprising. From this premise, the author approached all the events and persons involved in the history of Slovakia from 1938 to 1945. The volume is composed of two parts. In the first part he writes about the independent Slovakia, the Slovak army until 1943, about the political opposition; the unwanted partizan war; the military conspiracy; the memorandum by General Catlo§ and the mission to Moscow by Smidke. The second part is entitled: "Occupation and Uprising." It contains six chapters in which the author speaks about military events of the uprising from the time Germany sent two divisions to fight the Soviet partizans. Their arrival, however, triggered off the uprising of the Slovak army units and led to events of historical importance. Venohr describes the battles in various parts of Slovakia with the Slovak army which was preparing an uprising against Germans independently of ,t he Soviet partizans, as well as the political aims of the whole uprising. It is mainly in this part of the book where the author differs from the Communist historiographers but it is to be regretted that he did not confront statements of the people with whom he had interviews with the writings and opinions of the nonCommunist participants who live in the West. He also failed to mention that the Communists originally aimed at establishing a Slovak Soviet Republic and not Czecho-Slovakia. In spite of this, Venohr's description and evaluation of the events seems to be much more objective and closer to the historical truth than the one-sided interpretation published in today's Slovakia by Communist writers, or by some Western historians who adopted the Czech or the Communist interpretation. His stress on the divergence of views between the Communists and military leadership on one side and the Bene§ Government on the other sheds a new light on the uprising whose final history is still to be written. The memorandum and the attempts by the Minister of National Defense of the Slovak Republic, General F. Catlo§, to come to an agreement with Moscow to save Slovakia of occupation is another important revelation in the book, since it has not been taken into consideration by Western historians. A number of documents attached to the book also enhance its value. However, in spite of Venohr's endeavor to be objective towards the leaders of the Slovak Republic, there are, of course, still some inaccuracies in his book which could have been corrected if the author �SLOVAKIA had interviewed the emigre Slovak historians or political leaders. His survey of Slovak history also suffers accepting the Czech rather than the Slovak interpretation of the Slovak past. There is no doubt that Slovakia suffered a sort of social decapitation and lost their leading classes to Hungarian assimilation and policy. There was, however, Slovak national consciousness a long time before Stt'.ir's period and we can safely say that Slovak national renaissance started in the 17th century and the Bernolak group, which is not even mentioned by Venohr, deserves credit for the national awakening of the Slovak people. Economically, Slovakia also presented a different picture. Even with these shortcomings Venohr's book is, however, much closer to the historical facts and objective interpretation of the War period in Slovak history than . any other work published in the West, exept for books written by Slovak exiled historians who defe nd the right of the Slovak people to self determination and independence. vm and IX. · Historica 5-6, Slovak Institute, Cleveland-Rome, 1969, pp. 216 and 231, bibl., ill. Slovak Studies, Volume The recent volumes of Slovak Studies are an additional contribution to the research into. the Slovak history in ,t he English language. In comparison with the previous volµmes, the contributors are mostly from the younger generation and several of them from among Slovak intellectuals educa.ted at American universities. For this reason, both volumes also contain essays on American Slovaks. In view of the fact that there is no history book on the achievements and contribution of American Slovaks to Slovak national develop- 177 ment, these contributions are of particular value. The first volume contain four contributions: "The Role of American Slovaks in the Creation of Czecho-Slovakia, 1914-1918," by M. M. Stolarik; a study "Education in Slovakia" by M. I. Angelovic SS.C.M.; "The Quadrennial Reports of the Bishops of Nitra to Rome," by E. Bouydosh; and "A Short Survey of the Eastern Catholic Churches," by Prof. M. Lacko, S.J. To the second volume contributed Msgr. J . Rekem "Selected Chapters from the Slovak Cultural History"; F. Vnuk, a study "British Recognition of Independent Slovalda in 1939"; M. Tybor, "Fa_ther Matthew Jankola (1872-1916)"; J . J. Karch, . Slovakia Under Communism, 1944-1964"; Prof. M. Lacko, "A Historical Song from Eastern Slovakia" and "Camaldulese Red Monastery-Cerveny Klastor." All contributions are on the level of academic papers and point to new aspects and new knowledge of the Slovak past. From the historical point of view, the most relevant is, of course, the well researched and well written assay on British recognition of independent Slovakia in 1939 and Stolarik's M.A. thesis on the role of American Slovaks in the creation of Czechoslovakia, while from the cultural point of view the thesis on education in Slovakia by Sister .Angelovic and the essay on J ankola by Sister Tybor deserve particular mention. F. Vnuk's research into the British archives brought forth some very interesting information on the attitude of Great Britain towards Slovakia and many unknown documents which prove· that the Government of Great Britain and British diplomats had quite a different view of the Slovak problem than the Czech exiles, headed by Dr. �178 SLOVAKIA Bene§, made us believe and smuggled into Western historiography. It would appear from Vnuk's study that Great Britain was neither eager to recognize the Czecho-Slovak government in exile, nor believed to adverse reports on Slovakia, and that Slovaks needed only some good diplomats in London to put Slovakia and her striving for independence into a different light in the West. Vnuk certainly deserves recognition for studying the British archives because our knowledge of Great Britain's attitude towards Slovakia was very limited until now. Msgr. Rekem's contribution "Selected Chapters from the Slovak Cultural History" is a concise view of Slovak cultural development from the Middle Ages to the Bernolak period, written on the pattern of his previous studies either in English, German, or Slovak and, as usual, well documented. The essay would deserve to be distributed as a separate publication. M. Stolarik's contribution to the volume is an M. A. thesis and as such indicating that we can expect from the young historian further valuable contribution to the exploration of the history of Slovaks in the United States. His thesis is well balanced and based on research into the unknown as well as published sources, and enhanced by a useful bibliography. There is no need to write about Prof. Lacko's contribution since he has been an accepted authority on the subjects he writes about and his contributions are marked by thorough knowledge and originality. E. Bouydosh's contribution is a continuation of his previous research and writings and of interest for Slovak religious past. From - the Slovak point of view the contributions by the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius, M. I. An- gelovic and M. Tybor deserve special mention. It would seem that both contributions are M. A. theses or parts thereof. They are valuable not only by their contents but also by their originality and research into the unknown and unpublished sources. In view of the fact that scholars in today's Slovakia are not allowed to extend their research into the history of Slovaks abroad, both contributions are of particular interest for Slovak historiography. The essay by J. J. Karch "Slovakia Under Communism, 1944-1964" is a well written account but too short to give a complete picture. It would be useful if this theme could be enlarged in Slovak Studies by the author or other Slovak specialists in modem Slovak history. To conclude, we can say that both volumes honorably represent the efforts of Slovak intellectuals in the West to fill the gap of knowledge of the Slovak past among Western historians and students of Central Eastern Europe. L'oecumenisme at le panslavisme de l'abbe JEAN PALARIK, par Joseph Vavrovic; These presentee a la Faculte des Arts de l'Universite d'Ottawa en vue l'obtention du Ph.D. en Etudes Slaves, Ottawa, 1972, 470 p. The thesis under review is a mature scholarly work, apparently the result of a long and thorough research into the archives and published sources pertaining to the historical background and to the activities of Jan Palarlk, whose dramatic works survived until the present time, but whose ecumenism was forgotten and his panslavic ideas were over-shadowed by his famous countrymen: Jan Koll.Ar and L'udovit Stur. In view of tlle present trend in the Catholic �SLOVAKIA Church, and the misuse of the idealistic panslavism by the Soviet Union, Palarik's 19th century ideas, for which he suffered persecution from the ecclesiastic superiors and was scorned by adherents of panslavism based on Russian leadership, are actual and timely and the thesis is, in many ways, an original work. The thesis is divided into three parts: historical background of the activities of Jan Palarik; the ecumenism of Palarik, and the panslavism of Palarik. In the first part the author of the thesis discusses the nationalist wave in Hungary after the Congress of Vienna, the insurrection in 1848 and the period of absolutism of Bach and the di· vision of the monarchy into the Austrian and Hungarian part. In part two, the thesis deals with the origins of Palarik's ecumenism, his activities as editor of the monthly Cyrill a Method and with the con·flict with his ecclesiastic superiors. Part three gives a survey of the origins of panslavism and draws a distinction between Palarik's idea of panslavism and that of Jan Kollar. Palarik's ecumenism stemmed from his concern for the Slovak people who were menaced by Magyarization and weakened by religious division. The Slovak Catholic clergy made many efforts towards uniting with Slovak Protestants in cultural and literary activities even before Palarik's time. Encouraged by J. M. Hurban's work on the union of Slovak Lu• therans with Calvinists in Hungary (Unia cili spojeni Lutheranu s Kalviny v Uhrach, Budin, 1846, 240 p.), Palarik took, however, a step further. He recommended also a religious union, basing his views on similar tendencies of Catholic theologians in Germany and France and insisting on it for patriotic rea- 179 sons. Palarik developed his national ecumenism in a series of articles published in the monthly Cyrill a Method of which he was editor. Supported by several other young Catholic clergymen who advocated not only the union with Slovak Protestants but also far reaching reforms of the Catholic Church in Hungary, Palarik came into conflict with the hierarchy and especially with the Archbishop-Primas Scitovsky. His progressive and democratic ideas gained him, nevertheless, many adherents amongst Slovak Catholics. Unfortunately, he failed to obtain an adequate response on the part of Slovak Lutherans and after Palarik had to submit to the Church authorities, the movement for uniting Slovaks in their religion slowly died down. In Msgr. Vavrovic's analysis it was nevertheless an interesting movement on the part of Slovak Catholics and Palarik emerges from the thesis as a well educated idealistic patriot concerned about the progress of the Slovak people and about the reform in the Catholic Church on much similar lines as have been accepted by the last Vatican Council. In his series on the necessity of union of Catholics with Lutherans in Slovakia, he referred to well-known contemporary theologians and fought for his ideas in prose as well as in verses to make an impact on the leaders and believers of both churches. Palarik's panslavism was generally as idealistic as Kollar's or Stur's concept of Slavic reciprocity. He differed, however, from them in his favorable attitude towards Poland and not only failed to advocate Russian supremacy and leadership but also insisted on the necessity of equality of all Slavic peoples. There are echoes of Herder's and Hegel's philosophy and prophecies about the role the Slavs �180 SLOVAKIA will play in the world in Palarik's panslavism, ·. even though he did not refer to them. From Stur who advocated . the acceptance .of the Russian orthodoxy · by all Slavic peoples Palarik also differed in religious respect by advocl;l.ting the union of all Slavs in the Catholic Church, referring to the words of Christ about "one shepherd and one fold." His defense of Poles who were subjugated by the Russians caused him criticism from other Slovak panslavists. Nevertheless Palarik deserves recognition for creating two concepts of panslavism in Slovakia, and the present Soviet domination of Slavic peoples proves that he was right in refuting panslavism based on Russian leadership and supremacy. Since Palarik has been known for the past 100 years mostly as a playwright and dramatist, whose works : Incognito (i858), D'rotar (1860), Smierenie and Dobrodruzstvo pri Obzinkach (1862), Dimitrij samozvanec (1870), have been played until the present day, the thesis by Msgr. Vavrovic contributes to the knowledge of Palarik's activities and ideas which make him one of the most progressive and democratic Slovak leader of the 19th century. In conclusion we can say that the thesis is a valuable piece of academic writing. In view of the role played by panslavism in Slavic literatures and in the awakening of Slavic peoples, the thesis will add to this movement a new dimension: the ecumenic idea and a new conception of mutuality among Slavs. The knowledge of numerous languages by the author and his intellectual training made it possible to shed light on both movements from various points of view: philosophical, theological and literary. He also presented the subject in a clear style and methodically well balanced. The author of the thesis used practically all relevant sources in several languages and displayed a thorough knowledge of ·the basic works on panslavism and ecumenism. At the same time, he seems to know all writings by and on Palarik as his numerous quotations and bibliography indicate. Editor's remark: The reviewer, Prof. Joseph M. Kirschbaum, was a member of the jury which examined the a:uthor at the defense of his thesis · and recommended its acceptance summa cum laude. Milan S. :i'>urica: La Morte di M. R. Stefanik Alla Luce Dei Documenti Militari Italiani Inediti, Collana di Studi Sull'Europa 0rientale, Univsersita Degli Studi di Padova, Padova, 1971, pp. 94. For the past fifty years, the mysterious death of. one of the co~ founder of Czec.ho-Slovakia, General Milan R. Stefanik, gave ground to various hypotheses and accusations and created dissensions between Czechs and Slovaks. While on the part of the Prague government Stefanik's death was attributed to an accident, on the Slovak side persisted the belief t];J.at Stefanik lost his life because Dr. Benes and also T. G. Masaryk disagreed with Stefanik's political views and wanted to prevent him from taking part in the political life of Czecho-Slovakia. The circumstances in which the aeroplane bringing Stefanik from Italy to his native land crashed near Bratislava favored the . hypothesis that the crash was due to an artillery attack ordered by an officer of the Czecho-Slovak army who allegedly mistook the Italian aircraft for a Hungarian one. Also the manner in which the �SLOVAKIA 181 Prague government handled the investigation of the accident and fought the rumors and allegations accusing Dr. Benes of the responsibility for Stef{mik's death, helped to strengthen the belief that Stefanik actually was a victim of a political plot. Even though he was a member of the Czecho-Slovak government and his arrival was announced, there were no preparations for his reception and the archives containing the investigation records were kept top-secret during the whole existence of the pre-war Czecho-Slovakia. directly confirms the belief that Stefanik was the victim of a political plot. As all historical works by !Jurica, also the present one is well researched and well written. Its scholarly value is enhanced by references to practically all known books and articles on Stefanik's life and death, in addition to his own thorough research of Italian military archives. The essay was originally published in the periodical n Mondo Slavo of which Prof. !Jurica is one of the founders and editors. For the above reasons, the death of Stefanik attracted writers as well as historians. Professor :i'.>urica has reviewed in his publication riot only the circumstances of Stefanik's death, but also analyzed the probability of all hypotheses advanced in the past. In addition, he ~xamined for the first time the Italian military archives pertaining to the departure of General M. R. Stefanik from Italy to his native Slovakia. In the past, the life and death of Stefanik were usually treated on the basis of French, Slovak and Czech sources, memoirs, . and reminiscences. Professor nurica rightly considered it necessary to study the Italian archives and by doing so, he made a valuable contribution to the efforts of solving the mystery of Stefanik's death. He was successful in proving incorrect several assertions of the Prague government especially those concerning the meteorological conditions, the alleged inexperience of the pilot and the allegation that Stefanik's arrival was not announced before. As historian, :i'.>urica avoided pronouncing any firm conclusion as to which hyphothesis is correct but his research destroyed the Prague government's version of Stefanik's death and in- Michael Novak, The Rise of the Unmeltable Ethnics, The McMillan Company, New York, N. Y., 1972, pp. 321, Price $7.95. For the past four or five years, many American scholars expressed their doubts as to whether the United States became a "melting pot" or if that theory was just a myth. Several conferences of historical societies and sociologists and linguists suddenly discovered that America was a multi-cultural society and that the ethnic groups were not melted. The result of this academic discovery called the attention of the politicians and results in debates and finally in a Bill on Centers of Ethnic Studies in the Congress. However, neither the studies of sociologists and historians, nor the recent Bill of Schweiker and Pucinski are as palatable and, by their approach, as human as is the book by Prof. Novak. Besides being well researched, the book is a real confession and a deep reflection on the human structure of America of today, written in excellent style, placing the book between a work of science and a novel. The author is professor of philosophy and religious studies at the State University of New York at �182 SLOVAKIA Old Westbury and has to his credit the reader; his hardly ornamental ten books, mostly dealing with name for the ethnic groups "PIGS." philosophy, theology and Catholics. He also separates Poles from other Prof. Novak is a third generation Slavs, even though the Polish AAmerican Slovak whose conscious- mericans preserved some of the ness of ethnic background was a- most Slavic characteristics. wakened not long ago during the Novak's book is bound to shake presidential campaigns by Barry the conscience of many Americans, Goldwater and Governor George and will probably do so for a deWallace in 1966. As Novak writes cade to come. It may be worthwhile in his book, he was "alarmed by the for many American Slovaks to concleavage between the old WASP sider as to whether they should and the new technological con- actively join this new political sciousness" and "felt increasingly force. It would perhaps be good to uncomfortable with the condescen- do so not only for their own sake sion and disdain heaped upon and the United States but also for Catholics." So he found himself the country of their fathers and beginning to say "we" rather than forefathers-Slovakia. "they" when he spoke of ethnics (page 63). Since that time, Prof. Slavs in Canada, Vol. m, Compiled and Edited by Prof. Cornelius J. Novak made a thorough study of Jaenen, University of Ottawa, the ethnic problem in the United 1971, 348 pages. Price: $7.00. States, mostly in its psychological, sociological and political aspects. The third volume of Slavs in Due to his philosophical educa- Canada contains proceeding of the tion and writing talent, Novak Third National Conference on Cawrote in his book some of the , nadian Slavs held in 1969 at York most interesting insights into the ' University in Toronto. Professors life, aspiration and problems of the of Slavic Studies at various Canamany millions of Americans who dian universities organized in 1965 are neither WASPS nor Blacks. under the leadership of Professor It is a delight to read for instance B. Bociurkiw a committee whose his chapter "Confessions of a task was to study the problems of White Ethnic" in which he ana- Canadian Slavs. The committee was lyses some of the basic psycho- successful in organizing the first logical problems which various Conference on Canadian Slavs in ethnic groups, especially Slavs, and Banff, the second in Ottawa, and as far as religion is concerned, all the third in Toronto, attracting American Catholics, had to face many specialists in Slavic and ethfrom the time of their immigration nic studies. While the first and up to the present day. second Conferences were dealing Prof. Novak who has been a staff predominantly with the general member in several recent political problems of Canadian Slavs, the campaigns, envisages the "unmelt- third Conference was divided into able ethnics" as the new political six sections dealing with research, force of the seventies. politics and law, education, IanHe came to that conclusion as guages and literature, journalism a result of the study of numerous and folklore. Altogether 22 papers books dealing with present day were presented and discussed in America, as his many references those sections and the volume unand quotations indicate. There is der review contains the edited text one thing which bothers, however, of the papers. �SLOVAKIA One of the most interesting studies in the volume is a volumi• nous paper on the ethnic identification and attitudes of university students of Ukrainian descent by Prof. B. Bociurkiw. His conclusions can apply to students of other Slavic groups not only in Canada but apparently also in the United States. Another paper of general interest was presented by Prof. V. Szyrynski on the subject "Ethnic Integration and Psychological Adjustment," while Prof. J . D. Gagnon from the Universite de Montreal gave his views about the position of immigrants in Quebec if that Province became independent 183 Jaroslaw A. Piekalkiewicz: Public Opinion PoUing in Czechoslovakia, 1968-69, Results and Analysis of Surveys Conducted During the Dubcek Era, Praeger Publishers, New York, Washington, London, 1972. The number of books which dealt with the political upheavals in Czecho-Slovakia in 1968, was so great that another book would seem superfluous. Some 60 books were published in the English language alone, and there were a dozen books in other West European languages. Nevertheless, the present volume on Public Opinion Besides these basic studies, the Polling will be very useful for hisvolume contains interesting intorians and students of Eastern sights into the Canadian education and minority rights, a study on the Europe. influence of the English language Its specific value lies in the fact on Slavic languages and the por• that it embraces the whole territory trayal of Canada's ethnic groups in of Czecho-Slovakia and pays attensome French Canadian novels. For tion to the relations between Slothe first time, the Conference paid vaks and Czechs which, in many attention to the ethnic press and other publications, was overlooked the papers dealing with the sub- or minimized. In addition, this book ject contained an essay on Byelo- expresses the opinions of many russian publications in Canada by Czechs and Slovaks and, as a result, A. A. Hrycuk, "The Ideological is not a write-up by an observer Orientation of the Canadian Slavic who was only partly familiar with Press" by J. M. Kirschbaum, and the problems and judged them on "Analysis of the Periodical Pub- the basis of his observations or lications of Canadian Slavs," by A. limited information received in Malycky. Prague. The book also seems to be free of the usual anti-Slovak bias, Some of these papers were of which we often find in political strictly scientific character while writings by Western historians and others contained general informa- specialists on Eastern Europe. tion or basic facts for further studies, and, therefore, the contents of The book is divided into 11 chapthe volume are uneven in their ters in which the author endeavorscholarly value. Nevertheless, the ed to find an answer to the quesbook is of importance not only for tion as to whether there was a acquainting Canadians with the revolution or counter-revolution; Slavic groups but it should also be what kind of socialism the Czechs considered as a valuable contribu- and Slovaks wanted to achieve; the tion to the general trend to build role of the existing non-communist Canada as a multi-cultural society. parties; the role of the National �184 SLOVAKIA Front, political parties and political opposition; popularity of individual leaders and attitudes on the economic system. _In conclusion, the author applied the findings to other communist states of Eastern Europe. The Slovaks resented their subjection aiid both physically and theoretically opposed the real or imaginary political, economic and cultum l dominance of the Czechs. With this dissatisfaction simmering throughout the years, it is not surprising to £ind that the 1968 Reformist Movement originated in Slovakia and was led by many Slovak individuals. It seems apparent...:....Concludes the author-that the Slovak · people viewed the Reformist Movement as an opportunity to gain . a real and equal autonomy within the Czechoslovak Federal system." If we take into consideration that all polls display flaws and inaccuracies, we could question s·ome of the results of the polls which the . author organized in Czecho-Slovakia and based thereon his conclusions. Nevertheless, his book seems to be closer to the real situation and feelings of the Slovaks and Czechs than the works of According to the polls, 94% of many observers who relied on more limited information either in per- Slovaks expressed the opinion that sonal contacts or printed sources. there was a· need for a new form of relationship between the Czechs One of the topics of interest for and Slovaks. Contrary to the opinSlovaks in this book is unboubtedly ion of other writers on the upheav"the traditional conflict between als in Czecho-Slovakia in 1968, the Czechs and Slovaks." This topic author also found a great number was treated in many books publish- of Czechs who supported the need ed in the West either inadequately for .a re-definition of the relationwith parti pris or else it was over- ship of Slovaks and Czechs within looked completely. In the view of the Republic. According to his the author "a discussion of the pub- findings, "of all the individuals lic's conception of the new politi- surveyed, only one out of 14 discal system in Czechoslovakia would agreed with the need for a ·re-definbe incomplete wi.thout considering ed relationship; This evidence the role and relationship of the says ,t he author-leaves no doubt two nations that composed the that the future realization of socialCzechoslovak Socialist Republic. He ist democracy . in Czechoslovakia dwelt, therefore, on this problem was to include a democratic and and found out that "historically, equal relationship between the the post-war communist govern- Czech and Slovak peoples" (pp. ment in Czechoslovakia closely fol- 110-112). There is no doubt · that lowed the one-nation philosophy about the same ·number would opt outlined in 1918 by ,t he founders for independence; if Slovaks had of Czechoslovak Republic. Urider full freedom of choice. this theory the Czechs and Slovaks were a single nation divided not by Milan S. f>urica (Ed.). Il Mondo ethnic differences but only by disSlavo, Vol. ni Ceseo, Centro similar historical patterns of deStudi Europa Orientale, Padova, velopment. These two peoples were 1971. to be bound together in a unified While in Slovakia books dealing state· under which the Slovaks enjoyed only a minimum autonomy. wrth Slovak culture, history, liter- �SLOVAKIA ature or philology are still directed predominantly towards Eastern Europe, Slovak intellectuals in the West have the duty to fulfill the gap which has been created by separating Slovakia from the free world. Among Slovak intellectuals in Europe Prof. Milan s. :Ourica distinguished himself by performing this role not only by his books and lectures in Western European countries, but since 1969, by editing the Italian academic periodical n Mondo Slavo (The Slavic World). In all three volumes of the periodical, which appeared until now, the contributions . on Slovak matters contain valuable information on history, language and culture of the Slovak people. The first volume, published in 1969, contained a well-written survey on the development of the Slovak literary language during the past 50 years by Adriana Feriencikova, and an article on Italian artizans and merchants in Slovakia in the 18th century by Anton Spiesz. In the second volume, published in 1970, Lisa Guarda Nardini analyzed the political and social doctrine of the late Slovak President, Dr. Joseph Tiso, under the title "Ideological Premises of Czecho-Slovak Federalism." In the third volume, Prof. Milan S. :Ourica, published some unknown and very interesting military documents from Italian archives about the death of M. R. Stefanik. (The essay is available also in a reprint and has been reviewed separately in Slovakia). From the Slovak point of view all these contributions are of special value. Not only for the reasons that under the present regime in Slovakia cultural contacts with the West are practically non-existent, 185 but also for the fact that there are still many misconceptions about Slovak culture, language and history among Western Slavists. The essay on the development of the Slovak literary language during the past 50 years by A. Feriencikova has also the merit of being well researched and containing all the basic facts and sources which can put the development of the Slovak language into proper perspective. In spite of many efforts of Slovak intellectuals in the West, historl still lln-·1 ...n th ans 5.....,.., or ere ~ 1 who W?te about the Slovak as being a dialect of the Czech language. Studies on the subject in Western languages are, therefore, never superfluous. Since Slavic studies considerably developed in all Western countries after the Second World War, n Mondo Slavo will acquaint Slavists with Slovakia not only in Italy, but also in many Western countries. This can be expected all the more in view of the high academic value of all contributions and careful edition of the periodical by Prof. !>urica. Among the contributors there are in all three volumes known Slavists of Italian or Slav origin, teaching at Italian universities. While several periodicals on Slavic matters published in other Western countries deal mostly with Russian culture and literature, 1l Mondo Slavo has shown distinction in paying attention to smaller Slavic nations and their cultures such as Slovenes, Croats and Slovaks. Students of Eastern Europe will, therefore, welcome Il Mondo Slavo since it will provide reliable scholarly information on Slavic peoples which are either misrepresented or rarely mentioned in academic periodicals published in French, English or German languages. �186 SLOVAKIA NEW COLLECTIONS OF SLOVAK EMIGRE POETRY Rudolf Diloni, Hladn11 vetrf.k (Hun- poetic biography in short poems gry Breeze), Edition Polana, full of grace, imagination and deep feelings. The collection, as well as Zurich, 1972, 86 pages. the entire Dilong's literary work Jan L. Dorfmsky, Od splnu po za- in exile would deserve a thorough tmenie (From the Full Moon to analytic evaluation, and not only the Eclipse), Series Lyra, Slovak passing reviews as this one, to apInstitute of SS. Cyril and Meth- preciate fully his work. odius, Rome, 1972, 110 pages. Doransky's book From the Full Slovak emigre literature is grow- Moon to the Eclipse deserves our ing inspite of the fact that we are special appreciation because due to again cut off from Slovakia and the unfavorable circumstances in exile, assimilation of the younger genera- we know -only a very small pa1t of tions is rapidly progressing among his literary work. Doransky is a Slovaks abroad. It is, however, poet of considerable versatility, mostly the first wave of Slovak and besides many lyrical verses post-war emigres who still create and patriotic poems, he wrote in belles lettres, and not the writers Canada a drama called Stara mat', who left Slovakia in recent years neopust'ajte nas (Grandmother Do Not Leave Us Alone, 1953), sucfor Western countries. The two collections of verses cessfully played by Slovak groups under review are by poets whose across Canada. Before coming to reputations were established in Canada, Doransky had published Slovakia and who during the past a play called Novou cestou (On A two decades belonged to the best New Path, 1930), and a collection and most prolific Slovak emigre of satirical verses Slep£ pasazieri (Blind Passengers, 1943). writers. In exile Doransky's poetry was Dilong's Hungry Breeze is again personal lyrical poetry in which published in various anthologies: his talent and mastership remind Vo vyhnanstve (1947); Zdravica sv. us of pleasant spiritual vibrations Cyrilovi a M etodovi ( 1963) ; in litfull of color, joy, sadness, mixed erary periodicals and in almanacs with hope and faith. The book is and newpapers. In recent years his divided into four chapters, each epigrams, published either in the chapter starting with appropriate quarterly Most, Literarn11 Almaillustrations by Jan Mraz, a talent- nach Slovaka 11 Amerike or in ed graphic artist from the new newspapers and almanacs, became preferred reading among Slovak wave of Slovak emigration. While all chapters contain beauti- intelligentsia in the free world. ful lyrical poetry, readers will wel- Besides poetry, Doransky wrote a come especially Chapter 4 entitled: number of short novels and other Slovak Women (Album). Dilong prose contributions under the penpublished here some of the most name Hamornik and J. D. Oravee. Doransky came from a part of beautiful verses which we can find in modern Slovak poetry and in Slovakia which gave to Slovak litSlovak poetry in general, except erature and public life many outfor Mari na by Sladkovic. In the first standini poets and novelists. He three chapters Dilong dreams a- inherited a love for literature and bout his young years, his parents, began to write in his early youth, his native Orava. It is a sort of first for students' periodicals, later �SLOVAKIA for literary and cultural monthlies. When the Russian armies over-ran Slovakia, Doransky with thousands of other Slovak intellectuals left with his family for the West. After spending a few months in Austria and two years in Assissi and Rome, he landed in Canada in 1949 and has lived in Montreal for the past 23 years. Very recently a collection of his epigrams was published with a lengthy commentary by F. Vnuk and enthusiastically received by critics and readers. Those who know Doransk:y are aware of the fact that the published epigrams are just a selection of the large number he wrote during his lifetime. We can say the same about the present collection of Iyrical and patriotic verses. They are also a selection from his many verses and we have to acknowledge that it is an excellent selection. The book is dd.vided into four parts and presents a spiritual profile of the poet and poetic sketches from his journey from Slovakia through Italy to Canada, as well as fine lyrical verses dedicated to his wife, daughter and grand-daughter. As in Dilongs's collection, the best part seems to be his chapter on Slovak women, in Doransky's book the finest verses are about his mother, and mothers in general. The title of the book expresses accurately the contents of the collection which certainly will rank among the best lyrical Slovak poetry in exile. A short biographical note was added to the collection by J . M. Rydlo and the cover was artistically designed by the poet's son :Cudovit In the opinion of this reviewer, Doransky deserves a thorough analysis and evaluation of his literary work in order that we may appreciate it adequately. 187 Rudolf Dilong: Ponukam chlieb so sol'ou-I Offer Bread and Salt, Translated by Sister M. Martina Tybor. Published by Dobra kniha 1971, Galt, Ontario, Bilingual, 151 pages. By publishing this bilingual collection of poetry in prose, Rudolf Dilong proved once more that he is the most prolific and versatile contemporary poet in exile. The number of books he published in Slovakia, which he left in defiance of her Communist rulers, as well as the number of books published during his long exile in Argentina and the U.S.A., is impressive and unrivalled by any other Slovak writer. Attracted by new currents in French inter-war Catholic poetry and surrealism, Dilong experimented in many poetic forms and due to his great love for life and gay temper, was the "enfant terrible" among the Slovak Catholic poets of his generation. The present book is another experiment in fo rm and contents and by publishing it in English and Slovak, it was the merit for acquainting foreign readers with an interesting sample of Slovak literature as well as with the author himself. Dilong's reputation as a poet was well established before he left his native country. Besides publishing 14 collections of poems, two dramas, and two collections of prose, he also was very active in organizing literary journals, and contributed practically to all Slovak cuttural periodicals and anthologies of Slovak poetry. In addition, he was either co-founder or editor of two literary periodicals Postup (193436) and Nove Slovo (1939-40). In exile he remained one of the leading and again most profilic poets. His poetry remained strongly nationalistic, deeply religious in essence but not homiletic in form �188 SLOVAKIA or content, humble and rebellious and usually expressed in beautiful images and practically varied forms. While several other Slovak poets did not find opportunities in exile to publish their works, Dilong's books were published in rapid succession. From 1950 to 1970 he produced and published some 20 books either in Buenos Aires, where he spent nearly 20 years of his exile, or recently in the United States. Many of his manuscripts perished together with his books, when Peron was burning churches in Argentina. As in Slovakia, his poetic production in exile has been varied in forms and themes but the basic overtones of a patriot and Franciscan friar, even if not following always the dogma and rules of his religious order, remained the main characteristic of his entire literary work in immigration. Some of his verses became hymns for Slovak exiles, recited on various solemn occasions and re-published many times in Slovak periodicals and newspapers. Several of Dilong's poems were translated into Spanish, Polish and French. With his great love for life and because of his patriotic zeal and fiery poetry, he became one of the most interesting figures among Slovak writers. Some of his first poems inspired by their contents and musical rhythm Slovak composers in their compositions, and several poems became songs of the Slovak youth, as well as of the Slovak army. The book under review is divided into three parts: The house will bleach to ash; Out of bounds without bounds, and Human hands. Each part contains a number of short reflective and highly imaginative poems in prose which compel the reader to meditate and think about our age, our neighbor, poverty, suffering, rebellion, smile; about our life and death, emotions and beliefs, about God and man. As such, it is a valuable addition to Dilong's work and to Slovak literature. Jan Okal': Cielito Lindo, Edicia Dobra kniha, Galt, Ontario, 1972, Illustration by J. G. Cincik, 65 p. For the past several years Slovak emigre poetry was enriched by a number of beautifully illustrated collections of verse by leading Slovak poets abroad. While some of the collections contained patriotic verses and personal lyrical poetry with Slovak topics, in other collections we find poetry inspired by the beauty of foreign countries in which Slovaks either lived or visited. Okal"s masterfully illustrated collection Cielito Lindo is an outstanding example of this new poetry, and it is not easy to say if the reader enjoys more the verses or the beautiful illustrations. In any case, there is a lot of artistic value and enjoyment for the reader and we cannot but feel a certain pride that in the modest circumstances in exile, Slovak literature can afford the luxury of such books. In a certain way, Jan Okal' deserves credit for introducing into Slovak literature this combination of poetry and visual arts. Already his first published collection George Janosik: A Carpathian Saga, published in 1953, and his chronicle in 13 poems entitled Kronika Slovakov (The Chronicle of Slovaks, 1954), were published in the same form. Then for a number of years, this gifted Slovak poet remained silent, except for publishing here and there verses in the literary journal Most or the Literarny Almanach Slovaka v Amerike. In �SLOVAKIA 1970, appeared his colleetion of verses Vada a vino (Water and Wine), in which Okal' reminisced about the years spent in Italy and especially in Rome. The present collection is a sort of continuation of the book Voda a vino. This time he is drawing in his poems, usually not longer than one or two verses, beautiful images of places in Mexico. Jan Okal' is a gifted and refined poet, and we hope that he will continue to publish poetry of such outstanding taste and artistic value. Jan E. Bor, Eugen Vesnin - Un poeta Eslovaco en tierras Mediterraneas, Buenos Aires, 1972, 71 pages. Among Slovak intellectuals who assiduously worked in exile for the past 20 years in order to make Slovak literature known to the Spanish reading public, Jan E. Bor has been the most prolific. Either in his own writings or in translations, he published a considerable number of essays and studies on Slovak poetry and prose not only in periodicals but also in book form. The present essay on the poet Eugen Vesnin is one of his most recent publications. The publication is divided into eight chapters in which Bor analyzes Vesnin's poetry, his personality, the reaction to Vesnin's poetry by readers and literary critics either on the part of Slovaks or Italians who acclaimed Vesnin for his collection of verses in Italian 189 language. In the last two chapters Bor analyzes Vesnin's attachment to Etruria and his enchantment with feminine beauty. Bor writes on Vesnin's poetry with the usual skill and knowledge of literary science for which he was known already in Slovakia where he belonged to the best known literary critics of his generation. In exile he lowered sometimes his yardstick when writing on Slovak emigre writers and poets, but his erudition in literary science has been evident in every book and essay he had published during the past twenty years. The portrait of Vesnin in Bor's publication is not only favorable but also well balanced and presented in Bor's baroque style. According to Bor, Vesnin belongs to the best Slovak lyrical poets among Slovak emigre writers and enriched Slovak literature by many themes inspired by the beauty of Rome and the Mediterranean area where Vesnin has lived the past three or four decades. Several collections of Vesnin's poetry undoubtedly prove that Italy enchanted him, though many of his verses were written with patriotic overtones and "heimweh" for his native Slovakia. Since every book on Slovak literature in foreign languages is a valuable contribution to our efforts to acquaint the Western world with Slovak culture, we cannot but welcome the newest publication by Prof. Jan E. Bor. J. M. K i r s c h b a um THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA heartily commends all efforts of our governmental and other organs to ferret out and unmask all Communists and fellow travellers, as well as all persons and organizations who wittingly or unwittingly give aid and comfort to the conspiracy of Communism promoted by the Soviet Union. �190 SLOVAKIA BOOKS ON JEWS IN SLOVAKIA Reviewed by Dr. Arved G r e b e r t during the past several centuries. The first volume contains an especially worthwhile article in two parts by Dr. Lidia Rothkirchen, a member of the research staff of Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. Her contribution, "Slovakia (1848-1938)" presents a very keen and rather accurate picture of the history of Slovakia and the Jews in that country. Naturally, in all of the articles dealing with the law, religion, social organization, etc., the writers faithfully record the history of the Jews in Slovakia. The second volume contains the article of Rabbi Hugo Stransky who was a former chief rabbi in Zilina. His is an arresting chapter on "The Religious Life in Slovakia and Subcarpathian Ruthenia," Then, too, Frank Reichenthal's "Jewish Art in Slovakia" is a very interesting review by the former chief of the department of decorative art at the State School of Applied Arts in Bratislava from 1932 to 1938. Before emigrating to United States in 1948 he served as president of the Slovak Artists' Association from 1946 to 1947. This first volume contains Eugen Barkany's "Jewish Cemeteries in Slovakia" article by the late architect and builder ( 1886-1967) and co-founder of the Jewish Museum in Presov, Slovakia. Some of the artistic motives on the gravestones, the writer observes, show a definite influence of Slovak folk art, indicating a close, intimate relationship between the Jews and the Slovaks. Gertrude Hirschler's "The His- The Jews of Czechoslovakia, histori- Europe cal studies and surveys, edited by "The Jewish Publication Society of America," Philadelphia, and the "Society for the History of Czechoslovak Jews," New York, Vol. I, 5728-1968, pp. 583, Vol. II, 5732-1971, pp. 707. Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 67-12372. Up to the present time two volumes on the history of the Jews in Czecho-Slovakia constitute an unusually valuable contribution on the history of the inhabitants of that state. The Jews in Czech lands, in Slovakia and in Sub-Carpathian Russia (Ruthenia) made a vital contribution to the Jews in general but also to the history of the people in those regions, namely, the Czechs, Germans, Slovaks, Magyars and the Ukrainians. The authors of the various articles by their objective and calm tone do not digress from a strictly scientific analysis, even when the themes, which in their tragic dimensions and consequences, understandably provide the occasion for an outburst of wrath and recrimination. In this respect the work is extraordinary effective and convincing. In no way do the authors avoid sensitive subjects. They neither ignore nor sidestep realities that have frequently been used as pretexts for criticism by the enemies of Jewry. These they explain and place in special categories in the destiny of the Jews, for example, in the framework of the historical evaluation of central and eastern �SLOVAKIA tory of Agudah Israel in Slovakia (1918-1939)" is interesting, too. Of course, in all of the articles ranging from studies of various movements, organizational life, religious welfare, education, art, etc., there is a large number of facts about the life of the Jews in Slovakia and their relationship to the local inhabitants, chiefly, the Slovaks and Magyars. The number is so great that it is virtually impossible to review them all but at least we have mentioned some of them relating specifically to Slovakia. Dr. Lidia Rothkirchen's "Slovakia (1848-1938)" deserves special attention. Her article in two parts covers 53 pages. A number of facts mentioned are known only by Slovak historians and experts. For instance, the writer states that in 1858 there were 308 Jewish schools in Hungary. Of this number 131, ie., almost 45%, were located in the Bratislava school district. Bratislava, therefore, was a very important center of Jewish learning in the kingdom of Hungary. Among the charter members of the Matica Slovenska (the leading cultural organization of the Slovaks in the last century) we find a number of Jews. When the government in Budapest gave orders to close down the Slovak central schools (junior colleges) in Revuca, Klastor pod Znievom and Turciansky Svaty Martin (all in Slovakia at the time under Hungarian imperial rule), two Jewish members of the Diet (Moritz Wehrman and Eduard Horn) spoke up and requested that the schools be kept open. Dr. Lidia Rothkirchen notes that before the Jews won equal rights in Hungary, the people of Liptovsky Sv. Mikulas elected Izak Diner, a Jew, as Mayor of the city. A number of Jews later served as mayors in the same city. She 191 reminds the reader that Slovak Jews played an important role in the Zionist movement in the kingdom of Hungary. Two Jews from Bardejov (eastern Slovakia), Julius Davidsohn and Julius Davidovic, attended the first Zionist Congress in Basle, Switzerland (1897). Eight of thirteeen Zionist chapters established in Hungary were located in Slovakia, namely, in Bratislava, Nitra, Trnava, Prefov, Ko~ice, Kezmarok, Dolny Kubin and Banska Bystrica, and the first Zionist congress in Hungary convened in Bratislava in 1903. The following year the World Mizrahi Congress met in the Slovak capital. The writer notes that the Magyar government in Budapest considered the Zionist movement with the same disfavor as it did the nationalistic movement of the Slovaks in their country. During World War I both the Zionist movement and the activities of the Slovak patriots were banned by law. Names of outstanding Jewish writers and scientists are listed by Dr. Rothkirchen. She points out that Jewish writers in their novels and romances touched upon the J ewish problem in the framework of a Slovak historical background. Dr. Lidia Rothkirchen cites that in 1921 of a totaI of 135,918 Jews in Slovakia, 70,522 were registered as Jews, 29,290 as Slovaks and the rest as Magyars, Germans, Rusins, etc. The 1930 census showed 44,009 registered as Slovaks and 72,644 as J ews. This figure represents quite convincing proof of the rapid Slovakization of the Jewish population. Had it not been for the tragic events of World War II, this process of amalgamation would have inevitably resulted in a very advantageous symbiosis of the Slovak Jews and the Slovaks. She writes (page 105): From 1933 on "the Slovaks more and more o- �192 SLOVAKIA penly advocated either detachment from Czechoslovakia altogether and establishment of an independent Slovakia, or a Slovakia which would enjoy much wider autonomy and self-rule." In general this work may be accepted as a very valuable contribution to the history of the people inhabiting Czecho-Slovakia. Every public or private library should have it on its shelves. No scholar who is interested in the history of this area can be without it. To a large extent without the untiring efforts of L'udovit Sturc, president of the Society for the History of the Czechoslovak Jews in New York, this important work in two volumes would not have come to press. Mr. Sturc is a native of Slovakia and a friend of Slovak writers and artists. Unfortunately, so far his work has not been adequately appreciated. cin, Kosice, Jasov, Spisske Podhradie, Levoca, Kezmarok, Podolinec, Nove Zamky and Hlohovec. Kosice, Bardejov, Trencin, Skalica, Hlohovec, Trnava, Pezinok and Bratislava are listed separately as centers of Jewish libraries and culture. Dr. Schreiber, recognized universally as an authority in his field, considers the material found in the area now known as Slovakia as an important part of the culture of the Jews who inhabited Hungary during the Middle Ages. This work, which was lacking in scientific literature, is the beginning of further research in the archives and libraries in this direction throughout Slovakia. It is, at the same time an interesting proof, or evidence, for the tradition of the high degree of culture of the population in Slovakia during the Medieval era. Karl Baum: Nazi Anti-Jewish Legislation in the Czech Protectorate, a Documentary, in "Soviet Jewish Affairs," a Journal on Jewish Problems in the USSR and Eastern Europe, London, No. 3, May, 1972. Published by the Institute Dr. Alexander Schreiber, director of Jewish Affairs, London, in asof the Rabbinical Seminary in Busociation with the World Jewish dapest, has written a very noteCongress in Geneva. worthy book on the cultural history Karl Baum's article is noteworthy of the Jews in Slovakia during the Medieval era. The book contains a for several reasons. In his introlist and analysis of 172 Hebrew duction the writer states that the codex fragments which were used anti-Jewish legislation in the Czech protectorate (1939-1945) has not for book-bindings. Together with Arpad Zoltan of been properly treated in ternationthe Slovak Academy of Sciences in al scientific writings so far, while Bratislava the author studied the a rich and documented literature archives and libraries in the fol- about anti-Jewish regulations in lowing Slovak cities and towns: Hitler's Germany does exist. Those Bratislava, Cerveny Kamen pri who studied this question outside Modre, Pezinok, Jur near Bratisla- of Hitler's sphere ordinarily did va, Trnava, Nitra, Nova Bana, Ban- not study the laws of the protectorska Bystrica, Turciansky Svaty ate, which they assumed were an Martin, Dolny Kubin, Bytca, Tren- integral part of the Reich and those Alexander Schreiber: Hebriiische Kodexuberreste in Ungarlb."ndischen Eibandstafeln. Heber Kodexmaradvanyok magyarorszagi kotestablakban. Budapest, 1969. I �SLOVAKIA who studied anti-Jewish laws in Hitler's Germany did not consider the protectorate because it did not belong directly to the framework of the Third Reich. Baum, at least, partially fills this void. The writer gives a detailed study on anti-Jewish legislation in the Czech Protectorate and traces the execution of the laws not only by the Nazis but also by the Czech government officials in the Protectorate. Baum's study from this viewpoint is highly important because he has brought to the international forum little known or unknown facts which were hidden on the pages of "The Collection of Laws and Regulations" promulsignatures of President (Dr.) Hacha or Czech ministers. Baum emphasizes that these laws of the wartime Czech protectorate "reflect only part of the unmitigated evil to which one of the leading Jewish communities was to fall victim. They carry little evidence of persecution and harassment on the local level, nor do they mirror the share of those of non-German vintage in Czechoslovakia who had come in to participate in the great hunt of the century and to divide its spoils. It must be left to future historians to establish their contribution to the tragedy of Czechoslovak Jewry." Baum calls attention to the December 1, 1930, Census in CzechoSlovakia as listing the number of Jews as 356,830, which is inaccurate inasmuch 15,000 Jews from Germany found refuge there when Hitler came to power. Of 854,600 who were registered as atheists in Czecho-Slovakia, according to Baum, at least 10% were of Jewish origin. Moreover, there was no provision for a natural increase of the Jewish population from 1930 to 1939. Consequently, the author's estimate has some 457,000 Jews in Czecho-Slo- 193 vakia by 1938, hence actually 100,000 more than is generally indicated in the figures. All of the above, the author concludes, became innocent victims of inhumane discrimination and inhuman mistreatment in the lands of the Czech Protectorate during World War II. ANNUAL FURDEK Jednota Annual FURDEK 1973, Vol. XII, 1973. Edited by Joseph C. Krajsa. Publisher, The First Catholic Slovak Union. Printed by Jednota Press, Middletown, Pa. 208 pages. This publication, Jednota Annual Furdek, continues commendably in the footsteps of Philip A. Hrobak, the first editor who conceived the idea of addressing it to our youth for their benefit. The present volume offers the youthful reader valuable information and inspiration as well. The 12th volume is definitely youth oriented, for it gives several phases of the background of our early Slovak immigrants to American shores and a look at the historic homeland of our parents and grandparents. Quite appropriately the Furdek leads off with a pictorial introduction of the officers of the Jednota because they are the official representatives of the organization that has a membership close to 100,000. Daniel Tanzone discusses fraternalism and the Slovak immigrant in a highly readable and documented study of the origins and growth of Slovak fraternal organizations in this country. Introduction of Janko Kral', Slovak revolutionary poet of the 19th century, by Joseph Kirschbaum, Ph.D., LL.D., of Toronto, Canada, is rather timely in view of current �194 SLOVAKIA Catholic unity is a .serious reminder in our times to stand united in the Faith of our Fathers when diversity of opinions, various modes of liturgical worship, and even divergent doctrinal proposals are dangerous challenges to the orthodoxy of our faith. Father Franko's Slovak Christmas Eve sacred vignette should be adopted by every Christian family to help preserve the spirit and true meaning of a genuinely Christian yuletide season. Reproductions (in exquisite color) of the stained glass windows adorning the Chapel of the Jednota Home are a pictorial portrayal of the spirit of faith that inspired their creation and at the same time a public testimonial of honor of two of the most famous Slovak priests of our age, namely, Father Furdek, founder of the Jednota, and Father Tiso, the martyr-president of the Slovak Republic. Clevelanders will no doubt find the article by Slovak Bet1edictine scribe, Fr. Andrew V. Pier, 0.S.B., on early Slovak immigrants interesting . . . and his other contributions informative. The story about Staff Sergeant Frank Mitka, a Veteran of the U.S. Army for more than thirty years, brings into the limelight a career soldier who enjoyed military life . . . he was a forerunner of the present-day volunteer army. The valaska, a traditional Slovak weapon designed for protection ... not aggression . . . is a national symbol of strength and resistance The Slovak Catholic Federation against the forces of injustice and of America is primarily an associa- tyranny. Sheep and their shepherds in tion of Slovak Catholic fraternal organizations that hold the Church Slovakia are the subjects of a roin highest esteem because their mantic setting (an idyllic scene on members accept it as a society the mountainside) with the venerestablished by Christ for the salva- able 'baca' holding his young proteges spell-bound as they listen to tion of their immortal souls. Monsignor Gallik's article on an endless series of thrilling epi- trends that are characterized by the same spirit of restlessness, r adical change, disillusionment and a mixture of hope and despair that marked the life and work of a Slovak poet who was in the forefront of the struggle for social justice and political freedom. St. Joseph the Workman, the universal patron of workingmen everywhere, is a favorite saint of men who must toil at manual labor. The statue of St. Joseph overlooking the industrial environs of St. Michael Slovak parish, Munhall, Pa., in the heart of the steel industry of the Pittsburgh area is a constant inspiration to the passerby. Tribute to Karl Pacanovsky, 'a philosopher-craftsma n' at the Hill School in Pottstown, Pa. for more than three decades, is a well deserved one for a Slovak worker who was dedicated to his tasks in his workshop. R. H. Andrews' article on India is an eye-opener for those who know so little about the great work accomplished by Catholic missionaries in the Far East. Furdek's youth panel of scholarship winners (39 young men and 2:5 young women) is a fine representation of Jednota's honor students of the past year. Paul Berish in his Relevant contribution finds fault ... and rightly so . . . with the mishandling of facts about the Slovaks and their history by American journalists, newsreporters, and even socalled editorial writers and historians. �SLOVAKIA sodes around the fireside after the evening chores are done, but members of a definite economic class that is an asset to the country and its people. Even the Croatians, by exception, get a boost in this year's Furdek as Father Wuerl recalls the 1,000th anniversary of the feast of St. Blaise, celebrated in the town of Dubrovnik, Croatia, on February 3, 1972. Paul Berish uncovers the 'hidden life of Brother Rudolf' over a span of fifty years as a tailor in the service of the Lord in the tailorshop of a monastic Redemptorist community. Salt in Slovakia has been a rich commodity for Slovakia and neighboring states in central Europe for many centuries. Solivar, near Pre~ov, continues to mine salt to the present day by modern methods and techniques. Michael Kurak of the Holy Trinity Slovak parochial school in Yonkers, N. Y. tells the world he is a Slovak . . . and proud of it! Father Robert Terentieff is presented by Dr. Michael Simko to our readers as an artist, teacher, dramatist, zealous shepherd of souls and preserver of Slovak customs in Connecticut. The pictorial contribution of Paul C. Fallat, Slovak artist, on an important phase in the life of Father Hlinka who was 'a fearless fighter for Slovak freedom' is an atractive re-enactment of the highlights of the Slovak leader's dynamic career that helped win the struggle for the Slovak nation's political freedom before World War II. American and Canadian Translators of Slovak poetry by Dr. J . M. Kirschbaum, Slovak diplomat and writer, not only touches upon translations of Slovak poems but lists a considerable number of 195 translations from Slovak prose. Included in the list of translators with such world known personalities as Bjornson, Seton-Watson and Denis are W. Kirkconnell, J. Vajda, I. Kramoris, M. Sprinc, K. Strmen and Sister M. Tybor, SS.C.M. The Tool Box by Alvin Lehar brings to light an amusing incident in the early life of Stan Sladek, a Slovak professional football player from the Bronx in the 1950's and 1960's. Dorothy Day, the 74-year-old Catholic social worker, speaker, publisher and activist during most of her lifetime, is given tribute by Joseph McLellan who characterizes the remarkable champion of social justice and evangelical poverty as 'a prophet of Catholic social concern.' Dr. Kirschbaum attempts to sift the truth from falsehood in the conflicting accounts involving the creation of the Slovak Republic on March 14, 1939 . . . almost six months before the German invasion of Poland started the war. Australia beckoned several thousand freedom-loving Slovaks to seek their livelihood there after their country was locked up behind the Iron Curtain. Approximately ten thousand Slovaks in exile are found in southern Australia. Father Matthew Jankola (founder of the Religious Order of SS. Cyril and Methodius in Danville, Pa.) has a proper evaluation of his lifework in the biographical sketch of Daniel Tanzone, young Slovak writer. Another promising young Slovak writer, Michael J. Krajsa, rightly gives credit to our early American Slovak leaders for establishing fraternal societies, churches, schools and social-cultural centers that flourished in their time. Krajsa concentrates on the story of the Jednota primarily. �196 SLOVAKIA Interspersed throughout the volume are short poems, designed no doubt for inspiration as well as variety . . . these adequately fulfill their purpose. Rt. Rev. Jerome Koval, 0.S.B SLOVAK PIONEERS IN AMERICA Jozef Pauco, Ph.D. Slovenski priekopnici v Amerike (Slovak Pioneers in America). First Catholic Slovak Union, Cleveland, 0. , 1972. 358 pages. Illustrated. $4.95. Slovak Pioneers in America (Slovenski priekopnici v Amerike), from the pen of Dr. Joseph Pauco, is another publication of the Jednota Press of the First Catholic Slovak Union. The book is dedicated as a living witness to the staunch and lasting accomplishments of those Slovak pioneerspriests, religious and laity-who with their whole being stood in the service of the American Slovaks. Many made outstanding cultural and literary contributions that have become part of the lasting treasury of America's worth. On these factual pages, the author and the First Catholic Slovak Union fulfill an obligation which is due to Slovak nation since it gave to America fully one-third of its people. These immigrants filled all facets of American labor and pulled themselves up from the mines, the iron pits and steel mills to the ranks of Generals, professional men, and business men, but most of all they led their people to be loyal citizens of their new country, the United States of America. It is in this vein that Pauco presents his new book Slovenski priekopnici v Amerike. When the book is translated into English, the third and fourth generations of American Slovaks will be able to fully evaluate all the accomplishments and contributions of their pioneer parents and grandparents-not only what they did for them, but for the over three million American Slovaks and for the whole of America. Pauco's work required serious research and documentation. In an objective manner he credits the life and works of the pioneers and categorizes them in their proper niche in the history of the American Slovaks, in America and the Slovak nation. He presents those leading pioneers who played the greatest role in the cultural field; those who organized fraternal societies, parishes, schools, and religious orders; those who preserved the literary culture with the publication of newspapers and books; and those who were fired with the ideal of liberty that even permeated to Slovakia. It was the American Slovaks who initiated the movement for an independent Slovakia prior to World War I. They were proud of the document known as the "Pittsburgh Pact" which became the platform of the political party in Slovakia seeking autonomy for the Slovak people. This was a unique display of cooperation and a symbolic gesture between the Slovak nation and the emigrated American Slovaks. Father J oseph A. Gajdosik, Supreme Chaplain of the First Catholic Slovak Union and Chairman of its Literary Committee-himself an eloquent and gifted writergave a few thoughts concerning Pauco's new book as he remembered reading the installments in the Jednota. "The stories of the Slovak pioneers are very provocative, enlightening and very stimulating. They reveal the joyous faith that the Slovak pioneers had, which in �197 SLOVAKIA turn motivated them in their endeavors to better their lives, and help assure a better future for their loved ones, and for Slovaks in general. The realism that FAITH has many faces is beautifully depicted in the lives of the many characters who appear in the Priekopnici! "The lives of these pioneers communicate the personal and devoted consecration to the Slovak motto of living for God and People, to such a degree, that undoubtedly young adults of the second, third, etc., Slovak generation, who perhaps have difficulty of choosing a career, will be aided by the publication of this book to select a career, which will fulfill their vocation for life. "The 'Slovak Cause' is no longer a hot issue in the average life of an American of Slovak ancestry, in fact, I find a reversing trend. However, if this book can make one cognizant of his Slovak origin, it may serve to help one gain heights which otherwise would be out of bounds, e.g. Michael Novak, and his noted book The Rise of the Unmeltable Ethnics. "Pauco's book is one sure way to arousing interest in the Slovak heritage on a personal and individual basis, especially among our younger people. Hopefully, an English translation will be made in the near future, so that devotion to the Slovak ethnicity will be fostered. "The book should bolster Dr. Joseph Pauco's strong thoughts about the termination and death of the Slovak language in the United States. The book is also a warning to our fair-weather-Slovaks, who claim that they received little if anything from their Slovak ancestors, for it teaches that much Slovak affluence and prestige is di- rectly the result of the conduct and work of our pioneers. "It behooves our brethren who are ashamed of their Slovak ethnicity, to study their history, and learn how everything they have was given to them, and that they should give themselves for others as our pioneers did. The ultimate lesson is that we, Americans of Slovak ancestry, should foster and serve the Slovak cause and ideal, at least as much, if not better then our pioneers in early America." Dr. Joseph Pauco came to the United States 22 years ago. He earned his doctorate in Philosophy at the Slovak University in Bratislava. As a historian and journalist, he has dedicated himself fully to the service of the American Slovaks. He has spent all his time in the United States on the editorial staff of Jednota, the Catholic Weekly of the First Catholic Slovak Union. He is also the publisher of the oldest Slovak newspaper in America Slovak v Amerike (American Slovak) and is a contributor to many other periodicals. He is the author of over 20 books, mostly dedicated to the life of the American Slovaks, including the history of the First Catholic Slovak Union and the lives of Fr. Stephen Furdek and Fr. Matthew Jankola. His many hundreds of articles, especially the column "Slovaci a ich zivot" (Slovaks and Their Life ) in Jedno ta, systematically record the accomplishments and efforts of the American Slovaks and their institutions. Slovenski priekopnici v Amerike is in itself a pioneer book. Nothing to date has been published in such documentary detail about American Slovak pioneers. The First Catholic Slovak Union is proud to publish this vital literary work of Dr. Joseph Pauco. Joseph c. Krajsa �198 SLOVAKIA JANKOLA'S CENTENNIAL Jankola centennial Books.-Pamiitnica 100-ho vyrocia narodenia Otca Matusa Jankolu (1872-1972). - Jankola Book. Honoring the Centennial of the Birth of Father Matthew Jankola (1872-1972) Both of these books were prepared and published by the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius, collaborating at Jankola Library in Danville, Pennsylvania, July-August, 1972, under the chairmanship of Sister M. Martina Tybor. The historian of the future who undertakes a study of the history of the Slovak people will inevitably reach out for the most objective of resource materials available. And it is just such a balanced, such a level and extraordinary objective and tastefully factual contribution that has appeared this year as an enrichment in the specific field of Slovak-American immigrant chronicles. The work consists of two distinct volumes, one in English and one in Slovak (similar but not identical in content), delineating the life and the achievements of Father Matthew Jankola, pioneer SlovakAmerican priest and patriot, who was a leader, educator, writer, and the founder of the American community, Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius. This eminently commendable publication project was endorsed and sponsored by Mother M. Valeria Romanchek, Superior General of the congregation, and it became a reality only by reason of the dedication, diligence, and scholarship of the Sisters who were fittingly associated with Jankola Library in this undertaking. Jankola Library is directed by Sister M. Martina Tybor and under her chairmanship there evolved an editorial committee consisting of Mother M. Emerentia Petra~ek, Sister M. Lilliana Kardo~, Sister M. Consuela Gregorovic, Sister M. Philomena Abbick, Sister M. Tarcisia Gregorovic and Sister Donna Marie Ivanko. By their personal effort and professional talent these Sisters worked to contribute every aspect of the publication: the researching and compiling of data, literary composition, technical composing and preparation of copy, multilith reproduction, collating and binding. Susan Oravec of Peckville, Pa. designed the artistic and becoming cover portrait, and photography was done by Joseph McGlinn of Danville and John Gre~kovic of Olyphant, Pa. The books credit items of information etc. contributed by Sisters M. John Vianney, M. Eileen McCoy, M. Regina, M. Bernardine, M. Raphael, and M. Yolanda. Each volume consists of 134 pages, is fully protected by copyright and is dedicated to the memory of the esteemed Founder of this American community of sisters whose prime apostolates are teaching and caring for the orphaned and the aged. The sisters thus express the gratitude which is justly due to Father Jankola not only by this community but by all the Slovak people both in this country and abroad, especially for his priestly zeal in promoting spirituality and culture, for his selfsacrifice on behalf of his fellowman, his leadership and vision as well as his determination to better the lot of the Slovak immigrant in America. The opening pages of each souvenir book contain commemorative poetry of high quality. The text also includes rich and informative articles such as a biography which cover the fruitful work of Father Jankola's lifetime of less than fifty �SLOVAKIA years, a historical survey of the founding of the community and reminiscences of some who knew Father J ankola well. Another important contribution in these books is the descriptive account of Jimkola Library at Danville, Pa., its holdings, areas of service, prospects, etc. Of special interest is a picture of Father J ankola's two surviving sisters, Mrs. Irma J ankola Srbova and Mrs. Luisa J ankola Sopkova of Slovakia, together with a reproduction of the congratulatory lines which they sent to grace the centennial celebration. As a special supplement in each book are the news reports and 199 photographs which record the centennial observance and the Jankola Exhibit of Memorabilia held at Danville on August 13, 1972. The news accounts were prepared by Dr. Joseph Pauco, Slovak journalist and editor, and by Rev. Augustine J. Zan, Chaplain at Maria J oseph Manor. These unique books creditably record the work of Father Jankola and honor him worthily for the legacy which he bequeathed to the Church, to the Slovak nation and to his adopted country, the USA. Although this is a limited edition, copies are still available at J ankola Library, Danville, Pa. 17821. Rev. Augustine J. Za n Annual S L O V A K I A is published by the Slovak League of America, 313 Ridge Ave., Middletown, Pa. 17057. Subscription $3.00. Editor: Joseph Pauto, Ph. D. Editorial Board: Draga 0/vlnska, Louis Kandra, Joseph M. Kirschbaum, Ph.D., Joseph A. Miku§, Ph. 0., Fr. Andrew Pier, O.S.B., M.A., Daniel F. Tanzone, M.A., Sister M. Tybor, SS.C.M., M.A. �SLOVAKIA 200 Contents The Slovak Word Abroad - Gorazd Zvonicky - 3 Twenty Years of the Slovak Institute in Cleveland - Joseph Paufo,Ph.D. -16 The Inflectional Morphology of Standard Slovak: A Descriptive Analysis John Michael Kochik, Ph:D. - 24 The Ethnical Philosophy of nudovit Stur - Stefan Polakovi~ - 29 Fortieth Anniversary Canadian Slovak League - Edward J. Behuncik -48 Youth in Search of Slovak Identity and Pride - John Llhani, Ph.D. -53 A New Phase in the Socialist Economic Reform - V. J. Hurley - 57 The Renaissance of the Slovak American Literature - P. O'Reilly - 66 Cultural Revival of American and Canadian Slovaks - Jozef Paufo, Ph.D. -72 Dr. J. M. Kirschbaum - F . Vnuk - 82 Select Bibliography of Foreign Language Writings by Prof. J. M. Kirschbaum - 92 Evaluation of Dr. Kirschbaum's Writings by Critics - 101 /Diplomatic and Consular Relations of Slovakia with Neutral States - J. M. Kirschbaum, Ph.D. - 111 Mother M . Emerentia Petrasek - 123 The Declining Democratic Facade: Czecho-Slovakia 1948-1960 - S. J.B. -129 Youth, Our Hope - Pavo! 0 . Hviezdoslav - 140 Ethnicity and Research - Dr. Steven I. Miller - 141 Ethnics Work Hard - Msgr. James T. McHugh - 153 The American Political Question - Edward M. Zelenak - 155 Current Issues - 158 As Others See It - 170 Book Reviews (J. M. Kirschbaum - Books on Slovakia - Galla Golan: The Czechoslovak Reform Movement - Wolfgang Venohr: Aufstand fiir die Tschecho-Slowakei - Slovak Studies, Volume Vlll and IX - Joseph Vravrovic: L'oecumenisme et le panslavisme de l'abbe Jean Palarik - Milan S. f>urica: La Morte di M. R. Stefanik Alla Luce Dei Documenti Militari Italiani Inediti - Michael Novak: The Rise of the Unmeltable Ethnics - Slavs in Canada, Vol. III - Jaroslaw A. Piekalkiewicz: Public Opinion Polling in Czechoslovakia - Milan S. f>urica (Ed.): II Mondo Slavo, Vol. Ill; New Collections of Slovak ~migre Poetry - Rudolf Dilong: IIladny vetrik - Jan L. Doransky: Od splnu po zatmenie - Rudolf Dilong: Pomikam chlieb so sol'ou - Jan Okal': Cielito Lindo Jan E. Bor: Eugen Vesnin; Books on Jews in Slovakia -reviewed by Dr. Arved Grebert - (Ed.): The Jews of Czechoslovakia Alexander Schreiber: Hebriiische Kodexilberreste in Ungarliindischen Eibandstafeln - Karl Baum: Nazi Anti-Jewish Legislation in the Czech Protectorate - Jednota Annual FURDEK reviewed by Rt. Rev. Jerome Koval, O.S.B. - Jozef Paufo, Ph.D.: Slovenski priekopnici v Amerike (by Joseph C. Krajsa) - Jankola Centennial Books (by Rev. Augustine J. Zan) - 174 �Our Contributors Gorazd Zvonicky - poet, professor, Rome, Italy author, historian, Middletown, Pa. Joseph Pauco, Ph.D. - assistant professor of Czech and Russian, University of Nebraska, Lincoln John M. Kochik, Ph.D. - former professor at the Slovak University, Bratislava, Slovakia, now in Argentina Stefan Polakovic, Ph;D. - attorney-at-law, Stratford, Conn. Edward J. Behuncik - professor of Hispanic Linguistics, University of John Lihani, Ph.D. - Kenrtucky Francis Vnuk - historian; professor, Institute of Technology, Adelaide, Australia Joseph M . Kirschbaum, LL.D., Ph-D. - historian, author, Toronto, Ontario Pav ol 0. Hviezdoslav - noted Slovak poet Sr. M . Martina Tybor, SS.C-M. - teacher and author, Danville, Pa. assistant professor, Sociology of Education, Loyola University, Chicago, Ill. Dr. Steven I. MiUer - Msgr. James T. McHugh - diocese of Harrisburg, Pa. Edward M. Zelenak - musician, college student, Detroit, Michigan Dr. Arved Grebert - former Slovak diplomat, now in Switzerland Rt. Rev . Jerome Koval, O.S-B. - Abbot, St. Andrew's Svorad Slovak Abbey, Cleveland, Ohio Joseph C. Krajsa - Editor, Jednota, Middletown, Pa. Rev. Augustine J . Zan - author, Danville, Pa. V . J . Hurley; P. O'ReiUy and S. J. B. - Slovak American students �PRI NTI D IN U.S. A. JIDN OTA PlllN TER Y, MID DLli TOW N, PA. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1973, Vol. 23 Description An account of the resource Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document 158 SLOVAKIA CURRENT ISSUES ·Proclamation Adopted by Sf oval< League of America CHICAGO, ILL. - MAY 27, 1972 Assembled in the Congress, the delegates to the 43rd Biennial Congress of the Slovak League of America, unanimously adopt this resolution: 1. The Slovak League of America will continue with all its energies to support, to advance and to spread the doctrine of self determination and freedom for all nations, as these are principles espoused by our own United States of America. 2. The Slovak League of America will continue with its cultural and civic programs, by means of its scholarships and other undertakings. Thus, we will better inform the free world, especially here in our own country, of the centuries-old aspirations and rights of Slovak nation. We feel these rights will be best enjoyed in some type of European federation or union in which the citizens of a free and independent Slovakia will decide their own destiny. 3. In furtherance of the above goals, the Slovak League of America will continue to work closely with all Slovak organizations, publications and institutions everywhere; thereby giving moral, financial and practical support to the aspirations of more than three million Slovaks torn away from their native soil, as well as to the downtrodden brethren in subjugated Slovakia. 4. As one of the founders of the Slovak World Congress, the Slovak League of America endorses the program of the Slovak World Congress and make available to it all its powers and resources. SLOVAKIA 159 5. The Slovak League of America makes special request to all Slovak groups to appeal to the Slovak youthfor they are our future-without them the Slovak cause, especially here in the United States of America, will not long endure. 6. Finally, we solicit the continued sacrifices and dedication of all Slovak-Americans and American-Slovaks, fortunate enough to enjoy the freedom and privileges of our great Country, so that in our hopes for peace to men of goodvill, our subjugated brethren, may in God's good time likewise enjoy such freedoms. THE SWVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA Edward J. B eh u n c i k, President Joseph Pa u co, Secretary MEMORANDUM of the Slovak Catholic Mission in Australia Director-General UNESCO Place De Fontenoy Paris vrre France Dear Sir: The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has proclaimed the year 1972 as "International Book Year". This is a worthy undertaking and deserves every good success, but it is to be regretted that not all of mankind is in a position to freely participate in it. \ rticle IX of the Charter of the Book states: "The free flow of books between countries is an essential supplement to national supplies and promotes international understanding." 168 SLOVAKIA Contrary to this statement and the current year program of UNESCO is the practice of the Government of the Czecho-Slovak Socialistic Republic and the Governments of other countries under Communist rule and culturally dominated by Moscow. These countries discriminate in the exchange of books and printed matter in general. While the free world is flooded with propaganda and literature issued by the Soviet Block countries, there is great discrimination in the Communist countries against literature published in the free world, and into CzechoSlovakia the entry of religious and the like books is actually prohibited. This is being done in spite of the fact that Communist Block countries are members of the United Nation organization and are signitories of the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The purpose of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization according to its constitution is "To contribute to peace and security by promoting collaboration among the nations through education, science and culture in order to further universal respect for justice, for the rule of law and for the human rights and fundamental freedoms which are affirmed for the peoples of the world, without distinction of race, sex, language or religion, by the Charter of the United Nations." The Slovak Nation, one of many enslaved by Communism, has a high regard for this noble objective of UNESCO but is prevented in carrying out its part in it. The purpose of this memorandum is to draw your attention to the plight in which the Slovak Nation has been placed by no fault of its own, and also to point out that the action required to remedy the ills of the systems dominating the life of Slovaks under Moscow supremacy is long overdue. The Slovak Nation is the oldest Christian Nation in Central Europe. Its country is Slovakia with a population of 4,542,098. This Nation is not in a position to exercise the rights as enumerated for every human being by the United Nations. At the time when the most fundamental freedoms of SLOVAKIA 161 mankind were announced by the United Nations, the Slovak Nation was stripped of them by the power of Moscow which marked the end of the Slovak Independent Republic, .and Slovakia was forcibly joined with Bohemia and Moravia in the Czecho-Slovak Socialistic Republic. By this arbitrary act the Slovak Nation was in 1945 deprived of the principle of self-determination affirmed by the Charter of the United Nations. Chapter I, article 1, paragraph 2 reads: (The purposes of the United Nations are) "To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and selfdetermination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace." The Slovak Nation is not free to choose its form of government and is ruled by the totalitarian system under the banner of international Communism. Consequently with regard to the objectives of UNESCO the Slovak Nation is not in a position to develop itself according to its Christian character and thus it is not free either to contribute to the cultural wealth of the human family or to enjoy its benefits. UNESCO holds that for the promotion of its activities, three of the rights, enumerated in the Universal Declaration are of outstanding importance: 1. "The right to education ( article 26) 2. "The right of culture (article 27) 3. "The right to freedom of information (article 19)". The Slovak Nation does not enjoy freedom to claim and exercise any of these rights. 1. Paragraph 2, of article 26 reads: "Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace." 162 SLOVAKIA Human personality can be fully developed when an individual enjoys the most fundamental freedoms such as: freedom freedom freedom freedom of speech, of belief, from fear, from want. The Slovak Nation enjoys none of these. The whole educational system in Slovakia is saturated with Marxism, which is contrary to the Christian character of the Slovak Nation. The promoting of tolerance is unknown to Communism which is disseminating hatred and it is disrupting unity on all levels of life. For Communism "peace" means the domination of private and public life according to the teaching of Marxism. According to paragraph 3 of article 26, "Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children." The Slovak parents are denied this right for in Slovakia there is only the Communist system of education. In 1945 Slovakia had 1887 Catholic schools. All of them were confiscated by Communists and the children of Catholic parents (also other religions) were indoctrinated in Marxism. 2. Article 27, paragraph 1, reads: "Everyone has the right freely participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and it..s benefits." In Slovakia culture, arts, science have been made servants of Communism and they have no value unless they are guided by principles of Marxism and unless they are designed for the promotion of Communism. 3. According Article 19: "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." 163 SLOVAKIA In Slovakia there is no freedom of opinion and expression. These have to be in conformity with Marxism. Ideas and opinions are usually communicated by books, newspapers, radio, television and public addresses. But in Slovakia, these medias are Communist controlled and are designed to promote militant atheism. What has been said about the situation in Slovakia, applies also to a lesser or greater degree to other countries under Communist rule, and while Communist propaganda and literature is freely distributed in the countries of the Western Democracies, the frontiers of the countries under Communist domination are virtually sealted to the printed word from the West. This especially applies to articles of a religious nature. This state of affairs is contrary to the spirit of the United Nations and is alien to the objectives of UNESCO. Its toleration would only strengthen the hand of international Communism and encourage all actual or potential dictators in their drive to enslave the rights and freedom of mankind. Having this in mind, we respectfully request that: a) You bring the plight of the Slovak Nation to the attention of the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization, b) the dignity of Slovaks be fully restored, so that the Slovak Nation can take an honorable place in the family of free Nations according to the spirit of the United Nations and aims of UNESCO. We trust that you will assist us in our request that justice be done to the Slovak Nation and so fulfill the principles of the United Nations and aims of UNESCO. Yours respectfully, Rev. Jan Krasnansky, s. V.D. Chaplain to the Slovak Community in Sydney Jan Secansky Sydney, August 1972 Delegate to the Religious Section of the Slovak World Congress 164 SLOVAKIA Ethnic Studies at C.C.N.Y. and the First Course on the Slavic American Heritage The City College of the City University of New York has long taken pride both in the achievements of its students and in the leading role it has played in recognizing and adapting to new ethnic and cultural developments in New York's multi-cultural and multi-national community. For many years C.C.N.Y. has ranked with Harvard and the University of California at Berkeley in the number of its graduates who go on for doctorates. This year The City College again took a leadership role by initiating the nation's first college level course on the Slavic American Heritage. Different ethnic groups at City College have long struggled for recognition and have broadened the college's involvement in the community by pressing for the establishment of new programs and courses more "relevant" to their ethnic backgrounds. In response to the students' demands at C.C.N.Y. in 1969, New York's Board of Higher Education authorized The City College to establish a Department of Urban and Ethnic Studies (UES) which would engage in both instruction and research. This department assists students in preparing for new careers in community leadership, public service, education, and work with voluntary agencies in urban areas. In September of 1969 the new Department of Urban and Ethnic Studies opened its doors with 183 students enrolled in two courses in Afro-American and Puerto Rican Studies. The following semester courses in urban and community affairs were added. During the second year the curriculum was expanded to include the beginnings of Chinese-American and Carribean Studies. From the beginning the Department of Urban and Ethnic Studies exhibited striking vitality and growth. The number of courses given by the Department rose from two (in the fall of 1969) to thirteen (in the spring of 1970) and then to twenty-three (in the spring of 1971). From SLOVAKIA 165 seven sections in the first semester it grew to forty-two in the spring of 1971, while student enrollment rose from 183 to about 1400. By Fall 1971, UES had been divided into three separate departments: Black Studies, Puerto Rican Studies, and Asian Studies. At the same time a separate department of Jewish Studies had been created. It became administration policy that an ethnic studies department could be established only if the particular ethnic group consisted of at least 5 percent of the student population at C.C.N.Y. Only the four ethnic groups listed above contributed this much. Others would have to be satisfied with basic courses only. At present, City College's four ethnic studies departments offer a total of over 120 courses; these are attended by more than 2300 students. Courses cover such varied subjects as "Asian Women", "Black Folklore", "Community Power Analysis and Research", "Political Modernization in Black America", "The Contemporary Puerto Rican Family", "Jewish Identity", "Jewish American Community", "Ethnic Leaders", "Field Work Experience in a Bilingual Environment", and "Creative Research in Urban and Ethnic Studies". Although hundreds of Slavic-American students attend The City College, they do not constitute 5 percent of the student body. Nonetheless many of them are eager to explore their ethnic heritage within the context of college study. America's Slavic-speaking population constitutes one of the most significant "white minority" groups in the country. Today, when all minority groups are trying to assert their contribution to the nation's growth, very little has been done to explore this group's history, culture, social problems and its struggle to maintain its identity in the United States. Systematic study of Slavic-Americans and their heritage is long overdue. There is a strong feeling of ethnic awareness among some members of the younger generation, there are also strong indications that the melting pot conception can not be maintained any longer and that America is beginning to recognize and appreciate the diversity of its ethnic elements in terms of a new cultural pluralism . .As Prof. Michael Novak puts it in his new book, The Rise of the Unmeltable Ethnics, "It is time for a new cultural pluralism 166 SLOVAKIA and a politics that requires this new cultural pluralism -one that draws from resources other than Anglo-Saxon history and values." The first course (being offered at City College), called Slavic American Heritage, is listed among the College's core requirements and is open to all interested students. The course is presented by Prof. Peter Goy and is being attended by 19 students. It is a survey of Slavic American Heritage. It attempts to explore the history of Slavic Americans. The course encompasses all Slavic-speaking groups in the country (Belorussian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Polish, Russian, Serbian, Slovenian, Slovak and Ukrainian, to mention a few) and includes a brief history of Slavs in the U.S.A. from the early XVII century to the present. It stresses their struggle for survival in the New World while emphasizing the participation of Slavs in American life and the role they have played in U.S. History. It expands upon current problems of identity and assimilation facing the younger generation. It takes into scope the Slavic historical background, characteristics of the Slavic population, economic conditions, religious conditions, education and contemporary literatures of the different ethnic groups. One of the aspects of this course is original research and analysis made by the students on various aspects of our contemporary Slavic groups, such as: Polish Ethnic Press, Ukrainian Scientific Institutions, Contemporary Ethnic Leaders, Czech Community in New York, Contemporary Slovak Women in America, Rhuthenians in U.S.A., Youth Organizations and the Impact of Assimilation on SelfIdentity, Bicultural Conflict and Synthesis, etc. In order to facilitate and further the original research of the students and faculty, a collection of a Slavic Contemporary ethnic archive and library materials is essential. Therefore, we would appreciate a donation of materials such as books, pamphlets, periodicals, newspapers, leaflets, films, etc, from all Slavic ethnic groups (Belorussian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Polish, Russian, Serbian, Slovenian, Slovak, Ukrainian and others) in the United States, a~ well as their organizations and patriotic individuals. We strongly believe that in the near future other colleges and universities, specifically those located in large SLOVAKIA 167 Slavic communities such as Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, Buffalo, etc., will accommodate their Slavic residents and open the door to the vast richness, resourcefulness and abundance of Slavic American Heritage. Professor P. G o y 201 Goethals Hall The City College of the University of New York New York, N. Y. 10031 What Did the Slovak Communists Want in 1968? Dr. John M. Kochik (A translation from the Slovak of Viktor Pavlenda's co chcu Slovdci published in Svet socializmu, No. 32, August 6, 1968 by Obzor Publishers, Bratislava.) "In January the movement was initiated for a democratic Czech and Slovak socialism which would be economically more dynamic, socially more just, ideologically more progressive, comprehensively more human,-making it more attractive than any existing socio-economic system. The movement for this type of socialism is fast developing across the country which two peoples and nationalities inhabit. From the very essence of this movement proceeds its most basically inherent feature, namely, the very democratization of the relationship between the two peoples, between them and the nationalities living among them, and between the nationalities living side-byside. However, should this essential element be disregarded the movement would become pseudodemocratic, despite the fact that one sector of society has been the ruling nation until now and is reputedly the most democratic. Therefore, the Slovaks have the complete right to formulate their national claims, while the Czechs have the moral responsibility of seriously considering and democratically accepting them in the new democratic atmosphere of thought and action. 168 SLOVAKIA What is the Basis of Our National Movement as a Natural Ri ght,-A Right Suppressed and Ignored in the Past? 1. A half-century should suffice for an elder brother to recognize the younger as thoroughly related, not adopted, without a stepmother, but having his same very own Czecho-Slovakian homeland. There could be no more fitting occasion to acknowledge this self-same truth than the fiftieth October-anniversary of governing together. 2. In its current history "something" always went wrong in the real autonomy of the Slovak nation. First, a word only about autonomy, later about all the remaining issues. We regard as our most natural and sacred rights the proclamation and recognition of the actual, genuine self-rule of our people. This presupposes the elimination, not only in words but in actual fact, of the present humiliating- position of Slovakia, and the providing of it with an equal opportunity of realization in all aspects of social life. 3. The road to a new, just solution of the relationships between our peoples should proceed through a politicaleconomic Czecho-Slovakian federation: an economicallyrational and nationally-just federation. Thus, we desire neither that kind of federation which would crush the Republic through a rigid control of the greater over the lesser, nor such as would shatter the Republic by indecisive free choice, one yelling 'To the left!', the other 'To the right!'. 4. The Czecho-Slovak federation should systematically transfer the inclusive spirit of the democratizing process as such into the living conditions of both nations and into the relationship between them. That means that, taken objectively, henceforth it would insure more intensively the acceleration of the process of raising the quality of conditions in realizing the Czech and Slovak labor potential both on the job as well as in life. But, simultaneously-and this indeed holds true for socialist society-it must accelerate the process of making conditions of realization of the national labor forces approach each other, and of further equalizing the comparatively large discrepancies in economic and living standards between Slovakia and the Czech regions . In these processes-the quality of conditions of utilizing the citizen as such and the relatively-equal utiliza- SLOVAKIA 169 tion of both peoples-we realize the sense o! an economically-rational and a nationally-just federation. 5. It is completely natural (especially from the experiences of their former development) that nowadays the Slovaks are not satisfied with promises nor with a referral to the good intentions of another even though be is one's very own brother, but they require the systematic guarantee of inclusive national autonomy in a federation. We visualize the starting-point as in a nationally-just pyramid of authoritative governmental bodies; national governmental bodies with original authority-federal governmental bodies with derived competency agreed upon by the national governmental bodies. 6. We wish to establish a federation and the functioning of federal governmental bodies upon three principles: economy, flexibility and effectiveness, and national justice. The realization of these principles are demanded so that federal governmental bodies would be numerically minimal with a small apparatus. We demand the nationallyjust activity of federal governmental bodies in: the prohibition of majority-rule in legislative acts, the equal structuring of the administration and applicable solutions (that is, the prohibition of majority-rule, parity, agreements) in the federal executive governmental bodies. We implore the second, Czech, party, that is the Czech citizen:-consider this matter in silence, without prejudice, and give an answer six times! It is not an expression most completely natural that from these six basic principles the Slovaks proceed, placing one bother on an equal footing with the other brother? Or, does someone wish to shout us down repeatedly with the renewed expression: "Co vlastne ti Slovdci chteji?" (In the original Slovak text this question is given in the Czech language and meaning "What do those Slovaks actually want?", note that this question relates to the title and theme of the article.-Translator's comment.) I will not cease being an optimist. I still believe that the answer of our Czech brother will be non-Antonine (A passible reference to Antonin Novotny, First Party Secretary and the President of the Republic, his regime, policies and character.-Translator's comment), different in substance from its present usage, and that it will be worthy to the development of the Czech people." 170 SLOVAKIA AS OTHERS SEE IT The Church in Czecho-Slovakia been forced into early retirement is very weak, but it will continue to make them scarcer. Yet, strange as it may sound, the to survive. There are 14 dioceses, but only two bishops. The govern- government is not suppressing rement will not permit any more to ligion altogether. Firstly, it is be consecrated, so 12 of the 14 afraid to do so. Secondly, the Comdioceses must function with a munist Party is split on the issue priest who serves as vicar for the of how much to suppress religion. diocese. The vicars are chosen Some argue that it must be persecuted as fiercely as it is in Red largely by the state. No Catholic schools are permit- China. Others say that if it is kept ted in Czecho-Slovakia, though two weak, it will gradually die out as seminaries are still functioning, Communism takes over. A third one for Czechs and one for Slovaks. point: Communist leaders for the There are about 150 in the Czech most part are becoming increasingseminary, not many for 10 million ly pragmatic. They persecute religion only in Czechs, most of whom are Catholic. There are about 200 seminarians a ritualistic way, paying lip service in the seminary for Slovaks, in to Communist ideology. They persecute it mostly inasmuch as it Bratislava. About 3,500 priests are active. constitutes a force outside of the Another 500 must work as laymen, total power structure they have since the government does not re- allocated to themselves. Absolute cognize them as priests. Approxi- dictators have always tried to permately 35 priests are ordained each secute religion and weaken it to year. Worst of all, most of the the point where it has no power, nuns have recently been confined unless they have the power in their to work as staff in mental institu- hands. The police are not much in evition. Had we a Catholic Anti-Defamation League in the United dence in Czecho-Slovakia. Nor are States, we could bring enough there Russian soldiers on the street. pressure to bear to stop such but everyone knows there are 80,000 Soviet troops stationed just abuses. Remember how Stalin used to 30 miles away. Everyone rememcall it "changing the guard" when bers how Moscow sent in 650,000 he had a purge of Party officials? troops in a great hurry four years It still goes on. Three hundred ago, to crush the "human face" thousand members of the Commu- type of Communism Alexander nist Party have been purged in Dubcek had tried to introduce. One of the first buildings I saw Czecho-Slovakia in the past four years. Forty per cent of the writers in Prague was a training school have been forced out of their pro- for future members of the Party. fession. Fifty thousand union mem- It is the Party members and they bers were purged. The remaining alone who get all the good jobs writers stick to the Communist and who run every facet of governline, attacking the clergy as "fas- ment. Membership is limited to cists" and "Nazi." A large percent- those the Party invites, such as age of the monasteries have been sons or friends of Party members, closed recently, and priests have or those who do not practice their SLOVAKIA religion and for other reasons appeal to the ruling class. Only Party members can be candidates in a system where to be nominated by the Party is a guarantee of "election." Only Party members can hold trusted position. Only they have all the power. Communists argue that if the whole world were Communist, there would be no wars. But Czecho-Slovakia is a direct refutation of that theory. The country was brutally invaded in 1968 when it tried to humanize its type of Communism. Nor is it true that Communism lessens crime. Any visitor to Czecho-Slovakia sees prostitutes walking the main streets at night. Cars are often stripped or stolen. Drugs are not a problem, though they are in Moscow. Alcohol, which we often fail to think of as a drug, is a huge problem in all those countries. Stealing stocks and bonds is not a problem. But stealing from the state is on a much greater scale than anything we can imagine. "The whole system," I was told repeatedly, "is built on stealing."-Father Dan Lyons. Twin Circle, November 10, 1972. VIENNA (AP) - Travel fo a Westerner may be occassionally troublesome, but this is nothing compared to the battle with red tape an East European traveler encounters, if he just goes from one Communist country to another. The Slovak Assn. of Journalists recently issued what it called "a recipe for avoiding difficulties with passport and customs control" which lists so many things to do that it might in fact discourage anybody from making the trip in the first place. The association's biweekly publication, listed the regulations applying in the various East Europe- 171 an countries, which in the case of the Soviet Union alone covered 21 lines. The hard-core measures are nearly the same in every East European country. Each wants to know who crosses the border, watches that not too much of its national currency is taken out, nor rare consumer goods which the East European countries prefer to sell in the West for hard currency. Red tape starts at home. Slovaks have to file customs and foreign currency declarations; in some cases they must also have exit permits. Anyone intending to take a gift exceeding $20 along must obtain permission. Anyone wanting to visit the Soviet Union or Poland must have a visa. Joining a tour of a state travel agency makes this relatively simple. But anyone who wants to visit privately must have an invitation authenticated by a Soviet militia.-Werner Olimann WAKE FOREST, N. C. (NC)Ethnic Americans are "neither angels nor devils" but an unusual combination of political liberals and old fashioned patriots, according to Father Andrew Greeley. The ethnic "believes that progress is possible and that change is desirable," Father Greeley told a conference here on Civil Religion in America. "If he is less likely now than he was 20 years ago to describe himself as a liberal, the reason is not that he is any less committed to change or any less sympathetic with the oppressed but simply that he has much less confidence in American liberalism now." The ethnics, Father Greeley said, "like the United States of America. The flag, the 'Star Spangled Banner,' the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the 172 SLOVAKIA Capitol building, the office of the presidency-all of these are admired symbols which together sum up the gratitude the ethnic feels for what the United States has made possible for him: freedom, dignity, comfort, security-things which his ancestors in the countries from which they fled or were driven would not have dreamt possible." Father Greeley, director of the University of Chicago's Center for the study of American Pluralism, said that members of ethnic groups are "less likely" than other Americans to favor the Vietnam war and, despite a tradition of anti-communism, they do not object to reapproachment with China or the Soviet Union." Members of ethnic groups, descendants of the most recent waves of European immigrants, have not been in America "long enough or achieved that level of security where it becomes easy to hate and despite the United States," the priest-sociologist said. "An appeal to the conscience of the ethnic against war and against injustice that is based on American patriotism has much better chance of being effective than one based on denunciation of America as a sick society, burning American flags, and ridiculing American institutions," Father Greeley said. Ethnics want to eliminate "hunger, misery, poverty, bad housing, bad education, and every other sort of social ill wherever is can be found in America," he said. "They supported the New Deal social reforms and have continued to vote for liberal congressional candidates who have extended and enlarged the New Deal." At the same time, Father Greeley said, ethnics place "a strong emphasis on the freedom and dignity of the individual person. A person should not be messed with or hassled by large bureaucratic agencies, be they governmental, labor, business, or ecclesiastical." Father Greeley spoke at a conference sponsored by the ~outhwestern Baptist Theological Seminary here and the American Jewish Committee. PITISBURGH-Tbey aren't the Same Old Steelers anymore. Just ask Gerela's Gorillas, Franco's Italian Army or the newly formed Dobra Shunka fan club. All those have been spawned by the success of the Pittsburgh Steelers, making a strong bid for the first division title in their 40-year pro football history. Gerela\s GO!fillas favor placekicker Roy Gerela, and rookie running sensation Franco Harris is the honorary commander of Franco's Italian Army. But what about Dobra Shunka? "That's Slovak for 'Great Ham,' " says Steeler linebacker Jack Ham, whose ancestors were European. "They're a great bunch of guys," Ham added. "Most of them live over in Port Vue, same as Gerela's Gorillas. You can't beat enthusiasm like that." Ham knows first hand the degree of Steeler mania. He's probably the only pro football player ever to get an ovation during a church sermon. "It happened at evening Mass the Sunday we beat Kansas City," recalls Ham, who attends St. Bernard's Roman Catholic Church in suburban Dormont. The monsignor was sermonizing on parish matters when suddenly he decided to switch topics and proclaimed from the pulpit, "How about those Steelers!" During the ensuing praise, he asked if Steeler vice President Dan SLOVAKIA Roomey, a member of the parish, was in attendance. Rooney wasn't but Ham was and one of the faithful stood up and introduced him as "Jack Ham-the Steelers great linebacker. " 173 "It was really something," recalls Ham. "They gave me a big ovation just like we were out at the stadium, I even stayed after Mass and signed autographs."( Associated Press) Astronaut Gene Cernan is of Slovak origin. His grandfather migrated to the U.S.A. from Vysoka, Kysuce region, Slovakia 174 SLOVAKIA BOOK REVIEWS BOOKS ON SLOVAKIA Reviewed by J.M. Kirschbaum The Czechoslovak Reform Move- of view. It also put into proper ment by Galla Golan, Cambridge, perspective the economic as well at the University Press, 1971, as political and national reasons for which young Slovak intellectuBibl., 334 pages. Among the dozens of books on als, all of them staunch supporters the de-Stalinization and liberation of the Communist Party, began to movement in Czecho-Slovakia, the rebel against the Stalinist system. present book by Galia Golan, Lec- There is no doubt that economic turer in Political Science and Rus- as well as political disparity betsian Studies at the Hebrew Univer- ween Slovakia and the Czech lands sity in Jerusalem, is one of the became intolerable even to Slovak most objective and best research- Communists. The spark for the ed works. Whereas many authors moment came, however, from the of books on the reform movement writers and intellectuals who cravin Czecho-Slovakia viewed the situ- ed for more freedom and could not ation from Prague and dealt with tolerate the injustice committed on the events mostly on the basis of so-called Slovak "bourgeois nationCzech sources (see our reviews in alists" who were freed from prisSlovakia for 1970 and 1971, and in ons, but not rehabilitated. The Slavica Canadiana A. D.1970), the Czech intellectuals joined the present book does not suffer from movement three or four years any anti-Slovak bias. The author later, in 1967 and 1968, and gave objectively analyzed the beginnings it the weight which paved the way of the reform movement from 1963 for the events of 1968. Unfortuto 1968, and recognized the role nately, it would appear that they which was played by Slovak writ- not only helped the movement to ers, journalists and politicians. As get momentum, but also pushed it a result, the picture is quite dif- to the extreme and in the end gave ferent from many other books on the Soviets a prete~t for the inthe subject. Because except for vasion. the books by Skilling, Shawcross, The book is an excellent survey Fejto, Lungi and Ello, the reform of the whole period from 1963 to movement in Czecho-Slovakia and 1968. It is divided into six chapespecially its last phase, was a- ters. In its Introduction the book scribed by Western observers and surveys the years 1956-1962 and analysts to Czech intellectuals and then it analyzes the revolt of the several books were published under intellectuals, the economic reforms, the title: The Prague Spring. In reforms in the social cultural some instances, even Dubcek's .role spheres, political reforms, the ewas played down and other Slovaks vents of 1967 and 1968. The author wei"e omitted or ignored. paid special attention to Slovaks Galla Golan's book is, however, in the second chapter, as well as obje<:tive not only from this point in Chapters V and VI. In one chap- SLOVAKIA ter the author analyzes specially the "pressures from the Slovaks and the youth." In the chapter on economic reforms, the book gives credit to the efforts of Dr. Eugen Loebl and to his plan for reforming the bankrupt economy. Other Slovak reformers, either in economic fields or in the political structure of Czecho-Slovakia are equally mentioned and so are Slovak periodicals, especially Kulturny Zivot and Slovenske Pohl'ady. Galia Golan seems to understand much better than other specialists in Eastern Europe the basic issues which separate Slovaks and Czechs and which dramatically came to the surface during the years 19631968. Trying to present an objective picture of the whole situation she avoided simplifications and, therefore, her book will remain as one of the best researched and scholarly written analysis of the attempts by Slovaks and Czechs to give Communism a human face. Wolfgang Venohr: Aufstand fii,r die Tschecho-Slowakei (Uprising for Czecho-Slovakia), Christian Wegner Verlag, Hamburg, 1969, bibl., ill., doc., 372 p. The War period of the Slovak history has been avoided for a long time in German historiography. Many more books were published in English than in the German language. When finally books on Slovakia appeared in Germany, they were written by historians coming not from Germany but from other Eastern European countries (Ludwig von Gogolak, Jorg K. Hoensch, Almar Reitzner) and the backgrounds of the authors influenced their attitudes and interpretation of the dramatic period of modern Slovak history. The book under review is the first one by a Western writer on the uprising which occured in Slo- 175 vakia in the Fall of 1944 and was presented until now only by memoirs or books written by the Communist participants, except for one volume of documents edited by V. Precan. Venohr's book does not agree completely with the Communist interpretation and sheds a new light on the bloody and controversial rebellion which was at least three times re-interpreted by the Communists themselves. There is no note on the author of the book and of his credentials. The work is comprehensive and refers not only to many printed sources but also to personal interviews with the Communist participants and officers of the Slovak army involved in the uprising. Interviews with non-Communist participants, even though some of them live in Germany, are missing. In view of the fact that the non-Communist organizers and participants of the uprising did not publish uptil now their version of the political aims and of the part played by the Slovak army or non-Communist population, Venohr's book fills an important gap. It is, however, very hard to say how far his interpretation is free of any bias, in spite of the fact that he states in his epilogue that he tried to avoid an ideological approach. As he says, the aim of his book was to "help the Slovaks to gain their international respect and develop brotherly relations built on equality of rights with the Czechs." At the same time the book should "serve to create a better understanding between Germany and Czecho-Slovakia." Venohr's presentation of the Slovak Republic and his survey of Slovak history would indicate that he endeavored to look at Slovaks without the usual bias which we can find in some Western and 17~ SLOVAKIA Communist history books. Throughout the book, there is an effort to avoid the negative attitude towards the Slovak struggle for independence. There is no a priori denial of bonafide actions and goodwill on the part of the Slovak politicians and in one instance the author even states that from the scientific point of view nobody can seriously speak about Fascism in Slovakia (p. 30). Nevertheless, on many pages of the book he uses the term "Klerikal Faschismus" ( clerofascism) coined by the Communists. Venohr accepted as valid the statement by President Dr. Tiso that the existence of the Slovak Republic will be of great importance for the future generations, but in his view the uprising is even of greater importance for historical claims of Slovak national identity. This is, of course, a debatable view but it sums up Venohr's attitude towards the uprising. From this premise, the author approached all the events and persons involved in the history of Slovakia from 1938 to 1945. The volume is composed of two parts. In the first part he writes about the independent Slovakia, the Slovak army until 1943, about the political opposition; the unwanted partizan war; the military conspiracy; the memorandum by General Catlo§ and the mission to Moscow by Smidke. The second part is entitled: "Occupation and Uprising." It contains six chapters in which the author speaks about military events of the uprising from the time Germany sent two divisions to fight the Soviet partizans. Their arrival, however, triggered off the uprising of the Slovak army units and led to events of historical importance. Venohr describes the battles in various parts of Slovakia with the Slovak army which was preparing an uprising against Germans independently of ,t he Soviet partizans, as well as the political aims of the whole uprising. It is mainly in this part of the book where the author differs from the Communist historiographers but it is to be regretted that he did not confront statements of the people with whom he had interviews with the writings and opinions of the nonCommunist participants who live in the West. He also failed to mention that the Communists originally aimed at establishing a Slovak Soviet Republic and not Czecho-Slovakia. In spite of this, Venohr's description and evaluation of the events seems to be much more objective and closer to the historical truth than the one-sided interpretation published in today's Slovakia by Communist writers, or by some Western historians who adopted the Czech or the Communist interpretation. His stress on the divergence of views between the Communists and military leadership on one side and the Bene§ Government on the other sheds a new light on the uprising whose final history is still to be written. The memorandum and the attempts by the Minister of National Defense of the Slovak Republic, General F. Catlo§, to come to an agreement with Moscow to save Slovakia of occupation is another important revelation in the book, since it has not been taken into consideration by Western historians. A number of documents attached to the book also enhance its value. However, in spite of Venohr's endeavor to be objective towards the leaders of the Slovak Republic, there are, of course, still some inaccuracies in his book which could have been corrected if the author SLOVAKIA had interviewed the emigre Slovak historians or political leaders. His survey of Slovak history also suffers accepting the Czech rather than the Slovak interpretation of the Slovak past. There is no doubt that Slovakia suffered a sort of social decapitation and lost their leading classes to Hungarian assimilation and policy. There was, however, Slovak national consciousness a long time before Stt'.ir's period and we can safely say that Slovak national renaissance started in the 17th century and the Bernolak group, which is not even mentioned by Venohr, deserves credit for the national awakening of the Slovak people. Economically, Slovakia also presented a different picture. Even with these shortcomings Venohr's book is, however, much closer to the historical facts and objective interpretation of the War period in Slovak history than . any other work published in the West, exept for books written by Slovak exiled historians who defe nd the right of the Slovak people to self determination and independence. vm and IX. · Historica 5-6, Slovak Institute, Cleveland-Rome, 1969, pp. 216 and 231, bibl., ill. Slovak Studies, Volume The recent volumes of Slovak Studies are an additional contribution to the research into. the Slovak history in ,t he English language. In comparison with the previous volµmes, the contributors are mostly from the younger generation and several of them from among Slovak intellectuals educa.ted at American universities. For this reason, both volumes also contain essays on American Slovaks. In view of the fact that there is no history book on the achievements and contribution of American Slovaks to Slovak national develop- 177 ment, these contributions are of particular value. The first volume contain four contributions: "The Role of American Slovaks in the Creation of Czecho-Slovakia, 1914-1918," by M. M. Stolarik; a study "Education in Slovakia" by M. I. Angelovic SS.C.M.; "The Quadrennial Reports of the Bishops of Nitra to Rome," by E. Bouydosh; and "A Short Survey of the Eastern Catholic Churches," by Prof. M. Lacko, S.J. To the second volume contributed Msgr. J . Rekem "Selected Chapters from the Slovak Cultural History"; F. Vnuk, a study "British Recognition of Independent Slovalda in 1939"; M. Tybor, "Fa_ther Matthew Jankola (1872-1916)"; J . J. Karch, . Slovakia Under Communism, 1944-1964"; Prof. M. Lacko, "A Historical Song from Eastern Slovakia" and "Camaldulese Red Monastery-Cerveny Klastor." All contributions are on the level of academic papers and point to new aspects and new knowledge of the Slovak past. From the historical point of view, the most relevant is, of course, the well researched and well written assay on British recognition of independent Slovakia in 1939 and Stolarik's M.A. thesis on the role of American Slovaks in the creation of Czechoslovakia, while from the cultural point of view the thesis on education in Slovakia by Sister .Angelovic and the essay on J ankola by Sister Tybor deserve particular mention. F. Vnuk's research into the British archives brought forth some very interesting information on the attitude of Great Britain towards Slovakia and many unknown documents which prove· that the Government of Great Britain and British diplomats had quite a different view of the Slovak problem than the Czech exiles, headed by Dr. 178 SLOVAKIA Bene§, made us believe and smuggled into Western historiography. It would appear from Vnuk's study that Great Britain was neither eager to recognize the Czecho-Slovak government in exile, nor believed to adverse reports on Slovakia, and that Slovaks needed only some good diplomats in London to put Slovakia and her striving for independence into a different light in the West. Vnuk certainly deserves recognition for studying the British archives because our knowledge of Great Britain's attitude towards Slovakia was very limited until now. Msgr. Rekem's contribution "Selected Chapters from the Slovak Cultural History" is a concise view of Slovak cultural development from the Middle Ages to the Bernolak period, written on the pattern of his previous studies either in English, German, or Slovak and, as usual, well documented. The essay would deserve to be distributed as a separate publication. M. Stolarik's contribution to the volume is an M. A. thesis and as such indicating that we can expect from the young historian further valuable contribution to the exploration of the history of Slovaks in the United States. His thesis is well balanced and based on research into the unknown as well as published sources, and enhanced by a useful bibliography. There is no need to write about Prof. Lacko's contribution since he has been an accepted authority on the subjects he writes about and his contributions are marked by thorough knowledge and originality. E. Bouydosh's contribution is a continuation of his previous research and writings and of interest for Slovak religious past. From - the Slovak point of view the contributions by the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius, M. I. An- gelovic and M. Tybor deserve special mention. It would seem that both contributions are M. A. theses or parts thereof. They are valuable not only by their contents but also by their originality and research into the unknown and unpublished sources. In view of the fact that scholars in today's Slovakia are not allowed to extend their research into the history of Slovaks abroad, both contributions are of particular interest for Slovak historiography. The essay by J. J. Karch "Slovakia Under Communism, 1944-1964" is a well written account but too short to give a complete picture. It would be useful if this theme could be enlarged in Slovak Studies by the author or other Slovak specialists in modem Slovak history. To conclude, we can say that both volumes honorably represent the efforts of Slovak intellectuals in the West to fill the gap of knowledge of the Slovak past among Western historians and students of Central Eastern Europe. L'oecumenisme at le panslavisme de l'abbe JEAN PALARIK, par Joseph Vavrovic; These presentee a la Faculte des Arts de l'Universite d'Ottawa en vue l'obtention du Ph.D. en Etudes Slaves, Ottawa, 1972, 470 p. The thesis under review is a mature scholarly work, apparently the result of a long and thorough research into the archives and published sources pertaining to the historical background and to the activities of Jan Palarlk, whose dramatic works survived until the present time, but whose ecumenism was forgotten and his panslavic ideas were over-shadowed by his famous countrymen: Jan Koll.Ar and L'udovit Stur. In view of tlle present trend in the Catholic SLOVAKIA Church, and the misuse of the idealistic panslavism by the Soviet Union, Palarik's 19th century ideas, for which he suffered persecution from the ecclesiastic superiors and was scorned by adherents of panslavism based on Russian leadership, are actual and timely and the thesis is, in many ways, an original work. The thesis is divided into three parts: historical background of the activities of Jan Palarik; the ecumenism of Palarik, and the panslavism of Palarik. In the first part the author of the thesis discusses the nationalist wave in Hungary after the Congress of Vienna, the insurrection in 1848 and the period of absolutism of Bach and the di· vision of the monarchy into the Austrian and Hungarian part. In part two, the thesis deals with the origins of Palarik's ecumenism, his activities as editor of the monthly Cyrill a Method and with the con·flict with his ecclesiastic superiors. Part three gives a survey of the origins of panslavism and draws a distinction between Palarik's idea of panslavism and that of Jan Kollar. Palarik's ecumenism stemmed from his concern for the Slovak people who were menaced by Magyarization and weakened by religious division. The Slovak Catholic clergy made many efforts towards uniting with Slovak Protestants in cultural and literary activities even before Palarik's time. Encouraged by J. M. Hurban's work on the union of Slovak Lu• therans with Calvinists in Hungary (Unia cili spojeni Lutheranu s Kalviny v Uhrach, Budin, 1846, 240 p.), Palarik took, however, a step further. He recommended also a religious union, basing his views on similar tendencies of Catholic theologians in Germany and France and insisting on it for patriotic rea- 179 sons. Palarik developed his national ecumenism in a series of articles published in the monthly Cyrill a Method of which he was editor. Supported by several other young Catholic clergymen who advocated not only the union with Slovak Protestants but also far reaching reforms of the Catholic Church in Hungary, Palarik came into conflict with the hierarchy and especially with the Archbishop-Primas Scitovsky. His progressive and democratic ideas gained him, nevertheless, many adherents amongst Slovak Catholics. Unfortunately, he failed to obtain an adequate response on the part of Slovak Lutherans and after Palarik had to submit to the Church authorities, the movement for uniting Slovaks in their religion slowly died down. In Msgr. Vavrovic's analysis it was nevertheless an interesting movement on the part of Slovak Catholics and Palarik emerges from the thesis as a well educated idealistic patriot concerned about the progress of the Slovak people and about the reform in the Catholic Church on much similar lines as have been accepted by the last Vatican Council. In his series on the necessity of union of Catholics with Lutherans in Slovakia, he referred to well-known contemporary theologians and fought for his ideas in prose as well as in verses to make an impact on the leaders and believers of both churches. Palarik's panslavism was generally as idealistic as Kollar's or Stur's concept of Slavic reciprocity. He differed, however, from them in his favorable attitude towards Poland and not only failed to advocate Russian supremacy and leadership but also insisted on the necessity of equality of all Slavic peoples. There are echoes of Herder's and Hegel's philosophy and prophecies about the role the Slavs 180 SLOVAKIA will play in the world in Palarik's panslavism, ·. even though he did not refer to them. From Stur who advocated . the acceptance .of the Russian orthodoxy · by all Slavic peoples Palarik also differed in religious respect by advocl;l.ting the union of all Slavs in the Catholic Church, referring to the words of Christ about "one shepherd and one fold." His defense of Poles who were subjugated by the Russians caused him criticism from other Slovak panslavists. Nevertheless Palarik deserves recognition for creating two concepts of panslavism in Slovakia, and the present Soviet domination of Slavic peoples proves that he was right in refuting panslavism based on Russian leadership and supremacy. Since Palarik has been known for the past 100 years mostly as a playwright and dramatist, whose works : Incognito (i858), D'rotar (1860), Smierenie and Dobrodruzstvo pri Obzinkach (1862), Dimitrij samozvanec (1870), have been played until the present day, the thesis by Msgr. Vavrovic contributes to the knowledge of Palarik's activities and ideas which make him one of the most progressive and democratic Slovak leader of the 19th century. In conclusion we can say that the thesis is a valuable piece of academic writing. In view of the role played by panslavism in Slavic literatures and in the awakening of Slavic peoples, the thesis will add to this movement a new dimension: the ecumenic idea and a new conception of mutuality among Slavs. The knowledge of numerous languages by the author and his intellectual training made it possible to shed light on both movements from various points of view: philosophical, theological and literary. He also presented the subject in a clear style and methodically well balanced. The author of the thesis used practically all relevant sources in several languages and displayed a thorough knowledge of ·the basic works on panslavism and ecumenism. At the same time, he seems to know all writings by and on Palarik as his numerous quotations and bibliography indicate. Editor's remark: The reviewer, Prof. Joseph M. Kirschbaum, was a member of the jury which examined the a:uthor at the defense of his thesis · and recommended its acceptance summa cum laude. Milan S. :i'>urica: La Morte di M. R. Stefanik Alla Luce Dei Documenti Militari Italiani Inediti, Collana di Studi Sull'Europa 0rientale, Univsersita Degli Studi di Padova, Padova, 1971, pp. 94. For the past fifty years, the mysterious death of. one of the co~ founder of Czec.ho-Slovakia, General Milan R. Stefanik, gave ground to various hypotheses and accusations and created dissensions between Czechs and Slovaks. While on the part of the Prague government Stefanik's death was attributed to an accident, on the Slovak side persisted the belief t];J.at Stefanik lost his life because Dr. Benes and also T. G. Masaryk disagreed with Stefanik's political views and wanted to prevent him from taking part in the political life of Czecho-Slovakia. The circumstances in which the aeroplane bringing Stefanik from Italy to his native land crashed near Bratislava favored the . hypothesis that the crash was due to an artillery attack ordered by an officer of the Czecho-Slovak army who allegedly mistook the Italian aircraft for a Hungarian one. Also the manner in which the SLOVAKIA 181 Prague government handled the investigation of the accident and fought the rumors and allegations accusing Dr. Benes of the responsibility for Stef{mik's death, helped to strengthen the belief that Stefanik actually was a victim of a political plot. Even though he was a member of the Czecho-Slovak government and his arrival was announced, there were no preparations for his reception and the archives containing the investigation records were kept top-secret during the whole existence of the pre-war Czecho-Slovakia. directly confirms the belief that Stefanik was the victim of a political plot. As all historical works by !Jurica, also the present one is well researched and well written. Its scholarly value is enhanced by references to practically all known books and articles on Stefanik's life and death, in addition to his own thorough research of Italian military archives. The essay was originally published in the periodical n Mondo Slavo of which Prof. !Jurica is one of the founders and editors. For the above reasons, the death of Stefanik attracted writers as well as historians. Professor :i'.>urica has reviewed in his publication riot only the circumstances of Stefanik's death, but also analyzed the probability of all hypotheses advanced in the past. In addition, he ~xamined for the first time the Italian military archives pertaining to the departure of General M. R. Stefanik from Italy to his native Slovakia. In the past, the life and death of Stefanik were usually treated on the basis of French, Slovak and Czech sources, memoirs, . and reminiscences. Professor nurica rightly considered it necessary to study the Italian archives and by doing so, he made a valuable contribution to the efforts of solving the mystery of Stefanik's death. He was successful in proving incorrect several assertions of the Prague government especially those concerning the meteorological conditions, the alleged inexperience of the pilot and the allegation that Stefanik's arrival was not announced before. As historian, :i'.>urica avoided pronouncing any firm conclusion as to which hyphothesis is correct but his research destroyed the Prague government's version of Stefanik's death and in- Michael Novak, The Rise of the Unmeltable Ethnics, The McMillan Company, New York, N. Y., 1972, pp. 321, Price $7.95. For the past four or five years, many American scholars expressed their doubts as to whether the United States became a "melting pot" or if that theory was just a myth. Several conferences of historical societies and sociologists and linguists suddenly discovered that America was a multi-cultural society and that the ethnic groups were not melted. The result of this academic discovery called the attention of the politicians and results in debates and finally in a Bill on Centers of Ethnic Studies in the Congress. However, neither the studies of sociologists and historians, nor the recent Bill of Schweiker and Pucinski are as palatable and, by their approach, as human as is the book by Prof. Novak. Besides being well researched, the book is a real confession and a deep reflection on the human structure of America of today, written in excellent style, placing the book between a work of science and a novel. The author is professor of philosophy and religious studies at the State University of New York at 182 SLOVAKIA Old Westbury and has to his credit the reader; his hardly ornamental ten books, mostly dealing with name for the ethnic groups "PIGS." philosophy, theology and Catholics. He also separates Poles from other Prof. Novak is a third generation Slavs, even though the Polish AAmerican Slovak whose conscious- mericans preserved some of the ness of ethnic background was a- most Slavic characteristics. wakened not long ago during the Novak's book is bound to shake presidential campaigns by Barry the conscience of many Americans, Goldwater and Governor George and will probably do so for a deWallace in 1966. As Novak writes cade to come. It may be worthwhile in his book, he was "alarmed by the for many American Slovaks to concleavage between the old WASP sider as to whether they should and the new technological con- actively join this new political sciousness" and "felt increasingly force. It would perhaps be good to uncomfortable with the condescen- do so not only for their own sake sion and disdain heaped upon and the United States but also for Catholics." So he found himself the country of their fathers and beginning to say "we" rather than forefathers-Slovakia. "they" when he spoke of ethnics (page 63). Since that time, Prof. Slavs in Canada, Vol. m, Compiled and Edited by Prof. Cornelius J. Novak made a thorough study of Jaenen, University of Ottawa, the ethnic problem in the United 1971, 348 pages. Price: $7.00. States, mostly in its psychological, sociological and political aspects. The third volume of Slavs in Due to his philosophical educa- Canada contains proceeding of the tion and writing talent, Novak Third National Conference on Cawrote in his book some of the , nadian Slavs held in 1969 at York most interesting insights into the ' University in Toronto. Professors life, aspiration and problems of the of Slavic Studies at various Canamany millions of Americans who dian universities organized in 1965 are neither WASPS nor Blacks. under the leadership of Professor It is a delight to read for instance B. Bociurkiw a committee whose his chapter "Confessions of a task was to study the problems of White Ethnic" in which he ana- Canadian Slavs. The committee was lyses some of the basic psycho- successful in organizing the first logical problems which various Conference on Canadian Slavs in ethnic groups, especially Slavs, and Banff, the second in Ottawa, and as far as religion is concerned, all the third in Toronto, attracting American Catholics, had to face many specialists in Slavic and ethfrom the time of their immigration nic studies. While the first and up to the present day. second Conferences were dealing Prof. Novak who has been a staff predominantly with the general member in several recent political problems of Canadian Slavs, the campaigns, envisages the "unmelt- third Conference was divided into able ethnics" as the new political six sections dealing with research, force of the seventies. politics and law, education, IanHe came to that conclusion as guages and literature, journalism a result of the study of numerous and folklore. Altogether 22 papers books dealing with present day were presented and discussed in America, as his many references those sections and the volume unand quotations indicate. There is der review contains the edited text one thing which bothers, however, of the papers. SLOVAKIA One of the most interesting studies in the volume is a volumi• nous paper on the ethnic identification and attitudes of university students of Ukrainian descent by Prof. B. Bociurkiw. His conclusions can apply to students of other Slavic groups not only in Canada but apparently also in the United States. Another paper of general interest was presented by Prof. V. Szyrynski on the subject "Ethnic Integration and Psychological Adjustment," while Prof. J . D. Gagnon from the Universite de Montreal gave his views about the position of immigrants in Quebec if that Province became independent 183 Jaroslaw A. Piekalkiewicz: Public Opinion PoUing in Czechoslovakia, 1968-69, Results and Analysis of Surveys Conducted During the Dubcek Era, Praeger Publishers, New York, Washington, London, 1972. The number of books which dealt with the political upheavals in Czecho-Slovakia in 1968, was so great that another book would seem superfluous. Some 60 books were published in the English language alone, and there were a dozen books in other West European languages. Nevertheless, the present volume on Public Opinion Besides these basic studies, the Polling will be very useful for hisvolume contains interesting intorians and students of Eastern sights into the Canadian education and minority rights, a study on the Europe. influence of the English language Its specific value lies in the fact on Slavic languages and the por• that it embraces the whole territory trayal of Canada's ethnic groups in of Czecho-Slovakia and pays attensome French Canadian novels. For tion to the relations between Slothe first time, the Conference paid vaks and Czechs which, in many attention to the ethnic press and other publications, was overlooked the papers dealing with the sub- or minimized. In addition, this book ject contained an essay on Byelo- expresses the opinions of many russian publications in Canada by Czechs and Slovaks and, as a result, A. A. Hrycuk, "The Ideological is not a write-up by an observer Orientation of the Canadian Slavic who was only partly familiar with Press" by J. M. Kirschbaum, and the problems and judged them on "Analysis of the Periodical Pub- the basis of his observations or lications of Canadian Slavs," by A. limited information received in Malycky. Prague. The book also seems to be free of the usual anti-Slovak bias, Some of these papers were of which we often find in political strictly scientific character while writings by Western historians and others contained general informa- specialists on Eastern Europe. tion or basic facts for further studies, and, therefore, the contents of The book is divided into 11 chapthe volume are uneven in their ters in which the author endeavorscholarly value. Nevertheless, the ed to find an answer to the quesbook is of importance not only for tion as to whether there was a acquainting Canadians with the revolution or counter-revolution; Slavic groups but it should also be what kind of socialism the Czechs considered as a valuable contribu- and Slovaks wanted to achieve; the tion to the general trend to build role of the existing non-communist Canada as a multi-cultural society. parties; the role of the National 184 SLOVAKIA Front, political parties and political opposition; popularity of individual leaders and attitudes on the economic system. _In conclusion, the author applied the findings to other communist states of Eastern Europe. The Slovaks resented their subjection aiid both physically and theoretically opposed the real or imaginary political, economic and cultum l dominance of the Czechs. With this dissatisfaction simmering throughout the years, it is not surprising to £ind that the 1968 Reformist Movement originated in Slovakia and was led by many Slovak individuals. It seems apparent...:....Concludes the author-that the Slovak · people viewed the Reformist Movement as an opportunity to gain . a real and equal autonomy within the Czechoslovak Federal system." If we take into consideration that all polls display flaws and inaccuracies, we could question s·ome of the results of the polls which the . author organized in Czecho-Slovakia and based thereon his conclusions. Nevertheless, his book seems to be closer to the real situation and feelings of the Slovaks and Czechs than the works of According to the polls, 94% of many observers who relied on more limited information either in per- Slovaks expressed the opinion that sonal contacts or printed sources. there was a· need for a new form of relationship between the Czechs One of the topics of interest for and Slovaks. Contrary to the opinSlovaks in this book is unboubtedly ion of other writers on the upheav"the traditional conflict between als in Czecho-Slovakia in 1968, the Czechs and Slovaks." This topic author also found a great number was treated in many books publish- of Czechs who supported the need ed in the West either inadequately for .a re-definition of the relationwith parti pris or else it was over- ship of Slovaks and Czechs within looked completely. In the view of the Republic. According to his the author "a discussion of the pub- findings, "of all the individuals lic's conception of the new politi- surveyed, only one out of 14 discal system in Czechoslovakia would agreed with the need for a ·re-definbe incomplete wi.thout considering ed relationship; This evidence the role and relationship of the says ,t he author-leaves no doubt two nations that composed the that the future realization of socialCzechoslovak Socialist Republic. He ist democracy . in Czechoslovakia dwelt, therefore, on this problem was to include a democratic and and found out that "historically, equal relationship between the the post-war communist govern- Czech and Slovak peoples" (pp. ment in Czechoslovakia closely fol- 110-112). There is no doubt · that lowed the one-nation philosophy about the same ·number would opt outlined in 1918 by ,t he founders for independence; if Slovaks had of Czechoslovak Republic. Urider full freedom of choice. this theory the Czechs and Slovaks were a single nation divided not by Milan S. f>urica (Ed.). Il Mondo ethnic differences but only by disSlavo, Vol. ni Ceseo, Centro similar historical patterns of deStudi Europa Orientale, Padova, velopment. These two peoples were 1971. to be bound together in a unified While in Slovakia books dealing state· under which the Slovaks enjoyed only a minimum autonomy. wrth Slovak culture, history, liter- SLOVAKIA ature or philology are still directed predominantly towards Eastern Europe, Slovak intellectuals in the West have the duty to fulfill the gap which has been created by separating Slovakia from the free world. Among Slovak intellectuals in Europe Prof. Milan s. :Ourica distinguished himself by performing this role not only by his books and lectures in Western European countries, but since 1969, by editing the Italian academic periodical n Mondo Slavo (The Slavic World). In all three volumes of the periodical, which appeared until now, the contributions . on Slovak matters contain valuable information on history, language and culture of the Slovak people. The first volume, published in 1969, contained a well-written survey on the development of the Slovak literary language during the past 50 years by Adriana Feriencikova, and an article on Italian artizans and merchants in Slovakia in the 18th century by Anton Spiesz. In the second volume, published in 1970, Lisa Guarda Nardini analyzed the political and social doctrine of the late Slovak President, Dr. Joseph Tiso, under the title "Ideological Premises of Czecho-Slovak Federalism." In the third volume, Prof. Milan S. :Ourica, published some unknown and very interesting military documents from Italian archives about the death of M. R. Stefanik. (The essay is available also in a reprint and has been reviewed separately in Slovakia). From the Slovak point of view all these contributions are of special value. Not only for the reasons that under the present regime in Slovakia cultural contacts with the West are practically non-existent, 185 but also for the fact that there are still many misconceptions about Slovak culture, language and history among Western Slavists. The essay on the development of the Slovak literary language during the past 50 years by A. Feriencikova has also the merit of being well researched and containing all the basic facts and sources which can put the development of the Slovak language into proper perspective. In spite of many efforts of Slovak intellectuals in the West, historl still lln-·1 ...n th ans 5.....,.., or ere ~ 1 who W?te about the Slovak as being a dialect of the Czech language. Studies on the subject in Western languages are, therefore, never superfluous. Since Slavic studies considerably developed in all Western countries after the Second World War, n Mondo Slavo will acquaint Slavists with Slovakia not only in Italy, but also in many Western countries. This can be expected all the more in view of the high academic value of all contributions and careful edition of the periodical by Prof. !>urica. Among the contributors there are in all three volumes known Slavists of Italian or Slav origin, teaching at Italian universities. While several periodicals on Slavic matters published in other Western countries deal mostly with Russian culture and literature, 1l Mondo Slavo has shown distinction in paying attention to smaller Slavic nations and their cultures such as Slovenes, Croats and Slovaks. Students of Eastern Europe will, therefore, welcome Il Mondo Slavo since it will provide reliable scholarly information on Slavic peoples which are either misrepresented or rarely mentioned in academic periodicals published in French, English or German languages. 186 SLOVAKIA NEW COLLECTIONS OF SLOVAK EMIGRE POETRY Rudolf Diloni, Hladn11 vetrf.k (Hun- poetic biography in short poems gry Breeze), Edition Polana, full of grace, imagination and deep feelings. The collection, as well as Zurich, 1972, 86 pages. the entire Dilong's literary work Jan L. Dorfmsky, Od splnu po za- in exile would deserve a thorough tmenie (From the Full Moon to analytic evaluation, and not only the Eclipse), Series Lyra, Slovak passing reviews as this one, to apInstitute of SS. Cyril and Meth- preciate fully his work. odius, Rome, 1972, 110 pages. Doransky's book From the Full Slovak emigre literature is grow- Moon to the Eclipse deserves our ing inspite of the fact that we are special appreciation because due to again cut off from Slovakia and the unfavorable circumstances in exile, assimilation of the younger genera- we know -only a very small pa1t of tions is rapidly progressing among his literary work. Doransky is a Slovaks abroad. It is, however, poet of considerable versatility, mostly the first wave of Slovak and besides many lyrical verses post-war emigres who still create and patriotic poems, he wrote in belles lettres, and not the writers Canada a drama called Stara mat', who left Slovakia in recent years neopust'ajte nas (Grandmother Do Not Leave Us Alone, 1953), sucfor Western countries. The two collections of verses cessfully played by Slovak groups under review are by poets whose across Canada. Before coming to reputations were established in Canada, Doransky had published Slovakia and who during the past a play called Novou cestou (On A two decades belonged to the best New Path, 1930), and a collection and most prolific Slovak emigre of satirical verses Slep£ pasazieri (Blind Passengers, 1943). writers. In exile Doransky's poetry was Dilong's Hungry Breeze is again personal lyrical poetry in which published in various anthologies: his talent and mastership remind Vo vyhnanstve (1947); Zdravica sv. us of pleasant spiritual vibrations Cyrilovi a M etodovi ( 1963) ; in litfull of color, joy, sadness, mixed erary periodicals and in almanacs with hope and faith. The book is and newpapers. In recent years his divided into four chapters, each epigrams, published either in the chapter starting with appropriate quarterly Most, Literarn11 Almaillustrations by Jan Mraz, a talent- nach Slovaka 11 Amerike or in ed graphic artist from the new newspapers and almanacs, became preferred reading among Slovak wave of Slovak emigration. While all chapters contain beauti- intelligentsia in the free world. ful lyrical poetry, readers will wel- Besides poetry, Doransky wrote a come especially Chapter 4 entitled: number of short novels and other Slovak Women (Album). Dilong prose contributions under the penpublished here some of the most name Hamornik and J. D. Oravee. Doransky came from a part of beautiful verses which we can find in modern Slovak poetry and in Slovakia which gave to Slovak litSlovak poetry in general, except erature and public life many outfor Mari na by Sladkovic. In the first standini poets and novelists. He three chapters Dilong dreams a- inherited a love for literature and bout his young years, his parents, began to write in his early youth, his native Orava. It is a sort of first for students' periodicals, later SLOVAKIA for literary and cultural monthlies. When the Russian armies over-ran Slovakia, Doransky with thousands of other Slovak intellectuals left with his family for the West. After spending a few months in Austria and two years in Assissi and Rome, he landed in Canada in 1949 and has lived in Montreal for the past 23 years. Very recently a collection of his epigrams was published with a lengthy commentary by F. Vnuk and enthusiastically received by critics and readers. Those who know Doransk:y are aware of the fact that the published epigrams are just a selection of the large number he wrote during his lifetime. We can say the same about the present collection of Iyrical and patriotic verses. They are also a selection from his many verses and we have to acknowledge that it is an excellent selection. The book is dd.vided into four parts and presents a spiritual profile of the poet and poetic sketches from his journey from Slovakia through Italy to Canada, as well as fine lyrical verses dedicated to his wife, daughter and grand-daughter. As in Dilongs's collection, the best part seems to be his chapter on Slovak women, in Doransky's book the finest verses are about his mother, and mothers in general. The title of the book expresses accurately the contents of the collection which certainly will rank among the best lyrical Slovak poetry in exile. A short biographical note was added to the collection by J . M. Rydlo and the cover was artistically designed by the poet's son :Cudovit In the opinion of this reviewer, Doransky deserves a thorough analysis and evaluation of his literary work in order that we may appreciate it adequately. 187 Rudolf Dilong: Ponukam chlieb so sol'ou-I Offer Bread and Salt, Translated by Sister M. Martina Tybor. Published by Dobra kniha 1971, Galt, Ontario, Bilingual, 151 pages. By publishing this bilingual collection of poetry in prose, Rudolf Dilong proved once more that he is the most prolific and versatile contemporary poet in exile. The number of books he published in Slovakia, which he left in defiance of her Communist rulers, as well as the number of books published during his long exile in Argentina and the U.S.A., is impressive and unrivalled by any other Slovak writer. Attracted by new currents in French inter-war Catholic poetry and surrealism, Dilong experimented in many poetic forms and due to his great love for life and gay temper, was the "enfant terrible" among the Slovak Catholic poets of his generation. The present book is another experiment in fo rm and contents and by publishing it in English and Slovak, it was the merit for acquainting foreign readers with an interesting sample of Slovak literature as well as with the author himself. Dilong's reputation as a poet was well established before he left his native country. Besides publishing 14 collections of poems, two dramas, and two collections of prose, he also was very active in organizing literary journals, and contributed practically to all Slovak cuttural periodicals and anthologies of Slovak poetry. In addition, he was either co-founder or editor of two literary periodicals Postup (193436) and Nove Slovo (1939-40). In exile he remained one of the leading and again most profilic poets. His poetry remained strongly nationalistic, deeply religious in essence but not homiletic in form 188 SLOVAKIA or content, humble and rebellious and usually expressed in beautiful images and practically varied forms. While several other Slovak poets did not find opportunities in exile to publish their works, Dilong's books were published in rapid succession. From 1950 to 1970 he produced and published some 20 books either in Buenos Aires, where he spent nearly 20 years of his exile, or recently in the United States. Many of his manuscripts perished together with his books, when Peron was burning churches in Argentina. As in Slovakia, his poetic production in exile has been varied in forms and themes but the basic overtones of a patriot and Franciscan friar, even if not following always the dogma and rules of his religious order, remained the main characteristic of his entire literary work in immigration. Some of his verses became hymns for Slovak exiles, recited on various solemn occasions and re-published many times in Slovak periodicals and newspapers. Several of Dilong's poems were translated into Spanish, Polish and French. With his great love for life and because of his patriotic zeal and fiery poetry, he became one of the most interesting figures among Slovak writers. Some of his first poems inspired by their contents and musical rhythm Slovak composers in their compositions, and several poems became songs of the Slovak youth, as well as of the Slovak army. The book under review is divided into three parts: The house will bleach to ash; Out of bounds without bounds, and Human hands. Each part contains a number of short reflective and highly imaginative poems in prose which compel the reader to meditate and think about our age, our neighbor, poverty, suffering, rebellion, smile; about our life and death, emotions and beliefs, about God and man. As such, it is a valuable addition to Dilong's work and to Slovak literature. Jan Okal': Cielito Lindo, Edicia Dobra kniha, Galt, Ontario, 1972, Illustration by J. G. Cincik, 65 p. For the past several years Slovak emigre poetry was enriched by a number of beautifully illustrated collections of verse by leading Slovak poets abroad. While some of the collections contained patriotic verses and personal lyrical poetry with Slovak topics, in other collections we find poetry inspired by the beauty of foreign countries in which Slovaks either lived or visited. Okal"s masterfully illustrated collection Cielito Lindo is an outstanding example of this new poetry, and it is not easy to say if the reader enjoys more the verses or the beautiful illustrations. In any case, there is a lot of artistic value and enjoyment for the reader and we cannot but feel a certain pride that in the modest circumstances in exile, Slovak literature can afford the luxury of such books. In a certain way, Jan Okal' deserves credit for introducing into Slovak literature this combination of poetry and visual arts. Already his first published collection George Janosik: A Carpathian Saga, published in 1953, and his chronicle in 13 poems entitled Kronika Slovakov (The Chronicle of Slovaks, 1954), were published in the same form. Then for a number of years, this gifted Slovak poet remained silent, except for publishing here and there verses in the literary journal Most or the Literarny Almanach Slovaka v Amerike. In SLOVAKIA 1970, appeared his colleetion of verses Vada a vino (Water and Wine), in which Okal' reminisced about the years spent in Italy and especially in Rome. The present collection is a sort of continuation of the book Voda a vino. This time he is drawing in his poems, usually not longer than one or two verses, beautiful images of places in Mexico. Jan Okal' is a gifted and refined poet, and we hope that he will continue to publish poetry of such outstanding taste and artistic value. Jan E. Bor, Eugen Vesnin - Un poeta Eslovaco en tierras Mediterraneas, Buenos Aires, 1972, 71 pages. Among Slovak intellectuals who assiduously worked in exile for the past 20 years in order to make Slovak literature known to the Spanish reading public, Jan E. Bor has been the most prolific. Either in his own writings or in translations, he published a considerable number of essays and studies on Slovak poetry and prose not only in periodicals but also in book form. The present essay on the poet Eugen Vesnin is one of his most recent publications. The publication is divided into eight chapters in which Bor analyzes Vesnin's poetry, his personality, the reaction to Vesnin's poetry by readers and literary critics either on the part of Slovaks or Italians who acclaimed Vesnin for his collection of verses in Italian 189 language. In the last two chapters Bor analyzes Vesnin's attachment to Etruria and his enchantment with feminine beauty. Bor writes on Vesnin's poetry with the usual skill and knowledge of literary science for which he was known already in Slovakia where he belonged to the best known literary critics of his generation. In exile he lowered sometimes his yardstick when writing on Slovak emigre writers and poets, but his erudition in literary science has been evident in every book and essay he had published during the past twenty years. The portrait of Vesnin in Bor's publication is not only favorable but also well balanced and presented in Bor's baroque style. According to Bor, Vesnin belongs to the best Slovak lyrical poets among Slovak emigre writers and enriched Slovak literature by many themes inspired by the beauty of Rome and the Mediterranean area where Vesnin has lived the past three or four decades. Several collections of Vesnin's poetry undoubtedly prove that Italy enchanted him, though many of his verses were written with patriotic overtones and "heimweh" for his native Slovakia. Since every book on Slovak literature in foreign languages is a valuable contribution to our efforts to acquaint the Western world with Slovak culture, we cannot but welcome the newest publication by Prof. Jan E. Bor. J. M. K i r s c h b a um THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA heartily commends all efforts of our governmental and other organs to ferret out and unmask all Communists and fellow travellers, as well as all persons and organizations who wittingly or unwittingly give aid and comfort to the conspiracy of Communism promoted by the Soviet Union. 190 SLOVAKIA BOOKS ON JEWS IN SLOVAKIA Reviewed by Dr. Arved G r e b e r t during the past several centuries. The first volume contains an especially worthwhile article in two parts by Dr. Lidia Rothkirchen, a member of the research staff of Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. Her contribution, "Slovakia (1848-1938)" presents a very keen and rather accurate picture of the history of Slovakia and the Jews in that country. Naturally, in all of the articles dealing with the law, religion, social organization, etc., the writers faithfully record the history of the Jews in Slovakia. The second volume contains the article of Rabbi Hugo Stransky who was a former chief rabbi in Zilina. His is an arresting chapter on "The Religious Life in Slovakia and Subcarpathian Ruthenia," Then, too, Frank Reichenthal's "Jewish Art in Slovakia" is a very interesting review by the former chief of the department of decorative art at the State School of Applied Arts in Bratislava from 1932 to 1938. Before emigrating to United States in 1948 he served as president of the Slovak Artists' Association from 1946 to 1947. This first volume contains Eugen Barkany's "Jewish Cemeteries in Slovakia" article by the late architect and builder ( 1886-1967) and co-founder of the Jewish Museum in Presov, Slovakia. Some of the artistic motives on the gravestones, the writer observes, show a definite influence of Slovak folk art, indicating a close, intimate relationship between the Jews and the Slovaks. Gertrude Hirschler's "The His- The Jews of Czechoslovakia, histori- Europe cal studies and surveys, edited by "The Jewish Publication Society of America," Philadelphia, and the "Society for the History of Czechoslovak Jews," New York, Vol. I, 5728-1968, pp. 583, Vol. II, 5732-1971, pp. 707. Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 67-12372. Up to the present time two volumes on the history of the Jews in Czecho-Slovakia constitute an unusually valuable contribution on the history of the inhabitants of that state. The Jews in Czech lands, in Slovakia and in Sub-Carpathian Russia (Ruthenia) made a vital contribution to the Jews in general but also to the history of the people in those regions, namely, the Czechs, Germans, Slovaks, Magyars and the Ukrainians. The authors of the various articles by their objective and calm tone do not digress from a strictly scientific analysis, even when the themes, which in their tragic dimensions and consequences, understandably provide the occasion for an outburst of wrath and recrimination. In this respect the work is extraordinary effective and convincing. In no way do the authors avoid sensitive subjects. They neither ignore nor sidestep realities that have frequently been used as pretexts for criticism by the enemies of Jewry. These they explain and place in special categories in the destiny of the Jews, for example, in the framework of the historical evaluation of central and eastern SLOVAKIA tory of Agudah Israel in Slovakia (1918-1939)" is interesting, too. Of course, in all of the articles ranging from studies of various movements, organizational life, religious welfare, education, art, etc., there is a large number of facts about the life of the Jews in Slovakia and their relationship to the local inhabitants, chiefly, the Slovaks and Magyars. The number is so great that it is virtually impossible to review them all but at least we have mentioned some of them relating specifically to Slovakia. Dr. Lidia Rothkirchen's "Slovakia (1848-1938)" deserves special attention. Her article in two parts covers 53 pages. A number of facts mentioned are known only by Slovak historians and experts. For instance, the writer states that in 1858 there were 308 Jewish schools in Hungary. Of this number 131, ie., almost 45%, were located in the Bratislava school district. Bratislava, therefore, was a very important center of Jewish learning in the kingdom of Hungary. Among the charter members of the Matica Slovenska (the leading cultural organization of the Slovaks in the last century) we find a number of Jews. When the government in Budapest gave orders to close down the Slovak central schools (junior colleges) in Revuca, Klastor pod Znievom and Turciansky Svaty Martin (all in Slovakia at the time under Hungarian imperial rule), two Jewish members of the Diet (Moritz Wehrman and Eduard Horn) spoke up and requested that the schools be kept open. Dr. Lidia Rothkirchen notes that before the Jews won equal rights in Hungary, the people of Liptovsky Sv. Mikulas elected Izak Diner, a Jew, as Mayor of the city. A number of Jews later served as mayors in the same city. She 191 reminds the reader that Slovak Jews played an important role in the Zionist movement in the kingdom of Hungary. Two Jews from Bardejov (eastern Slovakia), Julius Davidsohn and Julius Davidovic, attended the first Zionist Congress in Basle, Switzerland (1897). Eight of thirteeen Zionist chapters established in Hungary were located in Slovakia, namely, in Bratislava, Nitra, Trnava, Prefov, Ko~ice, Kezmarok, Dolny Kubin and Banska Bystrica, and the first Zionist congress in Hungary convened in Bratislava in 1903. The following year the World Mizrahi Congress met in the Slovak capital. The writer notes that the Magyar government in Budapest considered the Zionist movement with the same disfavor as it did the nationalistic movement of the Slovaks in their country. During World War I both the Zionist movement and the activities of the Slovak patriots were banned by law. Names of outstanding Jewish writers and scientists are listed by Dr. Rothkirchen. She points out that Jewish writers in their novels and romances touched upon the J ewish problem in the framework of a Slovak historical background. Dr. Lidia Rothkirchen cites that in 1921 of a totaI of 135,918 Jews in Slovakia, 70,522 were registered as Jews, 29,290 as Slovaks and the rest as Magyars, Germans, Rusins, etc. The 1930 census showed 44,009 registered as Slovaks and 72,644 as J ews. This figure represents quite convincing proof of the rapid Slovakization of the Jewish population. Had it not been for the tragic events of World War II, this process of amalgamation would have inevitably resulted in a very advantageous symbiosis of the Slovak Jews and the Slovaks. She writes (page 105): From 1933 on "the Slovaks more and more o- 192 SLOVAKIA penly advocated either detachment from Czechoslovakia altogether and establishment of an independent Slovakia, or a Slovakia which would enjoy much wider autonomy and self-rule." In general this work may be accepted as a very valuable contribution to the history of the people inhabiting Czecho-Slovakia. Every public or private library should have it on its shelves. No scholar who is interested in the history of this area can be without it. To a large extent without the untiring efforts of L'udovit Sturc, president of the Society for the History of the Czechoslovak Jews in New York, this important work in two volumes would not have come to press. Mr. Sturc is a native of Slovakia and a friend of Slovak writers and artists. Unfortunately, so far his work has not been adequately appreciated. cin, Kosice, Jasov, Spisske Podhradie, Levoca, Kezmarok, Podolinec, Nove Zamky and Hlohovec. Kosice, Bardejov, Trencin, Skalica, Hlohovec, Trnava, Pezinok and Bratislava are listed separately as centers of Jewish libraries and culture. Dr. Schreiber, recognized universally as an authority in his field, considers the material found in the area now known as Slovakia as an important part of the culture of the Jews who inhabited Hungary during the Middle Ages. This work, which was lacking in scientific literature, is the beginning of further research in the archives and libraries in this direction throughout Slovakia. It is, at the same time an interesting proof, or evidence, for the tradition of the high degree of culture of the population in Slovakia during the Medieval era. Karl Baum: Nazi Anti-Jewish Legislation in the Czech Protectorate, a Documentary, in "Soviet Jewish Affairs," a Journal on Jewish Problems in the USSR and Eastern Europe, London, No. 3, May, 1972. Published by the Institute Dr. Alexander Schreiber, director of Jewish Affairs, London, in asof the Rabbinical Seminary in Busociation with the World Jewish dapest, has written a very noteCongress in Geneva. worthy book on the cultural history Karl Baum's article is noteworthy of the Jews in Slovakia during the Medieval era. The book contains a for several reasons. In his introlist and analysis of 172 Hebrew duction the writer states that the codex fragments which were used anti-Jewish legislation in the Czech protectorate (1939-1945) has not for book-bindings. Together with Arpad Zoltan of been properly treated in ternationthe Slovak Academy of Sciences in al scientific writings so far, while Bratislava the author studied the a rich and documented literature archives and libraries in the fol- about anti-Jewish regulations in lowing Slovak cities and towns: Hitler's Germany does exist. Those Bratislava, Cerveny Kamen pri who studied this question outside Modre, Pezinok, Jur near Bratisla- of Hitler's sphere ordinarily did va, Trnava, Nitra, Nova Bana, Ban- not study the laws of the protectorska Bystrica, Turciansky Svaty ate, which they assumed were an Martin, Dolny Kubin, Bytca, Tren- integral part of the Reich and those Alexander Schreiber: Hebriiische Kodexuberreste in Ungarlb."ndischen Eibandstafeln. Heber Kodexmaradvanyok magyarorszagi kotestablakban. Budapest, 1969. I SLOVAKIA who studied anti-Jewish laws in Hitler's Germany did not consider the protectorate because it did not belong directly to the framework of the Third Reich. Baum, at least, partially fills this void. The writer gives a detailed study on anti-Jewish legislation in the Czech Protectorate and traces the execution of the laws not only by the Nazis but also by the Czech government officials in the Protectorate. Baum's study from this viewpoint is highly important because he has brought to the international forum little known or unknown facts which were hidden on the pages of "The Collection of Laws and Regulations" promulsignatures of President (Dr.) Hacha or Czech ministers. Baum emphasizes that these laws of the wartime Czech protectorate "reflect only part of the unmitigated evil to which one of the leading Jewish communities was to fall victim. They carry little evidence of persecution and harassment on the local level, nor do they mirror the share of those of non-German vintage in Czechoslovakia who had come in to participate in the great hunt of the century and to divide its spoils. It must be left to future historians to establish their contribution to the tragedy of Czechoslovak Jewry." Baum calls attention to the December 1, 1930, Census in CzechoSlovakia as listing the number of Jews as 356,830, which is inaccurate inasmuch 15,000 Jews from Germany found refuge there when Hitler came to power. Of 854,600 who were registered as atheists in Czecho-Slovakia, according to Baum, at least 10% were of Jewish origin. Moreover, there was no provision for a natural increase of the Jewish population from 1930 to 1939. Consequently, the author's estimate has some 457,000 Jews in Czecho-Slo- 193 vakia by 1938, hence actually 100,000 more than is generally indicated in the figures. All of the above, the author concludes, became innocent victims of inhumane discrimination and inhuman mistreatment in the lands of the Czech Protectorate during World War II. ANNUAL FURDEK Jednota Annual FURDEK 1973, Vol. XII, 1973. Edited by Joseph C. Krajsa. Publisher, The First Catholic Slovak Union. Printed by Jednota Press, Middletown, Pa. 208 pages. This publication, Jednota Annual Furdek, continues commendably in the footsteps of Philip A. Hrobak, the first editor who conceived the idea of addressing it to our youth for their benefit. The present volume offers the youthful reader valuable information and inspiration as well. The 12th volume is definitely youth oriented, for it gives several phases of the background of our early Slovak immigrants to American shores and a look at the historic homeland of our parents and grandparents. Quite appropriately the Furdek leads off with a pictorial introduction of the officers of the Jednota because they are the official representatives of the organization that has a membership close to 100,000. Daniel Tanzone discusses fraternalism and the Slovak immigrant in a highly readable and documented study of the origins and growth of Slovak fraternal organizations in this country. Introduction of Janko Kral', Slovak revolutionary poet of the 19th century, by Joseph Kirschbaum, Ph.D., LL.D., of Toronto, Canada, is rather timely in view of current 194 SLOVAKIA Catholic unity is a .serious reminder in our times to stand united in the Faith of our Fathers when diversity of opinions, various modes of liturgical worship, and even divergent doctrinal proposals are dangerous challenges to the orthodoxy of our faith. Father Franko's Slovak Christmas Eve sacred vignette should be adopted by every Christian family to help preserve the spirit and true meaning of a genuinely Christian yuletide season. Reproductions (in exquisite color) of the stained glass windows adorning the Chapel of the Jednota Home are a pictorial portrayal of the spirit of faith that inspired their creation and at the same time a public testimonial of honor of two of the most famous Slovak priests of our age, namely, Father Furdek, founder of the Jednota, and Father Tiso, the martyr-president of the Slovak Republic. Clevelanders will no doubt find the article by Slovak Bet1edictine scribe, Fr. Andrew V. Pier, 0.S.B., on early Slovak immigrants interesting . . . and his other contributions informative. The story about Staff Sergeant Frank Mitka, a Veteran of the U.S. Army for more than thirty years, brings into the limelight a career soldier who enjoyed military life . . . he was a forerunner of the present-day volunteer army. The valaska, a traditional Slovak weapon designed for protection ... not aggression . . . is a national symbol of strength and resistance The Slovak Catholic Federation against the forces of injustice and of America is primarily an associa- tyranny. Sheep and their shepherds in tion of Slovak Catholic fraternal organizations that hold the Church Slovakia are the subjects of a roin highest esteem because their mantic setting (an idyllic scene on members accept it as a society the mountainside) with the venerestablished by Christ for the salva- able 'baca' holding his young proteges spell-bound as they listen to tion of their immortal souls. Monsignor Gallik's article on an endless series of thrilling epi- trends that are characterized by the same spirit of restlessness, r adical change, disillusionment and a mixture of hope and despair that marked the life and work of a Slovak poet who was in the forefront of the struggle for social justice and political freedom. St. Joseph the Workman, the universal patron of workingmen everywhere, is a favorite saint of men who must toil at manual labor. The statue of St. Joseph overlooking the industrial environs of St. Michael Slovak parish, Munhall, Pa., in the heart of the steel industry of the Pittsburgh area is a constant inspiration to the passerby. Tribute to Karl Pacanovsky, 'a philosopher-craftsma n' at the Hill School in Pottstown, Pa. for more than three decades, is a well deserved one for a Slovak worker who was dedicated to his tasks in his workshop. R. H. Andrews' article on India is an eye-opener for those who know so little about the great work accomplished by Catholic missionaries in the Far East. Furdek's youth panel of scholarship winners (39 young men and 2:5 young women) is a fine representation of Jednota's honor students of the past year. Paul Berish in his Relevant contribution finds fault ... and rightly so . . . with the mishandling of facts about the Slovaks and their history by American journalists, newsreporters, and even socalled editorial writers and historians. SLOVAKIA sodes around the fireside after the evening chores are done, but members of a definite economic class that is an asset to the country and its people. Even the Croatians, by exception, get a boost in this year's Furdek as Father Wuerl recalls the 1,000th anniversary of the feast of St. Blaise, celebrated in the town of Dubrovnik, Croatia, on February 3, 1972. Paul Berish uncovers the 'hidden life of Brother Rudolf' over a span of fifty years as a tailor in the service of the Lord in the tailorshop of a monastic Redemptorist community. Salt in Slovakia has been a rich commodity for Slovakia and neighboring states in central Europe for many centuries. Solivar, near Pre~ov, continues to mine salt to the present day by modern methods and techniques. Michael Kurak of the Holy Trinity Slovak parochial school in Yonkers, N. Y. tells the world he is a Slovak . . . and proud of it! Father Robert Terentieff is presented by Dr. Michael Simko to our readers as an artist, teacher, dramatist, zealous shepherd of souls and preserver of Slovak customs in Connecticut. The pictorial contribution of Paul C. Fallat, Slovak artist, on an important phase in the life of Father Hlinka who was 'a fearless fighter for Slovak freedom' is an atractive re-enactment of the highlights of the Slovak leader's dynamic career that helped win the struggle for the Slovak nation's political freedom before World War II. American and Canadian Translators of Slovak poetry by Dr. J . M. Kirschbaum, Slovak diplomat and writer, not only touches upon translations of Slovak poems but lists a considerable number of 195 translations from Slovak prose. Included in the list of translators with such world known personalities as Bjornson, Seton-Watson and Denis are W. Kirkconnell, J. Vajda, I. Kramoris, M. Sprinc, K. Strmen and Sister M. Tybor, SS.C.M. The Tool Box by Alvin Lehar brings to light an amusing incident in the early life of Stan Sladek, a Slovak professional football player from the Bronx in the 1950's and 1960's. Dorothy Day, the 74-year-old Catholic social worker, speaker, publisher and activist during most of her lifetime, is given tribute by Joseph McLellan who characterizes the remarkable champion of social justice and evangelical poverty as 'a prophet of Catholic social concern.' Dr. Kirschbaum attempts to sift the truth from falsehood in the conflicting accounts involving the creation of the Slovak Republic on March 14, 1939 . . . almost six months before the German invasion of Poland started the war. Australia beckoned several thousand freedom-loving Slovaks to seek their livelihood there after their country was locked up behind the Iron Curtain. Approximately ten thousand Slovaks in exile are found in southern Australia. Father Matthew Jankola (founder of the Religious Order of SS. Cyril and Methodius in Danville, Pa.) has a proper evaluation of his lifework in the biographical sketch of Daniel Tanzone, young Slovak writer. Another promising young Slovak writer, Michael J. Krajsa, rightly gives credit to our early American Slovak leaders for establishing fraternal societies, churches, schools and social-cultural centers that flourished in their time. Krajsa concentrates on the story of the Jednota primarily. 196 SLOVAKIA Interspersed throughout the volume are short poems, designed no doubt for inspiration as well as variety . . . these adequately fulfill their purpose. Rt. Rev. Jerome Koval, 0.S.B SLOVAK PIONEERS IN AMERICA Jozef Pauco, Ph.D. Slovenski priekopnici v Amerike (Slovak Pioneers in America). First Catholic Slovak Union, Cleveland, 0. , 1972. 358 pages. Illustrated. $4.95. Slovak Pioneers in America (Slovenski priekopnici v Amerike), from the pen of Dr. Joseph Pauco, is another publication of the Jednota Press of the First Catholic Slovak Union. The book is dedicated as a living witness to the staunch and lasting accomplishments of those Slovak pioneerspriests, religious and laity-who with their whole being stood in the service of the American Slovaks. Many made outstanding cultural and literary contributions that have become part of the lasting treasury of America's worth. On these factual pages, the author and the First Catholic Slovak Union fulfill an obligation which is due to Slovak nation since it gave to America fully one-third of its people. These immigrants filled all facets of American labor and pulled themselves up from the mines, the iron pits and steel mills to the ranks of Generals, professional men, and business men, but most of all they led their people to be loyal citizens of their new country, the United States of America. It is in this vein that Pauco presents his new book Slovenski priekopnici v Amerike. When the book is translated into English, the third and fourth generations of American Slovaks will be able to fully evaluate all the accomplishments and contributions of their pioneer parents and grandparents-not only what they did for them, but for the over three million American Slovaks and for the whole of America. Pauco's work required serious research and documentation. In an objective manner he credits the life and works of the pioneers and categorizes them in their proper niche in the history of the American Slovaks, in America and the Slovak nation. He presents those leading pioneers who played the greatest role in the cultural field; those who organized fraternal societies, parishes, schools, and religious orders; those who preserved the literary culture with the publication of newspapers and books; and those who were fired with the ideal of liberty that even permeated to Slovakia. It was the American Slovaks who initiated the movement for an independent Slovakia prior to World War I. They were proud of the document known as the "Pittsburgh Pact" which became the platform of the political party in Slovakia seeking autonomy for the Slovak people. This was a unique display of cooperation and a symbolic gesture between the Slovak nation and the emigrated American Slovaks. Father J oseph A. Gajdosik, Supreme Chaplain of the First Catholic Slovak Union and Chairman of its Literary Committee-himself an eloquent and gifted writergave a few thoughts concerning Pauco's new book as he remembered reading the installments in the Jednota. "The stories of the Slovak pioneers are very provocative, enlightening and very stimulating. They reveal the joyous faith that the Slovak pioneers had, which in 197 SLOVAKIA turn motivated them in their endeavors to better their lives, and help assure a better future for their loved ones, and for Slovaks in general. The realism that FAITH has many faces is beautifully depicted in the lives of the many characters who appear in the Priekopnici! "The lives of these pioneers communicate the personal and devoted consecration to the Slovak motto of living for God and People, to such a degree, that undoubtedly young adults of the second, third, etc., Slovak generation, who perhaps have difficulty of choosing a career, will be aided by the publication of this book to select a career, which will fulfill their vocation for life. "The 'Slovak Cause' is no longer a hot issue in the average life of an American of Slovak ancestry, in fact, I find a reversing trend. However, if this book can make one cognizant of his Slovak origin, it may serve to help one gain heights which otherwise would be out of bounds, e.g. Michael Novak, and his noted book The Rise of the Unmeltable Ethnics. "Pauco's book is one sure way to arousing interest in the Slovak heritage on a personal and individual basis, especially among our younger people. Hopefully, an English translation will be made in the near future, so that devotion to the Slovak ethnicity will be fostered. "The book should bolster Dr. Joseph Pauco's strong thoughts about the termination and death of the Slovak language in the United States. The book is also a warning to our fair-weather-Slovaks, who claim that they received little if anything from their Slovak ancestors, for it teaches that much Slovak affluence and prestige is di- rectly the result of the conduct and work of our pioneers. "It behooves our brethren who are ashamed of their Slovak ethnicity, to study their history, and learn how everything they have was given to them, and that they should give themselves for others as our pioneers did. The ultimate lesson is that we, Americans of Slovak ancestry, should foster and serve the Slovak cause and ideal, at least as much, if not better then our pioneers in early America." Dr. Joseph Pauco came to the United States 22 years ago. He earned his doctorate in Philosophy at the Slovak University in Bratislava. As a historian and journalist, he has dedicated himself fully to the service of the American Slovaks. He has spent all his time in the United States on the editorial staff of Jednota, the Catholic Weekly of the First Catholic Slovak Union. He is also the publisher of the oldest Slovak newspaper in America Slovak v Amerike (American Slovak) and is a contributor to many other periodicals. He is the author of over 20 books, mostly dedicated to the life of the American Slovaks, including the history of the First Catholic Slovak Union and the lives of Fr. Stephen Furdek and Fr. Matthew Jankola. His many hundreds of articles, especially the column "Slovaci a ich zivot" (Slovaks and Their Life ) in Jedno ta, systematically record the accomplishments and efforts of the American Slovaks and their institutions. Slovenski priekopnici v Amerike is in itself a pioneer book. Nothing to date has been published in such documentary detail about American Slovak pioneers. The First Catholic Slovak Union is proud to publish this vital literary work of Dr. Joseph Pauco. Joseph c. Krajsa 198 SLOVAKIA JANKOLA'S CENTENNIAL Jankola centennial Books.-Pamiitnica 100-ho vyrocia narodenia Otca Matusa Jankolu (1872-1972). - Jankola Book. Honoring the Centennial of the Birth of Father Matthew Jankola (1872-1972) Both of these books were prepared and published by the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius, collaborating at Jankola Library in Danville, Pennsylvania, July-August, 1972, under the chairmanship of Sister M. Martina Tybor. The historian of the future who undertakes a study of the history of the Slovak people will inevitably reach out for the most objective of resource materials available. And it is just such a balanced, such a level and extraordinary objective and tastefully factual contribution that has appeared this year as an enrichment in the specific field of Slovak-American immigrant chronicles. The work consists of two distinct volumes, one in English and one in Slovak (similar but not identical in content), delineating the life and the achievements of Father Matthew Jankola, pioneer SlovakAmerican priest and patriot, who was a leader, educator, writer, and the founder of the American community, Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius. This eminently commendable publication project was endorsed and sponsored by Mother M. Valeria Romanchek, Superior General of the congregation, and it became a reality only by reason of the dedication, diligence, and scholarship of the Sisters who were fittingly associated with Jankola Library in this undertaking. Jankola Library is directed by Sister M. Martina Tybor and under her chairmanship there evolved an editorial committee consisting of Mother M. Emerentia Petra~ek, Sister M. Lilliana Kardo~, Sister M. Consuela Gregorovic, Sister M. Philomena Abbick, Sister M. Tarcisia Gregorovic and Sister Donna Marie Ivanko. By their personal effort and professional talent these Sisters worked to contribute every aspect of the publication: the researching and compiling of data, literary composition, technical composing and preparation of copy, multilith reproduction, collating and binding. Susan Oravec of Peckville, Pa. designed the artistic and becoming cover portrait, and photography was done by Joseph McGlinn of Danville and John Gre~kovic of Olyphant, Pa. The books credit items of information etc. contributed by Sisters M. John Vianney, M. Eileen McCoy, M. Regina, M. Bernardine, M. Raphael, and M. Yolanda. Each volume consists of 134 pages, is fully protected by copyright and is dedicated to the memory of the esteemed Founder of this American community of sisters whose prime apostolates are teaching and caring for the orphaned and the aged. The sisters thus express the gratitude which is justly due to Father Jankola not only by this community but by all the Slovak people both in this country and abroad, especially for his priestly zeal in promoting spirituality and culture, for his selfsacrifice on behalf of his fellowman, his leadership and vision as well as his determination to better the lot of the Slovak immigrant in America. The opening pages of each souvenir book contain commemorative poetry of high quality. The text also includes rich and informative articles such as a biography which cover the fruitful work of Father Jankola's lifetime of less than fifty SLOVAKIA years, a historical survey of the founding of the community and reminiscences of some who knew Father J ankola well. Another important contribution in these books is the descriptive account of Jimkola Library at Danville, Pa., its holdings, areas of service, prospects, etc. Of special interest is a picture of Father J ankola's two surviving sisters, Mrs. Irma J ankola Srbova and Mrs. Luisa J ankola Sopkova of Slovakia, together with a reproduction of the congratulatory lines which they sent to grace the centennial celebration. As a special supplement in each book are the news reports and 199 photographs which record the centennial observance and the Jankola Exhibit of Memorabilia held at Danville on August 13, 1972. The news accounts were prepared by Dr. Joseph Pauco, Slovak journalist and editor, and by Rev. Augustine J. Zan, Chaplain at Maria J oseph Manor. These unique books creditably record the work of Father Jankola and honor him worthily for the legacy which he bequeathed to the Church, to the Slovak nation and to his adopted country, the USA. Although this is a limited edition, copies are still available at J ankola Library, Danville, Pa. 17821. Rev. Augustine J. Za n Annual S L O V A K I A is published by the Slovak League of America, 313 Ridge Ave., Middletown, Pa. 17057. Subscription $3.00. Editor: Joseph Pauto, Ph. D. Editorial Board: Draga 0/vlnska, Louis Kandra, Joseph M. Kirschbaum, Ph.D., Joseph A. Miku§, Ph. 0., Fr. Andrew Pier, O.S.B., M.A., Daniel F. Tanzone, M.A., Sister M. Tybor, SS.C.M., M.A. SLOVAKIA 200 Contents The Slovak Word Abroad - Gorazd Zvonicky - 3 Twenty Years of the Slovak Institute in Cleveland - Joseph Paufo,Ph.D. -16 The Inflectional Morphology of Standard Slovak: A Descriptive Analysis John Michael Kochik, Ph:D. - 24 The Ethnical Philosophy of nudovit Stur - Stefan Polakovi~ - 29 Fortieth Anniversary Canadian Slovak League - Edward J. Behuncik -48 Youth in Search of Slovak Identity and Pride - John Llhani, Ph.D. -53 A New Phase in the Socialist Economic Reform - V. J. Hurley - 57 The Renaissance of the Slovak American Literature - P. O'Reilly - 66 Cultural Revival of American and Canadian Slovaks - Jozef Paufo, Ph.D. -72 Dr. J. M. Kirschbaum - F . Vnuk - 82 Select Bibliography of Foreign Language Writings by Prof. J. M. Kirschbaum - 92 Evaluation of Dr. Kirschbaum's Writings by Critics - 101 /Diplomatic and Consular Relations of Slovakia with Neutral States - J. M. Kirschbaum, Ph.D. - 111 Mother M . Emerentia Petrasek - 123 The Declining Democratic Facade: Czecho-Slovakia 1948-1960 - S. J.B. -129 Youth, Our Hope - Pavo! 0 . Hviezdoslav - 140 Ethnicity and Research - Dr. Steven I. Miller - 141 Ethnics Work Hard - Msgr. James T. McHugh - 153 The American Political Question - Edward M. Zelenak - 155 Current Issues - 158 As Others See It - 170 Book Reviews (J. M. Kirschbaum - Books on Slovakia - Galla Golan: The Czechoslovak Reform Movement - Wolfgang Venohr: Aufstand fiir die Tschecho-Slowakei - Slovak Studies, Volume Vlll and IX - Joseph Vravrovic: L'oecumenisme et le panslavisme de l'abbe Jean Palarik - Milan S. f>urica: La Morte di M. R. Stefanik Alla Luce Dei Documenti Militari Italiani Inediti - Michael Novak: The Rise of the Unmeltable Ethnics - Slavs in Canada, Vol. III - Jaroslaw A. Piekalkiewicz: Public Opinion Polling in Czechoslovakia - Milan S. f>urica (Ed.): II Mondo Slavo, Vol. Ill; New Collections of Slovak ~migre Poetry - Rudolf Dilong: IIladny vetrik - Jan L. Doransky: Od splnu po zatmenie - Rudolf Dilong: Pomikam chlieb so sol'ou - Jan Okal': Cielito Lindo Jan E. Bor: Eugen Vesnin; Books on Jews in Slovakia -reviewed by Dr. Arved Grebert - (Ed.): The Jews of Czechoslovakia Alexander Schreiber: Hebriiische Kodexilberreste in Ungarliindischen Eibandstafeln - Karl Baum: Nazi Anti-Jewish Legislation in the Czech Protectorate - Jednota Annual FURDEK reviewed by Rt. Rev. Jerome Koval, O.S.B. - Jozef Paufo, Ph.D.: Slovenski priekopnici v Amerike (by Joseph C. Krajsa) - Jankola Centennial Books (by Rev. Augustine J. Zan) - 174 Our Contributors Gorazd Zvonicky - poet, professor, Rome, Italy author, historian, Middletown, Pa. Joseph Pauco, Ph.D. - assistant professor of Czech and Russian, University of Nebraska, Lincoln John M. Kochik, Ph.D. - former professor at the Slovak University, Bratislava, Slovakia, now in Argentina Stefan Polakovic, Ph;D. - attorney-at-law, Stratford, Conn. Edward J. Behuncik - professor of Hispanic Linguistics, University of John Lihani, Ph.D. - Kenrtucky Francis Vnuk - historian; professor, Institute of Technology, Adelaide, Australia Joseph M . Kirschbaum, LL.D., Ph-D. - historian, author, Toronto, Ontario Pav ol 0. Hviezdoslav - noted Slovak poet Sr. M . Martina Tybor, SS.C-M. - teacher and author, Danville, Pa. assistant professor, Sociology of Education, Loyola University, Chicago, Ill. Dr. Steven I. MiUer - Msgr. James T. McHugh - diocese of Harrisburg, Pa. Edward M. Zelenak - musician, college student, Detroit, Michigan Dr. Arved Grebert - former Slovak diplomat, now in Switzerland Rt. Rev . Jerome Koval, O.S-B. - Abbot, St. Andrew's Svorad Slovak Abbey, Cleveland, Ohio Joseph C. Krajsa - Editor, Jednota, Middletown, Pa. Rev. Augustine J . Zan - author, Danville, Pa. V . J . Hurley; P. O'ReiUy and S. J. B. - Slovak American students PRI NTI D IN U.S. A. JIDN OTA PlllN TER Y, MID DLli TOW N, PA.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Back Matter, Slovakia, Vol. 23 (No. 46) Description An account of the resource includes Current Issues; As Others See It; Book Reviews; Contributors Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/75b0d395160903025a155a55faab5aac.pdf 7b8f354a00a8669aaf5911cbeb2b518f PDF Text Text SLOVAKIA 155 Novak-speaking as a revived ethnic-says that more and more he thinks in family terms. His Slovak, Catholic, middle income origin gives him a sense of identity. And Novak thinks that the politics of the future will be based on the family and the neighborhood. Ethnics show the ability to keep the family together, and to find within it the opportunities to enable each member to grow and develop. Dissatisfaction with society or with money-experienced by the adults-doesn't poison the young. And Coles middle Americans retain a certain pride and sense of dignity, even though the going is rough. It's fairly well accepted that the isolated, nuclear . family failed to meet the challenge of modern living. And the nuclear family has already given way to new kinship patterns. We can expect a revitalization of the family as today's young families find new ways to adapt to the challenges of tomorrow. The American Political Question Edward M. Zelenak In May of 1972, at the Slovak League of America Convention in Chicago, Illinois, a direct play was made by the elected leadership of this civic organization to channel future efforts towards involving the membership in an active campaign to organize the Slovaks of the United States in more vocal political activities. Specific intentions were expressed concerning organizational efforts of the Slovaks within the two major parties in the precincts, wards, cities, counties, and even on a national scale. With that effort as a foundation, the able leadership of the Slovak League urged all delegates and officers to return to their cities and embark on a substantial effort at getting the Slovak people interested and eventually active in those very same causes. �156 SLOVAKIA The secondar y goal consisted of involving even further the young American-Slovaks in first the Slovak causes and logically political activities at the same time. Both goals are ideally sound and require much more than parental urging to get the young out. It has been stated that the youth of today are more aware of the affairs of the world, of the ills and injustices , and that is debatable . However , acting on the assumpti on of that being true, Slovaks should renew in 1972 all previousl y intensifie d efforts at achieving a balance in both the political field and the youth movemen t. 1972 ended with the reelectio n of Richard M. Nixon, a Republic an, as Presiden t of the United States. Whether one can say that Richard Nixon represen ts the beliefs of the American-Slovaks as an entity is debatable , yet his reelectio n signifies a coalition of numerou s groups analogous to many of the ideal Slovak causes. Yet that presents a sort of predicam ent, because the labor-ori ented Slovak in the urban American cities typically congrega tes and identifies with the Democra tic Party. The scattered Slovak commun ities througho ut the United States do not present definite figures to examine the voting pattern this past year by, yet, realizing the loyalty the Slovak holds to God, America and the Slovak nationali ty, one can assume that the Slovaks who were Democra ts voted Democra tic and the Republic an Slovaks voted Republic an. Presiden t Nixon used the slogan: "Four more years" to lead his reelectio n campaign , and it is the advice from that campaign chant that the young American Slovaks in particula r can take either a hint or begin to worry. We have less than four years now to once again enact the machiner y to bring about the changes we desire in our country. My own particula r involvem ent in partisan politics has been with the Democra tic Party. In 1972 I was elected to a position of precinct delegate from the city of Lincoln Park. That particula r election, the May 16 Presiden tial Primary, was significa nt to the Slovaks of Michigan, because three Slovaks were elected as precinct delegates from Lincoln Park, and two were youths. In June I was selected as a delegate to the Democra tic National Conventi on in Miami Beach, committe d to Governo r George Wallace, �SLOVAKIA 157 representing the 15th Congressional district of Michigan. The Democratic National Convention was perhaps the most representative body of all the facets of America, a feat that the Republicans failed to attain at their own a month later. The significance of the McGovern-Fraser guidelines employed by the Democratic Party offers more than a fair opportunity for all minority groups to seek representation in a political system, and particularly the young Slovaks. The youthful idealists ensured the nomiruv tion of George S. McGovern last July and a coalition of equally-interested young Slovaks and other ethnic-oriented youths can conceivably achieve the same goal. Thus I stress the need for young Slovaks to take part in our political structure, working for their beliefs and goals, not forgetting the goals of America and their Slovak elders. We cannot sit back and allow either of the two parties to become stagnant or indifferent to our needs. But one does not gain in politics by sitting at home. I have chosen to work within the Democratic Party, by my own selection. The basic principles of that party best correlate with the people I associate and my personal viewpoints. From the young McGovern supporters in Miami Beach I have taken notice. A Republican is president, yet the young Democratic organization behind George McGovern succeeded in nominating him as the Democratic candidate for president, a task pronounced as impossible only four months prior to the convention. By their movement we can learn and profit, and the same goes for the young Slovaks adhering to the principles of the Republican Party. Gone are the days of the great ethnic machinery in political wards ( or so is evident in Detroit), yet machinery does not die, needing only replacement and oiling. The Slovaks can rejuvenate life in the political system, for it is from politics whence all good comes. In Michigan, one Slovak from Lincoln Park has been elected to the governing board of the state Democratic Party, and she is a woman. That in itself is significant. The Slovaks in Chicago, Cleveland and Pittsburgh have been equally successful. The youth, in seeking to lead America to a time of peace and prosperity, must regard the example of the elders. But it will be by their youth and their Slovak heritage that they succeed. � SLOVAKIA 155 Novak-speaking as a revived ethnic-says that more and more he thinks in family terms. His Slovak, Catholic, middle income origin gives him a sense of identity. And Novak thinks that the politics of the future will be based on the family and the neighborhood. Ethnics show the ability to keep the family together, and to find within it the opportunities to enable each member to grow and develop. Dissatisfaction with society or with money-experienced by the adults-doesn't poison the young. And Coles middle Americans retain a certain pride and sense of dignity, even though the going is rough. It's fairly well accepted that the isolated, nuclear . family failed to meet the challenge of modern living. And the nuclear family has already given way to new kinship patterns. We can expect a revitalization of the family as today's young families find new ways to adapt to the challenges of tomorrow. The American Political Question Edward M. Zelenak In May of 1972, at the Slovak League of America Convention in Chicago, Illinois, a direct play was made by the elected leadership of this civic organization to channel future efforts towards involving the membership in an active campaign to organize the Slovaks of the United States in more vocal political activities. Specific intentions were expressed concerning organizational efforts of the Slovaks within the two major parties in the precincts, wards, cities, counties, and even on a national scale. With that effort as a foundation, the able leadership of the Slovak League urged all delegates and officers to return to their cities and embark on a substantial effort at getting the Slovak people interested and eventually active in those very same causes. �156 SLOVAKIA The secondar y goal consisted of involving even further the young American-Slovaks in first the Slovak causes and logically political activities at the same time. Both goals are ideally sound and require much more than parental urging to get the young out. It has been stated that the youth of today are more aware of the affairs of the world, of the ills and injustices , and that is debatable . However , acting on the assumpti on of that being true, Slovaks should renew in 1972 all previousl y intensifie d efforts at achieving a balance in both the political field and the youth movemen t. 1972 ended with the reelectio n of Richard M. Nixon, a Republic an, as Presiden t of the United States. Whether one can say that Richard Nixon represen ts the beliefs of the American-Slovaks as an entity is debatable , yet his reelectio n signifies a coalition of numerou s groups analogous to many of the ideal Slovak causes. Yet that presents a sort of predicam ent, because the labor-ori ented Slovak in the urban American cities typically congrega tes and identifies with the Democra tic Party. The scattered Slovak commun ities througho ut the United States do not present definite figures to examine the voting pattern this past year by, yet, realizing the loyalty the Slovak holds to God, America and the Slovak nationali ty, one can assume that the Slovaks who were Democra ts voted Democra tic and the Republic an Slovaks voted Republic an. Presiden t Nixon used the slogan: "Four more years" to lead his reelectio n campaign , and it is the advice from that campaign chant that the young American Slovaks in particula r can take either a hint or begin to worry. We have less than four years now to once again enact the machiner y to bring about the changes we desire in our country. My own particula r involvem ent in partisan politics has been with the Democra tic Party. In 1972 I was elected to a position of precinct delegate from the city of Lincoln Park. That particula r election, the May 16 Presiden tial Primary, was significa nt to the Slovaks of Michigan, because three Slovaks were elected as precinct delegates from Lincoln Park, and two were youths. In June I was selected as a delegate to the Democra tic National Conventi on in Miami Beach, committe d to Governo r George Wallace, �SLOVAKIA 157 representing the 15th Congressional district of Michigan. The Democratic National Convention was perhaps the most representative body of all the facets of America, a feat that the Republicans failed to attain at their own a month later. The significance of the McGovern-Fraser guidelines employed by the Democratic Party offers more than a fair opportunity for all minority groups to seek representation in a political system, and particularly the young Slovaks. The youthful idealists ensured the nomiruv tion of George S. McGovern last July and a coalition of equally-interested young Slovaks and other ethnic-oriented youths can conceivably achieve the same goal. Thus I stress the need for young Slovaks to take part in our political structure, working for their beliefs and goals, not forgetting the goals of America and their Slovak elders. We cannot sit back and allow either of the two parties to become stagnant or indifferent to our needs. But one does not gain in politics by sitting at home. I have chosen to work within the Democratic Party, by my own selection. The basic principles of that party best correlate with the people I associate and my personal viewpoints. From the young McGovern supporters in Miami Beach I have taken notice. A Republican is president, yet the young Democratic organization behind George McGovern succeeded in nominating him as the Democratic candidate for president, a task pronounced as impossible only four months prior to the convention. By their movement we can learn and profit, and the same goes for the young Slovaks adhering to the principles of the Republican Party. Gone are the days of the great ethnic machinery in political wards ( or so is evident in Detroit), yet machinery does not die, needing only replacement and oiling. The Slovaks can rejuvenate life in the political system, for it is from politics whence all good comes. In Michigan, one Slovak from Lincoln Park has been elected to the governing board of the state Democratic Party, and she is a woman. That in itself is significant. The Slovaks in Chicago, Cleveland and Pittsburgh have been equally successful. The youth, in seeking to lead America to a time of peace and prosperity, must regard the example of the elders. But it will be by their youth and their Slovak heritage that they succeed. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1973, Vol. 23 Description An account of the resource Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document SLOVAKIA 155 Novak-speaking as a revived ethnic-says that more and more he thinks in family terms. His Slovak, Catholic, middle income origin gives him a sense of identity. And Novak thinks that the politics of the future will be based on the family and the neighborhood. Ethnics show the ability to keep the family together, and to find within it the opportunities to enable each member to grow and develop. Dissatisfaction with society or with money-experienced by the adults-doesn't poison the young. And Coles middle Americans retain a certain pride and sense of dignity, even though the going is rough. It's fairly well accepted that the isolated, nuclear . family failed to meet the challenge of modern living. And the nuclear family has already given way to new kinship patterns. We can expect a revitalization of the family as today's young families find new ways to adapt to the challenges of tomorrow. The American Political Question Edward M. Zelenak In May of 1972, at the Slovak League of America Convention in Chicago, Illinois, a direct play was made by the elected leadership of this civic organization to channel future efforts towards involving the membership in an active campaign to organize the Slovaks of the United States in more vocal political activities. Specific intentions were expressed concerning organizational efforts of the Slovaks within the two major parties in the precincts, wards, cities, counties, and even on a national scale. With that effort as a foundation, the able leadership of the Slovak League urged all delegates and officers to return to their cities and embark on a substantial effort at getting the Slovak people interested and eventually active in those very same causes. 156 SLOVAKIA The secondar y goal consisted of involving even further the young American-Slovaks in first the Slovak causes and logically political activities at the same time. Both goals are ideally sound and require much more than parental urging to get the young out. It has been stated that the youth of today are more aware of the affairs of the world, of the ills and injustices , and that is debatable . However , acting on the assumpti on of that being true, Slovaks should renew in 1972 all previousl y intensifie d efforts at achieving a balance in both the political field and the youth movemen t. 1972 ended with the reelectio n of Richard M. Nixon, a Republic an, as Presiden t of the United States. Whether one can say that Richard Nixon represen ts the beliefs of the American-Slovaks as an entity is debatable , yet his reelectio n signifies a coalition of numerou s groups analogous to many of the ideal Slovak causes. Yet that presents a sort of predicam ent, because the labor-ori ented Slovak in the urban American cities typically congrega tes and identifies with the Democra tic Party. The scattered Slovak commun ities througho ut the United States do not present definite figures to examine the voting pattern this past year by, yet, realizing the loyalty the Slovak holds to God, America and the Slovak nationali ty, one can assume that the Slovaks who were Democra ts voted Democra tic and the Republic an Slovaks voted Republic an. Presiden t Nixon used the slogan: "Four more years" to lead his reelectio n campaign , and it is the advice from that campaign chant that the young American Slovaks in particula r can take either a hint or begin to worry. We have less than four years now to once again enact the machiner y to bring about the changes we desire in our country. My own particula r involvem ent in partisan politics has been with the Democra tic Party. In 1972 I was elected to a position of precinct delegate from the city of Lincoln Park. That particula r election, the May 16 Presiden tial Primary, was significa nt to the Slovaks of Michigan, because three Slovaks were elected as precinct delegates from Lincoln Park, and two were youths. In June I was selected as a delegate to the Democra tic National Conventi on in Miami Beach, committe d to Governo r George Wallace, SLOVAKIA 157 representing the 15th Congressional district of Michigan. The Democratic National Convention was perhaps the most representative body of all the facets of America, a feat that the Republicans failed to attain at their own a month later. The significance of the McGovern-Fraser guidelines employed by the Democratic Party offers more than a fair opportunity for all minority groups to seek representation in a political system, and particularly the young Slovaks. The youthful idealists ensured the nomiruv tion of George S. McGovern last July and a coalition of equally-interested young Slovaks and other ethnic-oriented youths can conceivably achieve the same goal. Thus I stress the need for young Slovaks to take part in our political structure, working for their beliefs and goals, not forgetting the goals of America and their Slovak elders. We cannot sit back and allow either of the two parties to become stagnant or indifferent to our needs. But one does not gain in politics by sitting at home. I have chosen to work within the Democratic Party, by my own selection. The basic principles of that party best correlate with the people I associate and my personal viewpoints. From the young McGovern supporters in Miami Beach I have taken notice. A Republican is president, yet the young Democratic organization behind George McGovern succeeded in nominating him as the Democratic candidate for president, a task pronounced as impossible only four months prior to the convention. By their movement we can learn and profit, and the same goes for the young Slovaks adhering to the principles of the Republican Party. Gone are the days of the great ethnic machinery in political wards ( or so is evident in Detroit), yet machinery does not die, needing only replacement and oiling. The Slovaks can rejuvenate life in the political system, for it is from politics whence all good comes. In Michigan, one Slovak from Lincoln Park has been elected to the governing board of the state Democratic Party, and she is a woman. That in itself is significant. The Slovaks in Chicago, Cleveland and Pittsburgh have been equally successful. The youth, in seeking to lead America to a time of peace and prosperity, must regard the example of the elders. But it will be by their youth and their Slovak heritage that they succeed.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The American Political Question Description An account of the resource Edward M. Zelenak Slovakia, Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973 pp. 155-157 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Zelenak, Edward M. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 name https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/502fb4d5b5c80fb99d377f160300963a.pdf 286946a1c4f4e21d86360ffb11a028dc PDF Text Text SLOVAKIA 153 Ethnics Work Hard Msgr. James T. Mc Hugh Back in the early 60s, Nathan Glazer and Daniel Moynihan maintained that ethnicity would continue to play an important part in the social organization of New York City. They focused on the Black and Puerto Rican ascendancy and probably did not foresee the present emphasis on ethnic individualism as it now exists. With the 70s, national and ethnic origin matters-even if it goes back to great grand-parents. But the lines are fudged. It's hard to distinguish ethnic groups from middle Americans, blue-collar workers, lower socio-economic groups. And Spanish-surnamed Americans, though the largest immigrant group with a different language, actually comprise four or more distinct groups. However, following Robert Hill's analysis of the strengths of the black family, it's important to take a look at the family life of ethnics, middle Americans and Spanishspeaking groups. The criteria chosen by Hill are generally applicable, and the description can be drawn from the more popularly written description of the new ethnic Americans. First of all, ethnic families show a strong sense of kinship. Family unity, family relatedness and inter-family cooperation show up clearly. Mike Novak, in the Rise of the Unmeltable Ethnics tells us that ethnics spend most of their free time with their families, and that many visit their parents at least once a week. Novak also maintains that ethnics tend to have relatives as best friends. Weddings-and wakes-are family reunions. Ethnics also tend to help each other. There's always a cousin or uncle who is a plumber, a couple of relatives to help paint the house, a brother-in-law who knows about cars. And the special jobs are taken care of on the weekends at minimal expense. �154 SLOVAKIA Strong work orientation seems almost to be the lifeblood of ethnics. Robert Coles captures this in his book on the middle-Americans. In his own style-accompanied by photographs by Jon Erikson-Coles has the people speak out. Joe and Doris-a typical couple-don't have too much time to waste. Joe works almost all the time-at his regular job and at second jobs that he always has. Doris is busy with the house and children. Increasingly, middle American wives are taking jobs outside the home, and many of them give willingly to help the school, the church or the community. Middle Americans and ethnics reject the welfare state-and are much more determined to work than accept money from the government. They believe "that it's not right that a man shouldn't be able to earn a living for his family." There may be more rigidity in regard to rules and tasks in ethnic and middle American families, but this doesn't seem to weaken the family structure. Children are expected to perform some tasks, and teen-agers have generally been given a good degree of responsibility. It seems that role expectations of the young have broken down with the move to the suburbs. There's a strong emphasis on achievement, but much of the expectation is tranferred to children. Ethnic and middle Americans find their jobs boring and uncertain, and they hope to educate their children so that they won't be trapped in a dead-end job. Police and firemen-who once enjoyed status-are made the scapegoats for society's problems, and take a disproportionate measure of criticism from the nouveau riche. But most of the police and other civil servants are people of integrity, and do receive some recognition and praise from neighbors and friends. Religious tradition runs hand in hand with ethnic traditions, though the young are less dedicated to any type of tradition. But the family engenders regular religious practice, and the Catholic school-which serves ethnics and middle Americans-tends to strengthen religious identification. Yet, the schools themselves are undergoing an identity crisis and the erosion is beginning to show through. �SLOVAKIA 155 Novak-speaking as a revived ethnic-says that more and more he thinks in family terms. His Slovak, Catholic, middle income origin gives him a sense of identity. And Novak thinks that the politics of the future will be based on the family and the neighborhood. Ethnics show the ability to keep the family together, and to find within it the opportunities to enable each member to grow and develop. Dissatisfaction with society or with money-experienced by the adults-doesn't poison the young. And Coles middle Americans retain a certain pride and sense of dignity, even though the going is rough. It's fairly well accepted that the isolated, nuclear . family failed to meet the challenge of modern living. And the nuclear family has already given way to new kinship patterns. We can expect a revitalization of the family as today's young families find new ways to adapt to the challenges of tomorrow. The American Political Question Edward M. Zelenak In May of 1972, at the Slovak League of America Convention in Chicago, Illinois, a direct play was made by the elected leadership of this civic organization to channel future efforts towards involving the membership in an active campaign to organize the Slovaks of the United States in more vocal political activities. Specific intentions were expressed concerning organizational efforts of the Slovaks within the two major parties in the precincts, wards, cities, counties, and even on a national scale. With that effort as a foundation, the able leadership of the Slovak League urged all delegates and officers to return to their cities and embark on a substantial effort at getting the Slovak people interested and eventually active in those very same causes. � SLOVAKIA 153 Ethnics Work Hard Msgr. James T. Mc Hugh Back in the early 60s, Nathan Glazer and Daniel Moynihan maintained that ethnicity would continue to play an important part in the social organization of New York City. They focused on the Black and Puerto Rican ascendancy and probably did not foresee the present emphasis on ethnic individualism as it now exists. With the 70s, national and ethnic origin matters-even if it goes back to great grand-parents. But the lines are fudged. It's hard to distinguish ethnic groups from middle Americans, blue-collar workers, lower socio-economic groups. And Spanish-surnamed Americans, though the largest immigrant group with a different language, actually comprise four or more distinct groups. However, following Robert Hill's analysis of the strengths of the black family, it's important to take a look at the family life of ethnics, middle Americans and Spanishspeaking groups. The criteria chosen by Hill are generally applicable, and the description can be drawn from the more popularly written description of the new ethnic Americans. First of all, ethnic families show a strong sense of kinship. Family unity, family relatedness and inter-family cooperation show up clearly. Mike Novak, in the Rise of the Unmeltable Ethnics tells us that ethnics spend most of their free time with their families, and that many visit their parents at least once a week. Novak also maintains that ethnics tend to have relatives as best friends. Weddings-and wakes-are family reunions. Ethnics also tend to help each other. There's always a cousin or uncle who is a plumber, a couple of relatives to help paint the house, a brother-in-law who knows about cars. And the special jobs are taken care of on the weekends at minimal expense. �154 SLOVAKIA Strong work orientation seems almost to be the lifeblood of ethnics. Robert Coles captures this in his book on the middle-Americans. In his own style-accompanied by photographs by Jon Erikson-Coles has the people speak out. Joe and Doris-a typical couple-don't have too much time to waste. Joe works almost all the time-at his regular job and at second jobs that he always has. Doris is busy with the house and children. Increasingly, middle American wives are taking jobs outside the home, and many of them give willingly to help the school, the church or the community. Middle Americans and ethnics reject the welfare state-and are much more determined to work than accept money from the government. They believe "that it's not right that a man shouldn't be able to earn a living for his family." There may be more rigidity in regard to rules and tasks in ethnic and middle American families, but this doesn't seem to weaken the family structure. Children are expected to perform some tasks, and teen-agers have generally been given a good degree of responsibility. It seems that role expectations of the young have broken down with the move to the suburbs. There's a strong emphasis on achievement, but much of the expectation is tranferred to children. Ethnic and middle Americans find their jobs boring and uncertain, and they hope to educate their children so that they won't be trapped in a dead-end job. Police and firemen-who once enjoyed status-are made the scapegoats for society's problems, and take a disproportionate measure of criticism from the nouveau riche. But most of the police and other civil servants are people of integrity, and do receive some recognition and praise from neighbors and friends. Religious tradition runs hand in hand with ethnic traditions, though the young are less dedicated to any type of tradition. But the family engenders regular religious practice, and the Catholic school-which serves ethnics and middle Americans-tends to strengthen religious identification. Yet, the schools themselves are undergoing an identity crisis and the erosion is beginning to show through. �SLOVAKIA 155 Novak-speaking as a revived ethnic-says that more and more he thinks in family terms. His Slovak, Catholic, middle income origin gives him a sense of identity. And Novak thinks that the politics of the future will be based on the family and the neighborhood. Ethnics show the ability to keep the family together, and to find within it the opportunities to enable each member to grow and develop. Dissatisfaction with society or with money-experienced by the adults-doesn't poison the young. And Coles middle Americans retain a certain pride and sense of dignity, even though the going is rough. It's fairly well accepted that the isolated, nuclear . family failed to meet the challenge of modern living. And the nuclear family has already given way to new kinship patterns. We can expect a revitalization of the family as today's young families find new ways to adapt to the challenges of tomorrow. The American Political Question Edward M. Zelenak In May of 1972, at the Slovak League of America Convention in Chicago, Illinois, a direct play was made by the elected leadership of this civic organization to channel future efforts towards involving the membership in an active campaign to organize the Slovaks of the United States in more vocal political activities. Specific intentions were expressed concerning organizational efforts of the Slovaks within the two major parties in the precincts, wards, cities, counties, and even on a national scale. With that effort as a foundation, the able leadership of the Slovak League urged all delegates and officers to return to their cities and embark on a substantial effort at getting the Slovak people interested and eventually active in those very same causes. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1973, Vol. 23 Description An account of the resource Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document SLOVAKIA 153 Ethnics Work Hard Msgr. James T. Mc Hugh Back in the early 60s, Nathan Glazer and Daniel Moynihan maintained that ethnicity would continue to play an important part in the social organization of New York City. They focused on the Black and Puerto Rican ascendancy and probably did not foresee the present emphasis on ethnic individualism as it now exists. With the 70s, national and ethnic origin matters-even if it goes back to great grand-parents. But the lines are fudged. It's hard to distinguish ethnic groups from middle Americans, blue-collar workers, lower socio-economic groups. And Spanish-surnamed Americans, though the largest immigrant group with a different language, actually comprise four or more distinct groups. However, following Robert Hill's analysis of the strengths of the black family, it's important to take a look at the family life of ethnics, middle Americans and Spanishspeaking groups. The criteria chosen by Hill are generally applicable, and the description can be drawn from the more popularly written description of the new ethnic Americans. First of all, ethnic families show a strong sense of kinship. Family unity, family relatedness and inter-family cooperation show up clearly. Mike Novak, in the Rise of the Unmeltable Ethnics tells us that ethnics spend most of their free time with their families, and that many visit their parents at least once a week. Novak also maintains that ethnics tend to have relatives as best friends. Weddings-and wakes-are family reunions. Ethnics also tend to help each other. There's always a cousin or uncle who is a plumber, a couple of relatives to help paint the house, a brother-in-law who knows about cars. And the special jobs are taken care of on the weekends at minimal expense. 154 SLOVAKIA Strong work orientation seems almost to be the lifeblood of ethnics. Robert Coles captures this in his book on the middle-Americans. In his own style-accompanied by photographs by Jon Erikson-Coles has the people speak out. Joe and Doris-a typical couple-don't have too much time to waste. Joe works almost all the time-at his regular job and at second jobs that he always has. Doris is busy with the house and children. Increasingly, middle American wives are taking jobs outside the home, and many of them give willingly to help the school, the church or the community. Middle Americans and ethnics reject the welfare state-and are much more determined to work than accept money from the government. They believe "that it's not right that a man shouldn't be able to earn a living for his family." There may be more rigidity in regard to rules and tasks in ethnic and middle American families, but this doesn't seem to weaken the family structure. Children are expected to perform some tasks, and teen-agers have generally been given a good degree of responsibility. It seems that role expectations of the young have broken down with the move to the suburbs. There's a strong emphasis on achievement, but much of the expectation is tranferred to children. Ethnic and middle Americans find their jobs boring and uncertain, and they hope to educate their children so that they won't be trapped in a dead-end job. Police and firemen-who once enjoyed status-are made the scapegoats for society's problems, and take a disproportionate measure of criticism from the nouveau riche. But most of the police and other civil servants are people of integrity, and do receive some recognition and praise from neighbors and friends. Religious tradition runs hand in hand with ethnic traditions, though the young are less dedicated to any type of tradition. But the family engenders regular religious practice, and the Catholic school-which serves ethnics and middle Americans-tends to strengthen religious identification. Yet, the schools themselves are undergoing an identity crisis and the erosion is beginning to show through. SLOVAKIA 155 Novak-speaking as a revived ethnic-says that more and more he thinks in family terms. His Slovak, Catholic, middle income origin gives him a sense of identity. And Novak thinks that the politics of the future will be based on the family and the neighborhood. Ethnics show the ability to keep the family together, and to find within it the opportunities to enable each member to grow and develop. Dissatisfaction with society or with money-experienced by the adults-doesn't poison the young. And Coles middle Americans retain a certain pride and sense of dignity, even though the going is rough. It's fairly well accepted that the isolated, nuclear . family failed to meet the challenge of modern living. And the nuclear family has already given way to new kinship patterns. We can expect a revitalization of the family as today's young families find new ways to adapt to the challenges of tomorrow. The American Political Question Edward M. Zelenak In May of 1972, at the Slovak League of America Convention in Chicago, Illinois, a direct play was made by the elected leadership of this civic organization to channel future efforts towards involving the membership in an active campaign to organize the Slovaks of the United States in more vocal political activities. Specific intentions were expressed concerning organizational efforts of the Slovaks within the two major parties in the precincts, wards, cities, counties, and even on a national scale. With that effort as a foundation, the able leadership of the Slovak League urged all delegates and officers to return to their cities and embark on a substantial effort at getting the Slovak people interested and eventually active in those very same causes.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Ethnics Work Hard Description An account of the resource Msgr. James T. McHugh Slovakia, Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973 pp. 153-155 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource McHugh, James T. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 LCNAF https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/93d25643c736c60e0f09c83d1947ff2d.pdf d9fee3b411ca29bd0ae94db7de238cd7 PDF Text Text SLOVAKIA Dr. Steven I. M i l l e r : Ethnicity and Research SOME COMMENTS ON MICHAEL NOVAK'S THE RISE OF THE UNMELTABLE ETHNICS There has recently been an upsurge of thinking and writing in terms of ethnicity. The most recent, and perhaps one of the most persuasive, has been by the Slovak-American Michael Novak, in his volume, The Rise of the Unmeltable Ethnics. 1 Novak's thesis is that there exists in America a large group of people that is of a unique ethnic background most likely Catholic, and generally "blue collar" or lower middle class. Novak contends that these groups made up of Poles, Italians, Greeks, and Slovaks constitute an important and neglected segment of our population, who have been historically exploited by the WASPS and are now being identified as right-wing bigots. Novak contends that it is now time to recognize the unique identity and composition of these ethnic groups and, hopefully, mold them into a viable political force that reflects their national origins and religious preference. While Novak makes an important contribution to the ethnic literature, one often receives the impression while reading the book that something is lacking; that the ethnic concern is a springboard for certain personal ethical and political preferences. There is not, for instance, an in-depth investigation of any of the ethnic groups that is supposedly under study. For instance, no in-depth analysis is given of such a classic work as Thomas and Znaniecki's The Polish Peasant in Europe and America. 2 Surely, these volumes would have provided some additional insight into the problem. What we have, rather, is a documented but largely anecdotal work purporting to penetrate into the "mysteries" of the ethnic psyche. And, yet, the work does at least bring about an awareness of the fact that ethnicity may be an important contemporary phenomenon. However, by emphasizing the �142 SLOVAKIA reality of ethnicity, Novak leaves unsolved as many issues as he raises. This is the result of several factors: 1) the general methodological approach of the work; 2) certain ambiguities in terms of definitions, and 3) a larger vision of the ethnic reality (if, indeed, there actually is one). These points will be elaborated on below. Again, the work is a very valuable one but it could have been considerably strengthened if some of these factors had been taken into consideration. Perhaps some of these considerations will more appropriately be explored in future works on the subject. METHODOLOGY AND ETHNIC STUDIES As I pointed out in a previous work,3 one of the crucial handicaps facing ethnic studies is the paucity of adequate methodology. More accurately, one could argue that the methodology is available but has not been utilized effectively in ethnic studies. What I am opting for is a more rigorous use of historiography and especially the extended use of social science methodology. It is only through good methodology that the study of ethnic groups ( and especially the ones cited by Novak), becomes systematized and incorporated at all levels of the educational process. Prof. Novak's methodological approach is, I believe, broadly historical. He indicates (xv) that he will approach the topic in terms of "systematic theology" and his personal label of "intelligent subjectivity." While the former definition is perhaps not well defined, I take the second (and equivalent definition of "intelligent subjectivity" to be somewhat akin to Max Weber's idea of verstehen4-although there are some crucial differences. However, one does not know by the context whether this type of methodological approach is implied. While this may be a minor point, it does have bearing on the shape and direction of the work. One of the major difficulties, however, lies in the structure of the argument itself. That is, there may be operating throughout the book a rather subtle logical fallacy that, by the way, plagues much of social science reasoning, also. The fallacy is called by logicians "the fallacy of affirming the consequent." 5 It involves valid and invalid forms of argument based on "conditionals" that havli the �SLOVAKIA 143 form "if p, then q." Thus, one of the basic arguments here runs something like this: "if there is a unique ethnic identity, then it is found in the existence of such groups as Poles, Italians, Greeks, and Slavs. But such groups do exist; therefore, they must exhibit a unique ethnic consciousness." The fallacy being that the existence of any or all of these groups does not give us a basis for concluding the existence of some special identity or consciousness. Indeed, the existence of these groups would constitute a necessary condition for an ethnic consciousness, but surely, not a sufficient one. The important point here is that one then attempts to specify by way of evidence ( or the inductive process), the probability that some sort of meaningful relationship does in fact exist.6 While Professor Novak does, in part, fulfill this evidence condition, he does not extend it in any unique methodological fashion. For example, four propositions are set forth (pp. 8-9) that are supposedly associated with ethnic identity. The first two propositions imply the necessity of examining one's ethnic heritage to gain a deeper insight into one's (supposedly) psychological makeup; and that this enhanced self-awareness will do no harm to this country's vision of the world, in terms of foreign policy (although I must admit I fail to see how the second proposition follows from the first). The last two propositions, however, are the interesting ones since they are presumably direct effects of one's ethnic identity. Proposition three makes the claim that "persons who are secure in their identity act with greater freedom, greater flexibility, greater openness to others. People who feel inferior or unacceptable lash out in anger." Proposition four states "a politics based on family and neighborhood is far stronger socially and psychologically than a politics based on bureaucracy." Now these propositions are important in that they are the supposed consequences of ethnicity as studied through the perspective of "intelligent subjectivity." But if we examine the last two propositions, the question immediately arises as to whether the assertions are meant to be "causative" in nature or, perhaps, co,rrelational. It appears that they are put forth with the force �SLOVAKIA of causal statements: ethnic identity (consciousness) causes a healthier self-concept which in turn leads to (for instance) a unique kind of political commitment. These types of inferences are easily asserted but are substantiated with great difficulty. What is needed in these types of assertions, as we shall see, is either fairly strong historical evidence or, more pertinently, methods for operationalizing these assertions. In the same vein, Prof. Novak attempts to substantiate his thesis by claiming that the groups he is speaking of are identifiable on at least three characteristics: ethnicity, religion, and social class position (pp. 14, 20). This, of course, is an important assertion since it defines the characteristics of the population under study. Although there are presumably seventy million Americans who can be classified as Catholic, ethnic and within the $5,000$10,000 income range, this in itself does not mean that these people form a distinct group in terms of any of the three characteristics, let alone as being distinct in any political sense. There undoubtedly is a great deal of potential (economic, social, religious), but this does not mean it has become actualized in any specific manner. In addition, one would need much more specific information on this group before generalizations could be forwarded. What is the specific ethnic breakdown? What is the median income within any given group and between the groups? How many of each generation are in any given group? How are they distributed in any particular city? What is needed, then, is a more specific delineation of this large "ethnic group." Many other issues come to mind in this connection. Assuming that any given ethnic group can also be characterized as Catholic and having a median income of $8,000, is there any way in which these (and other) variables came together to produce the ethnic consciousness? Thus, it may be the case that Catholicism may be more important than ethnicity or income in predicting particular ethnic attitudes. Or it may be child rearing patterns or perhaps occupational structure. For instance, do third generation Poles who are middle class and Catholic, hold similar political attitudes as blue-collar Lutheran (or Catholic) Slovak~. �SLOVAKIA 145 It becomes readily obvious that what is needed is a more s ophisticated methodology to handle some of these problems. Likewise, Professor Novak's definition of an ethnic :group (pp. 47-48) is much too vague. One is not quite sure what an "historical memory" is to begin with, but the -concept is further confused by including nearly all things under the sun: instincts, feelings, intimacies, etc. It is difficult to see how some of these statements go beyond, for instance, Gordon's theory on assimilation in America. 7 The weakness in some of these assertions is that they may be perpetuating certain ethnic stereotypes under the guise of pointing out their uniqueness (p. 23). Does one really gain additional insight into ethnicity by stating that ethnic families have many family pictures in their homes and spend much of their free time with their families? Or such dangerous generalizations as "Jews and Italians we know are highly dramatic people. Their self-consciousness is different from that of other groups (p. 38)." This may be an indicator of the uniqueness of different forms of ethnic "consciousness," but it is rather difficult to see how. THE NEED FOR ADEQUATE OPERATIONALIZATION Returning to an earlier point, the real need in Prof. Novak's work is some attempt to operationalize his key assertions. That is, there should be some way to state more precisely those propositions that are central to the work and to imply some possible means of measuring them. 8 When one attempts to do this, it becomes clear that the issues under study are indeed of a very complex nature. This approach does not mean that if one tries to look at an issue (or a series of issues empirically, let us say from a social science point of view), that there is automatically a depersonalization of the group under study. There may be but this is not necessarily the case. In addition, if there is some "loss" in the sense that one cannot explore all the psychological complexities of any given group or individual, there is also a "gain" in that one can obtain more precise information on the group and use this information as a stepping stone to further research. �146 SLOVAKIA Now, indeed, this approach to ethnicity is a consequence of certain WASP connected attitudes about "universality'' and professionalization, but I hardly believe this is the case. What social science research attempts to do (sometimes with poor results) is to precisely rid people of certain stereotypic notions (let us say about ethnicity) that have been prevalent for too long. Conversely' social science research can bring to light the uniqueness of any given group. There are, for example, certain important conceptual clarifications that Professor Novak should have addressed. himself to. One, first of all, would like some additional clarification as to the nature of "ethnic consciousness." If it is postulated as being important, and a causal factor in the development of other conditions (i.e., political power), then it should be capable of operationalization. How does one know if one has it? Do some groups have it more than others? Does it differ in terms of social clas5 differences, for instance? These are not moot questions. Rather, they must be answered if one is to make a case for ethnic consciousness. There are other statements that are in need of clarification which are also premised on the existence of this ethnic consciousness. For instance, the statement, "the rise of ethnic consciousness today is also due to disillusionment with the universality, too thinly rational culture of professional elites (p. 32)." And again, "the rise in ethnic consciousness is, then, part of a more general cultural revolution (p. 32)." How is one to determine the relationship in the first statement between one's ethnic consciousness and the disillusionment with professional elites? There may indeed be such a relationship but the context does not clarify it, nor the possible strength of the relationship. In the second statement, it is asserted that there is some type of a relationship between ethnic consciousness and the more "general cultural revolution" (whatever that might be). In this instance, however, some directionality is implied: ethnic consciousness seems to be the result, or perhaps the by-product, of some larger cultural transformation. This may, once more, be the case but it would be extremely helpful if one could place such a statement in a broader �SLOVAKIA 147 theoretical framework; perhaps the work of Emile Durkheim,9 or Robert K. Merton's reference group theory. 10 Without a general theoretical framework, it becomes increasingly difficult to place the above statement into any type of meaningful categorization. Although the issue of theory building is very pertinent to the discussion, it is beyond the scope of this paper. 11 RESEARCH DESIGNS AND ETHNIC STUDIES One possible way of gaining important information related to the study of ethnic groups would be to con-ceptualize the problem in another way. Again, this would be an alternative method of looking at some of the claims forwarded by Professor Novak. An important preliminary step would be to state an initial dependent variable. The -dependent variable is the condition we are trying to .explain.12 It is the issue we are interested in examining, -explaining, and possibly predicting from. The independent variable, on the other hand, is the presumed "cause" of the dependent variable. 13 What we should then be looking for would be the relationship of the dependent variable(s) with the independent variable(s). If some relationship does exist, we can then better attempt to explain these hypotheses under investigation. In a broad sense, the dependent variable here would be "ethnic consciousness." It is this factor or condition that we wish to account for as accurately as possible, because the assumption is that this condition is now responsible for many other conditions. But what is necessary to give added meaning to this concept? One would, first of all, attempt to define more precisely with some such statement as, "Ethnic consciousness is a psychological state X, resulting from Y and exhibited in certain types of behavior pattern in group Z." However, even if a definition of this type is possible, one is still under the obligation t o give supporting evidence for it. One way of providing for this supporting evidence is to first operationalize (measure) the concept. And this is where the task now becomes increasingly difficult. Put very �148 SLOVAKIA simply, how can one get a measure of ethnic consciousnes s? (We are not even asking at this point if there are differing degrees or amounts of it.) What would be needed, then, is the creation of some type of instrument that gives an indication of this attribute. We might, for example devise a test that would measure conservative or liberal, democratic or authoritarian political attitudes, and then infer that those scoring "high" on, let us say, the democratic dimension would also be exhibiting "ethnic consciousnes s." (We are presumably administering the instrument to some ethnic group.) Of course, ethnic consciousnes s could conceivably be indicated by a large number of factors individually, or several kinds of factors. collectively. However, the issue is finally settled, it must be done for the research to proceed. The same issues are brought to the fore when one attempts to identify and specify the independent variable(s). Thus the rise of ethnic consciousnes s may be directly related to 1) anemic strain within institutions; 2) increasing displeasure with bureaucratic means of doing things; and 3) the decrease or increase of religious commitment and so forth. If one, for example, indicates that the rise in ethnic consciousnes s is related to increasing bureaucratic complexity, then some means must be devised to conceptualize bureaucratic structures (and then relate them to ethnic consciousnes s). To do this, one would have to specify, first of all, the organizationa l level that may be important. Are we speaking of bureaucracy in general, in society, or bureaucratic organization in terms of higher education and its effects on blocking admission to ethnic groups. or some other sense of bureaucracy? One would also have to assume that there is some way of measuring this bureaucratic effect. THE STUDY OF SLOVAKS Let us now assume that we would want to test Prof. Novak's thesis concerning the rise of ethnic consciousnes s. How could one go about doing this? The problem becomes highly complex in studying one group. It would be a monu- �SLOVAKIA 149 mental task to study the remaining ethnic groups either cross-sectionally ( at one point in time), or longitudinally ( over a period of time). Let us delineate our problem, however, to studying the Slovaks, let us say, in Chicago. Let us further assume that we have developed a reliable and valid instrument that we can use as a measure of ethnic consciousness. The problem then would have to be approached in somewhat the following manner: 1. We would have to · specify the population under study. Presumably, we would want to look at native-born Slovaks, as well as second and third generation Slovaks. However, difficulties soon arise: if both of your grandparents were Slovaks, but your father was Slovak and your mother Irish, do we include you in the population as a Slovak? Some de.c ision would have to be reached on matters or definition such as this. 2. We would want a breakdown demographically of where Slovaks resided in Chicago. This information might be easily obtained for some native-born Slovaks and their children, but others would have to be located if we were to have a representative sample. Other information would then have to be gathered: importantly the age range of Slovaks and how many within certain age groups; other valuable information would include educational background, occupation, place of residence, income level, religious preference, and so on. This demographic data would be a vital first step in describing the nature of our population. Depending on the size of the population, decisions would have to be made a5 to the most appropriate sampling techniques and the best methods of obtaining this information, i. e., questionnaires, interviews, a combination of these. 3. Assuming these conditions could be met, there have been developed within the social sciences certain rather powerful statistical techniques that could be utilized in developing this type of analysis. We would want to, for instance, use certain correlation techniques to explore the nature and strength of certain relationship. We would �150 SLOVAKIA want to see if ethnic consciousness is related to certain other factors such as education level, occupation, income, religion, and so forth. Again, we would want to see how "strong" these relationships were. We would also want to examine these factors within certain age groups, for instance, or between males and females. Other techniques could be brought to bear on the problem, namely, those statistical manipulations which include regression analysis, partial and multiple correlation.14 For example, if Slovaks in the thirty-five to fifty age group scored "high" on ethnic consciousness, and if these scores correlated positively with education, religion and income, we might want to ask if any of these variables are more "important" than the others; or how well, if taken together, do they allow us to say that persons having these characteristics will also have ethnic consciousness. Thus, it would be interesting to know what the influence of a person's occupation was on his ethnic identity while at the same time "holding constant" other influences, such as education and income. Or we may want to know how much of the "variance" in our dependent variable is attributable to the combined effects of age, income, religion, and education. While some of these techniques are fairly sophisticated, they are needed to gather accurate data on the composition of any given ethnic group, its self-identity and possible political or economic influences. SUMMARY Being of Slovak ancestry, my personal feeling is that Professor Novak has done a service in bringing to light the existence of these ethnic groups that are usually not recognized as having a unique cultural heritage and identity. They, indeed, constitute a large proportion of the American population. It is further accurate to say that these groups have contributed a large share to the building of this country. There is no denying this fact. My major objections to Professor Novak's thesis are as follows: 1) I am not truly convinced that there is a unique ethnic consciousness among the groups about which he is �SLOVAKIA 151 speaking. While indeed there may be, I do not believe it is a strong homogeneous force either within any particular group, or between the various groups. In either case, there is simply not enough information to support the thesis one way or the other. 2) While ethnic consciousness may be an important social and political force in the seventies, we do not have enough evidence as to what constitutes it. My own guess is that this "identity" may be merely a backlash reaction to certain groups of people who feel neglected and socially and economically exploited. Thas, the "identity" may be more a function of socioeconomic status than of a unique ethnic consciousness. I would venture to guess there are also many "non-ethnic" groups who are feeling the effects of exploitation. 3) What Professor Novak is describing is probably the pressures working class people are experiencing in tllis country, generally, while their ethnicity may be secondary. 4) Again, I believe the type of ethnic identity he mentions may be more strongly a function of those ethnic groups who maintain close geographical and language ties. But the rate of mobility (even the more limited mobility of blue-collar workers) is - such that the viability of these close-knit groups as centers of ethnic identity is open to question. 5) We have very little information as to the ethnic consciousness of those persons in the eighteen to twentyfive year age group. Here we may have outward "ethnic identification" in the sense of taking courses, let us say, concerning one's cultural background, but I am not convinced that this constitutes a unique "ethnic consciousness." And 6) I do not believe the seventy million Americans Novak mentions will constitute a viable political force based on ethnic lines alone. The political coalition, if indeed there ever is one, will develop probably along socioeconomic and perhaps ideological-religious lines. While being of Slovak heritage, being raised in a Slovak home, and having some limited facility in the language, I still do not see myself as having a unique "ethnic consciousness." While being subject to the "pressures" of professionalization, I do not feel that I have somehow �SLOVAKIA 152 lost my "true" ethnic identity. My Slovak heritage forms an important part of my cultural past, but it does not completely determine my immediate present. My Slovak background is important, but I do not feel this entitles me to become an Ethnic Everyman. REFERENCES 1) Michael Novak, The Rise of the Unmeltable Ethnics (New York : Macmillan, 1972). 2) William I. Thomas and Florian Znaniecki, The Polish Peasant in Europe and America, Vols. I and II (New York: Dover, 19~). 3) Steven I. Miller, "Historical and Empirical Methods ·of Studying Slovak-Americans as a Distinct Ethnic Group," Slovakia, Vol. XXII, No. 45, pp. 116-124. 4) S. M. Miller, Max Weber (New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1968), Ch. I. 5) Robert H. Ennis, Logic in Teaching (Englewood Cliffs, N. J .: Prentioo-Hall, 1969), pp. 13-26. 6) Richard S. Rudner, Philosophy of Social Science (Englewood Cliffs, N. J. : Prentice-Hall, 1966), Chs. 4 and 5. 7) Milton M. Gordon, "Assimilation in America: Theory and Reality," Daedalus, Vol. XC, No. 2 (Spring, 1961) and The Bobbs-Merrill Reprint Series, S-407, pp. 263-283. 8 ) Fred N. Kerlinger, Foundations of Behavioral Research (New .York : Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc, 1965), Ch. 2. 9) Emile Durkheim, "Suicide" in The Origins of Scientific Sociology, ed. by John Madge (New York: The Free Press, 1962) , pp. 17-51. 10) Robert K. Merton, Social Theory and Social Structure (rev. ed. ; New York: The Free Press of Glencoe, Inc., 1957). 11) Robert Dubin, Theory Building (New York: The Free Press, 1969), Chs. 3, 6, and 8. 12) Kerlinger, p. 39. 13) Ibid. 14) Hubert M. Blalock, Jr., Social Statistics (2d ed.; New York : McGrawHill, 1972), Chs. 17, 18, and 19. N . B. An important volume in this area is Nathan Glazer and Daniel P. Moynihan, Beyond the Melting Pot: The Negroes, Puerto Ricans, Jews, Italians and Irish of New York City (Cambridge, Mass.: M. I. T. Press, 1963) . � SLOVAKIA Dr. Steven I. M i l l e r : Ethnicity and Research SOME COMMENTS ON MICHAEL NOVAK'S THE RISE OF THE UNMELTABLE ETHNICS There has recently been an upsurge of thinking and writing in terms of ethnicity. The most recent, and perhaps one of the most persuasive, has been by the Slovak-American Michael Novak, in his volume, The Rise of the Unmeltable Ethnics. 1 Novak's thesis is that there exists in America a large group of people that is of a unique ethnic background most likely Catholic, and generally "blue collar" or lower middle class. Novak contends that these groups made up of Poles, Italians, Greeks, and Slovaks constitute an important and neglected segment of our population, who have been historically exploited by the WASPS and are now being identified as right-wing bigots. Novak contends that it is now time to recognize the unique identity and composition of these ethnic groups and, hopefully, mold them into a viable political force that reflects their national origins and religious preference. While Novak makes an important contribution to the ethnic literature, one often receives the impression while reading the book that something is lacking; that the ethnic concern is a springboard for certain personal ethical and political preferences. There is not, for instance, an in-depth investigation of any of the ethnic groups that is supposedly under study. For instance, no in-depth analysis is given of such a classic work as Thomas and Znaniecki's The Polish Peasant in Europe and America. 2 Surely, these volumes would have provided some additional insight into the problem. What we have, rather, is a documented but largely anecdotal work purporting to penetrate into the "mysteries" of the ethnic psyche. And, yet, the work does at least bring about an awareness of the fact that ethnicity may be an important contemporary phenomenon. However, by emphasizing the �142 SLOVAKIA reality of ethnicity, Novak leaves unsolved as many issues as he raises. This is the result of several factors: 1) the general methodological approach of the work; 2) certain ambiguities in terms of definitions, and 3) a larger vision of the ethnic reality (if, indeed, there actually is one). These points will be elaborated on below. Again, the work is a very valuable one but it could have been considerably strengthened if some of these factors had been taken into consideration. Perhaps some of these considerations will more appropriately be explored in future works on the subject. METHODOLOGY AND ETHNIC STUDIES As I pointed out in a previous work,3 one of the crucial handicaps facing ethnic studies is the paucity of adequate methodology. More accurately, one could argue that the methodology is available but has not been utilized effectively in ethnic studies. What I am opting for is a more rigorous use of historiography and especially the extended use of social science methodology. It is only through good methodology that the study of ethnic groups ( and especially the ones cited by Novak), becomes systematized and incorporated at all levels of the educational process. Prof. Novak's methodological approach is, I believe, broadly historical. He indicates (xv) that he will approach the topic in terms of "systematic theology" and his personal label of "intelligent subjectivity." While the former definition is perhaps not well defined, I take the second (and equivalent definition of "intelligent subjectivity" to be somewhat akin to Max Weber's idea of verstehen4-although there are some crucial differences. However, one does not know by the context whether this type of methodological approach is implied. While this may be a minor point, it does have bearing on the shape and direction of the work. One of the major difficulties, however, lies in the structure of the argument itself. That is, there may be operating throughout the book a rather subtle logical fallacy that, by the way, plagues much of social science reasoning, also. The fallacy is called by logicians "the fallacy of affirming the consequent." 5 It involves valid and invalid forms of argument based on "conditionals" that havli the �SLOVAKIA 143 form "if p, then q." Thus, one of the basic arguments here runs something like this: "if there is a unique ethnic identity, then it is found in the existence of such groups as Poles, Italians, Greeks, and Slavs. But such groups do exist; therefore, they must exhibit a unique ethnic consciousness." The fallacy being that the existence of any or all of these groups does not give us a basis for concluding the existence of some special identity or consciousness. Indeed, the existence of these groups would constitute a necessary condition for an ethnic consciousness, but surely, not a sufficient one. The important point here is that one then attempts to specify by way of evidence ( or the inductive process), the probability that some sort of meaningful relationship does in fact exist.6 While Professor Novak does, in part, fulfill this evidence condition, he does not extend it in any unique methodological fashion. For example, four propositions are set forth (pp. 8-9) that are supposedly associated with ethnic identity. The first two propositions imply the necessity of examining one's ethnic heritage to gain a deeper insight into one's (supposedly) psychological makeup; and that this enhanced self-awareness will do no harm to this country's vision of the world, in terms of foreign policy (although I must admit I fail to see how the second proposition follows from the first). The last two propositions, however, are the interesting ones since they are presumably direct effects of one's ethnic identity. Proposition three makes the claim that "persons who are secure in their identity act with greater freedom, greater flexibility, greater openness to others. People who feel inferior or unacceptable lash out in anger." Proposition four states "a politics based on family and neighborhood is far stronger socially and psychologically than a politics based on bureaucracy." Now these propositions are important in that they are the supposed consequences of ethnicity as studied through the perspective of "intelligent subjectivity." But if we examine the last two propositions, the question immediately arises as to whether the assertions are meant to be "causative" in nature or, perhaps, co,rrelational. It appears that they are put forth with the force �SLOVAKIA of causal statements: ethnic identity (consciousness) causes a healthier self-concept which in turn leads to (for instance) a unique kind of political commitment. These types of inferences are easily asserted but are substantiated with great difficulty. What is needed in these types of assertions, as we shall see, is either fairly strong historical evidence or, more pertinently, methods for operationalizing these assertions. In the same vein, Prof. Novak attempts to substantiate his thesis by claiming that the groups he is speaking of are identifiable on at least three characteristics: ethnicity, religion, and social class position (pp. 14, 20). This, of course, is an important assertion since it defines the characteristics of the population under study. Although there are presumably seventy million Americans who can be classified as Catholic, ethnic and within the $5,000$10,000 income range, this in itself does not mean that these people form a distinct group in terms of any of the three characteristics, let alone as being distinct in any political sense. There undoubtedly is a great deal of potential (economic, social, religious), but this does not mean it has become actualized in any specific manner. In addition, one would need much more specific information on this group before generalizations could be forwarded. What is the specific ethnic breakdown? What is the median income within any given group and between the groups? How many of each generation are in any given group? How are they distributed in any particular city? What is needed, then, is a more specific delineation of this large "ethnic group." Many other issues come to mind in this connection. Assuming that any given ethnic group can also be characterized as Catholic and having a median income of $8,000, is there any way in which these (and other) variables came together to produce the ethnic consciousness? Thus, it may be the case that Catholicism may be more important than ethnicity or income in predicting particular ethnic attitudes. Or it may be child rearing patterns or perhaps occupational structure. For instance, do third generation Poles who are middle class and Catholic, hold similar political attitudes as blue-collar Lutheran (or Catholic) Slovak~. �SLOVAKIA 145 It becomes readily obvious that what is needed is a more s ophisticated methodology to handle some of these problems. Likewise, Professor Novak's definition of an ethnic :group (pp. 47-48) is much too vague. One is not quite sure what an "historical memory" is to begin with, but the -concept is further confused by including nearly all things under the sun: instincts, feelings, intimacies, etc. It is difficult to see how some of these statements go beyond, for instance, Gordon's theory on assimilation in America. 7 The weakness in some of these assertions is that they may be perpetuating certain ethnic stereotypes under the guise of pointing out their uniqueness (p. 23). Does one really gain additional insight into ethnicity by stating that ethnic families have many family pictures in their homes and spend much of their free time with their families? Or such dangerous generalizations as "Jews and Italians we know are highly dramatic people. Their self-consciousness is different from that of other groups (p. 38)." This may be an indicator of the uniqueness of different forms of ethnic "consciousness," but it is rather difficult to see how. THE NEED FOR ADEQUATE OPERATIONALIZATION Returning to an earlier point, the real need in Prof. Novak's work is some attempt to operationalize his key assertions. That is, there should be some way to state more precisely those propositions that are central to the work and to imply some possible means of measuring them. 8 When one attempts to do this, it becomes clear that the issues under study are indeed of a very complex nature. This approach does not mean that if one tries to look at an issue (or a series of issues empirically, let us say from a social science point of view), that there is automatically a depersonalization of the group under study. There may be but this is not necessarily the case. In addition, if there is some "loss" in the sense that one cannot explore all the psychological complexities of any given group or individual, there is also a "gain" in that one can obtain more precise information on the group and use this information as a stepping stone to further research. �146 SLOVAKIA Now, indeed, this approach to ethnicity is a consequence of certain WASP connected attitudes about "universality'' and professionalization, but I hardly believe this is the case. What social science research attempts to do (sometimes with poor results) is to precisely rid people of certain stereotypic notions (let us say about ethnicity) that have been prevalent for too long. Conversely' social science research can bring to light the uniqueness of any given group. There are, for example, certain important conceptual clarifications that Professor Novak should have addressed. himself to. One, first of all, would like some additional clarification as to the nature of "ethnic consciousness." If it is postulated as being important, and a causal factor in the development of other conditions (i.e., political power), then it should be capable of operationalization. How does one know if one has it? Do some groups have it more than others? Does it differ in terms of social clas5 differences, for instance? These are not moot questions. Rather, they must be answered if one is to make a case for ethnic consciousness. There are other statements that are in need of clarification which are also premised on the existence of this ethnic consciousness. For instance, the statement, "the rise of ethnic consciousness today is also due to disillusionment with the universality, too thinly rational culture of professional elites (p. 32)." And again, "the rise in ethnic consciousness is, then, part of a more general cultural revolution (p. 32)." How is one to determine the relationship in the first statement between one's ethnic consciousness and the disillusionment with professional elites? There may indeed be such a relationship but the context does not clarify it, nor the possible strength of the relationship. In the second statement, it is asserted that there is some type of a relationship between ethnic consciousness and the more "general cultural revolution" (whatever that might be). In this instance, however, some directionality is implied: ethnic consciousness seems to be the result, or perhaps the by-product, of some larger cultural transformation. This may, once more, be the case but it would be extremely helpful if one could place such a statement in a broader �SLOVAKIA 147 theoretical framework; perhaps the work of Emile Durkheim,9 or Robert K. Merton's reference group theory. 10 Without a general theoretical framework, it becomes increasingly difficult to place the above statement into any type of meaningful categorization. Although the issue of theory building is very pertinent to the discussion, it is beyond the scope of this paper. 11 RESEARCH DESIGNS AND ETHNIC STUDIES One possible way of gaining important information related to the study of ethnic groups would be to con-ceptualize the problem in another way. Again, this would be an alternative method of looking at some of the claims forwarded by Professor Novak. An important preliminary step would be to state an initial dependent variable. The -dependent variable is the condition we are trying to .explain.12 It is the issue we are interested in examining, -explaining, and possibly predicting from. The independent variable, on the other hand, is the presumed "cause" of the dependent variable. 13 What we should then be looking for would be the relationship of the dependent variable(s) with the independent variable(s). If some relationship does exist, we can then better attempt to explain these hypotheses under investigation. In a broad sense, the dependent variable here would be "ethnic consciousness." It is this factor or condition that we wish to account for as accurately as possible, because the assumption is that this condition is now responsible for many other conditions. But what is necessary to give added meaning to this concept? One would, first of all, attempt to define more precisely with some such statement as, "Ethnic consciousness is a psychological state X, resulting from Y and exhibited in certain types of behavior pattern in group Z." However, even if a definition of this type is possible, one is still under the obligation t o give supporting evidence for it. One way of providing for this supporting evidence is to first operationalize (measure) the concept. And this is where the task now becomes increasingly difficult. Put very �148 SLOVAKIA simply, how can one get a measure of ethnic consciousnes s? (We are not even asking at this point if there are differing degrees or amounts of it.) What would be needed, then, is the creation of some type of instrument that gives an indication of this attribute. We might, for example devise a test that would measure conservative or liberal, democratic or authoritarian political attitudes, and then infer that those scoring "high" on, let us say, the democratic dimension would also be exhibiting "ethnic consciousnes s." (We are presumably administering the instrument to some ethnic group.) Of course, ethnic consciousnes s could conceivably be indicated by a large number of factors individually, or several kinds of factors. collectively. However, the issue is finally settled, it must be done for the research to proceed. The same issues are brought to the fore when one attempts to identify and specify the independent variable(s). Thus the rise of ethnic consciousnes s may be directly related to 1) anemic strain within institutions; 2) increasing displeasure with bureaucratic means of doing things; and 3) the decrease or increase of religious commitment and so forth. If one, for example, indicates that the rise in ethnic consciousnes s is related to increasing bureaucratic complexity, then some means must be devised to conceptualize bureaucratic structures (and then relate them to ethnic consciousnes s). To do this, one would have to specify, first of all, the organizationa l level that may be important. Are we speaking of bureaucracy in general, in society, or bureaucratic organization in terms of higher education and its effects on blocking admission to ethnic groups. or some other sense of bureaucracy? One would also have to assume that there is some way of measuring this bureaucratic effect. THE STUDY OF SLOVAKS Let us now assume that we would want to test Prof. Novak's thesis concerning the rise of ethnic consciousnes s. How could one go about doing this? The problem becomes highly complex in studying one group. It would be a monu- �SLOVAKIA 149 mental task to study the remaining ethnic groups either cross-sectionally ( at one point in time), or longitudinally ( over a period of time). Let us delineate our problem, however, to studying the Slovaks, let us say, in Chicago. Let us further assume that we have developed a reliable and valid instrument that we can use as a measure of ethnic consciousness. The problem then would have to be approached in somewhat the following manner: 1. We would have to · specify the population under study. Presumably, we would want to look at native-born Slovaks, as well as second and third generation Slovaks. However, difficulties soon arise: if both of your grandparents were Slovaks, but your father was Slovak and your mother Irish, do we include you in the population as a Slovak? Some de.c ision would have to be reached on matters or definition such as this. 2. We would want a breakdown demographically of where Slovaks resided in Chicago. This information might be easily obtained for some native-born Slovaks and their children, but others would have to be located if we were to have a representative sample. Other information would then have to be gathered: importantly the age range of Slovaks and how many within certain age groups; other valuable information would include educational background, occupation, place of residence, income level, religious preference, and so on. This demographic data would be a vital first step in describing the nature of our population. Depending on the size of the population, decisions would have to be made a5 to the most appropriate sampling techniques and the best methods of obtaining this information, i. e., questionnaires, interviews, a combination of these. 3. Assuming these conditions could be met, there have been developed within the social sciences certain rather powerful statistical techniques that could be utilized in developing this type of analysis. We would want to, for instance, use certain correlation techniques to explore the nature and strength of certain relationship. We would �150 SLOVAKIA want to see if ethnic consciousness is related to certain other factors such as education level, occupation, income, religion, and so forth. Again, we would want to see how "strong" these relationships were. We would also want to examine these factors within certain age groups, for instance, or between males and females. Other techniques could be brought to bear on the problem, namely, those statistical manipulations which include regression analysis, partial and multiple correlation.14 For example, if Slovaks in the thirty-five to fifty age group scored "high" on ethnic consciousness, and if these scores correlated positively with education, religion and income, we might want to ask if any of these variables are more "important" than the others; or how well, if taken together, do they allow us to say that persons having these characteristics will also have ethnic consciousness. Thus, it would be interesting to know what the influence of a person's occupation was on his ethnic identity while at the same time "holding constant" other influences, such as education and income. Or we may want to know how much of the "variance" in our dependent variable is attributable to the combined effects of age, income, religion, and education. While some of these techniques are fairly sophisticated, they are needed to gather accurate data on the composition of any given ethnic group, its self-identity and possible political or economic influences. SUMMARY Being of Slovak ancestry, my personal feeling is that Professor Novak has done a service in bringing to light the existence of these ethnic groups that are usually not recognized as having a unique cultural heritage and identity. They, indeed, constitute a large proportion of the American population. It is further accurate to say that these groups have contributed a large share to the building of this country. There is no denying this fact. My major objections to Professor Novak's thesis are as follows: 1) I am not truly convinced that there is a unique ethnic consciousness among the groups about which he is �SLOVAKIA 151 speaking. While indeed there may be, I do not believe it is a strong homogeneous force either within any particular group, or between the various groups. In either case, there is simply not enough information to support the thesis one way or the other. 2) While ethnic consciousness may be an important social and political force in the seventies, we do not have enough evidence as to what constitutes it. My own guess is that this "identity" may be merely a backlash reaction to certain groups of people who feel neglected and socially and economically exploited. Thas, the "identity" may be more a function of socioeconomic status than of a unique ethnic consciousness. I would venture to guess there are also many "non-ethnic" groups who are feeling the effects of exploitation. 3) What Professor Novak is describing is probably the pressures working class people are experiencing in tllis country, generally, while their ethnicity may be secondary. 4) Again, I believe the type of ethnic identity he mentions may be more strongly a function of those ethnic groups who maintain close geographical and language ties. But the rate of mobility (even the more limited mobility of blue-collar workers) is - such that the viability of these close-knit groups as centers of ethnic identity is open to question. 5) We have very little information as to the ethnic consciousness of those persons in the eighteen to twentyfive year age group. Here we may have outward "ethnic identification" in the sense of taking courses, let us say, concerning one's cultural background, but I am not convinced that this constitutes a unique "ethnic consciousness." And 6) I do not believe the seventy million Americans Novak mentions will constitute a viable political force based on ethnic lines alone. The political coalition, if indeed there ever is one, will develop probably along socioeconomic and perhaps ideological-religious lines. While being of Slovak heritage, being raised in a Slovak home, and having some limited facility in the language, I still do not see myself as having a unique "ethnic consciousness." While being subject to the "pressures" of professionalization, I do not feel that I have somehow �SLOVAKIA 152 lost my "true" ethnic identity. My Slovak heritage forms an important part of my cultural past, but it does not completely determine my immediate present. My Slovak background is important, but I do not feel this entitles me to become an Ethnic Everyman. REFERENCES 1) Michael Novak, The Rise of the Unmeltable Ethnics (New York : Macmillan, 1972). 2) William I. Thomas and Florian Znaniecki, The Polish Peasant in Europe and America, Vols. I and II (New York: Dover, 19~). 3) Steven I. Miller, "Historical and Empirical Methods ·of Studying Slovak-Americans as a Distinct Ethnic Group," Slovakia, Vol. XXII, No. 45, pp. 116-124. 4) S. M. Miller, Max Weber (New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1968), Ch. I. 5) Robert H. Ennis, Logic in Teaching (Englewood Cliffs, N. J .: Prentioo-Hall, 1969), pp. 13-26. 6) Richard S. Rudner, Philosophy of Social Science (Englewood Cliffs, N. J. : Prentice-Hall, 1966), Chs. 4 and 5. 7) Milton M. Gordon, "Assimilation in America: Theory and Reality," Daedalus, Vol. XC, No. 2 (Spring, 1961) and The Bobbs-Merrill Reprint Series, S-407, pp. 263-283. 8 ) Fred N. Kerlinger, Foundations of Behavioral Research (New .York : Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc, 1965), Ch. 2. 9) Emile Durkheim, "Suicide" in The Origins of Scientific Sociology, ed. by John Madge (New York: The Free Press, 1962) , pp. 17-51. 10) Robert K. Merton, Social Theory and Social Structure (rev. ed. ; New York: The Free Press of Glencoe, Inc., 1957). 11) Robert Dubin, Theory Building (New York: The Free Press, 1969), Chs. 3, 6, and 8. 12) Kerlinger, p. 39. 13) Ibid. 14) Hubert M. Blalock, Jr., Social Statistics (2d ed.; New York : McGrawHill, 1972), Chs. 17, 18, and 19. N . B. An important volume in this area is Nathan Glazer and Daniel P. Moynihan, Beyond the Melting Pot: The Negroes, Puerto Ricans, Jews, Italians and Irish of New York City (Cambridge, Mass.: M. I. T. Press, 1963) . � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1973, Vol. 23 Description An account of the resource Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document SLOVAKIA Dr. Steven I. M i l l e r : Ethnicity and Research SOME COMMENTS ON MICHAEL NOVAK'S THE RISE OF THE UNMELTABLE ETHNICS There has recently been an upsurge of thinking and writing in terms of ethnicity. The most recent, and perhaps one of the most persuasive, has been by the Slovak-American Michael Novak, in his volume, The Rise of the Unmeltable Ethnics. 1 Novak's thesis is that there exists in America a large group of people that is of a unique ethnic background most likely Catholic, and generally "blue collar" or lower middle class. Novak contends that these groups made up of Poles, Italians, Greeks, and Slovaks constitute an important and neglected segment of our population, who have been historically exploited by the WASPS and are now being identified as right-wing bigots. Novak contends that it is now time to recognize the unique identity and composition of these ethnic groups and, hopefully, mold them into a viable political force that reflects their national origins and religious preference. While Novak makes an important contribution to the ethnic literature, one often receives the impression while reading the book that something is lacking; that the ethnic concern is a springboard for certain personal ethical and political preferences. There is not, for instance, an in-depth investigation of any of the ethnic groups that is supposedly under study. For instance, no in-depth analysis is given of such a classic work as Thomas and Znaniecki's The Polish Peasant in Europe and America. 2 Surely, these volumes would have provided some additional insight into the problem. What we have, rather, is a documented but largely anecdotal work purporting to penetrate into the "mysteries" of the ethnic psyche. And, yet, the work does at least bring about an awareness of the fact that ethnicity may be an important contemporary phenomenon. However, by emphasizing the 142 SLOVAKIA reality of ethnicity, Novak leaves unsolved as many issues as he raises. This is the result of several factors: 1) the general methodological approach of the work; 2) certain ambiguities in terms of definitions, and 3) a larger vision of the ethnic reality (if, indeed, there actually is one). These points will be elaborated on below. Again, the work is a very valuable one but it could have been considerably strengthened if some of these factors had been taken into consideration. Perhaps some of these considerations will more appropriately be explored in future works on the subject. METHODOLOGY AND ETHNIC STUDIES As I pointed out in a previous work,3 one of the crucial handicaps facing ethnic studies is the paucity of adequate methodology. More accurately, one could argue that the methodology is available but has not been utilized effectively in ethnic studies. What I am opting for is a more rigorous use of historiography and especially the extended use of social science methodology. It is only through good methodology that the study of ethnic groups ( and especially the ones cited by Novak), becomes systematized and incorporated at all levels of the educational process. Prof. Novak's methodological approach is, I believe, broadly historical. He indicates (xv) that he will approach the topic in terms of "systematic theology" and his personal label of "intelligent subjectivity." While the former definition is perhaps not well defined, I take the second (and equivalent definition of "intelligent subjectivity" to be somewhat akin to Max Weber's idea of verstehen4-although there are some crucial differences. However, one does not know by the context whether this type of methodological approach is implied. While this may be a minor point, it does have bearing on the shape and direction of the work. One of the major difficulties, however, lies in the structure of the argument itself. That is, there may be operating throughout the book a rather subtle logical fallacy that, by the way, plagues much of social science reasoning, also. The fallacy is called by logicians "the fallacy of affirming the consequent." 5 It involves valid and invalid forms of argument based on "conditionals" that havli the SLOVAKIA 143 form "if p, then q." Thus, one of the basic arguments here runs something like this: "if there is a unique ethnic identity, then it is found in the existence of such groups as Poles, Italians, Greeks, and Slavs. But such groups do exist; therefore, they must exhibit a unique ethnic consciousness." The fallacy being that the existence of any or all of these groups does not give us a basis for concluding the existence of some special identity or consciousness. Indeed, the existence of these groups would constitute a necessary condition for an ethnic consciousness, but surely, not a sufficient one. The important point here is that one then attempts to specify by way of evidence ( or the inductive process), the probability that some sort of meaningful relationship does in fact exist.6 While Professor Novak does, in part, fulfill this evidence condition, he does not extend it in any unique methodological fashion. For example, four propositions are set forth (pp. 8-9) that are supposedly associated with ethnic identity. The first two propositions imply the necessity of examining one's ethnic heritage to gain a deeper insight into one's (supposedly) psychological makeup; and that this enhanced self-awareness will do no harm to this country's vision of the world, in terms of foreign policy (although I must admit I fail to see how the second proposition follows from the first). The last two propositions, however, are the interesting ones since they are presumably direct effects of one's ethnic identity. Proposition three makes the claim that "persons who are secure in their identity act with greater freedom, greater flexibility, greater openness to others. People who feel inferior or unacceptable lash out in anger." Proposition four states "a politics based on family and neighborhood is far stronger socially and psychologically than a politics based on bureaucracy." Now these propositions are important in that they are the supposed consequences of ethnicity as studied through the perspective of "intelligent subjectivity." But if we examine the last two propositions, the question immediately arises as to whether the assertions are meant to be "causative" in nature or, perhaps, co,rrelational. It appears that they are put forth with the force SLOVAKIA of causal statements: ethnic identity (consciousness) causes a healthier self-concept which in turn leads to (for instance) a unique kind of political commitment. These types of inferences are easily asserted but are substantiated with great difficulty. What is needed in these types of assertions, as we shall see, is either fairly strong historical evidence or, more pertinently, methods for operationalizing these assertions. In the same vein, Prof. Novak attempts to substantiate his thesis by claiming that the groups he is speaking of are identifiable on at least three characteristics: ethnicity, religion, and social class position (pp. 14, 20). This, of course, is an important assertion since it defines the characteristics of the population under study. Although there are presumably seventy million Americans who can be classified as Catholic, ethnic and within the $5,000$10,000 income range, this in itself does not mean that these people form a distinct group in terms of any of the three characteristics, let alone as being distinct in any political sense. There undoubtedly is a great deal of potential (economic, social, religious), but this does not mean it has become actualized in any specific manner. In addition, one would need much more specific information on this group before generalizations could be forwarded. What is the specific ethnic breakdown? What is the median income within any given group and between the groups? How many of each generation are in any given group? How are they distributed in any particular city? What is needed, then, is a more specific delineation of this large "ethnic group." Many other issues come to mind in this connection. Assuming that any given ethnic group can also be characterized as Catholic and having a median income of $8,000, is there any way in which these (and other) variables came together to produce the ethnic consciousness? Thus, it may be the case that Catholicism may be more important than ethnicity or income in predicting particular ethnic attitudes. Or it may be child rearing patterns or perhaps occupational structure. For instance, do third generation Poles who are middle class and Catholic, hold similar political attitudes as blue-collar Lutheran (or Catholic) Slovak~. SLOVAKIA 145 It becomes readily obvious that what is needed is a more s ophisticated methodology to handle some of these problems. Likewise, Professor Novak's definition of an ethnic :group (pp. 47-48) is much too vague. One is not quite sure what an "historical memory" is to begin with, but the -concept is further confused by including nearly all things under the sun: instincts, feelings, intimacies, etc. It is difficult to see how some of these statements go beyond, for instance, Gordon's theory on assimilation in America. 7 The weakness in some of these assertions is that they may be perpetuating certain ethnic stereotypes under the guise of pointing out their uniqueness (p. 23). Does one really gain additional insight into ethnicity by stating that ethnic families have many family pictures in their homes and spend much of their free time with their families? Or such dangerous generalizations as "Jews and Italians we know are highly dramatic people. Their self-consciousness is different from that of other groups (p. 38)." This may be an indicator of the uniqueness of different forms of ethnic "consciousness," but it is rather difficult to see how. THE NEED FOR ADEQUATE OPERATIONALIZATION Returning to an earlier point, the real need in Prof. Novak's work is some attempt to operationalize his key assertions. That is, there should be some way to state more precisely those propositions that are central to the work and to imply some possible means of measuring them. 8 When one attempts to do this, it becomes clear that the issues under study are indeed of a very complex nature. This approach does not mean that if one tries to look at an issue (or a series of issues empirically, let us say from a social science point of view), that there is automatically a depersonalization of the group under study. There may be but this is not necessarily the case. In addition, if there is some "loss" in the sense that one cannot explore all the psychological complexities of any given group or individual, there is also a "gain" in that one can obtain more precise information on the group and use this information as a stepping stone to further research. 146 SLOVAKIA Now, indeed, this approach to ethnicity is a consequence of certain WASP connected attitudes about "universality'' and professionalization, but I hardly believe this is the case. What social science research attempts to do (sometimes with poor results) is to precisely rid people of certain stereotypic notions (let us say about ethnicity) that have been prevalent for too long. Conversely' social science research can bring to light the uniqueness of any given group. There are, for example, certain important conceptual clarifications that Professor Novak should have addressed. himself to. One, first of all, would like some additional clarification as to the nature of "ethnic consciousness." If it is postulated as being important, and a causal factor in the development of other conditions (i.e., political power), then it should be capable of operationalization. How does one know if one has it? Do some groups have it more than others? Does it differ in terms of social clas5 differences, for instance? These are not moot questions. Rather, they must be answered if one is to make a case for ethnic consciousness. There are other statements that are in need of clarification which are also premised on the existence of this ethnic consciousness. For instance, the statement, "the rise of ethnic consciousness today is also due to disillusionment with the universality, too thinly rational culture of professional elites (p. 32)." And again, "the rise in ethnic consciousness is, then, part of a more general cultural revolution (p. 32)." How is one to determine the relationship in the first statement between one's ethnic consciousness and the disillusionment with professional elites? There may indeed be such a relationship but the context does not clarify it, nor the possible strength of the relationship. In the second statement, it is asserted that there is some type of a relationship between ethnic consciousness and the more "general cultural revolution" (whatever that might be). In this instance, however, some directionality is implied: ethnic consciousness seems to be the result, or perhaps the by-product, of some larger cultural transformation. This may, once more, be the case but it would be extremely helpful if one could place such a statement in a broader SLOVAKIA 147 theoretical framework; perhaps the work of Emile Durkheim,9 or Robert K. Merton's reference group theory. 10 Without a general theoretical framework, it becomes increasingly difficult to place the above statement into any type of meaningful categorization. Although the issue of theory building is very pertinent to the discussion, it is beyond the scope of this paper. 11 RESEARCH DESIGNS AND ETHNIC STUDIES One possible way of gaining important information related to the study of ethnic groups would be to con-ceptualize the problem in another way. Again, this would be an alternative method of looking at some of the claims forwarded by Professor Novak. An important preliminary step would be to state an initial dependent variable. The -dependent variable is the condition we are trying to .explain.12 It is the issue we are interested in examining, -explaining, and possibly predicting from. The independent variable, on the other hand, is the presumed "cause" of the dependent variable. 13 What we should then be looking for would be the relationship of the dependent variable(s) with the independent variable(s). If some relationship does exist, we can then better attempt to explain these hypotheses under investigation. In a broad sense, the dependent variable here would be "ethnic consciousness." It is this factor or condition that we wish to account for as accurately as possible, because the assumption is that this condition is now responsible for many other conditions. But what is necessary to give added meaning to this concept? One would, first of all, attempt to define more precisely with some such statement as, "Ethnic consciousness is a psychological state X, resulting from Y and exhibited in certain types of behavior pattern in group Z." However, even if a definition of this type is possible, one is still under the obligation t o give supporting evidence for it. One way of providing for this supporting evidence is to first operationalize (measure) the concept. And this is where the task now becomes increasingly difficult. Put very 148 SLOVAKIA simply, how can one get a measure of ethnic consciousnes s? (We are not even asking at this point if there are differing degrees or amounts of it.) What would be needed, then, is the creation of some type of instrument that gives an indication of this attribute. We might, for example devise a test that would measure conservative or liberal, democratic or authoritarian political attitudes, and then infer that those scoring "high" on, let us say, the democratic dimension would also be exhibiting "ethnic consciousnes s." (We are presumably administering the instrument to some ethnic group.) Of course, ethnic consciousnes s could conceivably be indicated by a large number of factors individually, or several kinds of factors. collectively. However, the issue is finally settled, it must be done for the research to proceed. The same issues are brought to the fore when one attempts to identify and specify the independent variable(s). Thus the rise of ethnic consciousnes s may be directly related to 1) anemic strain within institutions; 2) increasing displeasure with bureaucratic means of doing things; and 3) the decrease or increase of religious commitment and so forth. If one, for example, indicates that the rise in ethnic consciousnes s is related to increasing bureaucratic complexity, then some means must be devised to conceptualize bureaucratic structures (and then relate them to ethnic consciousnes s). To do this, one would have to specify, first of all, the organizationa l level that may be important. Are we speaking of bureaucracy in general, in society, or bureaucratic organization in terms of higher education and its effects on blocking admission to ethnic groups. or some other sense of bureaucracy? One would also have to assume that there is some way of measuring this bureaucratic effect. THE STUDY OF SLOVAKS Let us now assume that we would want to test Prof. Novak's thesis concerning the rise of ethnic consciousnes s. How could one go about doing this? The problem becomes highly complex in studying one group. It would be a monu- SLOVAKIA 149 mental task to study the remaining ethnic groups either cross-sectionally ( at one point in time), or longitudinally ( over a period of time). Let us delineate our problem, however, to studying the Slovaks, let us say, in Chicago. Let us further assume that we have developed a reliable and valid instrument that we can use as a measure of ethnic consciousness. The problem then would have to be approached in somewhat the following manner: 1. We would have to · specify the population under study. Presumably, we would want to look at native-born Slovaks, as well as second and third generation Slovaks. However, difficulties soon arise: if both of your grandparents were Slovaks, but your father was Slovak and your mother Irish, do we include you in the population as a Slovak? Some de.c ision would have to be reached on matters or definition such as this. 2. We would want a breakdown demographically of where Slovaks resided in Chicago. This information might be easily obtained for some native-born Slovaks and their children, but others would have to be located if we were to have a representative sample. Other information would then have to be gathered: importantly the age range of Slovaks and how many within certain age groups; other valuable information would include educational background, occupation, place of residence, income level, religious preference, and so on. This demographic data would be a vital first step in describing the nature of our population. Depending on the size of the population, decisions would have to be made a5 to the most appropriate sampling techniques and the best methods of obtaining this information, i. e., questionnaires, interviews, a combination of these. 3. Assuming these conditions could be met, there have been developed within the social sciences certain rather powerful statistical techniques that could be utilized in developing this type of analysis. We would want to, for instance, use certain correlation techniques to explore the nature and strength of certain relationship. We would 150 SLOVAKIA want to see if ethnic consciousness is related to certain other factors such as education level, occupation, income, religion, and so forth. Again, we would want to see how "strong" these relationships were. We would also want to examine these factors within certain age groups, for instance, or between males and females. Other techniques could be brought to bear on the problem, namely, those statistical manipulations which include regression analysis, partial and multiple correlation.14 For example, if Slovaks in the thirty-five to fifty age group scored "high" on ethnic consciousness, and if these scores correlated positively with education, religion and income, we might want to ask if any of these variables are more "important" than the others; or how well, if taken together, do they allow us to say that persons having these characteristics will also have ethnic consciousness. Thus, it would be interesting to know what the influence of a person's occupation was on his ethnic identity while at the same time "holding constant" other influences, such as education and income. Or we may want to know how much of the "variance" in our dependent variable is attributable to the combined effects of age, income, religion, and education. While some of these techniques are fairly sophisticated, they are needed to gather accurate data on the composition of any given ethnic group, its self-identity and possible political or economic influences. SUMMARY Being of Slovak ancestry, my personal feeling is that Professor Novak has done a service in bringing to light the existence of these ethnic groups that are usually not recognized as having a unique cultural heritage and identity. They, indeed, constitute a large proportion of the American population. It is further accurate to say that these groups have contributed a large share to the building of this country. There is no denying this fact. My major objections to Professor Novak's thesis are as follows: 1) I am not truly convinced that there is a unique ethnic consciousness among the groups about which he is SLOVAKIA 151 speaking. While indeed there may be, I do not believe it is a strong homogeneous force either within any particular group, or between the various groups. In either case, there is simply not enough information to support the thesis one way or the other. 2) While ethnic consciousness may be an important social and political force in the seventies, we do not have enough evidence as to what constitutes it. My own guess is that this "identity" may be merely a backlash reaction to certain groups of people who feel neglected and socially and economically exploited. Thas, the "identity" may be more a function of socioeconomic status than of a unique ethnic consciousness. I would venture to guess there are also many "non-ethnic" groups who are feeling the effects of exploitation. 3) What Professor Novak is describing is probably the pressures working class people are experiencing in tllis country, generally, while their ethnicity may be secondary. 4) Again, I believe the type of ethnic identity he mentions may be more strongly a function of those ethnic groups who maintain close geographical and language ties. But the rate of mobility (even the more limited mobility of blue-collar workers) is - such that the viability of these close-knit groups as centers of ethnic identity is open to question. 5) We have very little information as to the ethnic consciousness of those persons in the eighteen to twentyfive year age group. Here we may have outward "ethnic identification" in the sense of taking courses, let us say, concerning one's cultural background, but I am not convinced that this constitutes a unique "ethnic consciousness." And 6) I do not believe the seventy million Americans Novak mentions will constitute a viable political force based on ethnic lines alone. The political coalition, if indeed there ever is one, will develop probably along socioeconomic and perhaps ideological-religious lines. While being of Slovak heritage, being raised in a Slovak home, and having some limited facility in the language, I still do not see myself as having a unique "ethnic consciousness." While being subject to the "pressures" of professionalization, I do not feel that I have somehow SLOVAKIA 152 lost my "true" ethnic identity. My Slovak heritage forms an important part of my cultural past, but it does not completely determine my immediate present. My Slovak background is important, but I do not feel this entitles me to become an Ethnic Everyman. REFERENCES 1) Michael Novak, The Rise of the Unmeltable Ethnics (New York : Macmillan, 1972). 2) William I. Thomas and Florian Znaniecki, The Polish Peasant in Europe and America, Vols. I and II (New York: Dover, 19~). 3) Steven I. Miller, "Historical and Empirical Methods ·of Studying Slovak-Americans as a Distinct Ethnic Group," Slovakia, Vol. XXII, No. 45, pp. 116-124. 4) S. M. Miller, Max Weber (New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1968), Ch. I. 5) Robert H. Ennis, Logic in Teaching (Englewood Cliffs, N. J .: Prentioo-Hall, 1969), pp. 13-26. 6) Richard S. Rudner, Philosophy of Social Science (Englewood Cliffs, N. J. : Prentice-Hall, 1966), Chs. 4 and 5. 7) Milton M. Gordon, "Assimilation in America: Theory and Reality," Daedalus, Vol. XC, No. 2 (Spring, 1961) and The Bobbs-Merrill Reprint Series, S-407, pp. 263-283. 8 ) Fred N. Kerlinger, Foundations of Behavioral Research (New .York : Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc, 1965), Ch. 2. 9) Emile Durkheim, "Suicide" in The Origins of Scientific Sociology, ed. by John Madge (New York: The Free Press, 1962) , pp. 17-51. 10) Robert K. Merton, Social Theory and Social Structure (rev. ed. ; New York: The Free Press of Glencoe, Inc., 1957). 11) Robert Dubin, Theory Building (New York: The Free Press, 1969), Chs. 3, 6, and 8. 12) Kerlinger, p. 39. 13) Ibid. 14) Hubert M. Blalock, Jr., Social Statistics (2d ed.; New York : McGrawHill, 1972), Chs. 17, 18, and 19. N . B. An important volume in this area is Nathan Glazer and Daniel P. Moynihan, Beyond the Melting Pot: The Negroes, Puerto Ricans, Jews, Italians and Irish of New York City (Cambridge, Mass.: M. I. T. Press, 1963) .  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Ethnicity and Research Description An account of the resource Dr. Steven I. Miller Slovakia, Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973 pp. 141-152 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Miller, Steven I. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 LCNAF https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/a6872378d4dbf0882e70e8a082c7bb8f.pdf d57149a0c89cf67c84e175d92a34692f PDF Text Text 140 SLOVAKIA Youth, Our Hope Pavol 0. Hviezdoslav O youth, our hope, the keeper o! dawn's promises, you rule the maytime, you bank all springtime treasure~ and blessed is your stewardship. To you I turn from pensive brooding, from distant gloomy vistas lightly silver-frosted now, and call: "Seize the keys; unclose that Eden shut to us!" Your cheek is lovely, tinged as with the morning flame; your eye casts rays like early beams shot from the dawn; your soul is halcyon-skied-unspoiled by wayward cloud; you pollen-powdered lips are sweet with instant song; swift as lightning flashes is your mind.-Turn the keys! Reveal lost paradise to us! Speed on with swarming bees, delight in fields fruited with gold-crested blooms and fair feasts of standing oak. Swiftly then return with viands rich and wholesome. When foul marauders come-ominous teeming cloud.sand winter cold invades the land-too soon alas!may our hive bear nor want nor ill. And yet have time for sportive play-lark-free exult in flight, indulge your age. You grow in healthful play. Ho! for a merry tune! Delight in song and dance, celebrate your youthfulness; trip a lively step: skip, leap and whirl! Let trembling earth return your beat. that joy may be at home with us. Then back to work! (Here truly is the fuller share of life's purpose.) Strive manfully with giantlike strength; don chivalric gear; unfold your eagle wingspread. For what bold quest? -The free reign of truth, a sure fount of good, beauty's crown: autonomy of spirit. O! restore our long-lost paradise! Translated by Sr. M. Martina Tybor, SS. C. M . Jankola Library Danville, Pa. 17821 � 140 SLOVAKIA Youth, Our Hope Pavol 0. Hviezdoslav O youth, our hope, the keeper o! dawn's promises, you rule the maytime, you bank all springtime treasure~ and blessed is your stewardship. To you I turn from pensive brooding, from distant gloomy vistas lightly silver-frosted now, and call: "Seize the keys; unclose that Eden shut to us!" Your cheek is lovely, tinged as with the morning flame; your eye casts rays like early beams shot from the dawn; your soul is halcyon-skied-unspoiled by wayward cloud; you pollen-powdered lips are sweet with instant song; swift as lightning flashes is your mind.-Turn the keys! Reveal lost paradise to us! Speed on with swarming bees, delight in fields fruited with gold-crested blooms and fair feasts of standing oak. Swiftly then return with viands rich and wholesome. When foul marauders come-ominous teeming cloud.sand winter cold invades the land-too soon alas!may our hive bear nor want nor ill. And yet have time for sportive play-lark-free exult in flight, indulge your age. You grow in healthful play. Ho! for a merry tune! Delight in song and dance, celebrate your youthfulness; trip a lively step: skip, leap and whirl! Let trembling earth return your beat. that joy may be at home with us. Then back to work! (Here truly is the fuller share of life's purpose.) Strive manfully with giantlike strength; don chivalric gear; unfold your eagle wingspread. For what bold quest? -The free reign of truth, a sure fount of good, beauty's crown: autonomy of spirit. O! restore our long-lost paradise! Translated by Sr. M. Martina Tybor, SS. C. M . Jankola Library Danville, Pa. 17821 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1973, Vol. 23 Description An account of the resource Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document 140 SLOVAKIA Youth, Our Hope Pavol 0. Hviezdoslav O youth, our hope, the keeper o! dawn's promises, you rule the maytime, you bank all springtime treasure~ and blessed is your stewardship. To you I turn from pensive brooding, from distant gloomy vistas lightly silver-frosted now, and call: "Seize the keys; unclose that Eden shut to us!" Your cheek is lovely, tinged as with the morning flame; your eye casts rays like early beams shot from the dawn; your soul is halcyon-skied-unspoiled by wayward cloud; you pollen-powdered lips are sweet with instant song; swift as lightning flashes is your mind.-Turn the keys! Reveal lost paradise to us! Speed on with swarming bees, delight in fields fruited with gold-crested blooms and fair feasts of standing oak. Swiftly then return with viands rich and wholesome. When foul marauders come-ominous teeming cloud.sand winter cold invades the land-too soon alas!may our hive bear nor want nor ill. And yet have time for sportive play-lark-free exult in flight, indulge your age. You grow in healthful play. Ho! for a merry tune! Delight in song and dance, celebrate your youthfulness; trip a lively step: skip, leap and whirl! Let trembling earth return your beat. that joy may be at home with us. Then back to work! (Here truly is the fuller share of life's purpose.) Strive manfully with giantlike strength; don chivalric gear; unfold your eagle wingspread. For what bold quest? -The free reign of truth, a sure fount of good, beauty's crown: autonomy of spirit. O! restore our long-lost paradise! Translated by Sr. M. Martina Tybor, SS. C. M . Jankola Library Danville, Pa. 17821  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Youth, Our Hope Description An account of the resource Pavol O. Hviezdoslav trans. Sr. M. Martina Tybor, SS.C.M. Slovakia, Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973 p. 140 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Hviezdoslav, Pavol Országh, 1849-1921 Tybor, Sister M. Martina, SS.C.M. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 name SNK https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/ad754c17ffd0726b669df45a412ffa67.pdf 626587d3cc501b645608829879b6d94f PDF Text Text SLOVAKIA 129 The Declining Democratic Facade: Czecho-Slovakia 1948-1960* The two constitutions of Czecho-Slovakia enacted by the Communist regime were the Ninth-of-May Constitution of 1948 and the recent Soviet-model Constitution of 1960. Granted that these two constitutions of a Soviet satellite country are anything but the binding fundamental laws that constitute our Western idea of a constitution, still, the difference between these two documents epitomizes the extent to which Czecho-Slovakia's political institutions have been sovietized during the twelve years that separate the Ninth-of-May Constitution and its 1960 successor. It is somewhat ironical to consider constitutions of communist dictatorial systems because in the first place it is enigma why these rulers care to have any written constitution at all. The decisions that arise, usually are made within the supreme party organization. Members of this body are in control of everything in every part of the country and in every segment of life. The communists insist on limiting its own powers, by elaborate systems of constitutional prescriptions and restrictions that are protected legally, but this is only to say that this system operates nominally. The reasons which underlie the Czecho-Slovak communist philosophy of constitutionalism are much the same as those in Soviet Union and in other "people's demo- * The purpose of the study is to examine the forced decline of so-called democracy in Czecho-Slovakia. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the wording of the Bill of Rights of both the 1948 and 1960 Constitutions. Rather than repeat in footnotes unduly on each page, it is simpler to state that all quotes on pages three to six are from the 1948 Costitution of Czecho-Slovakia which is given in Slovakia-A Political History 1918-1950 by Joseph Mikus. Quotes from pages six to ten are from the Constitution drafted on November, 1960. More implicit than explicit, the Constitution forms are much more emergent in 1960 than in the twelve years previous. �130 SLOVAKIA cracies." It is one of the basic maxims of Marxist-Leninist teaching on the relations between the Party and the State that the Party makes policy, that it guides and controls but does not directly carry out its decisions. So, for that reason, the party has a machinery of government separation on the party apparatus and continues to maintain it until the State "withers away." Therefore the Constitution serves a function which the dictatorship of the proletariat operates. No political system, it seems, misuses the concept of popular sovereignity more than the regime of Marxist-Leninism, and Czecho-Slovakia proves to be no exception. "The people are the master in this country. The people, liberated, politically, socially, and economically thus attain through a new Constitution a permanent guarantee of their full and real freedom." "The new Constitution guarantees that the will of the people will henceforth be the law of the country." Both the Ninth-of-May Constitution and the new Constitution of 1960 abound with references to the "people". As in the American Constitution, the introductory "We the People" formula is used and "the people" or the "working people" are designed as the sole source of all power. The reason for this illusion that the Communists try t0 create in that they alone are the servants of too people and worthy of complete confidence is probably the main reason for having this constitution. But it is not our main concern here to examine and analyze the Constitution of 1948 and 1960 in totality or to find in what they differ or in what they are similar. The Communists themselves have stated, referring to the 1948 Constitution, that "our new Constitution will contain two component parts" from the West and the East. It will be our concern to take a specific section, the Bill of Rights, and analyze the forms in the 1948 and the 1960 Constitutions respectively. The crisis of the Third Czecho-Slovak Republic of February 1948 was unleashed by the problem of the new Constitution. The conceptions of the parties confronting one another on fundamental principles were in such opposition that normal political activity had been practically paralyzed by the Communist veto. Communist legal technicians needed only two and a half months to perfect all of the details of the fundamental �SLOVAKIA 131 law. On May 9, 1948, the Constitution was unanimously voted upon by the 246 deputies present. At the solemn session of the National Assembly in the coronation room of the Hradcany Castle in Prague, Prime Minister Gottwald declared that, without the Soviet Union, the setting in motion of the Constitution would have been impossible. The Bill of Rights of the Ninth-of-May Constitution, was heavily loaded with Soviet-style additions and deletions, although, more often than not, it used the democratic wording of the 1920 Czecho-Slovak Constitution. In the first chapter of the Constitution, all the traditional liberties of the citizens were enumerated; equality before the law, liberty of person, liberty of domicile, privacy of correspondence and communications, liberty of place, liberty of patrimony, protection of family and youth, rights to an education, liberty of conscience and confession, liberty of expression and protection of cultural assets, right to petition, right of meeting and association, social rights. In line with the Soviet example, political rights were supplemented with social rights in the Constitution, such as the right to work, to leisure, to just renunciation of work, and to protection of health. While the inclusion of these social rights in the Constitution proper was generally welcomed by the people, the same could not be said of other Eastern admixtures which took the heart out of most of the freedoms that were so solemnly guaranteed. Certain discreet limitations were provided. No one can be arrested if he is not caught in the act, except on a judge's warrant, written and justified. The warrant must be delivered at ,t he time of the arrest and, if possible, within the following forty-eight hours. (Art. 3, §2) No one is to be imprisoned outside of cases provided for by law; every person must either be released within the forty-eight hours following his imprisonment or else referred to the court or authority competent to carry on the proceedings. (Art. 3, §3) For police agents who wished to effect a visit, a search or a confiscation of certain objects in the domicile of a citizen, it was sufficient "to present a written and justified order delivered by a judge or a public authority within the forty-eight hours following." (art. 5, sec. 2 and 3) These �132 SLOVAKIA warrants which authorized searches were to be issued, of course, not exclusively by a judge but also by other "competent authority." The constitutional guarantee of freedom of the press was virtually nullified by a provision that left it to the state to decide who should publish papers and periodicals and under what conditions, as well as to determine "the manner and planned direction of the issue and the distribution of non-periodical publications." Nor was a situation made any better by the monopoly conferred by the state in the field of motion pictures, television and radio broadcasting. "Films, radio broadcasting and television become the exclusive domain of the State." (art.22) Except for the generally insignificant right to petition, the exercise of civil rights was subject to further definition or regulation by the laws to be issued. Therefore, the Bill of Rights in the Ninth-of-May Constitution proved to be a bare skeleton that left the decision-making and enforcement to the communist-dominated national assembly. The Communist Constitution draftsmen made it a Constitutional duty of every citizen to be loyal not only to the Republic, obliged to uphold the Constitution and to obey any call to the defense of the State, but also to "observe in all its actions, the interests of the State, to assist and maintain the furthemnce of the national property and to guard against its being diminished" by the following which puts the citizen on his guard regarding any other than a materialistic philosophy: "No conception of the world, no faith or conviction can bear prejudice to any one, nor can it constitute a sufficient reason to refuse to fulfill a duty imposed by the law." (Art. 15, §2) They were very efficient in balancing the right to work with the duty to work: Each citizen is endowed with the right to work; each citizen also has the duty to work in the interest of the community, according to his capacity. (Art. 26 and 32) According to article 25, workmen were allowed to group themselves into a unified trade union organization in order to defend their interests. Since this organization had been in the hands of Communists since 1945, the �SLOVAKIA 133 workmen had therefore only to accept its constitutional character. Joseph A. Mikus in Slovakia-A Political History 19181950 says it most pointedly and with grim humor, although no humor is really intended: "Furthermore, in fact, it was not possible for workmen to remain outside of this organization. A variety o! administrative pressures were exerted to persuade the workers to join it freely." 1 Finally, in order that the Bill of Rights not to be misunderstood, they added to it a broadly phrased warning that "Statements and acts that constitute a treat to the independence, the totality and unity of the State, to the Constitution, the Republican form of government, and the People's Democratic Order are punishable by law and the misuse of civil rights and liberties to such ends is inadmissable." Furthermore they provided in a clause, so elastic that it could be stretched limitlessly, for a further restriction o! citizens' rights and liberties in time of war "when events occur that threaten in increased measure the independence, totality, unity o! State, Constitution, the Republican form of government and the People's Democratic order or public law and order." (art. 38) In the last analysis, the Ninth-of-May Constitution was a Janus-like creature with one face toward the East and the other looking nostalgically to the West. Considering the circumstances under which it was adopted, it was a remarkably moderate document. Having just overcome their opponents and acquired absolute power within Czechoslovakia, the Communist leaders could have promulgated a full-pledged Soviet style constitution. Instead, they decided to display some unusual restraint and create a fundamental law in which Western elements clearly predominated over the transplants from t:ae East. In spite of Communist interpretation, the frequent use of uniquely democratic phraseology is surprising. This is mentioned in order to provide a better concept to the Bill of Rights in the Ninth-of-May Constitution. While there were many loopholes that vitiated the value of many of the Constitution's guarantees, especially in the field of �134 SLOVAKIA civil rights, there were relatively few positive provisions that could be said to infringe upon the basic principles of democratic rule. The worst violation of democracy was in the overall, intent of the Ninth-of-May Constitution, in its interpretation, and in the way in which it was applied by the Communist leaders, rather than in the letter of the Constitution itself. Despite the rumors which predicted its premature end, the Ninth-of-May Constitution remained in force for more than twelve years. It was not until the fall of 1959, that the KSC (Communist Party of Czecho-Slovakia) decided to replace it with a new fundamental law. On April 19, 1960, the draft of a new Constitution was published as a special supplement to the Party's daily Rude Prdvo. It was approved without opposition by a national Party conferences in July, 1960, and passed unanimously by the National Assembly on July 11, 1960. The basic reason for the replacement of the Ninth-ofMay Constitution with the new "socialist" constitution of 1960 stems from the re~ime's claim of a "virtual completion of socialist construction" in Czecho-Slovakia. The preamble of the Constitution proclaims that"Socialism has triumphed in our country!" "We have entered a new stage in our history, and we are determined to go forward to new and still higher goals. While completing the socialist construction of our country, we are proceeding towards the construction of an advanced socialist society and gathering strength for the transition to communism." (Declaration No. I, p. 41) And so with this change came a corresponding modification in the constitutional framework. In the twelve years of communist control, life in Czecho-Slovakia had outgrown the moderate clauses of the Ninth-of-May Constitution. By 1955-1960, conditions were so outrageously different from what the Constitution had specified, that if a change in the constitution had not been implemented, it would be a farce providing occasions for open ridicule and disrespect. The process of sovietization of civil rights, begun in 1948 was completed in the Constitution of 1960. While the civil rights clauses of the Ninth-of-May Constitution sound- �SLOVAKIA 135 ed like a distant echo of the democratic past, their 1960 version carries an unmistakable made-in-Moscow trade mark. The Czecho-Slovak Bill of Rights like its Soviet model emphasizes economic and social rights. According to article 21: All citizens shall have the right to work and to renumeration for work done according to its quantity, quality and social importance. Article 22: All working people shall have the right to leisure after work. Article 23: All working people have the right to the protection of their health and to medical care, and to material security in old age and when incapable to work and Article 24: All citizens shall have the right to education. Further on in this article is the statement that The State shall ensure citizens of Hungarian, Ukrainian and Polish nationality every opportunity and all means for education in their mother tongue and for their cultural development. After reading in the beginning of the Declaration: "The two nations, Czechs and Slovaks, which created the CzechoSlovak Republic, live in fraternal harmony" one cannot help wondering why the Slovaks were not mentioned in the above article also. After stipulating the above mentioned articles on economic and social rights, the Bill of Rights on the other hand de-emphasizes civil rights proper. Thus it elevates above all the others, the duty and the right to work, as article 19 states: "In a society of working people an individual can attain the fullest development of his capabilities and the realization of his legitimate interests only through active participation in the development of his society, particularly through an appropriate share in social work. Therefore, work for the benefit of the whole is the foremost duty, and the right to work is the foremost right of every citizen." Ii:iterestingly enough there was no mention of workers right to join a union as in the 1948 Constitution. Similarly, in guaranteeing basic political freedoms of speech and assembly, the 1960 Constitution adopts a Soviet strategem of binding them all together in one notorious phrase "in conformity with the interests of the working people, these freedoms shall be guaranteed to all citizens." Also, in contrast to its 1948 predecessor, it no longer contains specific guarantees of freedom of association, �136 SLOVAKIA creative work, and scientific research. Nor does it include the limited habeas corpus provision found in the Ninth-ofMay Constitution. · The Constitution provides for religious freedom but nullifies the practice of religion by declaring that "religious faith or conviction shall not constitute grounds for anyone to refuse to fulfill the civic duties laid upon him by law." (art. 32, §2) We may thus conclude that the entire 1960 Bill of Rights is riddled with various restrictive clauses which negate whatever value the constitutional guarantees of citizens' civil rights may have been. These, of course, are found towards the end of the pages of the Bill of Rights. Among manifold duties, it imposes upon the Czecho-Slovak citizens such obligations as Article 34: "Citizens shall be in duty bound to uphold the Constitution and other laws, and in all their actions to pay heed to the interests of the socialist State and society of the working people." "Citizens shall be bound in duty to protect and strengthen socialist ownership as the inviolable foundation of socialist order and the source of the welfare of the working people, the wealth and strength of the country and finally to abide by the rules of socialist life." This strong emphasis on the duties of citizens toward society is, of course, the logical outgrowth of the Communist concept of the subordination of the individual to collective interests. The Czecho-Slovak constitution-makers stood on solid ideological ground when they placed a basic clause to that effect at the very head of their new Bill of Rights: "In society of the working people, where exploitation of man by man is abolished, the development of the interests of each member of the society are in harmony with the development and interests of the society as a whole." Besides seeing this as being good Marxism-Leninism, we. may look upon the clause as meant also to serve for the additional limitation of individual rights. As explained by a member of the commission for the preparation of the 1960 Constitution, the said clause "gives a directive in the interpretation of various provisions regarding the citizens' rights and duties in case someone would want to misuse his right contrary to the interests of the whole and to the detriment of the society." 2 �SLOVAKIA 137 In 1948 the Communist party, yet unsure of its power, phrased a Constitution that, though impotent, promised freedom and individual endeavors. The constitution was not effected and the absolute power of the state, masked by phrases like "except," or "in case of," "however" and "only if", was nonetheless manifest. By 1960 the Communist party, now firmly entrenched, was strong enough to issue a new Constitution, without the democratic trappings that were featured in 1948. Here the power of the state was confirmed and the use of democratic phrases was reduced to a minimum. Even though there are liberties that are, if nothing else, only nominally expressed in the 1948 Constitution, nevertheless, they suggest a democratic form. There is in general, liberty of person, liberty of domicile, personal :privacy and assurance of secrecy in correspondence and communications. In the 1960 Constitution there is no mention of these. In the 1948 Constitution there is the protection of family and youth, the right to education and liberty of conscience and confession and the liberty of expression and protection of cultural assets. The 1960 Constitution disregards these. In 1960, motherhood, marriage and the family are to to the extent that the state is to give special health care during pregnancy and confinement. Freedom of expression, speech, p.ress all must be consistent with the interests of the working people. These freedoms are given mainly for thQ economic and cultural development of the state. be protected by the State. Provision is made even With the right of meeting and association provided in the 1948 Constitution, there was the so-called trade union organization which existed for the benefit of workers' interests but there is no mention of this in the 1960 Constitution. In the matter of arrest within a specified time lapse in the 1948 Constitution there is no such reference in 1960. Offenders often were punished only by due process of law. �138 SLOVAKIA No longer was a person educated freely but by 1960, education was compulsory and was based on a scientific world outlook and on close ties between school life and the work of the people. Finally in the 1948 Constitution the phrases that nullified each of the freedoms were dispersed throughout the Bill of Rights in a more or less disguised manner. But in the 1960 Constitution the Communist state no longer needed this subterfuge and the articles were lifted; the "guaranteed" freedoms are expressed and positioned obviously and boldly at the conclusion of the Bill of Rights. Although liberal in statement, they are rather explicit in the actions they demand. "Citizens shall be in duty bound to serve in the armed forces" (art. 37) "Citizens shall be in duty bound to protect and strengthen socialist ownership" (art. 35) "The decency of the country and its socialist social order shall be the supreme duty of every citizen." (art. 36) Having gone through this work then, and being familiar with the country itself, this writer finds it transparent that the democratic facade of the 1948 Constitution is stripped away from the sovietized constitution of 1960. Thus the new constitution of the Czecho-Slovak Socialist Republic, as Czecho-Slovakia has been renamed after the Soviet occupation, and the manner in which the Bill of Rights contrasts with the Ninth-of-May Constitution of 1948, reflect with considerable accuracy the extent to which Czecho-Slovakia's political body has been sovietized in the twelve years that separate the two fundamental laws. s. J.B. FOOTNOTES 1) Joseph A. Mikus, Slovakiar-A Political History 1918-1950 (Milwau- kee: Marquette University Press, 1963), p. 229. 2) Edward Taborsky, Communism in Czechoslovakia 1948-1960 (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1961), p. 182. �SLOVAKIA 139 BIBLIOGRAPHY Borsody, Stephen: The Tragedy of Central Europe. New York, Collier Books, c1960. The Constitution of the Czechoslovak Republic, Prague, Orbis, 1960. <".:ulen, Konstantin: Vznik a zanik Demokratickej strany na Slovensku. (The Rise and the Decline of the Democratic Party in Slovakia.) Middletown, Pa., 1950. Dobis, P. G.: Slovensko vo svetle historickych udalosti. 1900-1970. (Slovakia in the Light of Historical Events. 1900-1970). Rakusko, vlastnym nakladom, 1971. t>urcansky, Ferdinand:Pravo Slovakov na samostatnost'. Vo svetle dokumentov. Biela Kniha. (The Right of the Slovak Nation to Autonomy. In the light of historic documents. The White Book.) Buenos Aires, Slovensky oslobodzovaci vybor, 1954. Facts about Czechoslovakia. Prague, Orbis, 1962. Glaser, Kurt: The Iron Curtain and American Policy. Washington, D. C., Public Affairs Press, cl953. Kirschbaum, Joseph M.: Neis boj o samostatnost' Slovenska. Cleveland, The Slovak Institute, 1958. (Our Struggle for the Independence of Slovakia.) An Outline of Slovakia's Struggle for Independence. 2d ed. Toronto, The Canadian Slovak League, 1964. Slovakia: Nation at the Crossroads of Central Europe. New York, Robert Speller, c1960. Memorandum of the Executive Committee of the Slovak League of America to the State Department of the United States. April 25, 1951. Mikus, Joseph A.: Slovakia-A Political History. 1918-1949. Milwaukee, Marquette University Press, 1949. Rudinsky, Jozef F .: ceskoslovensky stat a Slovenska Republika. (The Czechoslovak State and the Slovak Republic.) Munich, Akademischer Verlag Dr. Peter Belej, 1968. Shub, Anatole: An Empire Loses Hope. New York, W. W. Norton, c1970. Sidor, Karol : Moje poznamky k historickym dnom. (My observations on the historic days.) Do tlace pripravil F . Vnuk. Middletown, Pa. Literarny Almanach Slovaka v Amerike, 1971. Sprinc, Mikulas: Slovenska republika. (The Slovak Republic.) Scranton, Obr ana , 1949. � SLOVAKIA 129 The Declining Democratic Facade: Czecho-Slovakia 1948-1960* The two constitutions of Czecho-Slovakia enacted by the Communist regime were the Ninth-of-May Constitution of 1948 and the recent Soviet-model Constitution of 1960. Granted that these two constitutions of a Soviet satellite country are anything but the binding fundamental laws that constitute our Western idea of a constitution, still, the difference between these two documents epitomizes the extent to which Czecho-Slovakia's political institutions have been sovietized during the twelve years that separate the Ninth-of-May Constitution and its 1960 successor. It is somewhat ironical to consider constitutions of communist dictatorial systems because in the first place it is enigma why these rulers care to have any written constitution at all. The decisions that arise, usually are made within the supreme party organization. Members of this body are in control of everything in every part of the country and in every segment of life. The communists insist on limiting its own powers, by elaborate systems of constitutional prescriptions and restrictions that are protected legally, but this is only to say that this system operates nominally. The reasons which underlie the Czecho-Slovak communist philosophy of constitutionalism are much the same as those in Soviet Union and in other "people's demo- * The purpose of the study is to examine the forced decline of so-called democracy in Czecho-Slovakia. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the wording of the Bill of Rights of both the 1948 and 1960 Constitutions. Rather than repeat in footnotes unduly on each page, it is simpler to state that all quotes on pages three to six are from the 1948 Costitution of Czecho-Slovakia which is given in Slovakia-A Political History 1918-1950 by Joseph Mikus. Quotes from pages six to ten are from the Constitution drafted on November, 1960. More implicit than explicit, the Constitution forms are much more emergent in 1960 than in the twelve years previous. �130 SLOVAKIA cracies." It is one of the basic maxims of Marxist-Leninist teaching on the relations between the Party and the State that the Party makes policy, that it guides and controls but does not directly carry out its decisions. So, for that reason, the party has a machinery of government separation on the party apparatus and continues to maintain it until the State "withers away." Therefore the Constitution serves a function which the dictatorship of the proletariat operates. No political system, it seems, misuses the concept of popular sovereignity more than the regime of Marxist-Leninism, and Czecho-Slovakia proves to be no exception. "The people are the master in this country. The people, liberated, politically, socially, and economically thus attain through a new Constitution a permanent guarantee of their full and real freedom." "The new Constitution guarantees that the will of the people will henceforth be the law of the country." Both the Ninth-of-May Constitution and the new Constitution of 1960 abound with references to the "people". As in the American Constitution, the introductory "We the People" formula is used and "the people" or the "working people" are designed as the sole source of all power. The reason for this illusion that the Communists try t0 create in that they alone are the servants of too people and worthy of complete confidence is probably the main reason for having this constitution. But it is not our main concern here to examine and analyze the Constitution of 1948 and 1960 in totality or to find in what they differ or in what they are similar. The Communists themselves have stated, referring to the 1948 Constitution, that "our new Constitution will contain two component parts" from the West and the East. It will be our concern to take a specific section, the Bill of Rights, and analyze the forms in the 1948 and the 1960 Constitutions respectively. The crisis of the Third Czecho-Slovak Republic of February 1948 was unleashed by the problem of the new Constitution. The conceptions of the parties confronting one another on fundamental principles were in such opposition that normal political activity had been practically paralyzed by the Communist veto. Communist legal technicians needed only two and a half months to perfect all of the details of the fundamental �SLOVAKIA 131 law. On May 9, 1948, the Constitution was unanimously voted upon by the 246 deputies present. At the solemn session of the National Assembly in the coronation room of the Hradcany Castle in Prague, Prime Minister Gottwald declared that, without the Soviet Union, the setting in motion of the Constitution would have been impossible. The Bill of Rights of the Ninth-of-May Constitution, was heavily loaded with Soviet-style additions and deletions, although, more often than not, it used the democratic wording of the 1920 Czecho-Slovak Constitution. In the first chapter of the Constitution, all the traditional liberties of the citizens were enumerated; equality before the law, liberty of person, liberty of domicile, privacy of correspondence and communications, liberty of place, liberty of patrimony, protection of family and youth, rights to an education, liberty of conscience and confession, liberty of expression and protection of cultural assets, right to petition, right of meeting and association, social rights. In line with the Soviet example, political rights were supplemented with social rights in the Constitution, such as the right to work, to leisure, to just renunciation of work, and to protection of health. While the inclusion of these social rights in the Constitution proper was generally welcomed by the people, the same could not be said of other Eastern admixtures which took the heart out of most of the freedoms that were so solemnly guaranteed. Certain discreet limitations were provided. No one can be arrested if he is not caught in the act, except on a judge's warrant, written and justified. The warrant must be delivered at ,t he time of the arrest and, if possible, within the following forty-eight hours. (Art. 3, §2) No one is to be imprisoned outside of cases provided for by law; every person must either be released within the forty-eight hours following his imprisonment or else referred to the court or authority competent to carry on the proceedings. (Art. 3, §3) For police agents who wished to effect a visit, a search or a confiscation of certain objects in the domicile of a citizen, it was sufficient "to present a written and justified order delivered by a judge or a public authority within the forty-eight hours following." (art. 5, sec. 2 and 3) These �132 SLOVAKIA warrants which authorized searches were to be issued, of course, not exclusively by a judge but also by other "competent authority." The constitutional guarantee of freedom of the press was virtually nullified by a provision that left it to the state to decide who should publish papers and periodicals and under what conditions, as well as to determine "the manner and planned direction of the issue and the distribution of non-periodical publications." Nor was a situation made any better by the monopoly conferred by the state in the field of motion pictures, television and radio broadcasting. "Films, radio broadcasting and television become the exclusive domain of the State." (art.22) Except for the generally insignificant right to petition, the exercise of civil rights was subject to further definition or regulation by the laws to be issued. Therefore, the Bill of Rights in the Ninth-of-May Constitution proved to be a bare skeleton that left the decision-making and enforcement to the communist-dominated national assembly. The Communist Constitution draftsmen made it a Constitutional duty of every citizen to be loyal not only to the Republic, obliged to uphold the Constitution and to obey any call to the defense of the State, but also to "observe in all its actions, the interests of the State, to assist and maintain the furthemnce of the national property and to guard against its being diminished" by the following which puts the citizen on his guard regarding any other than a materialistic philosophy: "No conception of the world, no faith or conviction can bear prejudice to any one, nor can it constitute a sufficient reason to refuse to fulfill a duty imposed by the law." (Art. 15, §2) They were very efficient in balancing the right to work with the duty to work: Each citizen is endowed with the right to work; each citizen also has the duty to work in the interest of the community, according to his capacity. (Art. 26 and 32) According to article 25, workmen were allowed to group themselves into a unified trade union organization in order to defend their interests. Since this organization had been in the hands of Communists since 1945, the �SLOVAKIA 133 workmen had therefore only to accept its constitutional character. Joseph A. Mikus in Slovakia-A Political History 19181950 says it most pointedly and with grim humor, although no humor is really intended: "Furthermore, in fact, it was not possible for workmen to remain outside of this organization. A variety o! administrative pressures were exerted to persuade the workers to join it freely." 1 Finally, in order that the Bill of Rights not to be misunderstood, they added to it a broadly phrased warning that "Statements and acts that constitute a treat to the independence, the totality and unity of the State, to the Constitution, the Republican form of government, and the People's Democratic Order are punishable by law and the misuse of civil rights and liberties to such ends is inadmissable." Furthermore they provided in a clause, so elastic that it could be stretched limitlessly, for a further restriction o! citizens' rights and liberties in time of war "when events occur that threaten in increased measure the independence, totality, unity o! State, Constitution, the Republican form of government and the People's Democratic order or public law and order." (art. 38) In the last analysis, the Ninth-of-May Constitution was a Janus-like creature with one face toward the East and the other looking nostalgically to the West. Considering the circumstances under which it was adopted, it was a remarkably moderate document. Having just overcome their opponents and acquired absolute power within Czechoslovakia, the Communist leaders could have promulgated a full-pledged Soviet style constitution. Instead, they decided to display some unusual restraint and create a fundamental law in which Western elements clearly predominated over the transplants from t:ae East. In spite of Communist interpretation, the frequent use of uniquely democratic phraseology is surprising. This is mentioned in order to provide a better concept to the Bill of Rights in the Ninth-of-May Constitution. While there were many loopholes that vitiated the value of many of the Constitution's guarantees, especially in the field of �134 SLOVAKIA civil rights, there were relatively few positive provisions that could be said to infringe upon the basic principles of democratic rule. The worst violation of democracy was in the overall, intent of the Ninth-of-May Constitution, in its interpretation, and in the way in which it was applied by the Communist leaders, rather than in the letter of the Constitution itself. Despite the rumors which predicted its premature end, the Ninth-of-May Constitution remained in force for more than twelve years. It was not until the fall of 1959, that the KSC (Communist Party of Czecho-Slovakia) decided to replace it with a new fundamental law. On April 19, 1960, the draft of a new Constitution was published as a special supplement to the Party's daily Rude Prdvo. It was approved without opposition by a national Party conferences in July, 1960, and passed unanimously by the National Assembly on July 11, 1960. The basic reason for the replacement of the Ninth-ofMay Constitution with the new "socialist" constitution of 1960 stems from the re~ime's claim of a "virtual completion of socialist construction" in Czecho-Slovakia. The preamble of the Constitution proclaims that"Socialism has triumphed in our country!" "We have entered a new stage in our history, and we are determined to go forward to new and still higher goals. While completing the socialist construction of our country, we are proceeding towards the construction of an advanced socialist society and gathering strength for the transition to communism." (Declaration No. I, p. 41) And so with this change came a corresponding modification in the constitutional framework. In the twelve years of communist control, life in Czecho-Slovakia had outgrown the moderate clauses of the Ninth-of-May Constitution. By 1955-1960, conditions were so outrageously different from what the Constitution had specified, that if a change in the constitution had not been implemented, it would be a farce providing occasions for open ridicule and disrespect. The process of sovietization of civil rights, begun in 1948 was completed in the Constitution of 1960. While the civil rights clauses of the Ninth-of-May Constitution sound- �SLOVAKIA 135 ed like a distant echo of the democratic past, their 1960 version carries an unmistakable made-in-Moscow trade mark. The Czecho-Slovak Bill of Rights like its Soviet model emphasizes economic and social rights. According to article 21: All citizens shall have the right to work and to renumeration for work done according to its quantity, quality and social importance. Article 22: All working people shall have the right to leisure after work. Article 23: All working people have the right to the protection of their health and to medical care, and to material security in old age and when incapable to work and Article 24: All citizens shall have the right to education. Further on in this article is the statement that The State shall ensure citizens of Hungarian, Ukrainian and Polish nationality every opportunity and all means for education in their mother tongue and for their cultural development. After reading in the beginning of the Declaration: "The two nations, Czechs and Slovaks, which created the CzechoSlovak Republic, live in fraternal harmony" one cannot help wondering why the Slovaks were not mentioned in the above article also. After stipulating the above mentioned articles on economic and social rights, the Bill of Rights on the other hand de-emphasizes civil rights proper. Thus it elevates above all the others, the duty and the right to work, as article 19 states: "In a society of working people an individual can attain the fullest development of his capabilities and the realization of his legitimate interests only through active participation in the development of his society, particularly through an appropriate share in social work. Therefore, work for the benefit of the whole is the foremost duty, and the right to work is the foremost right of every citizen." Ii:iterestingly enough there was no mention of workers right to join a union as in the 1948 Constitution. Similarly, in guaranteeing basic political freedoms of speech and assembly, the 1960 Constitution adopts a Soviet strategem of binding them all together in one notorious phrase "in conformity with the interests of the working people, these freedoms shall be guaranteed to all citizens." Also, in contrast to its 1948 predecessor, it no longer contains specific guarantees of freedom of association, �136 SLOVAKIA creative work, and scientific research. Nor does it include the limited habeas corpus provision found in the Ninth-ofMay Constitution. · The Constitution provides for religious freedom but nullifies the practice of religion by declaring that "religious faith or conviction shall not constitute grounds for anyone to refuse to fulfill the civic duties laid upon him by law." (art. 32, §2) We may thus conclude that the entire 1960 Bill of Rights is riddled with various restrictive clauses which negate whatever value the constitutional guarantees of citizens' civil rights may have been. These, of course, are found towards the end of the pages of the Bill of Rights. Among manifold duties, it imposes upon the Czecho-Slovak citizens such obligations as Article 34: "Citizens shall be in duty bound to uphold the Constitution and other laws, and in all their actions to pay heed to the interests of the socialist State and society of the working people." "Citizens shall be bound in duty to protect and strengthen socialist ownership as the inviolable foundation of socialist order and the source of the welfare of the working people, the wealth and strength of the country and finally to abide by the rules of socialist life." This strong emphasis on the duties of citizens toward society is, of course, the logical outgrowth of the Communist concept of the subordination of the individual to collective interests. The Czecho-Slovak constitution-makers stood on solid ideological ground when they placed a basic clause to that effect at the very head of their new Bill of Rights: "In society of the working people, where exploitation of man by man is abolished, the development of the interests of each member of the society are in harmony with the development and interests of the society as a whole." Besides seeing this as being good Marxism-Leninism, we. may look upon the clause as meant also to serve for the additional limitation of individual rights. As explained by a member of the commission for the preparation of the 1960 Constitution, the said clause "gives a directive in the interpretation of various provisions regarding the citizens' rights and duties in case someone would want to misuse his right contrary to the interests of the whole and to the detriment of the society." 2 �SLOVAKIA 137 In 1948 the Communist party, yet unsure of its power, phrased a Constitution that, though impotent, promised freedom and individual endeavors. The constitution was not effected and the absolute power of the state, masked by phrases like "except," or "in case of," "however" and "only if", was nonetheless manifest. By 1960 the Communist party, now firmly entrenched, was strong enough to issue a new Constitution, without the democratic trappings that were featured in 1948. Here the power of the state was confirmed and the use of democratic phrases was reduced to a minimum. Even though there are liberties that are, if nothing else, only nominally expressed in the 1948 Constitution, nevertheless, they suggest a democratic form. There is in general, liberty of person, liberty of domicile, personal :privacy and assurance of secrecy in correspondence and communications. In the 1960 Constitution there is no mention of these. In the 1948 Constitution there is the protection of family and youth, the right to education and liberty of conscience and confession and the liberty of expression and protection of cultural assets. The 1960 Constitution disregards these. In 1960, motherhood, marriage and the family are to to the extent that the state is to give special health care during pregnancy and confinement. Freedom of expression, speech, p.ress all must be consistent with the interests of the working people. These freedoms are given mainly for thQ economic and cultural development of the state. be protected by the State. Provision is made even With the right of meeting and association provided in the 1948 Constitution, there was the so-called trade union organization which existed for the benefit of workers' interests but there is no mention of this in the 1960 Constitution. In the matter of arrest within a specified time lapse in the 1948 Constitution there is no such reference in 1960. Offenders often were punished only by due process of law. �138 SLOVAKIA No longer was a person educated freely but by 1960, education was compulsory and was based on a scientific world outlook and on close ties between school life and the work of the people. Finally in the 1948 Constitution the phrases that nullified each of the freedoms were dispersed throughout the Bill of Rights in a more or less disguised manner. But in the 1960 Constitution the Communist state no longer needed this subterfuge and the articles were lifted; the "guaranteed" freedoms are expressed and positioned obviously and boldly at the conclusion of the Bill of Rights. Although liberal in statement, they are rather explicit in the actions they demand. "Citizens shall be in duty bound to serve in the armed forces" (art. 37) "Citizens shall be in duty bound to protect and strengthen socialist ownership" (art. 35) "The decency of the country and its socialist social order shall be the supreme duty of every citizen." (art. 36) Having gone through this work then, and being familiar with the country itself, this writer finds it transparent that the democratic facade of the 1948 Constitution is stripped away from the sovietized constitution of 1960. Thus the new constitution of the Czecho-Slovak Socialist Republic, as Czecho-Slovakia has been renamed after the Soviet occupation, and the manner in which the Bill of Rights contrasts with the Ninth-of-May Constitution of 1948, reflect with considerable accuracy the extent to which Czecho-Slovakia's political body has been sovietized in the twelve years that separate the two fundamental laws. s. J.B. FOOTNOTES 1) Joseph A. Mikus, Slovakiar-A Political History 1918-1950 (Milwau- kee: Marquette University Press, 1963), p. 229. 2) Edward Taborsky, Communism in Czechoslovakia 1948-1960 (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1961), p. 182. �SLOVAKIA 139 BIBLIOGRAPHY Borsody, Stephen: The Tragedy of Central Europe. New York, Collier Books, c1960. The Constitution of the Czechoslovak Republic, Prague, Orbis, 1960. <".:ulen, Konstantin: Vznik a zanik Demokratickej strany na Slovensku. (The Rise and the Decline of the Democratic Party in Slovakia.) Middletown, Pa., 1950. Dobis, P. G.: Slovensko vo svetle historickych udalosti. 1900-1970. (Slovakia in the Light of Historical Events. 1900-1970). Rakusko, vlastnym nakladom, 1971. t>urcansky, Ferdinand:Pravo Slovakov na samostatnost'. Vo svetle dokumentov. Biela Kniha. (The Right of the Slovak Nation to Autonomy. In the light of historic documents. The White Book.) Buenos Aires, Slovensky oslobodzovaci vybor, 1954. Facts about Czechoslovakia. Prague, Orbis, 1962. Glaser, Kurt: The Iron Curtain and American Policy. Washington, D. C., Public Affairs Press, cl953. Kirschbaum, Joseph M.: Neis boj o samostatnost' Slovenska. Cleveland, The Slovak Institute, 1958. (Our Struggle for the Independence of Slovakia.) An Outline of Slovakia's Struggle for Independence. 2d ed. Toronto, The Canadian Slovak League, 1964. Slovakia: Nation at the Crossroads of Central Europe. New York, Robert Speller, c1960. Memorandum of the Executive Committee of the Slovak League of America to the State Department of the United States. April 25, 1951. Mikus, Joseph A.: Slovakia-A Political History. 1918-1949. Milwaukee, Marquette University Press, 1949. Rudinsky, Jozef F .: ceskoslovensky stat a Slovenska Republika. (The Czechoslovak State and the Slovak Republic.) Munich, Akademischer Verlag Dr. Peter Belej, 1968. Shub, Anatole: An Empire Loses Hope. New York, W. W. Norton, c1970. Sidor, Karol : Moje poznamky k historickym dnom. (My observations on the historic days.) Do tlace pripravil F . Vnuk. Middletown, Pa. Literarny Almanach Slovaka v Amerike, 1971. Sprinc, Mikulas: Slovenska republika. (The Slovak Republic.) Scranton, Obr ana , 1949. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1973, Vol. 23 Description An account of the resource Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document SLOVAKIA 129 The Declining Democratic Facade: Czecho-Slovakia 1948-1960* The two constitutions of Czecho-Slovakia enacted by the Communist regime were the Ninth-of-May Constitution of 1948 and the recent Soviet-model Constitution of 1960. Granted that these two constitutions of a Soviet satellite country are anything but the binding fundamental laws that constitute our Western idea of a constitution, still, the difference between these two documents epitomizes the extent to which Czecho-Slovakia's political institutions have been sovietized during the twelve years that separate the Ninth-of-May Constitution and its 1960 successor. It is somewhat ironical to consider constitutions of communist dictatorial systems because in the first place it is enigma why these rulers care to have any written constitution at all. The decisions that arise, usually are made within the supreme party organization. Members of this body are in control of everything in every part of the country and in every segment of life. The communists insist on limiting its own powers, by elaborate systems of constitutional prescriptions and restrictions that are protected legally, but this is only to say that this system operates nominally. The reasons which underlie the Czecho-Slovak communist philosophy of constitutionalism are much the same as those in Soviet Union and in other "people's demo- * The purpose of the study is to examine the forced decline of so-called democracy in Czecho-Slovakia. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the wording of the Bill of Rights of both the 1948 and 1960 Constitutions. Rather than repeat in footnotes unduly on each page, it is simpler to state that all quotes on pages three to six are from the 1948 Costitution of Czecho-Slovakia which is given in Slovakia-A Political History 1918-1950 by Joseph Mikus. Quotes from pages six to ten are from the Constitution drafted on November, 1960. More implicit than explicit, the Constitution forms are much more emergent in 1960 than in the twelve years previous. 130 SLOVAKIA cracies." It is one of the basic maxims of Marxist-Leninist teaching on the relations between the Party and the State that the Party makes policy, that it guides and controls but does not directly carry out its decisions. So, for that reason, the party has a machinery of government separation on the party apparatus and continues to maintain it until the State "withers away." Therefore the Constitution serves a function which the dictatorship of the proletariat operates. No political system, it seems, misuses the concept of popular sovereignity more than the regime of Marxist-Leninism, and Czecho-Slovakia proves to be no exception. "The people are the master in this country. The people, liberated, politically, socially, and economically thus attain through a new Constitution a permanent guarantee of their full and real freedom." "The new Constitution guarantees that the will of the people will henceforth be the law of the country." Both the Ninth-of-May Constitution and the new Constitution of 1960 abound with references to the "people". As in the American Constitution, the introductory "We the People" formula is used and "the people" or the "working people" are designed as the sole source of all power. The reason for this illusion that the Communists try t0 create in that they alone are the servants of too people and worthy of complete confidence is probably the main reason for having this constitution. But it is not our main concern here to examine and analyze the Constitution of 1948 and 1960 in totality or to find in what they differ or in what they are similar. The Communists themselves have stated, referring to the 1948 Constitution, that "our new Constitution will contain two component parts" from the West and the East. It will be our concern to take a specific section, the Bill of Rights, and analyze the forms in the 1948 and the 1960 Constitutions respectively. The crisis of the Third Czecho-Slovak Republic of February 1948 was unleashed by the problem of the new Constitution. The conceptions of the parties confronting one another on fundamental principles were in such opposition that normal political activity had been practically paralyzed by the Communist veto. Communist legal technicians needed only two and a half months to perfect all of the details of the fundamental SLOVAKIA 131 law. On May 9, 1948, the Constitution was unanimously voted upon by the 246 deputies present. At the solemn session of the National Assembly in the coronation room of the Hradcany Castle in Prague, Prime Minister Gottwald declared that, without the Soviet Union, the setting in motion of the Constitution would have been impossible. The Bill of Rights of the Ninth-of-May Constitution, was heavily loaded with Soviet-style additions and deletions, although, more often than not, it used the democratic wording of the 1920 Czecho-Slovak Constitution. In the first chapter of the Constitution, all the traditional liberties of the citizens were enumerated; equality before the law, liberty of person, liberty of domicile, privacy of correspondence and communications, liberty of place, liberty of patrimony, protection of family and youth, rights to an education, liberty of conscience and confession, liberty of expression and protection of cultural assets, right to petition, right of meeting and association, social rights. In line with the Soviet example, political rights were supplemented with social rights in the Constitution, such as the right to work, to leisure, to just renunciation of work, and to protection of health. While the inclusion of these social rights in the Constitution proper was generally welcomed by the people, the same could not be said of other Eastern admixtures which took the heart out of most of the freedoms that were so solemnly guaranteed. Certain discreet limitations were provided. No one can be arrested if he is not caught in the act, except on a judge's warrant, written and justified. The warrant must be delivered at ,t he time of the arrest and, if possible, within the following forty-eight hours. (Art. 3, §2) No one is to be imprisoned outside of cases provided for by law; every person must either be released within the forty-eight hours following his imprisonment or else referred to the court or authority competent to carry on the proceedings. (Art. 3, §3) For police agents who wished to effect a visit, a search or a confiscation of certain objects in the domicile of a citizen, it was sufficient "to present a written and justified order delivered by a judge or a public authority within the forty-eight hours following." (art. 5, sec. 2 and 3) These 132 SLOVAKIA warrants which authorized searches were to be issued, of course, not exclusively by a judge but also by other "competent authority." The constitutional guarantee of freedom of the press was virtually nullified by a provision that left it to the state to decide who should publish papers and periodicals and under what conditions, as well as to determine "the manner and planned direction of the issue and the distribution of non-periodical publications." Nor was a situation made any better by the monopoly conferred by the state in the field of motion pictures, television and radio broadcasting. "Films, radio broadcasting and television become the exclusive domain of the State." (art.22) Except for the generally insignificant right to petition, the exercise of civil rights was subject to further definition or regulation by the laws to be issued. Therefore, the Bill of Rights in the Ninth-of-May Constitution proved to be a bare skeleton that left the decision-making and enforcement to the communist-dominated national assembly. The Communist Constitution draftsmen made it a Constitutional duty of every citizen to be loyal not only to the Republic, obliged to uphold the Constitution and to obey any call to the defense of the State, but also to "observe in all its actions, the interests of the State, to assist and maintain the furthemnce of the national property and to guard against its being diminished" by the following which puts the citizen on his guard regarding any other than a materialistic philosophy: "No conception of the world, no faith or conviction can bear prejudice to any one, nor can it constitute a sufficient reason to refuse to fulfill a duty imposed by the law." (Art. 15, §2) They were very efficient in balancing the right to work with the duty to work: Each citizen is endowed with the right to work; each citizen also has the duty to work in the interest of the community, according to his capacity. (Art. 26 and 32) According to article 25, workmen were allowed to group themselves into a unified trade union organization in order to defend their interests. Since this organization had been in the hands of Communists since 1945, the SLOVAKIA 133 workmen had therefore only to accept its constitutional character. Joseph A. Mikus in Slovakia-A Political History 19181950 says it most pointedly and with grim humor, although no humor is really intended: "Furthermore, in fact, it was not possible for workmen to remain outside of this organization. A variety o! administrative pressures were exerted to persuade the workers to join it freely." 1 Finally, in order that the Bill of Rights not to be misunderstood, they added to it a broadly phrased warning that "Statements and acts that constitute a treat to the independence, the totality and unity of the State, to the Constitution, the Republican form of government, and the People's Democratic Order are punishable by law and the misuse of civil rights and liberties to such ends is inadmissable." Furthermore they provided in a clause, so elastic that it could be stretched limitlessly, for a further restriction o! citizens' rights and liberties in time of war "when events occur that threaten in increased measure the independence, totality, unity o! State, Constitution, the Republican form of government and the People's Democratic order or public law and order." (art. 38) In the last analysis, the Ninth-of-May Constitution was a Janus-like creature with one face toward the East and the other looking nostalgically to the West. Considering the circumstances under which it was adopted, it was a remarkably moderate document. Having just overcome their opponents and acquired absolute power within Czechoslovakia, the Communist leaders could have promulgated a full-pledged Soviet style constitution. Instead, they decided to display some unusual restraint and create a fundamental law in which Western elements clearly predominated over the transplants from t:ae East. In spite of Communist interpretation, the frequent use of uniquely democratic phraseology is surprising. This is mentioned in order to provide a better concept to the Bill of Rights in the Ninth-of-May Constitution. While there were many loopholes that vitiated the value of many of the Constitution's guarantees, especially in the field of 134 SLOVAKIA civil rights, there were relatively few positive provisions that could be said to infringe upon the basic principles of democratic rule. The worst violation of democracy was in the overall, intent of the Ninth-of-May Constitution, in its interpretation, and in the way in which it was applied by the Communist leaders, rather than in the letter of the Constitution itself. Despite the rumors which predicted its premature end, the Ninth-of-May Constitution remained in force for more than twelve years. It was not until the fall of 1959, that the KSC (Communist Party of Czecho-Slovakia) decided to replace it with a new fundamental law. On April 19, 1960, the draft of a new Constitution was published as a special supplement to the Party's daily Rude Prdvo. It was approved without opposition by a national Party conferences in July, 1960, and passed unanimously by the National Assembly on July 11, 1960. The basic reason for the replacement of the Ninth-ofMay Constitution with the new "socialist" constitution of 1960 stems from the re~ime's claim of a "virtual completion of socialist construction" in Czecho-Slovakia. The preamble of the Constitution proclaims that"Socialism has triumphed in our country!" "We have entered a new stage in our history, and we are determined to go forward to new and still higher goals. While completing the socialist construction of our country, we are proceeding towards the construction of an advanced socialist society and gathering strength for the transition to communism." (Declaration No. I, p. 41) And so with this change came a corresponding modification in the constitutional framework. In the twelve years of communist control, life in Czecho-Slovakia had outgrown the moderate clauses of the Ninth-of-May Constitution. By 1955-1960, conditions were so outrageously different from what the Constitution had specified, that if a change in the constitution had not been implemented, it would be a farce providing occasions for open ridicule and disrespect. The process of sovietization of civil rights, begun in 1948 was completed in the Constitution of 1960. While the civil rights clauses of the Ninth-of-May Constitution sound- SLOVAKIA 135 ed like a distant echo of the democratic past, their 1960 version carries an unmistakable made-in-Moscow trade mark. The Czecho-Slovak Bill of Rights like its Soviet model emphasizes economic and social rights. According to article 21: All citizens shall have the right to work and to renumeration for work done according to its quantity, quality and social importance. Article 22: All working people shall have the right to leisure after work. Article 23: All working people have the right to the protection of their health and to medical care, and to material security in old age and when incapable to work and Article 24: All citizens shall have the right to education. Further on in this article is the statement that The State shall ensure citizens of Hungarian, Ukrainian and Polish nationality every opportunity and all means for education in their mother tongue and for their cultural development. After reading in the beginning of the Declaration: "The two nations, Czechs and Slovaks, which created the CzechoSlovak Republic, live in fraternal harmony" one cannot help wondering why the Slovaks were not mentioned in the above article also. After stipulating the above mentioned articles on economic and social rights, the Bill of Rights on the other hand de-emphasizes civil rights proper. Thus it elevates above all the others, the duty and the right to work, as article 19 states: "In a society of working people an individual can attain the fullest development of his capabilities and the realization of his legitimate interests only through active participation in the development of his society, particularly through an appropriate share in social work. Therefore, work for the benefit of the whole is the foremost duty, and the right to work is the foremost right of every citizen." Ii:iterestingly enough there was no mention of workers right to join a union as in the 1948 Constitution. Similarly, in guaranteeing basic political freedoms of speech and assembly, the 1960 Constitution adopts a Soviet strategem of binding them all together in one notorious phrase "in conformity with the interests of the working people, these freedoms shall be guaranteed to all citizens." Also, in contrast to its 1948 predecessor, it no longer contains specific guarantees of freedom of association, 136 SLOVAKIA creative work, and scientific research. Nor does it include the limited habeas corpus provision found in the Ninth-ofMay Constitution. · The Constitution provides for religious freedom but nullifies the practice of religion by declaring that "religious faith or conviction shall not constitute grounds for anyone to refuse to fulfill the civic duties laid upon him by law." (art. 32, §2) We may thus conclude that the entire 1960 Bill of Rights is riddled with various restrictive clauses which negate whatever value the constitutional guarantees of citizens' civil rights may have been. These, of course, are found towards the end of the pages of the Bill of Rights. Among manifold duties, it imposes upon the Czecho-Slovak citizens such obligations as Article 34: "Citizens shall be in duty bound to uphold the Constitution and other laws, and in all their actions to pay heed to the interests of the socialist State and society of the working people." "Citizens shall be bound in duty to protect and strengthen socialist ownership as the inviolable foundation of socialist order and the source of the welfare of the working people, the wealth and strength of the country and finally to abide by the rules of socialist life." This strong emphasis on the duties of citizens toward society is, of course, the logical outgrowth of the Communist concept of the subordination of the individual to collective interests. The Czecho-Slovak constitution-makers stood on solid ideological ground when they placed a basic clause to that effect at the very head of their new Bill of Rights: "In society of the working people, where exploitation of man by man is abolished, the development of the interests of each member of the society are in harmony with the development and interests of the society as a whole." Besides seeing this as being good Marxism-Leninism, we. may look upon the clause as meant also to serve for the additional limitation of individual rights. As explained by a member of the commission for the preparation of the 1960 Constitution, the said clause "gives a directive in the interpretation of various provisions regarding the citizens' rights and duties in case someone would want to misuse his right contrary to the interests of the whole and to the detriment of the society." 2 SLOVAKIA 137 In 1948 the Communist party, yet unsure of its power, phrased a Constitution that, though impotent, promised freedom and individual endeavors. The constitution was not effected and the absolute power of the state, masked by phrases like "except," or "in case of," "however" and "only if", was nonetheless manifest. By 1960 the Communist party, now firmly entrenched, was strong enough to issue a new Constitution, without the democratic trappings that were featured in 1948. Here the power of the state was confirmed and the use of democratic phrases was reduced to a minimum. Even though there are liberties that are, if nothing else, only nominally expressed in the 1948 Constitution, nevertheless, they suggest a democratic form. There is in general, liberty of person, liberty of domicile, personal :privacy and assurance of secrecy in correspondence and communications. In the 1960 Constitution there is no mention of these. In the 1948 Constitution there is the protection of family and youth, the right to education and liberty of conscience and confession and the liberty of expression and protection of cultural assets. The 1960 Constitution disregards these. In 1960, motherhood, marriage and the family are to to the extent that the state is to give special health care during pregnancy and confinement. Freedom of expression, speech, p.ress all must be consistent with the interests of the working people. These freedoms are given mainly for thQ economic and cultural development of the state. be protected by the State. Provision is made even With the right of meeting and association provided in the 1948 Constitution, there was the so-called trade union organization which existed for the benefit of workers' interests but there is no mention of this in the 1960 Constitution. In the matter of arrest within a specified time lapse in the 1948 Constitution there is no such reference in 1960. Offenders often were punished only by due process of law. 138 SLOVAKIA No longer was a person educated freely but by 1960, education was compulsory and was based on a scientific world outlook and on close ties between school life and the work of the people. Finally in the 1948 Constitution the phrases that nullified each of the freedoms were dispersed throughout the Bill of Rights in a more or less disguised manner. But in the 1960 Constitution the Communist state no longer needed this subterfuge and the articles were lifted; the "guaranteed" freedoms are expressed and positioned obviously and boldly at the conclusion of the Bill of Rights. Although liberal in statement, they are rather explicit in the actions they demand. "Citizens shall be in duty bound to serve in the armed forces" (art. 37) "Citizens shall be in duty bound to protect and strengthen socialist ownership" (art. 35) "The decency of the country and its socialist social order shall be the supreme duty of every citizen." (art. 36) Having gone through this work then, and being familiar with the country itself, this writer finds it transparent that the democratic facade of the 1948 Constitution is stripped away from the sovietized constitution of 1960. Thus the new constitution of the Czecho-Slovak Socialist Republic, as Czecho-Slovakia has been renamed after the Soviet occupation, and the manner in which the Bill of Rights contrasts with the Ninth-of-May Constitution of 1948, reflect with considerable accuracy the extent to which Czecho-Slovakia's political body has been sovietized in the twelve years that separate the two fundamental laws. s. J.B. FOOTNOTES 1) Joseph A. Mikus, Slovakiar-A Political History 1918-1950 (Milwau- kee: Marquette University Press, 1963), p. 229. 2) Edward Taborsky, Communism in Czechoslovakia 1948-1960 (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1961), p. 182. SLOVAKIA 139 BIBLIOGRAPHY Borsody, Stephen: The Tragedy of Central Europe. New York, Collier Books, c1960. The Constitution of the Czechoslovak Republic, Prague, Orbis, 1960. <".:ulen, Konstantin: Vznik a zanik Demokratickej strany na Slovensku. (The Rise and the Decline of the Democratic Party in Slovakia.) Middletown, Pa., 1950. Dobis, P. G.: Slovensko vo svetle historickych udalosti. 1900-1970. (Slovakia in the Light of Historical Events. 1900-1970). Rakusko, vlastnym nakladom, 1971. t>urcansky, Ferdinand:Pravo Slovakov na samostatnost'. Vo svetle dokumentov. Biela Kniha. (The Right of the Slovak Nation to Autonomy. In the light of historic documents. The White Book.) Buenos Aires, Slovensky oslobodzovaci vybor, 1954. Facts about Czechoslovakia. Prague, Orbis, 1962. Glaser, Kurt: The Iron Curtain and American Policy. Washington, D. C., Public Affairs Press, cl953. Kirschbaum, Joseph M.: Neis boj o samostatnost' Slovenska. Cleveland, The Slovak Institute, 1958. (Our Struggle for the Independence of Slovakia.) An Outline of Slovakia's Struggle for Independence. 2d ed. Toronto, The Canadian Slovak League, 1964. Slovakia: Nation at the Crossroads of Central Europe. New York, Robert Speller, c1960. Memorandum of the Executive Committee of the Slovak League of America to the State Department of the United States. April 25, 1951. Mikus, Joseph A.: Slovakia-A Political History. 1918-1949. Milwaukee, Marquette University Press, 1949. Rudinsky, Jozef F .: ceskoslovensky stat a Slovenska Republika. (The Czechoslovak State and the Slovak Republic.) Munich, Akademischer Verlag Dr. Peter Belej, 1968. Shub, Anatole: An Empire Loses Hope. New York, W. W. Norton, c1970. Sidor, Karol : Moje poznamky k historickym dnom. (My observations on the historic days.) Do tlace pripravil F . Vnuk. Middletown, Pa. Literarny Almanach Slovaka v Amerike, 1971. Sprinc, Mikulas: Slovenska republika. (The Slovak Republic.) Scranton, Obr ana , 1949.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Declining Democratic Facade: Czecho-Slovakia 1948-1960 Description An account of the resource S. J. B. Slovakia, Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973 pp. 129-139 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/e3569cb39642c1458214630235f9ad14.pdf 6fd201ce24bc640b190ad23c869dc039 PDF Text Text SLOVAKIA 123 BEACON IN AMERICAN-SLOVAK LIFE Mother M. Emerentia Petrasek The uniquely fruitful life of a modest American-Slovak Sister-educator came to a regrettable close on January 30, 1973 when the deeply esteemed Mother Emerentia Petrasek quietly died in Danville, Pa., following a heart attack. Up until a few days before her death she was characteristically busy with the kind of work to which she was singularly devoted all through her life, even in her retirement: writing, promoting Slovak cultural interests, translating, encouraging others in cultural projects, and offering seasoned and reliable counsel in many instances. Through it all she kept close to God, the Fount of all wisdom and grace, and like the prudent virgins of the parable, she too, kept her lamp of watchful waiting and prayerfulness trimmed and filled as she prepared for the unannounced coming of the Bridegroom to Whom she had dedicated her life by religious vows lived in convent discipline for 58 years since her first formal profession of religious dedication. Mother Emerentia was born in a Pennsylvania hamlet called Sugar Notch. Her parents were of the God-fearing immigrant class that belonged to the Slovak parish of Our Lady of the Rosary in Ashley, Pa. They provided for Mother Emerentia and for her brother, who is now Monsignor Charles Petrasek, a sound Christian home training. After her elementary schooling in Ashley, Mary Petrasek was enrolled at Mt. St. Mary's in Scranton and later at Marywood College. She was among the early candidates who had responded to Father Jankola's efforts to provide for the education of children of Slovak immigrants even at the cost of establishing a new religious community for this purpose. This American-Slovak congregation is known as the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius, and Mother Erner- �124 SLOVAKIA entia has certainly made remarkable contributions to its spirit and accomplishments. Whether she gave her service as teacher, writer, planner or administrator, serving in various capacities up to the rank of Superior General of over four hundred Sisters, Mother Emerentia always manifested the marks of inspired leadership and she discharged her responsibilities - great and small - with effective devotion. If one were to single out an outstanding talent or characteristic of Mother Emerentia, it would be her wholehearted devotion to the spiritual and cultural heritage of her Slovak ancestry, coupled with a strong sense of devotion to the Holy See and to American patriotism. With her it was a matter of honor, a basic expression o! justice and a conscience-binding fact of life to appreciate with filial gratitude all the gifts which the past offers us so that we might be able to enjoy the blessings and benefits of the present in which we live and progress. Hers was a clear-eyed vision of who we are, where our roots are, and what we can become. In her role as teacher, Mother Emerentia effectively inculcated these attitudes in hundreds of her students who esteemed and practically idolized her. Although her sphere of action seemed to be confined to convent-life dimensions, her teaching and her philosophical outlook upon life and living touched countless other lives. Under the inspiration and impulse of the Holy Spirit this dedicated Sister achieved for God and nation and for fellowman so remarkable a harvest that an exhaustive study could and should be made in at least an appreciative volume summarizini her contributions to Slovak culture. When Mother Emerentia assumed the office of Superior General in 1934, the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius were already a firmly established congregation but it was essential to take steps for the assured growth of the community and for general participation in all the commitments and interests of the Sisters. This consideration prompted her to devote much attention to St. Cyril Academy, the community's first high school which was housed at Danville and with whose foundation she had been intimately associated. Her first object of interest was the school's �SLOVAKIA 125 bilingual literary magazine Fialky which she had initiated in the first year of the school's foundation. Under her guidance the students had produced an exceptionally creditable school journal and she had always inspired them to cultivate in it a wholesome degree of Slovak orientation. This was evidenced not only by the bilingual aspect o! the publication but also by its selective content. Many o! i~ articles are devoted not only to scholastic and academic interest but also to the interests of the American-Slovak community and to topics of Slovak history and culture. The Academy, however, is but one of the schools under the direction of these Sisters who are engaged primarily in parochial schools, that were founded by Slovak immigrants in America. Over the years these schools have been !ulfilling the mission that had fired the zealous ardor of Father Jankola. Mother Emerentia knew Father Jankola personally and she cherished the ideals to which he had dedicated his priestly li!e. In her capacity as leader and administrator of a teaching body of Sisters, Mother Emerentia was led by the realization that the schools of American-Slovak parishes needed effective teachers who, in turn, needed effective tools like practical textbooks and teaching aids. In this awareness, she conti.Rued and she expanded the training of all teachers not only to meet state certification standards but also to include suitable instruction in the Slovak language and an appreciation of Slovak history and culture. She set a personal example in these respects, for she herself interacted with her Sisters in these fields, right from the early days of her secondary education, through her B.A. and M.A. college degrees from Marywood as well as through her subsequent professional growth. Out 0! practical situations and well-motivated discussions she embodied such useful material in several Slovak texts that she prepared for the schools. In 1929 Mother Emerentia published her first formal Slovak grammar titled Ucebnica slovenskej reci. About twenty years later she had an updated version of Slovak grammar called Steps in Elementary Slovak. From time to time she supplemented and revised these texts as the needs of the times and newer developments in grammar �126 SLOVAKIA and in language arts required. For the benefit of interested teachers and adults, Mother Emerentia developed and conducted a Slovak Correspondence Course. Her language books and lesson sheets thus became handbooks for instruction in Slovak. But she had also noted that there was a need for books of Slovak hymns and folk songs and with diligent int.erest she compiled several editions of the Spevnicek, a substantial collection of Slovak, Latin and English hymn texts suited for religious services. She also edited a Spevnicek of Slovak folk songs. These collections of sacred and secular songs delighted many school children and they were also welcomed by their teachers and by many congregati0ns and pastors as well. When there was a noticeable decline in the study of Slovak in the schools, Mother Emerentia tried to meet the new challenge by undertaking a project to preserve at least some of the Slovak cultural heritage in America even though the language itself was dying out. With the cooperation of other interested Sisters, a number of Slovak religious songs were tranlated into singable English versions and they appeared with voice notation in two publications sponsored by the community. These publications are Alleluia and Bethlehem Carols (1967). Her book length projects as well as her many articles, studies and reviews which Mother Emerentia contributed to a number of representative American-Slovak publications Oargerly to the Jednota weekly and the Jednota Annual) appear to have been but forerunners of her major work: history of the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius which is now completed and ready in manuscript form. When the work is published, it will be the crowning achievement of this distinguished Sister. An abridgment of the community history, which was released as A Brief History of the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius, proves that Mother Emerentia has prepared these annals with total devotion to her sisterhood and that, with the talent of a gifted historian. she was able to delineat.e in them all the forces and all the facets of development that marked the destinies of the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius throughout their a:postolate among Americans of Slovak �SLOVAKIA 127 extraction, especially in their teaching endeavors and works of charity on behalf of the orphaned and the aged. The Slovak language as well as Slovak literature and history were Mother Emerentia's cultural predilection to her dying day. Even in her advanced years and in spite of impaired health, she devoted herself to the interests of the Slovak Book Department in Danville, where she filled orders for those who wished to purchase various kinds of Slovak books, and she maintained vital contacts with many Sisters with whom she continued to share much of her knowledge and information on current topics as well on Slovakia's cultural and historic past. Two traits mark the life history of Mother Emerentia: her boundless modesty and her boundless love which is embodied in the master project that symbolizes her greatness in life-the exquisite architectural gem and the jewel of symbolic richness that are the unique features of the monastic church under her direction at Villa Sacred Heart. Visiting with Mother Emerentia was much like encountering a religious from long bygone days. She personified humility and modesty of a rare degree. Hers was the spirit of prayer, of unfaltering diligence, of recognition of the worth of others and utter self-effacement. As many times as I had tried to turn a conversation to what she had already achieved or was endeavoring to do, she skillfuly managed to re-direct our discussion to some other subject just to avoid drawing attention to herself. Most of her peer Sisters as well as younger members of the community considered her to be the leading intellectual among the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius and the outstanding educator in the specialized field of Slovak interests, yet she herself once pointed out a younger co-worker and remarked with unconcealed admiration, "There's the real intellectual of the Community." This puts me very much in mind of Msgr. Andrew Hlinka who once made precisely the same kind of statement about Dr. Joseph Tiso and his place in the Slovak Populist Party. The great are always ready to recognize and to credit the merits of others. The Sisters' convent church (which Mother Emerentia �12i SLOVAKIA modestly called a convent chapel) is one of the most artistic Slovak edifice in the United States, as is the entire complex of St. Cyril Academy and the motherhouse unit in Danville. In this church are housed all the exquisite religious features that bring inspiration to the visiting faithful and to the Sisters there. In it is also found a wealth of symbolic and stained glass pictorial representation that captures significant highlights of Slovak as well as American-Slovak history. In some respects, this church is a kind of supplement to the written history of the community that is also the product of Mother Emerentia's inspiration and talented skill. Only a spirit as deeply steeped in eternal truth and benignly drawn to Slovakia and the Slovak people as was Mother Emerentia's could have created so rich a contribution to Slovak history preserved in art forms . And this she was able to bring about because of her conviction that such a union of valid values is pleasing both to God and nation, and gratifying to her own community which she tried with all her abilities to build and develop, a community that had prospered and burgeoned so promisingly under her understanding direction. Mother Emerentia has earned herself a lasting place in the history of Slovak culture, for she has been chosen by God to make the shining splendor of her life a brilliant beacon that can lead others on to greater things. From the hights of eternal glory may she continue to shed much light upon her Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius as well as upon countless other Slovaks in all walks of life who knew her or who knew of her, and who found in her diversified sphere of activity much inspiration and a unique sense of stability and security. May she be an ideal to many! THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA is dedicated to works of charity, materially and morally aids Slovaks, here and abr oad, who may be in need of such aid; it supports the American Red Cross, United Fund Campaigns and other American charitable pr ojects. � SLOVAKIA 123 BEACON IN AMERICAN-SLOVAK LIFE Mother M. Emerentia Petrasek The uniquely fruitful life of a modest American-Slovak Sister-educator came to a regrettable close on January 30, 1973 when the deeply esteemed Mother Emerentia Petrasek quietly died in Danville, Pa., following a heart attack. Up until a few days before her death she was characteristically busy with the kind of work to which she was singularly devoted all through her life, even in her retirement: writing, promoting Slovak cultural interests, translating, encouraging others in cultural projects, and offering seasoned and reliable counsel in many instances. Through it all she kept close to God, the Fount of all wisdom and grace, and like the prudent virgins of the parable, she too, kept her lamp of watchful waiting and prayerfulness trimmed and filled as she prepared for the unannounced coming of the Bridegroom to Whom she had dedicated her life by religious vows lived in convent discipline for 58 years since her first formal profession of religious dedication. Mother Emerentia was born in a Pennsylvania hamlet called Sugar Notch. Her parents were of the God-fearing immigrant class that belonged to the Slovak parish of Our Lady of the Rosary in Ashley, Pa. They provided for Mother Emerentia and for her brother, who is now Monsignor Charles Petrasek, a sound Christian home training. After her elementary schooling in Ashley, Mary Petrasek was enrolled at Mt. St. Mary's in Scranton and later at Marywood College. She was among the early candidates who had responded to Father Jankola's efforts to provide for the education of children of Slovak immigrants even at the cost of establishing a new religious community for this purpose. This American-Slovak congregation is known as the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius, and Mother Erner- �124 SLOVAKIA entia has certainly made remarkable contributions to its spirit and accomplishments. Whether she gave her service as teacher, writer, planner or administrator, serving in various capacities up to the rank of Superior General of over four hundred Sisters, Mother Emerentia always manifested the marks of inspired leadership and she discharged her responsibilities - great and small - with effective devotion. If one were to single out an outstanding talent or characteristic of Mother Emerentia, it would be her wholehearted devotion to the spiritual and cultural heritage of her Slovak ancestry, coupled with a strong sense of devotion to the Holy See and to American patriotism. With her it was a matter of honor, a basic expression o! justice and a conscience-binding fact of life to appreciate with filial gratitude all the gifts which the past offers us so that we might be able to enjoy the blessings and benefits of the present in which we live and progress. Hers was a clear-eyed vision of who we are, where our roots are, and what we can become. In her role as teacher, Mother Emerentia effectively inculcated these attitudes in hundreds of her students who esteemed and practically idolized her. Although her sphere of action seemed to be confined to convent-life dimensions, her teaching and her philosophical outlook upon life and living touched countless other lives. Under the inspiration and impulse of the Holy Spirit this dedicated Sister achieved for God and nation and for fellowman so remarkable a harvest that an exhaustive study could and should be made in at least an appreciative volume summarizini her contributions to Slovak culture. When Mother Emerentia assumed the office of Superior General in 1934, the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius were already a firmly established congregation but it was essential to take steps for the assured growth of the community and for general participation in all the commitments and interests of the Sisters. This consideration prompted her to devote much attention to St. Cyril Academy, the community's first high school which was housed at Danville and with whose foundation she had been intimately associated. Her first object of interest was the school's �SLOVAKIA 125 bilingual literary magazine Fialky which she had initiated in the first year of the school's foundation. Under her guidance the students had produced an exceptionally creditable school journal and she had always inspired them to cultivate in it a wholesome degree of Slovak orientation. This was evidenced not only by the bilingual aspect o! the publication but also by its selective content. Many o! i~ articles are devoted not only to scholastic and academic interest but also to the interests of the American-Slovak community and to topics of Slovak history and culture. The Academy, however, is but one of the schools under the direction of these Sisters who are engaged primarily in parochial schools, that were founded by Slovak immigrants in America. Over the years these schools have been !ulfilling the mission that had fired the zealous ardor of Father Jankola. Mother Emerentia knew Father Jankola personally and she cherished the ideals to which he had dedicated his priestly li!e. In her capacity as leader and administrator of a teaching body of Sisters, Mother Emerentia was led by the realization that the schools of American-Slovak parishes needed effective teachers who, in turn, needed effective tools like practical textbooks and teaching aids. In this awareness, she conti.Rued and she expanded the training of all teachers not only to meet state certification standards but also to include suitable instruction in the Slovak language and an appreciation of Slovak history and culture. She set a personal example in these respects, for she herself interacted with her Sisters in these fields, right from the early days of her secondary education, through her B.A. and M.A. college degrees from Marywood as well as through her subsequent professional growth. Out 0! practical situations and well-motivated discussions she embodied such useful material in several Slovak texts that she prepared for the schools. In 1929 Mother Emerentia published her first formal Slovak grammar titled Ucebnica slovenskej reci. About twenty years later she had an updated version of Slovak grammar called Steps in Elementary Slovak. From time to time she supplemented and revised these texts as the needs of the times and newer developments in grammar �126 SLOVAKIA and in language arts required. For the benefit of interested teachers and adults, Mother Emerentia developed and conducted a Slovak Correspondence Course. Her language books and lesson sheets thus became handbooks for instruction in Slovak. But she had also noted that there was a need for books of Slovak hymns and folk songs and with diligent int.erest she compiled several editions of the Spevnicek, a substantial collection of Slovak, Latin and English hymn texts suited for religious services. She also edited a Spevnicek of Slovak folk songs. These collections of sacred and secular songs delighted many school children and they were also welcomed by their teachers and by many congregati0ns and pastors as well. When there was a noticeable decline in the study of Slovak in the schools, Mother Emerentia tried to meet the new challenge by undertaking a project to preserve at least some of the Slovak cultural heritage in America even though the language itself was dying out. With the cooperation of other interested Sisters, a number of Slovak religious songs were tranlated into singable English versions and they appeared with voice notation in two publications sponsored by the community. These publications are Alleluia and Bethlehem Carols (1967). Her book length projects as well as her many articles, studies and reviews which Mother Emerentia contributed to a number of representative American-Slovak publications Oargerly to the Jednota weekly and the Jednota Annual) appear to have been but forerunners of her major work: history of the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius which is now completed and ready in manuscript form. When the work is published, it will be the crowning achievement of this distinguished Sister. An abridgment of the community history, which was released as A Brief History of the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius, proves that Mother Emerentia has prepared these annals with total devotion to her sisterhood and that, with the talent of a gifted historian. she was able to delineat.e in them all the forces and all the facets of development that marked the destinies of the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius throughout their a:postolate among Americans of Slovak �SLOVAKIA 127 extraction, especially in their teaching endeavors and works of charity on behalf of the orphaned and the aged. The Slovak language as well as Slovak literature and history were Mother Emerentia's cultural predilection to her dying day. Even in her advanced years and in spite of impaired health, she devoted herself to the interests of the Slovak Book Department in Danville, where she filled orders for those who wished to purchase various kinds of Slovak books, and she maintained vital contacts with many Sisters with whom she continued to share much of her knowledge and information on current topics as well on Slovakia's cultural and historic past. Two traits mark the life history of Mother Emerentia: her boundless modesty and her boundless love which is embodied in the master project that symbolizes her greatness in life-the exquisite architectural gem and the jewel of symbolic richness that are the unique features of the monastic church under her direction at Villa Sacred Heart. Visiting with Mother Emerentia was much like encountering a religious from long bygone days. She personified humility and modesty of a rare degree. Hers was the spirit of prayer, of unfaltering diligence, of recognition of the worth of others and utter self-effacement. As many times as I had tried to turn a conversation to what she had already achieved or was endeavoring to do, she skillfuly managed to re-direct our discussion to some other subject just to avoid drawing attention to herself. Most of her peer Sisters as well as younger members of the community considered her to be the leading intellectual among the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius and the outstanding educator in the specialized field of Slovak interests, yet she herself once pointed out a younger co-worker and remarked with unconcealed admiration, "There's the real intellectual of the Community." This puts me very much in mind of Msgr. Andrew Hlinka who once made precisely the same kind of statement about Dr. Joseph Tiso and his place in the Slovak Populist Party. The great are always ready to recognize and to credit the merits of others. The Sisters' convent church (which Mother Emerentia �12i SLOVAKIA modestly called a convent chapel) is one of the most artistic Slovak edifice in the United States, as is the entire complex of St. Cyril Academy and the motherhouse unit in Danville. In this church are housed all the exquisite religious features that bring inspiration to the visiting faithful and to the Sisters there. In it is also found a wealth of symbolic and stained glass pictorial representation that captures significant highlights of Slovak as well as American-Slovak history. In some respects, this church is a kind of supplement to the written history of the community that is also the product of Mother Emerentia's inspiration and talented skill. Only a spirit as deeply steeped in eternal truth and benignly drawn to Slovakia and the Slovak people as was Mother Emerentia's could have created so rich a contribution to Slovak history preserved in art forms . And this she was able to bring about because of her conviction that such a union of valid values is pleasing both to God and nation, and gratifying to her own community which she tried with all her abilities to build and develop, a community that had prospered and burgeoned so promisingly under her understanding direction. Mother Emerentia has earned herself a lasting place in the history of Slovak culture, for she has been chosen by God to make the shining splendor of her life a brilliant beacon that can lead others on to greater things. From the hights of eternal glory may she continue to shed much light upon her Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius as well as upon countless other Slovaks in all walks of life who knew her or who knew of her, and who found in her diversified sphere of activity much inspiration and a unique sense of stability and security. May she be an ideal to many! THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA is dedicated to works of charity, materially and morally aids Slovaks, here and abr oad, who may be in need of such aid; it supports the American Red Cross, United Fund Campaigns and other American charitable pr ojects. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1973, Vol. 23 Description An account of the resource Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document SLOVAKIA 123 BEACON IN AMERICAN-SLOVAK LIFE Mother M. Emerentia Petrasek The uniquely fruitful life of a modest American-Slovak Sister-educator came to a regrettable close on January 30, 1973 when the deeply esteemed Mother Emerentia Petrasek quietly died in Danville, Pa., following a heart attack. Up until a few days before her death she was characteristically busy with the kind of work to which she was singularly devoted all through her life, even in her retirement: writing, promoting Slovak cultural interests, translating, encouraging others in cultural projects, and offering seasoned and reliable counsel in many instances. Through it all she kept close to God, the Fount of all wisdom and grace, and like the prudent virgins of the parable, she too, kept her lamp of watchful waiting and prayerfulness trimmed and filled as she prepared for the unannounced coming of the Bridegroom to Whom she had dedicated her life by religious vows lived in convent discipline for 58 years since her first formal profession of religious dedication. Mother Emerentia was born in a Pennsylvania hamlet called Sugar Notch. Her parents were of the God-fearing immigrant class that belonged to the Slovak parish of Our Lady of the Rosary in Ashley, Pa. They provided for Mother Emerentia and for her brother, who is now Monsignor Charles Petrasek, a sound Christian home training. After her elementary schooling in Ashley, Mary Petrasek was enrolled at Mt. St. Mary's in Scranton and later at Marywood College. She was among the early candidates who had responded to Father Jankola's efforts to provide for the education of children of Slovak immigrants even at the cost of establishing a new religious community for this purpose. This American-Slovak congregation is known as the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius, and Mother Erner- 124 SLOVAKIA entia has certainly made remarkable contributions to its spirit and accomplishments. Whether she gave her service as teacher, writer, planner or administrator, serving in various capacities up to the rank of Superior General of over four hundred Sisters, Mother Emerentia always manifested the marks of inspired leadership and she discharged her responsibilities - great and small - with effective devotion. If one were to single out an outstanding talent or characteristic of Mother Emerentia, it would be her wholehearted devotion to the spiritual and cultural heritage of her Slovak ancestry, coupled with a strong sense of devotion to the Holy See and to American patriotism. With her it was a matter of honor, a basic expression o! justice and a conscience-binding fact of life to appreciate with filial gratitude all the gifts which the past offers us so that we might be able to enjoy the blessings and benefits of the present in which we live and progress. Hers was a clear-eyed vision of who we are, where our roots are, and what we can become. In her role as teacher, Mother Emerentia effectively inculcated these attitudes in hundreds of her students who esteemed and practically idolized her. Although her sphere of action seemed to be confined to convent-life dimensions, her teaching and her philosophical outlook upon life and living touched countless other lives. Under the inspiration and impulse of the Holy Spirit this dedicated Sister achieved for God and nation and for fellowman so remarkable a harvest that an exhaustive study could and should be made in at least an appreciative volume summarizini her contributions to Slovak culture. When Mother Emerentia assumed the office of Superior General in 1934, the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius were already a firmly established congregation but it was essential to take steps for the assured growth of the community and for general participation in all the commitments and interests of the Sisters. This consideration prompted her to devote much attention to St. Cyril Academy, the community's first high school which was housed at Danville and with whose foundation she had been intimately associated. Her first object of interest was the school's SLOVAKIA 125 bilingual literary magazine Fialky which she had initiated in the first year of the school's foundation. Under her guidance the students had produced an exceptionally creditable school journal and she had always inspired them to cultivate in it a wholesome degree of Slovak orientation. This was evidenced not only by the bilingual aspect o! the publication but also by its selective content. Many o! i~ articles are devoted not only to scholastic and academic interest but also to the interests of the American-Slovak community and to topics of Slovak history and culture. The Academy, however, is but one of the schools under the direction of these Sisters who are engaged primarily in parochial schools, that were founded by Slovak immigrants in America. Over the years these schools have been !ulfilling the mission that had fired the zealous ardor of Father Jankola. Mother Emerentia knew Father Jankola personally and she cherished the ideals to which he had dedicated his priestly li!e. In her capacity as leader and administrator of a teaching body of Sisters, Mother Emerentia was led by the realization that the schools of American-Slovak parishes needed effective teachers who, in turn, needed effective tools like practical textbooks and teaching aids. In this awareness, she conti.Rued and she expanded the training of all teachers not only to meet state certification standards but also to include suitable instruction in the Slovak language and an appreciation of Slovak history and culture. She set a personal example in these respects, for she herself interacted with her Sisters in these fields, right from the early days of her secondary education, through her B.A. and M.A. college degrees from Marywood as well as through her subsequent professional growth. Out 0! practical situations and well-motivated discussions she embodied such useful material in several Slovak texts that she prepared for the schools. In 1929 Mother Emerentia published her first formal Slovak grammar titled Ucebnica slovenskej reci. About twenty years later she had an updated version of Slovak grammar called Steps in Elementary Slovak. From time to time she supplemented and revised these texts as the needs of the times and newer developments in grammar 126 SLOVAKIA and in language arts required. For the benefit of interested teachers and adults, Mother Emerentia developed and conducted a Slovak Correspondence Course. Her language books and lesson sheets thus became handbooks for instruction in Slovak. But she had also noted that there was a need for books of Slovak hymns and folk songs and with diligent int.erest she compiled several editions of the Spevnicek, a substantial collection of Slovak, Latin and English hymn texts suited for religious services. She also edited a Spevnicek of Slovak folk songs. These collections of sacred and secular songs delighted many school children and they were also welcomed by their teachers and by many congregati0ns and pastors as well. When there was a noticeable decline in the study of Slovak in the schools, Mother Emerentia tried to meet the new challenge by undertaking a project to preserve at least some of the Slovak cultural heritage in America even though the language itself was dying out. With the cooperation of other interested Sisters, a number of Slovak religious songs were tranlated into singable English versions and they appeared with voice notation in two publications sponsored by the community. These publications are Alleluia and Bethlehem Carols (1967). Her book length projects as well as her many articles, studies and reviews which Mother Emerentia contributed to a number of representative American-Slovak publications Oargerly to the Jednota weekly and the Jednota Annual) appear to have been but forerunners of her major work: history of the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius which is now completed and ready in manuscript form. When the work is published, it will be the crowning achievement of this distinguished Sister. An abridgment of the community history, which was released as A Brief History of the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius, proves that Mother Emerentia has prepared these annals with total devotion to her sisterhood and that, with the talent of a gifted historian. she was able to delineat.e in them all the forces and all the facets of development that marked the destinies of the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius throughout their a:postolate among Americans of Slovak SLOVAKIA 127 extraction, especially in their teaching endeavors and works of charity on behalf of the orphaned and the aged. The Slovak language as well as Slovak literature and history were Mother Emerentia's cultural predilection to her dying day. Even in her advanced years and in spite of impaired health, she devoted herself to the interests of the Slovak Book Department in Danville, where she filled orders for those who wished to purchase various kinds of Slovak books, and she maintained vital contacts with many Sisters with whom she continued to share much of her knowledge and information on current topics as well on Slovakia's cultural and historic past. Two traits mark the life history of Mother Emerentia: her boundless modesty and her boundless love which is embodied in the master project that symbolizes her greatness in life-the exquisite architectural gem and the jewel of symbolic richness that are the unique features of the monastic church under her direction at Villa Sacred Heart. Visiting with Mother Emerentia was much like encountering a religious from long bygone days. She personified humility and modesty of a rare degree. Hers was the spirit of prayer, of unfaltering diligence, of recognition of the worth of others and utter self-effacement. As many times as I had tried to turn a conversation to what she had already achieved or was endeavoring to do, she skillfuly managed to re-direct our discussion to some other subject just to avoid drawing attention to herself. Most of her peer Sisters as well as younger members of the community considered her to be the leading intellectual among the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius and the outstanding educator in the specialized field of Slovak interests, yet she herself once pointed out a younger co-worker and remarked with unconcealed admiration, "There's the real intellectual of the Community." This puts me very much in mind of Msgr. Andrew Hlinka who once made precisely the same kind of statement about Dr. Joseph Tiso and his place in the Slovak Populist Party. The great are always ready to recognize and to credit the merits of others. The Sisters' convent church (which Mother Emerentia 12i SLOVAKIA modestly called a convent chapel) is one of the most artistic Slovak edifice in the United States, as is the entire complex of St. Cyril Academy and the motherhouse unit in Danville. In this church are housed all the exquisite religious features that bring inspiration to the visiting faithful and to the Sisters there. In it is also found a wealth of symbolic and stained glass pictorial representation that captures significant highlights of Slovak as well as American-Slovak history. In some respects, this church is a kind of supplement to the written history of the community that is also the product of Mother Emerentia's inspiration and talented skill. Only a spirit as deeply steeped in eternal truth and benignly drawn to Slovakia and the Slovak people as was Mother Emerentia's could have created so rich a contribution to Slovak history preserved in art forms . And this she was able to bring about because of her conviction that such a union of valid values is pleasing both to God and nation, and gratifying to her own community which she tried with all her abilities to build and develop, a community that had prospered and burgeoned so promisingly under her understanding direction. Mother Emerentia has earned herself a lasting place in the history of Slovak culture, for she has been chosen by God to make the shining splendor of her life a brilliant beacon that can lead others on to greater things. From the hights of eternal glory may she continue to shed much light upon her Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius as well as upon countless other Slovaks in all walks of life who knew her or who knew of her, and who found in her diversified sphere of activity much inspiration and a unique sense of stability and security. May she be an ideal to many! THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA is dedicated to works of charity, materially and morally aids Slovaks, here and abr oad, who may be in need of such aid; it supports the American Red Cross, United Fund Campaigns and other American charitable pr ojects.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Mother M. Emerentia Petrášek Description An account of the resource Slovakia, Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973 pp. 123-128 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/13e1ead008f51afd33e683243b6dd496.pdf 211e067bcaf3ba63edfd5f2a9cca90c0 PDF Text Text SLOVAKIA 111 Diplomatic and Consular Relations of Slovakia with Neutral States By J. M. K i r s c h b a u m, Ph.D. I. The emergence of the Slovak Republic in March 1939 has been for years presented by historians of Central Eastern Europe in accordance with the War propaganda rather than on the basis of historical facts. In the West, especially the propaganda of the "Czechoslovak governmentin-exile" crept into the history books and some misconceptions survived even the publication of secret documents and the opening of the War archives. It would, however, be unfair to blame Western historians alone for the inaccuracies and prejudices presentation of Slovakia's international status and diplomatic and consular relations. There was no serious attempt on the Slovak side to give historians of Central Eastern Europe sufficient information in foreign language, which could enable them to draw an objective picture of the Slovak Republic. Moreover, comprehensive work on international relations of Slovakia is missing even in Slovak historiography. The reason for not writing about the international relations of Slovakia with other countries by Communist historians is quite understandable: they were reluctant to admit that the Slovak Republic was also recognized by the Soviet Union and some 29 other countries, including the European Great Powers and neutral countries. According to the official "Czechoslovak" propaganda during the War, the Slovak Republic was recognized only by Germany and �112 SLOVAKIA her satellites and this distortion of historical facts suited the post-war Marxist historians. What is difficult to understand, however, is the neglect by Slovaks abroad, especially if we take into account that a number of former Slovak diplomats found refuge in the countries of the free world. During the War some articles surveying the first years of the Slovak Republic were published in Switzerland, but they discussed the international status of Slovakia only passingly. Such was the series of articles by Arnold Schwengeler in the daily Der Bund, and two French articles: one by the Swiss writer William Ritter in the Gazette de Lausanne and a contribution to the Revue de droit international de sciences diplomatiques et politiques by this writer under the pen-name Andre Cerisier.1 After the War, an English publication by F. nurcansky, The International Aspects of the Slovak Question, examined the subject from both the juridical and political points of view. The international relations of Slovakia with other countries were discussed, however, only briefly even in this study. Several other Slovak authors dealt with Slovakia's international relations in a general way by inserting a chapt.er or two in their books or in their articles on Slovakia. Such have been the contributions of this writer either in Slovak or foreign languages and especially a chapter on the diplomatic recognition of Slovakia in his book Slovakia - Nation at the Crossroads of Central Europe, and in his Slovak book Nds boj o samostatnost' Slovenska. 2 The Slovak diplomatic representative in Spain, Dr. J. A. Mikus, wrote on the subject in his book Slovakia A Political History and in the annuals published in the United States3 either in English or in Slovak, and F. Vnuk published a study based on the Vatican archives materials, 4 but all these writings are far from giving an adequat;e picture of the international relations of the Slovak Republic with European and non-European states which recognized Slovakia in 1939 as an independent state. As far as the memoirs are concerned, only Karol Sidor, the Slovak Envoy Extraordinary and Minist.er Plenipotentiary at the Vatican, published a full account of his years at the Holy See in his Slovak book sest' rokov pri Vatikdne (Six Years at the Vatican). This writer published reminis- �SLOVAKIA 113 cences on his years in Italy and as head of the legation of the Slovak Republic in Switzerland in various Slovak annuals, published in Canada and in the United States.5 More than a dozen former Slovak diplomats who live either in Western Europe or in other parts of the free world, are still expected to record the years of their diplomatic service to enable historians to present this chapter of modern Slovak history in an objective manner. In view of this, it will perhaps not be amiss to record some data and to answer the question of how the emergence of the Slovak Republic on March 14, 1939, was accepted by European and non-European public opinion and how the governments of European neutral countries received the proclamation of Slovakia's independence. In my book Slovakia- Nation at the Crossroads of Central Europe a survey of the international recognition of the Slovak Republic has given general information on this subject with some documents to support the historical facts and to prove the utterly incorrect propaganda which for a period of the past 30 years bluntly disregarded the facts and asserted that the Slovak Republic was recognized only by Germany and her satellites. II. In the short period of liberalization in Czecho-Slovakia the Marxist historians who, for political reasons avoided writing about the international status of the Slovak Republic, admitted that: "In March 1939 appeared on the map of Europe a new state - Slovakia. With the exception of the United States all European Great Powers successively recognized the Slovak state de jure or at least de facto: Germany, Italy, France, Great Britain, the Soviet Union and many smaller European and non-European countries: Poland, Hungary, the Vatican, Switzerland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Spain, Sweden, Rumania, Bulgaria, Yougoslavia, Liberia, Ecuador, Costarica, Holland, Finland, Belgium, Croatia, the Chinese Government of Nanking, etc. The Slovak state became a member of various international conventions and agreements and in the first years of the War it was considered in many capital cities as a small, but as a not easily discarded part of the motley mosaic of European relations." 6 �114 SLOVAKIA Other Marxist historians recorded that the Soviet Union, who recognized the Slovak Republic on September 16, 1939, and established the largest embassy in the capitol city of Slovakia, counted until 1943 with the existence of the Slovak Republic also in the post-War European organization. According to the Communist party archives in March 1940 the illegal Central Committee of the Slovak Communist Party received the following directives: "Our pre-War slogans must be changed. Under the slogan "Restoration of Czechoslovak ia" are hidden at the present time imperialist and anti-Soviet plans. The problem of nationalities is today not the same; it is reduced to the problem of Czechs and Slovaks. We state explicitly that our Party is now for the slogan of the full right of selfdeterminatio n of Czechs and Slovaks. The right of self-determination means the right to an independent state. For the Czechs, we fight for a restoration of their national and political freedom. For the Slovaks, we fight for the full sovereignty of the present Slovak state. The fight for the right of self-determin ation makes our way different from that of world imperialism and Benes. The Slovak state is the given basis for the full freedom of Slovaks. The future relations between the Czech and Slovak states is the question of self-determin ation of both nations and depends on the events of the war (and on its results, remark by Dimitrov)." 7 This was only consistent with the speech of the Soviet Minister Plenipotentia ry and Envoy Extraordinar y, G. Pushkin, who, upon presenting his credentials to the President of the Slovak Republic, Dr. Jozef Tiso, said: "Presenting to you the documents which accredit me as Envoy Extraordinar y and Minister Plenipotentia ry, appointted by the Presidency of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, I can announce to you with joy that the nations of the Soviet Union have taken cognizance of the establishmen t of diplomatic relations between the Soviet Union and the Slovak Republic with deep satisfaction. Because of the war in Europe the establishmen t of these relations oversteps the framework of mutual interests of both our states." 8 Since 1960, when my survey of the diplomatic recognition of the Slovak Republic was published, some interesting �SLOVAKIA 115 documents pertaining to the attitude of the European Great Powers towards Slovakia were published also with regard to Great Britain. I found in 1960 documents and references which shed on the policy of Great Britain toward Slovakia quite a different light9 from that unscrupulously repeated in the War propaganda of the "Czechoslovak governmentin-exile," in the memoirs of Dr. E. Benes, and in the history books written by American and some European historians.10 On the basis of the British archives, F. Vnuk published a few years later a well documented insight into the British attitude which was far more favorable to Slovaks than it has been believed and recorded by Western histo:r.ians.11 However, the present survey aims at giving the basic data on the diplomatic recognition of the Slovak Republic only by the European neutral countries and on the activities and political conceptions of Slovak diplomats accredited in those countries. Even that scope will be narrowed here because the Slovak representatives in Sweden and Spain are alive and work on their memoirs, and the relations between the Holy See and the Slovak Republic were sufficiently recorded in K. Sidor's book, mentioned above. III. NEUTRAL STATES WHICH RECOGNIZED THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC The first of all neutral states to recognize Slovakia diplomatically was Switzerland which gave full recognition to the Slovak Republic on April 19, 1939. Switzerland was followed by Spain on April 25, 1939, and by the Vatican on May 25, 1939. Sweden as the fourth neutral European state, recognized the Slovak Republic on July 26, 1939. Whereas between the Vatican, Switzerland and Spain, and Slovakia, diplomatic relations were de jure and de facto and existed from the very beginning, the relations with Sweden developed slowly and remained on the consular level. From the diplomatic point of view, the most important diplomatic recognition of the Slovak Republic was, of course, that by the Vatican. This recognition had not only a political but also a moral importance in Europe and in �116 SLOVAKIA the world before the Second World War. As mentioned, the Vatican gave diplomatic recognition to Slovakia on May 25, 1939, and the Slovak representativ e as Envoy Extraordinar y and Minister Plenipotentia ry was accredited in July of the same year. The Holy See appointed first a Nuncio in Bratislava, Msgr. Xaverius Ritter, who had served previously in Prague, but due to some misunderstanding and misinterpreta tion of his credentials, Msgr. Giusepe Burzio, as Charge d'Affaires, represented the Holy See during the whole period of the War and fOT some time even after the War. In view of the fact that the War started just six months after the declaration of Slovakia's independence , the diploma.tic relations of Slovakia with the Vatican became even more important. The efforts of Czech exiles to induce the Vatican into breaking off relations were not successful1 2 and at the end of the War, the Slovak representative was the last one of all Slovak diplomats in neutral states to close his legation. The political, social and moral importance of the diplomatic relations with the Holy See is described in Sidor's book in which one can find not only some important documents, but also valuable information on political developments in Slovakia during the War. From Sidor's book and the above mentioned essay by Vnuk, historians can draw enough information to put into proper perspective the relations between Slovakia and the Holy See and prove incorrect the assertions spread in Western historiograph y. Spain was represented in Slovakia by an experienced career diplomat Juan Cano y Trueba, known generally in Bratislava as Count Bailen. He had the rank of Minister Plenipotentia ry and Envoy Extraordinar y. On the other hand, Slovakia was first represented in Spain by a Charge d'Affaires en pied and later by an Envoy Extraordinar y and Minister Plenipotentia ry. The first Slovak diplomat to visit Madrid was Dr. Jozef M. Zvrskovec who represented Slovakia in Italy and who later became known for his note in which he spoke about a neutral status of Slovakia with regard to Great Britain.13 Zvrskovec, however, did not present his credentials in Spain. This was done in April 1940 by Dr. Joseph A. Mikus �SLOVAKIA 117 who was accredited as Charge d'Affaires en pied and presented his credentials to the Minister of External Affairs, General Cowit Jordana. Mikus remained in Spain from April 11, 1940 to March 24, 1944 and left his post on receiving the Honor of Commandador de la Order de Isabel la Catholica. He was replaced by Mister Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary, Dr. Jozef Cieker, who remained in Spain witil his witimely death in 1969. Cieker also was a career diplomat and one of the leading Catholic intellectuals. He was active in Pax Romana and Slavia Catholica before he entered the diplomatic service in Prague. He served in Belgrade as Charge d' Affaires and in Zagreb as Minister of the Slovak Republic. In Spain, Cieker was quite succe~ful not only among the members of the Government but also in his relations with the Catholic hierarchy. His good relations proved very useful after the War when he became director of an international College for refugee students ( Collegio Major Santiago Apostol). In exile, Cieker was witil his death one of the leading figures of the Slovak National Cowicil Abroad and known as author of books and articles in Slovak as well as in foreign languages. 14 The relations between Spain and Slovakia will, however, be treated by Mikus in his memoirs. The diplomatic relations of the Slovak Republic with Switzerland were, from the political as well as economic point of view, of great importance. The capital city of Switzerland, Bern, was the second most important European center of diplomatic activities during the whole period of the War, as the Allies, the states which belonged to the Axis camp and all the neutral cowitries were represented in Switzerland. Slovakia established a legation in Bern in the summer of 1939, and Switzerland opened a Consulate General in Bratislava, indicating that a legation would be established later. Even though the Swiss recognition was on the diplomatic level, this wieven representation caused the Slovak Government to send to Switzerland diplomatic representatives with the title Charge d'Affairs en pied, who were duly accredited as handl5 of diplomatic missions but only socially were addressed as Ministers or Envoys. The first Slovak representative in Switzerland was Dr. Bohdan Galvanek who, after a short stay, was sent to Rome, Italy, �118 SLOVAKIA and replaced by a well-known Slovak writer, Tido J. Gaspar. Even though Gaspar was very successful in Bern's diplomatic circles and made for Slovakia a good name, he was replaced in the fall of 1940 by a career diplomat, Dr. Raduz Radlinsky. Well prepared for his role, Radlinsky made many friends among diplomats from various countries and increased the prestige of the Slovak legation. However, in 1942, he left the dir,lomatic service and the Slovak government accredited in his stead the writer of this survey, who remained in Bern until the end of the War. The relations between Slovakia and Switzerland were, from the very beginning, friendly. For Slovakia Bern was of great political importance; for Switzerland economic relations prevailed. In addition to current diplomatic activities the Slovak legation in Bern had the mission to acquaint diplomats and journalists of all countries with the existence of the Slovak Republic as a new state in Central Europe, and with the aspirations pf the Slovak people not only during the War, but also after the world conflict ended. On the part of the Swiss government, the stress was understandably on economic relations which developed very favorably for both countries, leaving at the end of the war a large amount of surplus money from ecQnomic exchanges in Bern.15 Switzerland was represented in Slovakia by Dr. Max Graessli, a career diplomat with the title of Consul General. The good relations between Switzerland and the Slovak Republic were reflected not only in extensive economic and commercial relations but also in the fact that the Swiss government allowed to appoint two honorary consuls for Slovakia in Switzerland. One of them was a wealthy industrialist who had some economic interests in Slovakia also before the war, Rudolf Eckenstein, from Basel. In Zurich was appointed Arthur Gaerrick, a wealthy businessman who represented before the war several Czech firms in Switzerland. During the first years of the War there were indications that the relations between Switzerland and the Slovak Republic would be normalized in the sense that Switzerland would also establish a legation in Bratislava, and the head of the Slovak legation in Bern would assume the title of �SLOVAKIA 119 Minister Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary. During one of my visits with the Minister for External Affairs, Pilez-Golas, I had the impression that this normalization was imminent and I reported the good news to Bratislava with great satisfaction as one of my achievements. However, the luck of the German armies on the Russian front changed and they started to retreat after a terrible defeat at Stalingrad. This made the Swiss government more cautious in their foreign policy with regard to the countries which nolens volens were on the side of the Axis. When the retreat assumed catastrophic dimensions, Minister Pilez-Golas was replaced by a person who had previously no connections with foreign policy and was considered as friendly and acceptable for the Allies. The victory of the Allies was expected after the German retreats as certain, even though rumors persisted that the Allies can make a separate peace with Germany and turn together against the Soviet march toward the West. Only after the failure to kill Hitler by the att.empt on July 22, 1944, these rumors died down and diplomats accredited in Switzerland, as well as some members of the Swiss government, began openly speaking about the unconditional surrender of Germany and her allies. This logically was the end of any hope that Switzerland would establish in Bratislava a legation instead of a consulate general. 16 In view of the complex world situation and hostile propaganda against Slovakia in the West one of the main goals of Slovak diplomatic representatives in Bern was to put into proper perspective the aspirations of the Slovak people for freedom and independence regardless of the results of the military conflict. Therefore, many steps were made to counteract the hostile propaganda emanating from the exiled "Czechoslovak" circles in London and Washington and to inform the diplomats accredited in Switzerland about the true situation in Slovakia, and about the attitude of the Slovak people towards the West. Unfortunately, Western diplomats displayed very little understanding for the aspirations of the Slovak people and mostly adhered to the concept of the Czech exiled politicians headed by Dr. E. Benes. �120 SLOVAKIA For acquainting foreign diplomats and Swiss journalists with Slovakia and with the political aspirations of the Slovak people, the Slovak Legation in Bern published from August 1943 to January 1945 a bulletin in French and German, Correspondence slovaque, and organized trips for Swiss journalists to Slovakia. One of them, the editor of the prestigious daily "Der Bund," Arnold H. Schwengler, published from his visit to Slovakia a series of articles which, compiled in a booklet "Die slowakische Reise," gave a favorable picture of the economic as well as cultural situation in the Slovak Republic. For publishing the Correspondence slovaque and for maintaining contacts with the press was mainly responsible, until the summer of 1944, Dr. Arved Grebert, who served as Press Attache at the Legation. Some newspapers used the information they received from the Correspondence slovaque of which 23 issues were published. The Correspondence slovaque aimed in the first place to give basic information on economic and cultural matters, but each issue also contained political articles defending the right of Slovaks to independence and refuting the adverse propaganda of the Czech exiles in the West. The political articles were usually free of any mention of Slovakia's relations with Germany and were concerned with the preservation of Slovakia's independence after the war, advocating a sort of federative solution of the problems of the Central European nations. This political concept was advocated also by the Slovak Legation at the Vatican. Sidor's articles on Central European Federation also appeared in some French and German press in Switzerland. In the fall of 1944, an article advocating federalism in Central Europe was published also in the Revue de droit international, mentioned above, by the former Minister of External Affairs of the Slovak Republic, Prof. F. :t>urcanskyP The Slovak Legation in Bern also had a mission to co-operate with Slovak diplomats in neutral countries in order to co-ordinate the efforts aiming at a just solution of the Slovak problem at the end of the War. Very close co-operation developed especially between Karol Sidor, Minister Plenipotentiary to the Vatican, and the writer, for the concept of a Central European Federation conceived �SLOVAKIA 121 as a democratic and Christian block of states on the Soviet border. The idea met with some understanding in Swiss newspapers and in certain diplomatic circles in the West, but was not officially accepted by the Allies because of .agreement with the Soviet government in Teheran and Yalta. Swiss public opinion and the press were generally favorably disposed towards Slovakia during the first years of the War, and some newspapers did so also at the end of the War and after. Even though the "Czechoslovak government in exile" tried to use for their propaganda their old connections with Swiss newspapers and kept in Geneva a propagandist under the cover of an exiled journalist, only the Socialist and Communist press published here and there adverse articles on Slovakia. Generally the :picture was favorable to the Slovak Republic and to the striving of the Slovak people for independence. On the part of the Swiss government, the also was genuine understanding for the aspirations of the Slovak people. At the end of the War, the world situation and external pressures forced, however, the Swiss government to follow the political concepts of the Allies and to recognize Czecho-Slovakia. The end of diplomatic relations between the Slovak Republic and Switzerland occurred at the time when the Slovak government was forced to leave the capital city of Slovakia. A sort of consular relations continued until the very end of the War, practically until .June 1st, 1945. Excerpts from "Notes to Memoires." FOOTNOTES 1 ) See Vol. 2, 1944, p. 123-142. In Slovak I published an editorial in the daily Slovak, January 1st, 1944, under the title "tJlohy a problemy slovenskej diplomacie" (Goals and Problems of Slovak Diplomacy). 2) See also my articles: "International Recognition of the Slovak Republic," Slovakia, Vol. I, No. 1, 1951, pp. 23-31; "Diplomatic Documents on Slovakia's Declaration of Independence," Slovakia, Vol. IV, No. 1, 1954, p. 3-12; "British Policy and Slovakia 1939-1945," S lovakia, Vol. X, No. 6, 1960, p. 50-61. These articles were published also in a German version in the periodical Slowakei. 3) See Slovakia, Vol. II, No. 2, 1952, pp. 38-41. 4) F . Vnuk, " Collapse of Czecho-Slovakia in Vatican Documents," Slovak Studies III, Cleveland-Rome, 1965, pp. 239-256. �122 SLOVAKIA 5) See my contributions to J. Pauco (ed.) Karol Sidor, politik, novinar a spisovatel', (Middletown, Pa. 1962); Kalendar Jednota 1971, p. 109, 117; Kalendar Kanadskej Slovenskej Ligy, 1968; Slowakei, Vol VII, No. 1-2, pp. 87-100. 6) L. Liptak, Slovensko v 20. storoci (Slovakia in the 20th Century), Bratislava, 1968, p. 177. 7) See S. Falt'an, Slovenska otazka v Ceskoslovensku, Bratislava, 1968, p. 112. 8) Quoted from Kirschbaum, Slovakia- Nation at the Crossroads of Central Europe, op. cit., pp. 1931-1932. 9) See Kirschbaum, "British Policy and Slovakia 1939-1945," Slovakia, Vol. X, No. 6, 1960, pp. 50-61. 10) Distorted information can be found in W. Shirer's book Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, by Gisevius and several specialists in East Central Europe. 11) F. Vnuk, "British Recognition of Independent Slovakia in 1939," Slovak Studies, Vol. IX, No. 6, Cleveland-Rome, 1969, pp. 49-73. 12) See A. Grebert, "Czech Intrigues Against the Slovak State," Slovakia, Vol. I, No. 2, 1951. 13) On March 29, 1940 Minister Zvrskovec sent a note to the Italian Foreign Ministry in which he stated that Slovakia was a neutral country and requested at the same time that the English Government be informed of this in order that England may recognize Slovakia's neutrality with all its consequences. See Documents on German Foreign PoHcy, Series 'D', Vol. X, reprinted in my book Slovakia, p. 281. 14) For details, see Liter6.rny Almanach for 1967, p. 125-126. 15) Unfortunately, the funds were transferred to Prague in the summer of 1945. Two officials of the Slovak National Bank, Pazman and Virsik, who sided with Dr . Benes, signed the transfer documents. 16) The failure of the attempt on Hitler's life and the outbreak of a communist inspired uprising in Central Slovakia in the Fall of 1944 created even a possibility for the interruption of the SwissSlovak relations. I received hints that the Swiss government would have welcome my defectien to Dr. Benes' camp and use it as a pretext for closing down our legation. On the other hand, Consul General Graessli tried to leave the responsibility for taking care of the affairs of the Consulate General to his subalter Consul Hans Keller. Both made after the War great careers in the Swiss di:i>lomatic services. Graessli was transferred to Washington and later became Ambassador to Sweden. Keller also moved fast and in the 1960's was Ambassador in Peking. 17) See Vol. XXII, No. 1. At the en.cl of August 1944, one of this writer's articles on the Federalist solution of Central European problems was published in the daily Slovak. Since it was a favorable analysis of Milan Hodza's book Federation in Central Europe, the German Embassy in Bratislava asked the newspaper to explain to the readers that the article was published by inadvertence and that the Slovak government and the newspaper did not agree with iti. contents. � SLOVAKIA 111 Diplomatic and Consular Relations of Slovakia with Neutral States By J. M. K i r s c h b a u m, Ph.D. I. The emergence of the Slovak Republic in March 1939 has been for years presented by historians of Central Eastern Europe in accordance with the War propaganda rather than on the basis of historical facts. In the West, especially the propaganda of the "Czechoslovak governmentin-exile" crept into the history books and some misconceptions survived even the publication of secret documents and the opening of the War archives. It would, however, be unfair to blame Western historians alone for the inaccuracies and prejudices presentation of Slovakia's international status and diplomatic and consular relations. There was no serious attempt on the Slovak side to give historians of Central Eastern Europe sufficient information in foreign language, which could enable them to draw an objective picture of the Slovak Republic. Moreover, comprehensive work on international relations of Slovakia is missing even in Slovak historiography. The reason for not writing about the international relations of Slovakia with other countries by Communist historians is quite understandable: they were reluctant to admit that the Slovak Republic was also recognized by the Soviet Union and some 29 other countries, including the European Great Powers and neutral countries. According to the official "Czechoslovak" propaganda during the War, the Slovak Republic was recognized only by Germany and �112 SLOVAKIA her satellites and this distortion of historical facts suited the post-war Marxist historians. What is difficult to understand, however, is the neglect by Slovaks abroad, especially if we take into account that a number of former Slovak diplomats found refuge in the countries of the free world. During the War some articles surveying the first years of the Slovak Republic were published in Switzerland, but they discussed the international status of Slovakia only passingly. Such was the series of articles by Arnold Schwengeler in the daily Der Bund, and two French articles: one by the Swiss writer William Ritter in the Gazette de Lausanne and a contribution to the Revue de droit international de sciences diplomatiques et politiques by this writer under the pen-name Andre Cerisier.1 After the War, an English publication by F. nurcansky, The International Aspects of the Slovak Question, examined the subject from both the juridical and political points of view. The international relations of Slovakia with other countries were discussed, however, only briefly even in this study. Several other Slovak authors dealt with Slovakia's international relations in a general way by inserting a chapt.er or two in their books or in their articles on Slovakia. Such have been the contributions of this writer either in Slovak or foreign languages and especially a chapter on the diplomatic recognition of Slovakia in his book Slovakia - Nation at the Crossroads of Central Europe, and in his Slovak book Nds boj o samostatnost' Slovenska. 2 The Slovak diplomatic representative in Spain, Dr. J. A. Mikus, wrote on the subject in his book Slovakia A Political History and in the annuals published in the United States3 either in English or in Slovak, and F. Vnuk published a study based on the Vatican archives materials, 4 but all these writings are far from giving an adequat;e picture of the international relations of the Slovak Republic with European and non-European states which recognized Slovakia in 1939 as an independent state. As far as the memoirs are concerned, only Karol Sidor, the Slovak Envoy Extraordinary and Minist.er Plenipotentiary at the Vatican, published a full account of his years at the Holy See in his Slovak book sest' rokov pri Vatikdne (Six Years at the Vatican). This writer published reminis- �SLOVAKIA 113 cences on his years in Italy and as head of the legation of the Slovak Republic in Switzerland in various Slovak annuals, published in Canada and in the United States.5 More than a dozen former Slovak diplomats who live either in Western Europe or in other parts of the free world, are still expected to record the years of their diplomatic service to enable historians to present this chapter of modern Slovak history in an objective manner. In view of this, it will perhaps not be amiss to record some data and to answer the question of how the emergence of the Slovak Republic on March 14, 1939, was accepted by European and non-European public opinion and how the governments of European neutral countries received the proclamation of Slovakia's independence. In my book Slovakia- Nation at the Crossroads of Central Europe a survey of the international recognition of the Slovak Republic has given general information on this subject with some documents to support the historical facts and to prove the utterly incorrect propaganda which for a period of the past 30 years bluntly disregarded the facts and asserted that the Slovak Republic was recognized only by Germany and her satellites. II. In the short period of liberalization in Czecho-Slovakia the Marxist historians who, for political reasons avoided writing about the international status of the Slovak Republic, admitted that: "In March 1939 appeared on the map of Europe a new state - Slovakia. With the exception of the United States all European Great Powers successively recognized the Slovak state de jure or at least de facto: Germany, Italy, France, Great Britain, the Soviet Union and many smaller European and non-European countries: Poland, Hungary, the Vatican, Switzerland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Spain, Sweden, Rumania, Bulgaria, Yougoslavia, Liberia, Ecuador, Costarica, Holland, Finland, Belgium, Croatia, the Chinese Government of Nanking, etc. The Slovak state became a member of various international conventions and agreements and in the first years of the War it was considered in many capital cities as a small, but as a not easily discarded part of the motley mosaic of European relations." 6 �114 SLOVAKIA Other Marxist historians recorded that the Soviet Union, who recognized the Slovak Republic on September 16, 1939, and established the largest embassy in the capitol city of Slovakia, counted until 1943 with the existence of the Slovak Republic also in the post-War European organization. According to the Communist party archives in March 1940 the illegal Central Committee of the Slovak Communist Party received the following directives: "Our pre-War slogans must be changed. Under the slogan "Restoration of Czechoslovak ia" are hidden at the present time imperialist and anti-Soviet plans. The problem of nationalities is today not the same; it is reduced to the problem of Czechs and Slovaks. We state explicitly that our Party is now for the slogan of the full right of selfdeterminatio n of Czechs and Slovaks. The right of self-determination means the right to an independent state. For the Czechs, we fight for a restoration of their national and political freedom. For the Slovaks, we fight for the full sovereignty of the present Slovak state. The fight for the right of self-determin ation makes our way different from that of world imperialism and Benes. The Slovak state is the given basis for the full freedom of Slovaks. The future relations between the Czech and Slovak states is the question of self-determin ation of both nations and depends on the events of the war (and on its results, remark by Dimitrov)." 7 This was only consistent with the speech of the Soviet Minister Plenipotentia ry and Envoy Extraordinar y, G. Pushkin, who, upon presenting his credentials to the President of the Slovak Republic, Dr. Jozef Tiso, said: "Presenting to you the documents which accredit me as Envoy Extraordinar y and Minister Plenipotentia ry, appointted by the Presidency of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, I can announce to you with joy that the nations of the Soviet Union have taken cognizance of the establishmen t of diplomatic relations between the Soviet Union and the Slovak Republic with deep satisfaction. Because of the war in Europe the establishmen t of these relations oversteps the framework of mutual interests of both our states." 8 Since 1960, when my survey of the diplomatic recognition of the Slovak Republic was published, some interesting �SLOVAKIA 115 documents pertaining to the attitude of the European Great Powers towards Slovakia were published also with regard to Great Britain. I found in 1960 documents and references which shed on the policy of Great Britain toward Slovakia quite a different light9 from that unscrupulously repeated in the War propaganda of the "Czechoslovak governmentin-exile," in the memoirs of Dr. E. Benes, and in the history books written by American and some European historians.10 On the basis of the British archives, F. Vnuk published a few years later a well documented insight into the British attitude which was far more favorable to Slovaks than it has been believed and recorded by Western histo:r.ians.11 However, the present survey aims at giving the basic data on the diplomatic recognition of the Slovak Republic only by the European neutral countries and on the activities and political conceptions of Slovak diplomats accredited in those countries. Even that scope will be narrowed here because the Slovak representatives in Sweden and Spain are alive and work on their memoirs, and the relations between the Holy See and the Slovak Republic were sufficiently recorded in K. Sidor's book, mentioned above. III. NEUTRAL STATES WHICH RECOGNIZED THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC The first of all neutral states to recognize Slovakia diplomatically was Switzerland which gave full recognition to the Slovak Republic on April 19, 1939. Switzerland was followed by Spain on April 25, 1939, and by the Vatican on May 25, 1939. Sweden as the fourth neutral European state, recognized the Slovak Republic on July 26, 1939. Whereas between the Vatican, Switzerland and Spain, and Slovakia, diplomatic relations were de jure and de facto and existed from the very beginning, the relations with Sweden developed slowly and remained on the consular level. From the diplomatic point of view, the most important diplomatic recognition of the Slovak Republic was, of course, that by the Vatican. This recognition had not only a political but also a moral importance in Europe and in �116 SLOVAKIA the world before the Second World War. As mentioned, the Vatican gave diplomatic recognition to Slovakia on May 25, 1939, and the Slovak representativ e as Envoy Extraordinar y and Minister Plenipotentia ry was accredited in July of the same year. The Holy See appointed first a Nuncio in Bratislava, Msgr. Xaverius Ritter, who had served previously in Prague, but due to some misunderstanding and misinterpreta tion of his credentials, Msgr. Giusepe Burzio, as Charge d'Affaires, represented the Holy See during the whole period of the War and fOT some time even after the War. In view of the fact that the War started just six months after the declaration of Slovakia's independence , the diploma.tic relations of Slovakia with the Vatican became even more important. The efforts of Czech exiles to induce the Vatican into breaking off relations were not successful1 2 and at the end of the War, the Slovak representative was the last one of all Slovak diplomats in neutral states to close his legation. The political, social and moral importance of the diplomatic relations with the Holy See is described in Sidor's book in which one can find not only some important documents, but also valuable information on political developments in Slovakia during the War. From Sidor's book and the above mentioned essay by Vnuk, historians can draw enough information to put into proper perspective the relations between Slovakia and the Holy See and prove incorrect the assertions spread in Western historiograph y. Spain was represented in Slovakia by an experienced career diplomat Juan Cano y Trueba, known generally in Bratislava as Count Bailen. He had the rank of Minister Plenipotentia ry and Envoy Extraordinar y. On the other hand, Slovakia was first represented in Spain by a Charge d'Affaires en pied and later by an Envoy Extraordinar y and Minister Plenipotentia ry. The first Slovak diplomat to visit Madrid was Dr. Jozef M. Zvrskovec who represented Slovakia in Italy and who later became known for his note in which he spoke about a neutral status of Slovakia with regard to Great Britain.13 Zvrskovec, however, did not present his credentials in Spain. This was done in April 1940 by Dr. Joseph A. Mikus �SLOVAKIA 117 who was accredited as Charge d'Affaires en pied and presented his credentials to the Minister of External Affairs, General Cowit Jordana. Mikus remained in Spain from April 11, 1940 to March 24, 1944 and left his post on receiving the Honor of Commandador de la Order de Isabel la Catholica. He was replaced by Mister Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary, Dr. Jozef Cieker, who remained in Spain witil his witimely death in 1969. Cieker also was a career diplomat and one of the leading Catholic intellectuals. He was active in Pax Romana and Slavia Catholica before he entered the diplomatic service in Prague. He served in Belgrade as Charge d' Affaires and in Zagreb as Minister of the Slovak Republic. In Spain, Cieker was quite succe~ful not only among the members of the Government but also in his relations with the Catholic hierarchy. His good relations proved very useful after the War when he became director of an international College for refugee students ( Collegio Major Santiago Apostol). In exile, Cieker was witil his death one of the leading figures of the Slovak National Cowicil Abroad and known as author of books and articles in Slovak as well as in foreign languages. 14 The relations between Spain and Slovakia will, however, be treated by Mikus in his memoirs. The diplomatic relations of the Slovak Republic with Switzerland were, from the political as well as economic point of view, of great importance. The capital city of Switzerland, Bern, was the second most important European center of diplomatic activities during the whole period of the War, as the Allies, the states which belonged to the Axis camp and all the neutral cowitries were represented in Switzerland. Slovakia established a legation in Bern in the summer of 1939, and Switzerland opened a Consulate General in Bratislava, indicating that a legation would be established later. Even though the Swiss recognition was on the diplomatic level, this wieven representation caused the Slovak Government to send to Switzerland diplomatic representatives with the title Charge d'Affairs en pied, who were duly accredited as handl5 of diplomatic missions but only socially were addressed as Ministers or Envoys. The first Slovak representative in Switzerland was Dr. Bohdan Galvanek who, after a short stay, was sent to Rome, Italy, �118 SLOVAKIA and replaced by a well-known Slovak writer, Tido J. Gaspar. Even though Gaspar was very successful in Bern's diplomatic circles and made for Slovakia a good name, he was replaced in the fall of 1940 by a career diplomat, Dr. Raduz Radlinsky. Well prepared for his role, Radlinsky made many friends among diplomats from various countries and increased the prestige of the Slovak legation. However, in 1942, he left the dir,lomatic service and the Slovak government accredited in his stead the writer of this survey, who remained in Bern until the end of the War. The relations between Slovakia and Switzerland were, from the very beginning, friendly. For Slovakia Bern was of great political importance; for Switzerland economic relations prevailed. In addition to current diplomatic activities the Slovak legation in Bern had the mission to acquaint diplomats and journalists of all countries with the existence of the Slovak Republic as a new state in Central Europe, and with the aspirations pf the Slovak people not only during the War, but also after the world conflict ended. On the part of the Swiss government, the stress was understandably on economic relations which developed very favorably for both countries, leaving at the end of the war a large amount of surplus money from ecQnomic exchanges in Bern.15 Switzerland was represented in Slovakia by Dr. Max Graessli, a career diplomat with the title of Consul General. The good relations between Switzerland and the Slovak Republic were reflected not only in extensive economic and commercial relations but also in the fact that the Swiss government allowed to appoint two honorary consuls for Slovakia in Switzerland. One of them was a wealthy industrialist who had some economic interests in Slovakia also before the war, Rudolf Eckenstein, from Basel. In Zurich was appointed Arthur Gaerrick, a wealthy businessman who represented before the war several Czech firms in Switzerland. During the first years of the War there were indications that the relations between Switzerland and the Slovak Republic would be normalized in the sense that Switzerland would also establish a legation in Bratislava, and the head of the Slovak legation in Bern would assume the title of �SLOVAKIA 119 Minister Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary. During one of my visits with the Minister for External Affairs, Pilez-Golas, I had the impression that this normalization was imminent and I reported the good news to Bratislava with great satisfaction as one of my achievements. However, the luck of the German armies on the Russian front changed and they started to retreat after a terrible defeat at Stalingrad. This made the Swiss government more cautious in their foreign policy with regard to the countries which nolens volens were on the side of the Axis. When the retreat assumed catastrophic dimensions, Minister Pilez-Golas was replaced by a person who had previously no connections with foreign policy and was considered as friendly and acceptable for the Allies. The victory of the Allies was expected after the German retreats as certain, even though rumors persisted that the Allies can make a separate peace with Germany and turn together against the Soviet march toward the West. Only after the failure to kill Hitler by the att.empt on July 22, 1944, these rumors died down and diplomats accredited in Switzerland, as well as some members of the Swiss government, began openly speaking about the unconditional surrender of Germany and her allies. This logically was the end of any hope that Switzerland would establish in Bratislava a legation instead of a consulate general. 16 In view of the complex world situation and hostile propaganda against Slovakia in the West one of the main goals of Slovak diplomatic representatives in Bern was to put into proper perspective the aspirations of the Slovak people for freedom and independence regardless of the results of the military conflict. Therefore, many steps were made to counteract the hostile propaganda emanating from the exiled "Czechoslovak" circles in London and Washington and to inform the diplomats accredited in Switzerland about the true situation in Slovakia, and about the attitude of the Slovak people towards the West. Unfortunately, Western diplomats displayed very little understanding for the aspirations of the Slovak people and mostly adhered to the concept of the Czech exiled politicians headed by Dr. E. Benes. �120 SLOVAKIA For acquainting foreign diplomats and Swiss journalists with Slovakia and with the political aspirations of the Slovak people, the Slovak Legation in Bern published from August 1943 to January 1945 a bulletin in French and German, Correspondence slovaque, and organized trips for Swiss journalists to Slovakia. One of them, the editor of the prestigious daily "Der Bund," Arnold H. Schwengler, published from his visit to Slovakia a series of articles which, compiled in a booklet "Die slowakische Reise," gave a favorable picture of the economic as well as cultural situation in the Slovak Republic. For publishing the Correspondence slovaque and for maintaining contacts with the press was mainly responsible, until the summer of 1944, Dr. Arved Grebert, who served as Press Attache at the Legation. Some newspapers used the information they received from the Correspondence slovaque of which 23 issues were published. The Correspondence slovaque aimed in the first place to give basic information on economic and cultural matters, but each issue also contained political articles defending the right of Slovaks to independence and refuting the adverse propaganda of the Czech exiles in the West. The political articles were usually free of any mention of Slovakia's relations with Germany and were concerned with the preservation of Slovakia's independence after the war, advocating a sort of federative solution of the problems of the Central European nations. This political concept was advocated also by the Slovak Legation at the Vatican. Sidor's articles on Central European Federation also appeared in some French and German press in Switzerland. In the fall of 1944, an article advocating federalism in Central Europe was published also in the Revue de droit international, mentioned above, by the former Minister of External Affairs of the Slovak Republic, Prof. F. :t>urcanskyP The Slovak Legation in Bern also had a mission to co-operate with Slovak diplomats in neutral countries in order to co-ordinate the efforts aiming at a just solution of the Slovak problem at the end of the War. Very close co-operation developed especially between Karol Sidor, Minister Plenipotentiary to the Vatican, and the writer, for the concept of a Central European Federation conceived �SLOVAKIA 121 as a democratic and Christian block of states on the Soviet border. The idea met with some understanding in Swiss newspapers and in certain diplomatic circles in the West, but was not officially accepted by the Allies because of .agreement with the Soviet government in Teheran and Yalta. Swiss public opinion and the press were generally favorably disposed towards Slovakia during the first years of the War, and some newspapers did so also at the end of the War and after. Even though the "Czechoslovak government in exile" tried to use for their propaganda their old connections with Swiss newspapers and kept in Geneva a propagandist under the cover of an exiled journalist, only the Socialist and Communist press published here and there adverse articles on Slovakia. Generally the :picture was favorable to the Slovak Republic and to the striving of the Slovak people for independence. On the part of the Swiss government, the also was genuine understanding for the aspirations of the Slovak people. At the end of the War, the world situation and external pressures forced, however, the Swiss government to follow the political concepts of the Allies and to recognize Czecho-Slovakia. The end of diplomatic relations between the Slovak Republic and Switzerland occurred at the time when the Slovak government was forced to leave the capital city of Slovakia. A sort of consular relations continued until the very end of the War, practically until .June 1st, 1945. Excerpts from "Notes to Memoires." FOOTNOTES 1 ) See Vol. 2, 1944, p. 123-142. In Slovak I published an editorial in the daily Slovak, January 1st, 1944, under the title "tJlohy a problemy slovenskej diplomacie" (Goals and Problems of Slovak Diplomacy). 2) See also my articles: "International Recognition of the Slovak Republic," Slovakia, Vol. I, No. 1, 1951, pp. 23-31; "Diplomatic Documents on Slovakia's Declaration of Independence," Slovakia, Vol. IV, No. 1, 1954, p. 3-12; "British Policy and Slovakia 1939-1945," S lovakia, Vol. X, No. 6, 1960, p. 50-61. These articles were published also in a German version in the periodical Slowakei. 3) See Slovakia, Vol. II, No. 2, 1952, pp. 38-41. 4) F . Vnuk, " Collapse of Czecho-Slovakia in Vatican Documents," Slovak Studies III, Cleveland-Rome, 1965, pp. 239-256. �122 SLOVAKIA 5) See my contributions to J. Pauco (ed.) Karol Sidor, politik, novinar a spisovatel', (Middletown, Pa. 1962); Kalendar Jednota 1971, p. 109, 117; Kalendar Kanadskej Slovenskej Ligy, 1968; Slowakei, Vol VII, No. 1-2, pp. 87-100. 6) L. Liptak, Slovensko v 20. storoci (Slovakia in the 20th Century), Bratislava, 1968, p. 177. 7) See S. Falt'an, Slovenska otazka v Ceskoslovensku, Bratislava, 1968, p. 112. 8) Quoted from Kirschbaum, Slovakia- Nation at the Crossroads of Central Europe, op. cit., pp. 1931-1932. 9) See Kirschbaum, "British Policy and Slovakia 1939-1945," Slovakia, Vol. X, No. 6, 1960, pp. 50-61. 10) Distorted information can be found in W. Shirer's book Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, by Gisevius and several specialists in East Central Europe. 11) F. Vnuk, "British Recognition of Independent Slovakia in 1939," Slovak Studies, Vol. IX, No. 6, Cleveland-Rome, 1969, pp. 49-73. 12) See A. Grebert, "Czech Intrigues Against the Slovak State," Slovakia, Vol. I, No. 2, 1951. 13) On March 29, 1940 Minister Zvrskovec sent a note to the Italian Foreign Ministry in which he stated that Slovakia was a neutral country and requested at the same time that the English Government be informed of this in order that England may recognize Slovakia's neutrality with all its consequences. See Documents on German Foreign PoHcy, Series 'D', Vol. X, reprinted in my book Slovakia, p. 281. 14) For details, see Liter6.rny Almanach for 1967, p. 125-126. 15) Unfortunately, the funds were transferred to Prague in the summer of 1945. Two officials of the Slovak National Bank, Pazman and Virsik, who sided with Dr . Benes, signed the transfer documents. 16) The failure of the attempt on Hitler's life and the outbreak of a communist inspired uprising in Central Slovakia in the Fall of 1944 created even a possibility for the interruption of the SwissSlovak relations. I received hints that the Swiss government would have welcome my defectien to Dr. Benes' camp and use it as a pretext for closing down our legation. On the other hand, Consul General Graessli tried to leave the responsibility for taking care of the affairs of the Consulate General to his subalter Consul Hans Keller. Both made after the War great careers in the Swiss di:i>lomatic services. Graessli was transferred to Washington and later became Ambassador to Sweden. Keller also moved fast and in the 1960's was Ambassador in Peking. 17) See Vol. XXII, No. 1. At the en.cl of August 1944, one of this writer's articles on the Federalist solution of Central European problems was published in the daily Slovak. Since it was a favorable analysis of Milan Hodza's book Federation in Central Europe, the German Embassy in Bratislava asked the newspaper to explain to the readers that the article was published by inadvertence and that the Slovak government and the newspaper did not agree with iti. contents. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1973, Vol. 23 Description An account of the resource Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document SLOVAKIA 111 Diplomatic and Consular Relations of Slovakia with Neutral States By J. M. K i r s c h b a u m, Ph.D. I. The emergence of the Slovak Republic in March 1939 has been for years presented by historians of Central Eastern Europe in accordance with the War propaganda rather than on the basis of historical facts. In the West, especially the propaganda of the "Czechoslovak governmentin-exile" crept into the history books and some misconceptions survived even the publication of secret documents and the opening of the War archives. It would, however, be unfair to blame Western historians alone for the inaccuracies and prejudices presentation of Slovakia's international status and diplomatic and consular relations. There was no serious attempt on the Slovak side to give historians of Central Eastern Europe sufficient information in foreign language, which could enable them to draw an objective picture of the Slovak Republic. Moreover, comprehensive work on international relations of Slovakia is missing even in Slovak historiography. The reason for not writing about the international relations of Slovakia with other countries by Communist historians is quite understandable: they were reluctant to admit that the Slovak Republic was also recognized by the Soviet Union and some 29 other countries, including the European Great Powers and neutral countries. According to the official "Czechoslovak" propaganda during the War, the Slovak Republic was recognized only by Germany and 112 SLOVAKIA her satellites and this distortion of historical facts suited the post-war Marxist historians. What is difficult to understand, however, is the neglect by Slovaks abroad, especially if we take into account that a number of former Slovak diplomats found refuge in the countries of the free world. During the War some articles surveying the first years of the Slovak Republic were published in Switzerland, but they discussed the international status of Slovakia only passingly. Such was the series of articles by Arnold Schwengeler in the daily Der Bund, and two French articles: one by the Swiss writer William Ritter in the Gazette de Lausanne and a contribution to the Revue de droit international de sciences diplomatiques et politiques by this writer under the pen-name Andre Cerisier.1 After the War, an English publication by F. nurcansky, The International Aspects of the Slovak Question, examined the subject from both the juridical and political points of view. The international relations of Slovakia with other countries were discussed, however, only briefly even in this study. Several other Slovak authors dealt with Slovakia's international relations in a general way by inserting a chapt.er or two in their books or in their articles on Slovakia. Such have been the contributions of this writer either in Slovak or foreign languages and especially a chapter on the diplomatic recognition of Slovakia in his book Slovakia - Nation at the Crossroads of Central Europe, and in his Slovak book Nds boj o samostatnost' Slovenska. 2 The Slovak diplomatic representative in Spain, Dr. J. A. Mikus, wrote on the subject in his book Slovakia A Political History and in the annuals published in the United States3 either in English or in Slovak, and F. Vnuk published a study based on the Vatican archives materials, 4 but all these writings are far from giving an adequat;e picture of the international relations of the Slovak Republic with European and non-European states which recognized Slovakia in 1939 as an independent state. As far as the memoirs are concerned, only Karol Sidor, the Slovak Envoy Extraordinary and Minist.er Plenipotentiary at the Vatican, published a full account of his years at the Holy See in his Slovak book sest' rokov pri Vatikdne (Six Years at the Vatican). This writer published reminis- SLOVAKIA 113 cences on his years in Italy and as head of the legation of the Slovak Republic in Switzerland in various Slovak annuals, published in Canada and in the United States.5 More than a dozen former Slovak diplomats who live either in Western Europe or in other parts of the free world, are still expected to record the years of their diplomatic service to enable historians to present this chapter of modern Slovak history in an objective manner. In view of this, it will perhaps not be amiss to record some data and to answer the question of how the emergence of the Slovak Republic on March 14, 1939, was accepted by European and non-European public opinion and how the governments of European neutral countries received the proclamation of Slovakia's independence. In my book Slovakia- Nation at the Crossroads of Central Europe a survey of the international recognition of the Slovak Republic has given general information on this subject with some documents to support the historical facts and to prove the utterly incorrect propaganda which for a period of the past 30 years bluntly disregarded the facts and asserted that the Slovak Republic was recognized only by Germany and her satellites. II. In the short period of liberalization in Czecho-Slovakia the Marxist historians who, for political reasons avoided writing about the international status of the Slovak Republic, admitted that: "In March 1939 appeared on the map of Europe a new state - Slovakia. With the exception of the United States all European Great Powers successively recognized the Slovak state de jure or at least de facto: Germany, Italy, France, Great Britain, the Soviet Union and many smaller European and non-European countries: Poland, Hungary, the Vatican, Switzerland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Spain, Sweden, Rumania, Bulgaria, Yougoslavia, Liberia, Ecuador, Costarica, Holland, Finland, Belgium, Croatia, the Chinese Government of Nanking, etc. The Slovak state became a member of various international conventions and agreements and in the first years of the War it was considered in many capital cities as a small, but as a not easily discarded part of the motley mosaic of European relations." 6 114 SLOVAKIA Other Marxist historians recorded that the Soviet Union, who recognized the Slovak Republic on September 16, 1939, and established the largest embassy in the capitol city of Slovakia, counted until 1943 with the existence of the Slovak Republic also in the post-War European organization. According to the Communist party archives in March 1940 the illegal Central Committee of the Slovak Communist Party received the following directives: "Our pre-War slogans must be changed. Under the slogan "Restoration of Czechoslovak ia" are hidden at the present time imperialist and anti-Soviet plans. The problem of nationalities is today not the same; it is reduced to the problem of Czechs and Slovaks. We state explicitly that our Party is now for the slogan of the full right of selfdeterminatio n of Czechs and Slovaks. The right of self-determination means the right to an independent state. For the Czechs, we fight for a restoration of their national and political freedom. For the Slovaks, we fight for the full sovereignty of the present Slovak state. The fight for the right of self-determin ation makes our way different from that of world imperialism and Benes. The Slovak state is the given basis for the full freedom of Slovaks. The future relations between the Czech and Slovak states is the question of self-determin ation of both nations and depends on the events of the war (and on its results, remark by Dimitrov)." 7 This was only consistent with the speech of the Soviet Minister Plenipotentia ry and Envoy Extraordinar y, G. Pushkin, who, upon presenting his credentials to the President of the Slovak Republic, Dr. Jozef Tiso, said: "Presenting to you the documents which accredit me as Envoy Extraordinar y and Minister Plenipotentia ry, appointted by the Presidency of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, I can announce to you with joy that the nations of the Soviet Union have taken cognizance of the establishmen t of diplomatic relations between the Soviet Union and the Slovak Republic with deep satisfaction. Because of the war in Europe the establishmen t of these relations oversteps the framework of mutual interests of both our states." 8 Since 1960, when my survey of the diplomatic recognition of the Slovak Republic was published, some interesting SLOVAKIA 115 documents pertaining to the attitude of the European Great Powers towards Slovakia were published also with regard to Great Britain. I found in 1960 documents and references which shed on the policy of Great Britain toward Slovakia quite a different light9 from that unscrupulously repeated in the War propaganda of the "Czechoslovak governmentin-exile," in the memoirs of Dr. E. Benes, and in the history books written by American and some European historians.10 On the basis of the British archives, F. Vnuk published a few years later a well documented insight into the British attitude which was far more favorable to Slovaks than it has been believed and recorded by Western histo:r.ians.11 However, the present survey aims at giving the basic data on the diplomatic recognition of the Slovak Republic only by the European neutral countries and on the activities and political conceptions of Slovak diplomats accredited in those countries. Even that scope will be narrowed here because the Slovak representatives in Sweden and Spain are alive and work on their memoirs, and the relations between the Holy See and the Slovak Republic were sufficiently recorded in K. Sidor's book, mentioned above. III. NEUTRAL STATES WHICH RECOGNIZED THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC The first of all neutral states to recognize Slovakia diplomatically was Switzerland which gave full recognition to the Slovak Republic on April 19, 1939. Switzerland was followed by Spain on April 25, 1939, and by the Vatican on May 25, 1939. Sweden as the fourth neutral European state, recognized the Slovak Republic on July 26, 1939. Whereas between the Vatican, Switzerland and Spain, and Slovakia, diplomatic relations were de jure and de facto and existed from the very beginning, the relations with Sweden developed slowly and remained on the consular level. From the diplomatic point of view, the most important diplomatic recognition of the Slovak Republic was, of course, that by the Vatican. This recognition had not only a political but also a moral importance in Europe and in 116 SLOVAKIA the world before the Second World War. As mentioned, the Vatican gave diplomatic recognition to Slovakia on May 25, 1939, and the Slovak representativ e as Envoy Extraordinar y and Minister Plenipotentia ry was accredited in July of the same year. The Holy See appointed first a Nuncio in Bratislava, Msgr. Xaverius Ritter, who had served previously in Prague, but due to some misunderstanding and misinterpreta tion of his credentials, Msgr. Giusepe Burzio, as Charge d'Affaires, represented the Holy See during the whole period of the War and fOT some time even after the War. In view of the fact that the War started just six months after the declaration of Slovakia's independence , the diploma.tic relations of Slovakia with the Vatican became even more important. The efforts of Czech exiles to induce the Vatican into breaking off relations were not successful1 2 and at the end of the War, the Slovak representative was the last one of all Slovak diplomats in neutral states to close his legation. The political, social and moral importance of the diplomatic relations with the Holy See is described in Sidor's book in which one can find not only some important documents, but also valuable information on political developments in Slovakia during the War. From Sidor's book and the above mentioned essay by Vnuk, historians can draw enough information to put into proper perspective the relations between Slovakia and the Holy See and prove incorrect the assertions spread in Western historiograph y. Spain was represented in Slovakia by an experienced career diplomat Juan Cano y Trueba, known generally in Bratislava as Count Bailen. He had the rank of Minister Plenipotentia ry and Envoy Extraordinar y. On the other hand, Slovakia was first represented in Spain by a Charge d'Affaires en pied and later by an Envoy Extraordinar y and Minister Plenipotentia ry. The first Slovak diplomat to visit Madrid was Dr. Jozef M. Zvrskovec who represented Slovakia in Italy and who later became known for his note in which he spoke about a neutral status of Slovakia with regard to Great Britain.13 Zvrskovec, however, did not present his credentials in Spain. This was done in April 1940 by Dr. Joseph A. Mikus SLOVAKIA 117 who was accredited as Charge d'Affaires en pied and presented his credentials to the Minister of External Affairs, General Cowit Jordana. Mikus remained in Spain from April 11, 1940 to March 24, 1944 and left his post on receiving the Honor of Commandador de la Order de Isabel la Catholica. He was replaced by Mister Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary, Dr. Jozef Cieker, who remained in Spain witil his witimely death in 1969. Cieker also was a career diplomat and one of the leading Catholic intellectuals. He was active in Pax Romana and Slavia Catholica before he entered the diplomatic service in Prague. He served in Belgrade as Charge d' Affaires and in Zagreb as Minister of the Slovak Republic. In Spain, Cieker was quite succe~ful not only among the members of the Government but also in his relations with the Catholic hierarchy. His good relations proved very useful after the War when he became director of an international College for refugee students ( Collegio Major Santiago Apostol). In exile, Cieker was witil his death one of the leading figures of the Slovak National Cowicil Abroad and known as author of books and articles in Slovak as well as in foreign languages. 14 The relations between Spain and Slovakia will, however, be treated by Mikus in his memoirs. The diplomatic relations of the Slovak Republic with Switzerland were, from the political as well as economic point of view, of great importance. The capital city of Switzerland, Bern, was the second most important European center of diplomatic activities during the whole period of the War, as the Allies, the states which belonged to the Axis camp and all the neutral cowitries were represented in Switzerland. Slovakia established a legation in Bern in the summer of 1939, and Switzerland opened a Consulate General in Bratislava, indicating that a legation would be established later. Even though the Swiss recognition was on the diplomatic level, this wieven representation caused the Slovak Government to send to Switzerland diplomatic representatives with the title Charge d'Affairs en pied, who were duly accredited as handl5 of diplomatic missions but only socially were addressed as Ministers or Envoys. The first Slovak representative in Switzerland was Dr. Bohdan Galvanek who, after a short stay, was sent to Rome, Italy, 118 SLOVAKIA and replaced by a well-known Slovak writer, Tido J. Gaspar. Even though Gaspar was very successful in Bern's diplomatic circles and made for Slovakia a good name, he was replaced in the fall of 1940 by a career diplomat, Dr. Raduz Radlinsky. Well prepared for his role, Radlinsky made many friends among diplomats from various countries and increased the prestige of the Slovak legation. However, in 1942, he left the dir,lomatic service and the Slovak government accredited in his stead the writer of this survey, who remained in Bern until the end of the War. The relations between Slovakia and Switzerland were, from the very beginning, friendly. For Slovakia Bern was of great political importance; for Switzerland economic relations prevailed. In addition to current diplomatic activities the Slovak legation in Bern had the mission to acquaint diplomats and journalists of all countries with the existence of the Slovak Republic as a new state in Central Europe, and with the aspirations pf the Slovak people not only during the War, but also after the world conflict ended. On the part of the Swiss government, the stress was understandably on economic relations which developed very favorably for both countries, leaving at the end of the war a large amount of surplus money from ecQnomic exchanges in Bern.15 Switzerland was represented in Slovakia by Dr. Max Graessli, a career diplomat with the title of Consul General. The good relations between Switzerland and the Slovak Republic were reflected not only in extensive economic and commercial relations but also in the fact that the Swiss government allowed to appoint two honorary consuls for Slovakia in Switzerland. One of them was a wealthy industrialist who had some economic interests in Slovakia also before the war, Rudolf Eckenstein, from Basel. In Zurich was appointed Arthur Gaerrick, a wealthy businessman who represented before the war several Czech firms in Switzerland. During the first years of the War there were indications that the relations between Switzerland and the Slovak Republic would be normalized in the sense that Switzerland would also establish a legation in Bratislava, and the head of the Slovak legation in Bern would assume the title of SLOVAKIA 119 Minister Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary. During one of my visits with the Minister for External Affairs, Pilez-Golas, I had the impression that this normalization was imminent and I reported the good news to Bratislava with great satisfaction as one of my achievements. However, the luck of the German armies on the Russian front changed and they started to retreat after a terrible defeat at Stalingrad. This made the Swiss government more cautious in their foreign policy with regard to the countries which nolens volens were on the side of the Axis. When the retreat assumed catastrophic dimensions, Minister Pilez-Golas was replaced by a person who had previously no connections with foreign policy and was considered as friendly and acceptable for the Allies. The victory of the Allies was expected after the German retreats as certain, even though rumors persisted that the Allies can make a separate peace with Germany and turn together against the Soviet march toward the West. Only after the failure to kill Hitler by the att.empt on July 22, 1944, these rumors died down and diplomats accredited in Switzerland, as well as some members of the Swiss government, began openly speaking about the unconditional surrender of Germany and her allies. This logically was the end of any hope that Switzerland would establish in Bratislava a legation instead of a consulate general. 16 In view of the complex world situation and hostile propaganda against Slovakia in the West one of the main goals of Slovak diplomatic representatives in Bern was to put into proper perspective the aspirations of the Slovak people for freedom and independence regardless of the results of the military conflict. Therefore, many steps were made to counteract the hostile propaganda emanating from the exiled "Czechoslovak" circles in London and Washington and to inform the diplomats accredited in Switzerland about the true situation in Slovakia, and about the attitude of the Slovak people towards the West. Unfortunately, Western diplomats displayed very little understanding for the aspirations of the Slovak people and mostly adhered to the concept of the Czech exiled politicians headed by Dr. E. Benes. 120 SLOVAKIA For acquainting foreign diplomats and Swiss journalists with Slovakia and with the political aspirations of the Slovak people, the Slovak Legation in Bern published from August 1943 to January 1945 a bulletin in French and German, Correspondence slovaque, and organized trips for Swiss journalists to Slovakia. One of them, the editor of the prestigious daily "Der Bund," Arnold H. Schwengler, published from his visit to Slovakia a series of articles which, compiled in a booklet "Die slowakische Reise," gave a favorable picture of the economic as well as cultural situation in the Slovak Republic. For publishing the Correspondence slovaque and for maintaining contacts with the press was mainly responsible, until the summer of 1944, Dr. Arved Grebert, who served as Press Attache at the Legation. Some newspapers used the information they received from the Correspondence slovaque of which 23 issues were published. The Correspondence slovaque aimed in the first place to give basic information on economic and cultural matters, but each issue also contained political articles defending the right of Slovaks to independence and refuting the adverse propaganda of the Czech exiles in the West. The political articles were usually free of any mention of Slovakia's relations with Germany and were concerned with the preservation of Slovakia's independence after the war, advocating a sort of federative solution of the problems of the Central European nations. This political concept was advocated also by the Slovak Legation at the Vatican. Sidor's articles on Central European Federation also appeared in some French and German press in Switzerland. In the fall of 1944, an article advocating federalism in Central Europe was published also in the Revue de droit international, mentioned above, by the former Minister of External Affairs of the Slovak Republic, Prof. F. :t>urcanskyP The Slovak Legation in Bern also had a mission to co-operate with Slovak diplomats in neutral countries in order to co-ordinate the efforts aiming at a just solution of the Slovak problem at the end of the War. Very close co-operation developed especially between Karol Sidor, Minister Plenipotentiary to the Vatican, and the writer, for the concept of a Central European Federation conceived SLOVAKIA 121 as a democratic and Christian block of states on the Soviet border. The idea met with some understanding in Swiss newspapers and in certain diplomatic circles in the West, but was not officially accepted by the Allies because of .agreement with the Soviet government in Teheran and Yalta. Swiss public opinion and the press were generally favorably disposed towards Slovakia during the first years of the War, and some newspapers did so also at the end of the War and after. Even though the "Czechoslovak government in exile" tried to use for their propaganda their old connections with Swiss newspapers and kept in Geneva a propagandist under the cover of an exiled journalist, only the Socialist and Communist press published here and there adverse articles on Slovakia. Generally the :picture was favorable to the Slovak Republic and to the striving of the Slovak people for independence. On the part of the Swiss government, the also was genuine understanding for the aspirations of the Slovak people. At the end of the War, the world situation and external pressures forced, however, the Swiss government to follow the political concepts of the Allies and to recognize Czecho-Slovakia. The end of diplomatic relations between the Slovak Republic and Switzerland occurred at the time when the Slovak government was forced to leave the capital city of Slovakia. A sort of consular relations continued until the very end of the War, practically until .June 1st, 1945. Excerpts from "Notes to Memoires." FOOTNOTES 1 ) See Vol. 2, 1944, p. 123-142. In Slovak I published an editorial in the daily Slovak, January 1st, 1944, under the title "tJlohy a problemy slovenskej diplomacie" (Goals and Problems of Slovak Diplomacy). 2) See also my articles: "International Recognition of the Slovak Republic," Slovakia, Vol. I, No. 1, 1951, pp. 23-31; "Diplomatic Documents on Slovakia's Declaration of Independence," Slovakia, Vol. IV, No. 1, 1954, p. 3-12; "British Policy and Slovakia 1939-1945," S lovakia, Vol. X, No. 6, 1960, p. 50-61. These articles were published also in a German version in the periodical Slowakei. 3) See Slovakia, Vol. II, No. 2, 1952, pp. 38-41. 4) F . Vnuk, " Collapse of Czecho-Slovakia in Vatican Documents," Slovak Studies III, Cleveland-Rome, 1965, pp. 239-256. 122 SLOVAKIA 5) See my contributions to J. Pauco (ed.) Karol Sidor, politik, novinar a spisovatel', (Middletown, Pa. 1962); Kalendar Jednota 1971, p. 109, 117; Kalendar Kanadskej Slovenskej Ligy, 1968; Slowakei, Vol VII, No. 1-2, pp. 87-100. 6) L. Liptak, Slovensko v 20. storoci (Slovakia in the 20th Century), Bratislava, 1968, p. 177. 7) See S. Falt'an, Slovenska otazka v Ceskoslovensku, Bratislava, 1968, p. 112. 8) Quoted from Kirschbaum, Slovakia- Nation at the Crossroads of Central Europe, op. cit., pp. 1931-1932. 9) See Kirschbaum, "British Policy and Slovakia 1939-1945," Slovakia, Vol. X, No. 6, 1960, pp. 50-61. 10) Distorted information can be found in W. Shirer's book Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, by Gisevius and several specialists in East Central Europe. 11) F. Vnuk, "British Recognition of Independent Slovakia in 1939," Slovak Studies, Vol. IX, No. 6, Cleveland-Rome, 1969, pp. 49-73. 12) See A. Grebert, "Czech Intrigues Against the Slovak State," Slovakia, Vol. I, No. 2, 1951. 13) On March 29, 1940 Minister Zvrskovec sent a note to the Italian Foreign Ministry in which he stated that Slovakia was a neutral country and requested at the same time that the English Government be informed of this in order that England may recognize Slovakia's neutrality with all its consequences. See Documents on German Foreign PoHcy, Series 'D', Vol. X, reprinted in my book Slovakia, p. 281. 14) For details, see Liter6.rny Almanach for 1967, p. 125-126. 15) Unfortunately, the funds were transferred to Prague in the summer of 1945. Two officials of the Slovak National Bank, Pazman and Virsik, who sided with Dr . Benes, signed the transfer documents. 16) The failure of the attempt on Hitler's life and the outbreak of a communist inspired uprising in Central Slovakia in the Fall of 1944 created even a possibility for the interruption of the SwissSlovak relations. I received hints that the Swiss government would have welcome my defectien to Dr. Benes' camp and use it as a pretext for closing down our legation. On the other hand, Consul General Graessli tried to leave the responsibility for taking care of the affairs of the Consulate General to his subalter Consul Hans Keller. Both made after the War great careers in the Swiss di:i>lomatic services. Graessli was transferred to Washington and later became Ambassador to Sweden. Keller also moved fast and in the 1960's was Ambassador in Peking. 17) See Vol. XXII, No. 1. At the en.cl of August 1944, one of this writer's articles on the Federalist solution of Central European problems was published in the daily Slovak. Since it was a favorable analysis of Milan Hodza's book Federation in Central Europe, the German Embassy in Bratislava asked the newspaper to explain to the readers that the article was published by inadvertence and that the Slovak government and the newspaper did not agree with iti. contents.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Diplomatic and Consular Relations of Slovakia with Neutral States Description An account of the resource J. M. Kirschbaum, Ph.D. Slovakia, Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973 pp. 111-122 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kirschbaum, Jozef M., 1913-2001 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 SNK https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/5501516c5f28bfe92eb5574292d7398c.pdf b7957a4f19929718a0af9fd23019fdfa PDF Text Text SLOVAKIA 101 Samo Falt'an, Slovenska otazka v teskoslovensku (The Slovak Question in Czechoslovakia), (Bratislava, 1968), 352 p. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XIX, No. 42, 1969, p. 200. Emilia Duchajova, Slovenskci slavistika 1968, Matica slovenska, Martin, 1970, p. 336. Reviewed in Canadian Slavonic Papers, Vol. Xlll, 4, 197. Stefan Moyses 1869-1969, Edicia Literarneho archlvu, zviizok 7. Zbornik z vedeckej konferencie MS, Martin, 1971, stran 174, litogr. Reviewed in Most, Vol. 19, 1-2, 1972. Jan Chovan, Letopis pamatnika slovenskej literatury 1970, MS, Martin, 1970, p. 94. Reviewed in Most, Vol. 19, 1-2, 1972. Jan Okal', Voda a vino (Water and Wine, United States, 1970), p. 70. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XX, 1970 No. 43. Eugen Vesnin, Aj v etrurskych zahradach (Also in the Gardens of Etruria), Buenos Aires, 1970. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XX, 1970, No. 43. Evaluation of Dr. Kirschbaum's Writings by Critics Dr. Kirschbaum's writings were bound to provoke favorable as well as unfavorable reaction. All his books and publications challenged numerous erroneous views on Slovakia's history and culture accepted in the West by scholars and political writers alike. Dr. Kirschbaum challenged these views by works with serious academic background and solid knowledge of matters discussed. In such a situation it was only natural that the reaction was on one hand favorable and on the other hand the author was unscrupulously attacked_. by adversaries of Slovakia's struggle for independence. *) After the publication of the book Slovakia--Nation at the Crossroads of Central Europe, to which the Hon. Alvin M. Bentley, member of the Committee of Foreign Affaires of tae U. S. Congress, wrote an approving preface, Prague Government supplied some Czech and Communist newspapers in Canada and the U.S.A. with falsified documents destined to prevent Dr. Kirschbaum from teaching at universities or taking part in public life. A smear campaign on a large scale was organized against him especially in the Canadian press, and made news on radio and television. At the same time, pressure was excercised on the university authorities and academic associations. Even though it was clear that the campaign was politically motivated by the Prague Communist regime and had all the characteristics of "character assassination," Dr. Kirschbaum had to take legal action to clear his name. �102 SLOVAKIA Scholars and experts in history of Central Europe accepted Dr. Kirschbaum's first English book favorably and, as years pass, it is more and more referred to as a source to modern history of Slovakia. IN EUROPE the book was reviewed in two academic periodicals, one published in London, England, and one in Padova, Italy, in the official organ of European federalist, European Bulletin (Jan.-Feb. 1961), published in Roma, Italy, and by experts on Central European affairs in Germany and Spain. In his French article George Kallay wrote in the European Bulletin: "One of the most eminent representatives of the federal thesis among his advocates in Central Europe, is a historian who now lives in Canada, Joseph M. Kirschbaum. Born at the time of the AustroHungarian Monarchy, he was only six years old when it collapsed and, consequently, officially he became a "Czechoslovak". When Slovakia gained tts independence, Kirschbaum, 25 years of age, became one of the most prominent representatives in Slovak politics. Slovak national politics condemned Czech domination as well as German domination which equally sought to subjugate the Slovak people. In many of his political works, Kirschbaum affirms the necessity of a Central European Federation. His most recent work, Slovakia, Nation at the Crossroads of Central Europe, is but the expression of his federal thesis. He points out that the countries of Central and Oriental Europe must come to understand that they must unite if they do not wish to play the role of satellites of a foreign power." F. McPoyne in Central Europe Journal Sudeten Bulletin (Munich, December 1960) wrote about the book as follows: "Although written to enlighten and correct the warped political vision of those still convinced that Czechoslovakia was a "little Switzerland in the heart of Europe," this book may be recommended as a compact political history of Slovakia. It is amazing that Czech propaganda was, and to a large extent still is, able to influence the thinking of millions of people-particularly the Anglo-Saxon world-to believe a myth that there is one "Czechoslovak" people. Kirschbaum explodes this myth and traces the origins of Slovakia from its historic beginnings, unfolding before the reader a detailed and soundly referenced account of a proud, vital and highly cultured people from their earliest origins to the declaration of their independence in 1939, pleading for a new order in Central Europe where two world wars were touched off. A dual leitmotiv throughout is the thesis that Slovakia has at all eras of its history been a western-oriented people and has been sought after by other surrounding peoples who attempted, but unsuccessfully, to assimilate it. Today the Slovaks are still western-oriented interiorly and not assimilated, either by the Czechs or by the Soviets. Kirschbaum's book is another reminder and a convincing one, that fires are still burning in the hearts of a little people in Central Europe who, �SLOVAKIA 103 like the Irish whom so strongly r esemble, are keeping the faith that independence shall one day be theirs. Though captured by Communists, they have not compl'Omised with them. May Joseph Kirschbaum's meritorious volume win friends for Slovakia and for their cause." More critical opinion was expressed in The Slavonic Review (Vol. 4, 1962-3) published in London, by Prof. W. V. Wallace. This had to be, however, expected from an academic journal behind which was Prof. Seton-Watson. According to the reviewer, Dr. Kirschbaum set out "to make known the truth about Slovakia, and especially about the crucial years of 1939-1945," which in his opinion was "a laudable aim, but a demanding one." Arguing with the text on the cover of the book rather than with the contents, Prof. Wallace could not deny that "Kirschbaum's book has some interest," but did not accept it "as a last word" in which respect he was right. However, the fact that the Slavonic Review dedicated two pages long article to the book, is a clear indication that the book could not be overlooked and has its value in the eyes of people who disagreed with Slovakia's aspirations for independence. IN THE UNITED STATES the book was received with enthusiasm by a number of Slovak periodicals, published in Slovak and English, as a "brilliant defense of the Slovak cause and an overdue scholarly work on Slovakia." Nobody more than American Slovaks felt the need for a book which would tell Americans and the second and third generation of American Slovaks the truth about Slovakia in a comprehensive English work. Dr. Kirschbaum's book filled the gap not only according to many articles in Slovak American newspapers, but also according to the director of the Slovak Institute in Cleveland, Ohio, Rev. A. Pier, O.S.B. who revieved the book in the quarterly Slovakia (Vol. X, No. 6), a1, follows: "This latest work by the distinguished professor of Slavic Studies at the University of Montreal is a well-balanced, co-Ordinated and well-calculated effort to give thinking people a true picture of the Slovak nation struggling for national freedom and survival since the dawn of western civilization. In his introduction, Kirschbaum gives the reader a genuine historical perspective of the land and its people in a few pages. In a concise sweep of centuries of history, the author traces the fateful course of this small but dynamic nation from the sixth century to the present. Never before has a reader of Slovak historical development had the opportunity to learn so quickly the real story of a country whose destiny has been and still is closely associated with the lite of its neighbors, namely, Czechs, Austrians, Germans, Poles, Russians, and Magyars, for here, in a compact volume, the author has compressed centuries of history as it occured in the heart of Europe. Slovak culture, literature and the language of the oldest people in the Danube region, as well as the democratic traditions of the Slovak nation, are presented in an intelligible way. Moreover, the complex events that created and shaped Czecho-Slovakia and then led to the declaration �104 SLOVAKIA of Slovak independence on March 14, 1939 (six months before the outbreak of the War) are so arranged and explained as to give the reader a factual and masterful survey of a hectic period in modern history. Documents and letters relating to the struggle of the Slovaks for their right to self-government and a free statehood are quoted as far back as April 13, 1849, when a group of Slovak deputies submitted a petition to the Ministry in Vienna for national recognition. These, a total of 72, are up to 1955. Thus, not only is this book designate<i'-for popular reading but also for serious study by students of history. ·. It will serve to provide them with a basic historical knowledge of the Slovak nation, and will give them a reliable insight into the incredibly fascinating story of Slovakia on the Danube." Several periodicals reprinted Congressman Bentley's opinion that: "Professor Kirschbaum in his book Slovakia-Nation at the Crossroads of Central Europe has well and effectively argued the case for Slovak independence. He has pointed out the geographlcal importance of Slovakia and, to my way of thinking, clearly established the fact that these proud people have every right to make a free choice of their political future when the time comes which will permit them to do so. Perhaps even more important, he has laid great emphasis upon the eventual necessity of a commonwealth of European nations of Central Europe, an organization which would, while permitting free expression of nationalistic tendencies, giv,e to this area the cohesive strength which it has lacked ever since the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian empire. It would mean to me that his book should be required reading for all those who have an interest in the future of the captive peoples of this great region." In the literary quarterly Most the book was reviewed by the nestor of Slovak emigre writers and publicists Konstantin Culen (Vol VII, No. 3-4). The English quarterly Slovakia published several reviews of Dr. Kirschbaum's book, all of them favorable (see Vol. X, No. 6-7, Vol. XI, No. 2). Academic periodicals recorded publication of the book and the SI.a.vie and East European Journal, published at the University of Indiana, Bloomington, Indiana, reviewed the book favorably. More important, however, is the fact that hundreds of university libraries and public libraries made the book available to students and professors of Central European history. The success of the book bothered so much the adversaries of Slovak national aspirations, that the book was repeatedly stolen from some libraries or filled with abusive comments. There were three prints of the book within five years. IN CANADA the book Slovakia-Nation at the Crossroads of Central Europe was reviewed very favorably in the bilingual quarterly Etudes slaves et est-europeennes, published at the Universite de Montreal, by Prof V. Lalic (Vol. V, 1960), by Prof. Charles Murin and Prof. Watson Kirkconnell who positively commented also on Dr. KiriChbamn's �105 SLOVAKIA - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - · - - -- - - - - - - cultural publications and essays (University of Toronto Quarterly, Vol. XX.XI, XXXII and XXIV, No. 4). In his extensive review, Prof. V. Lalich dwelt especially on the value of Prof. Kirschbaum's book for Slavists. In his opinion "For many Slavists who were interested in Slovakia only because of the role she played in the epoch of Great Moravia or in Pan-Slavism and later in Czechoslovakia, Professor Kirschbaum's book will represent the needed filling of a gap, which one felt when speaking or writing about the Slavic world. At the same time, however, it will appear as a controversial treatise on many questions pertaining to the history and national identity of the Slovak people. "Using quotations and references profusely, Dr. Kirschbaum's book challenges the erroneous or opposing views and theories, and makes an honest effort to shed a new light on the principal problems of Slovak national development and the modern history of Slovakia. His picture is, understandably, in many regards different from what we were presented with, during the last four decades, as an objective image. But in view of the fact that his work is based on a thorough knowledge of original works, long research and personal experience, it is worth paying attention to this new interpretation of Slovak history and its new presentation of Slovak cultural life." According to Prof. Lalich, "For Slavists, the value of the book lies especially in its first part, in which the author writes on cultural, literary, social and general political issues, and in which he used a scholarly method in presenting Slovakia's contribution to Slavic civilization (pp. 25-26, 40-49). In works on Slavic literature there was, until now, considerable confusion as to the literary language used by the Slovaks and if, or how far, the Slovak language was a distinct Slavic tongue. These questions as well as many others pertaining to the Slovak national and cultural heritage, are answered on the basis of recent research in Dr. Kirschbaum's book. He supports his conclusions by many quotations and documents translated from originals." Nevertheless, Prof. Lalich thinks that the substance of Dr. Kirschbaum's book is "in Part II, in which the author deals extensively with the origin of Czechoslovakia and of the Slovak Republic, and offers quite a different picture from that presented by others during or after the war. Since the author undoubtedly has the necessary background to write on this subject with authority, and because he has based his conclusions on references to a large number of documents, his new presentation of modern Slovak history will not be without value, though it may not or will not satisfy some editors of symposia on Central European countries, whose views the author attacks and rejects as having been motivated by politics and not by facts or scholarly research. In presenting the case of Slovakia, the author tends, however, to engage in an argument rather than in an impartial explanation of faots, 11s if he were intentionally trying to provoke a controversy instead of trying to achieve the acceptance of his views. Repetition of evident �106 SLOVAKIA inaccuracies in many works dealing with Slovakia can certainly irritate the Slovaks, but to readers who are far from resentments, which the Slovaks may rightly feel towards some of their neighbours or politicians, a less emotional presentation would probably be more efficient. The author appears more of a politician than a scholar in this part of his work; nevertheless, he still respects the facts and the truth, and the large documentation he has used makes the book an honest and courageous attempt at a new presentation of Slovakia." Prof. Charles Murin analyzed and evaluated the book in a lenghty scholarly analysis. In his view, "Prof. Kirschbaum's book is written for both the intelligent observer of the international politics and those whose task it is to participate in the shaping of the current international situation which seems to contain an amount of irrational elements to a degree probably never equalled in the period of modern history." "Kirschbaum's book," Prof. Murin continues, "is a valuable contribution to the understanding of the premises and origins of the present day situation, restricted to one of its sections: Central Europe. Genetically this seems to be the most important field through the quantitive aspects of the problems in Asia and Africa overshadow the European problems. The author relates the political history of Slovakia and of Central Europe. The period described, however, happens to be the one which preceded the Soviet hegemony over half of Europe. Thus the book contains excellent material offered to the English reader who wants to trace down the errors of the past and is willing both to learn from the past errors and re-think the categories of living ideas and forces which simultane-0usly are being shaped by and are shaping this world of ours. The basic service this book renders to the reader is that it shows him to what degree the conceptions of the West in regard to the political organization of one of the neuralgic spots in Europe were dominated by facts and to what degree by fancy. To show the interplay of reality and illusion, the genuine and the phony in the official views of the state departments of the West in regard to Central Europe seems to be to be the aim of the book. Further the author shows to what extent these conceptions contained inherent contradictions and were, therefore, doomed in the long run. Be it noted that some of the prejudices discussed in the book represent an inheritance from the post-World War I arrangements." In the opinion of Professor Murin the author "has mastered more than sufficiently the material he is dealing with and is in a solid position to give an accurate account on Slovak history, an account on a sober relativistic character of historical events, thus avoiding the peculiar exclusivities not only of the Czech and Magyar writers, but also of their Slovak antipodes." Publications on cultural matters, four of which Dr. Kirschbaum published in the series Slavistica, edited by Prof. J. B. Rudnyckyj from the University of Manitoba, were reviewed in Slavic Review, University of Toronto quarterly, Slavica Canadiana, Revista de Estudion Politicos �SLOVAKIA 107 (Vol. 117-118, 125), Slovakia, Slowakei, Most, as well as in numerous Slovak newspapers and periodicals. Foreign and Slovak reviewers (Dr. S. Glejdura, Rev. A. Pier, Dr. J. Rekem), welcomed these studies as a valuable contribution to scholarly literature on Slovakia destined to acquaint Western Slavists with Slovak culture. Several essays dealing with the Slovak language, philology and literary history, which Dr. Kirschbaum published in academic reviews (Canadian Slavonic Papers, Etudes slaves et est-europeennes) or in Slovak Studies (Vol. ill) and Most, appeared also in reprints and were favorably commented upon by reviewers in Canada, the U.S.A. and Europe. In view of the fact that even among Western Slavists there were many misconceptions .about Slovak language and literatur,e, Dr. Kirschbaum's writings were the first ones in foreign languages to shed an objective light on Slovak language and literature. Several of these essays were originally papers delivered and discussed at annual meetings of Canadian and American :Slavists and performed a useful role of acquainting professors of Slavic studies with Slovak history and literature. The largest and, in the opinion of some critics, the best work by Dr. Kirschbaum, Slovaks in Canada, was received as a model for history books on ethnic groups. In addition to numerous reviews in Slovak, over 30 book reviews in not less than 15 languages were published within a year of the publication of the book. And all were exceptionally favorable. The Minister of Education of Ontario spoke about the book in Parliament and one of the best known Canadian radio and television commentators, Gordon Sinclair, analyzed and praised the book as o particular contribution to Canadian history. Even though the topic of the book had a limited scope, the number of academic periodicals which reviewed it favorably, was greater than in the case of the first English book by Dr. Kirschbaum. Moreover, the reviews were written by professors known as experts and were published in the official organs of American and Canadian associations ,of Slavists: the Slavic Review (Prof. Taborsky); Canadian Slavonic Papers (Prof. J. V. Kaye) ; Etudes slaves et est-europeennes (Prof. R. <::ujes); Slavica Canadiana (Prof. Charles Murin); University of Ottawa Quarterly (Prof. E. Buydosh). From a number of reviews by professors at American and Canadian universities at least a few should be mentioned. Prof E. Taborsky of the University of Texas, assessed the book in the Slavic Review (Vol. 29, No. 2), as follows: "Professor Kirschbaum divides his "saga of a small group of people in a new land who preserved their identity and achieved success" into four parts. Part I describes the historical, ethnic, cultural, political, 1·eligious, and economic ground of the Slovak immigrants and concludes with a brief sketch of the Slovak national character. Based on a wealth of sources, including the archives of various Canadian Slovak organizations, the Slovak press in Canada, and interviews with Slovak settlers in many parts· of Canada, Kirschbaum's study is a useful contribution to the literature on the Cenh·al European �108 SLOVAKIA immigration to the Western Hemisphere. It is only a pity that the volume is marred by occasional remarks revealing the author's antiCrech bias and detracting thus from the objectivity promised in the book's preface." Dr. V. J. Kaye of the Ottawa University welcomed the book as "the first detailed, well-documented, and excellently written history in the English language of the Slovak ethnic group in Canada." And after giving the perusal of individual chapters saying that "Dr. Kirschbaum's study is undoubtedly a valuable contribution to the history of Slavic groups in Canada, and he deserves full recognition for his achievement." (Canadian Slavonic Papers, Vol. XI, 1, 1969). In the Etudes siaves et est europeennes (Vol. XIII, 1968), Professor R. Cujes of the St. Francis Xavier University wrote about the book as follows: "Centennial year served as an opportune stimulus for informing Canadians of the many and diverse ethnic contributions evident in contemporary Canada. An outstanding example, and one which has been favorably reviewed in several ethnic publications across Canada, is Dr. Joseph Kirschbaum's "Slovaks in Canada." The author certainly succeeded in his task of uncovering and preserving much historical data which will be of interest not only to Canadians of Slovak origin, but also to Canadian historians who have still to write a truly Canadian history. He achieved a good balance between the two extremes possible in such works: either to be too general to have documentary value or to become so detailed that the book becomes source material and too heavy for the general reader. By writing this book, Dr. Kirschbaum rendered invaluable services not only to Slovaks in Canada whose deeds he faithfully recorded but also to all Canadians. Some other ethnic groups, especially the smaller ones which have had, in many ways, similar experience as the Slovaks, may become encouraged to undertake a similar publication of their own. The fact that Dr. Kirschbaum is one of the most important Slovak personalities in Canada, a:nd that he plays an important role among Slovaks abroad, enabled him to present a very clear and complete picture. Nevertheless, the book suffers from one defect; Dr. Kirschbaum's own contributions are much too attenuated. They are an essential and very important I')art of the Slovak scene and should have been presented at greater length in the text and not confined to footnotes and bibliography." Prof J. Roucek, known by his anti-Slovak bias, reviewed the book in Inter1tationai Migration Review (Vol. III, 9, 1969), together with another book on Slovaks and Czechs in Canada by J. Gellner-J. Smerek. In Roucek's opinion Dr. Kirschbaum "certainly stresses his filiopietism" and is "promoting Slovak separatism," to which Prof. Roucek obje~ts, he nevertheless writes: "Since both of these studies are the first systematic surveys of their subject in English, their appearance must be welcomed by all students �SLOVAKIA 109 interested in the growing number of immigrants in Canada. Both are filled with valuable information which is hardly acoessible to the average scholar not able to read Czech and Slovak, and both have been prepared by Czechs and Slovaks intimately acquainted with the communities of their countrymen in Canada. Nevertheless, both also suffer when we compare them with each other. In general, Kirschbaum's study, in spite of its weaknesses, is much better and more exhaustive that Gellner-Smerek's work, since it is better documented (as shown by its bibliography, pp. 441-455), and contains reprints of 24 memoranda, petitions, pleas, and resolutions either to the Canadian authorities or to the United Nations by the Slovak Canadian organizations, as well as by individual members of the Canadian Slovak League and the First Catholic Slovak Union during the past three decaaes." On the part of American Slovaks the book was received with the mixture of enthusiasm and envy, expressed not only in a great number of newspapers but also by the poet Mikulas Sprinc in Most, and two ,t eachers at the SS. Cyril and Methodius Academy, Sisters M. Y. Lederleitner and M. M. Tybor. In their thorough analysis of the book they wrote: "A historical survey of Slovaks living anywhere outside their native Slovakia must of necessity follow a certain pattern of development. For the benefit of uniformed readers, the opening of the work must be expository-a delineation of the historic background of the Slovak people and their position with a historic perspective. Then there logically follows a record of their uprooting within the scope of the given consideration, as well as their trials and tribulations in a new environment, an evaluation of what forces worked for or against them, and an assessment of their achievements in the new land. In his book Slovaks in Canada, Dr. J. M. Kirschbaum has effectively met this challenge. We who are privileged to look upon the accomplished fact of a finished project presenting to the public the aches and the trials, the hopes and the promises, the opportunities and the fulfillment up to triumph, the gifts received and the gifts given, the moral as well as the material investments made and the dividends garnered-we are grateful to Dr. Kirschbaum whose scholarly initiative and ac\.lmen together with his indefatigable industry and talent has made this book a reality. It deserves more than one reading since it is an informative and bigly interesting account of Slovak life in a new world setting. In all honesty, we must admit an undenied regret that the Slovaks in the U. S. have not produced a similar or parallel history of their own to match Slovaks in Canada while at the same time we cherish a justifiable pride in Dr. Kirschbaum because he has done a good work well." The book was very positively evaluated even by the official organ of Slovak Protestants in the United States, The Zion (September 1971 ). In the opinion of the editor, Pastor John Adam, Dr. Kirschbaum "has, in his book, Slovaks in Canada, given all Slovaks a valuable history �110 SLOVAKIA which will stand for decades as the work on the immigration of Slovaks to Canada in the first 60 years of this century. He has captured the trials, tribulations and triumphs of Slovaks who came to Canada in three separate waves of immigration. The account of the struggle of the pioneers has thorough documentation, which will help even Americans of Slovak ancestry understand a part of their past for the experience in Canada, in many respects, is a reflection of the struggle in America." In the opinion of the Hon. R. S. Welch, Minister of Education of the Ontario Government, "Slovaks in Canada, as its title suggests, is a comprehensive account of Slovak migrations to Canada, of the trials and successes the Slovak people have experienced here, and of their important contributions to our land. Its author is Slovakian-born Dr. J. M. Kirschbaum, a former diplomat who has achieved great distinction in Canada as an editor, author, schol,a r and university professor of Slavic-Slovak studies. Its sponsor is the Canadian Ethnic Press Association of Ontario. It should, therefore, be a source of satisfaction to all of us when scholars of other ethnic origins, equally proud of both their ancestry and of the contributions made by members of their race to the Canadian nation, choose to chronicle the histories of their people in Canada." (From a speech in Parliament on July 15, 1968). SLOVAKIA is published annually iby the Slovak League of America, a cultural and civic federation of Arnerican'S of Slovwk descent. One of i:Jhe purposes of SLOVAKIA is to promote ,a bebter U'llderst anding and appreciation of the Slovak nation and jiJs long struggle for freedom and inde-pendeuce. Subscription to Slovrukia $3.00 per year in the U.S.A. - $4.00 elsewhere. Sen<l subscription to: SLOVAKIA 313 Ridge A venue Middletown, P a. 17057 � SLOVAKIA 101 Samo Falt'an, Slovenska otazka v teskoslovensku (The Slovak Question in Czechoslovakia), (Bratislava, 1968), 352 p. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XIX, No. 42, 1969, p. 200. Emilia Duchajova, Slovenskci slavistika 1968, Matica slovenska, Martin, 1970, p. 336. Reviewed in Canadian Slavonic Papers, Vol. Xlll, 4, 197. Stefan Moyses 1869-1969, Edicia Literarneho archlvu, zviizok 7. Zbornik z vedeckej konferencie MS, Martin, 1971, stran 174, litogr. Reviewed in Most, Vol. 19, 1-2, 1972. Jan Chovan, Letopis pamatnika slovenskej literatury 1970, MS, Martin, 1970, p. 94. Reviewed in Most, Vol. 19, 1-2, 1972. Jan Okal', Voda a vino (Water and Wine, United States, 1970), p. 70. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XX, 1970 No. 43. Eugen Vesnin, Aj v etrurskych zahradach (Also in the Gardens of Etruria), Buenos Aires, 1970. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XX, 1970, No. 43. Evaluation of Dr. Kirschbaum's Writings by Critics Dr. Kirschbaum's writings were bound to provoke favorable as well as unfavorable reaction. All his books and publications challenged numerous erroneous views on Slovakia's history and culture accepted in the West by scholars and political writers alike. Dr. Kirschbaum challenged these views by works with serious academic background and solid knowledge of matters discussed. In such a situation it was only natural that the reaction was on one hand favorable and on the other hand the author was unscrupulously attacked_. by adversaries of Slovakia's struggle for independence. *) After the publication of the book Slovakia--Nation at the Crossroads of Central Europe, to which the Hon. Alvin M. Bentley, member of the Committee of Foreign Affaires of tae U. S. Congress, wrote an approving preface, Prague Government supplied some Czech and Communist newspapers in Canada and the U.S.A. with falsified documents destined to prevent Dr. Kirschbaum from teaching at universities or taking part in public life. A smear campaign on a large scale was organized against him especially in the Canadian press, and made news on radio and television. At the same time, pressure was excercised on the university authorities and academic associations. Even though it was clear that the campaign was politically motivated by the Prague Communist regime and had all the characteristics of "character assassination," Dr. Kirschbaum had to take legal action to clear his name. �102 SLOVAKIA Scholars and experts in history of Central Europe accepted Dr. Kirschbaum's first English book favorably and, as years pass, it is more and more referred to as a source to modern history of Slovakia. IN EUROPE the book was reviewed in two academic periodicals, one published in London, England, and one in Padova, Italy, in the official organ of European federalist, European Bulletin (Jan.-Feb. 1961), published in Roma, Italy, and by experts on Central European affairs in Germany and Spain. In his French article George Kallay wrote in the European Bulletin: "One of the most eminent representatives of the federal thesis among his advocates in Central Europe, is a historian who now lives in Canada, Joseph M. Kirschbaum. Born at the time of the AustroHungarian Monarchy, he was only six years old when it collapsed and, consequently, officially he became a "Czechoslovak". When Slovakia gained tts independence, Kirschbaum, 25 years of age, became one of the most prominent representatives in Slovak politics. Slovak national politics condemned Czech domination as well as German domination which equally sought to subjugate the Slovak people. In many of his political works, Kirschbaum affirms the necessity of a Central European Federation. His most recent work, Slovakia, Nation at the Crossroads of Central Europe, is but the expression of his federal thesis. He points out that the countries of Central and Oriental Europe must come to understand that they must unite if they do not wish to play the role of satellites of a foreign power." F. McPoyne in Central Europe Journal Sudeten Bulletin (Munich, December 1960) wrote about the book as follows: "Although written to enlighten and correct the warped political vision of those still convinced that Czechoslovakia was a "little Switzerland in the heart of Europe," this book may be recommended as a compact political history of Slovakia. It is amazing that Czech propaganda was, and to a large extent still is, able to influence the thinking of millions of people-particularly the Anglo-Saxon world-to believe a myth that there is one "Czechoslovak" people. Kirschbaum explodes this myth and traces the origins of Slovakia from its historic beginnings, unfolding before the reader a detailed and soundly referenced account of a proud, vital and highly cultured people from their earliest origins to the declaration of their independence in 1939, pleading for a new order in Central Europe where two world wars were touched off. A dual leitmotiv throughout is the thesis that Slovakia has at all eras of its history been a western-oriented people and has been sought after by other surrounding peoples who attempted, but unsuccessfully, to assimilate it. Today the Slovaks are still western-oriented interiorly and not assimilated, either by the Czechs or by the Soviets. Kirschbaum's book is another reminder and a convincing one, that fires are still burning in the hearts of a little people in Central Europe who, �SLOVAKIA 103 like the Irish whom so strongly r esemble, are keeping the faith that independence shall one day be theirs. Though captured by Communists, they have not compl'Omised with them. May Joseph Kirschbaum's meritorious volume win friends for Slovakia and for their cause." More critical opinion was expressed in The Slavonic Review (Vol. 4, 1962-3) published in London, by Prof. W. V. Wallace. This had to be, however, expected from an academic journal behind which was Prof. Seton-Watson. According to the reviewer, Dr. Kirschbaum set out "to make known the truth about Slovakia, and especially about the crucial years of 1939-1945," which in his opinion was "a laudable aim, but a demanding one." Arguing with the text on the cover of the book rather than with the contents, Prof. Wallace could not deny that "Kirschbaum's book has some interest," but did not accept it "as a last word" in which respect he was right. However, the fact that the Slavonic Review dedicated two pages long article to the book, is a clear indication that the book could not be overlooked and has its value in the eyes of people who disagreed with Slovakia's aspirations for independence. IN THE UNITED STATES the book was received with enthusiasm by a number of Slovak periodicals, published in Slovak and English, as a "brilliant defense of the Slovak cause and an overdue scholarly work on Slovakia." Nobody more than American Slovaks felt the need for a book which would tell Americans and the second and third generation of American Slovaks the truth about Slovakia in a comprehensive English work. Dr. Kirschbaum's book filled the gap not only according to many articles in Slovak American newspapers, but also according to the director of the Slovak Institute in Cleveland, Ohio, Rev. A. Pier, O.S.B. who revieved the book in the quarterly Slovakia (Vol. X, No. 6), a1, follows: "This latest work by the distinguished professor of Slavic Studies at the University of Montreal is a well-balanced, co-Ordinated and well-calculated effort to give thinking people a true picture of the Slovak nation struggling for national freedom and survival since the dawn of western civilization. In his introduction, Kirschbaum gives the reader a genuine historical perspective of the land and its people in a few pages. In a concise sweep of centuries of history, the author traces the fateful course of this small but dynamic nation from the sixth century to the present. Never before has a reader of Slovak historical development had the opportunity to learn so quickly the real story of a country whose destiny has been and still is closely associated with the lite of its neighbors, namely, Czechs, Austrians, Germans, Poles, Russians, and Magyars, for here, in a compact volume, the author has compressed centuries of history as it occured in the heart of Europe. Slovak culture, literature and the language of the oldest people in the Danube region, as well as the democratic traditions of the Slovak nation, are presented in an intelligible way. Moreover, the complex events that created and shaped Czecho-Slovakia and then led to the declaration �104 SLOVAKIA of Slovak independence on March 14, 1939 (six months before the outbreak of the War) are so arranged and explained as to give the reader a factual and masterful survey of a hectic period in modern history. Documents and letters relating to the struggle of the Slovaks for their right to self-government and a free statehood are quoted as far back as April 13, 1849, when a group of Slovak deputies submitted a petition to the Ministry in Vienna for national recognition. These, a total of 72, are up to 1955. Thus, not only is this book designate<i'-for popular reading but also for serious study by students of history. ·. It will serve to provide them with a basic historical knowledge of the Slovak nation, and will give them a reliable insight into the incredibly fascinating story of Slovakia on the Danube." Several periodicals reprinted Congressman Bentley's opinion that: "Professor Kirschbaum in his book Slovakia-Nation at the Crossroads of Central Europe has well and effectively argued the case for Slovak independence. He has pointed out the geographlcal importance of Slovakia and, to my way of thinking, clearly established the fact that these proud people have every right to make a free choice of their political future when the time comes which will permit them to do so. Perhaps even more important, he has laid great emphasis upon the eventual necessity of a commonwealth of European nations of Central Europe, an organization which would, while permitting free expression of nationalistic tendencies, giv,e to this area the cohesive strength which it has lacked ever since the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian empire. It would mean to me that his book should be required reading for all those who have an interest in the future of the captive peoples of this great region." In the literary quarterly Most the book was reviewed by the nestor of Slovak emigre writers and publicists Konstantin Culen (Vol VII, No. 3-4). The English quarterly Slovakia published several reviews of Dr. Kirschbaum's book, all of them favorable (see Vol. X, No. 6-7, Vol. XI, No. 2). Academic periodicals recorded publication of the book and the SI.a.vie and East European Journal, published at the University of Indiana, Bloomington, Indiana, reviewed the book favorably. More important, however, is the fact that hundreds of university libraries and public libraries made the book available to students and professors of Central European history. The success of the book bothered so much the adversaries of Slovak national aspirations, that the book was repeatedly stolen from some libraries or filled with abusive comments. There were three prints of the book within five years. IN CANADA the book Slovakia-Nation at the Crossroads of Central Europe was reviewed very favorably in the bilingual quarterly Etudes slaves et est-europeennes, published at the Universite de Montreal, by Prof V. Lalic (Vol. V, 1960), by Prof. Charles Murin and Prof. Watson Kirkconnell who positively commented also on Dr. KiriChbamn's �105 SLOVAKIA - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - · - - -- - - - - - - cultural publications and essays (University of Toronto Quarterly, Vol. XX.XI, XXXII and XXIV, No. 4). In his extensive review, Prof. V. Lalich dwelt especially on the value of Prof. Kirschbaum's book for Slavists. In his opinion "For many Slavists who were interested in Slovakia only because of the role she played in the epoch of Great Moravia or in Pan-Slavism and later in Czechoslovakia, Professor Kirschbaum's book will represent the needed filling of a gap, which one felt when speaking or writing about the Slavic world. At the same time, however, it will appear as a controversial treatise on many questions pertaining to the history and national identity of the Slovak people. "Using quotations and references profusely, Dr. Kirschbaum's book challenges the erroneous or opposing views and theories, and makes an honest effort to shed a new light on the principal problems of Slovak national development and the modern history of Slovakia. His picture is, understandably, in many regards different from what we were presented with, during the last four decades, as an objective image. But in view of the fact that his work is based on a thorough knowledge of original works, long research and personal experience, it is worth paying attention to this new interpretation of Slovak history and its new presentation of Slovak cultural life." According to Prof. Lalich, "For Slavists, the value of the book lies especially in its first part, in which the author writes on cultural, literary, social and general political issues, and in which he used a scholarly method in presenting Slovakia's contribution to Slavic civilization (pp. 25-26, 40-49). In works on Slavic literature there was, until now, considerable confusion as to the literary language used by the Slovaks and if, or how far, the Slovak language was a distinct Slavic tongue. These questions as well as many others pertaining to the Slovak national and cultural heritage, are answered on the basis of recent research in Dr. Kirschbaum's book. He supports his conclusions by many quotations and documents translated from originals." Nevertheless, Prof. Lalich thinks that the substance of Dr. Kirschbaum's book is "in Part II, in which the author deals extensively with the origin of Czechoslovakia and of the Slovak Republic, and offers quite a different picture from that presented by others during or after the war. Since the author undoubtedly has the necessary background to write on this subject with authority, and because he has based his conclusions on references to a large number of documents, his new presentation of modern Slovak history will not be without value, though it may not or will not satisfy some editors of symposia on Central European countries, whose views the author attacks and rejects as having been motivated by politics and not by facts or scholarly research. In presenting the case of Slovakia, the author tends, however, to engage in an argument rather than in an impartial explanation of faots, 11s if he were intentionally trying to provoke a controversy instead of trying to achieve the acceptance of his views. Repetition of evident �106 SLOVAKIA inaccuracies in many works dealing with Slovakia can certainly irritate the Slovaks, but to readers who are far from resentments, which the Slovaks may rightly feel towards some of their neighbours or politicians, a less emotional presentation would probably be more efficient. The author appears more of a politician than a scholar in this part of his work; nevertheless, he still respects the facts and the truth, and the large documentation he has used makes the book an honest and courageous attempt at a new presentation of Slovakia." Prof. Charles Murin analyzed and evaluated the book in a lenghty scholarly analysis. In his view, "Prof. Kirschbaum's book is written for both the intelligent observer of the international politics and those whose task it is to participate in the shaping of the current international situation which seems to contain an amount of irrational elements to a degree probably never equalled in the period of modern history." "Kirschbaum's book," Prof. Murin continues, "is a valuable contribution to the understanding of the premises and origins of the present day situation, restricted to one of its sections: Central Europe. Genetically this seems to be the most important field through the quantitive aspects of the problems in Asia and Africa overshadow the European problems. The author relates the political history of Slovakia and of Central Europe. The period described, however, happens to be the one which preceded the Soviet hegemony over half of Europe. Thus the book contains excellent material offered to the English reader who wants to trace down the errors of the past and is willing both to learn from the past errors and re-think the categories of living ideas and forces which simultane-0usly are being shaped by and are shaping this world of ours. The basic service this book renders to the reader is that it shows him to what degree the conceptions of the West in regard to the political organization of one of the neuralgic spots in Europe were dominated by facts and to what degree by fancy. To show the interplay of reality and illusion, the genuine and the phony in the official views of the state departments of the West in regard to Central Europe seems to be to be the aim of the book. Further the author shows to what extent these conceptions contained inherent contradictions and were, therefore, doomed in the long run. Be it noted that some of the prejudices discussed in the book represent an inheritance from the post-World War I arrangements." In the opinion of Professor Murin the author "has mastered more than sufficiently the material he is dealing with and is in a solid position to give an accurate account on Slovak history, an account on a sober relativistic character of historical events, thus avoiding the peculiar exclusivities not only of the Czech and Magyar writers, but also of their Slovak antipodes." Publications on cultural matters, four of which Dr. Kirschbaum published in the series Slavistica, edited by Prof. J. B. Rudnyckyj from the University of Manitoba, were reviewed in Slavic Review, University of Toronto quarterly, Slavica Canadiana, Revista de Estudion Politicos �SLOVAKIA 107 (Vol. 117-118, 125), Slovakia, Slowakei, Most, as well as in numerous Slovak newspapers and periodicals. Foreign and Slovak reviewers (Dr. S. Glejdura, Rev. A. Pier, Dr. J. Rekem), welcomed these studies as a valuable contribution to scholarly literature on Slovakia destined to acquaint Western Slavists with Slovak culture. Several essays dealing with the Slovak language, philology and literary history, which Dr. Kirschbaum published in academic reviews (Canadian Slavonic Papers, Etudes slaves et est-europeennes) or in Slovak Studies (Vol. ill) and Most, appeared also in reprints and were favorably commented upon by reviewers in Canada, the U.S.A. and Europe. In view of the fact that even among Western Slavists there were many misconceptions .about Slovak language and literatur,e, Dr. Kirschbaum's writings were the first ones in foreign languages to shed an objective light on Slovak language and literature. Several of these essays were originally papers delivered and discussed at annual meetings of Canadian and American :Slavists and performed a useful role of acquainting professors of Slavic studies with Slovak history and literature. The largest and, in the opinion of some critics, the best work by Dr. Kirschbaum, Slovaks in Canada, was received as a model for history books on ethnic groups. In addition to numerous reviews in Slovak, over 30 book reviews in not less than 15 languages were published within a year of the publication of the book. And all were exceptionally favorable. The Minister of Education of Ontario spoke about the book in Parliament and one of the best known Canadian radio and television commentators, Gordon Sinclair, analyzed and praised the book as o particular contribution to Canadian history. Even though the topic of the book had a limited scope, the number of academic periodicals which reviewed it favorably, was greater than in the case of the first English book by Dr. Kirschbaum. Moreover, the reviews were written by professors known as experts and were published in the official organs of American and Canadian associations ,of Slavists: the Slavic Review (Prof. Taborsky); Canadian Slavonic Papers (Prof. J. V. Kaye) ; Etudes slaves et est-europeennes (Prof. R. <::ujes); Slavica Canadiana (Prof. Charles Murin); University of Ottawa Quarterly (Prof. E. Buydosh). From a number of reviews by professors at American and Canadian universities at least a few should be mentioned. Prof E. Taborsky of the University of Texas, assessed the book in the Slavic Review (Vol. 29, No. 2), as follows: "Professor Kirschbaum divides his "saga of a small group of people in a new land who preserved their identity and achieved success" into four parts. Part I describes the historical, ethnic, cultural, political, 1·eligious, and economic ground of the Slovak immigrants and concludes with a brief sketch of the Slovak national character. Based on a wealth of sources, including the archives of various Canadian Slovak organizations, the Slovak press in Canada, and interviews with Slovak settlers in many parts· of Canada, Kirschbaum's study is a useful contribution to the literature on the Cenh·al European �108 SLOVAKIA immigration to the Western Hemisphere. It is only a pity that the volume is marred by occasional remarks revealing the author's antiCrech bias and detracting thus from the objectivity promised in the book's preface." Dr. V. J. Kaye of the Ottawa University welcomed the book as "the first detailed, well-documented, and excellently written history in the English language of the Slovak ethnic group in Canada." And after giving the perusal of individual chapters saying that "Dr. Kirschbaum's study is undoubtedly a valuable contribution to the history of Slavic groups in Canada, and he deserves full recognition for his achievement." (Canadian Slavonic Papers, Vol. XI, 1, 1969). In the Etudes siaves et est europeennes (Vol. XIII, 1968), Professor R. Cujes of the St. Francis Xavier University wrote about the book as follows: "Centennial year served as an opportune stimulus for informing Canadians of the many and diverse ethnic contributions evident in contemporary Canada. An outstanding example, and one which has been favorably reviewed in several ethnic publications across Canada, is Dr. Joseph Kirschbaum's "Slovaks in Canada." The author certainly succeeded in his task of uncovering and preserving much historical data which will be of interest not only to Canadians of Slovak origin, but also to Canadian historians who have still to write a truly Canadian history. He achieved a good balance between the two extremes possible in such works: either to be too general to have documentary value or to become so detailed that the book becomes source material and too heavy for the general reader. By writing this book, Dr. Kirschbaum rendered invaluable services not only to Slovaks in Canada whose deeds he faithfully recorded but also to all Canadians. Some other ethnic groups, especially the smaller ones which have had, in many ways, similar experience as the Slovaks, may become encouraged to undertake a similar publication of their own. The fact that Dr. Kirschbaum is one of the most important Slovak personalities in Canada, a:nd that he plays an important role among Slovaks abroad, enabled him to present a very clear and complete picture. Nevertheless, the book suffers from one defect; Dr. Kirschbaum's own contributions are much too attenuated. They are an essential and very important I')art of the Slovak scene and should have been presented at greater length in the text and not confined to footnotes and bibliography." Prof J. Roucek, known by his anti-Slovak bias, reviewed the book in Inter1tationai Migration Review (Vol. III, 9, 1969), together with another book on Slovaks and Czechs in Canada by J. Gellner-J. Smerek. In Roucek's opinion Dr. Kirschbaum "certainly stresses his filiopietism" and is "promoting Slovak separatism," to which Prof. Roucek obje~ts, he nevertheless writes: "Since both of these studies are the first systematic surveys of their subject in English, their appearance must be welcomed by all students �SLOVAKIA 109 interested in the growing number of immigrants in Canada. Both are filled with valuable information which is hardly acoessible to the average scholar not able to read Czech and Slovak, and both have been prepared by Czechs and Slovaks intimately acquainted with the communities of their countrymen in Canada. Nevertheless, both also suffer when we compare them with each other. In general, Kirschbaum's study, in spite of its weaknesses, is much better and more exhaustive that Gellner-Smerek's work, since it is better documented (as shown by its bibliography, pp. 441-455), and contains reprints of 24 memoranda, petitions, pleas, and resolutions either to the Canadian authorities or to the United Nations by the Slovak Canadian organizations, as well as by individual members of the Canadian Slovak League and the First Catholic Slovak Union during the past three decaaes." On the part of American Slovaks the book was received with the mixture of enthusiasm and envy, expressed not only in a great number of newspapers but also by the poet Mikulas Sprinc in Most, and two ,t eachers at the SS. Cyril and Methodius Academy, Sisters M. Y. Lederleitner and M. M. Tybor. In their thorough analysis of the book they wrote: "A historical survey of Slovaks living anywhere outside their native Slovakia must of necessity follow a certain pattern of development. For the benefit of uniformed readers, the opening of the work must be expository-a delineation of the historic background of the Slovak people and their position with a historic perspective. Then there logically follows a record of their uprooting within the scope of the given consideration, as well as their trials and tribulations in a new environment, an evaluation of what forces worked for or against them, and an assessment of their achievements in the new land. In his book Slovaks in Canada, Dr. J. M. Kirschbaum has effectively met this challenge. We who are privileged to look upon the accomplished fact of a finished project presenting to the public the aches and the trials, the hopes and the promises, the opportunities and the fulfillment up to triumph, the gifts received and the gifts given, the moral as well as the material investments made and the dividends garnered-we are grateful to Dr. Kirschbaum whose scholarly initiative and ac\.lmen together with his indefatigable industry and talent has made this book a reality. It deserves more than one reading since it is an informative and bigly interesting account of Slovak life in a new world setting. In all honesty, we must admit an undenied regret that the Slovaks in the U. S. have not produced a similar or parallel history of their own to match Slovaks in Canada while at the same time we cherish a justifiable pride in Dr. Kirschbaum because he has done a good work well." The book was very positively evaluated even by the official organ of Slovak Protestants in the United States, The Zion (September 1971 ). In the opinion of the editor, Pastor John Adam, Dr. Kirschbaum "has, in his book, Slovaks in Canada, given all Slovaks a valuable history �110 SLOVAKIA which will stand for decades as the work on the immigration of Slovaks to Canada in the first 60 years of this century. He has captured the trials, tribulations and triumphs of Slovaks who came to Canada in three separate waves of immigration. The account of the struggle of the pioneers has thorough documentation, which will help even Americans of Slovak ancestry understand a part of their past for the experience in Canada, in many respects, is a reflection of the struggle in America." In the opinion of the Hon. R. S. Welch, Minister of Education of the Ontario Government, "Slovaks in Canada, as its title suggests, is a comprehensive account of Slovak migrations to Canada, of the trials and successes the Slovak people have experienced here, and of their important contributions to our land. Its author is Slovakian-born Dr. J. M. Kirschbaum, a former diplomat who has achieved great distinction in Canada as an editor, author, schol,a r and university professor of Slavic-Slovak studies. Its sponsor is the Canadian Ethnic Press Association of Ontario. It should, therefore, be a source of satisfaction to all of us when scholars of other ethnic origins, equally proud of both their ancestry and of the contributions made by members of their race to the Canadian nation, choose to chronicle the histories of their people in Canada." (From a speech in Parliament on July 15, 1968). SLOVAKIA is published annually iby the Slovak League of America, a cultural and civic federation of Arnerican'S of Slovwk descent. One of i:Jhe purposes of SLOVAKIA is to promote ,a bebter U'llderst anding and appreciation of the Slovak nation and jiJs long struggle for freedom and inde-pendeuce. Subscription to Slovrukia $3.00 per year in the U.S.A. - $4.00 elsewhere. Sen<l subscription to: SLOVAKIA 313 Ridge A venue Middletown, P a. 17057 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1973, Vol. 23 Description An account of the resource Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document SLOVAKIA 101 Samo Falt'an, Slovenska otazka v teskoslovensku (The Slovak Question in Czechoslovakia), (Bratislava, 1968), 352 p. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XIX, No. 42, 1969, p. 200. Emilia Duchajova, Slovenskci slavistika 1968, Matica slovenska, Martin, 1970, p. 336. Reviewed in Canadian Slavonic Papers, Vol. Xlll, 4, 197. Stefan Moyses 1869-1969, Edicia Literarneho archlvu, zviizok 7. Zbornik z vedeckej konferencie MS, Martin, 1971, stran 174, litogr. Reviewed in Most, Vol. 19, 1-2, 1972. Jan Chovan, Letopis pamatnika slovenskej literatury 1970, MS, Martin, 1970, p. 94. Reviewed in Most, Vol. 19, 1-2, 1972. Jan Okal', Voda a vino (Water and Wine, United States, 1970), p. 70. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XX, 1970 No. 43. Eugen Vesnin, Aj v etrurskych zahradach (Also in the Gardens of Etruria), Buenos Aires, 1970. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XX, 1970, No. 43. Evaluation of Dr. Kirschbaum's Writings by Critics Dr. Kirschbaum's writings were bound to provoke favorable as well as unfavorable reaction. All his books and publications challenged numerous erroneous views on Slovakia's history and culture accepted in the West by scholars and political writers alike. Dr. Kirschbaum challenged these views by works with serious academic background and solid knowledge of matters discussed. In such a situation it was only natural that the reaction was on one hand favorable and on the other hand the author was unscrupulously attacked_. by adversaries of Slovakia's struggle for independence. *) After the publication of the book Slovakia--Nation at the Crossroads of Central Europe, to which the Hon. Alvin M. Bentley, member of the Committee of Foreign Affaires of tae U. S. Congress, wrote an approving preface, Prague Government supplied some Czech and Communist newspapers in Canada and the U.S.A. with falsified documents destined to prevent Dr. Kirschbaum from teaching at universities or taking part in public life. A smear campaign on a large scale was organized against him especially in the Canadian press, and made news on radio and television. At the same time, pressure was excercised on the university authorities and academic associations. Even though it was clear that the campaign was politically motivated by the Prague Communist regime and had all the characteristics of "character assassination," Dr. Kirschbaum had to take legal action to clear his name. 102 SLOVAKIA Scholars and experts in history of Central Europe accepted Dr. Kirschbaum's first English book favorably and, as years pass, it is more and more referred to as a source to modern history of Slovakia. IN EUROPE the book was reviewed in two academic periodicals, one published in London, England, and one in Padova, Italy, in the official organ of European federalist, European Bulletin (Jan.-Feb. 1961), published in Roma, Italy, and by experts on Central European affairs in Germany and Spain. In his French article George Kallay wrote in the European Bulletin: "One of the most eminent representatives of the federal thesis among his advocates in Central Europe, is a historian who now lives in Canada, Joseph M. Kirschbaum. Born at the time of the AustroHungarian Monarchy, he was only six years old when it collapsed and, consequently, officially he became a "Czechoslovak". When Slovakia gained tts independence, Kirschbaum, 25 years of age, became one of the most prominent representatives in Slovak politics. Slovak national politics condemned Czech domination as well as German domination which equally sought to subjugate the Slovak people. In many of his political works, Kirschbaum affirms the necessity of a Central European Federation. His most recent work, Slovakia, Nation at the Crossroads of Central Europe, is but the expression of his federal thesis. He points out that the countries of Central and Oriental Europe must come to understand that they must unite if they do not wish to play the role of satellites of a foreign power." F. McPoyne in Central Europe Journal Sudeten Bulletin (Munich, December 1960) wrote about the book as follows: "Although written to enlighten and correct the warped political vision of those still convinced that Czechoslovakia was a "little Switzerland in the heart of Europe," this book may be recommended as a compact political history of Slovakia. It is amazing that Czech propaganda was, and to a large extent still is, able to influence the thinking of millions of people-particularly the Anglo-Saxon world-to believe a myth that there is one "Czechoslovak" people. Kirschbaum explodes this myth and traces the origins of Slovakia from its historic beginnings, unfolding before the reader a detailed and soundly referenced account of a proud, vital and highly cultured people from their earliest origins to the declaration of their independence in 1939, pleading for a new order in Central Europe where two world wars were touched off. A dual leitmotiv throughout is the thesis that Slovakia has at all eras of its history been a western-oriented people and has been sought after by other surrounding peoples who attempted, but unsuccessfully, to assimilate it. Today the Slovaks are still western-oriented interiorly and not assimilated, either by the Czechs or by the Soviets. Kirschbaum's book is another reminder and a convincing one, that fires are still burning in the hearts of a little people in Central Europe who, SLOVAKIA 103 like the Irish whom so strongly r esemble, are keeping the faith that independence shall one day be theirs. Though captured by Communists, they have not compl'Omised with them. May Joseph Kirschbaum's meritorious volume win friends for Slovakia and for their cause." More critical opinion was expressed in The Slavonic Review (Vol. 4, 1962-3) published in London, by Prof. W. V. Wallace. This had to be, however, expected from an academic journal behind which was Prof. Seton-Watson. According to the reviewer, Dr. Kirschbaum set out "to make known the truth about Slovakia, and especially about the crucial years of 1939-1945," which in his opinion was "a laudable aim, but a demanding one." Arguing with the text on the cover of the book rather than with the contents, Prof. Wallace could not deny that "Kirschbaum's book has some interest," but did not accept it "as a last word" in which respect he was right. However, the fact that the Slavonic Review dedicated two pages long article to the book, is a clear indication that the book could not be overlooked and has its value in the eyes of people who disagreed with Slovakia's aspirations for independence. IN THE UNITED STATES the book was received with enthusiasm by a number of Slovak periodicals, published in Slovak and English, as a "brilliant defense of the Slovak cause and an overdue scholarly work on Slovakia." Nobody more than American Slovaks felt the need for a book which would tell Americans and the second and third generation of American Slovaks the truth about Slovakia in a comprehensive English work. Dr. Kirschbaum's book filled the gap not only according to many articles in Slovak American newspapers, but also according to the director of the Slovak Institute in Cleveland, Ohio, Rev. A. Pier, O.S.B. who revieved the book in the quarterly Slovakia (Vol. X, No. 6), a1, follows: "This latest work by the distinguished professor of Slavic Studies at the University of Montreal is a well-balanced, co-Ordinated and well-calculated effort to give thinking people a true picture of the Slovak nation struggling for national freedom and survival since the dawn of western civilization. In his introduction, Kirschbaum gives the reader a genuine historical perspective of the land and its people in a few pages. In a concise sweep of centuries of history, the author traces the fateful course of this small but dynamic nation from the sixth century to the present. Never before has a reader of Slovak historical development had the opportunity to learn so quickly the real story of a country whose destiny has been and still is closely associated with the lite of its neighbors, namely, Czechs, Austrians, Germans, Poles, Russians, and Magyars, for here, in a compact volume, the author has compressed centuries of history as it occured in the heart of Europe. Slovak culture, literature and the language of the oldest people in the Danube region, as well as the democratic traditions of the Slovak nation, are presented in an intelligible way. Moreover, the complex events that created and shaped Czecho-Slovakia and then led to the declaration 104 SLOVAKIA of Slovak independence on March 14, 1939 (six months before the outbreak of the War) are so arranged and explained as to give the reader a factual and masterful survey of a hectic period in modern history. Documents and letters relating to the struggle of the Slovaks for their right to self-government and a free statehood are quoted as far back as April 13, 1849, when a group of Slovak deputies submitted a petition to the Ministry in Vienna for national recognition. These, a total of 72, are up to 1955. Thus, not only is this book designate<i'-for popular reading but also for serious study by students of history. ·. It will serve to provide them with a basic historical knowledge of the Slovak nation, and will give them a reliable insight into the incredibly fascinating story of Slovakia on the Danube." Several periodicals reprinted Congressman Bentley's opinion that: "Professor Kirschbaum in his book Slovakia-Nation at the Crossroads of Central Europe has well and effectively argued the case for Slovak independence. He has pointed out the geographlcal importance of Slovakia and, to my way of thinking, clearly established the fact that these proud people have every right to make a free choice of their political future when the time comes which will permit them to do so. Perhaps even more important, he has laid great emphasis upon the eventual necessity of a commonwealth of European nations of Central Europe, an organization which would, while permitting free expression of nationalistic tendencies, giv,e to this area the cohesive strength which it has lacked ever since the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian empire. It would mean to me that his book should be required reading for all those who have an interest in the future of the captive peoples of this great region." In the literary quarterly Most the book was reviewed by the nestor of Slovak emigre writers and publicists Konstantin Culen (Vol VII, No. 3-4). The English quarterly Slovakia published several reviews of Dr. Kirschbaum's book, all of them favorable (see Vol. X, No. 6-7, Vol. XI, No. 2). Academic periodicals recorded publication of the book and the SI.a.vie and East European Journal, published at the University of Indiana, Bloomington, Indiana, reviewed the book favorably. More important, however, is the fact that hundreds of university libraries and public libraries made the book available to students and professors of Central European history. The success of the book bothered so much the adversaries of Slovak national aspirations, that the book was repeatedly stolen from some libraries or filled with abusive comments. There were three prints of the book within five years. IN CANADA the book Slovakia-Nation at the Crossroads of Central Europe was reviewed very favorably in the bilingual quarterly Etudes slaves et est-europeennes, published at the Universite de Montreal, by Prof V. Lalic (Vol. V, 1960), by Prof. Charles Murin and Prof. Watson Kirkconnell who positively commented also on Dr. KiriChbamn's 105 SLOVAKIA - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - · - - -- - - - - - - cultural publications and essays (University of Toronto Quarterly, Vol. XX.XI, XXXII and XXIV, No. 4). In his extensive review, Prof. V. Lalich dwelt especially on the value of Prof. Kirschbaum's book for Slavists. In his opinion "For many Slavists who were interested in Slovakia only because of the role she played in the epoch of Great Moravia or in Pan-Slavism and later in Czechoslovakia, Professor Kirschbaum's book will represent the needed filling of a gap, which one felt when speaking or writing about the Slavic world. At the same time, however, it will appear as a controversial treatise on many questions pertaining to the history and national identity of the Slovak people. "Using quotations and references profusely, Dr. Kirschbaum's book challenges the erroneous or opposing views and theories, and makes an honest effort to shed a new light on the principal problems of Slovak national development and the modern history of Slovakia. His picture is, understandably, in many regards different from what we were presented with, during the last four decades, as an objective image. But in view of the fact that his work is based on a thorough knowledge of original works, long research and personal experience, it is worth paying attention to this new interpretation of Slovak history and its new presentation of Slovak cultural life." According to Prof. Lalich, "For Slavists, the value of the book lies especially in its first part, in which the author writes on cultural, literary, social and general political issues, and in which he used a scholarly method in presenting Slovakia's contribution to Slavic civilization (pp. 25-26, 40-49). In works on Slavic literature there was, until now, considerable confusion as to the literary language used by the Slovaks and if, or how far, the Slovak language was a distinct Slavic tongue. These questions as well as many others pertaining to the Slovak national and cultural heritage, are answered on the basis of recent research in Dr. Kirschbaum's book. He supports his conclusions by many quotations and documents translated from originals." Nevertheless, Prof. Lalich thinks that the substance of Dr. Kirschbaum's book is "in Part II, in which the author deals extensively with the origin of Czechoslovakia and of the Slovak Republic, and offers quite a different picture from that presented by others during or after the war. Since the author undoubtedly has the necessary background to write on this subject with authority, and because he has based his conclusions on references to a large number of documents, his new presentation of modern Slovak history will not be without value, though it may not or will not satisfy some editors of symposia on Central European countries, whose views the author attacks and rejects as having been motivated by politics and not by facts or scholarly research. In presenting the case of Slovakia, the author tends, however, to engage in an argument rather than in an impartial explanation of faots, 11s if he were intentionally trying to provoke a controversy instead of trying to achieve the acceptance of his views. Repetition of evident 106 SLOVAKIA inaccuracies in many works dealing with Slovakia can certainly irritate the Slovaks, but to readers who are far from resentments, which the Slovaks may rightly feel towards some of their neighbours or politicians, a less emotional presentation would probably be more efficient. The author appears more of a politician than a scholar in this part of his work; nevertheless, he still respects the facts and the truth, and the large documentation he has used makes the book an honest and courageous attempt at a new presentation of Slovakia." Prof. Charles Murin analyzed and evaluated the book in a lenghty scholarly analysis. In his view, "Prof. Kirschbaum's book is written for both the intelligent observer of the international politics and those whose task it is to participate in the shaping of the current international situation which seems to contain an amount of irrational elements to a degree probably never equalled in the period of modern history." "Kirschbaum's book," Prof. Murin continues, "is a valuable contribution to the understanding of the premises and origins of the present day situation, restricted to one of its sections: Central Europe. Genetically this seems to be the most important field through the quantitive aspects of the problems in Asia and Africa overshadow the European problems. The author relates the political history of Slovakia and of Central Europe. The period described, however, happens to be the one which preceded the Soviet hegemony over half of Europe. Thus the book contains excellent material offered to the English reader who wants to trace down the errors of the past and is willing both to learn from the past errors and re-think the categories of living ideas and forces which simultane-0usly are being shaped by and are shaping this world of ours. The basic service this book renders to the reader is that it shows him to what degree the conceptions of the West in regard to the political organization of one of the neuralgic spots in Europe were dominated by facts and to what degree by fancy. To show the interplay of reality and illusion, the genuine and the phony in the official views of the state departments of the West in regard to Central Europe seems to be to be the aim of the book. Further the author shows to what extent these conceptions contained inherent contradictions and were, therefore, doomed in the long run. Be it noted that some of the prejudices discussed in the book represent an inheritance from the post-World War I arrangements." In the opinion of Professor Murin the author "has mastered more than sufficiently the material he is dealing with and is in a solid position to give an accurate account on Slovak history, an account on a sober relativistic character of historical events, thus avoiding the peculiar exclusivities not only of the Czech and Magyar writers, but also of their Slovak antipodes." Publications on cultural matters, four of which Dr. Kirschbaum published in the series Slavistica, edited by Prof. J. B. Rudnyckyj from the University of Manitoba, were reviewed in Slavic Review, University of Toronto quarterly, Slavica Canadiana, Revista de Estudion Politicos SLOVAKIA 107 (Vol. 117-118, 125), Slovakia, Slowakei, Most, as well as in numerous Slovak newspapers and periodicals. Foreign and Slovak reviewers (Dr. S. Glejdura, Rev. A. Pier, Dr. J. Rekem), welcomed these studies as a valuable contribution to scholarly literature on Slovakia destined to acquaint Western Slavists with Slovak culture. Several essays dealing with the Slovak language, philology and literary history, which Dr. Kirschbaum published in academic reviews (Canadian Slavonic Papers, Etudes slaves et est-europeennes) or in Slovak Studies (Vol. ill) and Most, appeared also in reprints and were favorably commented upon by reviewers in Canada, the U.S.A. and Europe. In view of the fact that even among Western Slavists there were many misconceptions .about Slovak language and literatur,e, Dr. Kirschbaum's writings were the first ones in foreign languages to shed an objective light on Slovak language and literature. Several of these essays were originally papers delivered and discussed at annual meetings of Canadian and American :Slavists and performed a useful role of acquainting professors of Slavic studies with Slovak history and literature. The largest and, in the opinion of some critics, the best work by Dr. Kirschbaum, Slovaks in Canada, was received as a model for history books on ethnic groups. In addition to numerous reviews in Slovak, over 30 book reviews in not less than 15 languages were published within a year of the publication of the book. And all were exceptionally favorable. The Minister of Education of Ontario spoke about the book in Parliament and one of the best known Canadian radio and television commentators, Gordon Sinclair, analyzed and praised the book as o particular contribution to Canadian history. Even though the topic of the book had a limited scope, the number of academic periodicals which reviewed it favorably, was greater than in the case of the first English book by Dr. Kirschbaum. Moreover, the reviews were written by professors known as experts and were published in the official organs of American and Canadian associations ,of Slavists: the Slavic Review (Prof. Taborsky); Canadian Slavonic Papers (Prof. J. V. Kaye) ; Etudes slaves et est-europeennes (Prof. R. <::ujes); Slavica Canadiana (Prof. Charles Murin); University of Ottawa Quarterly (Prof. E. Buydosh). From a number of reviews by professors at American and Canadian universities at least a few should be mentioned. Prof E. Taborsky of the University of Texas, assessed the book in the Slavic Review (Vol. 29, No. 2), as follows: "Professor Kirschbaum divides his "saga of a small group of people in a new land who preserved their identity and achieved success" into four parts. Part I describes the historical, ethnic, cultural, political, 1·eligious, and economic ground of the Slovak immigrants and concludes with a brief sketch of the Slovak national character. Based on a wealth of sources, including the archives of various Canadian Slovak organizations, the Slovak press in Canada, and interviews with Slovak settlers in many parts· of Canada, Kirschbaum's study is a useful contribution to the literature on the Cenh·al European 108 SLOVAKIA immigration to the Western Hemisphere. It is only a pity that the volume is marred by occasional remarks revealing the author's antiCrech bias and detracting thus from the objectivity promised in the book's preface." Dr. V. J. Kaye of the Ottawa University welcomed the book as "the first detailed, well-documented, and excellently written history in the English language of the Slovak ethnic group in Canada." And after giving the perusal of individual chapters saying that "Dr. Kirschbaum's study is undoubtedly a valuable contribution to the history of Slavic groups in Canada, and he deserves full recognition for his achievement." (Canadian Slavonic Papers, Vol. XI, 1, 1969). In the Etudes siaves et est europeennes (Vol. XIII, 1968), Professor R. Cujes of the St. Francis Xavier University wrote about the book as follows: "Centennial year served as an opportune stimulus for informing Canadians of the many and diverse ethnic contributions evident in contemporary Canada. An outstanding example, and one which has been favorably reviewed in several ethnic publications across Canada, is Dr. Joseph Kirschbaum's "Slovaks in Canada." The author certainly succeeded in his task of uncovering and preserving much historical data which will be of interest not only to Canadians of Slovak origin, but also to Canadian historians who have still to write a truly Canadian history. He achieved a good balance between the two extremes possible in such works: either to be too general to have documentary value or to become so detailed that the book becomes source material and too heavy for the general reader. By writing this book, Dr. Kirschbaum rendered invaluable services not only to Slovaks in Canada whose deeds he faithfully recorded but also to all Canadians. Some other ethnic groups, especially the smaller ones which have had, in many ways, similar experience as the Slovaks, may become encouraged to undertake a similar publication of their own. The fact that Dr. Kirschbaum is one of the most important Slovak personalities in Canada, a:nd that he plays an important role among Slovaks abroad, enabled him to present a very clear and complete picture. Nevertheless, the book suffers from one defect; Dr. Kirschbaum's own contributions are much too attenuated. They are an essential and very important I')art of the Slovak scene and should have been presented at greater length in the text and not confined to footnotes and bibliography." Prof J. Roucek, known by his anti-Slovak bias, reviewed the book in Inter1tationai Migration Review (Vol. III, 9, 1969), together with another book on Slovaks and Czechs in Canada by J. Gellner-J. Smerek. In Roucek's opinion Dr. Kirschbaum "certainly stresses his filiopietism" and is "promoting Slovak separatism," to which Prof. Roucek obje~ts, he nevertheless writes: "Since both of these studies are the first systematic surveys of their subject in English, their appearance must be welcomed by all students SLOVAKIA 109 interested in the growing number of immigrants in Canada. Both are filled with valuable information which is hardly acoessible to the average scholar not able to read Czech and Slovak, and both have been prepared by Czechs and Slovaks intimately acquainted with the communities of their countrymen in Canada. Nevertheless, both also suffer when we compare them with each other. In general, Kirschbaum's study, in spite of its weaknesses, is much better and more exhaustive that Gellner-Smerek's work, since it is better documented (as shown by its bibliography, pp. 441-455), and contains reprints of 24 memoranda, petitions, pleas, and resolutions either to the Canadian authorities or to the United Nations by the Slovak Canadian organizations, as well as by individual members of the Canadian Slovak League and the First Catholic Slovak Union during the past three decaaes." On the part of American Slovaks the book was received with the mixture of enthusiasm and envy, expressed not only in a great number of newspapers but also by the poet Mikulas Sprinc in Most, and two ,t eachers at the SS. Cyril and Methodius Academy, Sisters M. Y. Lederleitner and M. M. Tybor. In their thorough analysis of the book they wrote: "A historical survey of Slovaks living anywhere outside their native Slovakia must of necessity follow a certain pattern of development. For the benefit of uniformed readers, the opening of the work must be expository-a delineation of the historic background of the Slovak people and their position with a historic perspective. Then there logically follows a record of their uprooting within the scope of the given consideration, as well as their trials and tribulations in a new environment, an evaluation of what forces worked for or against them, and an assessment of their achievements in the new land. In his book Slovaks in Canada, Dr. J. M. Kirschbaum has effectively met this challenge. We who are privileged to look upon the accomplished fact of a finished project presenting to the public the aches and the trials, the hopes and the promises, the opportunities and the fulfillment up to triumph, the gifts received and the gifts given, the moral as well as the material investments made and the dividends garnered-we are grateful to Dr. Kirschbaum whose scholarly initiative and ac\.lmen together with his indefatigable industry and talent has made this book a reality. It deserves more than one reading since it is an informative and bigly interesting account of Slovak life in a new world setting. In all honesty, we must admit an undenied regret that the Slovaks in the U. S. have not produced a similar or parallel history of their own to match Slovaks in Canada while at the same time we cherish a justifiable pride in Dr. Kirschbaum because he has done a good work well." The book was very positively evaluated even by the official organ of Slovak Protestants in the United States, The Zion (September 1971 ). In the opinion of the editor, Pastor John Adam, Dr. Kirschbaum "has, in his book, Slovaks in Canada, given all Slovaks a valuable history 110 SLOVAKIA which will stand for decades as the work on the immigration of Slovaks to Canada in the first 60 years of this century. He has captured the trials, tribulations and triumphs of Slovaks who came to Canada in three separate waves of immigration. The account of the struggle of the pioneers has thorough documentation, which will help even Americans of Slovak ancestry understand a part of their past for the experience in Canada, in many respects, is a reflection of the struggle in America." In the opinion of the Hon. R. S. Welch, Minister of Education of the Ontario Government, "Slovaks in Canada, as its title suggests, is a comprehensive account of Slovak migrations to Canada, of the trials and successes the Slovak people have experienced here, and of their important contributions to our land. Its author is Slovakian-born Dr. J. M. Kirschbaum, a former diplomat who has achieved great distinction in Canada as an editor, author, schol,a r and university professor of Slavic-Slovak studies. Its sponsor is the Canadian Ethnic Press Association of Ontario. It should, therefore, be a source of satisfaction to all of us when scholars of other ethnic origins, equally proud of both their ancestry and of the contributions made by members of their race to the Canadian nation, choose to chronicle the histories of their people in Canada." (From a speech in Parliament on July 15, 1968). SLOVAKIA is published annually iby the Slovak League of America, a cultural and civic federation of Arnerican'S of Slovwk descent. One of i:Jhe purposes of SLOVAKIA is to promote ,a bebter U'llderst anding and appreciation of the Slovak nation and jiJs long struggle for freedom and inde-pendeuce. Subscription to Slovrukia $3.00 per year in the U.S.A. - $4.00 elsewhere. Sen<l subscription to: SLOVAKIA 313 Ridge A venue Middletown, P a. 17057  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Evaluation of Dr. Kirschbaum's Writings by Critics Description An account of the resource Slovakia, Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973 pp. 101-110 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/002b5f951764bb1d2cd58acd085b28cb.pdf a455ff0ac2dba99af28da61f09a90730 PDF Text Text 92 SLOVAKIA Select Bibliography of Foreign Language Writings by Prof. J. M. Kirschbaum Convinced that the main role of Slovak intellectuals abroad is to acquaint the West with Slovak history, culture and literature, and to defend Slovakia's right to freedom and independence, Dr. J.M. Kirschbaum used for the past 20 years his talent and knowledge of several languages for that purpose more than any other Slovak in the free world. He published the first reference book on Slovakia in English, the first complete history of Slovaks in Canada, and was the only Slovak scholar abroad who in numerous papers and essays put Slovak cultural and political history into proper perspective at meetings of Canadian and American Slavists and in Canadian, American and European academic periodicals and encyclopedias. His comments on and critical reviews of hundreds of books in foreign languages or in Slovak which he published in academic periodicals of which he was member of the editorial board (Etudes slaves et est-europeennes, Canadian Slavonic Papers, Slavs in Canada, Slavica Canadiana), or in the quarterlies Slovakia, Slowakei and Most also served the same aim: to present Slovakia and Slovak cultural life to the West in a proper light, and to correct the misconceptions which prevailed among American Slavists and historians of Ea:st Central Europe on Slovakia's past and present. As President of the Canadian Ethnic Press Federation and its branch in Ontario, Dr. Kirschbaum also deserves credit for many favorable articles on Slovak matters published in some 20 languages by the Canadian Ethnic Press. Articles published in newspapers are not, however, listed even though many of them were scholarly essays rather than newspaper articles. Altogether Dr. Kirschbaum published about 2000 articles and essays in Slovak news- �SLOVAKIA 93 papers and periodicals in the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia. As a result, the select bibliography listed below is far from being complete. On the occasion of the 60th birthday of Dr. Kirschbaum, we want to record at least his most important writings in foreign languages, assuming that scholars and students of Slovak political history and cultural matters would find them useful for their studies and research. - The Editor BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS Slovakia-Nation at the Crossroads of Central Europe, Speller & Sons Pub., New York, 1960, XIX and 371 p., ill., bib!. Slovaks in Canada, Canadian Ethnic Press Association, Toronto, 1967, XIX and 468 p., ill., bib!. Nas boj o samostatnost' Slovens/ca, (The Struggle for Slovakia's In- dependence), Cleveland, Slovak Institute, 1958, 343 p. :Cudovit Stur and his Place in the Slavic World, Slavistica No. 32, Slovak Institute, (Winnipeg-Cleveland), 1956. Contemporary Tendencies in Slovak Philology, An offprint from Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. IV, No. 3-4, 1960. Hacia una nueva democracia para la Europa central, An offprint from Revista de Estudios Politicos, Vol. 125, Madrid, 1962. An Outline of Slovakia's Struggle for Independence, Toronto, Canadian Slovak League, 1964, 40 p. Slovakia in the de-Stalinization and Federalization Process of CzechoSlovakia, An offprint from Canadian Slavonic Papers ·(X, 4, 1968). Pavol Jozef Safarik and his Contribution to Slavic Studies, Slavistica No. 43, (Cleveland-Winnipeg), 1962. Anton Bernolak-The First Codifier of the Slovak Language, Slavistica No. 52, (Winnipeg-Cleveland), 1964. Pan-Slavism in Slovak Literature: Jan Kollar-Slovak Poet of PanSlavism, Slavistica No. 56, (Cleveland-Winnipeg), 1966. The Role of the Cyrillo-Methodian Tradition in Slovak National and Political Life. An offprint from Slovak Studies III, (Rome), 1963. Conceptions politi ques et philosophiques de £. Stur dans son oeiivre: Das Slawenthum und die Welt der Zukunft, An offprint from Etudes Slaves et Est- europeennes, Montreal, 1968. Slovakia, Historical and Cultural Backgrounds, Slovak World Congress, Toronto, 1971, 60 p. Editor and main contributor. Twenty Years of The Ethnic Press Association of Ontario, The Ethnic Press Association of Ontario, (Toronto, Ontario, 1971), p. 220. Editor and main contributor. Slovak Literary History in Marxist and Western Interpretation, An offprint from Canadian Slavonic Papers, Vol. VI, (University of Toronto Press), 1964. �94 SLOVAKIA ARTICLES ON HISTORY AND POLITICAL SCIENCE IN ENGLISH "International Recognition of the Slovak Republic", Slovakia, Vol. I, 1951, pp. 23-31. "Slovakia and Central European Federation Plans", Slovakia, Vol m, No. 1, 1953, pp. 1-21. "Diplomatic Documents on Slovakia's Declaration of Independence". Slovakia, Vol. IV, No. 1, 1954, pp. 3-12. "The Constitution of the Slovak Republic", Slovakia, Vol IX, 1959, pp. 47-68. "Facts and Events Behind the Scenes of Slovakia's Declaration of Independence", Slovakia, Vol. IX, No. 4, 1959, pp. 1-23. "Slovakia and the Plans for Integration of Central Europe", Studies for a new Central Europe, Vol. I, 1964, pp. 22-7. "Twenty Years of the Czech and Communist Rule in Slovakia", Slovakia, xv (1965), pp. 78-92. "Slovakia in the de-Stalinization and Federalization Process of CzechoSlovakia", Canadian Slavonic Papers, X, 4, 1968. "The Role of the Cyrillo-Methodian Tradition in Slovak National Life", Slovak Studies, Vol. m, 1963. "The Slovak Press in Canada", Slovakia, Vol. XVIII, No. 41, 1968, pp. 79-106. "Slovakia in the Struggle for Liberalization and Federalization of Czecho-Slovakia", Slovakia, Vol. XIX, No. 42, 1969, pp. 3-31. "Slovaks and the Upheavals of Czecho-Slovakia", Jednota Annual Furdek, Vol. IX, January 1970, pp. 82-86. "The Assimilation Process of American Slovaks", Slovakia, Vol XXI, No. 44, 1971, pp. 79-84. "Slovaks in Canada", Slavs in Canada, Vol. I, Inter-University Committee on Canadian Slavs, University of Alberta, 1966. "The Ideological Orientation of the Canadian Slavic Press", Slavs in Canada, Vol III, University of Ottawa, 1969. "Slovakia and the Integration Plans of Central Europe", Symposium Toward a New Central Europe, Ed. Francis S. Wagner, Danubian Press, Inc. (Astor Park, Florida), 1970, pp. 259-265. "Prof. F. f>urcansky-Politician, Scholar and Fighter for Slovakia's Independence", Slovakia, Vol. XVII, No. 40, 1967, pp. 153-160. "The 15th Anniversary of the Untimely Death of Prof. Francis Hrusovsky, Ph.D.", Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, pp. 175-179. "Stephen B. Roman--Slovak Tycoon", Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, pp. 7-19. "Dr. Joseph Tiso-The Prelate Politician Who Died on the Gallows for His People", Slovakia, Vol. XXII, No. 45, 1972, pp. 5-20. "My Last Diplomatic Report to the President of Slovakia", Furdek, Vol. XI, 1972, pp. 81-87. "Prospects of Slovakia Under Husak's Leadership", Almanac, National Slovak Society, Pittsburgh, Pa. 1971, pp. 124-129. "Pittsburgh Pact and its Significance in Slovak Politics", Almanac, National Slovak Society, Pittsburgh, Pa. 1971, pp. 132-137. �SLOVAKIA 95 "The Truth and Legends About the Origin of the Slovak Republic", Furdek, (Middletown, Pa. 1973). IN FRENCH "La voie de la Slovaquie", La Correspondance slovaque, Bern, Switzerland, August 15, 1943. "La Slovaquie et son droit a !'independence", La Correspondance slovaque, November 15, 1943. "L'orientation politique de !'emigration slovaque", La Correspondance slovaque, February, 1944. "La tradition universitaire en Slovaquie", La Correspondance slovaque, March, 1944. "La Slovaquie dans la tourbillon des evenements", La Correspondance slovaque, October, 1944. "Les bases de collaboration et de paix en Europe centrale", La Correspondance slovaque, November, 1944. "La Slovaquie dans la lutte pour son avenir", La Correspondance slovaque, January, 1945. "L'apport des slovaques a !'organization culturelle et politique de L'Europe centrale", La Correspondance slovaque, November, 1944. "Les slovaques et les promesses des politiciens Tcheques", La Correspondance slovaque, January, 1945. "La Slovaquie apres cinq ans d'independance", Revue de droit internationale, de sciences diplomatiques et politiques, Geneve, 1944, XXII, No. 2, pp. 121-142. "La Tcheco-Slovaquie correspond-elle aux aspirations de ses habitants", Slovensky narod - La nation slovaque, Paris, 1949-1950. "Pour une nouvelle organization de L'Europe Centrale", Slovensky narod - La nation slovaque, Paris, February, 1949. "La declaration de l'independance slovaque en mars 1939", Slovensky ncirod - La nation slovaque, Paris, March 15, 1949. IN GERMAN "Der Kampf fiir eine freie Slowakei", Slowakische Korrespondenz, Munich, Germany, September, 1953, I, 9. "Wesen und Ursachen des Gegensatzes zwischen Tschechen und Slowaken", Slowakische Korrespondenz, Munich, 1953, I, 5. "Wir und Tschechen", Slowakische Korrespondenz, Munich, 1953, I, 3. "Die Slowakei und ihr Verhiiltnis zu den Nachbarn", Slowakische Korrespondenz, Munich, 1958, VI, 12. "Die internationale Anerkennung der Slowakischen Republik", Slowakei, Vol. II, No. 2, 1964. "Die Haltung Grossbritanniens zur Slowakei", Slowakei, Vol. III, No. 1, 1965, pp. 11-29. "Das Pittsburger Abkommen und seine Bedeutung in der slowakischen Politik", Slowakei, Vol. VI, No. 1-2, Munich, 1968, pp. 58-66. "Schicksal der slowakischen Gesandschaft in Bern", Slowakei, Vol. VII, No. 1-2, 1969, pp. 87-100. �96 SLOVAKIA "Die Rolle der Slowakei in der Nachkriegsentwicklung der TschechoSlowakei", Slowakei, Vol. VIII, No. 11, 1970. "Aussenpolitische Vorstellungen im slowakischen Exil", Wissenschaµ. licher Dienst fur Ostmitteleuropa, February, 1972. IN SPANISH "Hacia una nueva democracia para la Europa central", Rivista de Estudios Politicos", Vol. 125, Madrid, 1962. ARTICLES ON CULTURAL AND LITERARY MATTERS IN ENGLISH "The Slovaks and Slavonic Civilization", Quarterly Slovakia, Vol. V, No. 4, 1955, pp. 39-49. "A Note on Two Modern Slovak Translators of Mickiewicz" in W. Lednicki, Adam Mickiewicz in World Literature, University of California Press, (Berkley, 1956). "Louis Stu.r's Centennial", Slovakia, Vol. VI, No. 1, 1956, pp. 3-16. "Mickiewicz in Slovak Poetry and Translations", Slovakia, Vol. VII, No. 1, 1957, pp. 32-41. "University Traditions in Slovalda", Slovakia, Vol. VIII, No. 2, 1958, pp. 18-29. "Canadian Translator of Slovak Poetry-Prof. W. Kirkconnell", Slovakia, Vol. XIV, 1964, No. 1, pp. 9-18. "Notes on Slovak Culture, Literature and Language", Quarterly Most, Vol. VII, No. 1, 1960, pp. 1-14. "Misconceptions of American Slavists About Slovak Literature", Slovakia, Vol. XI, No. 1, 1961, pp. 22-42. "Mis~onceptions of American Slavists About Slovak Literature", Slovakia, Vol. XII, No. 1, 1962, pp. 25-49. "Bicentennial of Anton Bernolak", Annual Furdek, Vol. II, Cleveland, Ohio, 1963), pp. 18-27. "Love for Songs and Folklore Among Slovaks", Annual Furdek, Vol. II, (Cleveland-Ohio, 1963), pp. 83-88: "The Slovak Language and its Place Among the Slavic Languages", Annual Slovakia, Vol. XV, 1966, pp. 1-24. "Slovak Literature", The New Catholic Encyclopedia, The Catholic University of America, Washington, D. C., 1967, Vol. XIII, pp. 280, 292-295, 748, also in Vol. XIV and other volumes on Jan Holly, Jan Kollar, Cudovit Stur, P. 0. Hviezdoslav, M. Kukucil:1, S. H. Vajansky, Andrej Sladkovic, J. C. Hronsky. "Prof. D. Cyzevsky-Ukrainian Expert in Slovak Literature", Quarterly Most, Vol. VIII, No. 3-4, 1961, pp. 17-36. "A Note on the Theory on the Origin of the Name Slav", Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. III, No. 2, 1958, pp. 47-56. "Contemporary Tendencies in Slovak Philology", Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. IV, No. 3-4, 1960. �SLOVAKIA 97 "Slovak Literary History in Marxist and Western Interpretation", A reprint from Canadian Slavonic Papers, Vol. VI, (University of Toronto Press), 1964. "Slavica Slovaca", Review article, Canadian Slavonic Papers, Vol. XIII, 4, 1971. "J. C. Hronsky--Slovak Novelist and Writer", Annual Furdek, Vol. X, (Cleveland, Ohio, 1971), pp. 23-29. "The Slovaks and Slavonic Civilization", Furdek, Vol. X, (Cleveland, Ohio, 1971), pp. 69-79. "Old Cnlture and University Traditions in Slovakia", Furdek, Vol. XI, (Cleveland, Ohio, 1972), pp. 167-185. "Bilingualism in Slovak Literature", Almanac, National Slovak Society, Pittsburgh, Pa. 1972, pp. 144-147. " American and Canadian Translators of Slovak Poetry", Furdek, (Cleveland, Ohio, 1973). "Janko Kral', Slovak Poet, Honored by UNESCO", Furdek, (Cleveland, Ohio, 1973). "Andrej 2arnov - Poet of Slovak Patriotism", Festschrift Pozdrav Andrejovi Zarnovovi, Spolok slovenskych spisovatel'ov a umelcov, Cleveland, Ohio, 1963. IN FRENCH "La Grande-Moravie et son heritage cultural", Etudes slaves et esteuropeennes, Universite de Montreal, Vol. II, 1957, pp. 189-199. "Le centenaire d'un grand slaviste: Safarik", Etudes slaves et esteuropeennes, Montreal, 1960, Vol. V, pp. 69-80. "La litterature de la periode cyrillo-methodienne et la Slovaque", Slovak Studies III, (Rome), 1963. "La place du slovaque parmi les langues slaves", Etudes slaves et esteuropeennes, Vol. VIII, Fasc. 3-4, Universite de Montreal, 1963. "Conceptions politiques et philosophiques de I!. Stlir tirees de son oeuvre: Das Slawentum und die Welt der Zukunft", Etudes slaves et est-europeennes, Vol. XIII, 1969, pp. 32-45. IN GERMAN "Profil und Werk L'udovft Sturs", Slowakei, Vol III, No. 2, 1965. "Literarisch-kulturelles Schaffen des slowakischen Exils", Slowakei, Vol. IV, No. 1, 1966. BOOK REVIEWS BOOKS IN FRENCH, ENGLISH, GERMAN AND ITALIAN Joseph A. Miku§, La Slovaquie dans le Drame de l'Europe (Histoires politique de 1918 a 1950), Paris, Les Isles d'Or, 1955, 478 pp. Reviewed in Etudes slaves et est-europeennes, Vol. I, part 2, pp. 121-4. �98 SLOVAKIA Francis R. Preveden, A History of the Croatian People, New York, Philosophical Library, 1955, XVI, 134 p. Reviewed in The Slavic and East European Journal, Vol. XIV, 3, 1956. Milovan Djilas, The New Class, an analysis of the Communist system, Praeger, N. Y. 1957, 214 pp. Reviewed in Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. III, part 1, 60-1 p. Joseph G. Cincik, Ph.D., Ancient Slovak Fibulas and Pseudo-Fibulas, Whiting, Indiana, published by Rev. John J. Lach, 1957, 105 pp. Reviewed in Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. II, part 4, 250-1 pp. Joseph G. Cincik, Anglo-Saxon and Slovak-Avar Patterns of Cuthbert's Gospel, Cleveland, Ohio, Slovak Institute, 1958, 124 p. Reviewed in Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. III, part 4, Winter 1958-1959, 240-243 pp. Stephen Smrzik, S. J., The Glagolitic or Romano-Slavonic Liturgy, Rome, Slovak Institute, 1959, 120 p. Reviewed. in Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. V, part 1-2, 118-119 pp. Bonaventure, B. Bue, Slovak Nationalism, (Middletown, Pa., Slovak League of America, 1960), 67 pp. Reviewed in Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. VI, parts 1-2, 111-112 pp. Gilbert L. Oddo, Slovakia and its People, New York, Speller & Sons Inc:, 1960, XI, 361 pp. Reviewed in Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. VI, parts 1-2, 112-114 pp. Ludwig v. Gogolak, Beitriige zur Geschichte des slowakischen Volke! I, (Contributions to the History of the Slovak People), Verlag R. Oldenburg, Miinchen, 1963, p. 265. Reviewed in Slovakia. Ludwig v. Gogolak, T. G. Masaryks slowakische und ungarlandische Politik (Masaryk's Slovak and Hungarian Policy), Munich, 1963, Vol. IV, pp. 174-227. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XVIII, 1968, No. 41. David L. Hoggan, Der erzwungene Krieg, die Ursachen und Urheber des z. Weltkrieus, Verlag der Deutschen Hochschullehrer-Zeitung, Tiibingen, 1963, bibliography, maps, photographs, pages 898. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, p. 210. J . A. Mikus, Slovakia-A Political History 1918-1950, Milwaukee, Wis., Marquette University Press, 1964, XXXIII, 392 pp. Reviewed in Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. X, parts 1-2, p. 68. Milan St. :!'.>urica, La Slovacchia e le sue relazioni politiche con la Germania, (1938-1945), Padova, Marsilio Editori, 1964, 274 pp. Reviewed in Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. X, parts 1-2, p. 68. Arved Grebert, Die Slowaken und das Grossmiihrisches Reich, (The Slovaks and the Great Moravian Empire), M. Cernak's Institute, Munich, 19615. Jorg K. Hoensch, Die Slowakei und Hitler's Ostpolitik (Hlinka's Slowakische Volkspartei zwischen Autonomie und Separation 19381939), Bohlau Verlag, Koln-Graz, 1965, p. 390. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XVIII, 1968, No. 41, and in Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. XII, part 1, p. 61-3. Die Slowakei als mitteleuropiiisches Problem in Geschichte und Gege'ltwart, (Slavakia's Central European Problem in the Past arui �SLOVAKIA 99 Present), Lectures at Collegium Carolinum, Verlag Robert Lerche, Mtinchen, 1965, p. 240. Reviewed in Slavic and Ecut European Studies, Vol. XII, part 1, p. 61-3. Jorg K. Hoensch, Die GrundZagen des Programms der Slovakischen Volkspartei vor 1938 (The Basis of the Programme of the Slovak Populist Party Before 1938), Munich, 1966, Vol. VII, p. 320-356. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XVIII, 1968, No. 41. Heinrich Kuhn, Handbuch der Tschechoslowakei, (Verlag Robert Lerche, Milnchen), 1966, pp. 1,024. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XX, 1970, No. 43. Frantisek Vnuk, Dr. Jozef Tiso-President of the Slovak Republic, The Association of Australia Slovaks, Sydney, 1967, p. 50, ill. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XVII, 1968, No. 41. Milan S. f>urica, D'ie slowakische Politik 1938-1939 im Lichte der Staatslehre Tisos (Slovak Policy 1938-1939 in the Light of Tiso's Political Thought), Emil Semmel Verlag, Bonn, 1967, 49 p. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XVIII, 1968, No. 41. Rudolf Sturm, CzechoslovakieJ,-A Bibliographie Guide, Library of the Congress, Washington, 1967, 157 p. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol XX, 1970, No. 43. Beitrage zum Deutsch-Tschechischen Verhaltnis im 19. und 20. Jahrhundert (Veroffentlichungen des Collegium Carolinum), Verlag Robert Lerche, (Milnchen, 1967), pp. 178. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, p. 213. Slovak Studies V: Historica 3, Cleveland-Rome, Slovak Institute, 1967, p. 268. Reviewed in Canadian Slavonic Papers, XI, 1, 1969. Stefan Glejdura, Los Grandes Problemas del Este Europeo, Separata de la Revista de Politica International, Madrid, 1968-1969, Washington University. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XX, 1970, No. 43. Gorazd Zvonicky, Soltanto Rovine - Italian translation by Milan S. f>urica and Ernesto Simonetto. Published by Associazione di culturia ceca e slovaca "Arturo Cronia", Padua, 1968. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, p. 204. George F. Kennan, From Prague After Munich, Diplomatic Papers 19381940. Princeton University Press, 1968, 226 pages. Slavica Canadiana, No. 69, 1970. Lunghi and Ello, Dubcek' s Blue Print for Freedom (Kimber, London), 1968. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, pp. 205-208. Ladislav Mnacko, Die siebente Nacht, (Vienna, 1968). Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, pp. 205-208. Podolak Jan (Ed.), Ethnologia SZavica I, Universitas Comoniana, Facultas Philosophica, Bratislava, 1970, Most, Vol. 19, 1-2, 1972. Reitzner, Almar, Dubce k (Milnchen), 1970. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, pp. 205-208. Gromada, Thaddeus V., Pilsudski and the Slovak Autonomists, An off. print from Slavic Review, September, 1969, pp. 445-462, Washington University. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XX, No. 43, 1970, p. 167. Tigrid, Pavel, La chute irresisti ble d'Alexander Dubce k, (Calmann-Levy, Paris, 1969). Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, pp. 205-208. �SLOVAKIA 100 Fetjo, Frani;ois, Histoire des democracies populaires apres Stali-ne, (Editions du Seuil, Paris), 1969. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, pp. 205-208. Lob!, Eugen, und Grunwald, Leopold, Die intellektuelle Revolution, Hintergrilnde und Auswirkungen des "Prager Frilhlings'', (Dilsseldorf, Econ, 1969). Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, pp. 205-208. Wagner, Francis S., (Ed.), Toward a New Central Europe: A Symposium on the Problems of the Danubian Nations, Danubian Press, Inc., Astor Park, Florida, 1970. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, p. 211. Sprinc, Mikula§, Driftwood. Poems translated from the Slovak by the author Larz Pearson and Jaroslav Vajda. Published by the Slovak Institute in Cleveland, Ohio, 1969. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, p. 203. Noge Julius, An Outline of Slovakian Literature, (The Tatrapress Agency, Bratislava), 1968. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XXII, No. 45, 1972, p. 208. BOOKS IN SLOVAK J. Mi~ianik, J. Minarik, M. Michalcova, A. Melichar~k, Dejint1 starsej slovenskej literatury (A History of the Older Slovak Literature), Bratislava, published by Slovenska akademia vied (Slovak Academy of Sciences), 1955, p. 230, ill. Reviewed In Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. V, parts 3-4, 243-4 pp. Franmek Vnuk, Sedemnast' neurodnych roko11 - Ndcrt de;tn slovenskej literatury v rokoch 1945-62 (Seventeen Barren Years - A Survey of Slovak Literature 1945-62), Middletown, Pa., Slovak v Amerike, 1965, p. 304, English Summary, Reviewed in Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. XII, parts 2-3, 133-4 pp. Studia Historica Slovaca IV. Bratislava: Vydavatel'stvo Slovenskej akademie vied, 1966, p. 290. Reviewed in Canadian Slavonic Papers, Vol. XI, 1, 1969. M. Lacko (ed.), Slovens/ca bibliografia v zahranici 1945-1965, Slovak Studies VII. The Slovak Institute (Cleveland-Rome), 1987, Slovakia, Vol. XXII, No. 45, 1972, p. 207, and Canadian Slavoni<: Papers, Vol. Xlli, 4, 1971. Ladislav Dvonc, Bibliografia slovenskej jazykovedy 1961-1965, Matica slovenska, (Martin, 1970), pages 804, Slovakia, Vol. XXII. No. ~ . 1972, p. 205. Ethnologia Slavica I, Universitas Comenian-a Bratislavensis, Facultas Philosophica, Bratislava, 1970, p. 226, Slovakia, Vol. XXII, No. 45, 1972, p. 214. Juraj Chovan, Letopis pama.tnika slovenskej literatury lf)70, (Matica slovenska, Martin, 1970), Slovakia, Vol. XXII, No. 45, 1972 p. 210. ~ubomir Liptak, Slovensko v 20. storoci (Slovakia in the Twentieth Century), (Bratislava, 19&8), 366 p. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XIX, No. 42, 1969, p. 198. �SLOVAKIA 101 Samo Falt'an, Slovenska otazka v teskoslovensku (The Slovak Question in Czechoslovakia), (Bratislava, 1968), 352 p. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XIX, No. 42, 1969, p. 200. Emilia Duchajova, Slovenskci slavistika 1968, Matica slovenska, Martin, 1970, p. 336. Reviewed in Canadian Slavonic Papers, Vol. Xlll, 4, 197. Stefan Moyses 1869-1969, Edicia Literarneho archlvu, zviizok 7. Zbornik z vedeckej konferencie MS, Martin, 1971, stran 174, litogr. Reviewed in Most, Vol. 19, 1-2, 1972. Jan Chovan, Letopis pamatnika slovenskej literatury 1970, MS, Martin, 1970, p. 94. Reviewed in Most, Vol. 19, 1-2, 1972. Jan Okal', Voda a vino (Water and Wine, United States, 1970), p. 70. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XX, 1970 No. 43. Eugen Vesnin, Aj v etrurskych zahradach (Also in the Gardens of Etruria), Buenos Aires, 1970. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XX, 1970, No. 43. Evaluation of Dr. Kirschbaum's Writings by Critics Dr. Kirschbaum's writings were bound to provoke favorable as well as unfavorable reaction. All his books and publications challenged numerous erroneous views on Slovakia's history and culture accepted in the West by scholars and political writers alike. Dr. Kirschbaum challenged these views by works with serious academic background and solid knowledge of matters discussed. In such a situation it was only natural that the reaction was on one hand favorable and on the other hand the author was unscrupulously attacked_. by adversaries of Slovakia's struggle for independence. *) After the publication of the book Slovakia--Nation at the Crossroads of Central Europe, to which the Hon. Alvin M. Bentley, member of the Committee of Foreign Affaires of tae U. S. Congress, wrote an approving preface, Prague Government supplied some Czech and Communist newspapers in Canada and the U.S.A. with falsified documents destined to prevent Dr. Kirschbaum from teaching at universities or taking part in public life. A smear campaign on a large scale was organized against him especially in the Canadian press, and made news on radio and television. At the same time, pressure was excercised on the university authorities and academic associations. Even though it was clear that the campaign was politically motivated by the Prague Communist regime and had all the characteristics of "character assassination," Dr. Kirschbaum had to take legal action to clear his name. � 92 SLOVAKIA Select Bibliography of Foreign Language Writings by Prof. J. M. Kirschbaum Convinced that the main role of Slovak intellectuals abroad is to acquaint the West with Slovak history, culture and literature, and to defend Slovakia's right to freedom and independence, Dr. J.M. Kirschbaum used for the past 20 years his talent and knowledge of several languages for that purpose more than any other Slovak in the free world. He published the first reference book on Slovakia in English, the first complete history of Slovaks in Canada, and was the only Slovak scholar abroad who in numerous papers and essays put Slovak cultural and political history into proper perspective at meetings of Canadian and American Slavists and in Canadian, American and European academic periodicals and encyclopedias. His comments on and critical reviews of hundreds of books in foreign languages or in Slovak which he published in academic periodicals of which he was member of the editorial board (Etudes slaves et est-europeennes, Canadian Slavonic Papers, Slavs in Canada, Slavica Canadiana), or in the quarterlies Slovakia, Slowakei and Most also served the same aim: to present Slovakia and Slovak cultural life to the West in a proper light, and to correct the misconceptions which prevailed among American Slavists and historians of Ea:st Central Europe on Slovakia's past and present. As President of the Canadian Ethnic Press Federation and its branch in Ontario, Dr. Kirschbaum also deserves credit for many favorable articles on Slovak matters published in some 20 languages by the Canadian Ethnic Press. Articles published in newspapers are not, however, listed even though many of them were scholarly essays rather than newspaper articles. Altogether Dr. Kirschbaum published about 2000 articles and essays in Slovak news- �SLOVAKIA 93 papers and periodicals in the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia. As a result, the select bibliography listed below is far from being complete. On the occasion of the 60th birthday of Dr. Kirschbaum, we want to record at least his most important writings in foreign languages, assuming that scholars and students of Slovak political history and cultural matters would find them useful for their studies and research. - The Editor BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS Slovakia-Nation at the Crossroads of Central Europe, Speller & Sons Pub., New York, 1960, XIX and 371 p., ill., bib!. Slovaks in Canada, Canadian Ethnic Press Association, Toronto, 1967, XIX and 468 p., ill., bib!. Nas boj o samostatnost' Slovens/ca, (The Struggle for Slovakia's In- dependence), Cleveland, Slovak Institute, 1958, 343 p. :Cudovit Stur and his Place in the Slavic World, Slavistica No. 32, Slovak Institute, (Winnipeg-Cleveland), 1956. Contemporary Tendencies in Slovak Philology, An offprint from Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. IV, No. 3-4, 1960. Hacia una nueva democracia para la Europa central, An offprint from Revista de Estudios Politicos, Vol. 125, Madrid, 1962. An Outline of Slovakia's Struggle for Independence, Toronto, Canadian Slovak League, 1964, 40 p. Slovakia in the de-Stalinization and Federalization Process of CzechoSlovakia, An offprint from Canadian Slavonic Papers ·(X, 4, 1968). Pavol Jozef Safarik and his Contribution to Slavic Studies, Slavistica No. 43, (Cleveland-Winnipeg), 1962. Anton Bernolak-The First Codifier of the Slovak Language, Slavistica No. 52, (Winnipeg-Cleveland), 1964. Pan-Slavism in Slovak Literature: Jan Kollar-Slovak Poet of PanSlavism, Slavistica No. 56, (Cleveland-Winnipeg), 1966. The Role of the Cyrillo-Methodian Tradition in Slovak National and Political Life. An offprint from Slovak Studies III, (Rome), 1963. Conceptions politi ques et philosophiques de £. Stur dans son oeiivre: Das Slawenthum und die Welt der Zukunft, An offprint from Etudes Slaves et Est- europeennes, Montreal, 1968. Slovakia, Historical and Cultural Backgrounds, Slovak World Congress, Toronto, 1971, 60 p. Editor and main contributor. Twenty Years of The Ethnic Press Association of Ontario, The Ethnic Press Association of Ontario, (Toronto, Ontario, 1971), p. 220. Editor and main contributor. Slovak Literary History in Marxist and Western Interpretation, An offprint from Canadian Slavonic Papers, Vol. VI, (University of Toronto Press), 1964. �94 SLOVAKIA ARTICLES ON HISTORY AND POLITICAL SCIENCE IN ENGLISH "International Recognition of the Slovak Republic", Slovakia, Vol. I, 1951, pp. 23-31. "Slovakia and Central European Federation Plans", Slovakia, Vol m, No. 1, 1953, pp. 1-21. "Diplomatic Documents on Slovakia's Declaration of Independence". Slovakia, Vol. IV, No. 1, 1954, pp. 3-12. "The Constitution of the Slovak Republic", Slovakia, Vol IX, 1959, pp. 47-68. "Facts and Events Behind the Scenes of Slovakia's Declaration of Independence", Slovakia, Vol. IX, No. 4, 1959, pp. 1-23. "Slovakia and the Plans for Integration of Central Europe", Studies for a new Central Europe, Vol. I, 1964, pp. 22-7. "Twenty Years of the Czech and Communist Rule in Slovakia", Slovakia, xv (1965), pp. 78-92. "Slovakia in the de-Stalinization and Federalization Process of CzechoSlovakia", Canadian Slavonic Papers, X, 4, 1968. "The Role of the Cyrillo-Methodian Tradition in Slovak National Life", Slovak Studies, Vol. m, 1963. "The Slovak Press in Canada", Slovakia, Vol. XVIII, No. 41, 1968, pp. 79-106. "Slovakia in the Struggle for Liberalization and Federalization of Czecho-Slovakia", Slovakia, Vol. XIX, No. 42, 1969, pp. 3-31. "Slovaks and the Upheavals of Czecho-Slovakia", Jednota Annual Furdek, Vol. IX, January 1970, pp. 82-86. "The Assimilation Process of American Slovaks", Slovakia, Vol XXI, No. 44, 1971, pp. 79-84. "Slovaks in Canada", Slavs in Canada, Vol. I, Inter-University Committee on Canadian Slavs, University of Alberta, 1966. "The Ideological Orientation of the Canadian Slavic Press", Slavs in Canada, Vol III, University of Ottawa, 1969. "Slovakia and the Integration Plans of Central Europe", Symposium Toward a New Central Europe, Ed. Francis S. Wagner, Danubian Press, Inc. (Astor Park, Florida), 1970, pp. 259-265. "Prof. F. f>urcansky-Politician, Scholar and Fighter for Slovakia's Independence", Slovakia, Vol. XVII, No. 40, 1967, pp. 153-160. "The 15th Anniversary of the Untimely Death of Prof. Francis Hrusovsky, Ph.D.", Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, pp. 175-179. "Stephen B. Roman--Slovak Tycoon", Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, pp. 7-19. "Dr. Joseph Tiso-The Prelate Politician Who Died on the Gallows for His People", Slovakia, Vol. XXII, No. 45, 1972, pp. 5-20. "My Last Diplomatic Report to the President of Slovakia", Furdek, Vol. XI, 1972, pp. 81-87. "Prospects of Slovakia Under Husak's Leadership", Almanac, National Slovak Society, Pittsburgh, Pa. 1971, pp. 124-129. "Pittsburgh Pact and its Significance in Slovak Politics", Almanac, National Slovak Society, Pittsburgh, Pa. 1971, pp. 132-137. �SLOVAKIA 95 "The Truth and Legends About the Origin of the Slovak Republic", Furdek, (Middletown, Pa. 1973). IN FRENCH "La voie de la Slovaquie", La Correspondance slovaque, Bern, Switzerland, August 15, 1943. "La Slovaquie et son droit a !'independence", La Correspondance slovaque, November 15, 1943. "L'orientation politique de !'emigration slovaque", La Correspondance slovaque, February, 1944. "La tradition universitaire en Slovaquie", La Correspondance slovaque, March, 1944. "La Slovaquie dans la tourbillon des evenements", La Correspondance slovaque, October, 1944. "Les bases de collaboration et de paix en Europe centrale", La Correspondance slovaque, November, 1944. "La Slovaquie dans la lutte pour son avenir", La Correspondance slovaque, January, 1945. "L'apport des slovaques a !'organization culturelle et politique de L'Europe centrale", La Correspondance slovaque, November, 1944. "Les slovaques et les promesses des politiciens Tcheques", La Correspondance slovaque, January, 1945. "La Slovaquie apres cinq ans d'independance", Revue de droit internationale, de sciences diplomatiques et politiques, Geneve, 1944, XXII, No. 2, pp. 121-142. "La Tcheco-Slovaquie correspond-elle aux aspirations de ses habitants", Slovensky narod - La nation slovaque, Paris, 1949-1950. "Pour une nouvelle organization de L'Europe Centrale", Slovensky narod - La nation slovaque, Paris, February, 1949. "La declaration de l'independance slovaque en mars 1939", Slovensky ncirod - La nation slovaque, Paris, March 15, 1949. IN GERMAN "Der Kampf fiir eine freie Slowakei", Slowakische Korrespondenz, Munich, Germany, September, 1953, I, 9. "Wesen und Ursachen des Gegensatzes zwischen Tschechen und Slowaken", Slowakische Korrespondenz, Munich, 1953, I, 5. "Wir und Tschechen", Slowakische Korrespondenz, Munich, 1953, I, 3. "Die Slowakei und ihr Verhiiltnis zu den Nachbarn", Slowakische Korrespondenz, Munich, 1958, VI, 12. "Die internationale Anerkennung der Slowakischen Republik", Slowakei, Vol. II, No. 2, 1964. "Die Haltung Grossbritanniens zur Slowakei", Slowakei, Vol. III, No. 1, 1965, pp. 11-29. "Das Pittsburger Abkommen und seine Bedeutung in der slowakischen Politik", Slowakei, Vol. VI, No. 1-2, Munich, 1968, pp. 58-66. "Schicksal der slowakischen Gesandschaft in Bern", Slowakei, Vol. VII, No. 1-2, 1969, pp. 87-100. �96 SLOVAKIA "Die Rolle der Slowakei in der Nachkriegsentwicklung der TschechoSlowakei", Slowakei, Vol. VIII, No. 11, 1970. "Aussenpolitische Vorstellungen im slowakischen Exil", Wissenschaµ. licher Dienst fur Ostmitteleuropa, February, 1972. IN SPANISH "Hacia una nueva democracia para la Europa central", Rivista de Estudios Politicos", Vol. 125, Madrid, 1962. ARTICLES ON CULTURAL AND LITERARY MATTERS IN ENGLISH "The Slovaks and Slavonic Civilization", Quarterly Slovakia, Vol. V, No. 4, 1955, pp. 39-49. "A Note on Two Modern Slovak Translators of Mickiewicz" in W. Lednicki, Adam Mickiewicz in World Literature, University of California Press, (Berkley, 1956). "Louis Stu.r's Centennial", Slovakia, Vol. VI, No. 1, 1956, pp. 3-16. "Mickiewicz in Slovak Poetry and Translations", Slovakia, Vol. VII, No. 1, 1957, pp. 32-41. "University Traditions in Slovalda", Slovakia, Vol. VIII, No. 2, 1958, pp. 18-29. "Canadian Translator of Slovak Poetry-Prof. W. Kirkconnell", Slovakia, Vol. XIV, 1964, No. 1, pp. 9-18. "Notes on Slovak Culture, Literature and Language", Quarterly Most, Vol. VII, No. 1, 1960, pp. 1-14. "Misconceptions of American Slavists About Slovak Literature", Slovakia, Vol. XI, No. 1, 1961, pp. 22-42. "Mis~onceptions of American Slavists About Slovak Literature", Slovakia, Vol. XII, No. 1, 1962, pp. 25-49. "Bicentennial of Anton Bernolak", Annual Furdek, Vol. II, Cleveland, Ohio, 1963), pp. 18-27. "Love for Songs and Folklore Among Slovaks", Annual Furdek, Vol. II, (Cleveland-Ohio, 1963), pp. 83-88: "The Slovak Language and its Place Among the Slavic Languages", Annual Slovakia, Vol. XV, 1966, pp. 1-24. "Slovak Literature", The New Catholic Encyclopedia, The Catholic University of America, Washington, D. C., 1967, Vol. XIII, pp. 280, 292-295, 748, also in Vol. XIV and other volumes on Jan Holly, Jan Kollar, Cudovit Stur, P. 0. Hviezdoslav, M. Kukucil:1, S. H. Vajansky, Andrej Sladkovic, J. C. Hronsky. "Prof. D. Cyzevsky-Ukrainian Expert in Slovak Literature", Quarterly Most, Vol. VIII, No. 3-4, 1961, pp. 17-36. "A Note on the Theory on the Origin of the Name Slav", Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. III, No. 2, 1958, pp. 47-56. "Contemporary Tendencies in Slovak Philology", Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. IV, No. 3-4, 1960. �SLOVAKIA 97 "Slovak Literary History in Marxist and Western Interpretation", A reprint from Canadian Slavonic Papers, Vol. VI, (University of Toronto Press), 1964. "Slavica Slovaca", Review article, Canadian Slavonic Papers, Vol. XIII, 4, 1971. "J. C. Hronsky--Slovak Novelist and Writer", Annual Furdek, Vol. X, (Cleveland, Ohio, 1971), pp. 23-29. "The Slovaks and Slavonic Civilization", Furdek, Vol. X, (Cleveland, Ohio, 1971), pp. 69-79. "Old Cnlture and University Traditions in Slovakia", Furdek, Vol. XI, (Cleveland, Ohio, 1972), pp. 167-185. "Bilingualism in Slovak Literature", Almanac, National Slovak Society, Pittsburgh, Pa. 1972, pp. 144-147. " American and Canadian Translators of Slovak Poetry", Furdek, (Cleveland, Ohio, 1973). "Janko Kral', Slovak Poet, Honored by UNESCO", Furdek, (Cleveland, Ohio, 1973). "Andrej 2arnov - Poet of Slovak Patriotism", Festschrift Pozdrav Andrejovi Zarnovovi, Spolok slovenskych spisovatel'ov a umelcov, Cleveland, Ohio, 1963. IN FRENCH "La Grande-Moravie et son heritage cultural", Etudes slaves et esteuropeennes, Universite de Montreal, Vol. II, 1957, pp. 189-199. "Le centenaire d'un grand slaviste: Safarik", Etudes slaves et esteuropeennes, Montreal, 1960, Vol. V, pp. 69-80. "La litterature de la periode cyrillo-methodienne et la Slovaque", Slovak Studies III, (Rome), 1963. "La place du slovaque parmi les langues slaves", Etudes slaves et esteuropeennes, Vol. VIII, Fasc. 3-4, Universite de Montreal, 1963. "Conceptions politiques et philosophiques de I!. Stlir tirees de son oeuvre: Das Slawentum und die Welt der Zukunft", Etudes slaves et est-europeennes, Vol. XIII, 1969, pp. 32-45. IN GERMAN "Profil und Werk L'udovft Sturs", Slowakei, Vol III, No. 2, 1965. "Literarisch-kulturelles Schaffen des slowakischen Exils", Slowakei, Vol. IV, No. 1, 1966. BOOK REVIEWS BOOKS IN FRENCH, ENGLISH, GERMAN AND ITALIAN Joseph A. Miku§, La Slovaquie dans le Drame de l'Europe (Histoires politique de 1918 a 1950), Paris, Les Isles d'Or, 1955, 478 pp. Reviewed in Etudes slaves et est-europeennes, Vol. I, part 2, pp. 121-4. �98 SLOVAKIA Francis R. Preveden, A History of the Croatian People, New York, Philosophical Library, 1955, XVI, 134 p. Reviewed in The Slavic and East European Journal, Vol. XIV, 3, 1956. Milovan Djilas, The New Class, an analysis of the Communist system, Praeger, N. Y. 1957, 214 pp. Reviewed in Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. III, part 1, 60-1 p. Joseph G. Cincik, Ph.D., Ancient Slovak Fibulas and Pseudo-Fibulas, Whiting, Indiana, published by Rev. John J. Lach, 1957, 105 pp. Reviewed in Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. II, part 4, 250-1 pp. Joseph G. Cincik, Anglo-Saxon and Slovak-Avar Patterns of Cuthbert's Gospel, Cleveland, Ohio, Slovak Institute, 1958, 124 p. Reviewed in Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. III, part 4, Winter 1958-1959, 240-243 pp. Stephen Smrzik, S. J., The Glagolitic or Romano-Slavonic Liturgy, Rome, Slovak Institute, 1959, 120 p. Reviewed. in Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. V, part 1-2, 118-119 pp. Bonaventure, B. Bue, Slovak Nationalism, (Middletown, Pa., Slovak League of America, 1960), 67 pp. Reviewed in Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. VI, parts 1-2, 111-112 pp. Gilbert L. Oddo, Slovakia and its People, New York, Speller & Sons Inc:, 1960, XI, 361 pp. Reviewed in Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. VI, parts 1-2, 112-114 pp. Ludwig v. Gogolak, Beitriige zur Geschichte des slowakischen Volke! I, (Contributions to the History of the Slovak People), Verlag R. Oldenburg, Miinchen, 1963, p. 265. Reviewed in Slovakia. Ludwig v. Gogolak, T. G. Masaryks slowakische und ungarlandische Politik (Masaryk's Slovak and Hungarian Policy), Munich, 1963, Vol. IV, pp. 174-227. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XVIII, 1968, No. 41. David L. Hoggan, Der erzwungene Krieg, die Ursachen und Urheber des z. Weltkrieus, Verlag der Deutschen Hochschullehrer-Zeitung, Tiibingen, 1963, bibliography, maps, photographs, pages 898. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, p. 210. J . A. Mikus, Slovakia-A Political History 1918-1950, Milwaukee, Wis., Marquette University Press, 1964, XXXIII, 392 pp. Reviewed in Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. X, parts 1-2, p. 68. Milan St. :!'.>urica, La Slovacchia e le sue relazioni politiche con la Germania, (1938-1945), Padova, Marsilio Editori, 1964, 274 pp. Reviewed in Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. X, parts 1-2, p. 68. Arved Grebert, Die Slowaken und das Grossmiihrisches Reich, (The Slovaks and the Great Moravian Empire), M. Cernak's Institute, Munich, 19615. Jorg K. Hoensch, Die Slowakei und Hitler's Ostpolitik (Hlinka's Slowakische Volkspartei zwischen Autonomie und Separation 19381939), Bohlau Verlag, Koln-Graz, 1965, p. 390. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XVIII, 1968, No. 41, and in Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. XII, part 1, p. 61-3. Die Slowakei als mitteleuropiiisches Problem in Geschichte und Gege'ltwart, (Slavakia's Central European Problem in the Past arui �SLOVAKIA 99 Present), Lectures at Collegium Carolinum, Verlag Robert Lerche, Mtinchen, 1965, p. 240. Reviewed in Slavic and Ecut European Studies, Vol. XII, part 1, p. 61-3. Jorg K. Hoensch, Die GrundZagen des Programms der Slovakischen Volkspartei vor 1938 (The Basis of the Programme of the Slovak Populist Party Before 1938), Munich, 1966, Vol. VII, p. 320-356. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XVIII, 1968, No. 41. Heinrich Kuhn, Handbuch der Tschechoslowakei, (Verlag Robert Lerche, Milnchen), 1966, pp. 1,024. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XX, 1970, No. 43. Frantisek Vnuk, Dr. Jozef Tiso-President of the Slovak Republic, The Association of Australia Slovaks, Sydney, 1967, p. 50, ill. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XVII, 1968, No. 41. Milan S. f>urica, D'ie slowakische Politik 1938-1939 im Lichte der Staatslehre Tisos (Slovak Policy 1938-1939 in the Light of Tiso's Political Thought), Emil Semmel Verlag, Bonn, 1967, 49 p. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XVIII, 1968, No. 41. Rudolf Sturm, CzechoslovakieJ,-A Bibliographie Guide, Library of the Congress, Washington, 1967, 157 p. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol XX, 1970, No. 43. Beitrage zum Deutsch-Tschechischen Verhaltnis im 19. und 20. Jahrhundert (Veroffentlichungen des Collegium Carolinum), Verlag Robert Lerche, (Milnchen, 1967), pp. 178. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, p. 213. Slovak Studies V: Historica 3, Cleveland-Rome, Slovak Institute, 1967, p. 268. Reviewed in Canadian Slavonic Papers, XI, 1, 1969. Stefan Glejdura, Los Grandes Problemas del Este Europeo, Separata de la Revista de Politica International, Madrid, 1968-1969, Washington University. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XX, 1970, No. 43. Gorazd Zvonicky, Soltanto Rovine - Italian translation by Milan S. f>urica and Ernesto Simonetto. Published by Associazione di culturia ceca e slovaca "Arturo Cronia", Padua, 1968. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, p. 204. George F. Kennan, From Prague After Munich, Diplomatic Papers 19381940. Princeton University Press, 1968, 226 pages. Slavica Canadiana, No. 69, 1970. Lunghi and Ello, Dubcek' s Blue Print for Freedom (Kimber, London), 1968. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, pp. 205-208. Ladislav Mnacko, Die siebente Nacht, (Vienna, 1968). Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, pp. 205-208. Podolak Jan (Ed.), Ethnologia SZavica I, Universitas Comoniana, Facultas Philosophica, Bratislava, 1970, Most, Vol. 19, 1-2, 1972. Reitzner, Almar, Dubce k (Milnchen), 1970. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, pp. 205-208. Gromada, Thaddeus V., Pilsudski and the Slovak Autonomists, An off. print from Slavic Review, September, 1969, pp. 445-462, Washington University. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XX, No. 43, 1970, p. 167. Tigrid, Pavel, La chute irresisti ble d'Alexander Dubce k, (Calmann-Levy, Paris, 1969). Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, pp. 205-208. �SLOVAKIA 100 Fetjo, Frani;ois, Histoire des democracies populaires apres Stali-ne, (Editions du Seuil, Paris), 1969. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, pp. 205-208. Lob!, Eugen, und Grunwald, Leopold, Die intellektuelle Revolution, Hintergrilnde und Auswirkungen des "Prager Frilhlings'', (Dilsseldorf, Econ, 1969). Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, pp. 205-208. Wagner, Francis S., (Ed.), Toward a New Central Europe: A Symposium on the Problems of the Danubian Nations, Danubian Press, Inc., Astor Park, Florida, 1970. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, p. 211. Sprinc, Mikula§, Driftwood. Poems translated from the Slovak by the author Larz Pearson and Jaroslav Vajda. Published by the Slovak Institute in Cleveland, Ohio, 1969. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, p. 203. Noge Julius, An Outline of Slovakian Literature, (The Tatrapress Agency, Bratislava), 1968. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XXII, No. 45, 1972, p. 208. BOOKS IN SLOVAK J. Mi~ianik, J. Minarik, M. Michalcova, A. Melichar~k, Dejint1 starsej slovenskej literatury (A History of the Older Slovak Literature), Bratislava, published by Slovenska akademia vied (Slovak Academy of Sciences), 1955, p. 230, ill. Reviewed In Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. V, parts 3-4, 243-4 pp. Franmek Vnuk, Sedemnast' neurodnych roko11 - Ndcrt de;tn slovenskej literatury v rokoch 1945-62 (Seventeen Barren Years - A Survey of Slovak Literature 1945-62), Middletown, Pa., Slovak v Amerike, 1965, p. 304, English Summary, Reviewed in Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. XII, parts 2-3, 133-4 pp. Studia Historica Slovaca IV. Bratislava: Vydavatel'stvo Slovenskej akademie vied, 1966, p. 290. Reviewed in Canadian Slavonic Papers, Vol. XI, 1, 1969. M. Lacko (ed.), Slovens/ca bibliografia v zahranici 1945-1965, Slovak Studies VII. The Slovak Institute (Cleveland-Rome), 1987, Slovakia, Vol. XXII, No. 45, 1972, p. 207, and Canadian Slavoni<: Papers, Vol. Xlli, 4, 1971. Ladislav Dvonc, Bibliografia slovenskej jazykovedy 1961-1965, Matica slovenska, (Martin, 1970), pages 804, Slovakia, Vol. XXII. No. ~ . 1972, p. 205. Ethnologia Slavica I, Universitas Comenian-a Bratislavensis, Facultas Philosophica, Bratislava, 1970, p. 226, Slovakia, Vol. XXII, No. 45, 1972, p. 214. Juraj Chovan, Letopis pama.tnika slovenskej literatury lf)70, (Matica slovenska, Martin, 1970), Slovakia, Vol. XXII, No. 45, 1972 p. 210. ~ubomir Liptak, Slovensko v 20. storoci (Slovakia in the Twentieth Century), (Bratislava, 19&8), 366 p. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XIX, No. 42, 1969, p. 198. �SLOVAKIA 101 Samo Falt'an, Slovenska otazka v teskoslovensku (The Slovak Question in Czechoslovakia), (Bratislava, 1968), 352 p. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XIX, No. 42, 1969, p. 200. Emilia Duchajova, Slovenskci slavistika 1968, Matica slovenska, Martin, 1970, p. 336. Reviewed in Canadian Slavonic Papers, Vol. Xlll, 4, 197. Stefan Moyses 1869-1969, Edicia Literarneho archlvu, zviizok 7. Zbornik z vedeckej konferencie MS, Martin, 1971, stran 174, litogr. Reviewed in Most, Vol. 19, 1-2, 1972. Jan Chovan, Letopis pamatnika slovenskej literatury 1970, MS, Martin, 1970, p. 94. Reviewed in Most, Vol. 19, 1-2, 1972. Jan Okal', Voda a vino (Water and Wine, United States, 1970), p. 70. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XX, 1970 No. 43. Eugen Vesnin, Aj v etrurskych zahradach (Also in the Gardens of Etruria), Buenos Aires, 1970. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XX, 1970, No. 43. Evaluation of Dr. Kirschbaum's Writings by Critics Dr. Kirschbaum's writings were bound to provoke favorable as well as unfavorable reaction. All his books and publications challenged numerous erroneous views on Slovakia's history and culture accepted in the West by scholars and political writers alike. Dr. Kirschbaum challenged these views by works with serious academic background and solid knowledge of matters discussed. In such a situation it was only natural that the reaction was on one hand favorable and on the other hand the author was unscrupulously attacked_. by adversaries of Slovakia's struggle for independence. *) After the publication of the book Slovakia--Nation at the Crossroads of Central Europe, to which the Hon. Alvin M. Bentley, member of the Committee of Foreign Affaires of tae U. S. Congress, wrote an approving preface, Prague Government supplied some Czech and Communist newspapers in Canada and the U.S.A. with falsified documents destined to prevent Dr. Kirschbaum from teaching at universities or taking part in public life. A smear campaign on a large scale was organized against him especially in the Canadian press, and made news on radio and television. At the same time, pressure was excercised on the university authorities and academic associations. Even though it was clear that the campaign was politically motivated by the Prague Communist regime and had all the characteristics of "character assassination," Dr. Kirschbaum had to take legal action to clear his name. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1973, Vol. 23 Description An account of the resource Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document 92 SLOVAKIA Select Bibliography of Foreign Language Writings by Prof. J. M. Kirschbaum Convinced that the main role of Slovak intellectuals abroad is to acquaint the West with Slovak history, culture and literature, and to defend Slovakia's right to freedom and independence, Dr. J.M. Kirschbaum used for the past 20 years his talent and knowledge of several languages for that purpose more than any other Slovak in the free world. He published the first reference book on Slovakia in English, the first complete history of Slovaks in Canada, and was the only Slovak scholar abroad who in numerous papers and essays put Slovak cultural and political history into proper perspective at meetings of Canadian and American Slavists and in Canadian, American and European academic periodicals and encyclopedias. His comments on and critical reviews of hundreds of books in foreign languages or in Slovak which he published in academic periodicals of which he was member of the editorial board (Etudes slaves et est-europeennes, Canadian Slavonic Papers, Slavs in Canada, Slavica Canadiana), or in the quarterlies Slovakia, Slowakei and Most also served the same aim: to present Slovakia and Slovak cultural life to the West in a proper light, and to correct the misconceptions which prevailed among American Slavists and historians of Ea:st Central Europe on Slovakia's past and present. As President of the Canadian Ethnic Press Federation and its branch in Ontario, Dr. Kirschbaum also deserves credit for many favorable articles on Slovak matters published in some 20 languages by the Canadian Ethnic Press. Articles published in newspapers are not, however, listed even though many of them were scholarly essays rather than newspaper articles. Altogether Dr. Kirschbaum published about 2000 articles and essays in Slovak news- SLOVAKIA 93 papers and periodicals in the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia. As a result, the select bibliography listed below is far from being complete. On the occasion of the 60th birthday of Dr. Kirschbaum, we want to record at least his most important writings in foreign languages, assuming that scholars and students of Slovak political history and cultural matters would find them useful for their studies and research. - The Editor BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS Slovakia-Nation at the Crossroads of Central Europe, Speller & Sons Pub., New York, 1960, XIX and 371 p., ill., bib!. Slovaks in Canada, Canadian Ethnic Press Association, Toronto, 1967, XIX and 468 p., ill., bib!. Nas boj o samostatnost' Slovens/ca, (The Struggle for Slovakia's In- dependence), Cleveland, Slovak Institute, 1958, 343 p. :Cudovit Stur and his Place in the Slavic World, Slavistica No. 32, Slovak Institute, (Winnipeg-Cleveland), 1956. Contemporary Tendencies in Slovak Philology, An offprint from Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. IV, No. 3-4, 1960. Hacia una nueva democracia para la Europa central, An offprint from Revista de Estudios Politicos, Vol. 125, Madrid, 1962. An Outline of Slovakia's Struggle for Independence, Toronto, Canadian Slovak League, 1964, 40 p. Slovakia in the de-Stalinization and Federalization Process of CzechoSlovakia, An offprint from Canadian Slavonic Papers ·(X, 4, 1968). Pavol Jozef Safarik and his Contribution to Slavic Studies, Slavistica No. 43, (Cleveland-Winnipeg), 1962. Anton Bernolak-The First Codifier of the Slovak Language, Slavistica No. 52, (Winnipeg-Cleveland), 1964. Pan-Slavism in Slovak Literature: Jan Kollar-Slovak Poet of PanSlavism, Slavistica No. 56, (Cleveland-Winnipeg), 1966. The Role of the Cyrillo-Methodian Tradition in Slovak National and Political Life. An offprint from Slovak Studies III, (Rome), 1963. Conceptions politi ques et philosophiques de £. Stur dans son oeiivre: Das Slawenthum und die Welt der Zukunft, An offprint from Etudes Slaves et Est- europeennes, Montreal, 1968. Slovakia, Historical and Cultural Backgrounds, Slovak World Congress, Toronto, 1971, 60 p. Editor and main contributor. Twenty Years of The Ethnic Press Association of Ontario, The Ethnic Press Association of Ontario, (Toronto, Ontario, 1971), p. 220. Editor and main contributor. Slovak Literary History in Marxist and Western Interpretation, An offprint from Canadian Slavonic Papers, Vol. VI, (University of Toronto Press), 1964. 94 SLOVAKIA ARTICLES ON HISTORY AND POLITICAL SCIENCE IN ENGLISH "International Recognition of the Slovak Republic", Slovakia, Vol. I, 1951, pp. 23-31. "Slovakia and Central European Federation Plans", Slovakia, Vol m, No. 1, 1953, pp. 1-21. "Diplomatic Documents on Slovakia's Declaration of Independence". Slovakia, Vol. IV, No. 1, 1954, pp. 3-12. "The Constitution of the Slovak Republic", Slovakia, Vol IX, 1959, pp. 47-68. "Facts and Events Behind the Scenes of Slovakia's Declaration of Independence", Slovakia, Vol. IX, No. 4, 1959, pp. 1-23. "Slovakia and the Plans for Integration of Central Europe", Studies for a new Central Europe, Vol. I, 1964, pp. 22-7. "Twenty Years of the Czech and Communist Rule in Slovakia", Slovakia, xv (1965), pp. 78-92. "Slovakia in the de-Stalinization and Federalization Process of CzechoSlovakia", Canadian Slavonic Papers, X, 4, 1968. "The Role of the Cyrillo-Methodian Tradition in Slovak National Life", Slovak Studies, Vol. m, 1963. "The Slovak Press in Canada", Slovakia, Vol. XVIII, No. 41, 1968, pp. 79-106. "Slovakia in the Struggle for Liberalization and Federalization of Czecho-Slovakia", Slovakia, Vol. XIX, No. 42, 1969, pp. 3-31. "Slovaks and the Upheavals of Czecho-Slovakia", Jednota Annual Furdek, Vol. IX, January 1970, pp. 82-86. "The Assimilation Process of American Slovaks", Slovakia, Vol XXI, No. 44, 1971, pp. 79-84. "Slovaks in Canada", Slavs in Canada, Vol. I, Inter-University Committee on Canadian Slavs, University of Alberta, 1966. "The Ideological Orientation of the Canadian Slavic Press", Slavs in Canada, Vol III, University of Ottawa, 1969. "Slovakia and the Integration Plans of Central Europe", Symposium Toward a New Central Europe, Ed. Francis S. Wagner, Danubian Press, Inc. (Astor Park, Florida), 1970, pp. 259-265. "Prof. F. f>urcansky-Politician, Scholar and Fighter for Slovakia's Independence", Slovakia, Vol. XVII, No. 40, 1967, pp. 153-160. "The 15th Anniversary of the Untimely Death of Prof. Francis Hrusovsky, Ph.D.", Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, pp. 175-179. "Stephen B. Roman--Slovak Tycoon", Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, pp. 7-19. "Dr. Joseph Tiso-The Prelate Politician Who Died on the Gallows for His People", Slovakia, Vol. XXII, No. 45, 1972, pp. 5-20. "My Last Diplomatic Report to the President of Slovakia", Furdek, Vol. XI, 1972, pp. 81-87. "Prospects of Slovakia Under Husak's Leadership", Almanac, National Slovak Society, Pittsburgh, Pa. 1971, pp. 124-129. "Pittsburgh Pact and its Significance in Slovak Politics", Almanac, National Slovak Society, Pittsburgh, Pa. 1971, pp. 132-137. SLOVAKIA 95 "The Truth and Legends About the Origin of the Slovak Republic", Furdek, (Middletown, Pa. 1973). IN FRENCH "La voie de la Slovaquie", La Correspondance slovaque, Bern, Switzerland, August 15, 1943. "La Slovaquie et son droit a !'independence", La Correspondance slovaque, November 15, 1943. "L'orientation politique de !'emigration slovaque", La Correspondance slovaque, February, 1944. "La tradition universitaire en Slovaquie", La Correspondance slovaque, March, 1944. "La Slovaquie dans la tourbillon des evenements", La Correspondance slovaque, October, 1944. "Les bases de collaboration et de paix en Europe centrale", La Correspondance slovaque, November, 1944. "La Slovaquie dans la lutte pour son avenir", La Correspondance slovaque, January, 1945. "L'apport des slovaques a !'organization culturelle et politique de L'Europe centrale", La Correspondance slovaque, November, 1944. "Les slovaques et les promesses des politiciens Tcheques", La Correspondance slovaque, January, 1945. "La Slovaquie apres cinq ans d'independance", Revue de droit internationale, de sciences diplomatiques et politiques, Geneve, 1944, XXII, No. 2, pp. 121-142. "La Tcheco-Slovaquie correspond-elle aux aspirations de ses habitants", Slovensky narod - La nation slovaque, Paris, 1949-1950. "Pour une nouvelle organization de L'Europe Centrale", Slovensky narod - La nation slovaque, Paris, February, 1949. "La declaration de l'independance slovaque en mars 1939", Slovensky ncirod - La nation slovaque, Paris, March 15, 1949. IN GERMAN "Der Kampf fiir eine freie Slowakei", Slowakische Korrespondenz, Munich, Germany, September, 1953, I, 9. "Wesen und Ursachen des Gegensatzes zwischen Tschechen und Slowaken", Slowakische Korrespondenz, Munich, 1953, I, 5. "Wir und Tschechen", Slowakische Korrespondenz, Munich, 1953, I, 3. "Die Slowakei und ihr Verhiiltnis zu den Nachbarn", Slowakische Korrespondenz, Munich, 1958, VI, 12. "Die internationale Anerkennung der Slowakischen Republik", Slowakei, Vol. II, No. 2, 1964. "Die Haltung Grossbritanniens zur Slowakei", Slowakei, Vol. III, No. 1, 1965, pp. 11-29. "Das Pittsburger Abkommen und seine Bedeutung in der slowakischen Politik", Slowakei, Vol. VI, No. 1-2, Munich, 1968, pp. 58-66. "Schicksal der slowakischen Gesandschaft in Bern", Slowakei, Vol. VII, No. 1-2, 1969, pp. 87-100. 96 SLOVAKIA "Die Rolle der Slowakei in der Nachkriegsentwicklung der TschechoSlowakei", Slowakei, Vol. VIII, No. 11, 1970. "Aussenpolitische Vorstellungen im slowakischen Exil", Wissenschaµ. licher Dienst fur Ostmitteleuropa, February, 1972. IN SPANISH "Hacia una nueva democracia para la Europa central", Rivista de Estudios Politicos", Vol. 125, Madrid, 1962. ARTICLES ON CULTURAL AND LITERARY MATTERS IN ENGLISH "The Slovaks and Slavonic Civilization", Quarterly Slovakia, Vol. V, No. 4, 1955, pp. 39-49. "A Note on Two Modern Slovak Translators of Mickiewicz" in W. Lednicki, Adam Mickiewicz in World Literature, University of California Press, (Berkley, 1956). "Louis Stu.r's Centennial", Slovakia, Vol. VI, No. 1, 1956, pp. 3-16. "Mickiewicz in Slovak Poetry and Translations", Slovakia, Vol. VII, No. 1, 1957, pp. 32-41. "University Traditions in Slovalda", Slovakia, Vol. VIII, No. 2, 1958, pp. 18-29. "Canadian Translator of Slovak Poetry-Prof. W. Kirkconnell", Slovakia, Vol. XIV, 1964, No. 1, pp. 9-18. "Notes on Slovak Culture, Literature and Language", Quarterly Most, Vol. VII, No. 1, 1960, pp. 1-14. "Misconceptions of American Slavists About Slovak Literature", Slovakia, Vol. XI, No. 1, 1961, pp. 22-42. "Mis~onceptions of American Slavists About Slovak Literature", Slovakia, Vol. XII, No. 1, 1962, pp. 25-49. "Bicentennial of Anton Bernolak", Annual Furdek, Vol. II, Cleveland, Ohio, 1963), pp. 18-27. "Love for Songs and Folklore Among Slovaks", Annual Furdek, Vol. II, (Cleveland-Ohio, 1963), pp. 83-88: "The Slovak Language and its Place Among the Slavic Languages", Annual Slovakia, Vol. XV, 1966, pp. 1-24. "Slovak Literature", The New Catholic Encyclopedia, The Catholic University of America, Washington, D. C., 1967, Vol. XIII, pp. 280, 292-295, 748, also in Vol. XIV and other volumes on Jan Holly, Jan Kollar, Cudovit Stur, P. 0. Hviezdoslav, M. Kukucil:1, S. H. Vajansky, Andrej Sladkovic, J. C. Hronsky. "Prof. D. Cyzevsky-Ukrainian Expert in Slovak Literature", Quarterly Most, Vol. VIII, No. 3-4, 1961, pp. 17-36. "A Note on the Theory on the Origin of the Name Slav", Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. III, No. 2, 1958, pp. 47-56. "Contemporary Tendencies in Slovak Philology", Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. IV, No. 3-4, 1960. SLOVAKIA 97 "Slovak Literary History in Marxist and Western Interpretation", A reprint from Canadian Slavonic Papers, Vol. VI, (University of Toronto Press), 1964. "Slavica Slovaca", Review article, Canadian Slavonic Papers, Vol. XIII, 4, 1971. "J. C. Hronsky--Slovak Novelist and Writer", Annual Furdek, Vol. X, (Cleveland, Ohio, 1971), pp. 23-29. "The Slovaks and Slavonic Civilization", Furdek, Vol. X, (Cleveland, Ohio, 1971), pp. 69-79. "Old Cnlture and University Traditions in Slovakia", Furdek, Vol. XI, (Cleveland, Ohio, 1972), pp. 167-185. "Bilingualism in Slovak Literature", Almanac, National Slovak Society, Pittsburgh, Pa. 1972, pp. 144-147. " American and Canadian Translators of Slovak Poetry", Furdek, (Cleveland, Ohio, 1973). "Janko Kral', Slovak Poet, Honored by UNESCO", Furdek, (Cleveland, Ohio, 1973). "Andrej 2arnov - Poet of Slovak Patriotism", Festschrift Pozdrav Andrejovi Zarnovovi, Spolok slovenskych spisovatel'ov a umelcov, Cleveland, Ohio, 1963. IN FRENCH "La Grande-Moravie et son heritage cultural", Etudes slaves et esteuropeennes, Universite de Montreal, Vol. II, 1957, pp. 189-199. "Le centenaire d'un grand slaviste: Safarik", Etudes slaves et esteuropeennes, Montreal, 1960, Vol. V, pp. 69-80. "La litterature de la periode cyrillo-methodienne et la Slovaque", Slovak Studies III, (Rome), 1963. "La place du slovaque parmi les langues slaves", Etudes slaves et esteuropeennes, Vol. VIII, Fasc. 3-4, Universite de Montreal, 1963. "Conceptions politiques et philosophiques de I!. Stlir tirees de son oeuvre: Das Slawentum und die Welt der Zukunft", Etudes slaves et est-europeennes, Vol. XIII, 1969, pp. 32-45. IN GERMAN "Profil und Werk L'udovft Sturs", Slowakei, Vol III, No. 2, 1965. "Literarisch-kulturelles Schaffen des slowakischen Exils", Slowakei, Vol. IV, No. 1, 1966. BOOK REVIEWS BOOKS IN FRENCH, ENGLISH, GERMAN AND ITALIAN Joseph A. Miku§, La Slovaquie dans le Drame de l'Europe (Histoires politique de 1918 a 1950), Paris, Les Isles d'Or, 1955, 478 pp. Reviewed in Etudes slaves et est-europeennes, Vol. I, part 2, pp. 121-4. 98 SLOVAKIA Francis R. Preveden, A History of the Croatian People, New York, Philosophical Library, 1955, XVI, 134 p. Reviewed in The Slavic and East European Journal, Vol. XIV, 3, 1956. Milovan Djilas, The New Class, an analysis of the Communist system, Praeger, N. Y. 1957, 214 pp. Reviewed in Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. III, part 1, 60-1 p. Joseph G. Cincik, Ph.D., Ancient Slovak Fibulas and Pseudo-Fibulas, Whiting, Indiana, published by Rev. John J. Lach, 1957, 105 pp. Reviewed in Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. II, part 4, 250-1 pp. Joseph G. Cincik, Anglo-Saxon and Slovak-Avar Patterns of Cuthbert's Gospel, Cleveland, Ohio, Slovak Institute, 1958, 124 p. Reviewed in Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. III, part 4, Winter 1958-1959, 240-243 pp. Stephen Smrzik, S. J., The Glagolitic or Romano-Slavonic Liturgy, Rome, Slovak Institute, 1959, 120 p. Reviewed. in Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. V, part 1-2, 118-119 pp. Bonaventure, B. Bue, Slovak Nationalism, (Middletown, Pa., Slovak League of America, 1960), 67 pp. Reviewed in Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. VI, parts 1-2, 111-112 pp. Gilbert L. Oddo, Slovakia and its People, New York, Speller & Sons Inc:, 1960, XI, 361 pp. Reviewed in Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. VI, parts 1-2, 112-114 pp. Ludwig v. Gogolak, Beitriige zur Geschichte des slowakischen Volke! I, (Contributions to the History of the Slovak People), Verlag R. Oldenburg, Miinchen, 1963, p. 265. Reviewed in Slovakia. Ludwig v. Gogolak, T. G. Masaryks slowakische und ungarlandische Politik (Masaryk's Slovak and Hungarian Policy), Munich, 1963, Vol. IV, pp. 174-227. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XVIII, 1968, No. 41. David L. Hoggan, Der erzwungene Krieg, die Ursachen und Urheber des z. Weltkrieus, Verlag der Deutschen Hochschullehrer-Zeitung, Tiibingen, 1963, bibliography, maps, photographs, pages 898. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, p. 210. J . A. Mikus, Slovakia-A Political History 1918-1950, Milwaukee, Wis., Marquette University Press, 1964, XXXIII, 392 pp. Reviewed in Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. X, parts 1-2, p. 68. Milan St. :!'.>urica, La Slovacchia e le sue relazioni politiche con la Germania, (1938-1945), Padova, Marsilio Editori, 1964, 274 pp. Reviewed in Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. X, parts 1-2, p. 68. Arved Grebert, Die Slowaken und das Grossmiihrisches Reich, (The Slovaks and the Great Moravian Empire), M. Cernak's Institute, Munich, 19615. Jorg K. Hoensch, Die Slowakei und Hitler's Ostpolitik (Hlinka's Slowakische Volkspartei zwischen Autonomie und Separation 19381939), Bohlau Verlag, Koln-Graz, 1965, p. 390. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XVIII, 1968, No. 41, and in Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. XII, part 1, p. 61-3. Die Slowakei als mitteleuropiiisches Problem in Geschichte und Gege'ltwart, (Slavakia's Central European Problem in the Past arui SLOVAKIA 99 Present), Lectures at Collegium Carolinum, Verlag Robert Lerche, Mtinchen, 1965, p. 240. Reviewed in Slavic and Ecut European Studies, Vol. XII, part 1, p. 61-3. Jorg K. Hoensch, Die GrundZagen des Programms der Slovakischen Volkspartei vor 1938 (The Basis of the Programme of the Slovak Populist Party Before 1938), Munich, 1966, Vol. VII, p. 320-356. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XVIII, 1968, No. 41. Heinrich Kuhn, Handbuch der Tschechoslowakei, (Verlag Robert Lerche, Milnchen), 1966, pp. 1,024. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XX, 1970, No. 43. Frantisek Vnuk, Dr. Jozef Tiso-President of the Slovak Republic, The Association of Australia Slovaks, Sydney, 1967, p. 50, ill. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XVII, 1968, No. 41. Milan S. f>urica, D'ie slowakische Politik 1938-1939 im Lichte der Staatslehre Tisos (Slovak Policy 1938-1939 in the Light of Tiso's Political Thought), Emil Semmel Verlag, Bonn, 1967, 49 p. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XVIII, 1968, No. 41. Rudolf Sturm, CzechoslovakieJ,-A Bibliographie Guide, Library of the Congress, Washington, 1967, 157 p. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol XX, 1970, No. 43. Beitrage zum Deutsch-Tschechischen Verhaltnis im 19. und 20. Jahrhundert (Veroffentlichungen des Collegium Carolinum), Verlag Robert Lerche, (Milnchen, 1967), pp. 178. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, p. 213. Slovak Studies V: Historica 3, Cleveland-Rome, Slovak Institute, 1967, p. 268. Reviewed in Canadian Slavonic Papers, XI, 1, 1969. Stefan Glejdura, Los Grandes Problemas del Este Europeo, Separata de la Revista de Politica International, Madrid, 1968-1969, Washington University. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XX, 1970, No. 43. Gorazd Zvonicky, Soltanto Rovine - Italian translation by Milan S. f>urica and Ernesto Simonetto. Published by Associazione di culturia ceca e slovaca "Arturo Cronia", Padua, 1968. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, p. 204. George F. Kennan, From Prague After Munich, Diplomatic Papers 19381940. Princeton University Press, 1968, 226 pages. Slavica Canadiana, No. 69, 1970. Lunghi and Ello, Dubcek' s Blue Print for Freedom (Kimber, London), 1968. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, pp. 205-208. Ladislav Mnacko, Die siebente Nacht, (Vienna, 1968). Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, pp. 205-208. Podolak Jan (Ed.), Ethnologia SZavica I, Universitas Comoniana, Facultas Philosophica, Bratislava, 1970, Most, Vol. 19, 1-2, 1972. Reitzner, Almar, Dubce k (Milnchen), 1970. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, pp. 205-208. Gromada, Thaddeus V., Pilsudski and the Slovak Autonomists, An off. print from Slavic Review, September, 1969, pp. 445-462, Washington University. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XX, No. 43, 1970, p. 167. Tigrid, Pavel, La chute irresisti ble d'Alexander Dubce k, (Calmann-Levy, Paris, 1969). Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, pp. 205-208. SLOVAKIA 100 Fetjo, Frani;ois, Histoire des democracies populaires apres Stali-ne, (Editions du Seuil, Paris), 1969. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, pp. 205-208. Lob!, Eugen, und Grunwald, Leopold, Die intellektuelle Revolution, Hintergrilnde und Auswirkungen des "Prager Frilhlings'', (Dilsseldorf, Econ, 1969). Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, pp. 205-208. Wagner, Francis S., (Ed.), Toward a New Central Europe: A Symposium on the Problems of the Danubian Nations, Danubian Press, Inc., Astor Park, Florida, 1970. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, p. 211. Sprinc, Mikula§, Driftwood. Poems translated from the Slovak by the author Larz Pearson and Jaroslav Vajda. Published by the Slovak Institute in Cleveland, Ohio, 1969. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XXI, No. 44, 1971, p. 203. Noge Julius, An Outline of Slovakian Literature, (The Tatrapress Agency, Bratislava), 1968. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XXII, No. 45, 1972, p. 208. BOOKS IN SLOVAK J. Mi~ianik, J. Minarik, M. Michalcova, A. Melichar~k, Dejint1 starsej slovenskej literatury (A History of the Older Slovak Literature), Bratislava, published by Slovenska akademia vied (Slovak Academy of Sciences), 1955, p. 230, ill. Reviewed In Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. V, parts 3-4, 243-4 pp. Franmek Vnuk, Sedemnast' neurodnych roko11 - Ndcrt de;tn slovenskej literatury v rokoch 1945-62 (Seventeen Barren Years - A Survey of Slovak Literature 1945-62), Middletown, Pa., Slovak v Amerike, 1965, p. 304, English Summary, Reviewed in Slavic and East European Studies, Vol. XII, parts 2-3, 133-4 pp. Studia Historica Slovaca IV. Bratislava: Vydavatel'stvo Slovenskej akademie vied, 1966, p. 290. Reviewed in Canadian Slavonic Papers, Vol. XI, 1, 1969. M. Lacko (ed.), Slovens/ca bibliografia v zahranici 1945-1965, Slovak Studies VII. The Slovak Institute (Cleveland-Rome), 1987, Slovakia, Vol. XXII, No. 45, 1972, p. 207, and Canadian Slavoni<: Papers, Vol. Xlli, 4, 1971. Ladislav Dvonc, Bibliografia slovenskej jazykovedy 1961-1965, Matica slovenska, (Martin, 1970), pages 804, Slovakia, Vol. XXII. No. ~ . 1972, p. 205. Ethnologia Slavica I, Universitas Comenian-a Bratislavensis, Facultas Philosophica, Bratislava, 1970, p. 226, Slovakia, Vol. XXII, No. 45, 1972, p. 214. Juraj Chovan, Letopis pama.tnika slovenskej literatury lf)70, (Matica slovenska, Martin, 1970), Slovakia, Vol. XXII, No. 45, 1972 p. 210. ~ubomir Liptak, Slovensko v 20. storoci (Slovakia in the Twentieth Century), (Bratislava, 19&8), 366 p. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XIX, No. 42, 1969, p. 198. SLOVAKIA 101 Samo Falt'an, Slovenska otazka v teskoslovensku (The Slovak Question in Czechoslovakia), (Bratislava, 1968), 352 p. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XIX, No. 42, 1969, p. 200. Emilia Duchajova, Slovenskci slavistika 1968, Matica slovenska, Martin, 1970, p. 336. Reviewed in Canadian Slavonic Papers, Vol. Xlll, 4, 197. Stefan Moyses 1869-1969, Edicia Literarneho archlvu, zviizok 7. Zbornik z vedeckej konferencie MS, Martin, 1971, stran 174, litogr. Reviewed in Most, Vol. 19, 1-2, 1972. Jan Chovan, Letopis pamatnika slovenskej literatury 1970, MS, Martin, 1970, p. 94. Reviewed in Most, Vol. 19, 1-2, 1972. Jan Okal', Voda a vino (Water and Wine, United States, 1970), p. 70. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XX, 1970 No. 43. Eugen Vesnin, Aj v etrurskych zahradach (Also in the Gardens of Etruria), Buenos Aires, 1970. Reviewed in Slovakia, Vol. XX, 1970, No. 43. Evaluation of Dr. Kirschbaum's Writings by Critics Dr. Kirschbaum's writings were bound to provoke favorable as well as unfavorable reaction. All his books and publications challenged numerous erroneous views on Slovakia's history and culture accepted in the West by scholars and political writers alike. Dr. Kirschbaum challenged these views by works with serious academic background and solid knowledge of matters discussed. In such a situation it was only natural that the reaction was on one hand favorable and on the other hand the author was unscrupulously attacked_. by adversaries of Slovakia's struggle for independence. *) After the publication of the book Slovakia--Nation at the Crossroads of Central Europe, to which the Hon. Alvin M. Bentley, member of the Committee of Foreign Affaires of tae U. S. Congress, wrote an approving preface, Prague Government supplied some Czech and Communist newspapers in Canada and the U.S.A. with falsified documents destined to prevent Dr. Kirschbaum from teaching at universities or taking part in public life. A smear campaign on a large scale was organized against him especially in the Canadian press, and made news on radio and television. At the same time, pressure was excercised on the university authorities and academic associations. Even though it was clear that the campaign was politically motivated by the Prague Communist regime and had all the characteristics of "character assassination," Dr. Kirschbaum had to take legal action to clear his name.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Select Bibliography of Foreign Language Writings by Prof. J. M. Kirschbaum Description An account of the resource Slovakia, Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973 pp. 92-101 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/059505bcecbc9634e3e95e4d84db947b.pdf 52881f07457f6b0188c03df90b9f30c9 PDF Text Text 82 SLOVAKIA Dr. J. M. Kirschbaum A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH ON THE OCCASION OF HIS SIXTIETH BIRTHDAY It is next to impossible to condense into a short biographical essay a life of such many-sided activity, so rich in events and experiences as that of Dr. J.M. Kirschbaum. It can be said of him and many of his contemporaries that their lives epitomise the Slovak history of the past half century in both its triumphant and tragic aspects. But nowhere is this symbolism so obvious and so clearly reflected as in the work and achievements of Dr. J. M. Kirschbaum. All his adult life has been spent in a dedicated service of the Slovak cause which, in turn, has in him its most ardent and articulate advocate. He was born on March 25th, 1913 in Dolne Vestenice, a well-known fruit-growing district of Central Slovakia. His father fought for the liberation of Slovakia in the Czecho-Slovak Legion during the First World War and returned from Siberia only in 1920. The years of fighting and deprivation sapped his health and he died in 1923 when the boy was ten years old. As a student of great promise and intellectual ability young Jozef Kirschbaum was sent to continue his schooling at the Lyceum (High School) in Nitra. I may add that at that time it was unusual for a village boy to pursue higher studies since the course was quite costly and demanding. Straight from the beginning J. Kirschbaum was an outstanding student whether at the Nitra Lyceum (1923-25) or later at the famous Jesuit college "Stanislavov" in Ruzomberok. In the days of Kirschbaum's stay at Ruzomberok the town had in the minds of most of the Slovak countryfolk the aura of a true capital city of Slovakia. Here resided as parish priest Fr. Andrej Hlinka, the leader of the Slovak People's Party and a fearless tribune of his people. Not even young students could escape the political atmosphere �SLOVAKIA 83 and the powerful influence of Hlinka's dynamic personality. For a young idealistic Slovak man Hlinka's political aims in their forceful simplicity must have been an irresistible attraction. There is no doubt that there and then was planted the seed of his future political commitments and involvements. After completion of his high school studies (at Kosice in 1933) Jozef Kirschbaum enrolled in the Law Faculty of the Bratislava University. Here he found himself right from the start in the thick of feverish political activities. The University halls and colleges were recruiting grounds and battle arenas where the new generation of political leaders were testing their skills and sharpening their tools. Kirschbaum and his contemporaries represented the first generation which grew up and was educated in the post-war Slovakia and was not exposed to the humiliating experiences of magyarization. They were the proud products of their teachers and professors (largely the Czechs) but in one respect they were to disappoint their tutors. They boldly asserted their Slovak nationality and refused to accept the hints and insinuations that they should consider themselves as a new breed of "Czechoslovaks". The youth of Slovakia (e.g. at their massive gathering at Trencianske Teplice in summer of 1932) even more vigorously than their fathers claimed for the Slovak nation those rights and privileges which every free nation should enjoy and which the Slovaks were once promised but since denied. In particular they demanded a fair deal for themselves and their countrymen: that the country's economy would pass into Slovak hands; that the Slovaks would get a proportional number of jobs in the Army, in the State and Public Service; that the Slovak language would be recognized and respected as the official language in Slovakia, etc. In the forefront of this struggle was the Slovak People's Party and one of its most energetic detachments was the academic youth where J. Kirschbaum was soon to play a leading role. His extensive involvement in politics-which inevitably had anti-Czech connotations-was frowned upon his Czech professors and the University authorities who would not allow him to graduate even though he had fulfilled all the �84 SLOVAKIA academic requirements with great distinction. Eventually he was awarded his Doctor of Law degree at a private ceremony in the summer of 1938. By this time Dr. J. Kirschbaum was already a wellknown public figure. His name frequently appeared in the Slovak press not only in connection with his activities but also as that of author of many articles, comments and penetrating observations. He was a regular contributor to several dailies and periodical of the time. The years 1938-39 passed into Slovak national history as the year of Slovakia's encounter with destiny. The evergrowing determination of the Slovak nation to be master in its own house manifested itself so patently that the further denial of political justice was no longer possible. The artificial edifice of "czechoslovakism " crumbled and the rigid centralist form of government was replaced by a federalist system. The post-Munich Czecho-Slovakia became a federated state and within its framework Slovakia obtained its overdue autonomy. The Slovak People's Party as the biggest political party in Slovakia and the most consistent advocate of autonomy assumed political responsibility for the future development of Slovakia. The first Slovak autonomous government formed in October 1938 consisted of two Hlinka followers (Dr. Jozef Tiso and Dr. Ferdinand !>urcansky), two Agrarians (Jan Lichner and Pavo! Teplansky) and one Nationalist (Matus cernak). These three parties represented-acco rding to the 1935 election results-almost two thirds of the Slovak electorate. The subsequent political activity of Dr. J. Kirschbaum must be viewed against this background. From the University lecture rooms he stepped straight into the turmoil of high-level politics. The situation facing the Slovak leaders was critical and very demanding. The People's Party had just lost its leader (Andrej Hlinka died in August 1938). Immediately after it had been granted autonomy Slovakia had to fight for its survival. Its greedy neighbors staked their territorial claims and Slovakia was forced to cede large portions of its territory to Hungary and 5maller ones to Poland and Germany. Truncated and harassed the country was even more determined to prove its vitality in spite of all threats and �SLOVAKIA 85 drawbacks. To achieve this, national unity was necessary. The political leaders thought that such a unity could be accomplished ( and convincingly demonstrated to outsiders) by the formation of a united political party for all Slovaks. This coalition-like party was formed in November 1938. It bore the dual name, Hlinka Slovak People's Party-The Party of Slovak National Unity and soon it was to be the real testing ground of the young Kirschbaum's abilities. But before this happened Dr. Kirschbaum had to prove his skill elsewhere. In the first months of Slovak autonomy he served as secretary of Minister f>urcansky (at the Ministry of Transport), and at the same time was the commandant of the Academic Hlinka Guards and the Editor-in-Chief of the radical fortnightly, "Nastup". In addition he was frequently seen and heard at many public meetings and demonstrations and his articles-which appeared regularly in "Nastup" and the daily press-were widely read. In the historic days of March 1939 when the Czechs by a military 'putsch' tried to quash Slovak autonomy and the future of Slovakia again hung in the balance, Dr. J. Kirschbaum-like his chief Dr. !>urcansky-considered the declaration of independence as the only viable solution. With fearless courage (the Czech military authorities issued an order for his arrest) he commuted between Dr. t>ucansky in Vienna and the Slovak political leaders in Bratislava (Karol Sidor and the deposed Prime Minister Dr. Jozef Tiso) in an attempt to arrange some coordinated political action. In these days of uncertainties he calmly organized-in defiance of Czech military orders--an impressive and welldisciplined march of University students through the streets of Bratislava. The authorities did not dare interfere and the demonstration turned out to be a significant moral booster for the suspense-packed hours preceding the declaration of independence. It is not surprising that in spite of his youth (he was barely 26) he figured on the list of the first Slovak government as proposed by Dr. t>urcansky, where he was allotted the Transport portfolio. But when-in the wake of the Slovak declaration of independence--the new government of Slovakia was an- �86 SLOVAKIA nounced, Kirschbaum's name was not included. But it was not because of his age. It is more probable that Dr. J. Tiso-the new Prime Minister and the leader of the Party of the Slovak National Unity - had for him a more challenging and exacting task. He appointed Dr. J . Kirschbaum the Secretary-General of the Party. The work imposed on his young shoulders by this appointment was enormous. The Slovak People's Party of the pre-1938 period was administered very haphazardly. Fr. Hlinka as the undisputed leader of a widespread popular movement did not see any great need and hence paid little attention to the organizational and bureaucratic details of the Party's day-to-day existence. This could do while the Party was in opposition and Hlinka's word was law. But after Hlinka's death the Party became the dominating influence in the government of the country and in addition was swelled by the influx of new members (including former members of those parties which united with it in November 1938) it was necessary for the Party to have its own statutes, modern organizational structure and an effective administrative machinery. By the Constitutional Law of July 1939 the Party was assigned a new and important role in the political, cultural and social life of independent Slovakia. The constructive implementation of this role was the job of the General Secretariat where Dr. J. Kirschbaum and an able team of dedicated and enthusiastic helpers were hard at work. At the Party Congress in Trencin (September 30thOctober 1st, 1939) Dr. J. Kirschbaum presented the new proposals for the organizational changes in the structure and administration of the Party. They were unanimously approved by the Congress and even his jealous critics had to admit that Dr. Kirschbaum and his team had done a thorough and creditable job. The Congress confirmed (also unanimously) Dr. Kirschbaum in the position of the Party's Secretary-General. As the Secretary-General of the Party Dr. J. Kirschbaum displayed not only zeal and agility but also a vision and sense of judgment so important in such a responsible job. Under his able administration the rejuvenated Party was launched on its new course under the new social and political conditions. �SLOVAKIA 87 Unfortunately Dr. Kirschbaum did not stay long in his Party post. In the first half of 1940 Slovak political life underwent dramatic changes due to the polarization of political thinking among the leaders of Slovakia. There were some who claimed that the present, as well as the future, of Slovakia must be linked with that of Germany in all respects. These close ties would postulate even the ideological remoulding of the Slovak life and outlook in the National Socialist pattern. This group, headed by Prime Minister Dr. Vojtech Tuka and the Commandant of the Hlinka Guards Alexander Mach, was resolutely opposed not only by President Dr. Tiso and the rest of the ministers but also by the overwhelming majority of ranli::. and file Party members and the people. The Party Secretariat stood solidly behind the President who insisted that Slovak politics must not slavishly imitate foreign examples but should be rooted in native traditions. Tuk.a and his followers called for German assistance which was soon forthcoming in the shape of the notorious "Salzburg consultations". In August 1940 Hitler and Ribbentrop forced President Tiso to dismiss from their positions of power the two men whom they considered as the chief trouble-makers and major obstructions to the spread of the Nazi ideology in Slovakia, namely Dr. F. nurcansky (Foreign and Interior Minister) and Dr. J. Kirschbaum (Secretary-General of the Party). After his dismissal from the Party job Dr. J. Kirschbaum was called up to do his military service in the Slovak Army (1940-41). A ban was imposed on his further participation in the domestic politics of Slovakia. And so after completion of his military duties he entered the Slovak diplomatic service. He started his diplomatic career as the Legation Counsellor at the Slovak Legation in Rome. After a short apprenticeship in Rome he assumed (in 1942) the position of Slovak Charge d'Affaires in Bern, where he stayed till the end of World War II. On the soil of neutral Switzerland he did his utmost to safeguard Slovak interests in the realm of international politics. Through personal contacts -both official and unofficial-and by all means available �88 SLOVAKIA to him he defended Slovakia's case for independence in the post-war territorial rearrangement of Central Europe. But the enemies of Slovak independence had at their side the victorious Western Powers and the Soviet Union and again it was the case of the "might-is-right" solution. With total disregard for the wishes of the small indigenous peoples it was decided to reimpose the discredited Versailles settlement on the nations of Central Europe. The Slovaks found themselves in an unwilling partnership with the Czechs in the reconstituted Czecho-Slovakia. As a result Dr. J. Kirschbaum like thousands of his countrymen stood face to face with the bitter reality of life in exile. The first years of his life as a political exile he spent in Switzerland where he worked for a short period ( 19461948) as an accredited representative of the Slovak League to the International Refugee Organization in Geneva. He was in continuous contact with the Slovak political leaders in exile and with Slovak organizations in America and elsewhere. It was obvious to them that the struggle for the restoration of Slovak independence must start there and then, no matter how hopeless the situation might look. To assure the maximum effectiveness of this struggle an organized and coordinated action was required. Thus in the summer of 1948 the foundations were laid for a Slovak political representation-The Slovak National Council A· broad-which took upon itself to carry on the struggle for the just and inalienable demands of the Slovak nation. Dr. Jozef Kirschbaum was one of the principal architects of this organization. It included such well-known personalities as Sidor, Pridavok, Culen, Mondok, Cieker, Pauco, Mikus, etc., but-most regretably-not Dr. F. !>urcansky. Dr. J. Kirschbaum stood at the head of the Committee in charge of foreign affairs. For this task he was indeed suitably prepared and equipped. He had the background of diplomatic experience and a deep and intimate knowledge of Slovak politics. His knowledge of the Western world was based on close observations and supplemented by his studies at several Western universities: Paris (Political Science, 1938), Rome (Political Science, 1941-42), Geneva (International Relations, 1946-48) and Montreal (1951-54). �SLOVAKIA 89 In 1949 he emigrated with his family (he married Magdalena Danihel in 1941 and by this time they had three children) to Montreal in Canada. In spite of the difficulties which are the lot of every immigrant in a new country he quickly settled down and resumed his work where he had left off in Europe, including his university studies. In 1952 he obtained an M.A. and in 1954 a Ph.D. degree at the Universite de Montreal. But even at this time his involvement in university activities went far deeper than a simple studentship. In 1951 he started to give a course of lectures at the Universite de Montreal and later at the Universite d'Ottawa and the University of Toronto. His lectures dealt with the broad spectrum of the history of the Western Slavs ('Slavia Occidentalis') and also with specific Slovak topics. As time went by he became even more deeply concerned with Slovak emigre politics. After 1950 the centre of Slovak p olitical activities shifted from Europe across the Atlantic and Montreal became their focal point. Here resided K . Sidor, K. culen, F. Tiso, F. Mondok, K. Murin and J . Kirschbaum who in 1952 was elected the chairman of the Political Committee of the Slovak National Council Abroad. One worrying feature of the Slovak political life in exile was its bifurcation into two organizations struggling for the same aims but in bitter rivalry against each other. For a man like Dr. J. Kirschbaum it was a particularly heart-breaking experience since the rival organization was led by his former chief and friend, Dr. F. !>urcansky. I t took many years of patience and endurance to heal this split. Major credit for this achievement should go to Dr. J. Kirschbaum. It was largely through his effort that in 1960 the Slovak community both at home and abroad learned with satisfaction about the formation of a joint organization-The Slovak Liberation Council. Dr. !>urcansky became the President of the Council's E xecutive Committee and Dr. J . Kirschbaum became the President of its Assembly. On purpose I have not said anything about the journalistic and literary activities of Dr. J . Kirschbaum. They would form an extensive chapter all by themselves and one cannot do them justice within the framework of this �90 SLOVAKIA brief biographical sketch. I only wish to remind the reader that on top of all the accomplishments recorded in the preceding paragraphs he should superimpose an impressive literary and journalistic output. This activity began when Dr. J. Kirschbaum was 14 years old and it is still continuing. In the period of the past 45 years Dr. Kirschbaum wrote (by a modest estimate) something like 1200 articles on a wide variety of topics (political commentaries, editorials. literary criticism and history, Slavic studies, linguistics. political science) in five languages (Slovak, French, English, German, Spanish) as well as four scholarly books, two of them in English ('Slovakia: Nation at the Crossroads of Central Europe', 1960, and 'Slovaks in Canada', 1967). In the last few years Dr. Kirschbaum has expended much of his time and energy in organizing and promoting the work of the Slovak World Congress. This relatively new body (founded in 1970) embraces all Slovak political, cultural, fraternal and other organizations and societies to speak on their behalf for the Slovak cause in the free world. Dr. J. Kirschbaum is one of the Vice Presidents of the Slovak World Congress and at the moment is putting the finishing editorial touches to a Symposium on Slovak history and culture. The book will contain the lectures and discussions which were delivered at the special conference successfully arranged by Dr. Kirschbaum to coincide with the General Assembly of the Slovak World Congress in Toronto (June 1971). Karl Marx who knew vastly more about life in exile than he knew about world revolution once wrote that emigre life is "a school of scandal and of meanness". Dr. Kirschbaum would probably agree with him. More than once he became an innocent victim of vicious attacks, intrigues and malicious gossip from the enemies of Slovak independence (who wanted to eliminate him from Slovak politics for obvious reasons) as well as from jealous and frustrated compatriots (who had no obvious reasons at all). But all this "sound and fury"-unpleasant and distractful as it must have been-did not sway Dr. Kirschbaum from his firm determination to work selflessly and untiringly for the just Slovak cause. Which only confirms my personal conviction about life in exile, namely that �91 SLOVAKIA exile brings out the best in a noble and purposeful man and the worst in those who are weak and insecure. Dr. Jozef Kirschbaum can look back on his past years, and in particular the years in exile, with contentment and satisfaction. We who watched his efforts and striving at a close distance and followed them with good wishes and admiration, we know he tried his utmost and did his best. His achievements when measured against a background of harrowing and unfavorable circumstances will irritate his detractors but will inspire many of his countrymen both at home and abroad, at present and in the future. AD MULTOS ANNOS! F. V n u k, Australia • • • SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA - - - supports freedom and independence of Slovakia; promotes a better understanding and appreciation of the Slovak nation, its history, culture, traditions, and desires; makes America better known to Slovakia and Slovakia better known to America in the interest of world peace, freedom and security; has a scholarship program for college and university students; promotes cooperation among all American-Slovak organizations and publications for the promulgations of Slovak ethnic heritage. is a charter member of the Slovak World Congress. Life membership: $100.00 For further information, write to: Slovak League of America 313 Ridge Avenue Middletown, Pa. 17057 � 82 SLOVAKIA Dr. J. M. Kirschbaum A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH ON THE OCCASION OF HIS SIXTIETH BIRTHDAY It is next to impossible to condense into a short biographical essay a life of such many-sided activity, so rich in events and experiences as that of Dr. J.M. Kirschbaum. It can be said of him and many of his contemporaries that their lives epitomise the Slovak history of the past half century in both its triumphant and tragic aspects. But nowhere is this symbolism so obvious and so clearly reflected as in the work and achievements of Dr. J. M. Kirschbaum. All his adult life has been spent in a dedicated service of the Slovak cause which, in turn, has in him its most ardent and articulate advocate. He was born on March 25th, 1913 in Dolne Vestenice, a well-known fruit-growing district of Central Slovakia. His father fought for the liberation of Slovakia in the Czecho-Slovak Legion during the First World War and returned from Siberia only in 1920. The years of fighting and deprivation sapped his health and he died in 1923 when the boy was ten years old. As a student of great promise and intellectual ability young Jozef Kirschbaum was sent to continue his schooling at the Lyceum (High School) in Nitra. I may add that at that time it was unusual for a village boy to pursue higher studies since the course was quite costly and demanding. Straight from the beginning J. Kirschbaum was an outstanding student whether at the Nitra Lyceum (1923-25) or later at the famous Jesuit college "Stanislavov" in Ruzomberok. In the days of Kirschbaum's stay at Ruzomberok the town had in the minds of most of the Slovak countryfolk the aura of a true capital city of Slovakia. Here resided as parish priest Fr. Andrej Hlinka, the leader of the Slovak People's Party and a fearless tribune of his people. Not even young students could escape the political atmosphere �SLOVAKIA 83 and the powerful influence of Hlinka's dynamic personality. For a young idealistic Slovak man Hlinka's political aims in their forceful simplicity must have been an irresistible attraction. There is no doubt that there and then was planted the seed of his future political commitments and involvements. After completion of his high school studies (at Kosice in 1933) Jozef Kirschbaum enrolled in the Law Faculty of the Bratislava University. Here he found himself right from the start in the thick of feverish political activities. The University halls and colleges were recruiting grounds and battle arenas where the new generation of political leaders were testing their skills and sharpening their tools. Kirschbaum and his contemporaries represented the first generation which grew up and was educated in the post-war Slovakia and was not exposed to the humiliating experiences of magyarization. They were the proud products of their teachers and professors (largely the Czechs) but in one respect they were to disappoint their tutors. They boldly asserted their Slovak nationality and refused to accept the hints and insinuations that they should consider themselves as a new breed of "Czechoslovaks". The youth of Slovakia (e.g. at their massive gathering at Trencianske Teplice in summer of 1932) even more vigorously than their fathers claimed for the Slovak nation those rights and privileges which every free nation should enjoy and which the Slovaks were once promised but since denied. In particular they demanded a fair deal for themselves and their countrymen: that the country's economy would pass into Slovak hands; that the Slovaks would get a proportional number of jobs in the Army, in the State and Public Service; that the Slovak language would be recognized and respected as the official language in Slovakia, etc. In the forefront of this struggle was the Slovak People's Party and one of its most energetic detachments was the academic youth where J. Kirschbaum was soon to play a leading role. His extensive involvement in politics-which inevitably had anti-Czech connotations-was frowned upon his Czech professors and the University authorities who would not allow him to graduate even though he had fulfilled all the �84 SLOVAKIA academic requirements with great distinction. Eventually he was awarded his Doctor of Law degree at a private ceremony in the summer of 1938. By this time Dr. J. Kirschbaum was already a wellknown public figure. His name frequently appeared in the Slovak press not only in connection with his activities but also as that of author of many articles, comments and penetrating observations. He was a regular contributor to several dailies and periodical of the time. The years 1938-39 passed into Slovak national history as the year of Slovakia's encounter with destiny. The evergrowing determination of the Slovak nation to be master in its own house manifested itself so patently that the further denial of political justice was no longer possible. The artificial edifice of "czechoslovakism " crumbled and the rigid centralist form of government was replaced by a federalist system. The post-Munich Czecho-Slovakia became a federated state and within its framework Slovakia obtained its overdue autonomy. The Slovak People's Party as the biggest political party in Slovakia and the most consistent advocate of autonomy assumed political responsibility for the future development of Slovakia. The first Slovak autonomous government formed in October 1938 consisted of two Hlinka followers (Dr. Jozef Tiso and Dr. Ferdinand !>urcansky), two Agrarians (Jan Lichner and Pavo! Teplansky) and one Nationalist (Matus cernak). These three parties represented-acco rding to the 1935 election results-almost two thirds of the Slovak electorate. The subsequent political activity of Dr. J. Kirschbaum must be viewed against this background. From the University lecture rooms he stepped straight into the turmoil of high-level politics. The situation facing the Slovak leaders was critical and very demanding. The People's Party had just lost its leader (Andrej Hlinka died in August 1938). Immediately after it had been granted autonomy Slovakia had to fight for its survival. Its greedy neighbors staked their territorial claims and Slovakia was forced to cede large portions of its territory to Hungary and 5maller ones to Poland and Germany. Truncated and harassed the country was even more determined to prove its vitality in spite of all threats and �SLOVAKIA 85 drawbacks. To achieve this, national unity was necessary. The political leaders thought that such a unity could be accomplished ( and convincingly demonstrated to outsiders) by the formation of a united political party for all Slovaks. This coalition-like party was formed in November 1938. It bore the dual name, Hlinka Slovak People's Party-The Party of Slovak National Unity and soon it was to be the real testing ground of the young Kirschbaum's abilities. But before this happened Dr. Kirschbaum had to prove his skill elsewhere. In the first months of Slovak autonomy he served as secretary of Minister f>urcansky (at the Ministry of Transport), and at the same time was the commandant of the Academic Hlinka Guards and the Editor-in-Chief of the radical fortnightly, "Nastup". In addition he was frequently seen and heard at many public meetings and demonstrations and his articles-which appeared regularly in "Nastup" and the daily press-were widely read. In the historic days of March 1939 when the Czechs by a military 'putsch' tried to quash Slovak autonomy and the future of Slovakia again hung in the balance, Dr. J. Kirschbaum-like his chief Dr. !>urcansky-considered the declaration of independence as the only viable solution. With fearless courage (the Czech military authorities issued an order for his arrest) he commuted between Dr. t>ucansky in Vienna and the Slovak political leaders in Bratislava (Karol Sidor and the deposed Prime Minister Dr. Jozef Tiso) in an attempt to arrange some coordinated political action. In these days of uncertainties he calmly organized-in defiance of Czech military orders--an impressive and welldisciplined march of University students through the streets of Bratislava. The authorities did not dare interfere and the demonstration turned out to be a significant moral booster for the suspense-packed hours preceding the declaration of independence. It is not surprising that in spite of his youth (he was barely 26) he figured on the list of the first Slovak government as proposed by Dr. t>urcansky, where he was allotted the Transport portfolio. But when-in the wake of the Slovak declaration of independence--the new government of Slovakia was an- �86 SLOVAKIA nounced, Kirschbaum's name was not included. But it was not because of his age. It is more probable that Dr. J. Tiso-the new Prime Minister and the leader of the Party of the Slovak National Unity - had for him a more challenging and exacting task. He appointed Dr. J . Kirschbaum the Secretary-General of the Party. The work imposed on his young shoulders by this appointment was enormous. The Slovak People's Party of the pre-1938 period was administered very haphazardly. Fr. Hlinka as the undisputed leader of a widespread popular movement did not see any great need and hence paid little attention to the organizational and bureaucratic details of the Party's day-to-day existence. This could do while the Party was in opposition and Hlinka's word was law. But after Hlinka's death the Party became the dominating influence in the government of the country and in addition was swelled by the influx of new members (including former members of those parties which united with it in November 1938) it was necessary for the Party to have its own statutes, modern organizational structure and an effective administrative machinery. By the Constitutional Law of July 1939 the Party was assigned a new and important role in the political, cultural and social life of independent Slovakia. The constructive implementation of this role was the job of the General Secretariat where Dr. J. Kirschbaum and an able team of dedicated and enthusiastic helpers were hard at work. At the Party Congress in Trencin (September 30thOctober 1st, 1939) Dr. J. Kirschbaum presented the new proposals for the organizational changes in the structure and administration of the Party. They were unanimously approved by the Congress and even his jealous critics had to admit that Dr. Kirschbaum and his team had done a thorough and creditable job. The Congress confirmed (also unanimously) Dr. Kirschbaum in the position of the Party's Secretary-General. As the Secretary-General of the Party Dr. J. Kirschbaum displayed not only zeal and agility but also a vision and sense of judgment so important in such a responsible job. Under his able administration the rejuvenated Party was launched on its new course under the new social and political conditions. �SLOVAKIA 87 Unfortunately Dr. Kirschbaum did not stay long in his Party post. In the first half of 1940 Slovak political life underwent dramatic changes due to the polarization of political thinking among the leaders of Slovakia. There were some who claimed that the present, as well as the future, of Slovakia must be linked with that of Germany in all respects. These close ties would postulate even the ideological remoulding of the Slovak life and outlook in the National Socialist pattern. This group, headed by Prime Minister Dr. Vojtech Tuka and the Commandant of the Hlinka Guards Alexander Mach, was resolutely opposed not only by President Dr. Tiso and the rest of the ministers but also by the overwhelming majority of ranli::. and file Party members and the people. The Party Secretariat stood solidly behind the President who insisted that Slovak politics must not slavishly imitate foreign examples but should be rooted in native traditions. Tuk.a and his followers called for German assistance which was soon forthcoming in the shape of the notorious "Salzburg consultations". In August 1940 Hitler and Ribbentrop forced President Tiso to dismiss from their positions of power the two men whom they considered as the chief trouble-makers and major obstructions to the spread of the Nazi ideology in Slovakia, namely Dr. F. nurcansky (Foreign and Interior Minister) and Dr. J. Kirschbaum (Secretary-General of the Party). After his dismissal from the Party job Dr. J. Kirschbaum was called up to do his military service in the Slovak Army (1940-41). A ban was imposed on his further participation in the domestic politics of Slovakia. And so after completion of his military duties he entered the Slovak diplomatic service. He started his diplomatic career as the Legation Counsellor at the Slovak Legation in Rome. After a short apprenticeship in Rome he assumed (in 1942) the position of Slovak Charge d'Affaires in Bern, where he stayed till the end of World War II. On the soil of neutral Switzerland he did his utmost to safeguard Slovak interests in the realm of international politics. Through personal contacts -both official and unofficial-and by all means available �88 SLOVAKIA to him he defended Slovakia's case for independence in the post-war territorial rearrangement of Central Europe. But the enemies of Slovak independence had at their side the victorious Western Powers and the Soviet Union and again it was the case of the "might-is-right" solution. With total disregard for the wishes of the small indigenous peoples it was decided to reimpose the discredited Versailles settlement on the nations of Central Europe. The Slovaks found themselves in an unwilling partnership with the Czechs in the reconstituted Czecho-Slovakia. As a result Dr. J. Kirschbaum like thousands of his countrymen stood face to face with the bitter reality of life in exile. The first years of his life as a political exile he spent in Switzerland where he worked for a short period ( 19461948) as an accredited representative of the Slovak League to the International Refugee Organization in Geneva. He was in continuous contact with the Slovak political leaders in exile and with Slovak organizations in America and elsewhere. It was obvious to them that the struggle for the restoration of Slovak independence must start there and then, no matter how hopeless the situation might look. To assure the maximum effectiveness of this struggle an organized and coordinated action was required. Thus in the summer of 1948 the foundations were laid for a Slovak political representation-The Slovak National Council A· broad-which took upon itself to carry on the struggle for the just and inalienable demands of the Slovak nation. Dr. Jozef Kirschbaum was one of the principal architects of this organization. It included such well-known personalities as Sidor, Pridavok, Culen, Mondok, Cieker, Pauco, Mikus, etc., but-most regretably-not Dr. F. !>urcansky. Dr. J. Kirschbaum stood at the head of the Committee in charge of foreign affairs. For this task he was indeed suitably prepared and equipped. He had the background of diplomatic experience and a deep and intimate knowledge of Slovak politics. His knowledge of the Western world was based on close observations and supplemented by his studies at several Western universities: Paris (Political Science, 1938), Rome (Political Science, 1941-42), Geneva (International Relations, 1946-48) and Montreal (1951-54). �SLOVAKIA 89 In 1949 he emigrated with his family (he married Magdalena Danihel in 1941 and by this time they had three children) to Montreal in Canada. In spite of the difficulties which are the lot of every immigrant in a new country he quickly settled down and resumed his work where he had left off in Europe, including his university studies. In 1952 he obtained an M.A. and in 1954 a Ph.D. degree at the Universite de Montreal. But even at this time his involvement in university activities went far deeper than a simple studentship. In 1951 he started to give a course of lectures at the Universite de Montreal and later at the Universite d'Ottawa and the University of Toronto. His lectures dealt with the broad spectrum of the history of the Western Slavs ('Slavia Occidentalis') and also with specific Slovak topics. As time went by he became even more deeply concerned with Slovak emigre politics. After 1950 the centre of Slovak p olitical activities shifted from Europe across the Atlantic and Montreal became their focal point. Here resided K . Sidor, K. culen, F. Tiso, F. Mondok, K. Murin and J . Kirschbaum who in 1952 was elected the chairman of the Political Committee of the Slovak National Council Abroad. One worrying feature of the Slovak political life in exile was its bifurcation into two organizations struggling for the same aims but in bitter rivalry against each other. For a man like Dr. J. Kirschbaum it was a particularly heart-breaking experience since the rival organization was led by his former chief and friend, Dr. F. !>urcansky. I t took many years of patience and endurance to heal this split. Major credit for this achievement should go to Dr. J. Kirschbaum. It was largely through his effort that in 1960 the Slovak community both at home and abroad learned with satisfaction about the formation of a joint organization-The Slovak Liberation Council. Dr. !>urcansky became the President of the Council's E xecutive Committee and Dr. J . Kirschbaum became the President of its Assembly. On purpose I have not said anything about the journalistic and literary activities of Dr. J . Kirschbaum. They would form an extensive chapter all by themselves and one cannot do them justice within the framework of this �90 SLOVAKIA brief biographical sketch. I only wish to remind the reader that on top of all the accomplishments recorded in the preceding paragraphs he should superimpose an impressive literary and journalistic output. This activity began when Dr. J. Kirschbaum was 14 years old and it is still continuing. In the period of the past 45 years Dr. Kirschbaum wrote (by a modest estimate) something like 1200 articles on a wide variety of topics (political commentaries, editorials. literary criticism and history, Slavic studies, linguistics. political science) in five languages (Slovak, French, English, German, Spanish) as well as four scholarly books, two of them in English ('Slovakia: Nation at the Crossroads of Central Europe', 1960, and 'Slovaks in Canada', 1967). In the last few years Dr. Kirschbaum has expended much of his time and energy in organizing and promoting the work of the Slovak World Congress. This relatively new body (founded in 1970) embraces all Slovak political, cultural, fraternal and other organizations and societies to speak on their behalf for the Slovak cause in the free world. Dr. J. Kirschbaum is one of the Vice Presidents of the Slovak World Congress and at the moment is putting the finishing editorial touches to a Symposium on Slovak history and culture. The book will contain the lectures and discussions which were delivered at the special conference successfully arranged by Dr. Kirschbaum to coincide with the General Assembly of the Slovak World Congress in Toronto (June 1971). Karl Marx who knew vastly more about life in exile than he knew about world revolution once wrote that emigre life is "a school of scandal and of meanness". Dr. Kirschbaum would probably agree with him. More than once he became an innocent victim of vicious attacks, intrigues and malicious gossip from the enemies of Slovak independence (who wanted to eliminate him from Slovak politics for obvious reasons) as well as from jealous and frustrated compatriots (who had no obvious reasons at all). But all this "sound and fury"-unpleasant and distractful as it must have been-did not sway Dr. Kirschbaum from his firm determination to work selflessly and untiringly for the just Slovak cause. Which only confirms my personal conviction about life in exile, namely that �91 SLOVAKIA exile brings out the best in a noble and purposeful man and the worst in those who are weak and insecure. Dr. Jozef Kirschbaum can look back on his past years, and in particular the years in exile, with contentment and satisfaction. We who watched his efforts and striving at a close distance and followed them with good wishes and admiration, we know he tried his utmost and did his best. His achievements when measured against a background of harrowing and unfavorable circumstances will irritate his detractors but will inspire many of his countrymen both at home and abroad, at present and in the future. AD MULTOS ANNOS! F. V n u k, Australia • • • SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA - - - supports freedom and independence of Slovakia; promotes a better understanding and appreciation of the Slovak nation, its history, culture, traditions, and desires; makes America better known to Slovakia and Slovakia better known to America in the interest of world peace, freedom and security; has a scholarship program for college and university students; promotes cooperation among all American-Slovak organizations and publications for the promulgations of Slovak ethnic heritage. is a charter member of the Slovak World Congress. Life membership: $100.00 For further information, write to: Slovak League of America 313 Ridge Avenue Middletown, Pa. 17057 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1973, Vol. 23 Description An account of the resource Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document 82 SLOVAKIA Dr. J. M. Kirschbaum A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH ON THE OCCASION OF HIS SIXTIETH BIRTHDAY It is next to impossible to condense into a short biographical essay a life of such many-sided activity, so rich in events and experiences as that of Dr. J.M. Kirschbaum. It can be said of him and many of his contemporaries that their lives epitomise the Slovak history of the past half century in both its triumphant and tragic aspects. But nowhere is this symbolism so obvious and so clearly reflected as in the work and achievements of Dr. J. M. Kirschbaum. All his adult life has been spent in a dedicated service of the Slovak cause which, in turn, has in him its most ardent and articulate advocate. He was born on March 25th, 1913 in Dolne Vestenice, a well-known fruit-growing district of Central Slovakia. His father fought for the liberation of Slovakia in the Czecho-Slovak Legion during the First World War and returned from Siberia only in 1920. The years of fighting and deprivation sapped his health and he died in 1923 when the boy was ten years old. As a student of great promise and intellectual ability young Jozef Kirschbaum was sent to continue his schooling at the Lyceum (High School) in Nitra. I may add that at that time it was unusual for a village boy to pursue higher studies since the course was quite costly and demanding. Straight from the beginning J. Kirschbaum was an outstanding student whether at the Nitra Lyceum (1923-25) or later at the famous Jesuit college "Stanislavov" in Ruzomberok. In the days of Kirschbaum's stay at Ruzomberok the town had in the minds of most of the Slovak countryfolk the aura of a true capital city of Slovakia. Here resided as parish priest Fr. Andrej Hlinka, the leader of the Slovak People's Party and a fearless tribune of his people. Not even young students could escape the political atmosphere SLOVAKIA 83 and the powerful influence of Hlinka's dynamic personality. For a young idealistic Slovak man Hlinka's political aims in their forceful simplicity must have been an irresistible attraction. There is no doubt that there and then was planted the seed of his future political commitments and involvements. After completion of his high school studies (at Kosice in 1933) Jozef Kirschbaum enrolled in the Law Faculty of the Bratislava University. Here he found himself right from the start in the thick of feverish political activities. The University halls and colleges were recruiting grounds and battle arenas where the new generation of political leaders were testing their skills and sharpening their tools. Kirschbaum and his contemporaries represented the first generation which grew up and was educated in the post-war Slovakia and was not exposed to the humiliating experiences of magyarization. They were the proud products of their teachers and professors (largely the Czechs) but in one respect they were to disappoint their tutors. They boldly asserted their Slovak nationality and refused to accept the hints and insinuations that they should consider themselves as a new breed of "Czechoslovaks". The youth of Slovakia (e.g. at their massive gathering at Trencianske Teplice in summer of 1932) even more vigorously than their fathers claimed for the Slovak nation those rights and privileges which every free nation should enjoy and which the Slovaks were once promised but since denied. In particular they demanded a fair deal for themselves and their countrymen: that the country's economy would pass into Slovak hands; that the Slovaks would get a proportional number of jobs in the Army, in the State and Public Service; that the Slovak language would be recognized and respected as the official language in Slovakia, etc. In the forefront of this struggle was the Slovak People's Party and one of its most energetic detachments was the academic youth where J. Kirschbaum was soon to play a leading role. His extensive involvement in politics-which inevitably had anti-Czech connotations-was frowned upon his Czech professors and the University authorities who would not allow him to graduate even though he had fulfilled all the 84 SLOVAKIA academic requirements with great distinction. Eventually he was awarded his Doctor of Law degree at a private ceremony in the summer of 1938. By this time Dr. J. Kirschbaum was already a wellknown public figure. His name frequently appeared in the Slovak press not only in connection with his activities but also as that of author of many articles, comments and penetrating observations. He was a regular contributor to several dailies and periodical of the time. The years 1938-39 passed into Slovak national history as the year of Slovakia's encounter with destiny. The evergrowing determination of the Slovak nation to be master in its own house manifested itself so patently that the further denial of political justice was no longer possible. The artificial edifice of "czechoslovakism " crumbled and the rigid centralist form of government was replaced by a federalist system. The post-Munich Czecho-Slovakia became a federated state and within its framework Slovakia obtained its overdue autonomy. The Slovak People's Party as the biggest political party in Slovakia and the most consistent advocate of autonomy assumed political responsibility for the future development of Slovakia. The first Slovak autonomous government formed in October 1938 consisted of two Hlinka followers (Dr. Jozef Tiso and Dr. Ferdinand !>urcansky), two Agrarians (Jan Lichner and Pavo! Teplansky) and one Nationalist (Matus cernak). These three parties represented-acco rding to the 1935 election results-almost two thirds of the Slovak electorate. The subsequent political activity of Dr. J. Kirschbaum must be viewed against this background. From the University lecture rooms he stepped straight into the turmoil of high-level politics. The situation facing the Slovak leaders was critical and very demanding. The People's Party had just lost its leader (Andrej Hlinka died in August 1938). Immediately after it had been granted autonomy Slovakia had to fight for its survival. Its greedy neighbors staked their territorial claims and Slovakia was forced to cede large portions of its territory to Hungary and 5maller ones to Poland and Germany. Truncated and harassed the country was even more determined to prove its vitality in spite of all threats and SLOVAKIA 85 drawbacks. To achieve this, national unity was necessary. The political leaders thought that such a unity could be accomplished ( and convincingly demonstrated to outsiders) by the formation of a united political party for all Slovaks. This coalition-like party was formed in November 1938. It bore the dual name, Hlinka Slovak People's Party-The Party of Slovak National Unity and soon it was to be the real testing ground of the young Kirschbaum's abilities. But before this happened Dr. Kirschbaum had to prove his skill elsewhere. In the first months of Slovak autonomy he served as secretary of Minister f>urcansky (at the Ministry of Transport), and at the same time was the commandant of the Academic Hlinka Guards and the Editor-in-Chief of the radical fortnightly, "Nastup". In addition he was frequently seen and heard at many public meetings and demonstrations and his articles-which appeared regularly in "Nastup" and the daily press-were widely read. In the historic days of March 1939 when the Czechs by a military 'putsch' tried to quash Slovak autonomy and the future of Slovakia again hung in the balance, Dr. J. Kirschbaum-like his chief Dr. !>urcansky-considered the declaration of independence as the only viable solution. With fearless courage (the Czech military authorities issued an order for his arrest) he commuted between Dr. t>ucansky in Vienna and the Slovak political leaders in Bratislava (Karol Sidor and the deposed Prime Minister Dr. Jozef Tiso) in an attempt to arrange some coordinated political action. In these days of uncertainties he calmly organized-in defiance of Czech military orders--an impressive and welldisciplined march of University students through the streets of Bratislava. The authorities did not dare interfere and the demonstration turned out to be a significant moral booster for the suspense-packed hours preceding the declaration of independence. It is not surprising that in spite of his youth (he was barely 26) he figured on the list of the first Slovak government as proposed by Dr. t>urcansky, where he was allotted the Transport portfolio. But when-in the wake of the Slovak declaration of independence--the new government of Slovakia was an- 86 SLOVAKIA nounced, Kirschbaum's name was not included. But it was not because of his age. It is more probable that Dr. J. Tiso-the new Prime Minister and the leader of the Party of the Slovak National Unity - had for him a more challenging and exacting task. He appointed Dr. J . Kirschbaum the Secretary-General of the Party. The work imposed on his young shoulders by this appointment was enormous. The Slovak People's Party of the pre-1938 period was administered very haphazardly. Fr. Hlinka as the undisputed leader of a widespread popular movement did not see any great need and hence paid little attention to the organizational and bureaucratic details of the Party's day-to-day existence. This could do while the Party was in opposition and Hlinka's word was law. But after Hlinka's death the Party became the dominating influence in the government of the country and in addition was swelled by the influx of new members (including former members of those parties which united with it in November 1938) it was necessary for the Party to have its own statutes, modern organizational structure and an effective administrative machinery. By the Constitutional Law of July 1939 the Party was assigned a new and important role in the political, cultural and social life of independent Slovakia. The constructive implementation of this role was the job of the General Secretariat where Dr. J. Kirschbaum and an able team of dedicated and enthusiastic helpers were hard at work. At the Party Congress in Trencin (September 30thOctober 1st, 1939) Dr. J. Kirschbaum presented the new proposals for the organizational changes in the structure and administration of the Party. They were unanimously approved by the Congress and even his jealous critics had to admit that Dr. Kirschbaum and his team had done a thorough and creditable job. The Congress confirmed (also unanimously) Dr. Kirschbaum in the position of the Party's Secretary-General. As the Secretary-General of the Party Dr. J. Kirschbaum displayed not only zeal and agility but also a vision and sense of judgment so important in such a responsible job. Under his able administration the rejuvenated Party was launched on its new course under the new social and political conditions. SLOVAKIA 87 Unfortunately Dr. Kirschbaum did not stay long in his Party post. In the first half of 1940 Slovak political life underwent dramatic changes due to the polarization of political thinking among the leaders of Slovakia. There were some who claimed that the present, as well as the future, of Slovakia must be linked with that of Germany in all respects. These close ties would postulate even the ideological remoulding of the Slovak life and outlook in the National Socialist pattern. This group, headed by Prime Minister Dr. Vojtech Tuka and the Commandant of the Hlinka Guards Alexander Mach, was resolutely opposed not only by President Dr. Tiso and the rest of the ministers but also by the overwhelming majority of ranli::. and file Party members and the people. The Party Secretariat stood solidly behind the President who insisted that Slovak politics must not slavishly imitate foreign examples but should be rooted in native traditions. Tuk.a and his followers called for German assistance which was soon forthcoming in the shape of the notorious "Salzburg consultations". In August 1940 Hitler and Ribbentrop forced President Tiso to dismiss from their positions of power the two men whom they considered as the chief trouble-makers and major obstructions to the spread of the Nazi ideology in Slovakia, namely Dr. F. nurcansky (Foreign and Interior Minister) and Dr. J. Kirschbaum (Secretary-General of the Party). After his dismissal from the Party job Dr. J. Kirschbaum was called up to do his military service in the Slovak Army (1940-41). A ban was imposed on his further participation in the domestic politics of Slovakia. And so after completion of his military duties he entered the Slovak diplomatic service. He started his diplomatic career as the Legation Counsellor at the Slovak Legation in Rome. After a short apprenticeship in Rome he assumed (in 1942) the position of Slovak Charge d'Affaires in Bern, where he stayed till the end of World War II. On the soil of neutral Switzerland he did his utmost to safeguard Slovak interests in the realm of international politics. Through personal contacts -both official and unofficial-and by all means available 88 SLOVAKIA to him he defended Slovakia's case for independence in the post-war territorial rearrangement of Central Europe. But the enemies of Slovak independence had at their side the victorious Western Powers and the Soviet Union and again it was the case of the "might-is-right" solution. With total disregard for the wishes of the small indigenous peoples it was decided to reimpose the discredited Versailles settlement on the nations of Central Europe. The Slovaks found themselves in an unwilling partnership with the Czechs in the reconstituted Czecho-Slovakia. As a result Dr. J. Kirschbaum like thousands of his countrymen stood face to face with the bitter reality of life in exile. The first years of his life as a political exile he spent in Switzerland where he worked for a short period ( 19461948) as an accredited representative of the Slovak League to the International Refugee Organization in Geneva. He was in continuous contact with the Slovak political leaders in exile and with Slovak organizations in America and elsewhere. It was obvious to them that the struggle for the restoration of Slovak independence must start there and then, no matter how hopeless the situation might look. To assure the maximum effectiveness of this struggle an organized and coordinated action was required. Thus in the summer of 1948 the foundations were laid for a Slovak political representation-The Slovak National Council A· broad-which took upon itself to carry on the struggle for the just and inalienable demands of the Slovak nation. Dr. Jozef Kirschbaum was one of the principal architects of this organization. It included such well-known personalities as Sidor, Pridavok, Culen, Mondok, Cieker, Pauco, Mikus, etc., but-most regretably-not Dr. F. !>urcansky. Dr. J. Kirschbaum stood at the head of the Committee in charge of foreign affairs. For this task he was indeed suitably prepared and equipped. He had the background of diplomatic experience and a deep and intimate knowledge of Slovak politics. His knowledge of the Western world was based on close observations and supplemented by his studies at several Western universities: Paris (Political Science, 1938), Rome (Political Science, 1941-42), Geneva (International Relations, 1946-48) and Montreal (1951-54). SLOVAKIA 89 In 1949 he emigrated with his family (he married Magdalena Danihel in 1941 and by this time they had three children) to Montreal in Canada. In spite of the difficulties which are the lot of every immigrant in a new country he quickly settled down and resumed his work where he had left off in Europe, including his university studies. In 1952 he obtained an M.A. and in 1954 a Ph.D. degree at the Universite de Montreal. But even at this time his involvement in university activities went far deeper than a simple studentship. In 1951 he started to give a course of lectures at the Universite de Montreal and later at the Universite d'Ottawa and the University of Toronto. His lectures dealt with the broad spectrum of the history of the Western Slavs ('Slavia Occidentalis') and also with specific Slovak topics. As time went by he became even more deeply concerned with Slovak emigre politics. After 1950 the centre of Slovak p olitical activities shifted from Europe across the Atlantic and Montreal became their focal point. Here resided K . Sidor, K. culen, F. Tiso, F. Mondok, K. Murin and J . Kirschbaum who in 1952 was elected the chairman of the Political Committee of the Slovak National Council Abroad. One worrying feature of the Slovak political life in exile was its bifurcation into two organizations struggling for the same aims but in bitter rivalry against each other. For a man like Dr. J. Kirschbaum it was a particularly heart-breaking experience since the rival organization was led by his former chief and friend, Dr. F. !>urcansky. I t took many years of patience and endurance to heal this split. Major credit for this achievement should go to Dr. J. Kirschbaum. It was largely through his effort that in 1960 the Slovak community both at home and abroad learned with satisfaction about the formation of a joint organization-The Slovak Liberation Council. Dr. !>urcansky became the President of the Council's E xecutive Committee and Dr. J . Kirschbaum became the President of its Assembly. On purpose I have not said anything about the journalistic and literary activities of Dr. J . Kirschbaum. They would form an extensive chapter all by themselves and one cannot do them justice within the framework of this 90 SLOVAKIA brief biographical sketch. I only wish to remind the reader that on top of all the accomplishments recorded in the preceding paragraphs he should superimpose an impressive literary and journalistic output. This activity began when Dr. J. Kirschbaum was 14 years old and it is still continuing. In the period of the past 45 years Dr. Kirschbaum wrote (by a modest estimate) something like 1200 articles on a wide variety of topics (political commentaries, editorials. literary criticism and history, Slavic studies, linguistics. political science) in five languages (Slovak, French, English, German, Spanish) as well as four scholarly books, two of them in English ('Slovakia: Nation at the Crossroads of Central Europe', 1960, and 'Slovaks in Canada', 1967). In the last few years Dr. Kirschbaum has expended much of his time and energy in organizing and promoting the work of the Slovak World Congress. This relatively new body (founded in 1970) embraces all Slovak political, cultural, fraternal and other organizations and societies to speak on their behalf for the Slovak cause in the free world. Dr. J. Kirschbaum is one of the Vice Presidents of the Slovak World Congress and at the moment is putting the finishing editorial touches to a Symposium on Slovak history and culture. The book will contain the lectures and discussions which were delivered at the special conference successfully arranged by Dr. Kirschbaum to coincide with the General Assembly of the Slovak World Congress in Toronto (June 1971). Karl Marx who knew vastly more about life in exile than he knew about world revolution once wrote that emigre life is "a school of scandal and of meanness". Dr. Kirschbaum would probably agree with him. More than once he became an innocent victim of vicious attacks, intrigues and malicious gossip from the enemies of Slovak independence (who wanted to eliminate him from Slovak politics for obvious reasons) as well as from jealous and frustrated compatriots (who had no obvious reasons at all). But all this "sound and fury"-unpleasant and distractful as it must have been-did not sway Dr. Kirschbaum from his firm determination to work selflessly and untiringly for the just Slovak cause. Which only confirms my personal conviction about life in exile, namely that 91 SLOVAKIA exile brings out the best in a noble and purposeful man and the worst in those who are weak and insecure. Dr. Jozef Kirschbaum can look back on his past years, and in particular the years in exile, with contentment and satisfaction. We who watched his efforts and striving at a close distance and followed them with good wishes and admiration, we know he tried his utmost and did his best. His achievements when measured against a background of harrowing and unfavorable circumstances will irritate his detractors but will inspire many of his countrymen both at home and abroad, at present and in the future. AD MULTOS ANNOS! F. V n u k, Australia • • • SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA - - - supports freedom and independence of Slovakia; promotes a better understanding and appreciation of the Slovak nation, its history, culture, traditions, and desires; makes America better known to Slovakia and Slovakia better known to America in the interest of world peace, freedom and security; has a scholarship program for college and university students; promotes cooperation among all American-Slovak organizations and publications for the promulgations of Slovak ethnic heritage. is a charter member of the Slovak World Congress. Life membership: $100.00 For further information, write to: Slovak League of America 313 Ridge Avenue Middletown, Pa. 17057  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Dr. J. M. Kirschbaum: A biographical sketch on the occasion of his sixtieth birthday Description An account of the resource F. Vnuk Slovakia, Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973 pp. 82-91 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Vnuk, František, 1926- Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 SNK https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/a82b96779fc5c05abaf1f3ffcb4e80b0.pdf 1a1ed88603749b8b9ef7a5c67a745482 PDF Text Text 72 SLOVAKIA Cultural Revival of American And Canadian Slovaks Jozef Pa u co, Ph.D. I. During the past ten years, American and Canadian Slovaks are living a cultural revival. There are many instances to indicate this. Above all, they received support from many intellectuals who emigrated from Slovakia after the second world war. A firm collaboration was created in the cultural field, primarily through the Slovak League of America, the Canadian Slovak League, and the Slovak Institute in Cleveland-Rome. The 1100 centennial of the arrival of SS. Cyril and Methodius to Slovakia, which was celebrated auspiciously by the free Slovaks, inspired many scientific and cultural workers and awakened an interest in the past and present culture among a great number. Finally, a wave of national and cultural rebirth swept over American soil, in all aspects. During the first years of revival, preparation was quite slow, but since 1960 there was a complete flourishing in practically all educational and scientific disciplines. When at first an attempt was made to discuss cultural revival it was doubtful as to its success. The results were amazing because the third and fourth generation of American Slovaks did not yet sink in the sea of anonymity. This appears from the fact that American and Canadian Slovaks not only read but are active in Slovak life and activities. Scholarships are available sponsored by practically every Slovak organization in America. It is not extraordinary for students to receive awards for outstanding work. If a student seeks for ethnical news where scholarships are published, it is a sign of his Slovak interest. Of course all applicants must belong to the organization concerned. Amidst approximately 450,000 organized American Slovaks rnmrly 1/ 3 belong to a youth branch. 1 �SLOVAKIA 73 II. Slovak cultural educators published and sold a great number of books about Slovakia and its people and that not only in Slovak but also in English and to a certain extent French. Two goals were aimed at: 1) to bring Slovakia to the youngest Americans of Slovak extraction; 2) to inform the non-Slovak public with objective information which was, until recently, rare, .because only those spoke and wrote about Slovaks, who through various reasons were not favorable towards and did not recognize the Slovaks as a nation. In this respect it must be admitted that Slovak knowledge and publicity took a step forward. HISTORICAL WORKS Several noteworthy volumes dealing with the history of the Slovak nation, incidently the American and Canadian Slovaks, were published. Professor Gilbert L. Oddo is the author of the first complete English history of the Slovak people in which he partially despicts the history of American Slovaks.2 The work was published in three editions and is still in demand by Slovak as well as American educators. Professor Jozef M. Kirschbaum published a remarkable book3 in which he portrays important incidents of the Slovak people. Professor Jozef A. Mikus devoted his well documented treatise to the events from 1918 to 1950.4 Professor Frantisek Vnuk wrote a detailed account of the evolvement of Slovakia from autonomy to independent statehood.5 These works form the basic orientation of Slovak history. The supplement in Slovak Studies, Slovakia, and Jednota Annual Furdek, 6 provides the reader with a great deal of material, which in America concentrates and objectively casts light on Slovakian past. The hi~tory of American and Canadian Slovaks is grasped as well. The complete history in English is found in Canada. It was written on the basis of a dissertation and strictly according to scientific form by Professor Jozef M. Kirschbaum. 7 Canada and ethnic critics accepted this work with highest honors. �74 SLOVAKIA The First Catholic Slovak Union published a detailed history about its organization.8 Even though it concerns the history of one organization, this book contains such material touching upon all phases of American Slovaks in-as-much as the First Catholic Slovak Union played an exceptionally significant role in their lives. A history of the Slovak League of America was published in English. 9 To this work we must add a meaningful chapter about the Pittsburgh Pact written by Peter P. Hletko. 10 Both publications offer the students o! American Slovak life adequate research material for the study of attitudes towards Slovakia. Practically every American Slovak organization has a chronicle review in its calendars or memoirs. Even the American Slovak parishes brief chronicles or histories of their parishes, at first in Slovak, later bi-lingual, and finally just English. In the United States and later in Canada, Slovak religious orders played and are playing an important role. The history of all the Slovak religious orders was compiled by Professor Francis Hrusovsky. 11 The accomplishment was of high quality and well documented. The congregation of the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius which began in America in 1909 has its own history; 12 so do the Slovak Franciscan Fathers.13 Both works were written by members of the respective religious orders. In addition, it is well to mention a miriad of books or periodicals containing biographies of leading American Slovaks particularly of pioneer days. The greater number were printed in Slovak.14 These and other works as well as those of the Slovak Institute and other cultural Slovak-American Institutes developed an interest in students of Slovak origin, about the past of the Slovak nation, its culture and politics. Upon this basis many academic thesis developed. The author of this article receives at least five inquiries annually for suggestions of topics regarding Slovak life. The Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius wrote more than twenty thesis many of which undergo severe departmental criticism. 15 Particular emphasis is placed upon the historical era of SS. Cyril and Methodius. To attain this goal Slovak Studies aided greatly by publishing many technical con- �SLOVAKIA 75 tribution in one volume. 16 A well known historian of the Cyrilo-Methodian era, Michal Lacko, wrote the biography of the Apostles and the Slavonic nations, in general. 17 Sister M. Martina Tybor wrote the Junior and Senior edition of SS. Cyril and Methodius, who are the patrons of her congregation.18 Most 1963 presented an expanded appraisal of the SS. Cyril and Methodius traditions among Slovaks. The history of the persecution of the church under communism was very well written by Father Teodorik J. Zubek, 0. F. M. in a documentary volume and other opportune studies.19 Sister Cecilia revealed the unbearable conditions, as she beheld and lived through them under the Communist regime. 20 Further attempts were made to enlighten this tragic period of the church, hierarchy, priesthood, religious orders, and the people of God. 21 In western Europe and South America free Slovaks published books in other languages, principally German , French, Italian and Spanish in which they dealt with the Slovak tragedy after 1945 as well as specific problems which painfully were incorporated in the history of the Slovak nation. In this regard the most valuable works were edited by Bishop Paul Hnilica, Msgr. Stefan Nahalka, Msgr. Jozef Tomko, Rev. Stanislav :C>urica and Rev. Michal Lacko in Italy; Rev. Vojtech Bucko, Dr. Ferdinand :C>urcansky and Kristof Greiner in West Germany; P. G. Dobis in Austria; Dr. Arved Grebert in Switzerland; Dr. Stefan Glejdura in Spain; Dr. Stanislav Meciar, Dr. Ernest zatko and Alojz Macek in Argentina. 22 LITERATURE AND LANGUAGE While the history of the Slovak nation and AmericanCanadian Slovaks have a sufficient representation in English, the history of Slovak Literature and language awaits further elaboration. Basic studies emanated in single, particularly cited annuals or individual articles. Most attention to those themes was devoted by Professor Jozef M. Kirschbaum, Msgr. Jan Rekem , and professor Frantisek Vnuk. While Dr. Kirschbaum and Dr. Rekem occupied themselves with individual periods of Slovak literature and development of the language of the past, Vnuk concentrated upon strengthening Slovak literature. 23 �76 SLOVAKIA Language studies of a practical nature are properly represented. Modern textbooks in Slovak language were compiled by Mother M. Emerencia, SS.C.M., S. E. Bue, Filip A. Hrobak and Konus. 24 Among the best dictionaries are those of Hrobak and Konus.25 NEWSPAPERS AND ALMANACS Editors and co-workers of American and Canadian Slovak newspapers in Slovak and in the past few years in English are returning to the problem concerned with preservation of national consciousness, cultural, ethnical awareness, enlightening the public with various phases of Slovak life. Representative voices of the third generation of Slovaks in the news methods and articles are not lacking. Emphasis, however, is placed upon the preservation of Slovak cultural inheritance. In this regard the Jednota, Katolicky Sokol, Narodne Noviny, zivena and Kanadsk?} Slovak are performing a great work in the English language. The technical and representative review Most, Literdrny Almanach, Slovak v Amerike, and other newspapers are returning to the all-Slovak problems exclusively in the Slovak language.26 Literarny Almanach, Slovak v Amerike and Slovak Studies published an outlook upon the events of the cultural activities of Slovak writers, leaders, poets, artists, and news editors. The reports are not complete, but they are sufficient evidence to assure the unprejudiced reader that in the revival of Slovak cultural life in America are intellectuals who do not want to stifle the development of Americanization, but they do not want to speed it up . They strive to evolve in this field as much as other ethnic groups. It is not coincidental that in the preparation of ethnic cultural centers, American Slovaks wish to enkindle appropriate roles equal to their number and missions. 27 In the United States and Canada, after the Second Vatican Council, Slovak liturgy is heard in practically every Slovak Roman Catholic parish. Even in churches of Lutheran denomination, the liturgy is Slovak. As we shall see in next chapter the sale of prayer books in the Slovak language is widespread. At Slovak picnics, which are held by the hundreds, �SLOVAKIA 77 every summer, in the United States and Canada, Slovak music and songs are heard. In like manner, these are heard at weddings, even to the third and fourth generation. Slovak songs and music binds and deepens Slovak consciousness more than enything else. Slovak records are being made in practically every city where Slovaks live and at least one musician versed in Slovak folk songs and dances is found. In the past few years professional Slovak singing and dance groups were organized. The leading ones are in Toronto and Montreal, followed by Detroit, Chicago, and New York. At conventions of American-Slovak and Canadian-Slovak organizations the Slovak language is still used, even though less than the English. Official reports and minutes are written bi-lingually in spite of the fact that the pioneer generation of Slovak immigrants, especially in America, bas no representation at the conventions. III Another indication of cultural awakening among American and Canadian Slovaks is the sale of books. During the past five years, 113,755 Slovak books and 450,000 pamphlets were sold in North America. This number includes 61,215 scientific, popular science, and novels; 65,000 pamphlets; 52,540 religious books and 385,000 religious pamphlets. The number of English books about the Slovaks 31,248; Slovak-English and English-Slovak dictionaries and textbooks sold amounted to 14,195. Altogether during the past five years 159,198 books in English or Slovak about Slovaks were sold, in addition to 450,000 pamphlets. The greatest number of books were sold by the First Catholic Slovak Union: 49,008. The greatest number of religious books, 32,000, were sold by the Slovak Franciscan Fathers. Books were sold by the Slovak Institute of SS. Cyril and Methodius, Slovak Jesuit Fathers, Sisters of St. Dominic (Oxford, Mich.), Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius, and �78 SLOVAKIA other smaller publishers, namely Slovak v Amerike, Slovenskd Obrana, Rev. Frantisek Fuga and others.28 During the past five years 5,200 maps of Slovakia29 were sold and 45,400 Slovak records were distributed. 30 IV It is difficult to estim8.te how many Slovaks live in America and what per cent of American inhabitants consist of Slovak immigrants and their descendants. It is generally admitted that the people of ethnic groups number not less than 30,000,000. How many Americans are of Slovak ancestry? The statistics of the Slovak Academy of Science in Bratislava report that up to 1921 when mass emigration ceased, 867,720 Slovaks emigrated to America. 31 It is true that some of these retlirned to their homeland. However, approximately 500,000 remained in America. Today there are three generations of Slovak origin in the United States. If we calculated that each family has at least four children, then emphasising that three million Slovaks live in America is a conservative number. The question is, to what extent do these American citizens of Slovak ancestry feel their Slovak heritage. We can judge this through the aid of organizations and newspapers. Slovak-American organizations have more than 450,000 members; newspapers around 150,000 subscribers. This does not include various parish societies and clubs of all sects. There are over 400 Slovak parishes. All organized American-Slovaks with their families create at least 2,000,000 citizens who can be included to a greater or lesser extent as conscious Slovaks. There are about 70,000 Slovaks in Canada.32 Since practically all Slovak emigrees came to Canada after the first world war, we do not exaggerate when we emphasize that the Slovak spirit lives on not only in the first but also in the second and third generation of Canadian Slovaks. FOOTNOTES 1) Slovakia, Middletown, Pa.: Slovak League of America, XX, Ne. 43, pp. 105-121; XXI, No. 44, pp. 109-144. �SLOVAKIA 79 2) Gilbert L. Oddo, Slovakia and Its People, New York: Robert Speller and Sons, 1960. 3) J. M. Kirschbaum, Slovakia: Nation at the Crossroads of Central Europe, New York: Robert Speller and Sons, 1960. 4) Joseph A. Mikus, Slovakia-A Political History, Milwaukee, Wis. : Marquette University Press, 1964. The same work is in French: La Slovaquie dans le drame de L 'Europe, Paris: Les Iles d'or, 1955. 5) F. Vnuk, Slovakia's Six Eventful Months (October 1938-March 1939) . Rome: Slovak Institute, Cleveland-Rome, 1964. He devoted much attention to Communistic politics. The following work is very important: Historical Outline of the Communist Party of Slovakia, Middletown, Pa.: Slovak v Amerike, 1968. Another important work is that of F rantisek Vnuk, Neuveritel'ne sprisahanie: vojenske a politicke akcie proti Slovenskej republike v roku 1944 (English resume), Middletown, Pa.: Slovak v Amerike, 1964. 6) Slovak Studies, Rome, Italy: Slovak Institute, Cleveland-Rome, 19611967, VII Volumes. Slovakia, Middletown, Pa.: Slovak League of America, 1951-1971, XXI Volumes. Jednota Annual Furdek, Middletown, Pa.: First Catholic Slovak Union, 1962-1971, X Vol. 7) J. M. Kirschbaum, Slovaks in Canada, Toronto, Canada: Canadian Ethnic Press Association of Ontario, Toronto, Canada, 1967. 8) Jozef Pauco, Ph.D., 75 rokov Prvej Katolickej Slovenskej Jednoty, Cleveland, Ohio: First Catholic Slovak Union, 1965. 9) Joseph Pauco, Ph.D., (Ed.) 60 Years of the Slovak League of America, Middletown, Pa.: Slovak League of America, 1967. 10) Peter P. IDetko, M.D., The Slovaks and the Pittsburgh Pact, Slovakia, XVIII, No. 41, pp. 5-54. 11) Frantisek Hru~ovsky, Ph.D., Slovenske rehole v Amerike, Cleveland, Ohio: Slovak Institute at the abbey of St. Andrew-Svorad, 1955. 12) Mother M. Emerentia Petrasek, Brief History of the Congregation of the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius, Danville, Pa. , 1959. 13) Richard Portasik, O.F.M., Slovak Franciscans in America, History of the Most Holy Savior Commissariate, 1926-1966, Pittsburgh, Pa.: Franciscan Fathers, 1966. 14) Here are for instance: Jozef Pauco, Stefan Furdek a slovenske prist'ahovalectvo, Middletown, Pa., J ednota, 1955. Jozef Pauco, MatitS Jankola, knaz a narodovec, Danville, Pa., Congregation of the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius, 1959. A host of other contributions by the same author about the Slovak pioneers in America in the newspaper JEDNOTA, Middletown, Pa., The annual Furdek contributed English articles about the Slovak peoples in almost every edition. �SLOVAKIA 80 15) The well known are: Sister M. Consuela Gregorovich, Contribution of Rev. Matthew Jankola to Slovak Education in the United States, 1944. Sister M. Delphine Opet, SS.C.M., Political Views of Dudovit Stur, Slovakia, XXI, No. 44, pp. 20-78. S. E. Bue, Slovak Nationalism, Middletown, Pa.: Slovak League of America, 1960. M. G. Woytko, Slovakia's Road to Statehood, Whiting, Indiana, Lach Publications, 1956. 16) Slovak Studies, Vol. III, Cyrilomethodiana, Rome, Italy, 1963. 17) M. Lacko, The Life of Saints Cyril and Methodius, Rome: Slovak Institute, Cleveland-Rome, 1963. Second Edition, 1970. Here is an additionally important work: Smrzik, The Glagolitic or Roman-Slavonic Liturgy, Cleveland, Ohio: Slovak Institute, 1959. 18) Sister Martina Tybor, Saints Cyril and Methodius, Milwaukee, Wis ., Bruce Publishing Co., Senior and Junior edition. 19) Theodoric J. Zubek, O.F.M., S.T.D., The Church of Silence in Slovakia, Whiting, Indiana, Lach Publications, 1956.: Slovak BishopsMartyrs of Christ, Toronto, Ontario, Canadian Slovak League, 1963.; Slovak Clergy in History and Culture, Middletown, Pa., First Catholic Slovak Union, 1970. 20) Sister Cecilia, The Deliverance of Sister Cecilia, New York, New York, Farrar, Straus and Young, First Printing, 1954. 21) For example: Jozef Pauco, Unconquerables, New York, Vantage Press, 1958.; Christian Slovakia under Communism, Valparaiso , Indiana, Slovak Catholic Federation of America, 1953. 22) More accurate facts in the Literarny Almanach Slovaka v Amerike, "Predstavitelia slovenskej kulturnej tvorby," 1967, pp. 113-252 and Slovak Studies, Vol. VII, Bibliography, Rome, Italy: Slovak Institute, Cleveland-Rome, 1967. 23) J.M. Kirschbaum, nudovit Stur and His Place in the Slav-tc World, Cleveland, Ohio.: Slovak Institute, 1953.: Pavel Jozef Safarik and His Contribution to Slavic Studies, Cleveland-Winnipeg, Slavistica No. 43, 1962. Literature of the Cyrilo-Methodian Period and Slova,. kia, Cleveland, Ohio.: Slovak Institute, 1964.; Anton Bernolak, the First Codifier of the Slovak Language, Winnipeg-Cleveland, Ohio: Slavistica No. 52, 1964. Jan Kollar-Slovak Poet of Panslavism, Winnipeg-Toronto: Slavistica No. LVI, 1966. J. Rekem, The Origin and Development of the Slovak Language, Middletown, Pa.: Jednota, 1962. Slovak Litcratiire and National Consciousness Before Anton Bernolak (1762-1813), Cleveland, Ohio, Slovak Institute, 1965. Frantisek Vnuk, Sedemnast' neurodnych rokov (excerpts from the history of Slovak literature, 1945-1962) , Middletown, Pa.; Slovak v Amerike, English resume, 1965. 24) Mother M. Emerentia, Steps in Elementary Slovak, Hazleton, Pa., Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius, I, II, III, 1959.; Rev. Bonaventure S. Bue, O.F.M., Ph.D., Slovak Language Laboratory Course, Cleveland, Ohio: The First Catholic Slovak Union, 1968.; Philip A. �SLOVAKIA 81 Hrobak, Slovak Lessons, Middletown, Pa., 1949.; Let's Learn Slovak, Middletown, Pa., 1959.; Slovak for Beginners, Middletown, Pa., I, IT, III, 1963.; J. Konus, Practical Slovak Grammar, Pittsburgh, Pa., 1939. A good service was rendered in the work of Henrich Bartek, Slovensky pravopis s gramatickymi pouckami a slovnikom, Whiting, Ind., Rev. John Lach, 1956. A textbook in the Slovak language was prepared also by Sister M. Gabriel, SS.C.M. and Stefan Blasko. 25) Hrobak's English-Slovak Dictionary, Middletown, Pa., 1944. Second Printing, New York, N.Y.; Robert Speller and Sons, 1965. J. J.Konus, Slov ensko-anglicky slovnik, Slovak-English Dictionary, Federation of Slovak Catholics in America, 1930.; Slovak-English Dictionary, Passaic, N. J.: Slovak Catholic Sokol, 1970. 26) Jednota, Middletown, Pa., Official Organ of the First Catholic Slovak Union. Katolicky Sokol, Passaic, N. J., Official Organ of the Slovak Catholic Sokol. Narodne Noviny, Pittsburgh, Pa., Official Organ of the National Slovak Society. Zivena, Pittsburgh, Pa., Official Organ of the 2ivena Beneficial Society. Kanadsky Slovak, Toronto, Ont., Canada, Official Organ of the Canadian Slovak League. Most, Cleveland, Ohio. Literarny Almanach Slovaka v Amerike, Middletown, Pa. Slovak v Amerike, Middletown, Pa. Details of Slovak newspapers in America are presented by Konstantin Culen in:Slovenske casopisy v Amerike, Cleveland, Ohio: First Catholic Slovak Union, 1970. 27) The Slovak League of America worked with American Slovaks within 31 states regarding the bill S23 sponsored by U. S. Senator Richard S. Schweiker (R.-Pa.). 28) The author of this paper personally ascertained the number of books sold by various publishers. 29) The map was printed by the Slovak Institute, Cleveland. 30) Books, with the exception of dictionaries and textbooks, sent by the Communist regime in Slovakia are sold in very small numbers. However, the records made by the singing group SL'UK are in great demand. 31) J. M. Kirschbaum, The Assimilation Process of American Slovaks, Slovakia XII, No. 44, pp. 79-84. 32) J . M. Kirschbaum, Slovaks in Canada, p. 4. * * * THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA represents an overwhelming majority of organized Americans of Slovak descent; actively affiliated with it are the large5t Slova k traternals, religious organizations, Slovak Clubs and Slovak civic organizations in the United States . � 72 SLOVAKIA Cultural Revival of American And Canadian Slovaks Jozef Pa u co, Ph.D. I. During the past ten years, American and Canadian Slovaks are living a cultural revival. There are many instances to indicate this. Above all, they received support from many intellectuals who emigrated from Slovakia after the second world war. A firm collaboration was created in the cultural field, primarily through the Slovak League of America, the Canadian Slovak League, and the Slovak Institute in Cleveland-Rome. The 1100 centennial of the arrival of SS. Cyril and Methodius to Slovakia, which was celebrated auspiciously by the free Slovaks, inspired many scientific and cultural workers and awakened an interest in the past and present culture among a great number. Finally, a wave of national and cultural rebirth swept over American soil, in all aspects. During the first years of revival, preparation was quite slow, but since 1960 there was a complete flourishing in practically all educational and scientific disciplines. When at first an attempt was made to discuss cultural revival it was doubtful as to its success. The results were amazing because the third and fourth generation of American Slovaks did not yet sink in the sea of anonymity. This appears from the fact that American and Canadian Slovaks not only read but are active in Slovak life and activities. Scholarships are available sponsored by practically every Slovak organization in America. It is not extraordinary for students to receive awards for outstanding work. If a student seeks for ethnical news where scholarships are published, it is a sign of his Slovak interest. Of course all applicants must belong to the organization concerned. Amidst approximately 450,000 organized American Slovaks rnmrly 1/ 3 belong to a youth branch. 1 �SLOVAKIA 73 II. Slovak cultural educators published and sold a great number of books about Slovakia and its people and that not only in Slovak but also in English and to a certain extent French. Two goals were aimed at: 1) to bring Slovakia to the youngest Americans of Slovak extraction; 2) to inform the non-Slovak public with objective information which was, until recently, rare, .because only those spoke and wrote about Slovaks, who through various reasons were not favorable towards and did not recognize the Slovaks as a nation. In this respect it must be admitted that Slovak knowledge and publicity took a step forward. HISTORICAL WORKS Several noteworthy volumes dealing with the history of the Slovak nation, incidently the American and Canadian Slovaks, were published. Professor Gilbert L. Oddo is the author of the first complete English history of the Slovak people in which he partially despicts the history of American Slovaks.2 The work was published in three editions and is still in demand by Slovak as well as American educators. Professor Jozef M. Kirschbaum published a remarkable book3 in which he portrays important incidents of the Slovak people. Professor Jozef A. Mikus devoted his well documented treatise to the events from 1918 to 1950.4 Professor Frantisek Vnuk wrote a detailed account of the evolvement of Slovakia from autonomy to independent statehood.5 These works form the basic orientation of Slovak history. The supplement in Slovak Studies, Slovakia, and Jednota Annual Furdek, 6 provides the reader with a great deal of material, which in America concentrates and objectively casts light on Slovakian past. The hi~tory of American and Canadian Slovaks is grasped as well. The complete history in English is found in Canada. It was written on the basis of a dissertation and strictly according to scientific form by Professor Jozef M. Kirschbaum. 7 Canada and ethnic critics accepted this work with highest honors. �74 SLOVAKIA The First Catholic Slovak Union published a detailed history about its organization.8 Even though it concerns the history of one organization, this book contains such material touching upon all phases of American Slovaks in-as-much as the First Catholic Slovak Union played an exceptionally significant role in their lives. A history of the Slovak League of America was published in English. 9 To this work we must add a meaningful chapter about the Pittsburgh Pact written by Peter P. Hletko. 10 Both publications offer the students o! American Slovak life adequate research material for the study of attitudes towards Slovakia. Practically every American Slovak organization has a chronicle review in its calendars or memoirs. Even the American Slovak parishes brief chronicles or histories of their parishes, at first in Slovak, later bi-lingual, and finally just English. In the United States and later in Canada, Slovak religious orders played and are playing an important role. The history of all the Slovak religious orders was compiled by Professor Francis Hrusovsky. 11 The accomplishment was of high quality and well documented. The congregation of the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius which began in America in 1909 has its own history; 12 so do the Slovak Franciscan Fathers.13 Both works were written by members of the respective religious orders. In addition, it is well to mention a miriad of books or periodicals containing biographies of leading American Slovaks particularly of pioneer days. The greater number were printed in Slovak.14 These and other works as well as those of the Slovak Institute and other cultural Slovak-American Institutes developed an interest in students of Slovak origin, about the past of the Slovak nation, its culture and politics. Upon this basis many academic thesis developed. The author of this article receives at least five inquiries annually for suggestions of topics regarding Slovak life. The Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius wrote more than twenty thesis many of which undergo severe departmental criticism. 15 Particular emphasis is placed upon the historical era of SS. Cyril and Methodius. To attain this goal Slovak Studies aided greatly by publishing many technical con- �SLOVAKIA 75 tribution in one volume. 16 A well known historian of the Cyrilo-Methodian era, Michal Lacko, wrote the biography of the Apostles and the Slavonic nations, in general. 17 Sister M. Martina Tybor wrote the Junior and Senior edition of SS. Cyril and Methodius, who are the patrons of her congregation.18 Most 1963 presented an expanded appraisal of the SS. Cyril and Methodius traditions among Slovaks. The history of the persecution of the church under communism was very well written by Father Teodorik J. Zubek, 0. F. M. in a documentary volume and other opportune studies.19 Sister Cecilia revealed the unbearable conditions, as she beheld and lived through them under the Communist regime. 20 Further attempts were made to enlighten this tragic period of the church, hierarchy, priesthood, religious orders, and the people of God. 21 In western Europe and South America free Slovaks published books in other languages, principally German , French, Italian and Spanish in which they dealt with the Slovak tragedy after 1945 as well as specific problems which painfully were incorporated in the history of the Slovak nation. In this regard the most valuable works were edited by Bishop Paul Hnilica, Msgr. Stefan Nahalka, Msgr. Jozef Tomko, Rev. Stanislav :C>urica and Rev. Michal Lacko in Italy; Rev. Vojtech Bucko, Dr. Ferdinand :C>urcansky and Kristof Greiner in West Germany; P. G. Dobis in Austria; Dr. Arved Grebert in Switzerland; Dr. Stefan Glejdura in Spain; Dr. Stanislav Meciar, Dr. Ernest zatko and Alojz Macek in Argentina. 22 LITERATURE AND LANGUAGE While the history of the Slovak nation and AmericanCanadian Slovaks have a sufficient representation in English, the history of Slovak Literature and language awaits further elaboration. Basic studies emanated in single, particularly cited annuals or individual articles. Most attention to those themes was devoted by Professor Jozef M. Kirschbaum, Msgr. Jan Rekem , and professor Frantisek Vnuk. While Dr. Kirschbaum and Dr. Rekem occupied themselves with individual periods of Slovak literature and development of the language of the past, Vnuk concentrated upon strengthening Slovak literature. 23 �76 SLOVAKIA Language studies of a practical nature are properly represented. Modern textbooks in Slovak language were compiled by Mother M. Emerencia, SS.C.M., S. E. Bue, Filip A. Hrobak and Konus. 24 Among the best dictionaries are those of Hrobak and Konus.25 NEWSPAPERS AND ALMANACS Editors and co-workers of American and Canadian Slovak newspapers in Slovak and in the past few years in English are returning to the problem concerned with preservation of national consciousness, cultural, ethnical awareness, enlightening the public with various phases of Slovak life. Representative voices of the third generation of Slovaks in the news methods and articles are not lacking. Emphasis, however, is placed upon the preservation of Slovak cultural inheritance. In this regard the Jednota, Katolicky Sokol, Narodne Noviny, zivena and Kanadsk?} Slovak are performing a great work in the English language. The technical and representative review Most, Literdrny Almanach, Slovak v Amerike, and other newspapers are returning to the all-Slovak problems exclusively in the Slovak language.26 Literarny Almanach, Slovak v Amerike and Slovak Studies published an outlook upon the events of the cultural activities of Slovak writers, leaders, poets, artists, and news editors. The reports are not complete, but they are sufficient evidence to assure the unprejudiced reader that in the revival of Slovak cultural life in America are intellectuals who do not want to stifle the development of Americanization, but they do not want to speed it up . They strive to evolve in this field as much as other ethnic groups. It is not coincidental that in the preparation of ethnic cultural centers, American Slovaks wish to enkindle appropriate roles equal to their number and missions. 27 In the United States and Canada, after the Second Vatican Council, Slovak liturgy is heard in practically every Slovak Roman Catholic parish. Even in churches of Lutheran denomination, the liturgy is Slovak. As we shall see in next chapter the sale of prayer books in the Slovak language is widespread. At Slovak picnics, which are held by the hundreds, �SLOVAKIA 77 every summer, in the United States and Canada, Slovak music and songs are heard. In like manner, these are heard at weddings, even to the third and fourth generation. Slovak songs and music binds and deepens Slovak consciousness more than enything else. Slovak records are being made in practically every city where Slovaks live and at least one musician versed in Slovak folk songs and dances is found. In the past few years professional Slovak singing and dance groups were organized. The leading ones are in Toronto and Montreal, followed by Detroit, Chicago, and New York. At conventions of American-Slovak and Canadian-Slovak organizations the Slovak language is still used, even though less than the English. Official reports and minutes are written bi-lingually in spite of the fact that the pioneer generation of Slovak immigrants, especially in America, bas no representation at the conventions. III Another indication of cultural awakening among American and Canadian Slovaks is the sale of books. During the past five years, 113,755 Slovak books and 450,000 pamphlets were sold in North America. This number includes 61,215 scientific, popular science, and novels; 65,000 pamphlets; 52,540 religious books and 385,000 religious pamphlets. The number of English books about the Slovaks 31,248; Slovak-English and English-Slovak dictionaries and textbooks sold amounted to 14,195. Altogether during the past five years 159,198 books in English or Slovak about Slovaks were sold, in addition to 450,000 pamphlets. The greatest number of books were sold by the First Catholic Slovak Union: 49,008. The greatest number of religious books, 32,000, were sold by the Slovak Franciscan Fathers. Books were sold by the Slovak Institute of SS. Cyril and Methodius, Slovak Jesuit Fathers, Sisters of St. Dominic (Oxford, Mich.), Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius, and �78 SLOVAKIA other smaller publishers, namely Slovak v Amerike, Slovenskd Obrana, Rev. Frantisek Fuga and others.28 During the past five years 5,200 maps of Slovakia29 were sold and 45,400 Slovak records were distributed. 30 IV It is difficult to estim8.te how many Slovaks live in America and what per cent of American inhabitants consist of Slovak immigrants and their descendants. It is generally admitted that the people of ethnic groups number not less than 30,000,000. How many Americans are of Slovak ancestry? The statistics of the Slovak Academy of Science in Bratislava report that up to 1921 when mass emigration ceased, 867,720 Slovaks emigrated to America. 31 It is true that some of these retlirned to their homeland. However, approximately 500,000 remained in America. Today there are three generations of Slovak origin in the United States. If we calculated that each family has at least four children, then emphasising that three million Slovaks live in America is a conservative number. The question is, to what extent do these American citizens of Slovak ancestry feel their Slovak heritage. We can judge this through the aid of organizations and newspapers. Slovak-American organizations have more than 450,000 members; newspapers around 150,000 subscribers. This does not include various parish societies and clubs of all sects. There are over 400 Slovak parishes. All organized American-Slovaks with their families create at least 2,000,000 citizens who can be included to a greater or lesser extent as conscious Slovaks. There are about 70,000 Slovaks in Canada.32 Since practically all Slovak emigrees came to Canada after the first world war, we do not exaggerate when we emphasize that the Slovak spirit lives on not only in the first but also in the second and third generation of Canadian Slovaks. FOOTNOTES 1) Slovakia, Middletown, Pa.: Slovak League of America, XX, Ne. 43, pp. 105-121; XXI, No. 44, pp. 109-144. �SLOVAKIA 79 2) Gilbert L. Oddo, Slovakia and Its People, New York: Robert Speller and Sons, 1960. 3) J. M. Kirschbaum, Slovakia: Nation at the Crossroads of Central Europe, New York: Robert Speller and Sons, 1960. 4) Joseph A. Mikus, Slovakia-A Political History, Milwaukee, Wis. : Marquette University Press, 1964. The same work is in French: La Slovaquie dans le drame de L 'Europe, Paris: Les Iles d'or, 1955. 5) F. Vnuk, Slovakia's Six Eventful Months (October 1938-March 1939) . Rome: Slovak Institute, Cleveland-Rome, 1964. He devoted much attention to Communistic politics. The following work is very important: Historical Outline of the Communist Party of Slovakia, Middletown, Pa.: Slovak v Amerike, 1968. Another important work is that of F rantisek Vnuk, Neuveritel'ne sprisahanie: vojenske a politicke akcie proti Slovenskej republike v roku 1944 (English resume), Middletown, Pa.: Slovak v Amerike, 1964. 6) Slovak Studies, Rome, Italy: Slovak Institute, Cleveland-Rome, 19611967, VII Volumes. Slovakia, Middletown, Pa.: Slovak League of America, 1951-1971, XXI Volumes. Jednota Annual Furdek, Middletown, Pa.: First Catholic Slovak Union, 1962-1971, X Vol. 7) J. M. Kirschbaum, Slovaks in Canada, Toronto, Canada: Canadian Ethnic Press Association of Ontario, Toronto, Canada, 1967. 8) Jozef Pauco, Ph.D., 75 rokov Prvej Katolickej Slovenskej Jednoty, Cleveland, Ohio: First Catholic Slovak Union, 1965. 9) Joseph Pauco, Ph.D., (Ed.) 60 Years of the Slovak League of America, Middletown, Pa.: Slovak League of America, 1967. 10) Peter P. IDetko, M.D., The Slovaks and the Pittsburgh Pact, Slovakia, XVIII, No. 41, pp. 5-54. 11) Frantisek Hru~ovsky, Ph.D., Slovenske rehole v Amerike, Cleveland, Ohio: Slovak Institute at the abbey of St. Andrew-Svorad, 1955. 12) Mother M. Emerentia Petrasek, Brief History of the Congregation of the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius, Danville, Pa. , 1959. 13) Richard Portasik, O.F.M., Slovak Franciscans in America, History of the Most Holy Savior Commissariate, 1926-1966, Pittsburgh, Pa.: Franciscan Fathers, 1966. 14) Here are for instance: Jozef Pauco, Stefan Furdek a slovenske prist'ahovalectvo, Middletown, Pa., J ednota, 1955. Jozef Pauco, MatitS Jankola, knaz a narodovec, Danville, Pa., Congregation of the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius, 1959. A host of other contributions by the same author about the Slovak pioneers in America in the newspaper JEDNOTA, Middletown, Pa., The annual Furdek contributed English articles about the Slovak peoples in almost every edition. �SLOVAKIA 80 15) The well known are: Sister M. Consuela Gregorovich, Contribution of Rev. Matthew Jankola to Slovak Education in the United States, 1944. Sister M. Delphine Opet, SS.C.M., Political Views of Dudovit Stur, Slovakia, XXI, No. 44, pp. 20-78. S. E. Bue, Slovak Nationalism, Middletown, Pa.: Slovak League of America, 1960. M. G. Woytko, Slovakia's Road to Statehood, Whiting, Indiana, Lach Publications, 1956. 16) Slovak Studies, Vol. III, Cyrilomethodiana, Rome, Italy, 1963. 17) M. Lacko, The Life of Saints Cyril and Methodius, Rome: Slovak Institute, Cleveland-Rome, 1963. Second Edition, 1970. Here is an additionally important work: Smrzik, The Glagolitic or Roman-Slavonic Liturgy, Cleveland, Ohio: Slovak Institute, 1959. 18) Sister Martina Tybor, Saints Cyril and Methodius, Milwaukee, Wis ., Bruce Publishing Co., Senior and Junior edition. 19) Theodoric J. Zubek, O.F.M., S.T.D., The Church of Silence in Slovakia, Whiting, Indiana, Lach Publications, 1956.: Slovak BishopsMartyrs of Christ, Toronto, Ontario, Canadian Slovak League, 1963.; Slovak Clergy in History and Culture, Middletown, Pa., First Catholic Slovak Union, 1970. 20) Sister Cecilia, The Deliverance of Sister Cecilia, New York, New York, Farrar, Straus and Young, First Printing, 1954. 21) For example: Jozef Pauco, Unconquerables, New York, Vantage Press, 1958.; Christian Slovakia under Communism, Valparaiso , Indiana, Slovak Catholic Federation of America, 1953. 22) More accurate facts in the Literarny Almanach Slovaka v Amerike, "Predstavitelia slovenskej kulturnej tvorby," 1967, pp. 113-252 and Slovak Studies, Vol. VII, Bibliography, Rome, Italy: Slovak Institute, Cleveland-Rome, 1967. 23) J.M. Kirschbaum, nudovit Stur and His Place in the Slav-tc World, Cleveland, Ohio.: Slovak Institute, 1953.: Pavel Jozef Safarik and His Contribution to Slavic Studies, Cleveland-Winnipeg, Slavistica No. 43, 1962. Literature of the Cyrilo-Methodian Period and Slova,. kia, Cleveland, Ohio.: Slovak Institute, 1964.; Anton Bernolak, the First Codifier of the Slovak Language, Winnipeg-Cleveland, Ohio: Slavistica No. 52, 1964. Jan Kollar-Slovak Poet of Panslavism, Winnipeg-Toronto: Slavistica No. LVI, 1966. J. Rekem, The Origin and Development of the Slovak Language, Middletown, Pa.: Jednota, 1962. Slovak Litcratiire and National Consciousness Before Anton Bernolak (1762-1813), Cleveland, Ohio, Slovak Institute, 1965. Frantisek Vnuk, Sedemnast' neurodnych rokov (excerpts from the history of Slovak literature, 1945-1962) , Middletown, Pa.; Slovak v Amerike, English resume, 1965. 24) Mother M. Emerentia, Steps in Elementary Slovak, Hazleton, Pa., Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius, I, II, III, 1959.; Rev. Bonaventure S. Bue, O.F.M., Ph.D., Slovak Language Laboratory Course, Cleveland, Ohio: The First Catholic Slovak Union, 1968.; Philip A. �SLOVAKIA 81 Hrobak, Slovak Lessons, Middletown, Pa., 1949.; Let's Learn Slovak, Middletown, Pa., 1959.; Slovak for Beginners, Middletown, Pa., I, IT, III, 1963.; J. Konus, Practical Slovak Grammar, Pittsburgh, Pa., 1939. A good service was rendered in the work of Henrich Bartek, Slovensky pravopis s gramatickymi pouckami a slovnikom, Whiting, Ind., Rev. John Lach, 1956. A textbook in the Slovak language was prepared also by Sister M. Gabriel, SS.C.M. and Stefan Blasko. 25) Hrobak's English-Slovak Dictionary, Middletown, Pa., 1944. Second Printing, New York, N.Y.; Robert Speller and Sons, 1965. J. J.Konus, Slov ensko-anglicky slovnik, Slovak-English Dictionary, Federation of Slovak Catholics in America, 1930.; Slovak-English Dictionary, Passaic, N. J.: Slovak Catholic Sokol, 1970. 26) Jednota, Middletown, Pa., Official Organ of the First Catholic Slovak Union. Katolicky Sokol, Passaic, N. J., Official Organ of the Slovak Catholic Sokol. Narodne Noviny, Pittsburgh, Pa., Official Organ of the National Slovak Society. Zivena, Pittsburgh, Pa., Official Organ of the 2ivena Beneficial Society. Kanadsky Slovak, Toronto, Ont., Canada, Official Organ of the Canadian Slovak League. Most, Cleveland, Ohio. Literarny Almanach Slovaka v Amerike, Middletown, Pa. Slovak v Amerike, Middletown, Pa. Details of Slovak newspapers in America are presented by Konstantin Culen in:Slovenske casopisy v Amerike, Cleveland, Ohio: First Catholic Slovak Union, 1970. 27) The Slovak League of America worked with American Slovaks within 31 states regarding the bill S23 sponsored by U. S. Senator Richard S. Schweiker (R.-Pa.). 28) The author of this paper personally ascertained the number of books sold by various publishers. 29) The map was printed by the Slovak Institute, Cleveland. 30) Books, with the exception of dictionaries and textbooks, sent by the Communist regime in Slovakia are sold in very small numbers. However, the records made by the singing group SL'UK are in great demand. 31) J. M. Kirschbaum, The Assimilation Process of American Slovaks, Slovakia XII, No. 44, pp. 79-84. 32) J . M. Kirschbaum, Slovaks in Canada, p. 4. * * * THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA represents an overwhelming majority of organized Americans of Slovak descent; actively affiliated with it are the large5t Slova k traternals, religious organizations, Slovak Clubs and Slovak civic organizations in the United States . � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1973, Vol. 23 Description An account of the resource Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document 72 SLOVAKIA Cultural Revival of American And Canadian Slovaks Jozef Pa u co, Ph.D. I. During the past ten years, American and Canadian Slovaks are living a cultural revival. There are many instances to indicate this. Above all, they received support from many intellectuals who emigrated from Slovakia after the second world war. A firm collaboration was created in the cultural field, primarily through the Slovak League of America, the Canadian Slovak League, and the Slovak Institute in Cleveland-Rome. The 1100 centennial of the arrival of SS. Cyril and Methodius to Slovakia, which was celebrated auspiciously by the free Slovaks, inspired many scientific and cultural workers and awakened an interest in the past and present culture among a great number. Finally, a wave of national and cultural rebirth swept over American soil, in all aspects. During the first years of revival, preparation was quite slow, but since 1960 there was a complete flourishing in practically all educational and scientific disciplines. When at first an attempt was made to discuss cultural revival it was doubtful as to its success. The results were amazing because the third and fourth generation of American Slovaks did not yet sink in the sea of anonymity. This appears from the fact that American and Canadian Slovaks not only read but are active in Slovak life and activities. Scholarships are available sponsored by practically every Slovak organization in America. It is not extraordinary for students to receive awards for outstanding work. If a student seeks for ethnical news where scholarships are published, it is a sign of his Slovak interest. Of course all applicants must belong to the organization concerned. Amidst approximately 450,000 organized American Slovaks rnmrly 1/ 3 belong to a youth branch. 1 SLOVAKIA 73 II. Slovak cultural educators published and sold a great number of books about Slovakia and its people and that not only in Slovak but also in English and to a certain extent French. Two goals were aimed at: 1) to bring Slovakia to the youngest Americans of Slovak extraction; 2) to inform the non-Slovak public with objective information which was, until recently, rare, .because only those spoke and wrote about Slovaks, who through various reasons were not favorable towards and did not recognize the Slovaks as a nation. In this respect it must be admitted that Slovak knowledge and publicity took a step forward. HISTORICAL WORKS Several noteworthy volumes dealing with the history of the Slovak nation, incidently the American and Canadian Slovaks, were published. Professor Gilbert L. Oddo is the author of the first complete English history of the Slovak people in which he partially despicts the history of American Slovaks.2 The work was published in three editions and is still in demand by Slovak as well as American educators. Professor Jozef M. Kirschbaum published a remarkable book3 in which he portrays important incidents of the Slovak people. Professor Jozef A. Mikus devoted his well documented treatise to the events from 1918 to 1950.4 Professor Frantisek Vnuk wrote a detailed account of the evolvement of Slovakia from autonomy to independent statehood.5 These works form the basic orientation of Slovak history. The supplement in Slovak Studies, Slovakia, and Jednota Annual Furdek, 6 provides the reader with a great deal of material, which in America concentrates and objectively casts light on Slovakian past. The hi~tory of American and Canadian Slovaks is grasped as well. The complete history in English is found in Canada. It was written on the basis of a dissertation and strictly according to scientific form by Professor Jozef M. Kirschbaum. 7 Canada and ethnic critics accepted this work with highest honors. 74 SLOVAKIA The First Catholic Slovak Union published a detailed history about its organization.8 Even though it concerns the history of one organization, this book contains such material touching upon all phases of American Slovaks in-as-much as the First Catholic Slovak Union played an exceptionally significant role in their lives. A history of the Slovak League of America was published in English. 9 To this work we must add a meaningful chapter about the Pittsburgh Pact written by Peter P. Hletko. 10 Both publications offer the students o! American Slovak life adequate research material for the study of attitudes towards Slovakia. Practically every American Slovak organization has a chronicle review in its calendars or memoirs. Even the American Slovak parishes brief chronicles or histories of their parishes, at first in Slovak, later bi-lingual, and finally just English. In the United States and later in Canada, Slovak religious orders played and are playing an important role. The history of all the Slovak religious orders was compiled by Professor Francis Hrusovsky. 11 The accomplishment was of high quality and well documented. The congregation of the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius which began in America in 1909 has its own history; 12 so do the Slovak Franciscan Fathers.13 Both works were written by members of the respective religious orders. In addition, it is well to mention a miriad of books or periodicals containing biographies of leading American Slovaks particularly of pioneer days. The greater number were printed in Slovak.14 These and other works as well as those of the Slovak Institute and other cultural Slovak-American Institutes developed an interest in students of Slovak origin, about the past of the Slovak nation, its culture and politics. Upon this basis many academic thesis developed. The author of this article receives at least five inquiries annually for suggestions of topics regarding Slovak life. The Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius wrote more than twenty thesis many of which undergo severe departmental criticism. 15 Particular emphasis is placed upon the historical era of SS. Cyril and Methodius. To attain this goal Slovak Studies aided greatly by publishing many technical con- SLOVAKIA 75 tribution in one volume. 16 A well known historian of the Cyrilo-Methodian era, Michal Lacko, wrote the biography of the Apostles and the Slavonic nations, in general. 17 Sister M. Martina Tybor wrote the Junior and Senior edition of SS. Cyril and Methodius, who are the patrons of her congregation.18 Most 1963 presented an expanded appraisal of the SS. Cyril and Methodius traditions among Slovaks. The history of the persecution of the church under communism was very well written by Father Teodorik J. Zubek, 0. F. M. in a documentary volume and other opportune studies.19 Sister Cecilia revealed the unbearable conditions, as she beheld and lived through them under the Communist regime. 20 Further attempts were made to enlighten this tragic period of the church, hierarchy, priesthood, religious orders, and the people of God. 21 In western Europe and South America free Slovaks published books in other languages, principally German , French, Italian and Spanish in which they dealt with the Slovak tragedy after 1945 as well as specific problems which painfully were incorporated in the history of the Slovak nation. In this regard the most valuable works were edited by Bishop Paul Hnilica, Msgr. Stefan Nahalka, Msgr. Jozef Tomko, Rev. Stanislav :C>urica and Rev. Michal Lacko in Italy; Rev. Vojtech Bucko, Dr. Ferdinand :C>urcansky and Kristof Greiner in West Germany; P. G. Dobis in Austria; Dr. Arved Grebert in Switzerland; Dr. Stefan Glejdura in Spain; Dr. Stanislav Meciar, Dr. Ernest zatko and Alojz Macek in Argentina. 22 LITERATURE AND LANGUAGE While the history of the Slovak nation and AmericanCanadian Slovaks have a sufficient representation in English, the history of Slovak Literature and language awaits further elaboration. Basic studies emanated in single, particularly cited annuals or individual articles. Most attention to those themes was devoted by Professor Jozef M. Kirschbaum, Msgr. Jan Rekem , and professor Frantisek Vnuk. While Dr. Kirschbaum and Dr. Rekem occupied themselves with individual periods of Slovak literature and development of the language of the past, Vnuk concentrated upon strengthening Slovak literature. 23 76 SLOVAKIA Language studies of a practical nature are properly represented. Modern textbooks in Slovak language were compiled by Mother M. Emerencia, SS.C.M., S. E. Bue, Filip A. Hrobak and Konus. 24 Among the best dictionaries are those of Hrobak and Konus.25 NEWSPAPERS AND ALMANACS Editors and co-workers of American and Canadian Slovak newspapers in Slovak and in the past few years in English are returning to the problem concerned with preservation of national consciousness, cultural, ethnical awareness, enlightening the public with various phases of Slovak life. Representative voices of the third generation of Slovaks in the news methods and articles are not lacking. Emphasis, however, is placed upon the preservation of Slovak cultural inheritance. In this regard the Jednota, Katolicky Sokol, Narodne Noviny, zivena and Kanadsk?} Slovak are performing a great work in the English language. The technical and representative review Most, Literdrny Almanach, Slovak v Amerike, and other newspapers are returning to the all-Slovak problems exclusively in the Slovak language.26 Literarny Almanach, Slovak v Amerike and Slovak Studies published an outlook upon the events of the cultural activities of Slovak writers, leaders, poets, artists, and news editors. The reports are not complete, but they are sufficient evidence to assure the unprejudiced reader that in the revival of Slovak cultural life in America are intellectuals who do not want to stifle the development of Americanization, but they do not want to speed it up . They strive to evolve in this field as much as other ethnic groups. It is not coincidental that in the preparation of ethnic cultural centers, American Slovaks wish to enkindle appropriate roles equal to their number and missions. 27 In the United States and Canada, after the Second Vatican Council, Slovak liturgy is heard in practically every Slovak Roman Catholic parish. Even in churches of Lutheran denomination, the liturgy is Slovak. As we shall see in next chapter the sale of prayer books in the Slovak language is widespread. At Slovak picnics, which are held by the hundreds, SLOVAKIA 77 every summer, in the United States and Canada, Slovak music and songs are heard. In like manner, these are heard at weddings, even to the third and fourth generation. Slovak songs and music binds and deepens Slovak consciousness more than enything else. Slovak records are being made in practically every city where Slovaks live and at least one musician versed in Slovak folk songs and dances is found. In the past few years professional Slovak singing and dance groups were organized. The leading ones are in Toronto and Montreal, followed by Detroit, Chicago, and New York. At conventions of American-Slovak and Canadian-Slovak organizations the Slovak language is still used, even though less than the English. Official reports and minutes are written bi-lingually in spite of the fact that the pioneer generation of Slovak immigrants, especially in America, bas no representation at the conventions. III Another indication of cultural awakening among American and Canadian Slovaks is the sale of books. During the past five years, 113,755 Slovak books and 450,000 pamphlets were sold in North America. This number includes 61,215 scientific, popular science, and novels; 65,000 pamphlets; 52,540 religious books and 385,000 religious pamphlets. The number of English books about the Slovaks 31,248; Slovak-English and English-Slovak dictionaries and textbooks sold amounted to 14,195. Altogether during the past five years 159,198 books in English or Slovak about Slovaks were sold, in addition to 450,000 pamphlets. The greatest number of books were sold by the First Catholic Slovak Union: 49,008. The greatest number of religious books, 32,000, were sold by the Slovak Franciscan Fathers. Books were sold by the Slovak Institute of SS. Cyril and Methodius, Slovak Jesuit Fathers, Sisters of St. Dominic (Oxford, Mich.), Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius, and 78 SLOVAKIA other smaller publishers, namely Slovak v Amerike, Slovenskd Obrana, Rev. Frantisek Fuga and others.28 During the past five years 5,200 maps of Slovakia29 were sold and 45,400 Slovak records were distributed. 30 IV It is difficult to estim8.te how many Slovaks live in America and what per cent of American inhabitants consist of Slovak immigrants and their descendants. It is generally admitted that the people of ethnic groups number not less than 30,000,000. How many Americans are of Slovak ancestry? The statistics of the Slovak Academy of Science in Bratislava report that up to 1921 when mass emigration ceased, 867,720 Slovaks emigrated to America. 31 It is true that some of these retlirned to their homeland. However, approximately 500,000 remained in America. Today there are three generations of Slovak origin in the United States. If we calculated that each family has at least four children, then emphasising that three million Slovaks live in America is a conservative number. The question is, to what extent do these American citizens of Slovak ancestry feel their Slovak heritage. We can judge this through the aid of organizations and newspapers. Slovak-American organizations have more than 450,000 members; newspapers around 150,000 subscribers. This does not include various parish societies and clubs of all sects. There are over 400 Slovak parishes. All organized American-Slovaks with their families create at least 2,000,000 citizens who can be included to a greater or lesser extent as conscious Slovaks. There are about 70,000 Slovaks in Canada.32 Since practically all Slovak emigrees came to Canada after the first world war, we do not exaggerate when we emphasize that the Slovak spirit lives on not only in the first but also in the second and third generation of Canadian Slovaks. FOOTNOTES 1) Slovakia, Middletown, Pa.: Slovak League of America, XX, Ne. 43, pp. 105-121; XXI, No. 44, pp. 109-144. SLOVAKIA 79 2) Gilbert L. Oddo, Slovakia and Its People, New York: Robert Speller and Sons, 1960. 3) J. M. Kirschbaum, Slovakia: Nation at the Crossroads of Central Europe, New York: Robert Speller and Sons, 1960. 4) Joseph A. Mikus, Slovakia-A Political History, Milwaukee, Wis. : Marquette University Press, 1964. The same work is in French: La Slovaquie dans le drame de L 'Europe, Paris: Les Iles d'or, 1955. 5) F. Vnuk, Slovakia's Six Eventful Months (October 1938-March 1939) . Rome: Slovak Institute, Cleveland-Rome, 1964. He devoted much attention to Communistic politics. The following work is very important: Historical Outline of the Communist Party of Slovakia, Middletown, Pa.: Slovak v Amerike, 1968. Another important work is that of F rantisek Vnuk, Neuveritel'ne sprisahanie: vojenske a politicke akcie proti Slovenskej republike v roku 1944 (English resume), Middletown, Pa.: Slovak v Amerike, 1964. 6) Slovak Studies, Rome, Italy: Slovak Institute, Cleveland-Rome, 19611967, VII Volumes. Slovakia, Middletown, Pa.: Slovak League of America, 1951-1971, XXI Volumes. Jednota Annual Furdek, Middletown, Pa.: First Catholic Slovak Union, 1962-1971, X Vol. 7) J. M. Kirschbaum, Slovaks in Canada, Toronto, Canada: Canadian Ethnic Press Association of Ontario, Toronto, Canada, 1967. 8) Jozef Pauco, Ph.D., 75 rokov Prvej Katolickej Slovenskej Jednoty, Cleveland, Ohio: First Catholic Slovak Union, 1965. 9) Joseph Pauco, Ph.D., (Ed.) 60 Years of the Slovak League of America, Middletown, Pa.: Slovak League of America, 1967. 10) Peter P. IDetko, M.D., The Slovaks and the Pittsburgh Pact, Slovakia, XVIII, No. 41, pp. 5-54. 11) Frantisek Hru~ovsky, Ph.D., Slovenske rehole v Amerike, Cleveland, Ohio: Slovak Institute at the abbey of St. Andrew-Svorad, 1955. 12) Mother M. Emerentia Petrasek, Brief History of the Congregation of the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius, Danville, Pa. , 1959. 13) Richard Portasik, O.F.M., Slovak Franciscans in America, History of the Most Holy Savior Commissariate, 1926-1966, Pittsburgh, Pa.: Franciscan Fathers, 1966. 14) Here are for instance: Jozef Pauco, Stefan Furdek a slovenske prist'ahovalectvo, Middletown, Pa., J ednota, 1955. Jozef Pauco, MatitS Jankola, knaz a narodovec, Danville, Pa., Congregation of the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius, 1959. A host of other contributions by the same author about the Slovak pioneers in America in the newspaper JEDNOTA, Middletown, Pa., The annual Furdek contributed English articles about the Slovak peoples in almost every edition. SLOVAKIA 80 15) The well known are: Sister M. Consuela Gregorovich, Contribution of Rev. Matthew Jankola to Slovak Education in the United States, 1944. Sister M. Delphine Opet, SS.C.M., Political Views of Dudovit Stur, Slovakia, XXI, No. 44, pp. 20-78. S. E. Bue, Slovak Nationalism, Middletown, Pa.: Slovak League of America, 1960. M. G. Woytko, Slovakia's Road to Statehood, Whiting, Indiana, Lach Publications, 1956. 16) Slovak Studies, Vol. III, Cyrilomethodiana, Rome, Italy, 1963. 17) M. Lacko, The Life of Saints Cyril and Methodius, Rome: Slovak Institute, Cleveland-Rome, 1963. Second Edition, 1970. Here is an additionally important work: Smrzik, The Glagolitic or Roman-Slavonic Liturgy, Cleveland, Ohio: Slovak Institute, 1959. 18) Sister Martina Tybor, Saints Cyril and Methodius, Milwaukee, Wis ., Bruce Publishing Co., Senior and Junior edition. 19) Theodoric J. Zubek, O.F.M., S.T.D., The Church of Silence in Slovakia, Whiting, Indiana, Lach Publications, 1956.: Slovak BishopsMartyrs of Christ, Toronto, Ontario, Canadian Slovak League, 1963.; Slovak Clergy in History and Culture, Middletown, Pa., First Catholic Slovak Union, 1970. 20) Sister Cecilia, The Deliverance of Sister Cecilia, New York, New York, Farrar, Straus and Young, First Printing, 1954. 21) For example: Jozef Pauco, Unconquerables, New York, Vantage Press, 1958.; Christian Slovakia under Communism, Valparaiso , Indiana, Slovak Catholic Federation of America, 1953. 22) More accurate facts in the Literarny Almanach Slovaka v Amerike, "Predstavitelia slovenskej kulturnej tvorby," 1967, pp. 113-252 and Slovak Studies, Vol. VII, Bibliography, Rome, Italy: Slovak Institute, Cleveland-Rome, 1967. 23) J.M. Kirschbaum, nudovit Stur and His Place in the Slav-tc World, Cleveland, Ohio.: Slovak Institute, 1953.: Pavel Jozef Safarik and His Contribution to Slavic Studies, Cleveland-Winnipeg, Slavistica No. 43, 1962. Literature of the Cyrilo-Methodian Period and Slova,. kia, Cleveland, Ohio.: Slovak Institute, 1964.; Anton Bernolak, the First Codifier of the Slovak Language, Winnipeg-Cleveland, Ohio: Slavistica No. 52, 1964. Jan Kollar-Slovak Poet of Panslavism, Winnipeg-Toronto: Slavistica No. LVI, 1966. J. Rekem, The Origin and Development of the Slovak Language, Middletown, Pa.: Jednota, 1962. Slovak Litcratiire and National Consciousness Before Anton Bernolak (1762-1813), Cleveland, Ohio, Slovak Institute, 1965. Frantisek Vnuk, Sedemnast' neurodnych rokov (excerpts from the history of Slovak literature, 1945-1962) , Middletown, Pa.; Slovak v Amerike, English resume, 1965. 24) Mother M. Emerentia, Steps in Elementary Slovak, Hazleton, Pa., Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius, I, II, III, 1959.; Rev. Bonaventure S. Bue, O.F.M., Ph.D., Slovak Language Laboratory Course, Cleveland, Ohio: The First Catholic Slovak Union, 1968.; Philip A. SLOVAKIA 81 Hrobak, Slovak Lessons, Middletown, Pa., 1949.; Let's Learn Slovak, Middletown, Pa., 1959.; Slovak for Beginners, Middletown, Pa., I, IT, III, 1963.; J. Konus, Practical Slovak Grammar, Pittsburgh, Pa., 1939. A good service was rendered in the work of Henrich Bartek, Slovensky pravopis s gramatickymi pouckami a slovnikom, Whiting, Ind., Rev. John Lach, 1956. A textbook in the Slovak language was prepared also by Sister M. Gabriel, SS.C.M. and Stefan Blasko. 25) Hrobak's English-Slovak Dictionary, Middletown, Pa., 1944. Second Printing, New York, N.Y.; Robert Speller and Sons, 1965. J. J.Konus, Slov ensko-anglicky slovnik, Slovak-English Dictionary, Federation of Slovak Catholics in America, 1930.; Slovak-English Dictionary, Passaic, N. J.: Slovak Catholic Sokol, 1970. 26) Jednota, Middletown, Pa., Official Organ of the First Catholic Slovak Union. Katolicky Sokol, Passaic, N. J., Official Organ of the Slovak Catholic Sokol. Narodne Noviny, Pittsburgh, Pa., Official Organ of the National Slovak Society. Zivena, Pittsburgh, Pa., Official Organ of the 2ivena Beneficial Society. Kanadsky Slovak, Toronto, Ont., Canada, Official Organ of the Canadian Slovak League. Most, Cleveland, Ohio. Literarny Almanach Slovaka v Amerike, Middletown, Pa. Slovak v Amerike, Middletown, Pa. Details of Slovak newspapers in America are presented by Konstantin Culen in:Slovenske casopisy v Amerike, Cleveland, Ohio: First Catholic Slovak Union, 1970. 27) The Slovak League of America worked with American Slovaks within 31 states regarding the bill S23 sponsored by U. S. Senator Richard S. Schweiker (R.-Pa.). 28) The author of this paper personally ascertained the number of books sold by various publishers. 29) The map was printed by the Slovak Institute, Cleveland. 30) Books, with the exception of dictionaries and textbooks, sent by the Communist regime in Slovakia are sold in very small numbers. However, the records made by the singing group SL'UK are in great demand. 31) J. M. Kirschbaum, The Assimilation Process of American Slovaks, Slovakia XII, No. 44, pp. 79-84. 32) J . M. Kirschbaum, Slovaks in Canada, p. 4. * * * THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA represents an overwhelming majority of organized Americans of Slovak descent; actively affiliated with it are the large5t Slova k traternals, religious organizations, Slovak Clubs and Slovak civic organizations in the United States .  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Cultural Revival of American and Canadian Slovaks Description An account of the resource Jozef Paučo, Ph.D. Slovakia, Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973 pp. 72-81 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Paučo, Jozef, 1914-1975 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 SNK https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/061d9750edea294dfb8e9ea0bd059782.pdf e5a874d77c8265b86711e154b433cd50 PDF Text Text 66 SLOVAKIA The Renaissance of the Slovak American Literature I The Americans of Slovak origin coming to the free shores of this country centuries ago and did not stop coming until the present day, have shown a tremendous energy and efficiency in bettering their material welfare. They worked, earned incomes, spent it, and enjoyed all the material affluence that the country offered them. Out of meager beginnings they have created considerable wealth by buying houses, establishing businesses, banks and fraternal organizations. On the spiritual level they were quite successful in building numerous churches, schools, and publishing an unprecedented number of newspapers and periodicals. In terms of serious literary endeavors, there were several authors who wrote novels, travelogues, short stories and especially poetry. Among the most recent ones, it was the late Msgr. Milos Mlynarovic. If we don't include such prominent newcomers as Mikulas sprinc, Karol Strmen, Karol Sidor, Jozef C. Hronsky and others, some of them living in America and others only publishing, it would be wrong. I refer here to the exquisite edition of books by the Slovak Defense Press in the fifties. Among the translators of Slovak poetry were Ivan Kramoris and Jaroslav Vajda (The Bloody Sonnets of Hviezdoslav). II There is a new literary star on the horizon of the Slovak American heaven of arts and letters. In Danville, Pennsylvania is located a beautiful Slovak academy of St. Cyril with the adjacent mother house of the Slovak Sisters. Among them lives Sister M. Martina Tybor who is currently engaged in cataloguing Slovakiana at Jankola Library and in teaching at the novitiate teacher-training institute at Villa Sacred Heart. Sister M. Martina is not only a diligent �SLOVAKIA 67 bibliographer, but also an exquisite poet in English. Her poetry is mostly scattered in the issues of Fialky and other periodicals. Apart from that, she has translated several books and studies by Msgr. John Rekem and Dr. Joseph Kirschbaum, but you would hardly find any sign of this and other work mostly because of Sister M. Martina's modesty. The end result is that in our midst lives an unassuming literary personality who has outgrown any living American-Slovak writer without anyone realizing her presence and tremendous potential. A somewhat more careful attention to such seemingly unimportant matters would make us realize the extent of M. Martina's contribution to the American-Slovak letters. Her most recent literary work entails two volumes of poetry by Rudolf Dilong translated into English. The first one is I Offer Bread and Salt, published in an exquisite form by the Slovak Jesuits in Galt, Ontario. It has been translated by M. Martina Tybor. The translation is a very good one, not only because of difficulty to translate Dilong, but also because of the inherent difficulty to translate into English from any language. The rhyme, rhytm, the sound, and other attributes of the language are so different from Slovak that it takes extraordinary skill to master this task. M. Martina Tybor has lived up to this task. The Marshall McLuhanistic style of Dilong which follows like this: V horach je dost' vidno, i ked' sa hajnici uvzali proti svetlu a nepustia ho do Mstin. (p. 17) sounds in Tybor's language in the following way; There is light enough in the mountains even though all the rangers had conspired against the light and outlawed it from the thickets. (p. 16) Although Dilong's two lines are without rhyme, they show a clear example of a symbolic presentation of his ideas. The only difference between Dilong and McLuhan is that while McLuhan shows the negative side of the world and tends to see its coming destruction, Dilong shows the helplessness of the world and at the same time �68 SLOVAKIA gives the hopeful answer to the seering problems of our generation. The following two lines Jestvovali uz vel'ki l'udia, pral'udia a ich katastr6fy. A nase prahory ostali po ich civilizaciach. (p. 23) which in Tybor's words sounds as follows: There have been great people--ancients and their catastrophic demise. And our hoary hills survived their civilization. (p. 22) are an example of Dilong's and Tybor's solution. The present day major dilemma of the human search for integrity is symbolized by Dilong's statement Na kamenny oltar nalial Elias vody a prosil Boha, aby ohen z neba spalil oltar pred tvarou pohanov, aby sa mu uverilo. (p. 31) and in Tybor's language; Elias poured water upon the stone altar and begged God to let fire from heaven consume the sacrifice in the presence of the pagans so that he would be believed. (p. 30) In fact, this book is full of such philosophical statements and it does belong to the most mature and well thought out poetry of Dilong. Dilong has been considered as an important Slovak surrealist, but this book of poetry surpasses the national limitations and should be considered a major contribution to the state of poetic arts in general. It is unique in its kind in the United States. As a man of spiritual endeavors, Dilong is most qualified to say about love the following lines: Laska sa vie udrzat' i na malom priestore. Laska nehl'ada nikdy vel'ke miesto pre seba, ale vel'ky pokoj. (p. 33) When M. Martina Tybor puts it in succint lines; Love can support itself even in little space. Love never seeks a great place for itself, just deep tranquility. (p. 32) it shows not only a great mastery on the part of Tybor's style, but it also shows a kinship to the spiritual world of Dilong. In fact, verses like these make the English translation equivalent in value to the Slovak original. The poet Dilong is an exile in several senses. He is an exile from his native Slovakia. As such, he knows the hardships of assimilation to the new life on this continent. In the second sense, he is an exile in terms of his religious order, which in a certain sense distinguishes him from the rest of the world. And thirdly, he is an exile of thought, only a select few understanding him and his plight for a more human world. All this pain and sorrow is con- �SLOVAKIA 69 centrated in one man alone and he expresses his alpha and omega as an axile in a brief and succinct statement which could not be imitated even by such genial minds as that of Strmefl and sprinc. The lines in Slovak: Pri ceste t'a caka medznik, ako tvoj domov. Batoh vzdychov k nemu prinesies. (p. 45) and in M. Martina Tybor's translation: There is a landmark at the roadside, awaiting your coming as surely as your home does. Here you will set down your pack of sights. (p. 44) The tremendous sensitivity of Dilong appears through all of his poetry in which he portrays his fellow travelers through this world of rushing to nowhere in which the misunderstanding of individual human beings is the order of the day. He very humbly says: 0, Boze, bud' pri cloveku, co ide s kyjakom k nam, lebo sme vel'mi citlivi. Pomaly ide, ale isto. (p. 47) and M. Tybor understandingly and compassionately shows the exact meaning when she reflects his ideas in her own poetic language: 0 God, be with the man who comes at us with a cudgel, for we are very sensitive. Slowly he come but surely. (p. 46) Dilong's vision of the human soul, in which there is a combination of our life here on earth with a special view of the eternal life into which all of us are supposed to tend to aspire is expressed again in simple phrase coached in metaphysical symbolism like the following: Stal som pri potoku a videl som na jeho dne nebo. Ale do neba tu vstupit' nemozno. (p. 57) and in M. Tybor's words: I stood at the brookside and saw heaven in the depth of its bed. But it is not possible to enter heaven here. One could follow through the whole book and show the tremendous power of vision of the poet as well as the translator. The symbolism of the Slovak verses of Dilong are excellently matched by equal value of M. Tybor's translations. Thus, two great minds have complimented each other in original production as well as creation in the translation. It is in this sense that M. Tybor's translation should be considered very creative. The two great minds show their potential in the second �70 SLOVAKIA volume of poetry by R. Dilong, also translated by M. Tybor, Wi th Christ in His Passi on. Here we find the creed of our poet of his whole life as a priest and poet of the highest of gifts when he humbly offers himself to his Lord God whose servant he has been all his life. M. Tybor, also a servant and follower of the works of the Lord has understood the poet's dedication and translates him in clear and simple language: Christ, I fall to my knees in the hour of your death. Look, my sin-bound sleep bordered on smug tranquility and all too long it did not change to tears following upon a bad dream. Out of my heart I tell you this: the cracked amphora will be removed and where the flowers had been steeped you will fill the air of the room with a tumbler of water that you will offer me; I , too, am your flower . (p. 7) The whole book is an excellent material for religious meditation in the time of Passion. The author has poured out his whole heart to the Lord in such a way that it could be any of us kneeling in front of the crucifix and telling the Lord of all our grief and sorrow. Of course, we could not say it with the angel's tongue like R. Dilong and M. Tybor. The most difficult of thoughts and plights are expressed here in a language both original Slovak and the English translation, that it looks almost like it is beautiful to suffer. In its metaphysical sense, it is exactly what Dilong and Tybor are trying to tell us. This book, unlike the other should be read by people who have been exposed to some religious meditation, or at least understanding the meaning of Christ's Passion. It is not going to be readily understood by the atheists of our time. On the other hand, the other book is a must for every person who considers himself intelligent enough to be able to read in depth the meaning of the problems of our times. �SLOVAKIA 71 III The two books of R. Dilong in an excellent translation of M. Tybor are sufficient to show that we are presented here with ideas of extraordinary dimensions unprecedented in the Slovak American cultural life. Two exquisite minds have presented us with an excellent feat for our spiritual well-being. Every American of Slovak descent should not miss reading these works. In fact they should be read by others who are interested in the present day spiritual problems of this country. However, it is one thing what one should do and another what one will actually do. If one should judge by the trends in such matters in the past, the translations will be forgotten next year and there will be no more creative work coming from either Dilong or Tybor. Of course, knowing both of them will prove that they are not easily discouraged. And rightly so. They may expect that after they are both long death, the younger generation of Americans of Slovak descent, coming fresh from their colleges, will ask their parents for the literary works of their ancestors. Some of them may not even know about such trivial matters but the young generation will find themselves. At that time, poets like Dilong and Tybor will get full appreciation. But of course, this does not have to happen this way. There are other Slovak intellectuals who came to these shores and who proved to be prominent writers. For instance, M. sprinc's book, To the Free Shores of America, is a classic. It would be good to do a research and find out how many honors were bestowed on sprinc because of this book. (He vrote others which can be considered classic, especially his essays, Letters from Coral). And Strmefl, the contemporary Dante in Slovak poetry; he received his Academic Palms from the French government for his outstanding contribution to the state of poetic arts. This honor should be considered as next in importance to the Nobel Prize. P. O'Reilly � 66 SLOVAKIA The Renaissance of the Slovak American Literature I The Americans of Slovak origin coming to the free shores of this country centuries ago and did not stop coming until the present day, have shown a tremendous energy and efficiency in bettering their material welfare. They worked, earned incomes, spent it, and enjoyed all the material affluence that the country offered them. Out of meager beginnings they have created considerable wealth by buying houses, establishing businesses, banks and fraternal organizations. On the spiritual level they were quite successful in building numerous churches, schools, and publishing an unprecedented number of newspapers and periodicals. In terms of serious literary endeavors, there were several authors who wrote novels, travelogues, short stories and especially poetry. Among the most recent ones, it was the late Msgr. Milos Mlynarovic. If we don't include such prominent newcomers as Mikulas sprinc, Karol Strmen, Karol Sidor, Jozef C. Hronsky and others, some of them living in America and others only publishing, it would be wrong. I refer here to the exquisite edition of books by the Slovak Defense Press in the fifties. Among the translators of Slovak poetry were Ivan Kramoris and Jaroslav Vajda (The Bloody Sonnets of Hviezdoslav). II There is a new literary star on the horizon of the Slovak American heaven of arts and letters. In Danville, Pennsylvania is located a beautiful Slovak academy of St. Cyril with the adjacent mother house of the Slovak Sisters. Among them lives Sister M. Martina Tybor who is currently engaged in cataloguing Slovakiana at Jankola Library and in teaching at the novitiate teacher-training institute at Villa Sacred Heart. Sister M. Martina is not only a diligent �SLOVAKIA 67 bibliographer, but also an exquisite poet in English. Her poetry is mostly scattered in the issues of Fialky and other periodicals. Apart from that, she has translated several books and studies by Msgr. John Rekem and Dr. Joseph Kirschbaum, but you would hardly find any sign of this and other work mostly because of Sister M. Martina's modesty. The end result is that in our midst lives an unassuming literary personality who has outgrown any living American-Slovak writer without anyone realizing her presence and tremendous potential. A somewhat more careful attention to such seemingly unimportant matters would make us realize the extent of M. Martina's contribution to the American-Slovak letters. Her most recent literary work entails two volumes of poetry by Rudolf Dilong translated into English. The first one is I Offer Bread and Salt, published in an exquisite form by the Slovak Jesuits in Galt, Ontario. It has been translated by M. Martina Tybor. The translation is a very good one, not only because of difficulty to translate Dilong, but also because of the inherent difficulty to translate into English from any language. The rhyme, rhytm, the sound, and other attributes of the language are so different from Slovak that it takes extraordinary skill to master this task. M. Martina Tybor has lived up to this task. The Marshall McLuhanistic style of Dilong which follows like this: V horach je dost' vidno, i ked' sa hajnici uvzali proti svetlu a nepustia ho do Mstin. (p. 17) sounds in Tybor's language in the following way; There is light enough in the mountains even though all the rangers had conspired against the light and outlawed it from the thickets. (p. 16) Although Dilong's two lines are without rhyme, they show a clear example of a symbolic presentation of his ideas. The only difference between Dilong and McLuhan is that while McLuhan shows the negative side of the world and tends to see its coming destruction, Dilong shows the helplessness of the world and at the same time �68 SLOVAKIA gives the hopeful answer to the seering problems of our generation. The following two lines Jestvovali uz vel'ki l'udia, pral'udia a ich katastr6fy. A nase prahory ostali po ich civilizaciach. (p. 23) which in Tybor's words sounds as follows: There have been great people--ancients and their catastrophic demise. And our hoary hills survived their civilization. (p. 22) are an example of Dilong's and Tybor's solution. The present day major dilemma of the human search for integrity is symbolized by Dilong's statement Na kamenny oltar nalial Elias vody a prosil Boha, aby ohen z neba spalil oltar pred tvarou pohanov, aby sa mu uverilo. (p. 31) and in Tybor's language; Elias poured water upon the stone altar and begged God to let fire from heaven consume the sacrifice in the presence of the pagans so that he would be believed. (p. 30) In fact, this book is full of such philosophical statements and it does belong to the most mature and well thought out poetry of Dilong. Dilong has been considered as an important Slovak surrealist, but this book of poetry surpasses the national limitations and should be considered a major contribution to the state of poetic arts in general. It is unique in its kind in the United States. As a man of spiritual endeavors, Dilong is most qualified to say about love the following lines: Laska sa vie udrzat' i na malom priestore. Laska nehl'ada nikdy vel'ke miesto pre seba, ale vel'ky pokoj. (p. 33) When M. Martina Tybor puts it in succint lines; Love can support itself even in little space. Love never seeks a great place for itself, just deep tranquility. (p. 32) it shows not only a great mastery on the part of Tybor's style, but it also shows a kinship to the spiritual world of Dilong. In fact, verses like these make the English translation equivalent in value to the Slovak original. The poet Dilong is an exile in several senses. He is an exile from his native Slovakia. As such, he knows the hardships of assimilation to the new life on this continent. In the second sense, he is an exile in terms of his religious order, which in a certain sense distinguishes him from the rest of the world. And thirdly, he is an exile of thought, only a select few understanding him and his plight for a more human world. All this pain and sorrow is con- �SLOVAKIA 69 centrated in one man alone and he expresses his alpha and omega as an axile in a brief and succinct statement which could not be imitated even by such genial minds as that of Strmefl and sprinc. The lines in Slovak: Pri ceste t'a caka medznik, ako tvoj domov. Batoh vzdychov k nemu prinesies. (p. 45) and in M. Martina Tybor's translation: There is a landmark at the roadside, awaiting your coming as surely as your home does. Here you will set down your pack of sights. (p. 44) The tremendous sensitivity of Dilong appears through all of his poetry in which he portrays his fellow travelers through this world of rushing to nowhere in which the misunderstanding of individual human beings is the order of the day. He very humbly says: 0, Boze, bud' pri cloveku, co ide s kyjakom k nam, lebo sme vel'mi citlivi. Pomaly ide, ale isto. (p. 47) and M. Tybor understandingly and compassionately shows the exact meaning when she reflects his ideas in her own poetic language: 0 God, be with the man who comes at us with a cudgel, for we are very sensitive. Slowly he come but surely. (p. 46) Dilong's vision of the human soul, in which there is a combination of our life here on earth with a special view of the eternal life into which all of us are supposed to tend to aspire is expressed again in simple phrase coached in metaphysical symbolism like the following: Stal som pri potoku a videl som na jeho dne nebo. Ale do neba tu vstupit' nemozno. (p. 57) and in M. Tybor's words: I stood at the brookside and saw heaven in the depth of its bed. But it is not possible to enter heaven here. One could follow through the whole book and show the tremendous power of vision of the poet as well as the translator. The symbolism of the Slovak verses of Dilong are excellently matched by equal value of M. Tybor's translations. Thus, two great minds have complimented each other in original production as well as creation in the translation. It is in this sense that M. Tybor's translation should be considered very creative. The two great minds show their potential in the second �70 SLOVAKIA volume of poetry by R. Dilong, also translated by M. Tybor, Wi th Christ in His Passi on. Here we find the creed of our poet of his whole life as a priest and poet of the highest of gifts when he humbly offers himself to his Lord God whose servant he has been all his life. M. Tybor, also a servant and follower of the works of the Lord has understood the poet's dedication and translates him in clear and simple language: Christ, I fall to my knees in the hour of your death. Look, my sin-bound sleep bordered on smug tranquility and all too long it did not change to tears following upon a bad dream. Out of my heart I tell you this: the cracked amphora will be removed and where the flowers had been steeped you will fill the air of the room with a tumbler of water that you will offer me; I , too, am your flower . (p. 7) The whole book is an excellent material for religious meditation in the time of Passion. The author has poured out his whole heart to the Lord in such a way that it could be any of us kneeling in front of the crucifix and telling the Lord of all our grief and sorrow. Of course, we could not say it with the angel's tongue like R. Dilong and M. Tybor. The most difficult of thoughts and plights are expressed here in a language both original Slovak and the English translation, that it looks almost like it is beautiful to suffer. In its metaphysical sense, it is exactly what Dilong and Tybor are trying to tell us. This book, unlike the other should be read by people who have been exposed to some religious meditation, or at least understanding the meaning of Christ's Passion. It is not going to be readily understood by the atheists of our time. On the other hand, the other book is a must for every person who considers himself intelligent enough to be able to read in depth the meaning of the problems of our times. �SLOVAKIA 71 III The two books of R. Dilong in an excellent translation of M. Tybor are sufficient to show that we are presented here with ideas of extraordinary dimensions unprecedented in the Slovak American cultural life. Two exquisite minds have presented us with an excellent feat for our spiritual well-being. Every American of Slovak descent should not miss reading these works. In fact they should be read by others who are interested in the present day spiritual problems of this country. However, it is one thing what one should do and another what one will actually do. If one should judge by the trends in such matters in the past, the translations will be forgotten next year and there will be no more creative work coming from either Dilong or Tybor. Of course, knowing both of them will prove that they are not easily discouraged. And rightly so. They may expect that after they are both long death, the younger generation of Americans of Slovak descent, coming fresh from their colleges, will ask their parents for the literary works of their ancestors. Some of them may not even know about such trivial matters but the young generation will find themselves. At that time, poets like Dilong and Tybor will get full appreciation. But of course, this does not have to happen this way. There are other Slovak intellectuals who came to these shores and who proved to be prominent writers. For instance, M. sprinc's book, To the Free Shores of America, is a classic. It would be good to do a research and find out how many honors were bestowed on sprinc because of this book. (He vrote others which can be considered classic, especially his essays, Letters from Coral). And Strmefl, the contemporary Dante in Slovak poetry; he received his Academic Palms from the French government for his outstanding contribution to the state of poetic arts. This honor should be considered as next in importance to the Nobel Prize. P. O'Reilly � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1973, Vol. 23 Description An account of the resource Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document 66 SLOVAKIA The Renaissance of the Slovak American Literature I The Americans of Slovak origin coming to the free shores of this country centuries ago and did not stop coming until the present day, have shown a tremendous energy and efficiency in bettering their material welfare. They worked, earned incomes, spent it, and enjoyed all the material affluence that the country offered them. Out of meager beginnings they have created considerable wealth by buying houses, establishing businesses, banks and fraternal organizations. On the spiritual level they were quite successful in building numerous churches, schools, and publishing an unprecedented number of newspapers and periodicals. In terms of serious literary endeavors, there were several authors who wrote novels, travelogues, short stories and especially poetry. Among the most recent ones, it was the late Msgr. Milos Mlynarovic. If we don't include such prominent newcomers as Mikulas sprinc, Karol Strmen, Karol Sidor, Jozef C. Hronsky and others, some of them living in America and others only publishing, it would be wrong. I refer here to the exquisite edition of books by the Slovak Defense Press in the fifties. Among the translators of Slovak poetry were Ivan Kramoris and Jaroslav Vajda (The Bloody Sonnets of Hviezdoslav). II There is a new literary star on the horizon of the Slovak American heaven of arts and letters. In Danville, Pennsylvania is located a beautiful Slovak academy of St. Cyril with the adjacent mother house of the Slovak Sisters. Among them lives Sister M. Martina Tybor who is currently engaged in cataloguing Slovakiana at Jankola Library and in teaching at the novitiate teacher-training institute at Villa Sacred Heart. Sister M. Martina is not only a diligent SLOVAKIA 67 bibliographer, but also an exquisite poet in English. Her poetry is mostly scattered in the issues of Fialky and other periodicals. Apart from that, she has translated several books and studies by Msgr. John Rekem and Dr. Joseph Kirschbaum, but you would hardly find any sign of this and other work mostly because of Sister M. Martina's modesty. The end result is that in our midst lives an unassuming literary personality who has outgrown any living American-Slovak writer without anyone realizing her presence and tremendous potential. A somewhat more careful attention to such seemingly unimportant matters would make us realize the extent of M. Martina's contribution to the American-Slovak letters. Her most recent literary work entails two volumes of poetry by Rudolf Dilong translated into English. The first one is I Offer Bread and Salt, published in an exquisite form by the Slovak Jesuits in Galt, Ontario. It has been translated by M. Martina Tybor. The translation is a very good one, not only because of difficulty to translate Dilong, but also because of the inherent difficulty to translate into English from any language. The rhyme, rhytm, the sound, and other attributes of the language are so different from Slovak that it takes extraordinary skill to master this task. M. Martina Tybor has lived up to this task. The Marshall McLuhanistic style of Dilong which follows like this: V horach je dost' vidno, i ked' sa hajnici uvzali proti svetlu a nepustia ho do Mstin. (p. 17) sounds in Tybor's language in the following way; There is light enough in the mountains even though all the rangers had conspired against the light and outlawed it from the thickets. (p. 16) Although Dilong's two lines are without rhyme, they show a clear example of a symbolic presentation of his ideas. The only difference between Dilong and McLuhan is that while McLuhan shows the negative side of the world and tends to see its coming destruction, Dilong shows the helplessness of the world and at the same time 68 SLOVAKIA gives the hopeful answer to the seering problems of our generation. The following two lines Jestvovali uz vel'ki l'udia, pral'udia a ich katastr6fy. A nase prahory ostali po ich civilizaciach. (p. 23) which in Tybor's words sounds as follows: There have been great people--ancients and their catastrophic demise. And our hoary hills survived their civilization. (p. 22) are an example of Dilong's and Tybor's solution. The present day major dilemma of the human search for integrity is symbolized by Dilong's statement Na kamenny oltar nalial Elias vody a prosil Boha, aby ohen z neba spalil oltar pred tvarou pohanov, aby sa mu uverilo. (p. 31) and in Tybor's language; Elias poured water upon the stone altar and begged God to let fire from heaven consume the sacrifice in the presence of the pagans so that he would be believed. (p. 30) In fact, this book is full of such philosophical statements and it does belong to the most mature and well thought out poetry of Dilong. Dilong has been considered as an important Slovak surrealist, but this book of poetry surpasses the national limitations and should be considered a major contribution to the state of poetic arts in general. It is unique in its kind in the United States. As a man of spiritual endeavors, Dilong is most qualified to say about love the following lines: Laska sa vie udrzat' i na malom priestore. Laska nehl'ada nikdy vel'ke miesto pre seba, ale vel'ky pokoj. (p. 33) When M. Martina Tybor puts it in succint lines; Love can support itself even in little space. Love never seeks a great place for itself, just deep tranquility. (p. 32) it shows not only a great mastery on the part of Tybor's style, but it also shows a kinship to the spiritual world of Dilong. In fact, verses like these make the English translation equivalent in value to the Slovak original. The poet Dilong is an exile in several senses. He is an exile from his native Slovakia. As such, he knows the hardships of assimilation to the new life on this continent. In the second sense, he is an exile in terms of his religious order, which in a certain sense distinguishes him from the rest of the world. And thirdly, he is an exile of thought, only a select few understanding him and his plight for a more human world. All this pain and sorrow is con- SLOVAKIA 69 centrated in one man alone and he expresses his alpha and omega as an axile in a brief and succinct statement which could not be imitated even by such genial minds as that of Strmefl and sprinc. The lines in Slovak: Pri ceste t'a caka medznik, ako tvoj domov. Batoh vzdychov k nemu prinesies. (p. 45) and in M. Martina Tybor's translation: There is a landmark at the roadside, awaiting your coming as surely as your home does. Here you will set down your pack of sights. (p. 44) The tremendous sensitivity of Dilong appears through all of his poetry in which he portrays his fellow travelers through this world of rushing to nowhere in which the misunderstanding of individual human beings is the order of the day. He very humbly says: 0, Boze, bud' pri cloveku, co ide s kyjakom k nam, lebo sme vel'mi citlivi. Pomaly ide, ale isto. (p. 47) and M. Tybor understandingly and compassionately shows the exact meaning when she reflects his ideas in her own poetic language: 0 God, be with the man who comes at us with a cudgel, for we are very sensitive. Slowly he come but surely. (p. 46) Dilong's vision of the human soul, in which there is a combination of our life here on earth with a special view of the eternal life into which all of us are supposed to tend to aspire is expressed again in simple phrase coached in metaphysical symbolism like the following: Stal som pri potoku a videl som na jeho dne nebo. Ale do neba tu vstupit' nemozno. (p. 57) and in M. Tybor's words: I stood at the brookside and saw heaven in the depth of its bed. But it is not possible to enter heaven here. One could follow through the whole book and show the tremendous power of vision of the poet as well as the translator. The symbolism of the Slovak verses of Dilong are excellently matched by equal value of M. Tybor's translations. Thus, two great minds have complimented each other in original production as well as creation in the translation. It is in this sense that M. Tybor's translation should be considered very creative. The two great minds show their potential in the second 70 SLOVAKIA volume of poetry by R. Dilong, also translated by M. Tybor, Wi th Christ in His Passi on. Here we find the creed of our poet of his whole life as a priest and poet of the highest of gifts when he humbly offers himself to his Lord God whose servant he has been all his life. M. Tybor, also a servant and follower of the works of the Lord has understood the poet's dedication and translates him in clear and simple language: Christ, I fall to my knees in the hour of your death. Look, my sin-bound sleep bordered on smug tranquility and all too long it did not change to tears following upon a bad dream. Out of my heart I tell you this: the cracked amphora will be removed and where the flowers had been steeped you will fill the air of the room with a tumbler of water that you will offer me; I , too, am your flower . (p. 7) The whole book is an excellent material for religious meditation in the time of Passion. The author has poured out his whole heart to the Lord in such a way that it could be any of us kneeling in front of the crucifix and telling the Lord of all our grief and sorrow. Of course, we could not say it with the angel's tongue like R. Dilong and M. Tybor. The most difficult of thoughts and plights are expressed here in a language both original Slovak and the English translation, that it looks almost like it is beautiful to suffer. In its metaphysical sense, it is exactly what Dilong and Tybor are trying to tell us. This book, unlike the other should be read by people who have been exposed to some religious meditation, or at least understanding the meaning of Christ's Passion. It is not going to be readily understood by the atheists of our time. On the other hand, the other book is a must for every person who considers himself intelligent enough to be able to read in depth the meaning of the problems of our times. SLOVAKIA 71 III The two books of R. Dilong in an excellent translation of M. Tybor are sufficient to show that we are presented here with ideas of extraordinary dimensions unprecedented in the Slovak American cultural life. Two exquisite minds have presented us with an excellent feat for our spiritual well-being. Every American of Slovak descent should not miss reading these works. In fact they should be read by others who are interested in the present day spiritual problems of this country. However, it is one thing what one should do and another what one will actually do. If one should judge by the trends in such matters in the past, the translations will be forgotten next year and there will be no more creative work coming from either Dilong or Tybor. Of course, knowing both of them will prove that they are not easily discouraged. And rightly so. They may expect that after they are both long death, the younger generation of Americans of Slovak descent, coming fresh from their colleges, will ask their parents for the literary works of their ancestors. Some of them may not even know about such trivial matters but the young generation will find themselves. At that time, poets like Dilong and Tybor will get full appreciation. But of course, this does not have to happen this way. There are other Slovak intellectuals who came to these shores and who proved to be prominent writers. For instance, M. sprinc's book, To the Free Shores of America, is a classic. It would be good to do a research and find out how many honors were bestowed on sprinc because of this book. (He vrote others which can be considered classic, especially his essays, Letters from Coral). And Strmefl, the contemporary Dante in Slovak poetry; he received his Academic Palms from the French government for his outstanding contribution to the state of poetic arts. This honor should be considered as next in importance to the Nobel Prize. P. O'Reilly  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Renaissance of the Slovak American Literature Description An account of the resource P. O'Reilly Slovakia, Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973 pp. 66-71 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource O'Reilly, P. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 name https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/8cca52a70435dc9cd05b6fa2457ec9b1.pdf bf5b53d80710ba34ebda4c8ecae805d9 PDF Text Text SLOVAKIA 57 A New Phase In The Socialist Economic Reform V. J. Hurley I Ever since the famous Liberman debate in 1962 on the reform of the Socialist planned economic system, several Socialist writers have voiced their opinions on the subject. Ideas proposed by Liberman for the Soviet Union were followed by similar ideas for the planned economic system in other European Communist countries. It was primarily 0. Sik1 and others in Czecho-Slovakia, W. Brus2 and others in Poland, as well as others in each Communist country who were economic proponents of the new way of looking at economic planning proposed by Liberman.3 After a heated debate in the Soviet press, especially Pravda, for a general discussion and Voprosy ekonomiki for a more rigorous discussion, there were certain fluctuations in proposing the Liberman ideas in practice or rejecting them. A period of total stagnation set in when N. Khruschev was replaced by Brezhnev and Kosygin. However, soon afterwards a further development of Liberman's ideas was evident in the Soviet press and elsewhere in the Communist countries. The purpose of this paper is to present and briefly analyze the state of the debate of the economic reform in Czecho-Slovakia. It will be noted that after a brief period of "liberalization" in 1968, there followed a complete stop in the discussion of the subject. Latter have there appeared occassional suggestions that the topic is still alive and of paramount importance to the Socialist economic planners. Andrej Lantay, the present director of the Economic Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences in Bratislava, has published what may be considered the important �58 SLOVAKIA restatement of the issues involved in the economic reform in the Socialist countries, especially Czecho-Slovakia.4 In his statement, Lantay proposes a new approach to the economic reform in Czecho-Slovakia. Before analyzing the major issues involved, he specifies certain basic criteria which must be observed when discussing the problem of Socialist economic planning. First, he maintains that it is the planned economic system and not price mechanism that is characteristic of any Socialist economy. Second, it is impossible to confuse $ik's model of Socialist economy with the actual purpose of the economic reform. Third, any debate on the economic reform must proceed from the premise that the Communist Party is the leading and actual moving force behind any economic measures proposed. Thus, the supremacy of the Communist Party has been reasserted. II At present, the new phase in the development of Socialist economic reform entails a slow reevaluation of the various instruments of their economic system. After the setback of the reform in 1968, it is clear to the Socialist as well as western analysts that the reform must follow on wholly Socialist lines with a more or less centralized model as suggested by various writers in the past. The Lantay model differs from other models only by its distribution of areas of competent decision making between the central planning authority and the firm. The pre-Liberman models tended to stress the dominance of the central authorities in planning decisions. The post-Liberman models showed the necessity to decentralize the rigid economic system and give the firm enough responsibility to decide on what level the relevant actions were to be taken to achieve higher profitability or productivity of the firm. Most post-Liberman models considered giving a firm a dominant role in decision making. The Socialist and western literature is abundant on that score. The Lantay model, on the other hand, is a slight departure from the two previous approaches to the problem of economic planning in the Socialist countries, especially in Czecho-Slovakia. Lantay proposes that decision making �SLOVAKIA 59 in terms of planning should occur on the first level with an explicit collaboration with the central planning authority. Thus, there should exist a kind of sharing the authority of planning decisions between the individual firms and the center and possibly between some intermediate planning organizations. This model may be an improvement over the pre-Liberman centralized models, but it is doubtful that it will efficiently replace such decentralized models as the one of sik. In general, the Lantay model may be considered as an intermediate model between the two extremes. The Lantay model will have to face the same major problems of rigidity in economic planning in various areas. First, in terms of organization, the firm will have to have enough competence to decide as to the microeconomic variables utilized in its production. If this competence is going to be acknowledged the firm may be free to choose some measuring stick of some kind of optimization. It does not have to be profitability maximization. However, in this respect the Lantay model will have to decide the old problem of what criteria it is going to use to measure :profitability. So far the Lantay model does not suggest any solution to this problem. If the firm will obtain such competence as to decide on its own how to maximize some objective function, some positive results may follow from the Lantay model. Such decentralization of microeconomic decisions of the firm will leave the overall microeconomic decisions to the central planning authority. Then the central planning authority could be given an opportunity to follow the development of individual microeconomic plans as to the level of achievement. Only in this way, i.e. through the division of labor between the center and the firm, may it eliminate the unnecessary overlapping and contradictory decision processes. The details of this have not been specified by Lantay. Second, on measuring the level of performance, the Lantay model will have to solve a problem of measuring the capital productivity and also the above mentioned profitability. In both cases the Socialist literature is negligent in coming to an adequate solution. Although the profitability indicator, one of several, has been recently �60 SLOVAKIA stressed, the actual performance of the firm showed that it was used only as one of many. As long as profitability is not used as the most important indicator, there are likely to be difficulties in the measurement of the efficiency of the firms. Such indicators as quality, assortment, etc., are a necessary part of statistical assessment of the firm's performance, but they should not be given dominance over profitability. A profitable firm is one which earns certain levels of profits, given the product of certain quality, size, shape, etc. Physical assessment of the performance of the firm is crude in some cases and impossible in others. Profits under Socialism are a public property. This was maintained by Liberman and others. Therefore, the Lantay model cannot shy away from it as from the capitalist variable. In terms of investment spending, the same argument follows. To assess it, one should calculate it in terms of monetary values rather than in physical terms. Even if one has to select a less profitable investment project over a more profitable one, one should assess the difference between them. Thus, one should calculate how much value is being lost by choosing a less profitable investment project in order to be able to compare it with the social gain from making such a choice. Capital productivity in monetary values may prove a much more realistic way of measuring it and also much easier. Third, one of the major problems in any previous models was the problem of factor mobility. The planning mechanism did not allow for factor mobility into their optimal uses by differential compensation. Rather, the planning authorities totally disregarded this process o! allocation and have distributed the factors by the stress of certain emphasized industries such as heavy industries under pre-Liberman models. This brought about a tremendous amount of misallocation of resources with an accompanying suboptimal performances on micro- and macro-economic levels. It should be noted at this point that labor mobility exists and is also officially recognized by the central economic planning authorities in Czechoslovakia as well as in other Socialist countries. However, the actual movement of labor has been made very difficult by various restrictions, such as a workbook which has to be presented at the new location before one can obtain �SLOVAKIA 61 a job there. Slackening the institutional restrictions on factor mobility usually brings about a movement of the factors of production into such industries in which their productivity is the highest. Thus, the most profitable firms will attract and be able to pay higher wages to interested labor and become even more profitable through higher productivity, eliminating some of the low productivity labor which would have to transfer into a less profitable firm. With total labor mobility, there would remain only most profitable firms in the industry, the marginal firms being eliminated. Although this is the basic mechanism in a free enterprise economic system, it is also inevitable in a Socialist system if some method of optimization is to be sought after. The planning authority role in the mobility of factors o:! production would be to stay away and not to interfere. Given the free factor mobility, the planning authorities should observe the trends of labor mobility. If the trends observed are with the wishes of the planners, nothing should be done. However, if the labor moves into the most profitable uses and the planners wish to change the trend into the industries which are not so profitable but emphasized some criteria other than the profitability, the planning authority should be able to steer such movement with ease as it has all the necessary instruments of enforcement. What is proposed here is a working mechanism of the allocation of resources to their optimal uses within the planned economic framework. Of course, it is obvious that a free enterprise system which is supposed to be without too many imperfections is likely to solve this problem much faster and more efficiently than the planned economic system. However, this may not be so if the planners will devise such methods of allocation of resources which will outweigh the imperfections of the free enterprise systems. So far this has not been done, and if there is hope of it ever being done, it must be only a case in which the planning authority is a steering agency rather than a commanding one. III Observing the present state of economic reform in any of the Communist countries, one may delineate what may �62 SLOVAKIA be called a new phase of development. This new phase could be briefly described within the planned economic framework as the moderate search for solutions to economic problems as outlined above. Thus, it may be clear by now to the Socialist as well as western analysts that the planned economic system is there to stay. The dominance of the Communist Party in economic decision making has been reasserted. The content of the new phase of economic development in Socialist countries would be the search for such instruments and mechanisms of economic activity which will affect the optimal allocation of resources within the planned economic framework. Such a search has been started by A. Lantay, and his model shows signs of awareness of the above mentioned areas of difficulty. In his study, he mentions the first major problem of economic planning. This is the problem of what role the planning authority should play in the Socialist economic process. It has been pointed out above that Lantay proposes a redistribution of competence between the center and the firms. This is expected to occur in such a way that the firms' interests will be supported by the interests of the central planning authority. Lantay further suggests that sufficient amounts of authority should be delegated to the firms to create an atmosphere in which the firms may be able to operate profitably. This may be actually the strongest point in the Lantay model. In the past, the Socialist reformers had difficulty defending such views, but it seems that Lantay, who is proposing a kind of intermediate model, may have other supporters, as he does ultimately stress the point of reemphasizing the centralized economic planning. This may seem a contradiction in itself. But it does not have to be; it all depends on the content of responsibility of the agents like the firms and the planning authorities at various levels. If, as Lantay suggests, the responsibily of the central planning authority will be to plan an overall economic activity and let the firms operate on their own initiative within the plan, then there should not be much conflict. This could resemble very loosely the concept of "economie dirige" of France. Although the central planning authority �SLOVAKIA 63 is not supposed to interfere with the performance of the firms, it always has an opportunity to check their activities should the need arise. Further, Lantay proposes that the firms should be interested in the collaboration with the central planning authority by striving for higher productivity through innovations and eventually for higher profitability. This may be a new shape of economic reform as other indicators are lacking from Lantay's discussion. It may be remembered that there were other indicators that the planning authority has imposed on the firms as obligatory target figures. The Lantay presentation may be a departure from the older models as it stresses the achievement of productivity and profitability. Since this has also been a major area difficulty in the past, Lantay's version may be a move in the right direction. He does mention that one has to eliminate the mistakes of the past and supply goods of acceptable or prescribed quality. This is, however, assumed as given rather than to present it as a target. If carried trough properly, this may prove one of the most important improvements on all previous economic models without sacrificing any principles of economic planning. One simply maximizes Socialist profits within the planned economic system. It is a question of how the new planning organization will be carried out that will determine whether planning is going to be a supporting variable rather than a constraint. The planning as it was produced in the pre-Liberman models turned out to be a constraint to economic growth rather than a supporting variable. In the Lantay model, there are signs which may prove workable. In a further discussion, Lantay proposes a new structure for wages and tax payments. However, it is only a suggestion without any specific elaboration of the problem. It has been mentioned above what problems are connected in this respect. If one were allowed a guess, Lantay may try to solve the problem of wages by allowing labor mobility and thus base the wage r ates on productivity rather than planned figures. Furthermore, the supply and demand, which are not explicitly stated by Lantay, may take care of itself by the free m obility of labor. Lantay does �64 SLOVAKIA criticize the way in which the firms in the past used bribes to attract more qualified labor. This may show that by eliminating institutional and other restrictions there would be a great mobility of labor in Socialist economics if allowed. In terms of the firm's production, Lantay suggests that one should modernize the present firms by the latest technology in order to increase productivity rather than to expand production by building new plants. Thus, it is a switch from an extensive to an intensive process of production. This kind of approach would be in line with the profit maximization proposal which also takes into consideration the technological aspect of the production function or "the state of arts". This also would be a departure from other Socialist models, as the Socialist producers usually shy away from modernization of their firms. Paradoxical as it may appear at first sight, and subject to a misconception on this issue in the western literature, the Socialist manager has so far tried to avoid the modernization of his firm, although it has been done in many instances. The problem is this; it is true that modern machinery is more productive, and therefore it is expected to produce a larger physical output. This is a simple proposition and to mention it here amounts to a teutology. Because of the higher productivity, the Socialist planners are also interested in introducing the new technology into their firms. The question is, then, why is it that the Socialist manager would not be interested in its introduction to his firm? The answer is this; although it is true that machinery of higher productivity may produce the larger output, the target figures for the manager will also be higher than before when the old machinery was used. This by itself would not create a great problem. If the productivity of a new machine is three times greater than that of the old, then the targets would become three times higher. But the problem starts when the Socialist manager starts to make physical adjustments to meet the increased production. First, it will need larger amounts of raw materials, more workers to handle the increased output; apart from �SLOVAKIA 65 this, the output may increase to such a level that the manager will have to expand any activity that will be affected by such an increase. With larger volumes of production the supply of factors of production by other firms will also increase. Here is the crux of the matter: with higher targets for the production of the firm and with inefficient supplies coming from other firms, the manager may have a more difficult time fulfilling the plan with the consequence of costly penalties imposed for underfulfillment. The Socialist manager, therefore, is better off in terms of fulfilling the plan when he is working with the old and less efficient machinery. If the process of planning and carrying through the set targets for all firms concerned were improved upon, the Socialist manager could be interested in modernization of the firm. Until then, however, he will be satisfied with lower output that is achieved more safely. It is especially in this context that the proposition of Lantay should be considered. The situation in Slovakia and Bohemia may be better in this respect than in the Soviet Union and other Socialist countries, but it is still a matter of future planning rather than the present situation that will allow the "starved for capital" managers to be seriously interested in modernization of their firms. However, if the Lantay model will be carried out as proposed and a situation created in which the managers will be able to maximize profits rather than a host of other indicators and all firms perform efficiently, there may be an interest for modernization on the part of the Socialist managers. It could prove to have a cumulative effect on the various variables which support a higher economic growth. But this is to be seen in the future. FOOTNOTES 1) Sile, Ota, K problematice socialistickych zbozn£ch vztahu, Prague 1965. 2) Brus, W., Modely socialistickeho hospodarstvi, Prague 1964. 3) Liberman, E. G., Planirovanie proizvodstva i normativy dlitelnogo deystviya, in Voprosy ekonomiki, 1962, No. 8; Liberman also wrote a book in 1950 called Plan, pribyl i premiya but it is very seldom quoted in connection with the famous debate. 4) Lantay, A., Uvazene a triezvo rozvijat' ekonomicku reformu, in Pravda (Bratislava), October 19, 21, 22, and 23, 1970. � SLOVAKIA 57 A New Phase In The Socialist Economic Reform V. J. Hurley I Ever since the famous Liberman debate in 1962 on the reform of the Socialist planned economic system, several Socialist writers have voiced their opinions on the subject. Ideas proposed by Liberman for the Soviet Union were followed by similar ideas for the planned economic system in other European Communist countries. It was primarily 0. Sik1 and others in Czecho-Slovakia, W. Brus2 and others in Poland, as well as others in each Communist country who were economic proponents of the new way of looking at economic planning proposed by Liberman.3 After a heated debate in the Soviet press, especially Pravda, for a general discussion and Voprosy ekonomiki for a more rigorous discussion, there were certain fluctuations in proposing the Liberman ideas in practice or rejecting them. A period of total stagnation set in when N. Khruschev was replaced by Brezhnev and Kosygin. However, soon afterwards a further development of Liberman's ideas was evident in the Soviet press and elsewhere in the Communist countries. The purpose of this paper is to present and briefly analyze the state of the debate of the economic reform in Czecho-Slovakia. It will be noted that after a brief period of "liberalization" in 1968, there followed a complete stop in the discussion of the subject. Latter have there appeared occassional suggestions that the topic is still alive and of paramount importance to the Socialist economic planners. Andrej Lantay, the present director of the Economic Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences in Bratislava, has published what may be considered the important �58 SLOVAKIA restatement of the issues involved in the economic reform in the Socialist countries, especially Czecho-Slovakia.4 In his statement, Lantay proposes a new approach to the economic reform in Czecho-Slovakia. Before analyzing the major issues involved, he specifies certain basic criteria which must be observed when discussing the problem of Socialist economic planning. First, he maintains that it is the planned economic system and not price mechanism that is characteristic of any Socialist economy. Second, it is impossible to confuse $ik's model of Socialist economy with the actual purpose of the economic reform. Third, any debate on the economic reform must proceed from the premise that the Communist Party is the leading and actual moving force behind any economic measures proposed. Thus, the supremacy of the Communist Party has been reasserted. II At present, the new phase in the development of Socialist economic reform entails a slow reevaluation of the various instruments of their economic system. After the setback of the reform in 1968, it is clear to the Socialist as well as western analysts that the reform must follow on wholly Socialist lines with a more or less centralized model as suggested by various writers in the past. The Lantay model differs from other models only by its distribution of areas of competent decision making between the central planning authority and the firm. The pre-Liberman models tended to stress the dominance of the central authorities in planning decisions. The post-Liberman models showed the necessity to decentralize the rigid economic system and give the firm enough responsibility to decide on what level the relevant actions were to be taken to achieve higher profitability or productivity of the firm. Most post-Liberman models considered giving a firm a dominant role in decision making. The Socialist and western literature is abundant on that score. The Lantay model, on the other hand, is a slight departure from the two previous approaches to the problem of economic planning in the Socialist countries, especially in Czecho-Slovakia. Lantay proposes that decision making �SLOVAKIA 59 in terms of planning should occur on the first level with an explicit collaboration with the central planning authority. Thus, there should exist a kind of sharing the authority of planning decisions between the individual firms and the center and possibly between some intermediate planning organizations. This model may be an improvement over the pre-Liberman centralized models, but it is doubtful that it will efficiently replace such decentralized models as the one of sik. In general, the Lantay model may be considered as an intermediate model between the two extremes. The Lantay model will have to face the same major problems of rigidity in economic planning in various areas. First, in terms of organization, the firm will have to have enough competence to decide as to the microeconomic variables utilized in its production. If this competence is going to be acknowledged the firm may be free to choose some measuring stick of some kind of optimization. It does not have to be profitability maximization. However, in this respect the Lantay model will have to decide the old problem of what criteria it is going to use to measure :profitability. So far the Lantay model does not suggest any solution to this problem. If the firm will obtain such competence as to decide on its own how to maximize some objective function, some positive results may follow from the Lantay model. Such decentralization of microeconomic decisions of the firm will leave the overall microeconomic decisions to the central planning authority. Then the central planning authority could be given an opportunity to follow the development of individual microeconomic plans as to the level of achievement. Only in this way, i.e. through the division of labor between the center and the firm, may it eliminate the unnecessary overlapping and contradictory decision processes. The details of this have not been specified by Lantay. Second, on measuring the level of performance, the Lantay model will have to solve a problem of measuring the capital productivity and also the above mentioned profitability. In both cases the Socialist literature is negligent in coming to an adequate solution. Although the profitability indicator, one of several, has been recently �60 SLOVAKIA stressed, the actual performance of the firm showed that it was used only as one of many. As long as profitability is not used as the most important indicator, there are likely to be difficulties in the measurement of the efficiency of the firms. Such indicators as quality, assortment, etc., are a necessary part of statistical assessment of the firm's performance, but they should not be given dominance over profitability. A profitable firm is one which earns certain levels of profits, given the product of certain quality, size, shape, etc. Physical assessment of the performance of the firm is crude in some cases and impossible in others. Profits under Socialism are a public property. This was maintained by Liberman and others. Therefore, the Lantay model cannot shy away from it as from the capitalist variable. In terms of investment spending, the same argument follows. To assess it, one should calculate it in terms of monetary values rather than in physical terms. Even if one has to select a less profitable investment project over a more profitable one, one should assess the difference between them. Thus, one should calculate how much value is being lost by choosing a less profitable investment project in order to be able to compare it with the social gain from making such a choice. Capital productivity in monetary values may prove a much more realistic way of measuring it and also much easier. Third, one of the major problems in any previous models was the problem of factor mobility. The planning mechanism did not allow for factor mobility into their optimal uses by differential compensation. Rather, the planning authorities totally disregarded this process o! allocation and have distributed the factors by the stress of certain emphasized industries such as heavy industries under pre-Liberman models. This brought about a tremendous amount of misallocation of resources with an accompanying suboptimal performances on micro- and macro-economic levels. It should be noted at this point that labor mobility exists and is also officially recognized by the central economic planning authorities in Czechoslovakia as well as in other Socialist countries. However, the actual movement of labor has been made very difficult by various restrictions, such as a workbook which has to be presented at the new location before one can obtain �SLOVAKIA 61 a job there. Slackening the institutional restrictions on factor mobility usually brings about a movement of the factors of production into such industries in which their productivity is the highest. Thus, the most profitable firms will attract and be able to pay higher wages to interested labor and become even more profitable through higher productivity, eliminating some of the low productivity labor which would have to transfer into a less profitable firm. With total labor mobility, there would remain only most profitable firms in the industry, the marginal firms being eliminated. Although this is the basic mechanism in a free enterprise economic system, it is also inevitable in a Socialist system if some method of optimization is to be sought after. The planning authority role in the mobility of factors o:! production would be to stay away and not to interfere. Given the free factor mobility, the planning authorities should observe the trends of labor mobility. If the trends observed are with the wishes of the planners, nothing should be done. However, if the labor moves into the most profitable uses and the planners wish to change the trend into the industries which are not so profitable but emphasized some criteria other than the profitability, the planning authority should be able to steer such movement with ease as it has all the necessary instruments of enforcement. What is proposed here is a working mechanism of the allocation of resources to their optimal uses within the planned economic framework. Of course, it is obvious that a free enterprise system which is supposed to be without too many imperfections is likely to solve this problem much faster and more efficiently than the planned economic system. However, this may not be so if the planners will devise such methods of allocation of resources which will outweigh the imperfections of the free enterprise systems. So far this has not been done, and if there is hope of it ever being done, it must be only a case in which the planning authority is a steering agency rather than a commanding one. III Observing the present state of economic reform in any of the Communist countries, one may delineate what may �62 SLOVAKIA be called a new phase of development. This new phase could be briefly described within the planned economic framework as the moderate search for solutions to economic problems as outlined above. Thus, it may be clear by now to the Socialist as well as western analysts that the planned economic system is there to stay. The dominance of the Communist Party in economic decision making has been reasserted. The content of the new phase of economic development in Socialist countries would be the search for such instruments and mechanisms of economic activity which will affect the optimal allocation of resources within the planned economic framework. Such a search has been started by A. Lantay, and his model shows signs of awareness of the above mentioned areas of difficulty. In his study, he mentions the first major problem of economic planning. This is the problem of what role the planning authority should play in the Socialist economic process. It has been pointed out above that Lantay proposes a redistribution of competence between the center and the firms. This is expected to occur in such a way that the firms' interests will be supported by the interests of the central planning authority. Lantay further suggests that sufficient amounts of authority should be delegated to the firms to create an atmosphere in which the firms may be able to operate profitably. This may be actually the strongest point in the Lantay model. In the past, the Socialist reformers had difficulty defending such views, but it seems that Lantay, who is proposing a kind of intermediate model, may have other supporters, as he does ultimately stress the point of reemphasizing the centralized economic planning. This may seem a contradiction in itself. But it does not have to be; it all depends on the content of responsibility of the agents like the firms and the planning authorities at various levels. If, as Lantay suggests, the responsibily of the central planning authority will be to plan an overall economic activity and let the firms operate on their own initiative within the plan, then there should not be much conflict. This could resemble very loosely the concept of "economie dirige" of France. Although the central planning authority �SLOVAKIA 63 is not supposed to interfere with the performance of the firms, it always has an opportunity to check their activities should the need arise. Further, Lantay proposes that the firms should be interested in the collaboration with the central planning authority by striving for higher productivity through innovations and eventually for higher profitability. This may be a new shape of economic reform as other indicators are lacking from Lantay's discussion. It may be remembered that there were other indicators that the planning authority has imposed on the firms as obligatory target figures. The Lantay presentation may be a departure from the older models as it stresses the achievement of productivity and profitability. Since this has also been a major area difficulty in the past, Lantay's version may be a move in the right direction. He does mention that one has to eliminate the mistakes of the past and supply goods of acceptable or prescribed quality. This is, however, assumed as given rather than to present it as a target. If carried trough properly, this may prove one of the most important improvements on all previous economic models without sacrificing any principles of economic planning. One simply maximizes Socialist profits within the planned economic system. It is a question of how the new planning organization will be carried out that will determine whether planning is going to be a supporting variable rather than a constraint. The planning as it was produced in the pre-Liberman models turned out to be a constraint to economic growth rather than a supporting variable. In the Lantay model, there are signs which may prove workable. In a further discussion, Lantay proposes a new structure for wages and tax payments. However, it is only a suggestion without any specific elaboration of the problem. It has been mentioned above what problems are connected in this respect. If one were allowed a guess, Lantay may try to solve the problem of wages by allowing labor mobility and thus base the wage r ates on productivity rather than planned figures. Furthermore, the supply and demand, which are not explicitly stated by Lantay, may take care of itself by the free m obility of labor. Lantay does �64 SLOVAKIA criticize the way in which the firms in the past used bribes to attract more qualified labor. This may show that by eliminating institutional and other restrictions there would be a great mobility of labor in Socialist economics if allowed. In terms of the firm's production, Lantay suggests that one should modernize the present firms by the latest technology in order to increase productivity rather than to expand production by building new plants. Thus, it is a switch from an extensive to an intensive process of production. This kind of approach would be in line with the profit maximization proposal which also takes into consideration the technological aspect of the production function or "the state of arts". This also would be a departure from other Socialist models, as the Socialist producers usually shy away from modernization of their firms. Paradoxical as it may appear at first sight, and subject to a misconception on this issue in the western literature, the Socialist manager has so far tried to avoid the modernization of his firm, although it has been done in many instances. The problem is this; it is true that modern machinery is more productive, and therefore it is expected to produce a larger physical output. This is a simple proposition and to mention it here amounts to a teutology. Because of the higher productivity, the Socialist planners are also interested in introducing the new technology into their firms. The question is, then, why is it that the Socialist manager would not be interested in its introduction to his firm? The answer is this; although it is true that machinery of higher productivity may produce the larger output, the target figures for the manager will also be higher than before when the old machinery was used. This by itself would not create a great problem. If the productivity of a new machine is three times greater than that of the old, then the targets would become three times higher. But the problem starts when the Socialist manager starts to make physical adjustments to meet the increased production. First, it will need larger amounts of raw materials, more workers to handle the increased output; apart from �SLOVAKIA 65 this, the output may increase to such a level that the manager will have to expand any activity that will be affected by such an increase. With larger volumes of production the supply of factors of production by other firms will also increase. Here is the crux of the matter: with higher targets for the production of the firm and with inefficient supplies coming from other firms, the manager may have a more difficult time fulfilling the plan with the consequence of costly penalties imposed for underfulfillment. The Socialist manager, therefore, is better off in terms of fulfilling the plan when he is working with the old and less efficient machinery. If the process of planning and carrying through the set targets for all firms concerned were improved upon, the Socialist manager could be interested in modernization of the firm. Until then, however, he will be satisfied with lower output that is achieved more safely. It is especially in this context that the proposition of Lantay should be considered. The situation in Slovakia and Bohemia may be better in this respect than in the Soviet Union and other Socialist countries, but it is still a matter of future planning rather than the present situation that will allow the "starved for capital" managers to be seriously interested in modernization of their firms. However, if the Lantay model will be carried out as proposed and a situation created in which the managers will be able to maximize profits rather than a host of other indicators and all firms perform efficiently, there may be an interest for modernization on the part of the Socialist managers. It could prove to have a cumulative effect on the various variables which support a higher economic growth. But this is to be seen in the future. FOOTNOTES 1) Sile, Ota, K problematice socialistickych zbozn£ch vztahu, Prague 1965. 2) Brus, W., Modely socialistickeho hospodarstvi, Prague 1964. 3) Liberman, E. G., Planirovanie proizvodstva i normativy dlitelnogo deystviya, in Voprosy ekonomiki, 1962, No. 8; Liberman also wrote a book in 1950 called Plan, pribyl i premiya but it is very seldom quoted in connection with the famous debate. 4) Lantay, A., Uvazene a triezvo rozvijat' ekonomicku reformu, in Pravda (Bratislava), October 19, 21, 22, and 23, 1970. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1973, Vol. 23 Description An account of the resource Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document SLOVAKIA 57 A New Phase In The Socialist Economic Reform V. J. Hurley I Ever since the famous Liberman debate in 1962 on the reform of the Socialist planned economic system, several Socialist writers have voiced their opinions on the subject. Ideas proposed by Liberman for the Soviet Union were followed by similar ideas for the planned economic system in other European Communist countries. It was primarily 0. Sik1 and others in Czecho-Slovakia, W. Brus2 and others in Poland, as well as others in each Communist country who were economic proponents of the new way of looking at economic planning proposed by Liberman.3 After a heated debate in the Soviet press, especially Pravda, for a general discussion and Voprosy ekonomiki for a more rigorous discussion, there were certain fluctuations in proposing the Liberman ideas in practice or rejecting them. A period of total stagnation set in when N. Khruschev was replaced by Brezhnev and Kosygin. However, soon afterwards a further development of Liberman's ideas was evident in the Soviet press and elsewhere in the Communist countries. The purpose of this paper is to present and briefly analyze the state of the debate of the economic reform in Czecho-Slovakia. It will be noted that after a brief period of "liberalization" in 1968, there followed a complete stop in the discussion of the subject. Latter have there appeared occassional suggestions that the topic is still alive and of paramount importance to the Socialist economic planners. Andrej Lantay, the present director of the Economic Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences in Bratislava, has published what may be considered the important 58 SLOVAKIA restatement of the issues involved in the economic reform in the Socialist countries, especially Czecho-Slovakia.4 In his statement, Lantay proposes a new approach to the economic reform in Czecho-Slovakia. Before analyzing the major issues involved, he specifies certain basic criteria which must be observed when discussing the problem of Socialist economic planning. First, he maintains that it is the planned economic system and not price mechanism that is characteristic of any Socialist economy. Second, it is impossible to confuse $ik's model of Socialist economy with the actual purpose of the economic reform. Third, any debate on the economic reform must proceed from the premise that the Communist Party is the leading and actual moving force behind any economic measures proposed. Thus, the supremacy of the Communist Party has been reasserted. II At present, the new phase in the development of Socialist economic reform entails a slow reevaluation of the various instruments of their economic system. After the setback of the reform in 1968, it is clear to the Socialist as well as western analysts that the reform must follow on wholly Socialist lines with a more or less centralized model as suggested by various writers in the past. The Lantay model differs from other models only by its distribution of areas of competent decision making between the central planning authority and the firm. The pre-Liberman models tended to stress the dominance of the central authorities in planning decisions. The post-Liberman models showed the necessity to decentralize the rigid economic system and give the firm enough responsibility to decide on what level the relevant actions were to be taken to achieve higher profitability or productivity of the firm. Most post-Liberman models considered giving a firm a dominant role in decision making. The Socialist and western literature is abundant on that score. The Lantay model, on the other hand, is a slight departure from the two previous approaches to the problem of economic planning in the Socialist countries, especially in Czecho-Slovakia. Lantay proposes that decision making SLOVAKIA 59 in terms of planning should occur on the first level with an explicit collaboration with the central planning authority. Thus, there should exist a kind of sharing the authority of planning decisions between the individual firms and the center and possibly between some intermediate planning organizations. This model may be an improvement over the pre-Liberman centralized models, but it is doubtful that it will efficiently replace such decentralized models as the one of sik. In general, the Lantay model may be considered as an intermediate model between the two extremes. The Lantay model will have to face the same major problems of rigidity in economic planning in various areas. First, in terms of organization, the firm will have to have enough competence to decide as to the microeconomic variables utilized in its production. If this competence is going to be acknowledged the firm may be free to choose some measuring stick of some kind of optimization. It does not have to be profitability maximization. However, in this respect the Lantay model will have to decide the old problem of what criteria it is going to use to measure :profitability. So far the Lantay model does not suggest any solution to this problem. If the firm will obtain such competence as to decide on its own how to maximize some objective function, some positive results may follow from the Lantay model. Such decentralization of microeconomic decisions of the firm will leave the overall microeconomic decisions to the central planning authority. Then the central planning authority could be given an opportunity to follow the development of individual microeconomic plans as to the level of achievement. Only in this way, i.e. through the division of labor between the center and the firm, may it eliminate the unnecessary overlapping and contradictory decision processes. The details of this have not been specified by Lantay. Second, on measuring the level of performance, the Lantay model will have to solve a problem of measuring the capital productivity and also the above mentioned profitability. In both cases the Socialist literature is negligent in coming to an adequate solution. Although the profitability indicator, one of several, has been recently 60 SLOVAKIA stressed, the actual performance of the firm showed that it was used only as one of many. As long as profitability is not used as the most important indicator, there are likely to be difficulties in the measurement of the efficiency of the firms. Such indicators as quality, assortment, etc., are a necessary part of statistical assessment of the firm's performance, but they should not be given dominance over profitability. A profitable firm is one which earns certain levels of profits, given the product of certain quality, size, shape, etc. Physical assessment of the performance of the firm is crude in some cases and impossible in others. Profits under Socialism are a public property. This was maintained by Liberman and others. Therefore, the Lantay model cannot shy away from it as from the capitalist variable. In terms of investment spending, the same argument follows. To assess it, one should calculate it in terms of monetary values rather than in physical terms. Even if one has to select a less profitable investment project over a more profitable one, one should assess the difference between them. Thus, one should calculate how much value is being lost by choosing a less profitable investment project in order to be able to compare it with the social gain from making such a choice. Capital productivity in monetary values may prove a much more realistic way of measuring it and also much easier. Third, one of the major problems in any previous models was the problem of factor mobility. The planning mechanism did not allow for factor mobility into their optimal uses by differential compensation. Rather, the planning authorities totally disregarded this process o! allocation and have distributed the factors by the stress of certain emphasized industries such as heavy industries under pre-Liberman models. This brought about a tremendous amount of misallocation of resources with an accompanying suboptimal performances on micro- and macro-economic levels. It should be noted at this point that labor mobility exists and is also officially recognized by the central economic planning authorities in Czechoslovakia as well as in other Socialist countries. However, the actual movement of labor has been made very difficult by various restrictions, such as a workbook which has to be presented at the new location before one can obtain SLOVAKIA 61 a job there. Slackening the institutional restrictions on factor mobility usually brings about a movement of the factors of production into such industries in which their productivity is the highest. Thus, the most profitable firms will attract and be able to pay higher wages to interested labor and become even more profitable through higher productivity, eliminating some of the low productivity labor which would have to transfer into a less profitable firm. With total labor mobility, there would remain only most profitable firms in the industry, the marginal firms being eliminated. Although this is the basic mechanism in a free enterprise economic system, it is also inevitable in a Socialist system if some method of optimization is to be sought after. The planning authority role in the mobility of factors o:! production would be to stay away and not to interfere. Given the free factor mobility, the planning authorities should observe the trends of labor mobility. If the trends observed are with the wishes of the planners, nothing should be done. However, if the labor moves into the most profitable uses and the planners wish to change the trend into the industries which are not so profitable but emphasized some criteria other than the profitability, the planning authority should be able to steer such movement with ease as it has all the necessary instruments of enforcement. What is proposed here is a working mechanism of the allocation of resources to their optimal uses within the planned economic framework. Of course, it is obvious that a free enterprise system which is supposed to be without too many imperfections is likely to solve this problem much faster and more efficiently than the planned economic system. However, this may not be so if the planners will devise such methods of allocation of resources which will outweigh the imperfections of the free enterprise systems. So far this has not been done, and if there is hope of it ever being done, it must be only a case in which the planning authority is a steering agency rather than a commanding one. III Observing the present state of economic reform in any of the Communist countries, one may delineate what may 62 SLOVAKIA be called a new phase of development. This new phase could be briefly described within the planned economic framework as the moderate search for solutions to economic problems as outlined above. Thus, it may be clear by now to the Socialist as well as western analysts that the planned economic system is there to stay. The dominance of the Communist Party in economic decision making has been reasserted. The content of the new phase of economic development in Socialist countries would be the search for such instruments and mechanisms of economic activity which will affect the optimal allocation of resources within the planned economic framework. Such a search has been started by A. Lantay, and his model shows signs of awareness of the above mentioned areas of difficulty. In his study, he mentions the first major problem of economic planning. This is the problem of what role the planning authority should play in the Socialist economic process. It has been pointed out above that Lantay proposes a redistribution of competence between the center and the firms. This is expected to occur in such a way that the firms' interests will be supported by the interests of the central planning authority. Lantay further suggests that sufficient amounts of authority should be delegated to the firms to create an atmosphere in which the firms may be able to operate profitably. This may be actually the strongest point in the Lantay model. In the past, the Socialist reformers had difficulty defending such views, but it seems that Lantay, who is proposing a kind of intermediate model, may have other supporters, as he does ultimately stress the point of reemphasizing the centralized economic planning. This may seem a contradiction in itself. But it does not have to be; it all depends on the content of responsibility of the agents like the firms and the planning authorities at various levels. If, as Lantay suggests, the responsibily of the central planning authority will be to plan an overall economic activity and let the firms operate on their own initiative within the plan, then there should not be much conflict. This could resemble very loosely the concept of "economie dirige" of France. Although the central planning authority SLOVAKIA 63 is not supposed to interfere with the performance of the firms, it always has an opportunity to check their activities should the need arise. Further, Lantay proposes that the firms should be interested in the collaboration with the central planning authority by striving for higher productivity through innovations and eventually for higher profitability. This may be a new shape of economic reform as other indicators are lacking from Lantay's discussion. It may be remembered that there were other indicators that the planning authority has imposed on the firms as obligatory target figures. The Lantay presentation may be a departure from the older models as it stresses the achievement of productivity and profitability. Since this has also been a major area difficulty in the past, Lantay's version may be a move in the right direction. He does mention that one has to eliminate the mistakes of the past and supply goods of acceptable or prescribed quality. This is, however, assumed as given rather than to present it as a target. If carried trough properly, this may prove one of the most important improvements on all previous economic models without sacrificing any principles of economic planning. One simply maximizes Socialist profits within the planned economic system. It is a question of how the new planning organization will be carried out that will determine whether planning is going to be a supporting variable rather than a constraint. The planning as it was produced in the pre-Liberman models turned out to be a constraint to economic growth rather than a supporting variable. In the Lantay model, there are signs which may prove workable. In a further discussion, Lantay proposes a new structure for wages and tax payments. However, it is only a suggestion without any specific elaboration of the problem. It has been mentioned above what problems are connected in this respect. If one were allowed a guess, Lantay may try to solve the problem of wages by allowing labor mobility and thus base the wage r ates on productivity rather than planned figures. Furthermore, the supply and demand, which are not explicitly stated by Lantay, may take care of itself by the free m obility of labor. Lantay does 64 SLOVAKIA criticize the way in which the firms in the past used bribes to attract more qualified labor. This may show that by eliminating institutional and other restrictions there would be a great mobility of labor in Socialist economics if allowed. In terms of the firm's production, Lantay suggests that one should modernize the present firms by the latest technology in order to increase productivity rather than to expand production by building new plants. Thus, it is a switch from an extensive to an intensive process of production. This kind of approach would be in line with the profit maximization proposal which also takes into consideration the technological aspect of the production function or "the state of arts". This also would be a departure from other Socialist models, as the Socialist producers usually shy away from modernization of their firms. Paradoxical as it may appear at first sight, and subject to a misconception on this issue in the western literature, the Socialist manager has so far tried to avoid the modernization of his firm, although it has been done in many instances. The problem is this; it is true that modern machinery is more productive, and therefore it is expected to produce a larger physical output. This is a simple proposition and to mention it here amounts to a teutology. Because of the higher productivity, the Socialist planners are also interested in introducing the new technology into their firms. The question is, then, why is it that the Socialist manager would not be interested in its introduction to his firm? The answer is this; although it is true that machinery of higher productivity may produce the larger output, the target figures for the manager will also be higher than before when the old machinery was used. This by itself would not create a great problem. If the productivity of a new machine is three times greater than that of the old, then the targets would become three times higher. But the problem starts when the Socialist manager starts to make physical adjustments to meet the increased production. First, it will need larger amounts of raw materials, more workers to handle the increased output; apart from SLOVAKIA 65 this, the output may increase to such a level that the manager will have to expand any activity that will be affected by such an increase. With larger volumes of production the supply of factors of production by other firms will also increase. Here is the crux of the matter: with higher targets for the production of the firm and with inefficient supplies coming from other firms, the manager may have a more difficult time fulfilling the plan with the consequence of costly penalties imposed for underfulfillment. The Socialist manager, therefore, is better off in terms of fulfilling the plan when he is working with the old and less efficient machinery. If the process of planning and carrying through the set targets for all firms concerned were improved upon, the Socialist manager could be interested in modernization of the firm. Until then, however, he will be satisfied with lower output that is achieved more safely. It is especially in this context that the proposition of Lantay should be considered. The situation in Slovakia and Bohemia may be better in this respect than in the Soviet Union and other Socialist countries, but it is still a matter of future planning rather than the present situation that will allow the "starved for capital" managers to be seriously interested in modernization of their firms. However, if the Lantay model will be carried out as proposed and a situation created in which the managers will be able to maximize profits rather than a host of other indicators and all firms perform efficiently, there may be an interest for modernization on the part of the Socialist managers. It could prove to have a cumulative effect on the various variables which support a higher economic growth. But this is to be seen in the future. FOOTNOTES 1) Sile, Ota, K problematice socialistickych zbozn£ch vztahu, Prague 1965. 2) Brus, W., Modely socialistickeho hospodarstvi, Prague 1964. 3) Liberman, E. G., Planirovanie proizvodstva i normativy dlitelnogo deystviya, in Voprosy ekonomiki, 1962, No. 8; Liberman also wrote a book in 1950 called Plan, pribyl i premiya but it is very seldom quoted in connection with the famous debate. 4) Lantay, A., Uvazene a triezvo rozvijat' ekonomicku reformu, in Pravda (Bratislava), October 19, 21, 22, and 23, 1970.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource A New Phase in the Socialist Economic Reform Description An account of the resource V. J. Hurley Slovakia, Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973 pp. 57-65 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Hurley, V. J. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 name https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/bb502cc7f9fb360bcc24bbdbecb22db0.pdf 15dfe0aa7f47309abbd71a39d67376e8 PDF Text Text SLOVAKIA 53 Youth In Search Of Slovak Identity And Pride Along with other youths, Americans of Slovak descent are seeking their ethnic identity, their pride, and their self-respect. Identity and pride in particular, are words that are menti<;>ned frequently by the college youth, still in search of its place in the world. Certainly, identity with a group that already possesses pride and self-respect enhances these same qualities in the individual who seeks them. But, in turn, self-respect and pride are normally achieved by an individual's own accomplishments, and his own personality, which he brings to the group he belongs to. A youth's identity with an ancestral group, particularly in America today, may be a bit difficult. to obtain. This is due in part to the fact that in our mobil society, children of ethnic oriented parents have tended to lose their ethnic identity and to forget their valuable heritage in order to forge their way that much quicker in American life. By fusing into the melting pot a.s rapidly as possible, the meltable ethnics, and many Slovaks among them, have been lost into the mainstream of American life. This melting away and fusion of the Slovaks with other ethnic groups occurred within the time span of only one generation. Slovaks are a particularly adaptable people. They have been very quick to assimilate to the melting pot and have scored phenomenal success in American life. They have become successful in sports, in the military services, in the professions, in politics, and in every phase of business. This success of the American Slovaks, and of their children, has fomented their personal pride and their self-respect. So successful has the assimilation of the American Slovaks been that many have all but forgotten their ancestral ethnic heritage. Yet, having acquired their pride through personal achievements in a world that was just a few short years ago a big and alien one to them, the families of American youths of Slovak ancestry are �54 SLOVAKIA now seeking their identity with their ancestral Slovak heritage. Though at some time in the past, identity with their ethnic group had been considered by some American youth to be a personal liability, today that identity with ethnic groups seems to be a necessity. The college youth feel this need more than any other in order to "discover their identity." This is only natural, for when the ethnic groups reach a point where they are proud of their own accomplishments, then they begin to lose the sense of inferiority which had plagued them before. With a sense of new pride in their own accomplishments they can look back and consider how long a road they have traveled, since the time that their families left the Old World. This, looking back with pride, is, in a sense, the reason for the tourism to Slovakia of so many children and grandchildren of American Slovak immigrants. They are interested in looking up the Old World homestead, because it proves to them concretely how far they have come. They thus begin to discover their roots, their sense of beginning. It is pride that urges them to seek these roots. With confidence in themselves they can look with joy at the humble beginning that gave shelter to their ancestor's lives. The bank president from Ohio, the chancellor of a university in Pennsylvania, the air force colonel from Virginia, the professor of political science from New York, the dentist from California, the physician from Florida, the restaurant owner from New Jersey, and the countless successful workers in every state who have been able to raise fine families and maintain tidy homes with manicured lawns and neat gardens-all these, with pride seek their ethnic Slovak heritage. Pride in one's own accomplishments and a search of one's identity has instigated much of the American tourism to SlovenskoSlovakia. When one is no longer running from his past, from his ethnic group, he can indeed face his origins and contemplate them with pride. Besides traveling to Slovakia, how else can the American youth of Slovak heritage find his identity and seek out his roots that give him a sense of belonging and security? Many Americans, including those of ethnic ancestry, have turned to antique collecting. In this way they try to identify with a past they have almost lost. But there �SLOVAKIA 55 are other ways of finding one's sense of belonging and identity. First of all, for the Slovak ethnic group there are the great American public libraries like those of Cleveland, Pittsburgh, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, to name just a few. These have extensive holdings in Slovak literature, magazines, newspapers, histories, etc. A visit to the public library will reveal to the youth of Slovak heritage a wealth of information to satisfy much of his curiosity about his ethnic ancestry, and it will give him added pride to see what the Slovak people have been able to produce culturally, despite enormous handicaps both in Europe and in the United States. Besides the public libraries, there are the great American university libraries. Most of these also have fine collections of books and histories of and by Slovaks. All state and private colleges and universities, such as Ohio State, Western Reserve, New York, Texas, Kentucky, Harvard, Yale, Pittsburgh, Columbia (the list can be extended to over 2,000 colleges and universities all over the United States), all have some information on the Slovaks. A visit to university libraries will prove very rewarding for the identity seeker of Slovak heritage. Periodical reading rooms in Cleveland, New York, Pittsburgh, etc., provide newspapers both from the heritage country as well as from the organizations of Slovaks here in the United States. Thus, all that one has to do to discover his heritage is to locate the nearest college or university in his region and ask any librarian to help him find material on Slovaks. How else can pride be fostered in the Slovak ethnic heritage? This can be done by American journalists working on Slovak publications, such as the Floridian Slovak, the Ndrodne Noviny, the Jednota, Slovak v Amerike, etc., as well as by various Slovak organizations and the Slovak Institute in Cleveland. The Slovak lodge papers, church papers, almanacs, and magazines can attempt to reflect better the present day life among the Slovaks in America, in their cultural organizations, meetings, playgrounds, picnics, cultural and church affairs. Much of the American youth of Slovak heritage is interested in the Slovakia of today, with its soccer teams, its bustling stores, and market �56 SLOVAKIA places, with its crowded schools, universities, theaters, museums, its teeming railroad stations, its rivers, parks, and national monuments. The Slovak youth is interested not only in the High Tatras, but in life in the cities themselves, where the people are, where they act and react with each other. The Slovak youth is interested in life not only on the Danube and the Tatra.s, but as it is lived in the cities like Bratislava, Kosice, Banska Bystrica, Zvolen, Lucenec, Presov, Rimavska Sobota, etc. There are many things Americans with a Slovak heritage can be proud of, both in the United States and in Slovakia. The American journalists and cultural leaders can help the American youth of Slovak descent find its roots, its identity, pride and sense of belonging, which it so anxiously is trying to achieve. John Lihani, Ph.D. * * • 100th BIRTHDAY Sunday, July 16, 1972, Andrew Bucko, from Pittsburgh, Pa., commemorated his 100th birthday. Mr. Bucko was born in Slovakia, Spis County, on July 16, 1872. He came to this country as a young man in about 1890. Even though a teenager with no higher education, he saw the need of doing something for the bereaved, widowed and impoverished immigrants. Along with a few other thoughtful immigrants he founded St. Anthony's Beneficial Society whose program was to take care of families that had prematurely lost the breadwinner of the house. (In those days there was no Social Security, aid to widows, to orphans, etc.) This local society later on joined the First Catholic Slovak Union and became Branch 50 of the Jednota. This branch is still functioning. In 1903 Mr. Bucko became a co-founder of St. Matthew's Slovak Parish and was among the first to contribute and to lend money to the parish to buy the property on which St. Matthew's Church and Rectory stand to the present day. He is the only survivor of the "original" group of founders. � SLOVAKIA 53 Youth In Search Of Slovak Identity And Pride Along with other youths, Americans of Slovak descent are seeking their ethnic identity, their pride, and their self-respect. Identity and pride in particular, are words that are menti<;>ned frequently by the college youth, still in search of its place in the world. Certainly, identity with a group that already possesses pride and self-respect enhances these same qualities in the individual who seeks them. But, in turn, self-respect and pride are normally achieved by an individual's own accomplishments, and his own personality, which he brings to the group he belongs to. A youth's identity with an ancestral group, particularly in America today, may be a bit difficult. to obtain. This is due in part to the fact that in our mobil society, children of ethnic oriented parents have tended to lose their ethnic identity and to forget their valuable heritage in order to forge their way that much quicker in American life. By fusing into the melting pot a.s rapidly as possible, the meltable ethnics, and many Slovaks among them, have been lost into the mainstream of American life. This melting away and fusion of the Slovaks with other ethnic groups occurred within the time span of only one generation. Slovaks are a particularly adaptable people. They have been very quick to assimilate to the melting pot and have scored phenomenal success in American life. They have become successful in sports, in the military services, in the professions, in politics, and in every phase of business. This success of the American Slovaks, and of their children, has fomented their personal pride and their self-respect. So successful has the assimilation of the American Slovaks been that many have all but forgotten their ancestral ethnic heritage. Yet, having acquired their pride through personal achievements in a world that was just a few short years ago a big and alien one to them, the families of American youths of Slovak ancestry are �54 SLOVAKIA now seeking their identity with their ancestral Slovak heritage. Though at some time in the past, identity with their ethnic group had been considered by some American youth to be a personal liability, today that identity with ethnic groups seems to be a necessity. The college youth feel this need more than any other in order to "discover their identity." This is only natural, for when the ethnic groups reach a point where they are proud of their own accomplishments, then they begin to lose the sense of inferiority which had plagued them before. With a sense of new pride in their own accomplishments they can look back and consider how long a road they have traveled, since the time that their families left the Old World. This, looking back with pride, is, in a sense, the reason for the tourism to Slovakia of so many children and grandchildren of American Slovak immigrants. They are interested in looking up the Old World homestead, because it proves to them concretely how far they have come. They thus begin to discover their roots, their sense of beginning. It is pride that urges them to seek these roots. With confidence in themselves they can look with joy at the humble beginning that gave shelter to their ancestor's lives. The bank president from Ohio, the chancellor of a university in Pennsylvania, the air force colonel from Virginia, the professor of political science from New York, the dentist from California, the physician from Florida, the restaurant owner from New Jersey, and the countless successful workers in every state who have been able to raise fine families and maintain tidy homes with manicured lawns and neat gardens-all these, with pride seek their ethnic Slovak heritage. Pride in one's own accomplishments and a search of one's identity has instigated much of the American tourism to SlovenskoSlovakia. When one is no longer running from his past, from his ethnic group, he can indeed face his origins and contemplate them with pride. Besides traveling to Slovakia, how else can the American youth of Slovak heritage find his identity and seek out his roots that give him a sense of belonging and security? Many Americans, including those of ethnic ancestry, have turned to antique collecting. In this way they try to identify with a past they have almost lost. But there �SLOVAKIA 55 are other ways of finding one's sense of belonging and identity. First of all, for the Slovak ethnic group there are the great American public libraries like those of Cleveland, Pittsburgh, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, to name just a few. These have extensive holdings in Slovak literature, magazines, newspapers, histories, etc. A visit to the public library will reveal to the youth of Slovak heritage a wealth of information to satisfy much of his curiosity about his ethnic ancestry, and it will give him added pride to see what the Slovak people have been able to produce culturally, despite enormous handicaps both in Europe and in the United States. Besides the public libraries, there are the great American university libraries. Most of these also have fine collections of books and histories of and by Slovaks. All state and private colleges and universities, such as Ohio State, Western Reserve, New York, Texas, Kentucky, Harvard, Yale, Pittsburgh, Columbia (the list can be extended to over 2,000 colleges and universities all over the United States), all have some information on the Slovaks. A visit to university libraries will prove very rewarding for the identity seeker of Slovak heritage. Periodical reading rooms in Cleveland, New York, Pittsburgh, etc., provide newspapers both from the heritage country as well as from the organizations of Slovaks here in the United States. Thus, all that one has to do to discover his heritage is to locate the nearest college or university in his region and ask any librarian to help him find material on Slovaks. How else can pride be fostered in the Slovak ethnic heritage? This can be done by American journalists working on Slovak publications, such as the Floridian Slovak, the Ndrodne Noviny, the Jednota, Slovak v Amerike, etc., as well as by various Slovak organizations and the Slovak Institute in Cleveland. The Slovak lodge papers, church papers, almanacs, and magazines can attempt to reflect better the present day life among the Slovaks in America, in their cultural organizations, meetings, playgrounds, picnics, cultural and church affairs. Much of the American youth of Slovak heritage is interested in the Slovakia of today, with its soccer teams, its bustling stores, and market �56 SLOVAKIA places, with its crowded schools, universities, theaters, museums, its teeming railroad stations, its rivers, parks, and national monuments. The Slovak youth is interested not only in the High Tatras, but in life in the cities themselves, where the people are, where they act and react with each other. The Slovak youth is interested in life not only on the Danube and the Tatra.s, but as it is lived in the cities like Bratislava, Kosice, Banska Bystrica, Zvolen, Lucenec, Presov, Rimavska Sobota, etc. There are many things Americans with a Slovak heritage can be proud of, both in the United States and in Slovakia. The American journalists and cultural leaders can help the American youth of Slovak descent find its roots, its identity, pride and sense of belonging, which it so anxiously is trying to achieve. John Lihani, Ph.D. * * • 100th BIRTHDAY Sunday, July 16, 1972, Andrew Bucko, from Pittsburgh, Pa., commemorated his 100th birthday. Mr. Bucko was born in Slovakia, Spis County, on July 16, 1872. He came to this country as a young man in about 1890. Even though a teenager with no higher education, he saw the need of doing something for the bereaved, widowed and impoverished immigrants. Along with a few other thoughtful immigrants he founded St. Anthony's Beneficial Society whose program was to take care of families that had prematurely lost the breadwinner of the house. (In those days there was no Social Security, aid to widows, to orphans, etc.) This local society later on joined the First Catholic Slovak Union and became Branch 50 of the Jednota. This branch is still functioning. In 1903 Mr. Bucko became a co-founder of St. Matthew's Slovak Parish and was among the first to contribute and to lend money to the parish to buy the property on which St. Matthew's Church and Rectory stand to the present day. He is the only survivor of the "original" group of founders. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1973, Vol. 23 Description An account of the resource Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document SLOVAKIA 53 Youth In Search Of Slovak Identity And Pride Along with other youths, Americans of Slovak descent are seeking their ethnic identity, their pride, and their self-respect. Identity and pride in particular, are words that are menti<;>ned frequently by the college youth, still in search of its place in the world. Certainly, identity with a group that already possesses pride and self-respect enhances these same qualities in the individual who seeks them. But, in turn, self-respect and pride are normally achieved by an individual's own accomplishments, and his own personality, which he brings to the group he belongs to. A youth's identity with an ancestral group, particularly in America today, may be a bit difficult. to obtain. This is due in part to the fact that in our mobil society, children of ethnic oriented parents have tended to lose their ethnic identity and to forget their valuable heritage in order to forge their way that much quicker in American life. By fusing into the melting pot a.s rapidly as possible, the meltable ethnics, and many Slovaks among them, have been lost into the mainstream of American life. This melting away and fusion of the Slovaks with other ethnic groups occurred within the time span of only one generation. Slovaks are a particularly adaptable people. They have been very quick to assimilate to the melting pot and have scored phenomenal success in American life. They have become successful in sports, in the military services, in the professions, in politics, and in every phase of business. This success of the American Slovaks, and of their children, has fomented their personal pride and their self-respect. So successful has the assimilation of the American Slovaks been that many have all but forgotten their ancestral ethnic heritage. Yet, having acquired their pride through personal achievements in a world that was just a few short years ago a big and alien one to them, the families of American youths of Slovak ancestry are 54 SLOVAKIA now seeking their identity with their ancestral Slovak heritage. Though at some time in the past, identity with their ethnic group had been considered by some American youth to be a personal liability, today that identity with ethnic groups seems to be a necessity. The college youth feel this need more than any other in order to "discover their identity." This is only natural, for when the ethnic groups reach a point where they are proud of their own accomplishments, then they begin to lose the sense of inferiority which had plagued them before. With a sense of new pride in their own accomplishments they can look back and consider how long a road they have traveled, since the time that their families left the Old World. This, looking back with pride, is, in a sense, the reason for the tourism to Slovakia of so many children and grandchildren of American Slovak immigrants. They are interested in looking up the Old World homestead, because it proves to them concretely how far they have come. They thus begin to discover their roots, their sense of beginning. It is pride that urges them to seek these roots. With confidence in themselves they can look with joy at the humble beginning that gave shelter to their ancestor's lives. The bank president from Ohio, the chancellor of a university in Pennsylvania, the air force colonel from Virginia, the professor of political science from New York, the dentist from California, the physician from Florida, the restaurant owner from New Jersey, and the countless successful workers in every state who have been able to raise fine families and maintain tidy homes with manicured lawns and neat gardens-all these, with pride seek their ethnic Slovak heritage. Pride in one's own accomplishments and a search of one's identity has instigated much of the American tourism to SlovenskoSlovakia. When one is no longer running from his past, from his ethnic group, he can indeed face his origins and contemplate them with pride. Besides traveling to Slovakia, how else can the American youth of Slovak heritage find his identity and seek out his roots that give him a sense of belonging and security? Many Americans, including those of ethnic ancestry, have turned to antique collecting. In this way they try to identify with a past they have almost lost. But there SLOVAKIA 55 are other ways of finding one's sense of belonging and identity. First of all, for the Slovak ethnic group there are the great American public libraries like those of Cleveland, Pittsburgh, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, to name just a few. These have extensive holdings in Slovak literature, magazines, newspapers, histories, etc. A visit to the public library will reveal to the youth of Slovak heritage a wealth of information to satisfy much of his curiosity about his ethnic ancestry, and it will give him added pride to see what the Slovak people have been able to produce culturally, despite enormous handicaps both in Europe and in the United States. Besides the public libraries, there are the great American university libraries. Most of these also have fine collections of books and histories of and by Slovaks. All state and private colleges and universities, such as Ohio State, Western Reserve, New York, Texas, Kentucky, Harvard, Yale, Pittsburgh, Columbia (the list can be extended to over 2,000 colleges and universities all over the United States), all have some information on the Slovaks. A visit to university libraries will prove very rewarding for the identity seeker of Slovak heritage. Periodical reading rooms in Cleveland, New York, Pittsburgh, etc., provide newspapers both from the heritage country as well as from the organizations of Slovaks here in the United States. Thus, all that one has to do to discover his heritage is to locate the nearest college or university in his region and ask any librarian to help him find material on Slovaks. How else can pride be fostered in the Slovak ethnic heritage? This can be done by American journalists working on Slovak publications, such as the Floridian Slovak, the Ndrodne Noviny, the Jednota, Slovak v Amerike, etc., as well as by various Slovak organizations and the Slovak Institute in Cleveland. The Slovak lodge papers, church papers, almanacs, and magazines can attempt to reflect better the present day life among the Slovaks in America, in their cultural organizations, meetings, playgrounds, picnics, cultural and church affairs. Much of the American youth of Slovak heritage is interested in the Slovakia of today, with its soccer teams, its bustling stores, and market 56 SLOVAKIA places, with its crowded schools, universities, theaters, museums, its teeming railroad stations, its rivers, parks, and national monuments. The Slovak youth is interested not only in the High Tatras, but in life in the cities themselves, where the people are, where they act and react with each other. The Slovak youth is interested in life not only on the Danube and the Tatra.s, but as it is lived in the cities like Bratislava, Kosice, Banska Bystrica, Zvolen, Lucenec, Presov, Rimavska Sobota, etc. There are many things Americans with a Slovak heritage can be proud of, both in the United States and in Slovakia. The American journalists and cultural leaders can help the American youth of Slovak descent find its roots, its identity, pride and sense of belonging, which it so anxiously is trying to achieve. John Lihani, Ph.D. * * • 100th BIRTHDAY Sunday, July 16, 1972, Andrew Bucko, from Pittsburgh, Pa., commemorated his 100th birthday. Mr. Bucko was born in Slovakia, Spis County, on July 16, 1872. He came to this country as a young man in about 1890. Even though a teenager with no higher education, he saw the need of doing something for the bereaved, widowed and impoverished immigrants. Along with a few other thoughtful immigrants he founded St. Anthony's Beneficial Society whose program was to take care of families that had prematurely lost the breadwinner of the house. (In those days there was no Social Security, aid to widows, to orphans, etc.) This local society later on joined the First Catholic Slovak Union and became Branch 50 of the Jednota. This branch is still functioning. In 1903 Mr. Bucko became a co-founder of St. Matthew's Slovak Parish and was among the first to contribute and to lend money to the parish to buy the property on which St. Matthew's Church and Rectory stand to the present day. He is the only survivor of the "original" group of founders.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Youth in Search of Slovak Identity and Pride Description An account of the resource John Lihani, Ph.D. Slovakia, Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973 pp. 53-56 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Lihani, John Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 LCNAF https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/4f5f952bb2569787e3329d8bebfee411.pdf eef801728331229dc6d7e84945ffd5a3 PDF Text Text 48 SLOVAKIA Fortieth Anniversary Canadian Slovak League Edward J. B eh u n c i k (The following is the message of Edward J. Behuncik, President of the Slovak League of America, on the occasion of the 40th Anniversary of the Canadian Slovak League at the Marlborough Hotel, Winnipeg, Manitoba, canada, August 5, 197?.) I assure you that the Slovak League of America, with which originally so many of you were officially associated as branch officers and members, is happy with your growth and successful development. Like every good Mother, we in the United States take maternal pride in your accomplishments. And because you are such a good offspring we are even happier. We especially congratulate your wise founders whose foresight made this week's renewal activity possible. We remember in pr ayer and happy memory your departed leaders and officers. In this same spirit, we congratulate you on reaching the 30th year of the successful and productive publication of your excellent weekly, The Canadian Slovak. I think its editorials rate among the finest writings I've come across in any of the many publications I see. It's top notch in any language. You have, on your own, done great things for the Slovak cause because you've so greatly helped the Canadian Slovaks. When you help Slovaks in Canada, you help Slovaks in the United States and everywhere. So also, when we help Slovaks in the United States, then we help Slovaks in Canada and elsewhere. And working together, we help all Slovaks and indirectly all peace-loving and God-fearing people everywhere. Thus, we make our efforts to sooner bring to reality the �SLOVAKIA 49 cherished aspirations for the Brotherhood of Man under the Fatherhood of God. My appreciation has been quickened by the sense that your choice has been determined solely by your unending union-in word, in spirit and in fraternal co-operationwith the great Slovak civic and cultural federation, which I am fortunate to head at this moment of history. I was pleased to note in the minutes of your first organizational session on December 12, 1932, that you _pledged to support and co-operate with the Slovak League of America-the Minutes state: "4. Vyvinula sa dlha debata, v ktorej vedene bratom Karolom Maresom, zhromazdene delegatstvo uist'ovalo brata Jozefa Zemana, ze program a ciele 1. kongresu Slov. Ligy v Kanade su cisto slovenske, ze spolu so Slov. Ligou V Amerike chceme pracovat' za tu nasu slovencinu." I am happy to state that you've kept that commitment and am fully confident that you will continue to do so. I, therefore, beg your indulgence while I set forth for your thoughtful consideration several ideas which I hold to be of paramount importance in the drama which the members of the Slovak League of America and you, the members of the Canadian Slovak League, are enacting through our daily and regular performance of the duties .and privileges of membership in our respective leagues. The dictionary tells us that "a patriot is one whose ruling is the love of his country," and that patriotism is "love and zeal for one's country." We in the United States love our country just as much as you love Canada. But we, like you love and are proud of all that is great and noble in the history of the land of our forefathers - beautiful Slovakia. Otherwise, you would not this evening be in Winnipeg, your birthplace. By taking pride, real lawful pride, in all things Slovak, we become better citizens and patriots of the countries where we live. The flame of Slovak patriotism which had long burned and still burns with a steady flame in all times of stress �50 SLOVAKIA and danger, has enabled the nation to maintain the struggle for its rightful place of distinction as a separate member of the family of nations. It has also sustained all Slovaks in their age-old efforts to carry out their destiny in the face of the most formidable opposition throughout the centuries and thereby, has exorted the admiration and often the envy of foreign observers. This record gives fresh proof even today of the invincible and unbroken vigor and vitality of the Slovak. And meanwhile, it has promoted among the citizens of every land in which this Slovak patriotism has taken root a sense of public duty and the growth of a spirit of self-sacrifice and devotion to country, dominion or commonwealth. But, patriotism must be founded on great principles and supported by great virtues. It involves duties as well as privileges, and these duties arise not only in connection with the domestic relations of the citizens to his native or adopted country. They arise also in all that concerns the attitude of that country towards foreign nations. That is why we must make certain that all countries become cognizant of the legitimate aspirations and aims of the Slovak people. It is the clear duty of true patriotism everywhere to consider this question of the expansion and extension of the Slovak cause in which we seem to be fulfilling the manifest duty of our Slovak heritage. So, you as good Canadians and as good Slovaks have a firm assurance of loyalty and affection of the sons of Slovakia in the United States and wherever else they may be. You are also assured of their readiness to play their part with you in the common cause even to a greater extent than in the past. I have faith in our cause and in our Slovak people. That is why I am happy to have the privilege to lead the Slovak League of America in what I pray will be its most glorious era. That is why I am happy to solicit your continued co-operation in the days to come as we with you and other Slovak groups solidify and coordinate into a true pillar of Slovak unity and solidarity. �SLOVAKIA 51 We now have the structure-The Slovak World Cogress, founded in the headquarters site of the United Nations in June, 1970. I believe that with all the forces and enthusiasm of which the democratic processes alone are capable, we, firmly united, will complete and maintain that splendid edifice of our fraternal and heartfelt love, which commenced under such successful auspices at New York and Toronto. Henceforth, all Slovaks wherever situated enter upon a new epoch of noble union, in this world-wide Slovak Congress. I also believe that the firmness of purpose and strength of will which are necessary to this end shall be supplied by the patriotism which sustains the most strenuous efforts and makes possible the greatest sacrifice. You have the power and, I am confident, the will to fill this patriotic need-to contribute your patriotic share. You still have in full measure the opportunity of continued service until you have achieved, at least, your 100th Anniversary. All this time we can and will do because we are without fear. We are apprehensive, in these trying times, but we Slovaks have a solid, spiritual philosophy of life which will enable us to continue to face the future unafraid. In that spirit, we conduct ourselves in fraternal harmony and cultural and civic friendship. We have always presented throughout the years-you in Canada with us in the United States-the agreeable spectacle of a fraternal harmony and friendly co-operation absolutely united in the best interests of Slovaks and Slovakia. We have differed occasionally, as friends and kin must differ; but, we never had a single quarrel, we have had no factional fights. I think this displays a spirit for which it is worthwhile to continue to make sacrifices. And then as we grow older and the shadows begin to lengthen, we hopefully should be able to look back on �52 SLOVAKIA this period as a happy and fruitful era. We can then, in good conscience, turn over the reins to o~ successors with the feeling of satisfaction that, to the best of ou.rlimited talents, we contributed our small share to the mosaic of a greater Slovak nation, culture, tradition and haven of religious ·and intellectual achievements. And later, after much more time, when other futuregenerations look back on this period-yours and mine -they will see that what we did was but to carry on the work of our great predecessors. When they do so, we hope· they will be inspired to do a greater degree what we, on your Fortieth Anniversary, were and are trying to do for the greater honor and glory of our Heavenly Father-or as we would say in our Mother tongue Za .Boha a narod. Your gatherings are a living testimony of a determination to support the principles I have touched upon. The voice of gratitude and praise for all your contributions is limited to no area-it is. uttered by every Slovak: tongue. So, let us pray God that the day of triumph for Slovaks and Slovakia may soon come and while we pray and press on with unconquerable determination, let us make sure that we preserve the Slovak soul from the corrodinginfluences of injustice, materialism and selfishness. • • • I found the Democratic Convention to be totally undemocratic. At least two major candidates, who had considerable backing, withdrew from the race without a fight. This proves to me insincerity, dishonesty and cowardice on their part. After all, people contributed-and the candidates spent-millions. of dollars for their election. This money now has gone "down the river" simply because these men did not want to fight against certain odds. I admire the candidates who remained in the race to the end, but I lost all confidence in the men who gave up so easily, even though Labor and other powerful political and social elements were behind them. This again proves to me that politics is NOT above the board, that there are underhanded deals, and that the wishes of the people are NOT considered. This is tragic, because it is the people that have been and are footing the bill. - Fr. Louis P. Hohos � 48 SLOVAKIA Fortieth Anniversary Canadian Slovak League Edward J. B eh u n c i k (The following is the message of Edward J. Behuncik, President of the Slovak League of America, on the occasion of the 40th Anniversary of the Canadian Slovak League at the Marlborough Hotel, Winnipeg, Manitoba, canada, August 5, 197?.) I assure you that the Slovak League of America, with which originally so many of you were officially associated as branch officers and members, is happy with your growth and successful development. Like every good Mother, we in the United States take maternal pride in your accomplishments. And because you are such a good offspring we are even happier. We especially congratulate your wise founders whose foresight made this week's renewal activity possible. We remember in pr ayer and happy memory your departed leaders and officers. In this same spirit, we congratulate you on reaching the 30th year of the successful and productive publication of your excellent weekly, The Canadian Slovak. I think its editorials rate among the finest writings I've come across in any of the many publications I see. It's top notch in any language. You have, on your own, done great things for the Slovak cause because you've so greatly helped the Canadian Slovaks. When you help Slovaks in Canada, you help Slovaks in the United States and everywhere. So also, when we help Slovaks in the United States, then we help Slovaks in Canada and elsewhere. And working together, we help all Slovaks and indirectly all peace-loving and God-fearing people everywhere. Thus, we make our efforts to sooner bring to reality the �SLOVAKIA 49 cherished aspirations for the Brotherhood of Man under the Fatherhood of God. My appreciation has been quickened by the sense that your choice has been determined solely by your unending union-in word, in spirit and in fraternal co-operationwith the great Slovak civic and cultural federation, which I am fortunate to head at this moment of history. I was pleased to note in the minutes of your first organizational session on December 12, 1932, that you _pledged to support and co-operate with the Slovak League of America-the Minutes state: "4. Vyvinula sa dlha debata, v ktorej vedene bratom Karolom Maresom, zhromazdene delegatstvo uist'ovalo brata Jozefa Zemana, ze program a ciele 1. kongresu Slov. Ligy v Kanade su cisto slovenske, ze spolu so Slov. Ligou V Amerike chceme pracovat' za tu nasu slovencinu." I am happy to state that you've kept that commitment and am fully confident that you will continue to do so. I, therefore, beg your indulgence while I set forth for your thoughtful consideration several ideas which I hold to be of paramount importance in the drama which the members of the Slovak League of America and you, the members of the Canadian Slovak League, are enacting through our daily and regular performance of the duties .and privileges of membership in our respective leagues. The dictionary tells us that "a patriot is one whose ruling is the love of his country," and that patriotism is "love and zeal for one's country." We in the United States love our country just as much as you love Canada. But we, like you love and are proud of all that is great and noble in the history of the land of our forefathers - beautiful Slovakia. Otherwise, you would not this evening be in Winnipeg, your birthplace. By taking pride, real lawful pride, in all things Slovak, we become better citizens and patriots of the countries where we live. The flame of Slovak patriotism which had long burned and still burns with a steady flame in all times of stress �50 SLOVAKIA and danger, has enabled the nation to maintain the struggle for its rightful place of distinction as a separate member of the family of nations. It has also sustained all Slovaks in their age-old efforts to carry out their destiny in the face of the most formidable opposition throughout the centuries and thereby, has exorted the admiration and often the envy of foreign observers. This record gives fresh proof even today of the invincible and unbroken vigor and vitality of the Slovak. And meanwhile, it has promoted among the citizens of every land in which this Slovak patriotism has taken root a sense of public duty and the growth of a spirit of self-sacrifice and devotion to country, dominion or commonwealth. But, patriotism must be founded on great principles and supported by great virtues. It involves duties as well as privileges, and these duties arise not only in connection with the domestic relations of the citizens to his native or adopted country. They arise also in all that concerns the attitude of that country towards foreign nations. That is why we must make certain that all countries become cognizant of the legitimate aspirations and aims of the Slovak people. It is the clear duty of true patriotism everywhere to consider this question of the expansion and extension of the Slovak cause in which we seem to be fulfilling the manifest duty of our Slovak heritage. So, you as good Canadians and as good Slovaks have a firm assurance of loyalty and affection of the sons of Slovakia in the United States and wherever else they may be. You are also assured of their readiness to play their part with you in the common cause even to a greater extent than in the past. I have faith in our cause and in our Slovak people. That is why I am happy to have the privilege to lead the Slovak League of America in what I pray will be its most glorious era. That is why I am happy to solicit your continued co-operation in the days to come as we with you and other Slovak groups solidify and coordinate into a true pillar of Slovak unity and solidarity. �SLOVAKIA 51 We now have the structure-The Slovak World Cogress, founded in the headquarters site of the United Nations in June, 1970. I believe that with all the forces and enthusiasm of which the democratic processes alone are capable, we, firmly united, will complete and maintain that splendid edifice of our fraternal and heartfelt love, which commenced under such successful auspices at New York and Toronto. Henceforth, all Slovaks wherever situated enter upon a new epoch of noble union, in this world-wide Slovak Congress. I also believe that the firmness of purpose and strength of will which are necessary to this end shall be supplied by the patriotism which sustains the most strenuous efforts and makes possible the greatest sacrifice. You have the power and, I am confident, the will to fill this patriotic need-to contribute your patriotic share. You still have in full measure the opportunity of continued service until you have achieved, at least, your 100th Anniversary. All this time we can and will do because we are without fear. We are apprehensive, in these trying times, but we Slovaks have a solid, spiritual philosophy of life which will enable us to continue to face the future unafraid. In that spirit, we conduct ourselves in fraternal harmony and cultural and civic friendship. We have always presented throughout the years-you in Canada with us in the United States-the agreeable spectacle of a fraternal harmony and friendly co-operation absolutely united in the best interests of Slovaks and Slovakia. We have differed occasionally, as friends and kin must differ; but, we never had a single quarrel, we have had no factional fights. I think this displays a spirit for which it is worthwhile to continue to make sacrifices. And then as we grow older and the shadows begin to lengthen, we hopefully should be able to look back on �52 SLOVAKIA this period as a happy and fruitful era. We can then, in good conscience, turn over the reins to o~ successors with the feeling of satisfaction that, to the best of ou.rlimited talents, we contributed our small share to the mosaic of a greater Slovak nation, culture, tradition and haven of religious ·and intellectual achievements. And later, after much more time, when other futuregenerations look back on this period-yours and mine -they will see that what we did was but to carry on the work of our great predecessors. When they do so, we hope· they will be inspired to do a greater degree what we, on your Fortieth Anniversary, were and are trying to do for the greater honor and glory of our Heavenly Father-or as we would say in our Mother tongue Za .Boha a narod. Your gatherings are a living testimony of a determination to support the principles I have touched upon. The voice of gratitude and praise for all your contributions is limited to no area-it is. uttered by every Slovak: tongue. So, let us pray God that the day of triumph for Slovaks and Slovakia may soon come and while we pray and press on with unconquerable determination, let us make sure that we preserve the Slovak soul from the corrodinginfluences of injustice, materialism and selfishness. • • • I found the Democratic Convention to be totally undemocratic. At least two major candidates, who had considerable backing, withdrew from the race without a fight. This proves to me insincerity, dishonesty and cowardice on their part. After all, people contributed-and the candidates spent-millions. of dollars for their election. This money now has gone "down the river" simply because these men did not want to fight against certain odds. I admire the candidates who remained in the race to the end, but I lost all confidence in the men who gave up so easily, even though Labor and other powerful political and social elements were behind them. This again proves to me that politics is NOT above the board, that there are underhanded deals, and that the wishes of the people are NOT considered. This is tragic, because it is the people that have been and are footing the bill. - Fr. Louis P. Hohos � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1973, Vol. 23 Description An account of the resource Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document 48 SLOVAKIA Fortieth Anniversary Canadian Slovak League Edward J. B eh u n c i k (The following is the message of Edward J. Behuncik, President of the Slovak League of America, on the occasion of the 40th Anniversary of the Canadian Slovak League at the Marlborough Hotel, Winnipeg, Manitoba, canada, August 5, 197?.) I assure you that the Slovak League of America, with which originally so many of you were officially associated as branch officers and members, is happy with your growth and successful development. Like every good Mother, we in the United States take maternal pride in your accomplishments. And because you are such a good offspring we are even happier. We especially congratulate your wise founders whose foresight made this week's renewal activity possible. We remember in pr ayer and happy memory your departed leaders and officers. In this same spirit, we congratulate you on reaching the 30th year of the successful and productive publication of your excellent weekly, The Canadian Slovak. I think its editorials rate among the finest writings I've come across in any of the many publications I see. It's top notch in any language. You have, on your own, done great things for the Slovak cause because you've so greatly helped the Canadian Slovaks. When you help Slovaks in Canada, you help Slovaks in the United States and everywhere. So also, when we help Slovaks in the United States, then we help Slovaks in Canada and elsewhere. And working together, we help all Slovaks and indirectly all peace-loving and God-fearing people everywhere. Thus, we make our efforts to sooner bring to reality the SLOVAKIA 49 cherished aspirations for the Brotherhood of Man under the Fatherhood of God. My appreciation has been quickened by the sense that your choice has been determined solely by your unending union-in word, in spirit and in fraternal co-operationwith the great Slovak civic and cultural federation, which I am fortunate to head at this moment of history. I was pleased to note in the minutes of your first organizational session on December 12, 1932, that you _pledged to support and co-operate with the Slovak League of America-the Minutes state: "4. Vyvinula sa dlha debata, v ktorej vedene bratom Karolom Maresom, zhromazdene delegatstvo uist'ovalo brata Jozefa Zemana, ze program a ciele 1. kongresu Slov. Ligy v Kanade su cisto slovenske, ze spolu so Slov. Ligou V Amerike chceme pracovat' za tu nasu slovencinu." I am happy to state that you've kept that commitment and am fully confident that you will continue to do so. I, therefore, beg your indulgence while I set forth for your thoughtful consideration several ideas which I hold to be of paramount importance in the drama which the members of the Slovak League of America and you, the members of the Canadian Slovak League, are enacting through our daily and regular performance of the duties .and privileges of membership in our respective leagues. The dictionary tells us that "a patriot is one whose ruling is the love of his country," and that patriotism is "love and zeal for one's country." We in the United States love our country just as much as you love Canada. But we, like you love and are proud of all that is great and noble in the history of the land of our forefathers - beautiful Slovakia. Otherwise, you would not this evening be in Winnipeg, your birthplace. By taking pride, real lawful pride, in all things Slovak, we become better citizens and patriots of the countries where we live. The flame of Slovak patriotism which had long burned and still burns with a steady flame in all times of stress 50 SLOVAKIA and danger, has enabled the nation to maintain the struggle for its rightful place of distinction as a separate member of the family of nations. It has also sustained all Slovaks in their age-old efforts to carry out their destiny in the face of the most formidable opposition throughout the centuries and thereby, has exorted the admiration and often the envy of foreign observers. This record gives fresh proof even today of the invincible and unbroken vigor and vitality of the Slovak. And meanwhile, it has promoted among the citizens of every land in which this Slovak patriotism has taken root a sense of public duty and the growth of a spirit of self-sacrifice and devotion to country, dominion or commonwealth. But, patriotism must be founded on great principles and supported by great virtues. It involves duties as well as privileges, and these duties arise not only in connection with the domestic relations of the citizens to his native or adopted country. They arise also in all that concerns the attitude of that country towards foreign nations. That is why we must make certain that all countries become cognizant of the legitimate aspirations and aims of the Slovak people. It is the clear duty of true patriotism everywhere to consider this question of the expansion and extension of the Slovak cause in which we seem to be fulfilling the manifest duty of our Slovak heritage. So, you as good Canadians and as good Slovaks have a firm assurance of loyalty and affection of the sons of Slovakia in the United States and wherever else they may be. You are also assured of their readiness to play their part with you in the common cause even to a greater extent than in the past. I have faith in our cause and in our Slovak people. That is why I am happy to have the privilege to lead the Slovak League of America in what I pray will be its most glorious era. That is why I am happy to solicit your continued co-operation in the days to come as we with you and other Slovak groups solidify and coordinate into a true pillar of Slovak unity and solidarity. SLOVAKIA 51 We now have the structure-The Slovak World Cogress, founded in the headquarters site of the United Nations in June, 1970. I believe that with all the forces and enthusiasm of which the democratic processes alone are capable, we, firmly united, will complete and maintain that splendid edifice of our fraternal and heartfelt love, which commenced under such successful auspices at New York and Toronto. Henceforth, all Slovaks wherever situated enter upon a new epoch of noble union, in this world-wide Slovak Congress. I also believe that the firmness of purpose and strength of will which are necessary to this end shall be supplied by the patriotism which sustains the most strenuous efforts and makes possible the greatest sacrifice. You have the power and, I am confident, the will to fill this patriotic need-to contribute your patriotic share. You still have in full measure the opportunity of continued service until you have achieved, at least, your 100th Anniversary. All this time we can and will do because we are without fear. We are apprehensive, in these trying times, but we Slovaks have a solid, spiritual philosophy of life which will enable us to continue to face the future unafraid. In that spirit, we conduct ourselves in fraternal harmony and cultural and civic friendship. We have always presented throughout the years-you in Canada with us in the United States-the agreeable spectacle of a fraternal harmony and friendly co-operation absolutely united in the best interests of Slovaks and Slovakia. We have differed occasionally, as friends and kin must differ; but, we never had a single quarrel, we have had no factional fights. I think this displays a spirit for which it is worthwhile to continue to make sacrifices. And then as we grow older and the shadows begin to lengthen, we hopefully should be able to look back on 52 SLOVAKIA this period as a happy and fruitful era. We can then, in good conscience, turn over the reins to o~ successors with the feeling of satisfaction that, to the best of ou.rlimited talents, we contributed our small share to the mosaic of a greater Slovak nation, culture, tradition and haven of religious ·and intellectual achievements. And later, after much more time, when other futuregenerations look back on this period-yours and mine -they will see that what we did was but to carry on the work of our great predecessors. When they do so, we hope· they will be inspired to do a greater degree what we, on your Fortieth Anniversary, were and are trying to do for the greater honor and glory of our Heavenly Father-or as we would say in our Mother tongue Za .Boha a narod. Your gatherings are a living testimony of a determination to support the principles I have touched upon. The voice of gratitude and praise for all your contributions is limited to no area-it is. uttered by every Slovak: tongue. So, let us pray God that the day of triumph for Slovaks and Slovakia may soon come and while we pray and press on with unconquerable determination, let us make sure that we preserve the Slovak soul from the corrodinginfluences of injustice, materialism and selfishness. • • • I found the Democratic Convention to be totally undemocratic. At least two major candidates, who had considerable backing, withdrew from the race without a fight. This proves to me insincerity, dishonesty and cowardice on their part. After all, people contributed-and the candidates spent-millions. of dollars for their election. This money now has gone "down the river" simply because these men did not want to fight against certain odds. I admire the candidates who remained in the race to the end, but I lost all confidence in the men who gave up so easily, even though Labor and other powerful political and social elements were behind them. This again proves to me that politics is NOT above the board, that there are underhanded deals, and that the wishes of the people are NOT considered. This is tragic, because it is the people that have been and are footing the bill. - Fr. Louis P. Hohos  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Fortieth Anniversary Canadian Slovak League Description An account of the resource Edward J. Behuncik Slovakia, Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973 pp. 48-52 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Behuncik, Edward J. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 name https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/d710ffe05e14f68953f35f514b888de5.pdf c1266c123713fc11d8142f8caa13afd8 PDF Text Text SLOVAKIA Stefan P O la k O 29 Vi C : The Ethnical Philosophy of L'udovtt Stur* A. INTRODUCTION 1. Philosophy and Life The present day people generally are ignoring the Philosophy and consider it as an antiquarian and discarded discipline without any relation to the concrete life. And they forget that even the most unphilosophical concrete, individual life is expression of philosophy. It would be sufficient to observe an individual and his actions in order to write down "his" philosophy, i.e. the principles which are guiding him in his personal life. There is a mutual dependence between philosophy and life to such an extent that the fulness of the accidental aspects of the life is permeated by the general principles of philosophical character, while these principles in their abstract form can become a ferment for concrete life and contribute, by their turn, to the changes and even upheavals of the life. This fundamental relation between life and philosophy has been observed by Plato and Aristoteles teaching that the beginning of philosophy is "admiring" ( thaumazein). And in reality, there are many concrete "materials" in the concrete world for the analysis of an observing mind. As a philosopher who received a Hegelian formation in its authentic source during his studies in Germany, Cudovit stlir did not remain insensible in front of the concrete situation of the Slovak nation in Hungary at the beginning of the 19th century. It was a splendid "material" to be analyzed and studied under the light of the then modern philosophical doctrine. And these studies had been done by stur with the result of general principles, valid even today, on the life of nations in general. From the other side, the very same conditions of the Slovaks in �30 SLOVAKIA Hungary were for the patriot ~tur an object of very serious preoccupations. In this way, if from one side he was abstracting general principles out of this situation, from the other side he was putting down general principles for the recuperation of the Slovaks and their awakening from the centennial sleepiness. 1 2. The Ethnical Situation in Hungary in 1800 and After After the destruction of the Slovak kingdom in 910 A.D. by the Magyars with the help of the Franks (Germans) and its occupation by the victors, the higher culture of the Slovaks did not permit their assimilation by the Magyars 2 and so, in order to maintain the stability of the problematic common monarchy for two different nations (the Slovaks are Slavs and the Magyars are Mongolians), the new kings had recourse to a solution unique in the history of Europe: the adoption of the Latin as official language of the kingdom. 3 This anachronical situation lasted until 1793, when the Magyar language was for the first time codified and first attempts had been made to impose the Magyar language as the official one in the entire territory of Hungary. The consequences of the use of the Latin in Hungary during nine centuries were disastrous both for the Slovaks and Magyars: neither the Slovaks nor the Magyars had been able to develop their own literary works and so their language remained limited to the vernacular function (folk songs, folk legends etc.). After the Reform only appear here and there the first Slovak and Magyar works printed in dialects. Another, not less disastrous consequence of the reign of the Latin in our country was "darkness, brutality; lack of undertaking and higher civic liberty" 4 ; such was the common destiny of the Slovaks and the Magyars because of the lack of instruction. The schools and the real life of the two nations were separated by an abysmal gap: "All the knowledge and culture in the middle age were sticking in the schools and were limited to them ... It was a natural consequence of the separation of the schools from the life due to the foreign language" (i.e. the Latin).5 This led to the "contemptous looking of the schools on the life, the condemnation of the common life as of �SLOVAKIA 31 something vulgar; the contempt of national life and erradication of the even undangerous national customs; the rise of the cultivated casts and general neglect of the people who ... were needing instruction nor were allowed to enter into the temple of the instruction." 6 As soon as the Magyars codified their language, the Slovaks did the same: The Slovak Grammar of Bernolak appeared before the year 1800. What the Slovaks as a nation could not do was to hamper the magyarisation of the high and low Slovak nobility which at that time due to the raisons d'Etat stood behind the governmental power. This renegation of the Slovak nobility was a death blow to the Slovak national interests and since then the word "renegate" got a smell of moral insanity among the Slovaks. In this way to the Slovaks "were left the middle classes only: townsmen, low clergy, teachers." 7 The Slovaks were left only "what could not be taken away from them . . . due to the impossibility of the matters." 8 3. Civic Priesthood of Stur stur was 25 years old, when he came back to Slovakia from Germany: the mind full of ideas and the heart full of love for his Slovak nation. His decision as far as his personal life was concerned, was all made already: he had to sacrifice his life to his people and decided not to get married in order to be completely free from familiar ties. In very short nine years (from 1840 to 1849) he developed a febrile activity as teacher and scholar, as publisher and journalist, as politician and representative to Parliament, as revolucionary and soldier. He succeeded in forming an entire generation of Slovak activists whose merit was the preservation of the Slovak national life in a hostile and brutal country. The students were drawn by his ideas and confirmed by the chastity of his exemplar personal life. stur was doing what he was preaching: to prefer the common and public interests to his own personal advantages. He was not appointed by anybody to this national job: he had choosen it freely as a selfappointed high priest subject to his conscience and God only according to one of his devices: "We entered into the service of the Spirit; therefore we have to pass on a life full of thorns." �32 SLOVAKIA We got registered his farewell speech to his students before they left for holidays in 1842: like Moses on the mount Nebo with his hands elevated towards the heaven imploring God's blessings for the fighting soldiers Stur was dismissing his friends in the function of national missionaries like a high priest: "Who is living out of the spirit, is living in the humanity, is living suitably to humanity . . . and who is not living out to the spirit, is living for himself only, there is no humanity in him not is he in the humanity, because he is natural being only and not spiritual being like is the humanity ... Why the field of our Slovakia lies fallow as a desert; why our nation fell so down? Because it is not conscious of itself ... it is unconscious in the sphere of language, customs and ways of life as a distinct personality, it does not know itself as one wholeness, is not aware of itself and does not understand itself in the spirit of its own personality as belonging exclusively to itself." 9 In 13udovit Stur's works, articles, speeches there is a graduation during the mentioned nine years: the climax of all this febrile activity is the armed uprising of 1848-49 against the Magyars with the declaration of the independence of Slovakia (September 19, 1848). After this unsuccessful uprising the police curtain fell over a life consecrated to his nation: house prison, sorrow and death. In brevi explevit tempora multa ... B. ST-OR'S IDEAS CONCERNING THE LIFE OF NATION 1. The Nation Even if Stur, during his studies in Germany, imbibed with avidity the congenital doctrines of Hegel, he assimilated them in his personal way and was forging practical applications according to the situation of the Slovak nation in Hungary. Whereas "the spirit is the essence of all" 10 and his main task is selfknowledge and whereas, if we freely are interpreting Stur's idea of multiplicity of nations, the manifoldness of the nations is the manifestation of the richness of the Spirit, the main task of every nation it to reach the selfconsciousness. �SLOVAKIA 33 Without this selfconsciousness and selfknowledge the existence of a nation is a very precarious one, if not impossible according to sttir. Like a man (human being) who did not reach the personality is a child as slave who does know nothing about it, as "the nations which did not reach the personality, which did not feel themselves, are like children under the command of a patriarch and slaves under landlord." 11 Every nation "is a one whole, one individuality, one personality" and the highest obligation of very personality is to "become conscious, feel and know itself." 12 This national individuality consists in the spiritual union of all the members13 which can be felt "only on the basis of our nearest natural consanguinity." 14 What does this personality consist in? In the first place, the specificness of every nation is manifested by its language. "The language is the utterance of the spirit and in its turn is destined to influence the spirit." 15 "The language got its own life and the same course as the nations themselves." 16 "When the language lost its original expressivity, force, determination and acuteness, so the force and acuteness of the nation itself had volatilized; got old the language, so got old the nation itself." 17 One with the other are in the strongest union, one with the other are living and dying. 18 Besides the language, there are many other ties assuring the unity of the nation. Some of them are completely natural (as the territory) and or are natural-spiritual (among these on the first place is the language, afterwards customs, ways of life) and or completely spiritual (religion, political and civic order etc.) . The yearning after personality in an ethnical group is the most noble desire, because it is a desire of selffeeling and selfknowledge19 and in the last consequences it is a desire of being useful to the humanity. A nation which did not come to personality is unable t o register anything of its own in the world among the �34 SLOVAKIA other nations, nor is able to represent anything in the history. Notwithstanding that Stur is emphasizing the importance of the feeling of personality for a nation, he asseverates that "the personality is not the highest degree and that when a man or nations want to live and actuate indeed humanly, they must rise to a higher degree, wherefore the personality must be ennobled and morally hightened." 20 The spiritual personality of the nation, if it has to be a real and not imaginary one, must dispose of itself. This selfdisposition cannot be carried out, when a nation is united to another like an accident: the result of such an union can only be a weakness for both the partners. It is no life, but only a vegetation. 21 "When a nation wants to live and has to live, it cannot and must not rely on another nation and from it wait for the awakening and maintenance of its life ... Such a nation does not deserve to live." 22 Such a nation is like a log, "wherein there is no life."23 The life of the nation consists in spiritual movement and activity. Every true nation desires to rise to a higher life and wants its life to be registered in the life of mankind. It only is possible, when the nation is creating values of universal human validity which are contributing to the progress of humanity. In order that this be possible, these works of everlasting human validity have to bear the seal of the national authorship. 24 All this is possible only, when the nation had reached the degree of selfconsciousness as a nation, "because the selfconscious nation is united by the spirit in the strongest way . . . and is respecting its existence and its honest staying among others." 25 The true union of the members of the nation is in the spirit only i.e. when present in the conscience of all. Such a nation is strong, even if a small one. This "community-minded spirit" 26 is the essential force of every nation. Stur had to fight the family-minded spirit of the common Slovak people of that time with the purpose to �SLOVAKIA 35 awaken them for a higher life of the national community. He and his disciples had done an admirable work on this field. 27 And as usual, stur was analyzing the relation between the family and community life within the framework of the nation. He did not want to condemn the family life; he only wanted to exclude the exaggerate cult of family life: "The community life must not absorb the family life as well as the family life cannot exclude the community life." 28 Of course, the first society to which the man belongs is family: to it he is united with body and sentiments. Thus, while the fundament of family is a natural one and its union is of natural origin, in the national community the union is of spiritual character. And as body is of lower nature than the spirit, so the family is lower than the national community. In consequence thereof the community is higher than the family. Even if this ratiocination is of undoubtedly Hegelian precedence, there is series of fundamental theoremas concerning the life of nations which are issuing from this admitted superiority of spirit. First of all, no nation can lastingly remain on the niveau of the family life, because nation as nation got completely different the essential ties than the family; and also because the spirit can develop through the national community only which takes care of education and spiritual formation. 29 That the public life of community is higher than that of family it is growing evident also from the fact that those who were sacrificing themselves for the community met with gratitude of the nation and everlasting glory: they merited this general esteem, because they were concerned about the higher goods of the nation. "Beautiful is the love of Joseph for his brothers, captivating is the sacrifice of Antigona taking care of her father and accompanying him in his blindness on Kyteron; beautiful is the fidelity of Lucretia; beautiful is the love of Solon for his son, the care of Cornelia for her heroic sons, beautiful the care of Aeneas, beautiful the love of Andromeda, but incommensurably higher and more glorious are the deeds of Leonidas, Themistocles, Miltiades, �36 SLOVAKIA Mucius, Scipio, Zrinyi, Franklin, Menin, Pozarsky, Kosciuszko and many others." 30 If anybody would live for his family only, the nation would cease to exist. Of course, there are many degrees of access of a community to the fulness of national life. At the beginning, all the nation being born are rude and brutal, because "they did not reach a spiritual culture.'' 31 These "being born" nations are united by family ties only and they are living patriarchal order. There is a community life, but reduced to corporal necessities. Later on, the community is creating spiritual values and thus is rising to the degree of nation. A community which did not create its spiritual culture disappears from the theatre of History: "The nations which did not rise to the community life, if met by a higher nation were succumbing to it.'' 32 The spiritual life of the nations "consists in all that the spirit is creating; that in it got its roots and origin" 33 i. e. religion, arts, sciences, doctrines, institutes, juridical order etc. Through the creation of such values a nation is able to register its existence in the community o! nations and obtain its identity card: "A nation which did not create anything noble for others, which did not register its li!e in the human community life, got no consideration before others." 34 The more flourishing is the community life and spiritual creativity of a national community, the stronger will be its position among the nations, because it is of one spirit and of one will. According to ~tur, such nations only appertain to History which consists in "continuous evolution." 35 This last expression has to be understood in the terminology of Hegelian philosophy of History.36 "The improvement and heightening of the human life has been progressing through the nations which appertain to History," 37 but never through the vegetation of tribes and barbarian nations. �SLOVAKIA 37 If we are searching for a definition of nation in stur, we will be perhaps disappointed: "By nation has always been understood the community of men using from birth one language." 38 This apparently poor definition has to be understood, however, from the viewpoint of the high function of language in the life of nations. 2. The Nation And The Language The very essence of the ethnical philosophy of stur has to be searched for in his doctrine of language as far as it is in relation with the life of nations in general. We have already mentioned the role of language, when speaking of the personality of nation: the language is one of the fundamental reasons of its specificness, i.e. it identifies the nation. This doctrine does not contradict the fact, that the English is a language common to England and the US, the Portuguese common to Portugal and Brazil, the Spanish common to Spain and many Latin American states. On the first place, all these new "nations" are nations in formation. In this process of formation they feel the necessity of a special language and this trend towards a specific language is being observed as in the United States (the trend to spell and pronounce differently the English ) as in Brazil ( the Brazilians speak of Brazilian as their mother tongue) as in the Latin American states (some o! them are looking for native Indian languages in order to emphasize their "national" identity). Secondly, there exist a subconscious uncertainty and insecurity as far as the national identity is concerned, in all these zones, when comparing their identities with those of other nations recognized as such. "When the nation comes to selfconsciousness, then it will comprehend that it got one life, one aim and so by natural and necessary course of the things this selfconsciousness must express itself in what it is uniting the nation together: one literary language, one literature belong essentially to the unity of nation." 39 �38 SLOVAKIA Thus the language is the instrument of the national unity: no nation (in the acception of a spiritual community and not the state; the state could have more languages) can have two literary languages. From the other side, the language alone is unable to maintain the national unity: 40 "The nations got higher goods which they are yearning after ... These higher goods belong to spiritual aspects. When the nation reaches this higher niveau of spiritual activity, then begins to consider its linguistic unity as secondary, even if always dear and beloved, because inherited from the forefathers, but undecisive in all fundamental questions." 41 In other words, when a nation reaches the stadium of high spiritual activity creating everlasting cultural values, the question of language ceases to be a primary one and is being collocated on the secondary niveau, because in this way the conscious spirit is assuring the unity of nation. But before the language be able to become vehicle of high, spiritual activity, it is necessary to cultivate it i.e. provide it with terms able to express not only things, objects of daily use (the stadium of native vernacular languages), but also high ideas. "The language got the same course, the same evolution like man and nations. The child and the common man are speaking a very common language related to the objects of daily use known to all and in the same way common people who are either not at all or little civilized, but a cultivated man is speaking of higher subjects and his language is more abundant, more complicated and more polished; all the same is to be said of the language of a cultivated nation." 42 This general principle is being confirmed every day in our times too: India is being overhauling the Hindostani in order to give it an efficiency as a modern cultivated language; the missionaries are struggling with the imperfections of the hundred and hundred native languages in order to convert them in vehicles capable to express high ideas putting down in this way the very foundations for a road to civilization of the different tribes. But from all the functions a literary language may �SLOVAKIA 3g get, the most important is its role in the instruction of the peoples. ~tur was assigning a primordialy importance to the language on this field. "Every nation can be cultivated through its own language only and is being cultivated, when its language is being cultivated" 43 : there is an interdependent action and mutual benefit as a result. In fact, the civilization of a nation is practically impossible, if its language is being postponed. The Guaranis of Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina, the Aymeras of Bolivia and Quechuas of Peru and Bolivia as nations were left on the same cultural niveau as they were living in the times of colonial occupation. According to ~tur "the mother tongue is the mean of civilization of that nation that is speaking it." 44 "If the instruction has to be a true, useful and adequate instruction it must be carried out in the national language i. e. in the mother tongue of the nation. Otherwise, the instruction got no value, is a mechanical work, without any benefit." 45 "The instruction must exercise an influence not only on the mind but also on the heart; it must not be understood only, but also felt" 46 and we feel best the power of words and expressions in our mother tongue. "In this language all is clear and bright; in it the objects denoted by words are immediately present before our eyes, while in the foreign language all appears to us like behind a curtain of fog .. . For these reasons everybody will understand, why the nations being instructed in their schools in the mother tongue are progressing in instruction, knowledge and are occupying a honorable place among other nations, while the nations being instructed in their schools in foreign language are staying behind." 47 There is another important reason, why the instruction has to be carried out in the mother tongue: "Through the mother tongue introduced into the schools the eyes of the nation are being opened; only then it is aware that it exists in the world too and through the mother tongue introduced into the public life, the nation is getting voice in the world." 48 �40 SLOVAKIA All these benefits had been denied to the nations in the middle age, when the Latin was used commonly in all the 15chools. The consequences thereof have been the obscuratism and barbarity, no undertaking and no public liberty. "In the middle age the world and schools were opposed to such a degree that whatever was appertaining to the schools did not concern the life and vice versa and this was a natural consequence of the separation of the schools from the life through a foreign language." 49 At that time the universities were like castles, where secret treasures were being hidden and whoever wanted to get to these treasures, he had to break through the dead Latin world. By a similar bad luck are being stricken many small nations even in the modern times. In this occasion Stur described the situation of the Irish nation, where the original Irish language is being ousted from the schools and the English is being imposed on its place; a similar destiny got the Flemish nation in Belgiwn and the Slovaks in Hungary. "We have to call it a disaster, when a nation is being instructed in foreign language, it is not possible to talk about the progress in knowledge and culture of such a nation. And without culture a nation is like mud being trampled under feet." 50 By the repression of its language, the nation is being menaced in its very being. "A nation to whom had been imposed a foreign language even in its elementary schools got a sensible blow on its very life and spirit . . . and is condemned to blindness and obscurity ... In such a nation there will flourish no culture, instead of it there will dwell obscurity; there will flourish no freedom, instead of it there will spread the spirit of servilism, there will flourish no wealth, instead of it unfold poverty and misery." 51 "When a nation had fallen so deeply, it is the declaration of the last historical sentence over it and the accomplishment of its servility." 52 In this connection, Stur is mentioning again the situation of the Irish nation, where the imposition of the English in the public life were conducing to the paralization of the authentic national life. The introduction of the English into the public life in Wales and Scotland got �SLOVAKIA 41 practically the same effect: the original national identity got a deadly blow and there is practically no probability that these two Celtic nationalities could revive their original national life. Not dissimilar grew the situation of the Basks in Spain and France: deprived of the possibility to make use of their many thousands years old language in their public life, they are decaying as a distinct nationality and are merging with the Spanish and French. 3. The Rights of The Nations According to Stur 53 While individual rights have been object of different declarations and international instruments (Bill of Rights etc.), the rights of the nations neither have been enumerated nor sanctioned by international domuments. All this is perfectly understandable, because the world policy has always been carried out by the big powers interested only in their power positions and very little or nothing at all in the rights of the small nations. This situation prevails even today. What can be said of the situation prevailing hundred or more years ago? The big powers are able to assure their real and or pretended rights as today as they were doing in the past. They were and are enjoying them in full measure what cannot be said of the small nations, whose rights are being trampled under feet and denied. Only who is suffering injustice on his own flesh is able to understand the benefits of the right and justice and to yearn after them. Only nations which have been subjugated and denied their fundamental rights were able to forge the ideas about these rights amidst their sufferings. If you examine the modern history of the Basks, Irish, Jews, Slovaks and other perfectly constituted nations whose the only defect was to be small ones, you will gather abundant evidences of their desire to see protected and realized their rights they are feeling to be entitled to. More than hundred years ago, stur was expressing some of these fundamental rights of the nations. All these ideas are very important contribution to the creation of new international law which undoubtedly will take place in the next decades and conduce to the reorganization of mankind on the base of respect for all the nations, not �42 SLOVAKIA only the big ones, but also the small ones which are the majority and feel the thirst of justice. After all we have said about the function of the mother tongue in the life of nation, it is not difficult to understand that titur was preaching the right to language as the most proper mark of every nationality: "Who is touching (the language) is touching the most proper possession." 54 If a nation is denied the right to its own language by its expulsion out of the public life and schools, it is getting a death blow to its very existence. The Bask language has been suppressed in France and Spain and nowadays the number of Basks is diminishing in such an allarming way that if they are not allowed to use their own language in their country, this respectable nation will disappear from the map of Europe. The actual society got associations for the protection of animals ( dogs, cats and endangered species) and plants, but the United Nations Organization did not provide for the protection of the dying national communities and nations endangered in their life. Very soon the Bask language, the oldest European spoken language, will be a dead one, if the Basks do not get an international support for their legitimate struggle for independence. The Irish got a blow, when the English was introduced in Ireland instead of the Gaelic and many decades will pass over until the Gaelic will be again a spoken language in Ireland in spite of the Irish Republic and the desire of the authorities to reinstall it. Of course, of all the rights the most fundamental is the right to life. Meanwhile in the old times, the conquerors were depriving the conquered nations of their material goods, in these times the conquest is aiming at the subjugation of the spirit i.e. the conquerors are threating to take away the nationality itself; the last finality nowadays is the incorporation of the physical substance of conquered into the body of the conquering nation. Therefore titti.r requested that "nobody should interfere with our own district from national point of view." 55 From the fact of existence rises the right to personality which is the extension of the right to life. When speaking of nation, we had quoted the ideas of $tti.r relating to personality and its importance for the normal development �SLOVAKIA 43 of the national community. stur was asking for "the recognition of the personality" 56 of the Slovaks with all the consequences issuing therefrom. In his meditations stur arrived to the expression of the "right to personality." When speaking of the tendency to suppress the life of a nation, he qualifies it as an injustice, because such a nation "is denied the right to be per se amid mankind i.e. to be a different personality." 57 It only is natural that every nation is striving for the recognition of its own personality among the other nations, because even if the personality may be not the highest value according to stur, it is a fundament for all its activity. stur was proclaiming also the right to territory: "As a family needs its settlement as needs the nation its territory, where to live; its frontiers as far as its sovereignty extends itself, where to develop freely and to carry out its will." 58 "The nation with its territory which is the field of its activity, is one owner of earth among other owners." 59 "Whoever is taking hold of this ownership i. e. who is limiting the frontiers of its activity is offending the entire nation and provokes it to war." 60 Only weak and vile nations are permitting their frontiers to be narrowed. This idea of the right to its own earth was a guide to the Jewish nation in diaspora since the time of their deportation to Babylon and after. The realization of this right in the form of "Eretz Ischrael" is completely understandable to anybody who thinks of the nations in philosophical terms. This same idea was proclaimed by the Irish insurgents of 1916: "We declare the right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland . . . The long usurpation of that right by a foreign people and government has not extinguished the right ... " For this same right are fighting the rebellious Basks in Spain and France in these very days: the right to Euzkotarr. For this right have been slaughtered one million of Ibos in Nigeria because they wanted to live in their own country, Biafra. �44 SLOVAK.IA In connection with. the language and its function in the life of the nation, stur uttered the right to education and culture. The main object of all the activity of stur was the Slovak common people: after the desertion of the high and low (practically too) nobility, to the Slovaks were left the middle classes and common people only. Therefore he was directing all his endeavors to these masses with the purpose to provoke their national consciousness: "Our common people is the substantial part of our nation." 61 This people were "abandoned and neglected" and therefore "we stepped down and started to have intercourse with them in their own language ... so that they may feel their dignity ... and work on their own rising." 62 We should not forget that in Hungary until 1848 was prevailing the system of serfdom and there was practically no possibility of instruction for the common people. stur was aware that only through education of the masses the Slovak nation can be preserved from disparition. The consequences of the lack of instruction were disastrous indeed: penury, lack of the spirit of enterprise, total absence of welfare, lack of the sense for community. "An educated and instructed nation is in better spiritual and material situation than a nation without instruction . . . The more one is instructed, the higher dignity, respect, higher rights and better condition is he getting." 63 Without the education, there is no community life within the nation64 and its spiritual life which the very essence of a nation is very deficient. 65 An instructed nation is a free nation and a nation composed of ignorant people is a slavish nation. The freedom of a nation is intimately linked to its education and high degree of culture: "an instructed and cultured nation cannot be held in the chains of slavery." 66 So it is understandable that stur considered the right to education and instruction as high as the same right to life. Not unlike was at that time the situation of the Irish nation. stur got into his hands at that time (AD 1847) a number of a Tipperary newspaper wherein the unknown author is requested that "the source of the Irish misfortune must be destroyed, removed and only then there will be �SLOVAKIA 45 a hope that the people rise. The cause thereof is the humiliation and oppression of our Irish people which are being born in order to serve only. The oppression of our nationality since the times of the English expansion is the main cause of all the evil." 67 Being similar the conditions in Ireland and Slovakia, similar were also the reactions of the leaders of the peoples. In Ireland Thomas Davis, "the educator of nationality", was preaching: "Educate that you may be free." "Selfhelp and reliance were his cardinal principles for national regeneration." 68 stur was also insinuating the right of the nation to selfdetermination at a time, when this principle was not a common and general idea. He said: "No nation got the right . . . to not allow another nation to follow its own way, the way which is to it the most convenient." 69 And in accordance with this principle he led his nation to an open rebellion against the Magyars and proclaimed the independence of Slovakia in 1848. 3. EPILOGUE The short period of the intellectual activity of stur is full of ideas which have to say many things to this generation and to the future ones. His doctrine of the personality of the nations contains nucleus for the revision of the entire actual international law. If the nations exist as communities independently of the states and are subjects of the rights, thus the actual international law is an interstatal law only, the United Nations Organization is an Organization of the States etc. We are living in a world of confusion originated in the equivocal use of the term "nation" by the Latin and Anglosaxon nations. While, from one side, it is necessary only that an ex-colony, insignificant as may be (Barbados, Trinidad-Tobago etc.), get granted its independence and be recognized as such and immediately is getting the right to be "a nation," member o! UNO, on the other side, the authentic nations i. e. spiritual communities with well formed personality and efficient cultural life like Basks in Spain, a pleiade of authentic nations in India, Slovaks in Central Europe are denied even the designation of nations and all the rights inherent to their condition of authentic nations. There is a danger �46 SLOVAKIA that the diplomacy is moving on a terrain either of ignorantia elenchi or moral perversity. The Stu.r's visions of international brotherhood and a humanity living for the fruits of the Spirit on the basis of a material welfare are distant from the reality yet. FOOTNOTES •) By "ethnical" we understand "related to the life of nations," because the word "nation" got two different acceptions. I.:udovit Stur (1815-1856), the Slovak scholar, Philosopher and revolutionary who declared the independence of Slovakia in 1848. 1) The practical aspects of this activity see by J. Pauco, "The instruction of the People by the followers of Stur" (I.:udovychova u sturovcov, Turc. Sv. Martin, 1943). 2) To the contrary, the Magyar language has been enriched by the Slovak words related to state administration, agriculture, construction etc. 3) Analogically in the modern times, India had to adopt the English as official language due to the existence of many ethnics in that country. There are many other cases in the contemporary world. 4) I:. Stur, Dielo I, 314. In Bratislava appeared five volumes of his works in 1954. All the quotations of Stur are taken from this edition. 5) lb., l , 314. 6) lb. 7) 8) 9) 10) 11) 12) 13) 14) 15) 16) 17) 18) 19) 20) 21) 22) 23) lb., l, 168. lb., l, 170. lb., II, 15, 17. lb., V, 41. lb., V, 12. lb. lb. lb. lb., 15. lb. lb., 15, 16. lb., 16. lb., 13. lb., 13. lb. lb., 100. lb., 101. lb., 105, 106. lb., 40. lb., I, 230. 24) 25) 26) 27) J. Pauco, o. c. 28) lb., l, 127. 29) lb., I, 115. �SLOVAKIA 30) 31) 32) 33) 34) 35) 36) 37) 38) 39) 40) 41) 42) 43) 44) 45) 46) 47) 48) 49) 50) 51) 52) 53) 54) 55) 56) 57) 58) 59) 60) 61) 62) 63) 64) 65) 66) 67) 68) 69) 47 Ib., l, 116. lb., l, 114. Ib., I, 125. lb., II, 177. lb., l, 123. lb., II, 182. According to this doctrine, in the History always one nation is the leader of mankind. lb., II, 188. lb., I, 216. Ib., V, 134. lb., l, 212. lb. l, 212, 213. Cfr. lb. l, 215: "Even if the language is not the highest value of a nation, still it is the most important and decisive property as far as its personality and distinction is concerned, and from the fathers holy heritage which if somebody is touching, is touching the most proper possession, even if not the highest one." lb., V, 17. lb., l, 153. lb. Ib., l, 312. lb., I, 313. lb., l, 313, 314. lb., l, 314. lb. lb., l, 317. lb., l, 318, 319. lb., l, 319. S. Polakovic, L'evolution des idees fondamentales de la politique slovaque, Bratislava 1944; S. Polakovic, The Evolution of the Slovak National Philosophy, delivered at the conference in Toronto 1971. Stur, o.c., l, 215. lb., I, 221. lb., l, 216. Manuscript in the Archives of Matica Slovenska, Martin, Slovakia, No. 356a. Stur, o.c., l, 210. lb. lb., l, 211. lb., l, 49. lb., l, 125. lb., I, 154. lb., l, 158. lb., l, 124. lb., l, 334. lb., l, 315-6. We could not identify this Tipperary newspaper. The English quotation is not verbal, because we had to translate it from the Slovak. Dr. Moody in his address to Trinity College, Dublin, on April 20, 1966. Slovo na case, II, 81. � SLOVAKIA Stefan P O la k O 29 Vi C : The Ethnical Philosophy of L'udovtt Stur* A. INTRODUCTION 1. Philosophy and Life The present day people generally are ignoring the Philosophy and consider it as an antiquarian and discarded discipline without any relation to the concrete life. And they forget that even the most unphilosophical concrete, individual life is expression of philosophy. It would be sufficient to observe an individual and his actions in order to write down "his" philosophy, i.e. the principles which are guiding him in his personal life. There is a mutual dependence between philosophy and life to such an extent that the fulness of the accidental aspects of the life is permeated by the general principles of philosophical character, while these principles in their abstract form can become a ferment for concrete life and contribute, by their turn, to the changes and even upheavals of the life. This fundamental relation between life and philosophy has been observed by Plato and Aristoteles teaching that the beginning of philosophy is "admiring" ( thaumazein). And in reality, there are many concrete "materials" in the concrete world for the analysis of an observing mind. As a philosopher who received a Hegelian formation in its authentic source during his studies in Germany, Cudovit stlir did not remain insensible in front of the concrete situation of the Slovak nation in Hungary at the beginning of the 19th century. It was a splendid "material" to be analyzed and studied under the light of the then modern philosophical doctrine. And these studies had been done by stur with the result of general principles, valid even today, on the life of nations in general. From the other side, the very same conditions of the Slovaks in �30 SLOVAKIA Hungary were for the patriot ~tur an object of very serious preoccupations. In this way, if from one side he was abstracting general principles out of this situation, from the other side he was putting down general principles for the recuperation of the Slovaks and their awakening from the centennial sleepiness. 1 2. The Ethnical Situation in Hungary in 1800 and After After the destruction of the Slovak kingdom in 910 A.D. by the Magyars with the help of the Franks (Germans) and its occupation by the victors, the higher culture of the Slovaks did not permit their assimilation by the Magyars 2 and so, in order to maintain the stability of the problematic common monarchy for two different nations (the Slovaks are Slavs and the Magyars are Mongolians), the new kings had recourse to a solution unique in the history of Europe: the adoption of the Latin as official language of the kingdom. 3 This anachronical situation lasted until 1793, when the Magyar language was for the first time codified and first attempts had been made to impose the Magyar language as the official one in the entire territory of Hungary. The consequences of the use of the Latin in Hungary during nine centuries were disastrous both for the Slovaks and Magyars: neither the Slovaks nor the Magyars had been able to develop their own literary works and so their language remained limited to the vernacular function (folk songs, folk legends etc.). After the Reform only appear here and there the first Slovak and Magyar works printed in dialects. Another, not less disastrous consequence of the reign of the Latin in our country was "darkness, brutality; lack of undertaking and higher civic liberty" 4 ; such was the common destiny of the Slovaks and the Magyars because of the lack of instruction. The schools and the real life of the two nations were separated by an abysmal gap: "All the knowledge and culture in the middle age were sticking in the schools and were limited to them ... It was a natural consequence of the separation of the schools from the life due to the foreign language" (i.e. the Latin).5 This led to the "contemptous looking of the schools on the life, the condemnation of the common life as of �SLOVAKIA 31 something vulgar; the contempt of national life and erradication of the even undangerous national customs; the rise of the cultivated casts and general neglect of the people who ... were needing instruction nor were allowed to enter into the temple of the instruction." 6 As soon as the Magyars codified their language, the Slovaks did the same: The Slovak Grammar of Bernolak appeared before the year 1800. What the Slovaks as a nation could not do was to hamper the magyarisation of the high and low Slovak nobility which at that time due to the raisons d'Etat stood behind the governmental power. This renegation of the Slovak nobility was a death blow to the Slovak national interests and since then the word "renegate" got a smell of moral insanity among the Slovaks. In this way to the Slovaks "were left the middle classes only: townsmen, low clergy, teachers." 7 The Slovaks were left only "what could not be taken away from them . . . due to the impossibility of the matters." 8 3. Civic Priesthood of Stur stur was 25 years old, when he came back to Slovakia from Germany: the mind full of ideas and the heart full of love for his Slovak nation. His decision as far as his personal life was concerned, was all made already: he had to sacrifice his life to his people and decided not to get married in order to be completely free from familiar ties. In very short nine years (from 1840 to 1849) he developed a febrile activity as teacher and scholar, as publisher and journalist, as politician and representative to Parliament, as revolucionary and soldier. He succeeded in forming an entire generation of Slovak activists whose merit was the preservation of the Slovak national life in a hostile and brutal country. The students were drawn by his ideas and confirmed by the chastity of his exemplar personal life. stur was doing what he was preaching: to prefer the common and public interests to his own personal advantages. He was not appointed by anybody to this national job: he had choosen it freely as a selfappointed high priest subject to his conscience and God only according to one of his devices: "We entered into the service of the Spirit; therefore we have to pass on a life full of thorns." �32 SLOVAKIA We got registered his farewell speech to his students before they left for holidays in 1842: like Moses on the mount Nebo with his hands elevated towards the heaven imploring God's blessings for the fighting soldiers Stur was dismissing his friends in the function of national missionaries like a high priest: "Who is living out of the spirit, is living in the humanity, is living suitably to humanity . . . and who is not living out to the spirit, is living for himself only, there is no humanity in him not is he in the humanity, because he is natural being only and not spiritual being like is the humanity ... Why the field of our Slovakia lies fallow as a desert; why our nation fell so down? Because it is not conscious of itself ... it is unconscious in the sphere of language, customs and ways of life as a distinct personality, it does not know itself as one wholeness, is not aware of itself and does not understand itself in the spirit of its own personality as belonging exclusively to itself." 9 In 13udovit Stur's works, articles, speeches there is a graduation during the mentioned nine years: the climax of all this febrile activity is the armed uprising of 1848-49 against the Magyars with the declaration of the independence of Slovakia (September 19, 1848). After this unsuccessful uprising the police curtain fell over a life consecrated to his nation: house prison, sorrow and death. In brevi explevit tempora multa ... B. ST-OR'S IDEAS CONCERNING THE LIFE OF NATION 1. The Nation Even if Stur, during his studies in Germany, imbibed with avidity the congenital doctrines of Hegel, he assimilated them in his personal way and was forging practical applications according to the situation of the Slovak nation in Hungary. Whereas "the spirit is the essence of all" 10 and his main task is selfknowledge and whereas, if we freely are interpreting Stur's idea of multiplicity of nations, the manifoldness of the nations is the manifestation of the richness of the Spirit, the main task of every nation it to reach the selfconsciousness. �SLOVAKIA 33 Without this selfconsciousness and selfknowledge the existence of a nation is a very precarious one, if not impossible according to sttir. Like a man (human being) who did not reach the personality is a child as slave who does know nothing about it, as "the nations which did not reach the personality, which did not feel themselves, are like children under the command of a patriarch and slaves under landlord." 11 Every nation "is a one whole, one individuality, one personality" and the highest obligation of very personality is to "become conscious, feel and know itself." 12 This national individuality consists in the spiritual union of all the members13 which can be felt "only on the basis of our nearest natural consanguinity." 14 What does this personality consist in? In the first place, the specificness of every nation is manifested by its language. "The language is the utterance of the spirit and in its turn is destined to influence the spirit." 15 "The language got its own life and the same course as the nations themselves." 16 "When the language lost its original expressivity, force, determination and acuteness, so the force and acuteness of the nation itself had volatilized; got old the language, so got old the nation itself." 17 One with the other are in the strongest union, one with the other are living and dying. 18 Besides the language, there are many other ties assuring the unity of the nation. Some of them are completely natural (as the territory) and or are natural-spiritual (among these on the first place is the language, afterwards customs, ways of life) and or completely spiritual (religion, political and civic order etc.) . The yearning after personality in an ethnical group is the most noble desire, because it is a desire of selffeeling and selfknowledge19 and in the last consequences it is a desire of being useful to the humanity. A nation which did not come to personality is unable t o register anything of its own in the world among the �34 SLOVAKIA other nations, nor is able to represent anything in the history. Notwithstanding that Stur is emphasizing the importance of the feeling of personality for a nation, he asseverates that "the personality is not the highest degree and that when a man or nations want to live and actuate indeed humanly, they must rise to a higher degree, wherefore the personality must be ennobled and morally hightened." 20 The spiritual personality of the nation, if it has to be a real and not imaginary one, must dispose of itself. This selfdisposition cannot be carried out, when a nation is united to another like an accident: the result of such an union can only be a weakness for both the partners. It is no life, but only a vegetation. 21 "When a nation wants to live and has to live, it cannot and must not rely on another nation and from it wait for the awakening and maintenance of its life ... Such a nation does not deserve to live." 22 Such a nation is like a log, "wherein there is no life."23 The life of the nation consists in spiritual movement and activity. Every true nation desires to rise to a higher life and wants its life to be registered in the life of mankind. It only is possible, when the nation is creating values of universal human validity which are contributing to the progress of humanity. In order that this be possible, these works of everlasting human validity have to bear the seal of the national authorship. 24 All this is possible only, when the nation had reached the degree of selfconsciousness as a nation, "because the selfconscious nation is united by the spirit in the strongest way . . . and is respecting its existence and its honest staying among others." 25 The true union of the members of the nation is in the spirit only i.e. when present in the conscience of all. Such a nation is strong, even if a small one. This "community-minded spirit" 26 is the essential force of every nation. Stur had to fight the family-minded spirit of the common Slovak people of that time with the purpose to �SLOVAKIA 35 awaken them for a higher life of the national community. He and his disciples had done an admirable work on this field. 27 And as usual, stur was analyzing the relation between the family and community life within the framework of the nation. He did not want to condemn the family life; he only wanted to exclude the exaggerate cult of family life: "The community life must not absorb the family life as well as the family life cannot exclude the community life." 28 Of course, the first society to which the man belongs is family: to it he is united with body and sentiments. Thus, while the fundament of family is a natural one and its union is of natural origin, in the national community the union is of spiritual character. And as body is of lower nature than the spirit, so the family is lower than the national community. In consequence thereof the community is higher than the family. Even if this ratiocination is of undoubtedly Hegelian precedence, there is series of fundamental theoremas concerning the life of nations which are issuing from this admitted superiority of spirit. First of all, no nation can lastingly remain on the niveau of the family life, because nation as nation got completely different the essential ties than the family; and also because the spirit can develop through the national community only which takes care of education and spiritual formation. 29 That the public life of community is higher than that of family it is growing evident also from the fact that those who were sacrificing themselves for the community met with gratitude of the nation and everlasting glory: they merited this general esteem, because they were concerned about the higher goods of the nation. "Beautiful is the love of Joseph for his brothers, captivating is the sacrifice of Antigona taking care of her father and accompanying him in his blindness on Kyteron; beautiful is the fidelity of Lucretia; beautiful is the love of Solon for his son, the care of Cornelia for her heroic sons, beautiful the care of Aeneas, beautiful the love of Andromeda, but incommensurably higher and more glorious are the deeds of Leonidas, Themistocles, Miltiades, �36 SLOVAKIA Mucius, Scipio, Zrinyi, Franklin, Menin, Pozarsky, Kosciuszko and many others." 30 If anybody would live for his family only, the nation would cease to exist. Of course, there are many degrees of access of a community to the fulness of national life. At the beginning, all the nation being born are rude and brutal, because "they did not reach a spiritual culture.'' 31 These "being born" nations are united by family ties only and they are living patriarchal order. There is a community life, but reduced to corporal necessities. Later on, the community is creating spiritual values and thus is rising to the degree of nation. A community which did not create its spiritual culture disappears from the theatre of History: "The nations which did not rise to the community life, if met by a higher nation were succumbing to it.'' 32 The spiritual life of the nations "consists in all that the spirit is creating; that in it got its roots and origin" 33 i. e. religion, arts, sciences, doctrines, institutes, juridical order etc. Through the creation of such values a nation is able to register its existence in the community o! nations and obtain its identity card: "A nation which did not create anything noble for others, which did not register its li!e in the human community life, got no consideration before others." 34 The more flourishing is the community life and spiritual creativity of a national community, the stronger will be its position among the nations, because it is of one spirit and of one will. According to ~tur, such nations only appertain to History which consists in "continuous evolution." 35 This last expression has to be understood in the terminology of Hegelian philosophy of History.36 "The improvement and heightening of the human life has been progressing through the nations which appertain to History," 37 but never through the vegetation of tribes and barbarian nations. �SLOVAKIA 37 If we are searching for a definition of nation in stur, we will be perhaps disappointed: "By nation has always been understood the community of men using from birth one language." 38 This apparently poor definition has to be understood, however, from the viewpoint of the high function of language in the life of nations. 2. The Nation And The Language The very essence of the ethnical philosophy of stur has to be searched for in his doctrine of language as far as it is in relation with the life of nations in general. We have already mentioned the role of language, when speaking of the personality of nation: the language is one of the fundamental reasons of its specificness, i.e. it identifies the nation. This doctrine does not contradict the fact, that the English is a language common to England and the US, the Portuguese common to Portugal and Brazil, the Spanish common to Spain and many Latin American states. On the first place, all these new "nations" are nations in formation. In this process of formation they feel the necessity of a special language and this trend towards a specific language is being observed as in the United States (the trend to spell and pronounce differently the English ) as in Brazil ( the Brazilians speak of Brazilian as their mother tongue) as in the Latin American states (some o! them are looking for native Indian languages in order to emphasize their "national" identity). Secondly, there exist a subconscious uncertainty and insecurity as far as the national identity is concerned, in all these zones, when comparing their identities with those of other nations recognized as such. "When the nation comes to selfconsciousness, then it will comprehend that it got one life, one aim and so by natural and necessary course of the things this selfconsciousness must express itself in what it is uniting the nation together: one literary language, one literature belong essentially to the unity of nation." 39 �38 SLOVAKIA Thus the language is the instrument of the national unity: no nation (in the acception of a spiritual community and not the state; the state could have more languages) can have two literary languages. From the other side, the language alone is unable to maintain the national unity: 40 "The nations got higher goods which they are yearning after ... These higher goods belong to spiritual aspects. When the nation reaches this higher niveau of spiritual activity, then begins to consider its linguistic unity as secondary, even if always dear and beloved, because inherited from the forefathers, but undecisive in all fundamental questions." 41 In other words, when a nation reaches the stadium of high spiritual activity creating everlasting cultural values, the question of language ceases to be a primary one and is being collocated on the secondary niveau, because in this way the conscious spirit is assuring the unity of nation. But before the language be able to become vehicle of high, spiritual activity, it is necessary to cultivate it i.e. provide it with terms able to express not only things, objects of daily use (the stadium of native vernacular languages), but also high ideas. "The language got the same course, the same evolution like man and nations. The child and the common man are speaking a very common language related to the objects of daily use known to all and in the same way common people who are either not at all or little civilized, but a cultivated man is speaking of higher subjects and his language is more abundant, more complicated and more polished; all the same is to be said of the language of a cultivated nation." 42 This general principle is being confirmed every day in our times too: India is being overhauling the Hindostani in order to give it an efficiency as a modern cultivated language; the missionaries are struggling with the imperfections of the hundred and hundred native languages in order to convert them in vehicles capable to express high ideas putting down in this way the very foundations for a road to civilization of the different tribes. But from all the functions a literary language may �SLOVAKIA 3g get, the most important is its role in the instruction of the peoples. ~tur was assigning a primordialy importance to the language on this field. "Every nation can be cultivated through its own language only and is being cultivated, when its language is being cultivated" 43 : there is an interdependent action and mutual benefit as a result. In fact, the civilization of a nation is practically impossible, if its language is being postponed. The Guaranis of Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina, the Aymeras of Bolivia and Quechuas of Peru and Bolivia as nations were left on the same cultural niveau as they were living in the times of colonial occupation. According to ~tur "the mother tongue is the mean of civilization of that nation that is speaking it." 44 "If the instruction has to be a true, useful and adequate instruction it must be carried out in the national language i. e. in the mother tongue of the nation. Otherwise, the instruction got no value, is a mechanical work, without any benefit." 45 "The instruction must exercise an influence not only on the mind but also on the heart; it must not be understood only, but also felt" 46 and we feel best the power of words and expressions in our mother tongue. "In this language all is clear and bright; in it the objects denoted by words are immediately present before our eyes, while in the foreign language all appears to us like behind a curtain of fog .. . For these reasons everybody will understand, why the nations being instructed in their schools in the mother tongue are progressing in instruction, knowledge and are occupying a honorable place among other nations, while the nations being instructed in their schools in foreign language are staying behind." 47 There is another important reason, why the instruction has to be carried out in the mother tongue: "Through the mother tongue introduced into the schools the eyes of the nation are being opened; only then it is aware that it exists in the world too and through the mother tongue introduced into the public life, the nation is getting voice in the world." 48 �40 SLOVAKIA All these benefits had been denied to the nations in the middle age, when the Latin was used commonly in all the 15chools. The consequences thereof have been the obscuratism and barbarity, no undertaking and no public liberty. "In the middle age the world and schools were opposed to such a degree that whatever was appertaining to the schools did not concern the life and vice versa and this was a natural consequence of the separation of the schools from the life through a foreign language." 49 At that time the universities were like castles, where secret treasures were being hidden and whoever wanted to get to these treasures, he had to break through the dead Latin world. By a similar bad luck are being stricken many small nations even in the modern times. In this occasion Stur described the situation of the Irish nation, where the original Irish language is being ousted from the schools and the English is being imposed on its place; a similar destiny got the Flemish nation in Belgiwn and the Slovaks in Hungary. "We have to call it a disaster, when a nation is being instructed in foreign language, it is not possible to talk about the progress in knowledge and culture of such a nation. And without culture a nation is like mud being trampled under feet." 50 By the repression of its language, the nation is being menaced in its very being. "A nation to whom had been imposed a foreign language even in its elementary schools got a sensible blow on its very life and spirit . . . and is condemned to blindness and obscurity ... In such a nation there will flourish no culture, instead of it there will dwell obscurity; there will flourish no freedom, instead of it there will spread the spirit of servilism, there will flourish no wealth, instead of it unfold poverty and misery." 51 "When a nation had fallen so deeply, it is the declaration of the last historical sentence over it and the accomplishment of its servility." 52 In this connection, Stur is mentioning again the situation of the Irish nation, where the imposition of the English in the public life were conducing to the paralization of the authentic national life. The introduction of the English into the public life in Wales and Scotland got �SLOVAKIA 41 practically the same effect: the original national identity got a deadly blow and there is practically no probability that these two Celtic nationalities could revive their original national life. Not dissimilar grew the situation of the Basks in Spain and France: deprived of the possibility to make use of their many thousands years old language in their public life, they are decaying as a distinct nationality and are merging with the Spanish and French. 3. The Rights of The Nations According to Stur 53 While individual rights have been object of different declarations and international instruments (Bill of Rights etc.), the rights of the nations neither have been enumerated nor sanctioned by international domuments. All this is perfectly understandable, because the world policy has always been carried out by the big powers interested only in their power positions and very little or nothing at all in the rights of the small nations. This situation prevails even today. What can be said of the situation prevailing hundred or more years ago? The big powers are able to assure their real and or pretended rights as today as they were doing in the past. They were and are enjoying them in full measure what cannot be said of the small nations, whose rights are being trampled under feet and denied. Only who is suffering injustice on his own flesh is able to understand the benefits of the right and justice and to yearn after them. Only nations which have been subjugated and denied their fundamental rights were able to forge the ideas about these rights amidst their sufferings. If you examine the modern history of the Basks, Irish, Jews, Slovaks and other perfectly constituted nations whose the only defect was to be small ones, you will gather abundant evidences of their desire to see protected and realized their rights they are feeling to be entitled to. More than hundred years ago, stur was expressing some of these fundamental rights of the nations. All these ideas are very important contribution to the creation of new international law which undoubtedly will take place in the next decades and conduce to the reorganization of mankind on the base of respect for all the nations, not �42 SLOVAKIA only the big ones, but also the small ones which are the majority and feel the thirst of justice. After all we have said about the function of the mother tongue in the life of nation, it is not difficult to understand that titur was preaching the right to language as the most proper mark of every nationality: "Who is touching (the language) is touching the most proper possession." 54 If a nation is denied the right to its own language by its expulsion out of the public life and schools, it is getting a death blow to its very existence. The Bask language has been suppressed in France and Spain and nowadays the number of Basks is diminishing in such an allarming way that if they are not allowed to use their own language in their country, this respectable nation will disappear from the map of Europe. The actual society got associations for the protection of animals ( dogs, cats and endangered species) and plants, but the United Nations Organization did not provide for the protection of the dying national communities and nations endangered in their life. Very soon the Bask language, the oldest European spoken language, will be a dead one, if the Basks do not get an international support for their legitimate struggle for independence. The Irish got a blow, when the English was introduced in Ireland instead of the Gaelic and many decades will pass over until the Gaelic will be again a spoken language in Ireland in spite of the Irish Republic and the desire of the authorities to reinstall it. Of course, of all the rights the most fundamental is the right to life. Meanwhile in the old times, the conquerors were depriving the conquered nations of their material goods, in these times the conquest is aiming at the subjugation of the spirit i.e. the conquerors are threating to take away the nationality itself; the last finality nowadays is the incorporation of the physical substance of conquered into the body of the conquering nation. Therefore titti.r requested that "nobody should interfere with our own district from national point of view." 55 From the fact of existence rises the right to personality which is the extension of the right to life. When speaking of nation, we had quoted the ideas of $tti.r relating to personality and its importance for the normal development �SLOVAKIA 43 of the national community. stur was asking for "the recognition of the personality" 56 of the Slovaks with all the consequences issuing therefrom. In his meditations stur arrived to the expression of the "right to personality." When speaking of the tendency to suppress the life of a nation, he qualifies it as an injustice, because such a nation "is denied the right to be per se amid mankind i.e. to be a different personality." 57 It only is natural that every nation is striving for the recognition of its own personality among the other nations, because even if the personality may be not the highest value according to stur, it is a fundament for all its activity. stur was proclaiming also the right to territory: "As a family needs its settlement as needs the nation its territory, where to live; its frontiers as far as its sovereignty extends itself, where to develop freely and to carry out its will." 58 "The nation with its territory which is the field of its activity, is one owner of earth among other owners." 59 "Whoever is taking hold of this ownership i. e. who is limiting the frontiers of its activity is offending the entire nation and provokes it to war." 60 Only weak and vile nations are permitting their frontiers to be narrowed. This idea of the right to its own earth was a guide to the Jewish nation in diaspora since the time of their deportation to Babylon and after. The realization of this right in the form of "Eretz Ischrael" is completely understandable to anybody who thinks of the nations in philosophical terms. This same idea was proclaimed by the Irish insurgents of 1916: "We declare the right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland . . . The long usurpation of that right by a foreign people and government has not extinguished the right ... " For this same right are fighting the rebellious Basks in Spain and France in these very days: the right to Euzkotarr. For this right have been slaughtered one million of Ibos in Nigeria because they wanted to live in their own country, Biafra. �44 SLOVAK.IA In connection with. the language and its function in the life of the nation, stur uttered the right to education and culture. The main object of all the activity of stur was the Slovak common people: after the desertion of the high and low (practically too) nobility, to the Slovaks were left the middle classes and common people only. Therefore he was directing all his endeavors to these masses with the purpose to provoke their national consciousness: "Our common people is the substantial part of our nation." 61 This people were "abandoned and neglected" and therefore "we stepped down and started to have intercourse with them in their own language ... so that they may feel their dignity ... and work on their own rising." 62 We should not forget that in Hungary until 1848 was prevailing the system of serfdom and there was practically no possibility of instruction for the common people. stur was aware that only through education of the masses the Slovak nation can be preserved from disparition. The consequences of the lack of instruction were disastrous indeed: penury, lack of the spirit of enterprise, total absence of welfare, lack of the sense for community. "An educated and instructed nation is in better spiritual and material situation than a nation without instruction . . . The more one is instructed, the higher dignity, respect, higher rights and better condition is he getting." 63 Without the education, there is no community life within the nation64 and its spiritual life which the very essence of a nation is very deficient. 65 An instructed nation is a free nation and a nation composed of ignorant people is a slavish nation. The freedom of a nation is intimately linked to its education and high degree of culture: "an instructed and cultured nation cannot be held in the chains of slavery." 66 So it is understandable that stur considered the right to education and instruction as high as the same right to life. Not unlike was at that time the situation of the Irish nation. stur got into his hands at that time (AD 1847) a number of a Tipperary newspaper wherein the unknown author is requested that "the source of the Irish misfortune must be destroyed, removed and only then there will be �SLOVAKIA 45 a hope that the people rise. The cause thereof is the humiliation and oppression of our Irish people which are being born in order to serve only. The oppression of our nationality since the times of the English expansion is the main cause of all the evil." 67 Being similar the conditions in Ireland and Slovakia, similar were also the reactions of the leaders of the peoples. In Ireland Thomas Davis, "the educator of nationality", was preaching: "Educate that you may be free." "Selfhelp and reliance were his cardinal principles for national regeneration." 68 stur was also insinuating the right of the nation to selfdetermination at a time, when this principle was not a common and general idea. He said: "No nation got the right . . . to not allow another nation to follow its own way, the way which is to it the most convenient." 69 And in accordance with this principle he led his nation to an open rebellion against the Magyars and proclaimed the independence of Slovakia in 1848. 3. EPILOGUE The short period of the intellectual activity of stur is full of ideas which have to say many things to this generation and to the future ones. His doctrine of the personality of the nations contains nucleus for the revision of the entire actual international law. If the nations exist as communities independently of the states and are subjects of the rights, thus the actual international law is an interstatal law only, the United Nations Organization is an Organization of the States etc. We are living in a world of confusion originated in the equivocal use of the term "nation" by the Latin and Anglosaxon nations. While, from one side, it is necessary only that an ex-colony, insignificant as may be (Barbados, Trinidad-Tobago etc.), get granted its independence and be recognized as such and immediately is getting the right to be "a nation," member o! UNO, on the other side, the authentic nations i. e. spiritual communities with well formed personality and efficient cultural life like Basks in Spain, a pleiade of authentic nations in India, Slovaks in Central Europe are denied even the designation of nations and all the rights inherent to their condition of authentic nations. There is a danger �46 SLOVAKIA that the diplomacy is moving on a terrain either of ignorantia elenchi or moral perversity. The Stu.r's visions of international brotherhood and a humanity living for the fruits of the Spirit on the basis of a material welfare are distant from the reality yet. FOOTNOTES •) By "ethnical" we understand "related to the life of nations," because the word "nation" got two different acceptions. I.:udovit Stur (1815-1856), the Slovak scholar, Philosopher and revolutionary who declared the independence of Slovakia in 1848. 1) The practical aspects of this activity see by J. Pauco, "The instruction of the People by the followers of Stur" (I.:udovychova u sturovcov, Turc. Sv. Martin, 1943). 2) To the contrary, the Magyar language has been enriched by the Slovak words related to state administration, agriculture, construction etc. 3) Analogically in the modern times, India had to adopt the English as official language due to the existence of many ethnics in that country. There are many other cases in the contemporary world. 4) I:. Stur, Dielo I, 314. In Bratislava appeared five volumes of his works in 1954. All the quotations of Stur are taken from this edition. 5) lb., l , 314. 6) lb. 7) 8) 9) 10) 11) 12) 13) 14) 15) 16) 17) 18) 19) 20) 21) 22) 23) lb., l, 168. lb., l, 170. lb., II, 15, 17. lb., V, 41. lb., V, 12. lb. lb. lb. lb., 15. lb. lb., 15, 16. lb., 16. lb., 13. lb., 13. lb. lb., 100. lb., 101. lb., 105, 106. lb., 40. lb., I, 230. 24) 25) 26) 27) J. Pauco, o. c. 28) lb., l, 127. 29) lb., I, 115. �SLOVAKIA 30) 31) 32) 33) 34) 35) 36) 37) 38) 39) 40) 41) 42) 43) 44) 45) 46) 47) 48) 49) 50) 51) 52) 53) 54) 55) 56) 57) 58) 59) 60) 61) 62) 63) 64) 65) 66) 67) 68) 69) 47 Ib., l, 116. lb., l, 114. Ib., I, 125. lb., II, 177. lb., l, 123. lb., II, 182. According to this doctrine, in the History always one nation is the leader of mankind. lb., II, 188. lb., I, 216. Ib., V, 134. lb., l, 212. lb. l, 212, 213. Cfr. lb. l, 215: "Even if the language is not the highest value of a nation, still it is the most important and decisive property as far as its personality and distinction is concerned, and from the fathers holy heritage which if somebody is touching, is touching the most proper possession, even if not the highest one." lb., V, 17. lb., l, 153. lb. Ib., l, 312. lb., I, 313. lb., l, 313, 314. lb., l, 314. lb. lb., l, 317. lb., l, 318, 319. lb., l, 319. S. Polakovic, L'evolution des idees fondamentales de la politique slovaque, Bratislava 1944; S. Polakovic, The Evolution of the Slovak National Philosophy, delivered at the conference in Toronto 1971. Stur, o.c., l, 215. lb., I, 221. lb., l, 216. Manuscript in the Archives of Matica Slovenska, Martin, Slovakia, No. 356a. Stur, o.c., l, 210. lb. lb., l, 211. lb., l, 49. lb., l, 125. lb., I, 154. lb., l, 158. lb., l, 124. lb., l, 334. lb., l, 315-6. We could not identify this Tipperary newspaper. The English quotation is not verbal, because we had to translate it from the Slovak. Dr. Moody in his address to Trinity College, Dublin, on April 20, 1966. Slovo na case, II, 81. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1973, Vol. 23 Description An account of the resource Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document SLOVAKIA Stefan P O la k O 29 Vi C : The Ethnical Philosophy of L'udovtt Stur* A. INTRODUCTION 1. Philosophy and Life The present day people generally are ignoring the Philosophy and consider it as an antiquarian and discarded discipline without any relation to the concrete life. And they forget that even the most unphilosophical concrete, individual life is expression of philosophy. It would be sufficient to observe an individual and his actions in order to write down "his" philosophy, i.e. the principles which are guiding him in his personal life. There is a mutual dependence between philosophy and life to such an extent that the fulness of the accidental aspects of the life is permeated by the general principles of philosophical character, while these principles in their abstract form can become a ferment for concrete life and contribute, by their turn, to the changes and even upheavals of the life. This fundamental relation between life and philosophy has been observed by Plato and Aristoteles teaching that the beginning of philosophy is "admiring" ( thaumazein). And in reality, there are many concrete "materials" in the concrete world for the analysis of an observing mind. As a philosopher who received a Hegelian formation in its authentic source during his studies in Germany, Cudovit stlir did not remain insensible in front of the concrete situation of the Slovak nation in Hungary at the beginning of the 19th century. It was a splendid "material" to be analyzed and studied under the light of the then modern philosophical doctrine. And these studies had been done by stur with the result of general principles, valid even today, on the life of nations in general. From the other side, the very same conditions of the Slovaks in 30 SLOVAKIA Hungary were for the patriot ~tur an object of very serious preoccupations. In this way, if from one side he was abstracting general principles out of this situation, from the other side he was putting down general principles for the recuperation of the Slovaks and their awakening from the centennial sleepiness. 1 2. The Ethnical Situation in Hungary in 1800 and After After the destruction of the Slovak kingdom in 910 A.D. by the Magyars with the help of the Franks (Germans) and its occupation by the victors, the higher culture of the Slovaks did not permit their assimilation by the Magyars 2 and so, in order to maintain the stability of the problematic common monarchy for two different nations (the Slovaks are Slavs and the Magyars are Mongolians), the new kings had recourse to a solution unique in the history of Europe: the adoption of the Latin as official language of the kingdom. 3 This anachronical situation lasted until 1793, when the Magyar language was for the first time codified and first attempts had been made to impose the Magyar language as the official one in the entire territory of Hungary. The consequences of the use of the Latin in Hungary during nine centuries were disastrous both for the Slovaks and Magyars: neither the Slovaks nor the Magyars had been able to develop their own literary works and so their language remained limited to the vernacular function (folk songs, folk legends etc.). After the Reform only appear here and there the first Slovak and Magyar works printed in dialects. Another, not less disastrous consequence of the reign of the Latin in our country was "darkness, brutality; lack of undertaking and higher civic liberty" 4 ; such was the common destiny of the Slovaks and the Magyars because of the lack of instruction. The schools and the real life of the two nations were separated by an abysmal gap: "All the knowledge and culture in the middle age were sticking in the schools and were limited to them ... It was a natural consequence of the separation of the schools from the life due to the foreign language" (i.e. the Latin).5 This led to the "contemptous looking of the schools on the life, the condemnation of the common life as of SLOVAKIA 31 something vulgar; the contempt of national life and erradication of the even undangerous national customs; the rise of the cultivated casts and general neglect of the people who ... were needing instruction nor were allowed to enter into the temple of the instruction." 6 As soon as the Magyars codified their language, the Slovaks did the same: The Slovak Grammar of Bernolak appeared before the year 1800. What the Slovaks as a nation could not do was to hamper the magyarisation of the high and low Slovak nobility which at that time due to the raisons d'Etat stood behind the governmental power. This renegation of the Slovak nobility was a death blow to the Slovak national interests and since then the word "renegate" got a smell of moral insanity among the Slovaks. In this way to the Slovaks "were left the middle classes only: townsmen, low clergy, teachers." 7 The Slovaks were left only "what could not be taken away from them . . . due to the impossibility of the matters." 8 3. Civic Priesthood of Stur stur was 25 years old, when he came back to Slovakia from Germany: the mind full of ideas and the heart full of love for his Slovak nation. His decision as far as his personal life was concerned, was all made already: he had to sacrifice his life to his people and decided not to get married in order to be completely free from familiar ties. In very short nine years (from 1840 to 1849) he developed a febrile activity as teacher and scholar, as publisher and journalist, as politician and representative to Parliament, as revolucionary and soldier. He succeeded in forming an entire generation of Slovak activists whose merit was the preservation of the Slovak national life in a hostile and brutal country. The students were drawn by his ideas and confirmed by the chastity of his exemplar personal life. stur was doing what he was preaching: to prefer the common and public interests to his own personal advantages. He was not appointed by anybody to this national job: he had choosen it freely as a selfappointed high priest subject to his conscience and God only according to one of his devices: "We entered into the service of the Spirit; therefore we have to pass on a life full of thorns." 32 SLOVAKIA We got registered his farewell speech to his students before they left for holidays in 1842: like Moses on the mount Nebo with his hands elevated towards the heaven imploring God's blessings for the fighting soldiers Stur was dismissing his friends in the function of national missionaries like a high priest: "Who is living out of the spirit, is living in the humanity, is living suitably to humanity . . . and who is not living out to the spirit, is living for himself only, there is no humanity in him not is he in the humanity, because he is natural being only and not spiritual being like is the humanity ... Why the field of our Slovakia lies fallow as a desert; why our nation fell so down? Because it is not conscious of itself ... it is unconscious in the sphere of language, customs and ways of life as a distinct personality, it does not know itself as one wholeness, is not aware of itself and does not understand itself in the spirit of its own personality as belonging exclusively to itself." 9 In 13udovit Stur's works, articles, speeches there is a graduation during the mentioned nine years: the climax of all this febrile activity is the armed uprising of 1848-49 against the Magyars with the declaration of the independence of Slovakia (September 19, 1848). After this unsuccessful uprising the police curtain fell over a life consecrated to his nation: house prison, sorrow and death. In brevi explevit tempora multa ... B. ST-OR'S IDEAS CONCERNING THE LIFE OF NATION 1. The Nation Even if Stur, during his studies in Germany, imbibed with avidity the congenital doctrines of Hegel, he assimilated them in his personal way and was forging practical applications according to the situation of the Slovak nation in Hungary. Whereas "the spirit is the essence of all" 10 and his main task is selfknowledge and whereas, if we freely are interpreting Stur's idea of multiplicity of nations, the manifoldness of the nations is the manifestation of the richness of the Spirit, the main task of every nation it to reach the selfconsciousness. SLOVAKIA 33 Without this selfconsciousness and selfknowledge the existence of a nation is a very precarious one, if not impossible according to sttir. Like a man (human being) who did not reach the personality is a child as slave who does know nothing about it, as "the nations which did not reach the personality, which did not feel themselves, are like children under the command of a patriarch and slaves under landlord." 11 Every nation "is a one whole, one individuality, one personality" and the highest obligation of very personality is to "become conscious, feel and know itself." 12 This national individuality consists in the spiritual union of all the members13 which can be felt "only on the basis of our nearest natural consanguinity." 14 What does this personality consist in? In the first place, the specificness of every nation is manifested by its language. "The language is the utterance of the spirit and in its turn is destined to influence the spirit." 15 "The language got its own life and the same course as the nations themselves." 16 "When the language lost its original expressivity, force, determination and acuteness, so the force and acuteness of the nation itself had volatilized; got old the language, so got old the nation itself." 17 One with the other are in the strongest union, one with the other are living and dying. 18 Besides the language, there are many other ties assuring the unity of the nation. Some of them are completely natural (as the territory) and or are natural-spiritual (among these on the first place is the language, afterwards customs, ways of life) and or completely spiritual (religion, political and civic order etc.) . The yearning after personality in an ethnical group is the most noble desire, because it is a desire of selffeeling and selfknowledge19 and in the last consequences it is a desire of being useful to the humanity. A nation which did not come to personality is unable t o register anything of its own in the world among the 34 SLOVAKIA other nations, nor is able to represent anything in the history. Notwithstanding that Stur is emphasizing the importance of the feeling of personality for a nation, he asseverates that "the personality is not the highest degree and that when a man or nations want to live and actuate indeed humanly, they must rise to a higher degree, wherefore the personality must be ennobled and morally hightened." 20 The spiritual personality of the nation, if it has to be a real and not imaginary one, must dispose of itself. This selfdisposition cannot be carried out, when a nation is united to another like an accident: the result of such an union can only be a weakness for both the partners. It is no life, but only a vegetation. 21 "When a nation wants to live and has to live, it cannot and must not rely on another nation and from it wait for the awakening and maintenance of its life ... Such a nation does not deserve to live." 22 Such a nation is like a log, "wherein there is no life."23 The life of the nation consists in spiritual movement and activity. Every true nation desires to rise to a higher life and wants its life to be registered in the life of mankind. It only is possible, when the nation is creating values of universal human validity which are contributing to the progress of humanity. In order that this be possible, these works of everlasting human validity have to bear the seal of the national authorship. 24 All this is possible only, when the nation had reached the degree of selfconsciousness as a nation, "because the selfconscious nation is united by the spirit in the strongest way . . . and is respecting its existence and its honest staying among others." 25 The true union of the members of the nation is in the spirit only i.e. when present in the conscience of all. Such a nation is strong, even if a small one. This "community-minded spirit" 26 is the essential force of every nation. Stur had to fight the family-minded spirit of the common Slovak people of that time with the purpose to SLOVAKIA 35 awaken them for a higher life of the national community. He and his disciples had done an admirable work on this field. 27 And as usual, stur was analyzing the relation between the family and community life within the framework of the nation. He did not want to condemn the family life; he only wanted to exclude the exaggerate cult of family life: "The community life must not absorb the family life as well as the family life cannot exclude the community life." 28 Of course, the first society to which the man belongs is family: to it he is united with body and sentiments. Thus, while the fundament of family is a natural one and its union is of natural origin, in the national community the union is of spiritual character. And as body is of lower nature than the spirit, so the family is lower than the national community. In consequence thereof the community is higher than the family. Even if this ratiocination is of undoubtedly Hegelian precedence, there is series of fundamental theoremas concerning the life of nations which are issuing from this admitted superiority of spirit. First of all, no nation can lastingly remain on the niveau of the family life, because nation as nation got completely different the essential ties than the family; and also because the spirit can develop through the national community only which takes care of education and spiritual formation. 29 That the public life of community is higher than that of family it is growing evident also from the fact that those who were sacrificing themselves for the community met with gratitude of the nation and everlasting glory: they merited this general esteem, because they were concerned about the higher goods of the nation. "Beautiful is the love of Joseph for his brothers, captivating is the sacrifice of Antigona taking care of her father and accompanying him in his blindness on Kyteron; beautiful is the fidelity of Lucretia; beautiful is the love of Solon for his son, the care of Cornelia for her heroic sons, beautiful the care of Aeneas, beautiful the love of Andromeda, but incommensurably higher and more glorious are the deeds of Leonidas, Themistocles, Miltiades, 36 SLOVAKIA Mucius, Scipio, Zrinyi, Franklin, Menin, Pozarsky, Kosciuszko and many others." 30 If anybody would live for his family only, the nation would cease to exist. Of course, there are many degrees of access of a community to the fulness of national life. At the beginning, all the nation being born are rude and brutal, because "they did not reach a spiritual culture.'' 31 These "being born" nations are united by family ties only and they are living patriarchal order. There is a community life, but reduced to corporal necessities. Later on, the community is creating spiritual values and thus is rising to the degree of nation. A community which did not create its spiritual culture disappears from the theatre of History: "The nations which did not rise to the community life, if met by a higher nation were succumbing to it.'' 32 The spiritual life of the nations "consists in all that the spirit is creating; that in it got its roots and origin" 33 i. e. religion, arts, sciences, doctrines, institutes, juridical order etc. Through the creation of such values a nation is able to register its existence in the community o! nations and obtain its identity card: "A nation which did not create anything noble for others, which did not register its li!e in the human community life, got no consideration before others." 34 The more flourishing is the community life and spiritual creativity of a national community, the stronger will be its position among the nations, because it is of one spirit and of one will. According to ~tur, such nations only appertain to History which consists in "continuous evolution." 35 This last expression has to be understood in the terminology of Hegelian philosophy of History.36 "The improvement and heightening of the human life has been progressing through the nations which appertain to History," 37 but never through the vegetation of tribes and barbarian nations. SLOVAKIA 37 If we are searching for a definition of nation in stur, we will be perhaps disappointed: "By nation has always been understood the community of men using from birth one language." 38 This apparently poor definition has to be understood, however, from the viewpoint of the high function of language in the life of nations. 2. The Nation And The Language The very essence of the ethnical philosophy of stur has to be searched for in his doctrine of language as far as it is in relation with the life of nations in general. We have already mentioned the role of language, when speaking of the personality of nation: the language is one of the fundamental reasons of its specificness, i.e. it identifies the nation. This doctrine does not contradict the fact, that the English is a language common to England and the US, the Portuguese common to Portugal and Brazil, the Spanish common to Spain and many Latin American states. On the first place, all these new "nations" are nations in formation. In this process of formation they feel the necessity of a special language and this trend towards a specific language is being observed as in the United States (the trend to spell and pronounce differently the English ) as in Brazil ( the Brazilians speak of Brazilian as their mother tongue) as in the Latin American states (some o! them are looking for native Indian languages in order to emphasize their "national" identity). Secondly, there exist a subconscious uncertainty and insecurity as far as the national identity is concerned, in all these zones, when comparing their identities with those of other nations recognized as such. "When the nation comes to selfconsciousness, then it will comprehend that it got one life, one aim and so by natural and necessary course of the things this selfconsciousness must express itself in what it is uniting the nation together: one literary language, one literature belong essentially to the unity of nation." 39 38 SLOVAKIA Thus the language is the instrument of the national unity: no nation (in the acception of a spiritual community and not the state; the state could have more languages) can have two literary languages. From the other side, the language alone is unable to maintain the national unity: 40 "The nations got higher goods which they are yearning after ... These higher goods belong to spiritual aspects. When the nation reaches this higher niveau of spiritual activity, then begins to consider its linguistic unity as secondary, even if always dear and beloved, because inherited from the forefathers, but undecisive in all fundamental questions." 41 In other words, when a nation reaches the stadium of high spiritual activity creating everlasting cultural values, the question of language ceases to be a primary one and is being collocated on the secondary niveau, because in this way the conscious spirit is assuring the unity of nation. But before the language be able to become vehicle of high, spiritual activity, it is necessary to cultivate it i.e. provide it with terms able to express not only things, objects of daily use (the stadium of native vernacular languages), but also high ideas. "The language got the same course, the same evolution like man and nations. The child and the common man are speaking a very common language related to the objects of daily use known to all and in the same way common people who are either not at all or little civilized, but a cultivated man is speaking of higher subjects and his language is more abundant, more complicated and more polished; all the same is to be said of the language of a cultivated nation." 42 This general principle is being confirmed every day in our times too: India is being overhauling the Hindostani in order to give it an efficiency as a modern cultivated language; the missionaries are struggling with the imperfections of the hundred and hundred native languages in order to convert them in vehicles capable to express high ideas putting down in this way the very foundations for a road to civilization of the different tribes. But from all the functions a literary language may SLOVAKIA 3g get, the most important is its role in the instruction of the peoples. ~tur was assigning a primordialy importance to the language on this field. "Every nation can be cultivated through its own language only and is being cultivated, when its language is being cultivated" 43 : there is an interdependent action and mutual benefit as a result. In fact, the civilization of a nation is practically impossible, if its language is being postponed. The Guaranis of Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina, the Aymeras of Bolivia and Quechuas of Peru and Bolivia as nations were left on the same cultural niveau as they were living in the times of colonial occupation. According to ~tur "the mother tongue is the mean of civilization of that nation that is speaking it." 44 "If the instruction has to be a true, useful and adequate instruction it must be carried out in the national language i. e. in the mother tongue of the nation. Otherwise, the instruction got no value, is a mechanical work, without any benefit." 45 "The instruction must exercise an influence not only on the mind but also on the heart; it must not be understood only, but also felt" 46 and we feel best the power of words and expressions in our mother tongue. "In this language all is clear and bright; in it the objects denoted by words are immediately present before our eyes, while in the foreign language all appears to us like behind a curtain of fog .. . For these reasons everybody will understand, why the nations being instructed in their schools in the mother tongue are progressing in instruction, knowledge and are occupying a honorable place among other nations, while the nations being instructed in their schools in foreign language are staying behind." 47 There is another important reason, why the instruction has to be carried out in the mother tongue: "Through the mother tongue introduced into the schools the eyes of the nation are being opened; only then it is aware that it exists in the world too and through the mother tongue introduced into the public life, the nation is getting voice in the world." 48 40 SLOVAKIA All these benefits had been denied to the nations in the middle age, when the Latin was used commonly in all the 15chools. The consequences thereof have been the obscuratism and barbarity, no undertaking and no public liberty. "In the middle age the world and schools were opposed to such a degree that whatever was appertaining to the schools did not concern the life and vice versa and this was a natural consequence of the separation of the schools from the life through a foreign language." 49 At that time the universities were like castles, where secret treasures were being hidden and whoever wanted to get to these treasures, he had to break through the dead Latin world. By a similar bad luck are being stricken many small nations even in the modern times. In this occasion Stur described the situation of the Irish nation, where the original Irish language is being ousted from the schools and the English is being imposed on its place; a similar destiny got the Flemish nation in Belgiwn and the Slovaks in Hungary. "We have to call it a disaster, when a nation is being instructed in foreign language, it is not possible to talk about the progress in knowledge and culture of such a nation. And without culture a nation is like mud being trampled under feet." 50 By the repression of its language, the nation is being menaced in its very being. "A nation to whom had been imposed a foreign language even in its elementary schools got a sensible blow on its very life and spirit . . . and is condemned to blindness and obscurity ... In such a nation there will flourish no culture, instead of it there will dwell obscurity; there will flourish no freedom, instead of it there will spread the spirit of servilism, there will flourish no wealth, instead of it unfold poverty and misery." 51 "When a nation had fallen so deeply, it is the declaration of the last historical sentence over it and the accomplishment of its servility." 52 In this connection, Stur is mentioning again the situation of the Irish nation, where the imposition of the English in the public life were conducing to the paralization of the authentic national life. The introduction of the English into the public life in Wales and Scotland got SLOVAKIA 41 practically the same effect: the original national identity got a deadly blow and there is practically no probability that these two Celtic nationalities could revive their original national life. Not dissimilar grew the situation of the Basks in Spain and France: deprived of the possibility to make use of their many thousands years old language in their public life, they are decaying as a distinct nationality and are merging with the Spanish and French. 3. The Rights of The Nations According to Stur 53 While individual rights have been object of different declarations and international instruments (Bill of Rights etc.), the rights of the nations neither have been enumerated nor sanctioned by international domuments. All this is perfectly understandable, because the world policy has always been carried out by the big powers interested only in their power positions and very little or nothing at all in the rights of the small nations. This situation prevails even today. What can be said of the situation prevailing hundred or more years ago? The big powers are able to assure their real and or pretended rights as today as they were doing in the past. They were and are enjoying them in full measure what cannot be said of the small nations, whose rights are being trampled under feet and denied. Only who is suffering injustice on his own flesh is able to understand the benefits of the right and justice and to yearn after them. Only nations which have been subjugated and denied their fundamental rights were able to forge the ideas about these rights amidst their sufferings. If you examine the modern history of the Basks, Irish, Jews, Slovaks and other perfectly constituted nations whose the only defect was to be small ones, you will gather abundant evidences of their desire to see protected and realized their rights they are feeling to be entitled to. More than hundred years ago, stur was expressing some of these fundamental rights of the nations. All these ideas are very important contribution to the creation of new international law which undoubtedly will take place in the next decades and conduce to the reorganization of mankind on the base of respect for all the nations, not 42 SLOVAKIA only the big ones, but also the small ones which are the majority and feel the thirst of justice. After all we have said about the function of the mother tongue in the life of nation, it is not difficult to understand that titur was preaching the right to language as the most proper mark of every nationality: "Who is touching (the language) is touching the most proper possession." 54 If a nation is denied the right to its own language by its expulsion out of the public life and schools, it is getting a death blow to its very existence. The Bask language has been suppressed in France and Spain and nowadays the number of Basks is diminishing in such an allarming way that if they are not allowed to use their own language in their country, this respectable nation will disappear from the map of Europe. The actual society got associations for the protection of animals ( dogs, cats and endangered species) and plants, but the United Nations Organization did not provide for the protection of the dying national communities and nations endangered in their life. Very soon the Bask language, the oldest European spoken language, will be a dead one, if the Basks do not get an international support for their legitimate struggle for independence. The Irish got a blow, when the English was introduced in Ireland instead of the Gaelic and many decades will pass over until the Gaelic will be again a spoken language in Ireland in spite of the Irish Republic and the desire of the authorities to reinstall it. Of course, of all the rights the most fundamental is the right to life. Meanwhile in the old times, the conquerors were depriving the conquered nations of their material goods, in these times the conquest is aiming at the subjugation of the spirit i.e. the conquerors are threating to take away the nationality itself; the last finality nowadays is the incorporation of the physical substance of conquered into the body of the conquering nation. Therefore titti.r requested that "nobody should interfere with our own district from national point of view." 55 From the fact of existence rises the right to personality which is the extension of the right to life. When speaking of nation, we had quoted the ideas of $tti.r relating to personality and its importance for the normal development SLOVAKIA 43 of the national community. stur was asking for "the recognition of the personality" 56 of the Slovaks with all the consequences issuing therefrom. In his meditations stur arrived to the expression of the "right to personality." When speaking of the tendency to suppress the life of a nation, he qualifies it as an injustice, because such a nation "is denied the right to be per se amid mankind i.e. to be a different personality." 57 It only is natural that every nation is striving for the recognition of its own personality among the other nations, because even if the personality may be not the highest value according to stur, it is a fundament for all its activity. stur was proclaiming also the right to territory: "As a family needs its settlement as needs the nation its territory, where to live; its frontiers as far as its sovereignty extends itself, where to develop freely and to carry out its will." 58 "The nation with its territory which is the field of its activity, is one owner of earth among other owners." 59 "Whoever is taking hold of this ownership i. e. who is limiting the frontiers of its activity is offending the entire nation and provokes it to war." 60 Only weak and vile nations are permitting their frontiers to be narrowed. This idea of the right to its own earth was a guide to the Jewish nation in diaspora since the time of their deportation to Babylon and after. The realization of this right in the form of "Eretz Ischrael" is completely understandable to anybody who thinks of the nations in philosophical terms. This same idea was proclaimed by the Irish insurgents of 1916: "We declare the right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland . . . The long usurpation of that right by a foreign people and government has not extinguished the right ... " For this same right are fighting the rebellious Basks in Spain and France in these very days: the right to Euzkotarr. For this right have been slaughtered one million of Ibos in Nigeria because they wanted to live in their own country, Biafra. 44 SLOVAK.IA In connection with. the language and its function in the life of the nation, stur uttered the right to education and culture. The main object of all the activity of stur was the Slovak common people: after the desertion of the high and low (practically too) nobility, to the Slovaks were left the middle classes and common people only. Therefore he was directing all his endeavors to these masses with the purpose to provoke their national consciousness: "Our common people is the substantial part of our nation." 61 This people were "abandoned and neglected" and therefore "we stepped down and started to have intercourse with them in their own language ... so that they may feel their dignity ... and work on their own rising." 62 We should not forget that in Hungary until 1848 was prevailing the system of serfdom and there was practically no possibility of instruction for the common people. stur was aware that only through education of the masses the Slovak nation can be preserved from disparition. The consequences of the lack of instruction were disastrous indeed: penury, lack of the spirit of enterprise, total absence of welfare, lack of the sense for community. "An educated and instructed nation is in better spiritual and material situation than a nation without instruction . . . The more one is instructed, the higher dignity, respect, higher rights and better condition is he getting." 63 Without the education, there is no community life within the nation64 and its spiritual life which the very essence of a nation is very deficient. 65 An instructed nation is a free nation and a nation composed of ignorant people is a slavish nation. The freedom of a nation is intimately linked to its education and high degree of culture: "an instructed and cultured nation cannot be held in the chains of slavery." 66 So it is understandable that stur considered the right to education and instruction as high as the same right to life. Not unlike was at that time the situation of the Irish nation. stur got into his hands at that time (AD 1847) a number of a Tipperary newspaper wherein the unknown author is requested that "the source of the Irish misfortune must be destroyed, removed and only then there will be SLOVAKIA 45 a hope that the people rise. The cause thereof is the humiliation and oppression of our Irish people which are being born in order to serve only. The oppression of our nationality since the times of the English expansion is the main cause of all the evil." 67 Being similar the conditions in Ireland and Slovakia, similar were also the reactions of the leaders of the peoples. In Ireland Thomas Davis, "the educator of nationality", was preaching: "Educate that you may be free." "Selfhelp and reliance were his cardinal principles for national regeneration." 68 stur was also insinuating the right of the nation to selfdetermination at a time, when this principle was not a common and general idea. He said: "No nation got the right . . . to not allow another nation to follow its own way, the way which is to it the most convenient." 69 And in accordance with this principle he led his nation to an open rebellion against the Magyars and proclaimed the independence of Slovakia in 1848. 3. EPILOGUE The short period of the intellectual activity of stur is full of ideas which have to say many things to this generation and to the future ones. His doctrine of the personality of the nations contains nucleus for the revision of the entire actual international law. If the nations exist as communities independently of the states and are subjects of the rights, thus the actual international law is an interstatal law only, the United Nations Organization is an Organization of the States etc. We are living in a world of confusion originated in the equivocal use of the term "nation" by the Latin and Anglosaxon nations. While, from one side, it is necessary only that an ex-colony, insignificant as may be (Barbados, Trinidad-Tobago etc.), get granted its independence and be recognized as such and immediately is getting the right to be "a nation," member o! UNO, on the other side, the authentic nations i. e. spiritual communities with well formed personality and efficient cultural life like Basks in Spain, a pleiade of authentic nations in India, Slovaks in Central Europe are denied even the designation of nations and all the rights inherent to their condition of authentic nations. There is a danger 46 SLOVAKIA that the diplomacy is moving on a terrain either of ignorantia elenchi or moral perversity. The Stu.r's visions of international brotherhood and a humanity living for the fruits of the Spirit on the basis of a material welfare are distant from the reality yet. FOOTNOTES •) By "ethnical" we understand "related to the life of nations," because the word "nation" got two different acceptions. I.:udovit Stur (1815-1856), the Slovak scholar, Philosopher and revolutionary who declared the independence of Slovakia in 1848. 1) The practical aspects of this activity see by J. Pauco, "The instruction of the People by the followers of Stur" (I.:udovychova u sturovcov, Turc. Sv. Martin, 1943). 2) To the contrary, the Magyar language has been enriched by the Slovak words related to state administration, agriculture, construction etc. 3) Analogically in the modern times, India had to adopt the English as official language due to the existence of many ethnics in that country. There are many other cases in the contemporary world. 4) I:. Stur, Dielo I, 314. In Bratislava appeared five volumes of his works in 1954. All the quotations of Stur are taken from this edition. 5) lb., l , 314. 6) lb. 7) 8) 9) 10) 11) 12) 13) 14) 15) 16) 17) 18) 19) 20) 21) 22) 23) lb., l, 168. lb., l, 170. lb., II, 15, 17. lb., V, 41. lb., V, 12. lb. lb. lb. lb., 15. lb. lb., 15, 16. lb., 16. lb., 13. lb., 13. lb. lb., 100. lb., 101. lb., 105, 106. lb., 40. lb., I, 230. 24) 25) 26) 27) J. Pauco, o. c. 28) lb., l, 127. 29) lb., I, 115. SLOVAKIA 30) 31) 32) 33) 34) 35) 36) 37) 38) 39) 40) 41) 42) 43) 44) 45) 46) 47) 48) 49) 50) 51) 52) 53) 54) 55) 56) 57) 58) 59) 60) 61) 62) 63) 64) 65) 66) 67) 68) 69) 47 Ib., l, 116. lb., l, 114. Ib., I, 125. lb., II, 177. lb., l, 123. lb., II, 182. According to this doctrine, in the History always one nation is the leader of mankind. lb., II, 188. lb., I, 216. Ib., V, 134. lb., l, 212. lb. l, 212, 213. Cfr. lb. l, 215: "Even if the language is not the highest value of a nation, still it is the most important and decisive property as far as its personality and distinction is concerned, and from the fathers holy heritage which if somebody is touching, is touching the most proper possession, even if not the highest one." lb., V, 17. lb., l, 153. lb. Ib., l, 312. lb., I, 313. lb., l, 313, 314. lb., l, 314. lb. lb., l, 317. lb., l, 318, 319. lb., l, 319. S. Polakovic, L'evolution des idees fondamentales de la politique slovaque, Bratislava 1944; S. Polakovic, The Evolution of the Slovak National Philosophy, delivered at the conference in Toronto 1971. Stur, o.c., l, 215. lb., I, 221. lb., l, 216. Manuscript in the Archives of Matica Slovenska, Martin, Slovakia, No. 356a. Stur, o.c., l, 210. lb. lb., l, 211. lb., l, 49. lb., l, 125. lb., I, 154. lb., l, 158. lb., l, 124. lb., l, 334. lb., l, 315-6. We could not identify this Tipperary newspaper. The English quotation is not verbal, because we had to translate it from the Slovak. Dr. Moody in his address to Trinity College, Dublin, on April 20, 1966. Slovo na case, II, 81.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Ethnical Philosophy of Ľudovít Štúr Description An account of the resource Štefan Polakovič Slovakia, Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973 pp. 29-47 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Polakovič, Štefan, 1912-1999 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 LCNAF https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/37c3d0b4b904f6008dc60d3f8a957baa.pdf 984ee428331824dc82654ac63902b1b1 PDF Text Text SLOVAKIA - - - - - - - - -- - - -- - - -- - - -- 24 The Inflectional Morphology of Standard Slovak: A Descriptive Analysis John Michael Koch i k , Ph.D. Research on this topic grew out of a desire to present Standard Slovak anew in a particularly modern linguistic form. The work was performed and completed at the University of Pittsburgh under the direction of the late Doctor Charles E. Bidwell, Professor of Linguistics and Slavic Linguistics. The aim of this work is to give English-speakers interested in the Slovak language a concise, consistent, and structurally-oriented description in the analysts of Standard Slovak inflectional morphology. The theoretical approach is primarily that of American structural descriptivism ( in this case neo-Bloomfieldian). The study commences with a general introduction in which a definition of the variety of Slovak analyzed, the approximate number of contemporaneous speakers, and its linguistic locale are provided. A brief history of the language from earliest to modern times is presented, listing some of the outstanding proponents of the modern literary form and contributors to its development. Previous structural treatments of the language are outlined, implemented by the author's original treatments projected into the sections on morphophonemics and on the verb, with certain original features produced in the methods of noun classification, special-type classification of many adjectives, the illustration of similarities among some of the noun, pronoun and adjective endings, the arrangements of paradigms to illustrate identical endings, the use of synoptic tables to exhibit the endings, and the analysis of the comparative formant into two morphemes. The symbols and conventions, the phonemic notation, the primary �SLOVAKIA 25 sources consulted, the acknowledgments as well as the abbreviations utilized in the work complete section one. Section two lists the phonemes of the language: the vowels and the consonants, and adds a paragraph on the primary and secondary stresses in the language. Section three treats morphophonemics, both automatic and non-automatic (here an original treatment, as stated above). Under automatic morphophonemics are presented: voicing assimilation, simplification of double consonants, simplification of consonant clusters, sibilant assimilation, and the sequence of (j) plus (i) plus a vowel [other than (i) ] . Under non-automatic morphophonemics are these: the classification of consonantal stems as "hard" and "soft", the morphophonemic length correspondences of vowels, the alternation of vowel and zero, the "Rhythmic Law" concerning vowel length, the intercalation of -jbefore verbal suffixes, and the substitutive softening of certain consonants , and the dental/ palatal changes. Section four begins the morphology ( that is, the inflection of endings). The noun is treated first. Nouns are divided into various classes, principally feminine, neuter and masculine. These in turn are divided into subclasses according to their inflectional peculiarities. Feminine nouns have the subclasses: zena (hard stem), ulica-dlan (soft stem), kost' and pani. Neuter nouns have subclasses exemplified by the words: mesto (hard stem), plece (soft stem), vysvedcenie, and dievca. Masculine nouns are subclassified according to the sample words: chlap (hard stem animate), dub (hard stem inanimate), priatel' (soft stem animate), mec (soft stem inanimate), ujko (masculine o-noun), and the mixed declension: sluha. Next follow the mixed mesto/ kost' (oko, ucho) nouns, the mixed neuter noun di et'a, and the mixed noun/ adjective declensions exemplified by ujcirui and mufti. A synoptic table of nountype endings is included. Section five consists of the adjectives: novy (hard declension), cudzi (soft declension) , substantivized adjectives, short-form adjectives, special adjectives: possessives from nouns like bratov, and pronominal possessives like m6j, and jeden. A synoptic table of adjective-type endings is incorporated. Finally, the comparative degree of adjectives and adverbs is treated. �26 SLOVAKIA Section six comprises the personal pronouns and the interrogative/ relative pronouns. Section seven presents the cardinal (plus the compound) and the collective numerals. Section eight describes the verb. Its introduction defines the verb in this study. Given next are the endings of the finite forms. The formants are presented in this order: the imperative, the gerund and present active participle, the infinitive, the l-forms, the past active participle, the past passive participle and the verbal noun. The verb is classified according to the thematic vowel in the present- and the infinitive-stems. All verbs are subdivided into Class I which has the same thematic vowel in all forms, and Class II which has in most cases different thematic vowels in the present- and the infinitive-stems and in all cases thematic zero in present-stem forms other than first singular to second plural. Within Class I there are two subclasses: the a-type with thematic a (volat', vracat', citat') and the ie 1-type with thematic ie or its shortened variant e (rozumiet', mudriet'). Class II contains the following subtypes with the combination of thematic vowels in the present- and infinitivestem: ei2-type with thematic ie or its shortened variant e in the infinitive stem and the present tense (except 3 pl.), (triet', mliet'), ie/0- (niest', minut'), ie/ a- (brat', hnat'); e/ 0- (bit', priat', zat', kradnut'), e/a- (hrabat', cesat', pracovat', klat'); i-type with thematic i in the infinitive stem and present tense (except 3 pl.), (hovorit', kupit'); i / e( vidiet'), i / a- (lezat', spat', stat'); and the special e/ ie-verb chciet'. Base suffixes are provided as the next feature. Then, presented are the alternations in the base which include the base-final consonant change, substitutive softening alternations, change in the infinitive formant, alternation of the root-final nasal consonant with the vowel in a certain verb-type, root alternations including one vowel alternating with another vowel, simple root-vowel lengthening in a certain verb-type, the alternation of a vowel and zero, and certain irregularities in verb-types. �SLOVAKIA 27 Aspect derivation exemplified by perfectivization and imperfectivization follow next. Perfectivization is described according to the technique of prefixation, the addition of certain suffixes, and suppletion. Imperfectivization methods are explained, followed by the characterization of frequentative verbs. The section on the verb is concluded with the verbal constructions in which are listed and clarified: the future of imperfective verbs; the l-form constructions which embrace the simple past, the pluperfect, the conditional, the conditional past, and the negation of the l-form constructions; the passive constructions; and, the word-order of elements in verbal constructions. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bartek Henrich. 1944. Spravna vyslcnmost' slovenska. Bratislava-Turc. Sv. Martin, Jan Horacek. 1956. Slovensky pravopis. Gilnzburg/Donau, G. Jantsch. Belie, Jaromir, et al. 1964. Slovenstina. Praha, SPN. Bidwell, Charles E. 1958. "The Morphophonemics of Polish". General Linguistics 2. 71-99. 1959. "The Serbo-Croatian Comparative". La,i,guage 35. 259-63. 1960. "The Polish Verb". General Linguistics 4. 771964. "The Serbo-Croatian Verb". Language 4. 532-50. 1969a. Outline of Slovenian Morphology. Pittsburgh, University Center for International Studies, Univ. of Pittsburgh. 1969b. A Morpho-Syntactic Characterization of the Modern Slavic Languages. Pittsburgh, University Center for International Studies, Univ. of Pittsburgh. 1969c. The Structure of Russian in Outline. Pittsburgh. Univ. of Pittsburgh Press, Univ. of Pittsburgh. 1970. Outline of Bielorussian Morphology. (2d ed.) Pittsburgh, University Center for International Studies, Univ. of Pittsburgh. 1971a. Outline of Ukrainian Morphology. (2d ed.) Pittsburgh, University Center for International Studies, Univ. of Pittsburgh. 1971b. Outline of Czech Morphology. Pittsburgh, University Center for International Studies, Univ. of Pittsburgh. 1965. Outline of Polish Nominal Morphology. Pittsburgh, Unpublished pre-print, Univ. of Pittsburgh. Czambel, Samo. 1919. Rukovi:it' spisovnej reci slovenskej. (3d ed.). Turc. Sv. Martin. 1'.>urovic, ~ubomir. 1964. Paradigmatika spisovnej rustiny. Bratislava, SPN. Dvonc, Ladislav. 1955. Rytmicky zakon v spisovnej slovencine. Bratislava, SAV. Ga§parikova, Z. and A. Kami§. 1967. Slovensko-cesky slovni k. Praha, SPN. Habov§tiak, A. 1965. Oravske narecia. Bratislava, SAV. �28 SLOVAKIA Hodge, C. T. 1945. Spoken Serbo-Croatian. Madison, Linguistic Society of America. Horecky, Jan. 1964. Morfematicka struktura slovenciny. Bratislava, SAV. Isacenko, Aleksandr V. 1964. "The Morphology of the Slovak Verb". Travaux linguistiques de Prague. 1. 183-201. 1965. Grammaticeskij stroj russkogo jazyka v sopostavlenii s slovackim. I. (2d ed.) Bratislava, SAV. 1968. Spektograficka analyza slovenskych hlasok. Bratislava, SAV. Jakobson, Roman. 1931. "Z fonologie spisovne sloven~tiny". Slovens/ca miscellanea. 155-63. 1962. " Phonemic Notes on Standard Slovak". Roman Jakobson 1896- Selected Writings. The Hague, Mouton. 1. 221-30. Kotek, Ludvik (ed.). 1968. Dejiny ceskoslovenska v datech. (1st ed.) Praha, Svoboda. Kucera, Henry. 1961. The Phonology of Czech. The Hague, Mouton. Kurylowicz, J. 1962. "Personal and Animate Genders in Slavic". Lingua 11. 249-56. Machek, Vaclav. 1957. Etymologicky slovnik jaZ1/ka ceskeho a slovenskeho. Praha, CSAV. Miko, Franmek. 1962. Rod, cisla a pad podstatnych mien. Bratislava, SAV. Necas, J. and M. Kopecky. 1964. Slovensko-cesky, cesko-slovensk11 slovnik rozdilnych vyrazu. Praha, SPN. Novak, I.:udovit. 1934. Fonol6gia a studium slovenciny. Turc. Sv. Martin, Matica slovenska. Ondrus, Pavel. 1964. Morfol6gia spisovnej slovenciny. Bratislava, SPN. Orlovsky, J. and L. Arany. 1946. Gramatika jaZ11ka slovenskeho. Bratislava-Nitra, Pravda. Pauliny, Eugen. 1963. Kratka gramatika slovenska. Bratislava, SPN. 1968. Fonol6gia spisovnej slovenciny. Bratislava, SPN. Pauliny, E.; Stolz, J.; Ruzicka, J. 1963. Slovenska gramatika. (4th ed.) Martin, Osveta. Peciar, Stefan (ed.) 1964. Pravidla slovenskeho pravopisu. (5th ed.) Bratislava, SAV. 1959-1968. Slovnik slovenskeho jazyka. 1-6. Bratislava, SAV. Ruzicka, Jozef (ed.). 1966. Morfol6gia slovenskeho jazyka. Bratislava, SAV. Simko, Jan. 1968. Anglicko-slovensky slovnik. (2d ed.) Bratislava, SPN. Smejkalova, J ., et al. 1968. Anglicko-slovensky a slovensko-anglicky vreckovy slovnik. Bratislava, SPN. Stanislav, Jan. 1953. Slovenska vyslovnost'. Martin, Osveta. 1967. Dejiny slovenskeho jazyka. 1-3. (2d rev. ed.) Bratislava, SAV. Stole, Jozef (ed.). 1968. Atlas slovenskeho jazyka. Bratislava, SAV. Trubetzkoj, N. S. 1937. "Gedanken Uber die Slowakische Deklination". Readings in Linguistics. 2.96-103. Vilikovska, J .; Vilikovsky, J.; Simko, J. 1966. Slovensko-anglicky slovnik. (3d ed.) Bratislava, Obzor. Zauner, Alfonz. 1966. Prakticka prirucka slovenskeho pravopisu. Banska Bystrica, Obzor. � SLOVAKIA - - - - - - - - -- - - -- - - -- - - -- 24 The Inflectional Morphology of Standard Slovak: A Descriptive Analysis John Michael Koch i k , Ph.D. Research on this topic grew out of a desire to present Standard Slovak anew in a particularly modern linguistic form. The work was performed and completed at the University of Pittsburgh under the direction of the late Doctor Charles E. Bidwell, Professor of Linguistics and Slavic Linguistics. The aim of this work is to give English-speakers interested in the Slovak language a concise, consistent, and structurally-oriented description in the analysts of Standard Slovak inflectional morphology. The theoretical approach is primarily that of American structural descriptivism ( in this case neo-Bloomfieldian). The study commences with a general introduction in which a definition of the variety of Slovak analyzed, the approximate number of contemporaneous speakers, and its linguistic locale are provided. A brief history of the language from earliest to modern times is presented, listing some of the outstanding proponents of the modern literary form and contributors to its development. Previous structural treatments of the language are outlined, implemented by the author's original treatments projected into the sections on morphophonemics and on the verb, with certain original features produced in the methods of noun classification, special-type classification of many adjectives, the illustration of similarities among some of the noun, pronoun and adjective endings, the arrangements of paradigms to illustrate identical endings, the use of synoptic tables to exhibit the endings, and the analysis of the comparative formant into two morphemes. The symbols and conventions, the phonemic notation, the primary �SLOVAKIA 25 sources consulted, the acknowledgments as well as the abbreviations utilized in the work complete section one. Section two lists the phonemes of the language: the vowels and the consonants, and adds a paragraph on the primary and secondary stresses in the language. Section three treats morphophonemics, both automatic and non-automatic (here an original treatment, as stated above). Under automatic morphophonemics are presented: voicing assimilation, simplification of double consonants, simplification of consonant clusters, sibilant assimilation, and the sequence of (j) plus (i) plus a vowel [other than (i) ] . Under non-automatic morphophonemics are these: the classification of consonantal stems as "hard" and "soft", the morphophonemic length correspondences of vowels, the alternation of vowel and zero, the "Rhythmic Law" concerning vowel length, the intercalation of -jbefore verbal suffixes, and the substitutive softening of certain consonants , and the dental/ palatal changes. Section four begins the morphology ( that is, the inflection of endings). The noun is treated first. Nouns are divided into various classes, principally feminine, neuter and masculine. These in turn are divided into subclasses according to their inflectional peculiarities. Feminine nouns have the subclasses: zena (hard stem), ulica-dlan (soft stem), kost' and pani. Neuter nouns have subclasses exemplified by the words: mesto (hard stem), plece (soft stem), vysvedcenie, and dievca. Masculine nouns are subclassified according to the sample words: chlap (hard stem animate), dub (hard stem inanimate), priatel' (soft stem animate), mec (soft stem inanimate), ujko (masculine o-noun), and the mixed declension: sluha. Next follow the mixed mesto/ kost' (oko, ucho) nouns, the mixed neuter noun di et'a, and the mixed noun/ adjective declensions exemplified by ujcirui and mufti. A synoptic table of nountype endings is included. Section five consists of the adjectives: novy (hard declension), cudzi (soft declension) , substantivized adjectives, short-form adjectives, special adjectives: possessives from nouns like bratov, and pronominal possessives like m6j, and jeden. A synoptic table of adjective-type endings is incorporated. Finally, the comparative degree of adjectives and adverbs is treated. �26 SLOVAKIA Section six comprises the personal pronouns and the interrogative/ relative pronouns. Section seven presents the cardinal (plus the compound) and the collective numerals. Section eight describes the verb. Its introduction defines the verb in this study. Given next are the endings of the finite forms. The formants are presented in this order: the imperative, the gerund and present active participle, the infinitive, the l-forms, the past active participle, the past passive participle and the verbal noun. The verb is classified according to the thematic vowel in the present- and the infinitive-stems. All verbs are subdivided into Class I which has the same thematic vowel in all forms, and Class II which has in most cases different thematic vowels in the present- and the infinitive-stems and in all cases thematic zero in present-stem forms other than first singular to second plural. Within Class I there are two subclasses: the a-type with thematic a (volat', vracat', citat') and the ie 1-type with thematic ie or its shortened variant e (rozumiet', mudriet'). Class II contains the following subtypes with the combination of thematic vowels in the present- and infinitivestem: ei2-type with thematic ie or its shortened variant e in the infinitive stem and the present tense (except 3 pl.), (triet', mliet'), ie/0- (niest', minut'), ie/ a- (brat', hnat'); e/ 0- (bit', priat', zat', kradnut'), e/a- (hrabat', cesat', pracovat', klat'); i-type with thematic i in the infinitive stem and present tense (except 3 pl.), (hovorit', kupit'); i / e( vidiet'), i / a- (lezat', spat', stat'); and the special e/ ie-verb chciet'. Base suffixes are provided as the next feature. Then, presented are the alternations in the base which include the base-final consonant change, substitutive softening alternations, change in the infinitive formant, alternation of the root-final nasal consonant with the vowel in a certain verb-type, root alternations including one vowel alternating with another vowel, simple root-vowel lengthening in a certain verb-type, the alternation of a vowel and zero, and certain irregularities in verb-types. �SLOVAKIA 27 Aspect derivation exemplified by perfectivization and imperfectivization follow next. Perfectivization is described according to the technique of prefixation, the addition of certain suffixes, and suppletion. Imperfectivization methods are explained, followed by the characterization of frequentative verbs. The section on the verb is concluded with the verbal constructions in which are listed and clarified: the future of imperfective verbs; the l-form constructions which embrace the simple past, the pluperfect, the conditional, the conditional past, and the negation of the l-form constructions; the passive constructions; and, the word-order of elements in verbal constructions. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bartek Henrich. 1944. Spravna vyslcnmost' slovenska. Bratislava-Turc. Sv. Martin, Jan Horacek. 1956. Slovensky pravopis. Gilnzburg/Donau, G. Jantsch. Belie, Jaromir, et al. 1964. Slovenstina. Praha, SPN. Bidwell, Charles E. 1958. "The Morphophonemics of Polish". General Linguistics 2. 71-99. 1959. "The Serbo-Croatian Comparative". La,i,guage 35. 259-63. 1960. "The Polish Verb". General Linguistics 4. 771964. "The Serbo-Croatian Verb". Language 4. 532-50. 1969a. Outline of Slovenian Morphology. Pittsburgh, University Center for International Studies, Univ. of Pittsburgh. 1969b. A Morpho-Syntactic Characterization of the Modern Slavic Languages. Pittsburgh, University Center for International Studies, Univ. of Pittsburgh. 1969c. The Structure of Russian in Outline. Pittsburgh. Univ. of Pittsburgh Press, Univ. of Pittsburgh. 1970. Outline of Bielorussian Morphology. (2d ed.) Pittsburgh, University Center for International Studies, Univ. of Pittsburgh. 1971a. Outline of Ukrainian Morphology. (2d ed.) Pittsburgh, University Center for International Studies, Univ. of Pittsburgh. 1971b. Outline of Czech Morphology. Pittsburgh, University Center for International Studies, Univ. of Pittsburgh. 1965. Outline of Polish Nominal Morphology. Pittsburgh, Unpublished pre-print, Univ. of Pittsburgh. Czambel, Samo. 1919. Rukovi:it' spisovnej reci slovenskej. (3d ed.). Turc. Sv. Martin. 1'.>urovic, ~ubomir. 1964. Paradigmatika spisovnej rustiny. Bratislava, SPN. Dvonc, Ladislav. 1955. Rytmicky zakon v spisovnej slovencine. Bratislava, SAV. Ga§parikova, Z. and A. Kami§. 1967. Slovensko-cesky slovni k. Praha, SPN. Habov§tiak, A. 1965. Oravske narecia. Bratislava, SAV. �28 SLOVAKIA Hodge, C. T. 1945. Spoken Serbo-Croatian. Madison, Linguistic Society of America. Horecky, Jan. 1964. Morfematicka struktura slovenciny. Bratislava, SAV. Isacenko, Aleksandr V. 1964. "The Morphology of the Slovak Verb". Travaux linguistiques de Prague. 1. 183-201. 1965. Grammaticeskij stroj russkogo jazyka v sopostavlenii s slovackim. I. (2d ed.) Bratislava, SAV. 1968. Spektograficka analyza slovenskych hlasok. Bratislava, SAV. Jakobson, Roman. 1931. "Z fonologie spisovne sloven~tiny". Slovens/ca miscellanea. 155-63. 1962. " Phonemic Notes on Standard Slovak". Roman Jakobson 1896- Selected Writings. The Hague, Mouton. 1. 221-30. Kotek, Ludvik (ed.). 1968. Dejiny ceskoslovenska v datech. (1st ed.) Praha, Svoboda. Kucera, Henry. 1961. The Phonology of Czech. The Hague, Mouton. Kurylowicz, J. 1962. "Personal and Animate Genders in Slavic". Lingua 11. 249-56. Machek, Vaclav. 1957. Etymologicky slovnik jaZ1/ka ceskeho a slovenskeho. Praha, CSAV. Miko, Franmek. 1962. Rod, cisla a pad podstatnych mien. Bratislava, SAV. Necas, J. and M. Kopecky. 1964. Slovensko-cesky, cesko-slovensk11 slovnik rozdilnych vyrazu. Praha, SPN. Novak, I.:udovit. 1934. Fonol6gia a studium slovenciny. Turc. Sv. Martin, Matica slovenska. Ondrus, Pavel. 1964. Morfol6gia spisovnej slovenciny. Bratislava, SPN. Orlovsky, J. and L. Arany. 1946. Gramatika jaZ11ka slovenskeho. Bratislava-Nitra, Pravda. Pauliny, Eugen. 1963. Kratka gramatika slovenska. Bratislava, SPN. 1968. Fonol6gia spisovnej slovenciny. Bratislava, SPN. Pauliny, E.; Stolz, J.; Ruzicka, J. 1963. Slovenska gramatika. (4th ed.) Martin, Osveta. Peciar, Stefan (ed.) 1964. Pravidla slovenskeho pravopisu. (5th ed.) Bratislava, SAV. 1959-1968. Slovnik slovenskeho jazyka. 1-6. Bratislava, SAV. Ruzicka, Jozef (ed.). 1966. Morfol6gia slovenskeho jazyka. Bratislava, SAV. Simko, Jan. 1968. Anglicko-slovensky slovnik. (2d ed.) Bratislava, SPN. Smejkalova, J ., et al. 1968. Anglicko-slovensky a slovensko-anglicky vreckovy slovnik. Bratislava, SPN. Stanislav, Jan. 1953. Slovenska vyslovnost'. Martin, Osveta. 1967. Dejiny slovenskeho jazyka. 1-3. (2d rev. ed.) Bratislava, SAV. Stole, Jozef (ed.). 1968. Atlas slovenskeho jazyka. Bratislava, SAV. Trubetzkoj, N. S. 1937. "Gedanken Uber die Slowakische Deklination". Readings in Linguistics. 2.96-103. Vilikovska, J .; Vilikovsky, J.; Simko, J. 1966. Slovensko-anglicky slovnik. (3d ed.) Bratislava, Obzor. Zauner, Alfonz. 1966. Prakticka prirucka slovenskeho pravopisu. Banska Bystrica, Obzor. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1973, Vol. 23 Description An account of the resource Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document SLOVAKIA - - - - - - - - -- - - -- - - -- - - -- 24 The Inflectional Morphology of Standard Slovak: A Descriptive Analysis John Michael Koch i k , Ph.D. Research on this topic grew out of a desire to present Standard Slovak anew in a particularly modern linguistic form. The work was performed and completed at the University of Pittsburgh under the direction of the late Doctor Charles E. Bidwell, Professor of Linguistics and Slavic Linguistics. The aim of this work is to give English-speakers interested in the Slovak language a concise, consistent, and structurally-oriented description in the analysts of Standard Slovak inflectional morphology. The theoretical approach is primarily that of American structural descriptivism ( in this case neo-Bloomfieldian). The study commences with a general introduction in which a definition of the variety of Slovak analyzed, the approximate number of contemporaneous speakers, and its linguistic locale are provided. A brief history of the language from earliest to modern times is presented, listing some of the outstanding proponents of the modern literary form and contributors to its development. Previous structural treatments of the language are outlined, implemented by the author's original treatments projected into the sections on morphophonemics and on the verb, with certain original features produced in the methods of noun classification, special-type classification of many adjectives, the illustration of similarities among some of the noun, pronoun and adjective endings, the arrangements of paradigms to illustrate identical endings, the use of synoptic tables to exhibit the endings, and the analysis of the comparative formant into two morphemes. The symbols and conventions, the phonemic notation, the primary SLOVAKIA 25 sources consulted, the acknowledgments as well as the abbreviations utilized in the work complete section one. Section two lists the phonemes of the language: the vowels and the consonants, and adds a paragraph on the primary and secondary stresses in the language. Section three treats morphophonemics, both automatic and non-automatic (here an original treatment, as stated above). Under automatic morphophonemics are presented: voicing assimilation, simplification of double consonants, simplification of consonant clusters, sibilant assimilation, and the sequence of (j) plus (i) plus a vowel [other than (i) ] . Under non-automatic morphophonemics are these: the classification of consonantal stems as "hard" and "soft", the morphophonemic length correspondences of vowels, the alternation of vowel and zero, the "Rhythmic Law" concerning vowel length, the intercalation of -jbefore verbal suffixes, and the substitutive softening of certain consonants , and the dental/ palatal changes. Section four begins the morphology ( that is, the inflection of endings). The noun is treated first. Nouns are divided into various classes, principally feminine, neuter and masculine. These in turn are divided into subclasses according to their inflectional peculiarities. Feminine nouns have the subclasses: zena (hard stem), ulica-dlan (soft stem), kost' and pani. Neuter nouns have subclasses exemplified by the words: mesto (hard stem), plece (soft stem), vysvedcenie, and dievca. Masculine nouns are subclassified according to the sample words: chlap (hard stem animate), dub (hard stem inanimate), priatel' (soft stem animate), mec (soft stem inanimate), ujko (masculine o-noun), and the mixed declension: sluha. Next follow the mixed mesto/ kost' (oko, ucho) nouns, the mixed neuter noun di et'a, and the mixed noun/ adjective declensions exemplified by ujcirui and mufti. A synoptic table of nountype endings is included. Section five consists of the adjectives: novy (hard declension), cudzi (soft declension) , substantivized adjectives, short-form adjectives, special adjectives: possessives from nouns like bratov, and pronominal possessives like m6j, and jeden. A synoptic table of adjective-type endings is incorporated. Finally, the comparative degree of adjectives and adverbs is treated. 26 SLOVAKIA Section six comprises the personal pronouns and the interrogative/ relative pronouns. Section seven presents the cardinal (plus the compound) and the collective numerals. Section eight describes the verb. Its introduction defines the verb in this study. Given next are the endings of the finite forms. The formants are presented in this order: the imperative, the gerund and present active participle, the infinitive, the l-forms, the past active participle, the past passive participle and the verbal noun. The verb is classified according to the thematic vowel in the present- and the infinitive-stems. All verbs are subdivided into Class I which has the same thematic vowel in all forms, and Class II which has in most cases different thematic vowels in the present- and the infinitive-stems and in all cases thematic zero in present-stem forms other than first singular to second plural. Within Class I there are two subclasses: the a-type with thematic a (volat', vracat', citat') and the ie 1-type with thematic ie or its shortened variant e (rozumiet', mudriet'). Class II contains the following subtypes with the combination of thematic vowels in the present- and infinitivestem: ei2-type with thematic ie or its shortened variant e in the infinitive stem and the present tense (except 3 pl.), (triet', mliet'), ie/0- (niest', minut'), ie/ a- (brat', hnat'); e/ 0- (bit', priat', zat', kradnut'), e/a- (hrabat', cesat', pracovat', klat'); i-type with thematic i in the infinitive stem and present tense (except 3 pl.), (hovorit', kupit'); i / e( vidiet'), i / a- (lezat', spat', stat'); and the special e/ ie-verb chciet'. Base suffixes are provided as the next feature. Then, presented are the alternations in the base which include the base-final consonant change, substitutive softening alternations, change in the infinitive formant, alternation of the root-final nasal consonant with the vowel in a certain verb-type, root alternations including one vowel alternating with another vowel, simple root-vowel lengthening in a certain verb-type, the alternation of a vowel and zero, and certain irregularities in verb-types. SLOVAKIA 27 Aspect derivation exemplified by perfectivization and imperfectivization follow next. Perfectivization is described according to the technique of prefixation, the addition of certain suffixes, and suppletion. Imperfectivization methods are explained, followed by the characterization of frequentative verbs. The section on the verb is concluded with the verbal constructions in which are listed and clarified: the future of imperfective verbs; the l-form constructions which embrace the simple past, the pluperfect, the conditional, the conditional past, and the negation of the l-form constructions; the passive constructions; and, the word-order of elements in verbal constructions. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bartek Henrich. 1944. Spravna vyslcnmost' slovenska. Bratislava-Turc. Sv. Martin, Jan Horacek. 1956. Slovensky pravopis. Gilnzburg/Donau, G. Jantsch. Belie, Jaromir, et al. 1964. Slovenstina. Praha, SPN. Bidwell, Charles E. 1958. "The Morphophonemics of Polish". General Linguistics 2. 71-99. 1959. "The Serbo-Croatian Comparative". La,i,guage 35. 259-63. 1960. "The Polish Verb". General Linguistics 4. 771964. "The Serbo-Croatian Verb". Language 4. 532-50. 1969a. Outline of Slovenian Morphology. Pittsburgh, University Center for International Studies, Univ. of Pittsburgh. 1969b. A Morpho-Syntactic Characterization of the Modern Slavic Languages. Pittsburgh, University Center for International Studies, Univ. of Pittsburgh. 1969c. The Structure of Russian in Outline. Pittsburgh. Univ. of Pittsburgh Press, Univ. of Pittsburgh. 1970. Outline of Bielorussian Morphology. (2d ed.) Pittsburgh, University Center for International Studies, Univ. of Pittsburgh. 1971a. Outline of Ukrainian Morphology. (2d ed.) Pittsburgh, University Center for International Studies, Univ. of Pittsburgh. 1971b. Outline of Czech Morphology. Pittsburgh, University Center for International Studies, Univ. of Pittsburgh. 1965. Outline of Polish Nominal Morphology. Pittsburgh, Unpublished pre-print, Univ. of Pittsburgh. Czambel, Samo. 1919. Rukovi:it' spisovnej reci slovenskej. (3d ed.). Turc. Sv. Martin. 1'.>urovic, ~ubomir. 1964. Paradigmatika spisovnej rustiny. Bratislava, SPN. Dvonc, Ladislav. 1955. Rytmicky zakon v spisovnej slovencine. Bratislava, SAV. Ga§parikova, Z. and A. Kami§. 1967. Slovensko-cesky slovni k. Praha, SPN. Habov§tiak, A. 1965. Oravske narecia. Bratislava, SAV. 28 SLOVAKIA Hodge, C. T. 1945. Spoken Serbo-Croatian. Madison, Linguistic Society of America. Horecky, Jan. 1964. Morfematicka struktura slovenciny. Bratislava, SAV. Isacenko, Aleksandr V. 1964. "The Morphology of the Slovak Verb". Travaux linguistiques de Prague. 1. 183-201. 1965. Grammaticeskij stroj russkogo jazyka v sopostavlenii s slovackim. I. (2d ed.) Bratislava, SAV. 1968. Spektograficka analyza slovenskych hlasok. Bratislava, SAV. Jakobson, Roman. 1931. "Z fonologie spisovne sloven~tiny". Slovens/ca miscellanea. 155-63. 1962. " Phonemic Notes on Standard Slovak". Roman Jakobson 1896- Selected Writings. The Hague, Mouton. 1. 221-30. Kotek, Ludvik (ed.). 1968. Dejiny ceskoslovenska v datech. (1st ed.) Praha, Svoboda. Kucera, Henry. 1961. The Phonology of Czech. The Hague, Mouton. Kurylowicz, J. 1962. "Personal and Animate Genders in Slavic". Lingua 11. 249-56. Machek, Vaclav. 1957. Etymologicky slovnik jaZ1/ka ceskeho a slovenskeho. Praha, CSAV. Miko, Franmek. 1962. Rod, cisla a pad podstatnych mien. Bratislava, SAV. Necas, J. and M. Kopecky. 1964. Slovensko-cesky, cesko-slovensk11 slovnik rozdilnych vyrazu. Praha, SPN. Novak, I.:udovit. 1934. Fonol6gia a studium slovenciny. Turc. Sv. Martin, Matica slovenska. Ondrus, Pavel. 1964. Morfol6gia spisovnej slovenciny. Bratislava, SPN. Orlovsky, J. and L. Arany. 1946. Gramatika jaZ11ka slovenskeho. Bratislava-Nitra, Pravda. Pauliny, Eugen. 1963. Kratka gramatika slovenska. Bratislava, SPN. 1968. Fonol6gia spisovnej slovenciny. Bratislava, SPN. Pauliny, E.; Stolz, J.; Ruzicka, J. 1963. Slovenska gramatika. (4th ed.) Martin, Osveta. Peciar, Stefan (ed.) 1964. Pravidla slovenskeho pravopisu. (5th ed.) Bratislava, SAV. 1959-1968. Slovnik slovenskeho jazyka. 1-6. Bratislava, SAV. Ruzicka, Jozef (ed.). 1966. Morfol6gia slovenskeho jazyka. Bratislava, SAV. Simko, Jan. 1968. Anglicko-slovensky slovnik. (2d ed.) Bratislava, SPN. Smejkalova, J ., et al. 1968. Anglicko-slovensky a slovensko-anglicky vreckovy slovnik. Bratislava, SPN. Stanislav, Jan. 1953. Slovenska vyslovnost'. Martin, Osveta. 1967. Dejiny slovenskeho jazyka. 1-3. (2d rev. ed.) Bratislava, SAV. Stole, Jozef (ed.). 1968. Atlas slovenskeho jazyka. Bratislava, SAV. Trubetzkoj, N. S. 1937. "Gedanken Uber die Slowakische Deklination". Readings in Linguistics. 2.96-103. Vilikovska, J .; Vilikovsky, J.; Simko, J. 1966. Slovensko-anglicky slovnik. (3d ed.) Bratislava, Obzor. Zauner, Alfonz. 1966. Prakticka prirucka slovenskeho pravopisu. Banska Bystrica, Obzor.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Inflectional Morphology of Standard Slovak: A Descriptive Analysis Description An account of the resource John Michael Kochik, Ph.D. Slovakia, Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973 pp. 24-28 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kochik, John Michael Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 name https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/52ea442fca9b65f3b5732d6af78d86f3.pdf a63f14f90cdd0d3b8a28bbfb76fcbc53 PDF Text Text SLOVAKIA Twenty Years of the Slovak Institute in CI eve land Joseph Pa u co, Ph.D. It was not by mere chance that on September 15, 1952, the Slovak Institute was founded at St. Andrew Svorad Abbey in Cleveland, Ohio. For years the Slovak Benedictine abbey had been a center for Slovak books, periodicals, publications and materials of historic value. But since lines of communication were practically terminated with Slovakia in the postwar era after World War II it was deemed necessary to establish an institution that would be, in some measure at last, a substitute, temporarily, for the Matica Slovenska and the Spolok sv. Vojtecha for the purpose of giving moral support to Slovak writers, artists and all cultural workers in the Slovak world in exile. Abbot Theodore Kojis, O.S.B. called a special meeting to establish the Slovak Institute. The Charter members were: Abbot Kojis, who was elected president, Dr. Frantisek Hrusovsky, Ph.D. ,whom the president named immediately as director, and members Rev. Mikulas ~princ, Dr. Joseph Cincik, Ph.D., Dr. Karol Strmen, Ph.D. and Rev. Andrew Pir, O.S.B. A decade later a branch of the Institute was formed in Rome and approved by the executive council in Cleveland. Known far and wide as a prominent leader among American Slovaks and the builder of St. Andrew's Abbey, Abbot Kojis became vitally interested in promoting American Slovak culture. It was mainly through his initiative, vision and leadership that a grant of $50,000 was made by the Abbey chapter to build the Slovak SS. Cyril and Methodius center in Rome. This action inspired individuals and organizations among Slovaks through the free world to pour out approximately a million dollars for the new religious and cultural Slovak enterprise in the Eternal City. �SLOVAKIA 17 The Abbot, a lover and patron of good books, promoted the publication of a number of works that proved invaluable as solid historical sources of the true story of the Slovak nation's destiny in central Europe. These were distributed to various public and university libraries throughout the U.S. and Canada. Abbot Theodore Kojis, O.S.B. represented the Slovak Institute publicly as its president and privately as a generous host to an ever-increasing stream of guests who discovered his ready willingness to promote Slovak cultural projects in the interest of the common Slovak cause. In the Church he was an authoritative spokesman for the Slovak people. Dr. Frantisek Hrusovsky, Ph.D., author of the first complete scholarly history of the Slovak nation, continued to draw upon his extensive knowledge of the historical background of the Slovaks by writing many articles for American Slovak newspapers and publications on a variety of themes relating to the glorious past of his native homeland of Slovakia. His Slovak history (Slovenske dejiny) in no small measure helped to intensify and enrich the national consciousness of the Slovak people during the eventful era of the Slovak Republic. As a matter of record, his historical work in several editions ( exceeding the publication of more than 100,000 volumes) was a complete sellout before World War II. In Cleveland, Ohio, in less than a decade of untiring work and relentless effort, Dr. Hrusovsky made a lasting impression on American Slovak life before his untimely death at the age of 53 on September 9, 1956. In addition to his many articles which appeared regularly in the Slovak press he was in constant demand as an eloquent speaker. Moreover, he succeeded in correcting many misconceptions about the Slovak people and their native country. The documented history of Slovak Religious Orders in America, published in 1955, was perhaps the crowning achievement of his monumental work in America. Konstantin Culen, a leading Slovak journalist and publicist, as well as a dynamic patriot, succeeded the eminent Dr. Hrusovsky as the second director of the Slovak Institute. Konsto Culen, author of a popular history of �18 SLOVAKIA the American Slovaks before World War II that won a national award in his native homeland of Slovakia, continued to collect, classify and publish a series of historical articles on the early beginnings of Slovak life in America. Far-reaching plans into the future by Culen were inaugurated by a Slovak Exhibition of books and art under the sponsorship in the Slovak Institute in the Benedictine High School auditorium in 1957. The Exhibit in which Dr. Cincik collaborated with the help of the Slovak Brothers at the Abbey was a pronounced success and a manifestation of culen's great love of Slovak culture, as well as his deep and unquestioned appreciation of the contributions of the American Slovaks to our common national heritage. His was unquestionably a true idealism, unbridled enthusiasm and genuine attachment to the cultural values of the Slovak nation. Unfortunately, tragedy marked the life of Konstantin Culen. What he planned he was unable to complete. He envisioned a grandiose program: a new, revised and detailed history of the American Slovaks and a series of biographies of leading Slovaks. He planned to accomplish all this under the aegis of the Slovak Institute with the help of an ever-increasing staff of research scholars and co-workers. But Culen vanished from sight like a meteor in the heavens. Nonetheless, neither Dr. Hrusovsky nor culen lived in vain. Their names are immortalized by their works and will live forever in the annals of Slovak history. Abbot Theodore Kojis, O.S.B. placed the Slovak Institute into the hands of his religious colleague, Rev. Andrej Pir, O.S.B. in 1958. The third director of the Institute had much in common with his illustrious predecessors. He shared with them a common love for Slovak culture and, like both of them, he, too, was an indefatigable, energetic and enthusiastic worker. Today the Slovak Institute continues to enlarge its library and archives (over 10,000 items) which are in the process of being organized and systematically classified and cataloged each summer by a library staff under the �SLOVAKIA 19 direction of Sister Angelina Burak, SS.C.M. from Villa Sacred Heart, Danville, Pa. Originally the nucleus for the present creditable library of Slovak books at the Institute was provided by the Matica Slovenska and Spolok sv. Vojtecha delegations that came to America in 1935 and 1937 respectively. Each contributed several hundred volumes directly from Slovakia. Year by year individuals and organizations continue to send in books, periodicals and souvenirs (such as ceramics, pictures, photos, etc.) and these are added to the valuable collection at the Institute. As director of the Slovak Institute, Father Pir, O.S.B. has taken care of the library in the traditional spirit of the sons of St. Benedict who have always manifested special concern for books, manuscripts, etc. down through the centuries. A decade ago the Slovak Institute sponsored a Book Fair in the Benedictine High School auditorium, the first public ethnic display of books in the city of Cleveland. Father Pir is in touch with many cultural-minded persons and has the opportunity to meet students who do research in the Slovak fields of literature, art, history, science, politics, economics, industry, religion and education. He has been a steady contributor of articles to Slovak periodicals on assorted Slovak subjects for the past thirty years. In Cleveland he has been the director of a speaker's bureau for the Cleveland Slovak Cultural Radio Club (Station WERE) for more than a quarter of a century. Under his supervision approximately a hundred speakers have delivered more than a total of 1,250 speeches since 1947. He has been the editor of the Ave Maria religious magazine the past 15 years. His "Slovak News and Views" weekly column, which began in 1947 as a feature in the Katolicky Sokol weekly and was tranferred to the Jednota weekly newspaper in 1959, is a true reflection of Slovak contemporary life here and elsewhere. For many this column has been an inspiration for the study of their own background, particularly among Slovak youth. Although the Slovak Institute is primarly an American Slovak institution in Cleveland, it has a branch in Rome. �20 SLOVAKIA This gives it somewhat of an international flavor and offers scholars a wide field of research in problems that effect the destiny of the Slovak nation. Needless to add, this gives the Slovak Institute added prestige both here and abroad. Abbot Jerome Koval, O.S.B., who succeeded Abbot Kojis as president of the Slovak Institute, retained both Father Pir as director and Dr. Karol Strme:n, Ph.D. as secretary of the Institute. Both are closely associated as co-editors of the Ave Maria magazine published by St. Andrew's Abbey in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Karol Strmefl, Ph.D. rightfully enjoys a high place in Slovak culture. He is a talented poet and a versatile translator of the leading poets of the world. There is scarcely a poet of renown in the West or East with whose work he is not acquainted, and whose poems are not represented in Slovak literature through his translations. Both his original poems and those he has translated are veritable pearls in Slovak literature. There is no doubt that Dr. Strmen is the most qualified person for the office of secretary of the Slovak Institute. For years he has been associated with its director. For the most part of a decade (1949-1959) he was a member of the triumvirate (Dr. Francis Hrusovsky, Ph.D., Rev. Andrew Pir, O.S.B., Dr. Karol Strmefl, Ph.D.) that edited the Slovenske noviny-Slovak News weekly. Dr. Strmen is a multi-faceted personality whom it is difficult to classify or emulate. It is no exaggeration to claim that he is unique, and irreplaceable in Slovak literature. Father Mikulas sprinc, a life-long friend of Dr. Strmen, may be called his "literary twin." He, too, is one of the Charter members of the Slovak Institute and belongs in the brightest constellation of the Slovak literary world. Father sprinc's prolific works in poetry and prose surpass practically all of his contemporaries here, in his native Slovakia or abroad. Each year for the past quarter of a century he has published at least one book. Literary critics have given his works favorable reviews through the years. His productivity is surely impressive. �SLOVAKIA 21 Comparison of sprinc and Strmen as poets leaves us puzzled. Both have their admirers, and one would find it difficult to choose whose poetry excels. Their styles and subjects are quite different. Both, however, are truly poets. New laurels have been won by Father sprinc by the continuous editorship of the Most, a Slovak cultural quarterly, the past nineteen years. After a succession of several publishers, the Slovak Institute adopted it as an official publication during the past decade. Many of the best writings of Slovak authors and artists in exile have appeared in this excellent cultural periodical. Contemporaries, perhaps, are not aware of the difficulties that have to be overcome in editing a cultural publication of classical quality. Literary critics and keen observers of the Slovak emigrants' struggles in a strange world, however, appreciate the sacrifices of the editor and his staff, and contributors, who have produced a worthwhile work at a time when wars and revolutions raged and political disturbances everywhere buffeted us on every side and threatened to wrest the pens and palettes of Slovak writers and artists from our hands. Charismatic gifts of Father sprinc are quite manifest in his eloquent preaching of the Word of God, as well as in his public speeches. He has travelled throughout the United States and Canada, sowing the seed of truth everywhere and performing invaluable service to the Slovak cause in a twofold manner: a) By arousing, informing and inspiring his hearers and readers; b) By obtaining ideas for new works. He is a true analyst of the thoughts and feelings of the American Slovaks to whom he belongs heart and soul, both as a priest of God and as a literary genius. Dr. Jozef Cincik, Ph.D., a Charter member, too, has done yeoman work by his unique work in art in the common cause of Slovak advancement in cultural endeavor far from his native homeland. His work bears the indelible mark of a rich personality and is an integral part of our American Slovak heritage. A number of Slovak churches have the unmistakable 'Dr. Cincik' stamp of artistic design emanating from his deep knowledge of the history of Slovak art and the science of archeology. Through many of his discoveries in the latter field he has helped to place �2.2 SLOVAKIA Slovakia on the map as an important archeological center in the very heart of central Europe. In his native homeland of Slovakia where he was a prominent member of the Matica Slovenska and the Slovak University staff, Dr. Cincik's imprint of genius is evident in many church edifices, public buildings, and illustrations of books and engravings of the currency and banknotes of the Slovak Republic. If there is anything regrettable in the career of Dr. Cincik it is certainly the cruel fate that drove him into exile, thus depriving his country of his rich creative talents at a time when they are needed the most. No one can deny that Dr. Cincik is eminently capable of expressing his unusual artistic talents in works of arts and in his writings, but he excels, too, in his ability to turn on a veritable torrent of words in his native Slovak tongue. Moreover, he is a living Slovak encyclopedia. To catch every word requires at least a pair of wide-awake listeners. It will surely be a great loss not to register his informal lectures, which on occasion he gives spontaneously and with a brilliant display of imaginative and dramatic flourishes that add color to his profound, scholarly and extemporaneous talks in an intimate gathering of friends . So much for the historic background of the Slovak Institute's Charter members. In the past twenty years many outstanding personalities and authorities in various fields of science, literature, art, history, music, religion and public life have become intimately associated with the Institute. The list is long enough to merit a volume or two of memoirs. But that is not our mission. On the 20th anniversary of the Slovak Institute we cannot pass over reference to a vital role played by its branch in Rome where Reverend Michael Lacko, S. J., Ph.D., has done notable work in editing the Slovak Studies. It is a pioneer project and appears annually, mainly in the English language. A variety of important articles by authorities in various fields is proof of the merit of this timely issue. As a program for the future it would be quite worthwhile to extend its efforts by the publication of its contents in leading modern languages. This could, indeed, �SLOVAKIA 23 become the main purpose of the Roman branch of the Slovak Institute. As we pause on the occasion of its 20th anniversary to express our congratulations and gratitude to the Slovak Institute in Cleveland, Ohio, for its achievements in behalf of Slovak culture in the free world, we note with satisfaction that is has fulfilled its avowed purpose of existence as expressed precisely in the Constitution and by-laws: "The Slovak Institute at St. Andrew's Abbey wants to support Slovak cultural life by inviting all Slovak cultural workers living in the free world outside Slovakia to membership, and promises to aid them in every possible manner in their cultural, scientific, literary and artistic endeavors because the Slovak nation in itll historic homeland after World War II cannot freely rule its own destiny according to its own principles, spirit or ideals, and consequently cannot direct its own proper cultural development." No program of dynamic action in the next forseeable fifty or seventy years can excel the idealism incorporated in the original Constitution and by-laws of the Slovak Institute in Cleveland as adopted a score of years ago. • • • SLOVAK 'INSTANT John Mizerak, a retired factory worker who became an instant millionaire via MILLIONAIRE' DIES the New York state lottery last September, died February 5, 1973 in Little Falls (N.Y.) Hospital. He was 77. Mizerak, blinded by glaucoma for several years, had been hospitalized since January 10 with an undisclosed illness. Mizerak, his wife Anna and their only child, John W. "Rusty" Mizerak, a musician and former baseball player in the Cincinnati Reds organization, won $1 million in the 1972 "summer special" lottery after the number of their $3 ticket was drawn. � SLOVAKIA Twenty Years of the Slovak Institute in CI eve land Joseph Pa u co, Ph.D. It was not by mere chance that on September 15, 1952, the Slovak Institute was founded at St. Andrew Svorad Abbey in Cleveland, Ohio. For years the Slovak Benedictine abbey had been a center for Slovak books, periodicals, publications and materials of historic value. But since lines of communication were practically terminated with Slovakia in the postwar era after World War II it was deemed necessary to establish an institution that would be, in some measure at last, a substitute, temporarily, for the Matica Slovenska and the Spolok sv. Vojtecha for the purpose of giving moral support to Slovak writers, artists and all cultural workers in the Slovak world in exile. Abbot Theodore Kojis, O.S.B. called a special meeting to establish the Slovak Institute. The Charter members were: Abbot Kojis, who was elected president, Dr. Frantisek Hrusovsky, Ph.D. ,whom the president named immediately as director, and members Rev. Mikulas ~princ, Dr. Joseph Cincik, Ph.D., Dr. Karol Strmen, Ph.D. and Rev. Andrew Pir, O.S.B. A decade later a branch of the Institute was formed in Rome and approved by the executive council in Cleveland. Known far and wide as a prominent leader among American Slovaks and the builder of St. Andrew's Abbey, Abbot Kojis became vitally interested in promoting American Slovak culture. It was mainly through his initiative, vision and leadership that a grant of $50,000 was made by the Abbey chapter to build the Slovak SS. Cyril and Methodius center in Rome. This action inspired individuals and organizations among Slovaks through the free world to pour out approximately a million dollars for the new religious and cultural Slovak enterprise in the Eternal City. �SLOVAKIA 17 The Abbot, a lover and patron of good books, promoted the publication of a number of works that proved invaluable as solid historical sources of the true story of the Slovak nation's destiny in central Europe. These were distributed to various public and university libraries throughout the U.S. and Canada. Abbot Theodore Kojis, O.S.B. represented the Slovak Institute publicly as its president and privately as a generous host to an ever-increasing stream of guests who discovered his ready willingness to promote Slovak cultural projects in the interest of the common Slovak cause. In the Church he was an authoritative spokesman for the Slovak people. Dr. Frantisek Hrusovsky, Ph.D., author of the first complete scholarly history of the Slovak nation, continued to draw upon his extensive knowledge of the historical background of the Slovaks by writing many articles for American Slovak newspapers and publications on a variety of themes relating to the glorious past of his native homeland of Slovakia. His Slovak history (Slovenske dejiny) in no small measure helped to intensify and enrich the national consciousness of the Slovak people during the eventful era of the Slovak Republic. As a matter of record, his historical work in several editions ( exceeding the publication of more than 100,000 volumes) was a complete sellout before World War II. In Cleveland, Ohio, in less than a decade of untiring work and relentless effort, Dr. Hrusovsky made a lasting impression on American Slovak life before his untimely death at the age of 53 on September 9, 1956. In addition to his many articles which appeared regularly in the Slovak press he was in constant demand as an eloquent speaker. Moreover, he succeeded in correcting many misconceptions about the Slovak people and their native country. The documented history of Slovak Religious Orders in America, published in 1955, was perhaps the crowning achievement of his monumental work in America. Konstantin Culen, a leading Slovak journalist and publicist, as well as a dynamic patriot, succeeded the eminent Dr. Hrusovsky as the second director of the Slovak Institute. Konsto Culen, author of a popular history of �18 SLOVAKIA the American Slovaks before World War II that won a national award in his native homeland of Slovakia, continued to collect, classify and publish a series of historical articles on the early beginnings of Slovak life in America. Far-reaching plans into the future by Culen were inaugurated by a Slovak Exhibition of books and art under the sponsorship in the Slovak Institute in the Benedictine High School auditorium in 1957. The Exhibit in which Dr. Cincik collaborated with the help of the Slovak Brothers at the Abbey was a pronounced success and a manifestation of culen's great love of Slovak culture, as well as his deep and unquestioned appreciation of the contributions of the American Slovaks to our common national heritage. His was unquestionably a true idealism, unbridled enthusiasm and genuine attachment to the cultural values of the Slovak nation. Unfortunately, tragedy marked the life of Konstantin Culen. What he planned he was unable to complete. He envisioned a grandiose program: a new, revised and detailed history of the American Slovaks and a series of biographies of leading Slovaks. He planned to accomplish all this under the aegis of the Slovak Institute with the help of an ever-increasing staff of research scholars and co-workers. But Culen vanished from sight like a meteor in the heavens. Nonetheless, neither Dr. Hrusovsky nor culen lived in vain. Their names are immortalized by their works and will live forever in the annals of Slovak history. Abbot Theodore Kojis, O.S.B. placed the Slovak Institute into the hands of his religious colleague, Rev. Andrej Pir, O.S.B. in 1958. The third director of the Institute had much in common with his illustrious predecessors. He shared with them a common love for Slovak culture and, like both of them, he, too, was an indefatigable, energetic and enthusiastic worker. Today the Slovak Institute continues to enlarge its library and archives (over 10,000 items) which are in the process of being organized and systematically classified and cataloged each summer by a library staff under the �SLOVAKIA 19 direction of Sister Angelina Burak, SS.C.M. from Villa Sacred Heart, Danville, Pa. Originally the nucleus for the present creditable library of Slovak books at the Institute was provided by the Matica Slovenska and Spolok sv. Vojtecha delegations that came to America in 1935 and 1937 respectively. Each contributed several hundred volumes directly from Slovakia. Year by year individuals and organizations continue to send in books, periodicals and souvenirs (such as ceramics, pictures, photos, etc.) and these are added to the valuable collection at the Institute. As director of the Slovak Institute, Father Pir, O.S.B. has taken care of the library in the traditional spirit of the sons of St. Benedict who have always manifested special concern for books, manuscripts, etc. down through the centuries. A decade ago the Slovak Institute sponsored a Book Fair in the Benedictine High School auditorium, the first public ethnic display of books in the city of Cleveland. Father Pir is in touch with many cultural-minded persons and has the opportunity to meet students who do research in the Slovak fields of literature, art, history, science, politics, economics, industry, religion and education. He has been a steady contributor of articles to Slovak periodicals on assorted Slovak subjects for the past thirty years. In Cleveland he has been the director of a speaker's bureau for the Cleveland Slovak Cultural Radio Club (Station WERE) for more than a quarter of a century. Under his supervision approximately a hundred speakers have delivered more than a total of 1,250 speeches since 1947. He has been the editor of the Ave Maria religious magazine the past 15 years. His "Slovak News and Views" weekly column, which began in 1947 as a feature in the Katolicky Sokol weekly and was tranferred to the Jednota weekly newspaper in 1959, is a true reflection of Slovak contemporary life here and elsewhere. For many this column has been an inspiration for the study of their own background, particularly among Slovak youth. Although the Slovak Institute is primarly an American Slovak institution in Cleveland, it has a branch in Rome. �20 SLOVAKIA This gives it somewhat of an international flavor and offers scholars a wide field of research in problems that effect the destiny of the Slovak nation. Needless to add, this gives the Slovak Institute added prestige both here and abroad. Abbot Jerome Koval, O.S.B., who succeeded Abbot Kojis as president of the Slovak Institute, retained both Father Pir as director and Dr. Karol Strme:n, Ph.D. as secretary of the Institute. Both are closely associated as co-editors of the Ave Maria magazine published by St. Andrew's Abbey in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Karol Strmefl, Ph.D. rightfully enjoys a high place in Slovak culture. He is a talented poet and a versatile translator of the leading poets of the world. There is scarcely a poet of renown in the West or East with whose work he is not acquainted, and whose poems are not represented in Slovak literature through his translations. Both his original poems and those he has translated are veritable pearls in Slovak literature. There is no doubt that Dr. Strmen is the most qualified person for the office of secretary of the Slovak Institute. For years he has been associated with its director. For the most part of a decade (1949-1959) he was a member of the triumvirate (Dr. Francis Hrusovsky, Ph.D., Rev. Andrew Pir, O.S.B., Dr. Karol Strmefl, Ph.D.) that edited the Slovenske noviny-Slovak News weekly. Dr. Strmen is a multi-faceted personality whom it is difficult to classify or emulate. It is no exaggeration to claim that he is unique, and irreplaceable in Slovak literature. Father Mikulas sprinc, a life-long friend of Dr. Strmen, may be called his "literary twin." He, too, is one of the Charter members of the Slovak Institute and belongs in the brightest constellation of the Slovak literary world. Father sprinc's prolific works in poetry and prose surpass practically all of his contemporaries here, in his native Slovakia or abroad. Each year for the past quarter of a century he has published at least one book. Literary critics have given his works favorable reviews through the years. His productivity is surely impressive. �SLOVAKIA 21 Comparison of sprinc and Strmen as poets leaves us puzzled. Both have their admirers, and one would find it difficult to choose whose poetry excels. Their styles and subjects are quite different. Both, however, are truly poets. New laurels have been won by Father sprinc by the continuous editorship of the Most, a Slovak cultural quarterly, the past nineteen years. After a succession of several publishers, the Slovak Institute adopted it as an official publication during the past decade. Many of the best writings of Slovak authors and artists in exile have appeared in this excellent cultural periodical. Contemporaries, perhaps, are not aware of the difficulties that have to be overcome in editing a cultural publication of classical quality. Literary critics and keen observers of the Slovak emigrants' struggles in a strange world, however, appreciate the sacrifices of the editor and his staff, and contributors, who have produced a worthwhile work at a time when wars and revolutions raged and political disturbances everywhere buffeted us on every side and threatened to wrest the pens and palettes of Slovak writers and artists from our hands. Charismatic gifts of Father sprinc are quite manifest in his eloquent preaching of the Word of God, as well as in his public speeches. He has travelled throughout the United States and Canada, sowing the seed of truth everywhere and performing invaluable service to the Slovak cause in a twofold manner: a) By arousing, informing and inspiring his hearers and readers; b) By obtaining ideas for new works. He is a true analyst of the thoughts and feelings of the American Slovaks to whom he belongs heart and soul, both as a priest of God and as a literary genius. Dr. Jozef Cincik, Ph.D., a Charter member, too, has done yeoman work by his unique work in art in the common cause of Slovak advancement in cultural endeavor far from his native homeland. His work bears the indelible mark of a rich personality and is an integral part of our American Slovak heritage. A number of Slovak churches have the unmistakable 'Dr. Cincik' stamp of artistic design emanating from his deep knowledge of the history of Slovak art and the science of archeology. Through many of his discoveries in the latter field he has helped to place �2.2 SLOVAKIA Slovakia on the map as an important archeological center in the very heart of central Europe. In his native homeland of Slovakia where he was a prominent member of the Matica Slovenska and the Slovak University staff, Dr. Cincik's imprint of genius is evident in many church edifices, public buildings, and illustrations of books and engravings of the currency and banknotes of the Slovak Republic. If there is anything regrettable in the career of Dr. Cincik it is certainly the cruel fate that drove him into exile, thus depriving his country of his rich creative talents at a time when they are needed the most. No one can deny that Dr. Cincik is eminently capable of expressing his unusual artistic talents in works of arts and in his writings, but he excels, too, in his ability to turn on a veritable torrent of words in his native Slovak tongue. Moreover, he is a living Slovak encyclopedia. To catch every word requires at least a pair of wide-awake listeners. It will surely be a great loss not to register his informal lectures, which on occasion he gives spontaneously and with a brilliant display of imaginative and dramatic flourishes that add color to his profound, scholarly and extemporaneous talks in an intimate gathering of friends . So much for the historic background of the Slovak Institute's Charter members. In the past twenty years many outstanding personalities and authorities in various fields of science, literature, art, history, music, religion and public life have become intimately associated with the Institute. The list is long enough to merit a volume or two of memoirs. But that is not our mission. On the 20th anniversary of the Slovak Institute we cannot pass over reference to a vital role played by its branch in Rome where Reverend Michael Lacko, S. J., Ph.D., has done notable work in editing the Slovak Studies. It is a pioneer project and appears annually, mainly in the English language. A variety of important articles by authorities in various fields is proof of the merit of this timely issue. As a program for the future it would be quite worthwhile to extend its efforts by the publication of its contents in leading modern languages. This could, indeed, �SLOVAKIA 23 become the main purpose of the Roman branch of the Slovak Institute. As we pause on the occasion of its 20th anniversary to express our congratulations and gratitude to the Slovak Institute in Cleveland, Ohio, for its achievements in behalf of Slovak culture in the free world, we note with satisfaction that is has fulfilled its avowed purpose of existence as expressed precisely in the Constitution and by-laws: "The Slovak Institute at St. Andrew's Abbey wants to support Slovak cultural life by inviting all Slovak cultural workers living in the free world outside Slovakia to membership, and promises to aid them in every possible manner in their cultural, scientific, literary and artistic endeavors because the Slovak nation in itll historic homeland after World War II cannot freely rule its own destiny according to its own principles, spirit or ideals, and consequently cannot direct its own proper cultural development." No program of dynamic action in the next forseeable fifty or seventy years can excel the idealism incorporated in the original Constitution and by-laws of the Slovak Institute in Cleveland as adopted a score of years ago. • • • SLOVAK 'INSTANT John Mizerak, a retired factory worker who became an instant millionaire via MILLIONAIRE' DIES the New York state lottery last September, died February 5, 1973 in Little Falls (N.Y.) Hospital. He was 77. Mizerak, blinded by glaucoma for several years, had been hospitalized since January 10 with an undisclosed illness. Mizerak, his wife Anna and their only child, John W. "Rusty" Mizerak, a musician and former baseball player in the Cincinnati Reds organization, won $1 million in the 1972 "summer special" lottery after the number of their $3 ticket was drawn. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1973, Vol. 23 Description An account of the resource Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document SLOVAKIA Twenty Years of the Slovak Institute in CI eve land Joseph Pa u co, Ph.D. It was not by mere chance that on September 15, 1952, the Slovak Institute was founded at St. Andrew Svorad Abbey in Cleveland, Ohio. For years the Slovak Benedictine abbey had been a center for Slovak books, periodicals, publications and materials of historic value. But since lines of communication were practically terminated with Slovakia in the postwar era after World War II it was deemed necessary to establish an institution that would be, in some measure at last, a substitute, temporarily, for the Matica Slovenska and the Spolok sv. Vojtecha for the purpose of giving moral support to Slovak writers, artists and all cultural workers in the Slovak world in exile. Abbot Theodore Kojis, O.S.B. called a special meeting to establish the Slovak Institute. The Charter members were: Abbot Kojis, who was elected president, Dr. Frantisek Hrusovsky, Ph.D. ,whom the president named immediately as director, and members Rev. Mikulas ~princ, Dr. Joseph Cincik, Ph.D., Dr. Karol Strmen, Ph.D. and Rev. Andrew Pir, O.S.B. A decade later a branch of the Institute was formed in Rome and approved by the executive council in Cleveland. Known far and wide as a prominent leader among American Slovaks and the builder of St. Andrew's Abbey, Abbot Kojis became vitally interested in promoting American Slovak culture. It was mainly through his initiative, vision and leadership that a grant of $50,000 was made by the Abbey chapter to build the Slovak SS. Cyril and Methodius center in Rome. This action inspired individuals and organizations among Slovaks through the free world to pour out approximately a million dollars for the new religious and cultural Slovak enterprise in the Eternal City. SLOVAKIA 17 The Abbot, a lover and patron of good books, promoted the publication of a number of works that proved invaluable as solid historical sources of the true story of the Slovak nation's destiny in central Europe. These were distributed to various public and university libraries throughout the U.S. and Canada. Abbot Theodore Kojis, O.S.B. represented the Slovak Institute publicly as its president and privately as a generous host to an ever-increasing stream of guests who discovered his ready willingness to promote Slovak cultural projects in the interest of the common Slovak cause. In the Church he was an authoritative spokesman for the Slovak people. Dr. Frantisek Hrusovsky, Ph.D., author of the first complete scholarly history of the Slovak nation, continued to draw upon his extensive knowledge of the historical background of the Slovaks by writing many articles for American Slovak newspapers and publications on a variety of themes relating to the glorious past of his native homeland of Slovakia. His Slovak history (Slovenske dejiny) in no small measure helped to intensify and enrich the national consciousness of the Slovak people during the eventful era of the Slovak Republic. As a matter of record, his historical work in several editions ( exceeding the publication of more than 100,000 volumes) was a complete sellout before World War II. In Cleveland, Ohio, in less than a decade of untiring work and relentless effort, Dr. Hrusovsky made a lasting impression on American Slovak life before his untimely death at the age of 53 on September 9, 1956. In addition to his many articles which appeared regularly in the Slovak press he was in constant demand as an eloquent speaker. Moreover, he succeeded in correcting many misconceptions about the Slovak people and their native country. The documented history of Slovak Religious Orders in America, published in 1955, was perhaps the crowning achievement of his monumental work in America. Konstantin Culen, a leading Slovak journalist and publicist, as well as a dynamic patriot, succeeded the eminent Dr. Hrusovsky as the second director of the Slovak Institute. Konsto Culen, author of a popular history of 18 SLOVAKIA the American Slovaks before World War II that won a national award in his native homeland of Slovakia, continued to collect, classify and publish a series of historical articles on the early beginnings of Slovak life in America. Far-reaching plans into the future by Culen were inaugurated by a Slovak Exhibition of books and art under the sponsorship in the Slovak Institute in the Benedictine High School auditorium in 1957. The Exhibit in which Dr. Cincik collaborated with the help of the Slovak Brothers at the Abbey was a pronounced success and a manifestation of culen's great love of Slovak culture, as well as his deep and unquestioned appreciation of the contributions of the American Slovaks to our common national heritage. His was unquestionably a true idealism, unbridled enthusiasm and genuine attachment to the cultural values of the Slovak nation. Unfortunately, tragedy marked the life of Konstantin Culen. What he planned he was unable to complete. He envisioned a grandiose program: a new, revised and detailed history of the American Slovaks and a series of biographies of leading Slovaks. He planned to accomplish all this under the aegis of the Slovak Institute with the help of an ever-increasing staff of research scholars and co-workers. But Culen vanished from sight like a meteor in the heavens. Nonetheless, neither Dr. Hrusovsky nor culen lived in vain. Their names are immortalized by their works and will live forever in the annals of Slovak history. Abbot Theodore Kojis, O.S.B. placed the Slovak Institute into the hands of his religious colleague, Rev. Andrej Pir, O.S.B. in 1958. The third director of the Institute had much in common with his illustrious predecessors. He shared with them a common love for Slovak culture and, like both of them, he, too, was an indefatigable, energetic and enthusiastic worker. Today the Slovak Institute continues to enlarge its library and archives (over 10,000 items) which are in the process of being organized and systematically classified and cataloged each summer by a library staff under the SLOVAKIA 19 direction of Sister Angelina Burak, SS.C.M. from Villa Sacred Heart, Danville, Pa. Originally the nucleus for the present creditable library of Slovak books at the Institute was provided by the Matica Slovenska and Spolok sv. Vojtecha delegations that came to America in 1935 and 1937 respectively. Each contributed several hundred volumes directly from Slovakia. Year by year individuals and organizations continue to send in books, periodicals and souvenirs (such as ceramics, pictures, photos, etc.) and these are added to the valuable collection at the Institute. As director of the Slovak Institute, Father Pir, O.S.B. has taken care of the library in the traditional spirit of the sons of St. Benedict who have always manifested special concern for books, manuscripts, etc. down through the centuries. A decade ago the Slovak Institute sponsored a Book Fair in the Benedictine High School auditorium, the first public ethnic display of books in the city of Cleveland. Father Pir is in touch with many cultural-minded persons and has the opportunity to meet students who do research in the Slovak fields of literature, art, history, science, politics, economics, industry, religion and education. He has been a steady contributor of articles to Slovak periodicals on assorted Slovak subjects for the past thirty years. In Cleveland he has been the director of a speaker's bureau for the Cleveland Slovak Cultural Radio Club (Station WERE) for more than a quarter of a century. Under his supervision approximately a hundred speakers have delivered more than a total of 1,250 speeches since 1947. He has been the editor of the Ave Maria religious magazine the past 15 years. His "Slovak News and Views" weekly column, which began in 1947 as a feature in the Katolicky Sokol weekly and was tranferred to the Jednota weekly newspaper in 1959, is a true reflection of Slovak contemporary life here and elsewhere. For many this column has been an inspiration for the study of their own background, particularly among Slovak youth. Although the Slovak Institute is primarly an American Slovak institution in Cleveland, it has a branch in Rome. 20 SLOVAKIA This gives it somewhat of an international flavor and offers scholars a wide field of research in problems that effect the destiny of the Slovak nation. Needless to add, this gives the Slovak Institute added prestige both here and abroad. Abbot Jerome Koval, O.S.B., who succeeded Abbot Kojis as president of the Slovak Institute, retained both Father Pir as director and Dr. Karol Strme:n, Ph.D. as secretary of the Institute. Both are closely associated as co-editors of the Ave Maria magazine published by St. Andrew's Abbey in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Karol Strmefl, Ph.D. rightfully enjoys a high place in Slovak culture. He is a talented poet and a versatile translator of the leading poets of the world. There is scarcely a poet of renown in the West or East with whose work he is not acquainted, and whose poems are not represented in Slovak literature through his translations. Both his original poems and those he has translated are veritable pearls in Slovak literature. There is no doubt that Dr. Strmen is the most qualified person for the office of secretary of the Slovak Institute. For years he has been associated with its director. For the most part of a decade (1949-1959) he was a member of the triumvirate (Dr. Francis Hrusovsky, Ph.D., Rev. Andrew Pir, O.S.B., Dr. Karol Strmefl, Ph.D.) that edited the Slovenske noviny-Slovak News weekly. Dr. Strmen is a multi-faceted personality whom it is difficult to classify or emulate. It is no exaggeration to claim that he is unique, and irreplaceable in Slovak literature. Father Mikulas sprinc, a life-long friend of Dr. Strmen, may be called his "literary twin." He, too, is one of the Charter members of the Slovak Institute and belongs in the brightest constellation of the Slovak literary world. Father sprinc's prolific works in poetry and prose surpass practically all of his contemporaries here, in his native Slovakia or abroad. Each year for the past quarter of a century he has published at least one book. Literary critics have given his works favorable reviews through the years. His productivity is surely impressive. SLOVAKIA 21 Comparison of sprinc and Strmen as poets leaves us puzzled. Both have their admirers, and one would find it difficult to choose whose poetry excels. Their styles and subjects are quite different. Both, however, are truly poets. New laurels have been won by Father sprinc by the continuous editorship of the Most, a Slovak cultural quarterly, the past nineteen years. After a succession of several publishers, the Slovak Institute adopted it as an official publication during the past decade. Many of the best writings of Slovak authors and artists in exile have appeared in this excellent cultural periodical. Contemporaries, perhaps, are not aware of the difficulties that have to be overcome in editing a cultural publication of classical quality. Literary critics and keen observers of the Slovak emigrants' struggles in a strange world, however, appreciate the sacrifices of the editor and his staff, and contributors, who have produced a worthwhile work at a time when wars and revolutions raged and political disturbances everywhere buffeted us on every side and threatened to wrest the pens and palettes of Slovak writers and artists from our hands. Charismatic gifts of Father sprinc are quite manifest in his eloquent preaching of the Word of God, as well as in his public speeches. He has travelled throughout the United States and Canada, sowing the seed of truth everywhere and performing invaluable service to the Slovak cause in a twofold manner: a) By arousing, informing and inspiring his hearers and readers; b) By obtaining ideas for new works. He is a true analyst of the thoughts and feelings of the American Slovaks to whom he belongs heart and soul, both as a priest of God and as a literary genius. Dr. Jozef Cincik, Ph.D., a Charter member, too, has done yeoman work by his unique work in art in the common cause of Slovak advancement in cultural endeavor far from his native homeland. His work bears the indelible mark of a rich personality and is an integral part of our American Slovak heritage. A number of Slovak churches have the unmistakable 'Dr. Cincik' stamp of artistic design emanating from his deep knowledge of the history of Slovak art and the science of archeology. Through many of his discoveries in the latter field he has helped to place 2.2 SLOVAKIA Slovakia on the map as an important archeological center in the very heart of central Europe. In his native homeland of Slovakia where he was a prominent member of the Matica Slovenska and the Slovak University staff, Dr. Cincik's imprint of genius is evident in many church edifices, public buildings, and illustrations of books and engravings of the currency and banknotes of the Slovak Republic. If there is anything regrettable in the career of Dr. Cincik it is certainly the cruel fate that drove him into exile, thus depriving his country of his rich creative talents at a time when they are needed the most. No one can deny that Dr. Cincik is eminently capable of expressing his unusual artistic talents in works of arts and in his writings, but he excels, too, in his ability to turn on a veritable torrent of words in his native Slovak tongue. Moreover, he is a living Slovak encyclopedia. To catch every word requires at least a pair of wide-awake listeners. It will surely be a great loss not to register his informal lectures, which on occasion he gives spontaneously and with a brilliant display of imaginative and dramatic flourishes that add color to his profound, scholarly and extemporaneous talks in an intimate gathering of friends . So much for the historic background of the Slovak Institute's Charter members. In the past twenty years many outstanding personalities and authorities in various fields of science, literature, art, history, music, religion and public life have become intimately associated with the Institute. The list is long enough to merit a volume or two of memoirs. But that is not our mission. On the 20th anniversary of the Slovak Institute we cannot pass over reference to a vital role played by its branch in Rome where Reverend Michael Lacko, S. J., Ph.D., has done notable work in editing the Slovak Studies. It is a pioneer project and appears annually, mainly in the English language. A variety of important articles by authorities in various fields is proof of the merit of this timely issue. As a program for the future it would be quite worthwhile to extend its efforts by the publication of its contents in leading modern languages. This could, indeed, SLOVAKIA 23 become the main purpose of the Roman branch of the Slovak Institute. As we pause on the occasion of its 20th anniversary to express our congratulations and gratitude to the Slovak Institute in Cleveland, Ohio, for its achievements in behalf of Slovak culture in the free world, we note with satisfaction that is has fulfilled its avowed purpose of existence as expressed precisely in the Constitution and by-laws: "The Slovak Institute at St. Andrew's Abbey wants to support Slovak cultural life by inviting all Slovak cultural workers living in the free world outside Slovakia to membership, and promises to aid them in every possible manner in their cultural, scientific, literary and artistic endeavors because the Slovak nation in itll historic homeland after World War II cannot freely rule its own destiny according to its own principles, spirit or ideals, and consequently cannot direct its own proper cultural development." No program of dynamic action in the next forseeable fifty or seventy years can excel the idealism incorporated in the original Constitution and by-laws of the Slovak Institute in Cleveland as adopted a score of years ago. • • • SLOVAK 'INSTANT John Mizerak, a retired factory worker who became an instant millionaire via MILLIONAIRE' DIES the New York state lottery last September, died February 5, 1973 in Little Falls (N.Y.) Hospital. He was 77. Mizerak, blinded by glaucoma for several years, had been hospitalized since January 10 with an undisclosed illness. Mizerak, his wife Anna and their only child, John W. "Rusty" Mizerak, a musician and former baseball player in the Cincinnati Reds organization, won $1 million in the 1972 "summer special" lottery after the number of their $3 ticket was drawn.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Twenty Years of the Slovak Institute in Cleveland Description An account of the resource Joseph Paučo, Ph.D. Slovakia, Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973 pp. 16-23 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Paučo, Jozef, 1914-1975 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 SNK https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/7f3d57178064ccbd9b8bd1ad0e27fe50.pdf 3b95456ae0ac5fc7ae94b9895f63519f PDF Text Text SLOVAKIA 3 The Slovak Word Abroad Gorazd Z V O ni C ky A man on a motorcycle cried out as he whizzed by a motorist driving a Mercedes Benz rather leisurely: "Do you know something about Lambretta ?" The elderly man at the wheel of the car stepped on the gas to show the cyclist that he, too, had power, power and speed to pass up the Lambretta! Later he slowed down, and soon the motorcycle came into view and before long was passing him again. The young man on the motorcycle waved his hand and cried out as he passed the car a second time; "Say, do you know anything about a Lambretta." The man in the car this time did not resume the chase, thinking it was no use to race with a speed demon. Soon afterwards he came upon the Lambretta and its occupant piled up by the side of the road. As the young man disengaged himself from his motorcycle, the man in the car stopped and yelled out: "See there, you young smart aleck, where did it get you to show off, anyway?" Whereupon the slightly shaken up young motorcyclist retorted: "Who was showing off? I was merely asking you if you know anything about a Lambretta to tell me how to stop it." The same can happen to an inexperienced speaker; he may know how to start but not how to stop. In our case a sheet of paper is the best brake in the world. One mu.st first stop to reflect and then write it down. To perceive the kernel of a theme, we must first of all touch upon a few peripheral points on the subject at hand. A person seldom stops to consider what a word means. We are so accustomed to speak and converse that we do not even think about a situation that might arise when we cannot even utter a single word. A mute can best evaluate the value of the gift the spoken word. I speak of a gift because the spoken word is, in a sense, par t of a dowry bequeathed to us by the Creator. Think for a moment what a joyful event it is in a family circle when �4 SLOVAKIA a child comes out with its first word, which is somehow an integral part of every being as he says for the first time, 'Papa,' or 'Mama.' These first intelligible sounds are not only a pleasant surprise for the child's parents who gave him life, but a vital expression of his very being. The first words are important enough to be registered in a family album and an occasion for a family treat or celebration. Everyday life employs the spoken word as a usual, easy and effective means of communicatio n. The spoken word introduces us to the outside world, and works either for good or evil, according to one's inner motives and purposes. The word is a manifestation of our being and thoughts. If human thoughts are good and proper, so will be their outward expression, according to the saying: "What is in the heart is on the tip of our tongue.'' And Holy Scripture notes: "Out of the fullness of the heart the mouth speaketh." Imagine what our life would be like if we were limited to sign language. How far could we advance in civilization and culture? What would be our future destiny as thinking beings? On the other hand, how unbearable life would become if words were misused for lying, chicanery, deceit and instigation, or for indulging the passions and evil desires instead of being put to good use in promoting peace, justice and harmony in society. The meaning of the spoken word, like the written word, has a profound effect and has infinite range. We are aware of the fact that the Slovak spoken word reaches us and our fellow countrymen via radio broadcasts, e. g. from the Vatican, Radio Free Europe and other radio stations. I want to emphasize the Vatican Broadcast in that it unquestionab ly exercises widespread influence in the spiritual life of our Slovak countrymen in their native homeland. Until recently, dozens of letters came from listeners who expressed thanks for every word, declaring that the talks they heard were highly informative, enlightening and a powerful shield to defend themselves against the incessant tempest of anti-religious propaganda in the schools, from the press and radio, on television, in meetings of workingmen's associations, in army barracks, and reams of mis- �SLOVAKIA 5 information in textbooks, etc. This is a vital factor in preserving truth and a sense of justice in a country where all the forces militate against what is just, what is right and truthful. For obvious reasons we cannot publicize these letters, but they indicate beyond a shadow of a doubt that they get the message despite many obstacles that are set up to prevent them from hearing the truth. Permit us to quote briefly from one of these letters that speaks for many: "You have no idea how eagerly we wait for your broadcast. We pass on the information to others who cannot listen. The spiritual message about the Christian way of life for the faithful who constitute the healthy kernel of our Slovak nation is like a falling rain on a desert in our land in which the official press is forever agitating and scandalous. During the recent lull in the anti-religious movement not even such prominent persons as Archbishop Necsey or Bishop Trochta were given the opportunity to express what was in their minds and hearts, as if they did not have anything worthwhile to say to their unseen television audience of millions of fellow countrymen." The written non-Slovak word that has as its subject the Slovak and his life in his native land, or abroad. whether in the original or as a translation, has exceedingly great value. For example, in English we find a series of publications that deal with Slovak themes: history, folklore, folk songs, science, sociology, and almost every phase of Slovak culture and art. Dr. Inovecky's books in Italian truthfully inform the Italian public about the situation of the Catholic Intelligentsia, youth, priests and nuns in Slovakia where they are subjected to atheistic attacks. Although defenseless, they must face a formidable and heavily armed foe who daily attacks them with a barrage of diabolical propaganda. Dr. :ourica, professor of political science at the University of Padua, in his works presents a true picture of our times in the light of historical analysis and perception with precision and conclusive proof, while contemporary Slovak historians in Slovakia under pressing orders from the Party (Communist) must twist, falsify, blacken and distort everything, particularly the events of the second world war and its aftermath. �6 SLOVAKIA A number of valuable works have been published, too, in German, Spanish, and French. For detailed information Professor Michael Lacko, S. J. edited a Slovak bibliography for the years from 1945 to 1965. This come off the press as the 7th volume of Slovak Studies under the auspices of the Slovak Institute (Cleveland-Rome). Works by the old and new generations of Slovak writers in exile have been simply overwhelming. As we all know, perhaps, the old emigrants from Slovakia left their native land mainly for economic reasons. They emigrated to find employment and to assure their future existence. Most of them came from villages where literary tastes usually had as yet not developed beyond the stage of the almanac and the prayerbook. This was much the same in their new environment where the prayerbook and almanac were read but with one notable exception: now they had their own Slovak newspapers. The new wave of emigrants, to which we belong (after World War II) was quite different; it was more idealistic and ideological, and without false pride, it may be said, too, that it was more educated. And therefore, this new generation of emigrants from Slovakia had more estethic and literary tastes, which soon necessitated the publication of books and the establishment of publishing centers to keep alive the fires of Slovak literary and spiritual life abroad. Alphabetically, we may list Buenos Aires, Chicago, Cleveland, Danville, Middletown, Pittsburgh and Scranton in Pennsylvania, Munich, New York, Passaic in New Jersey, Toronto in Canada, Valparaiso and the Slovak Franciscans; Whiting, Indiana, the home of the immortal Father Lach, a great patron of Slovak literature, and Winnipeg, Man., in Canada, where Culen published several noteworthy works. Rome, however, must be recognized for its primacy in the field of Slovak publications abroad, both because here is concentrated the largest single group of Slovak emigrant writers under the sponsorship of the SS. Cyril and Methodius Slovak Institute. To date, the number of editions here has totaled 142, in all more than 30,000 pages of the Slovak word in print. This amazing output of the Slovak press, considering the brief span of the existence of the Institute in Rome, as well as, bearing in mind what �SLOVAKIA 7 obstacles it had to face and overcome, and new difficulties that keep on coming in its way, it is truly a priceless contribution to the spiritual treasury of the Slovak nation. Add to this fact, the Hlasy z Rima monthly over a period of almost twenty years (5,000 pages of printed matter), and you have a tremendous accomplishment which, to borrow a Biblical phrase in our case, these have worked long and perseveringly like the Israelites of old who in rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem worked with a tool in one hand and a weapon in the other to defend themselves against the enemy in the event of a sudden attack. Let us look at the contents and supplementary material of the Slovak word (written) abroad. Its primary and foremost inspiration is Slovakia and its people: the country, the nation, the history of the country and its people, state institutions, political movements and currents and economic conditions, then, too, the religious aspect and the situation of the people of faith, the activity of the Church and its spokesmen and leaders, Slovak philology, literary history and criticism, architecture, archeology, medicine, the arts, music, books, about Slovaks living abroad, philosophical handbooks, catechetical works, notably Bystrik's catechism, (Nova Cesta) homiletic sources for preachers of the Word of God in Slovak, especially the various revised editions of Sacred Scripture, liturgical texts and prayerbooks, biographies of heroic men, Christian meditations, and finally general works in prose and poetry. Obviously, this is a great treasure, a rich inheritance, an almost inexhaustible source of infinite variety that helps to keep alive the genuine spirit of the Slovak nation in its historic homeland, as well as far beyond its natural boundaries throughout all parts of the free world. Now it is easier to reply to the question: "Of what importance are our Slovak publications abroad?" At the very outset of our brief study, let us reflect upon the religious angle. It is no secret, neither an untruth, to declare that the regime now ruling Slovakia is not only unfriendly but inimical to religion, employing all of its machinery to destroy the religious life of the people after depriving them of every means of publication and communication to resist godless warfare upon their Faith. What little religious publication the regime tolerates is so negligible that it serves the state rather than the Church �8 SLOVAKIA or religion, as far the press is concerned. This applies to the Spolok sv . Vojtecha, which once was the chief source of religious instruction and religious literary publications for the common people, as well as for the intelligentsia, but at present its publishing activities in the religious program have been reduced almost to zero. Meanwhile, its resources are actually being misused in the planning of the Party system for abetting and supplementing its ideological struggle against religion all along the line. A liturgical renewal from which an intensification of the spiritual life was naturally expected was announced as necessary to those who believe in God. This, of course, went against the grain of an actively aggressive atheism. Permission for paper and printing for this purpose advanced at a snail's pace and virtually came to a standstill as government requisition failed to materialize. Quite surprisingly, but soon fully understood, was a motherly concern by the atheistic regime to preserve the Latin liturgy intact, it was fearful of the introduction of the vernacular because the language of the people would strengthen the position of the church. Meanwhile, the Slovak Institute of SS. Cyril and Methodius in Rome edited and published a complete Slovak-Latin Missal which, under the circumstances (the result of Divine Providence actually), the civil authorities in Slovakia could not refuse entry because that would have given them a bad image abroad. Thus, the liturgical movement gained momentum and reached all parishes and became at the same time a manifestation of the strong faith of the people and a source of spiritual nourishment. In Rome a Slovak missal appeared in the latest postconciliar form and is now in use in Slovak parishes outside Slovakia. This has not only activated a spiritual renewal among the Slovak faithful abroad but has assured the preservation of the Slovak language in various parts of the free world, which is indirectly a vital contribution to the entire Slovak nation. Last year, only because of pressure from abroad, an edition of new canons for the Mass was published in Slovakia. Our people in Slovakia were unable to obtain prayerbooks to strengthen them morally and spiritually in their everyday struggle for their temporal as well as for their �SLOVAKIA 9 ~piritual welfare. They, therefore, begged their brethren abroad not for bread but rather for prayerbooks that were denied them in their own native land. Their more fortunate brethren heeded their plea even though it required sacrifices beyond the call of duty . . . and for this the public activists in Slovakia ought to be grateful, too, because prayer contributes to public morality, to borrow a contemporary and timely phrase. Moreover, morality suffers a sharp decline where prayer ceases. The people who work most conscientously in our native country are certainly those who pray ... and, thank God, there are few exceptions, if any. If the rulers of our country were not blinded by their fanatical hatred of God and religious beliefs, we could suggest a helpful program, namely, to give the people more prayerbooks, assuring them that then the morale of the workers everywhere would improve considerably and the working standards would increase, too, because a vital religious faith is a source of action: it inevitably inspires an optimistic attitude and fosters initiative. Without these primary principles there cannot be spontaneous and fruitful productivity. Ideological atheism in practice spawns laziness, indifference, indolence, and exploitation, in fact, to put it bluntly, eventually it robs both the individual and society. For the above cited reasons the majority of Slovak tourists from abroad sought to bring into Slovakia, particularly during the year before the Soviet invasion of 1968, a generous supply of prayerbooks and religious literature. The spiritual hunger of the Slovak people, subjected to a planned scarcity of religious sources of the printed word, was satisfied temporarily, at least, by a welcome influx of books, which offered conclusive proof or evidence that there was a universal need for religious literature as the result of anti-religious policies of the governing regime. At the same time, it manifested beyond any doubt that the best part of the people understood the need and value of such books for their temporal and spiritual welfare. Karel Havlicek-Borovsky who said many obscene things elsewhere, did, however, express something nice about books as being "a universal school, a school for young and old, a school with many wise teachers." If he really meant 'good' books, he certainly deserves an A plus. �SLOVAKIA Dr. Montaigne consiqered books to be the best preparation for life's journey, and he felt pity for all who did not possess books. In our times, he would have felt sorry, too, for those who are forced to read books that are contrary to their way of sound thinking. Ruskin wrote that books are as necessary to man as wings for a bird. And in this respect the Slovak book abroad became practically the only means for a Christian training of our Slovak youth in their native homeland. The various catechisms for old and young, life stories of virtuous young men and women, reflections on various themes for the sophisticated, e. g., Hlinka's works (K sirsim obzorom -To wider horizons and Cesty-Highways) are rich sources from which all may benefit, both those who are being trained and the trainers themselves personally. In no way it is rash or a breach of confidence to statethat Marxism-Leninism, as we know it so far, has has not proved successful in the development or the advancement of man. While on a state visit to Hungary the late Khruschev said quite frankly in jest (but truthfully at any rate ) that Russian specialists were unable to train even a young ox, it was enough for the animal to start kicking, the Ukrainian politician said, and the socalled experts scattered in all directions. Particularly in the training of youth the communist system proved to be a failure, for which we have more evidence than is necessary to prove our point. If the communist (Marxist-Leninist) system accomplished something it has been one-sided and doubtful because it does not consider the whole person: it ignores his religious instincts and warps his moral nature. It knows only how to harness instincts and human resources to serve its own perverse purposes and designs. Unfortunately, this is not the place nor the time to dwell upon the moral condition of the Slovak youth today. I will leave the discussion to authorities on the subject and hope that they will devote more time to study the situation in depth and give a more factual and detailed report at some future date. Slovak editions abroad are a great help to our students in their own country. The well known 'scripts' of profes- �SLOVAKIA 11 sors-primarily in the theological schools-are far from complete, if for no other reason than that they are lacking in proper information on the subject and they ignore the development of reasoning and leave out the basic fundamentals of theological and philosophical truths. Theologians in the city of Bratislava have various handbooks at their disposal, even though concise, for teaching philosophy, theology, sociology and the Bible, both the Old and New Testament. Undoubtedly, many are acquainted with the works, "Posolstvo--Mission," and "Za svetlom-Towards the Light" by dedicated men like Msgr. Botek and Msgr. Vrablec. Authoritative handbooks, though lacking much in details, are still far superior to mere 'scripts.' Not even in the field of prose, simply literature, is our group of authors in exile out of step with the times . This fact was admitted in Slovakia when there was some freedom of speech, and when, for a short time several years ago, publications in the country were permitted without being subject to orders 'from above.' Dante's Inferno was translated about the same time both in and outside of Slovakia. In my opinion, in many ways, the translation in exile excelled the domestic edition. The translation and selections of Claudel's poetry in exile, too, are far better than that of the edition in Slovakia. It was not without ulterior motives, therefore, that Karol Strmen, author of the above mentioned translations, became the subject of a virulent attack in the domestic press of Slovakia. Hronsky's original novels and short stories, written and published in exile, were admitted for publication in his native homeland. Meciar's critical reviews of Kukucin's works, too, were permitted entry as a source of vital information about this Slovak novelist who lived in Argentina for many years. The Most quarterly and the Slovak v Amerike's Almanach somehow get into Slovakia and are circulated throughout the country. Slovak poems from abroad are copied and circulated, memorized and recited in closed circles. This, too, belongs to popular education, esthetics, literature, etc. as an answer to those who would deny �12 SLOVAKIA not only political and religious liberty but cultural freedom to the Slovak nation in its native homeland. A word about the meaning and mission of Slovak political literature abroad, particularly for these reasons: 1) In the free world alone can one express himself freely in behalf of the self-determination of the Slovak nation, and nations in the same predicament, or for freedom to manifest its will to control its own national destiny. 2) The truth can be spoken, written and proved in the free world alone as to the past history of the Slovak nation in the light of the facts and truth without fear of police interference and judicial reprisals. We are responsible for the destiny of our Slovak nation that cannot, at this time under the present circumstances, know the full truth of its past because the truth is hidden or falsified and distorted in behalf of the party in power. That is why the Slovak nation is thankful to God that beyond the reach of the politbureau events as they actually happen are factually reported and registered without any pressure from directives or threats from the Party meetings. These are the reasons why I recommend that we have a common center for our historic and political publications of our writers abroad, and no one can hold this against me, justly, that is. A common and mutual endeavor is our responsibility because history-life's teacher-must also be a teacher in our political life. 'I'he late Matus cernak, Karol Sidor, Dr. Frantisek Hrusovsky and Konstantin culen, as well as the living, namely, Professor Vojtech Bucko, Dr. Arved Grebert, Kristof Greiner, Dr. Ferdinand i'.>urcansky, Dr. Jozef Kirschbaum, Dr. Jozef Mikus, Dr. Jozef Pauco, Dr. Jan Rekem, Professor Frantisek Vnuk and many, many others in our Slovak life have made invaluable contributions to the Slovak nation's cause, and to the world in general, by their numerous efforts and achievements. All these will someday provide inexhaustible sources for those who will write the history of Slovakia and the Slovak nation without any bias or prejudice. The future will be concerned not only with historic events but with the truth about personalities who come LIBRARY �SLOVAKIA 13 to the fore in the re-creation of history as it actually happened. For example, the history of Hlinka or Tiso, and of their closest collaborators, and adversaries, too, can now be known only in the writings of authors in the free world because in their homeland a furious campaign to erase their names from history pages, a hate campaign to smear their names and to eliminate them as persons who in their time exercised profound influence. That must be adequately evaluated in Slovak history in the future. Personal biographical profiles sketched by the pens of Dr. Pauco, Bor and others in the free world will one day hold a place of honor in the national album of the great men in the history of the Slovak nation and its historic homeland of a thousand and more years. Finally, the meaning of the Slovak word, written, spoken, in exile, and somewhat exemphasized, perhaps, will one day be understood and properly evaluated in the future when the Slovaks will once again control their national destiny as a free nation in central Europe. The governing regime in Slovakia has unwittingly given public testimony of the intrinsic value of the Slovak word from abroad. The Postal Center 120 in Praha put a ban on Slovak periodicals and publications from abroad and has consistently returned or destroyed the Slovak printed word from the free world. The first document presented here is that of the postal administration addressed to the sender of a parcel of books. I submit it fully with the exception of the name of the publication and the date to prevent tracing the source of my information. It reads: Posta Praha 120. In Prague, date ... Dear Sir, Dear sirs, We inform you that your inclosed postal parcel contains, among other items, the following publication: .. . The entry and circulation of such publications is prohibited by a law on publication and information, given on the basis of Law 23, No. 8/ 1966 Sb., relating to periodicals, publications and other informational mediums according to Law No. 23, 127/1968, Sb. That is why these publications were forbidden postal delivery. Items not admitted for postal delivery fall under Par. 6, Art. 4 of the official regulation No. 240/1949, Sb. under postal laws for the welfare of the state. Greeting-Peace to the world. �14 SLOVAKIA The refusal is officially stamped: "Posta Praha 120". Instead of a signature, there is only the letter K. When such restrictions of freedom of expression are based upon so many laws or regulations, this campaign against the means of formation or information, the spiritual isolation of the people cannot be anything less than illegal legislation and legal spiritual homicide. The second document even more graphically illustrates opposition against religion, which, apparently to all intents and purposes, the state is developing in a legalistic form. It reads: Dissemination of information garnered from foreign publications. Letter and disposition of the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Socialist Republic, N. MK, 4525/1971 of June 17. 1971. To all the centers of church and religious bodies in Slovakia. Through assorted channels a variety of foreign periodicals and publications dealing with religious and church problems have been brought into the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, whose contents in many cases are biased and in conflict with the interests of our socialist state. Their evaluation has shown that they contain articles which untruthfully and rudely slander the CSSR. Future distribution or circulations of such materials, or any part thereof, is not permitted. This regulation also is in force in regards to the distribution or publication of certain informative instructions, etc., whether by internal religious organs, in official bulletins or in any form whatsoever. We warn that any activity that is contrary to the interest of socialist society is a misdemeanor, according to P. 5, Law No. 150/1969, Sb. We direct that you inform all branches subject to your authority of the contents of these instructions. K. Homola, Secretary General and Director for Church Affairs. This communique (signed by K. Homola) in general refers to "foreign" periodicals and publications, as if it avoided labeling them properly "Slovak," but which subsequently became clear because only these were returned by the postal outhorities with the words: "Non admis ... Not admitted ... " Later the explanation in French was added: "Returned. Violates Custom Regulations." Attempts to obtain official copies of the specific government regulations in order to comply with the law have been in vain. Non-admittance of publications from the outside world is now absolute and arbitrary. The returned publications with the official stamp of rejection attached have been filed in the archives of Slovak organizations �15 SLOVAKIA as real proofs and evidence for the future of the present spiritual enslavement of the people by the ruling regime for which the light of truth is obviously a much-feared scarecrow. The dialectics of the communist party defines everything as "biased" if it does not come off its own press, if it fails to idolize Marxism-Leninism, if it does not propagate the idea of the world revolution of the proletariat, etc. Of course, this type of "bias" is detrimentally opposed to the interests of a socialist state, namely the CSSR. Note that even 'internal church information and instructions from abroad' constitute misdemeanors if distributed (if they are not favorable to the spread of communism) because by the very fact they are not pro, they must be con-according to the borrowed Biblical phrase, "Who is not for me, is against me . . ." twisted to suit their own ends and purposes! Someone once observed that the burning of books furnishes light in darkness. We can surely applay this remark in the case of Slovak books arriving at postal centers in Czecho-Slovakia, particularly in Prague. Their fate may be that they are merely censored and confiscated, then returned to the sender, but more often consigned officially to be burned. Despite this, they continue to have their influence. The fear, in official circles of Czecho• Slovakia, of the Slovak word from abroad is clearly a case of a bad conscience. I conclude this review of past events with reference to a recent article in our press in Slovakia that labelled Slovak emigration as a dry, lifeless branch of the Slovak nation. How much or little truth there is in that arbitrary <;tatement an unprejudiced person can easily determine. lil THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA through its Ladies luud.liary, the "VCIELKY" (Bees), sponsors Slovak cultttrai displays. concerts, lectures, art exhibits, folk festjvals, social evenings, etc. Our aim is to have a "Hive" of our "V~ielky" in every large Slovak community. � SLOVAKIA 3 The Slovak Word Abroad Gorazd Z V O ni C ky A man on a motorcycle cried out as he whizzed by a motorist driving a Mercedes Benz rather leisurely: "Do you know something about Lambretta ?" The elderly man at the wheel of the car stepped on the gas to show the cyclist that he, too, had power, power and speed to pass up the Lambretta! Later he slowed down, and soon the motorcycle came into view and before long was passing him again. The young man on the motorcycle waved his hand and cried out as he passed the car a second time; "Say, do you know anything about a Lambretta." The man in the car this time did not resume the chase, thinking it was no use to race with a speed demon. Soon afterwards he came upon the Lambretta and its occupant piled up by the side of the road. As the young man disengaged himself from his motorcycle, the man in the car stopped and yelled out: "See there, you young smart aleck, where did it get you to show off, anyway?" Whereupon the slightly shaken up young motorcyclist retorted: "Who was showing off? I was merely asking you if you know anything about a Lambretta to tell me how to stop it." The same can happen to an inexperienced speaker; he may know how to start but not how to stop. In our case a sheet of paper is the best brake in the world. One mu.st first stop to reflect and then write it down. To perceive the kernel of a theme, we must first of all touch upon a few peripheral points on the subject at hand. A person seldom stops to consider what a word means. We are so accustomed to speak and converse that we do not even think about a situation that might arise when we cannot even utter a single word. A mute can best evaluate the value of the gift the spoken word. I speak of a gift because the spoken word is, in a sense, par t of a dowry bequeathed to us by the Creator. Think for a moment what a joyful event it is in a family circle when �4 SLOVAKIA a child comes out with its first word, which is somehow an integral part of every being as he says for the first time, 'Papa,' or 'Mama.' These first intelligible sounds are not only a pleasant surprise for the child's parents who gave him life, but a vital expression of his very being. The first words are important enough to be registered in a family album and an occasion for a family treat or celebration. Everyday life employs the spoken word as a usual, easy and effective means of communicatio n. The spoken word introduces us to the outside world, and works either for good or evil, according to one's inner motives and purposes. The word is a manifestation of our being and thoughts. If human thoughts are good and proper, so will be their outward expression, according to the saying: "What is in the heart is on the tip of our tongue.'' And Holy Scripture notes: "Out of the fullness of the heart the mouth speaketh." Imagine what our life would be like if we were limited to sign language. How far could we advance in civilization and culture? What would be our future destiny as thinking beings? On the other hand, how unbearable life would become if words were misused for lying, chicanery, deceit and instigation, or for indulging the passions and evil desires instead of being put to good use in promoting peace, justice and harmony in society. The meaning of the spoken word, like the written word, has a profound effect and has infinite range. We are aware of the fact that the Slovak spoken word reaches us and our fellow countrymen via radio broadcasts, e. g. from the Vatican, Radio Free Europe and other radio stations. I want to emphasize the Vatican Broadcast in that it unquestionab ly exercises widespread influence in the spiritual life of our Slovak countrymen in their native homeland. Until recently, dozens of letters came from listeners who expressed thanks for every word, declaring that the talks they heard were highly informative, enlightening and a powerful shield to defend themselves against the incessant tempest of anti-religious propaganda in the schools, from the press and radio, on television, in meetings of workingmen's associations, in army barracks, and reams of mis- �SLOVAKIA 5 information in textbooks, etc. This is a vital factor in preserving truth and a sense of justice in a country where all the forces militate against what is just, what is right and truthful. For obvious reasons we cannot publicize these letters, but they indicate beyond a shadow of a doubt that they get the message despite many obstacles that are set up to prevent them from hearing the truth. Permit us to quote briefly from one of these letters that speaks for many: "You have no idea how eagerly we wait for your broadcast. We pass on the information to others who cannot listen. The spiritual message about the Christian way of life for the faithful who constitute the healthy kernel of our Slovak nation is like a falling rain on a desert in our land in which the official press is forever agitating and scandalous. During the recent lull in the anti-religious movement not even such prominent persons as Archbishop Necsey or Bishop Trochta were given the opportunity to express what was in their minds and hearts, as if they did not have anything worthwhile to say to their unseen television audience of millions of fellow countrymen." The written non-Slovak word that has as its subject the Slovak and his life in his native land, or abroad. whether in the original or as a translation, has exceedingly great value. For example, in English we find a series of publications that deal with Slovak themes: history, folklore, folk songs, science, sociology, and almost every phase of Slovak culture and art. Dr. Inovecky's books in Italian truthfully inform the Italian public about the situation of the Catholic Intelligentsia, youth, priests and nuns in Slovakia where they are subjected to atheistic attacks. Although defenseless, they must face a formidable and heavily armed foe who daily attacks them with a barrage of diabolical propaganda. Dr. :ourica, professor of political science at the University of Padua, in his works presents a true picture of our times in the light of historical analysis and perception with precision and conclusive proof, while contemporary Slovak historians in Slovakia under pressing orders from the Party (Communist) must twist, falsify, blacken and distort everything, particularly the events of the second world war and its aftermath. �6 SLOVAKIA A number of valuable works have been published, too, in German, Spanish, and French. For detailed information Professor Michael Lacko, S. J. edited a Slovak bibliography for the years from 1945 to 1965. This come off the press as the 7th volume of Slovak Studies under the auspices of the Slovak Institute (Cleveland-Rome). Works by the old and new generations of Slovak writers in exile have been simply overwhelming. As we all know, perhaps, the old emigrants from Slovakia left their native land mainly for economic reasons. They emigrated to find employment and to assure their future existence. Most of them came from villages where literary tastes usually had as yet not developed beyond the stage of the almanac and the prayerbook. This was much the same in their new environment where the prayerbook and almanac were read but with one notable exception: now they had their own Slovak newspapers. The new wave of emigrants, to which we belong (after World War II) was quite different; it was more idealistic and ideological, and without false pride, it may be said, too, that it was more educated. And therefore, this new generation of emigrants from Slovakia had more estethic and literary tastes, which soon necessitated the publication of books and the establishment of publishing centers to keep alive the fires of Slovak literary and spiritual life abroad. Alphabetically, we may list Buenos Aires, Chicago, Cleveland, Danville, Middletown, Pittsburgh and Scranton in Pennsylvania, Munich, New York, Passaic in New Jersey, Toronto in Canada, Valparaiso and the Slovak Franciscans; Whiting, Indiana, the home of the immortal Father Lach, a great patron of Slovak literature, and Winnipeg, Man., in Canada, where Culen published several noteworthy works. Rome, however, must be recognized for its primacy in the field of Slovak publications abroad, both because here is concentrated the largest single group of Slovak emigrant writers under the sponsorship of the SS. Cyril and Methodius Slovak Institute. To date, the number of editions here has totaled 142, in all more than 30,000 pages of the Slovak word in print. This amazing output of the Slovak press, considering the brief span of the existence of the Institute in Rome, as well as, bearing in mind what �SLOVAKIA 7 obstacles it had to face and overcome, and new difficulties that keep on coming in its way, it is truly a priceless contribution to the spiritual treasury of the Slovak nation. Add to this fact, the Hlasy z Rima monthly over a period of almost twenty years (5,000 pages of printed matter), and you have a tremendous accomplishment which, to borrow a Biblical phrase in our case, these have worked long and perseveringly like the Israelites of old who in rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem worked with a tool in one hand and a weapon in the other to defend themselves against the enemy in the event of a sudden attack. Let us look at the contents and supplementary material of the Slovak word (written) abroad. Its primary and foremost inspiration is Slovakia and its people: the country, the nation, the history of the country and its people, state institutions, political movements and currents and economic conditions, then, too, the religious aspect and the situation of the people of faith, the activity of the Church and its spokesmen and leaders, Slovak philology, literary history and criticism, architecture, archeology, medicine, the arts, music, books, about Slovaks living abroad, philosophical handbooks, catechetical works, notably Bystrik's catechism, (Nova Cesta) homiletic sources for preachers of the Word of God in Slovak, especially the various revised editions of Sacred Scripture, liturgical texts and prayerbooks, biographies of heroic men, Christian meditations, and finally general works in prose and poetry. Obviously, this is a great treasure, a rich inheritance, an almost inexhaustible source of infinite variety that helps to keep alive the genuine spirit of the Slovak nation in its historic homeland, as well as far beyond its natural boundaries throughout all parts of the free world. Now it is easier to reply to the question: "Of what importance are our Slovak publications abroad?" At the very outset of our brief study, let us reflect upon the religious angle. It is no secret, neither an untruth, to declare that the regime now ruling Slovakia is not only unfriendly but inimical to religion, employing all of its machinery to destroy the religious life of the people after depriving them of every means of publication and communication to resist godless warfare upon their Faith. What little religious publication the regime tolerates is so negligible that it serves the state rather than the Church �8 SLOVAKIA or religion, as far the press is concerned. This applies to the Spolok sv . Vojtecha, which once was the chief source of religious instruction and religious literary publications for the common people, as well as for the intelligentsia, but at present its publishing activities in the religious program have been reduced almost to zero. Meanwhile, its resources are actually being misused in the planning of the Party system for abetting and supplementing its ideological struggle against religion all along the line. A liturgical renewal from which an intensification of the spiritual life was naturally expected was announced as necessary to those who believe in God. This, of course, went against the grain of an actively aggressive atheism. Permission for paper and printing for this purpose advanced at a snail's pace and virtually came to a standstill as government requisition failed to materialize. Quite surprisingly, but soon fully understood, was a motherly concern by the atheistic regime to preserve the Latin liturgy intact, it was fearful of the introduction of the vernacular because the language of the people would strengthen the position of the church. Meanwhile, the Slovak Institute of SS. Cyril and Methodius in Rome edited and published a complete Slovak-Latin Missal which, under the circumstances (the result of Divine Providence actually), the civil authorities in Slovakia could not refuse entry because that would have given them a bad image abroad. Thus, the liturgical movement gained momentum and reached all parishes and became at the same time a manifestation of the strong faith of the people and a source of spiritual nourishment. In Rome a Slovak missal appeared in the latest postconciliar form and is now in use in Slovak parishes outside Slovakia. This has not only activated a spiritual renewal among the Slovak faithful abroad but has assured the preservation of the Slovak language in various parts of the free world, which is indirectly a vital contribution to the entire Slovak nation. Last year, only because of pressure from abroad, an edition of new canons for the Mass was published in Slovakia. Our people in Slovakia were unable to obtain prayerbooks to strengthen them morally and spiritually in their everyday struggle for their temporal as well as for their �SLOVAKIA 9 ~piritual welfare. They, therefore, begged their brethren abroad not for bread but rather for prayerbooks that were denied them in their own native land. Their more fortunate brethren heeded their plea even though it required sacrifices beyond the call of duty . . . and for this the public activists in Slovakia ought to be grateful, too, because prayer contributes to public morality, to borrow a contemporary and timely phrase. Moreover, morality suffers a sharp decline where prayer ceases. The people who work most conscientously in our native country are certainly those who pray ... and, thank God, there are few exceptions, if any. If the rulers of our country were not blinded by their fanatical hatred of God and religious beliefs, we could suggest a helpful program, namely, to give the people more prayerbooks, assuring them that then the morale of the workers everywhere would improve considerably and the working standards would increase, too, because a vital religious faith is a source of action: it inevitably inspires an optimistic attitude and fosters initiative. Without these primary principles there cannot be spontaneous and fruitful productivity. Ideological atheism in practice spawns laziness, indifference, indolence, and exploitation, in fact, to put it bluntly, eventually it robs both the individual and society. For the above cited reasons the majority of Slovak tourists from abroad sought to bring into Slovakia, particularly during the year before the Soviet invasion of 1968, a generous supply of prayerbooks and religious literature. The spiritual hunger of the Slovak people, subjected to a planned scarcity of religious sources of the printed word, was satisfied temporarily, at least, by a welcome influx of books, which offered conclusive proof or evidence that there was a universal need for religious literature as the result of anti-religious policies of the governing regime. At the same time, it manifested beyond any doubt that the best part of the people understood the need and value of such books for their temporal and spiritual welfare. Karel Havlicek-Borovsky who said many obscene things elsewhere, did, however, express something nice about books as being "a universal school, a school for young and old, a school with many wise teachers." If he really meant 'good' books, he certainly deserves an A plus. �SLOVAKIA Dr. Montaigne consiqered books to be the best preparation for life's journey, and he felt pity for all who did not possess books. In our times, he would have felt sorry, too, for those who are forced to read books that are contrary to their way of sound thinking. Ruskin wrote that books are as necessary to man as wings for a bird. And in this respect the Slovak book abroad became practically the only means for a Christian training of our Slovak youth in their native homeland. The various catechisms for old and young, life stories of virtuous young men and women, reflections on various themes for the sophisticated, e. g., Hlinka's works (K sirsim obzorom -To wider horizons and Cesty-Highways) are rich sources from which all may benefit, both those who are being trained and the trainers themselves personally. In no way it is rash or a breach of confidence to statethat Marxism-Leninism, as we know it so far, has has not proved successful in the development or the advancement of man. While on a state visit to Hungary the late Khruschev said quite frankly in jest (but truthfully at any rate ) that Russian specialists were unable to train even a young ox, it was enough for the animal to start kicking, the Ukrainian politician said, and the socalled experts scattered in all directions. Particularly in the training of youth the communist system proved to be a failure, for which we have more evidence than is necessary to prove our point. If the communist (Marxist-Leninist) system accomplished something it has been one-sided and doubtful because it does not consider the whole person: it ignores his religious instincts and warps his moral nature. It knows only how to harness instincts and human resources to serve its own perverse purposes and designs. Unfortunately, this is not the place nor the time to dwell upon the moral condition of the Slovak youth today. I will leave the discussion to authorities on the subject and hope that they will devote more time to study the situation in depth and give a more factual and detailed report at some future date. Slovak editions abroad are a great help to our students in their own country. The well known 'scripts' of profes- �SLOVAKIA 11 sors-primarily in the theological schools-are far from complete, if for no other reason than that they are lacking in proper information on the subject and they ignore the development of reasoning and leave out the basic fundamentals of theological and philosophical truths. Theologians in the city of Bratislava have various handbooks at their disposal, even though concise, for teaching philosophy, theology, sociology and the Bible, both the Old and New Testament. Undoubtedly, many are acquainted with the works, "Posolstvo--Mission," and "Za svetlom-Towards the Light" by dedicated men like Msgr. Botek and Msgr. Vrablec. Authoritative handbooks, though lacking much in details, are still far superior to mere 'scripts.' Not even in the field of prose, simply literature, is our group of authors in exile out of step with the times . This fact was admitted in Slovakia when there was some freedom of speech, and when, for a short time several years ago, publications in the country were permitted without being subject to orders 'from above.' Dante's Inferno was translated about the same time both in and outside of Slovakia. In my opinion, in many ways, the translation in exile excelled the domestic edition. The translation and selections of Claudel's poetry in exile, too, are far better than that of the edition in Slovakia. It was not without ulterior motives, therefore, that Karol Strmen, author of the above mentioned translations, became the subject of a virulent attack in the domestic press of Slovakia. Hronsky's original novels and short stories, written and published in exile, were admitted for publication in his native homeland. Meciar's critical reviews of Kukucin's works, too, were permitted entry as a source of vital information about this Slovak novelist who lived in Argentina for many years. The Most quarterly and the Slovak v Amerike's Almanach somehow get into Slovakia and are circulated throughout the country. Slovak poems from abroad are copied and circulated, memorized and recited in closed circles. This, too, belongs to popular education, esthetics, literature, etc. as an answer to those who would deny �12 SLOVAKIA not only political and religious liberty but cultural freedom to the Slovak nation in its native homeland. A word about the meaning and mission of Slovak political literature abroad, particularly for these reasons: 1) In the free world alone can one express himself freely in behalf of the self-determination of the Slovak nation, and nations in the same predicament, or for freedom to manifest its will to control its own national destiny. 2) The truth can be spoken, written and proved in the free world alone as to the past history of the Slovak nation in the light of the facts and truth without fear of police interference and judicial reprisals. We are responsible for the destiny of our Slovak nation that cannot, at this time under the present circumstances, know the full truth of its past because the truth is hidden or falsified and distorted in behalf of the party in power. That is why the Slovak nation is thankful to God that beyond the reach of the politbureau events as they actually happen are factually reported and registered without any pressure from directives or threats from the Party meetings. These are the reasons why I recommend that we have a common center for our historic and political publications of our writers abroad, and no one can hold this against me, justly, that is. A common and mutual endeavor is our responsibility because history-life's teacher-must also be a teacher in our political life. 'I'he late Matus cernak, Karol Sidor, Dr. Frantisek Hrusovsky and Konstantin culen, as well as the living, namely, Professor Vojtech Bucko, Dr. Arved Grebert, Kristof Greiner, Dr. Ferdinand i'.>urcansky, Dr. Jozef Kirschbaum, Dr. Jozef Mikus, Dr. Jozef Pauco, Dr. Jan Rekem, Professor Frantisek Vnuk and many, many others in our Slovak life have made invaluable contributions to the Slovak nation's cause, and to the world in general, by their numerous efforts and achievements. All these will someday provide inexhaustible sources for those who will write the history of Slovakia and the Slovak nation without any bias or prejudice. The future will be concerned not only with historic events but with the truth about personalities who come LIBRARY �SLOVAKIA 13 to the fore in the re-creation of history as it actually happened. For example, the history of Hlinka or Tiso, and of their closest collaborators, and adversaries, too, can now be known only in the writings of authors in the free world because in their homeland a furious campaign to erase their names from history pages, a hate campaign to smear their names and to eliminate them as persons who in their time exercised profound influence. That must be adequately evaluated in Slovak history in the future. Personal biographical profiles sketched by the pens of Dr. Pauco, Bor and others in the free world will one day hold a place of honor in the national album of the great men in the history of the Slovak nation and its historic homeland of a thousand and more years. Finally, the meaning of the Slovak word, written, spoken, in exile, and somewhat exemphasized, perhaps, will one day be understood and properly evaluated in the future when the Slovaks will once again control their national destiny as a free nation in central Europe. The governing regime in Slovakia has unwittingly given public testimony of the intrinsic value of the Slovak word from abroad. The Postal Center 120 in Praha put a ban on Slovak periodicals and publications from abroad and has consistently returned or destroyed the Slovak printed word from the free world. The first document presented here is that of the postal administration addressed to the sender of a parcel of books. I submit it fully with the exception of the name of the publication and the date to prevent tracing the source of my information. It reads: Posta Praha 120. In Prague, date ... Dear Sir, Dear sirs, We inform you that your inclosed postal parcel contains, among other items, the following publication: .. . The entry and circulation of such publications is prohibited by a law on publication and information, given on the basis of Law 23, No. 8/ 1966 Sb., relating to periodicals, publications and other informational mediums according to Law No. 23, 127/1968, Sb. That is why these publications were forbidden postal delivery. Items not admitted for postal delivery fall under Par. 6, Art. 4 of the official regulation No. 240/1949, Sb. under postal laws for the welfare of the state. Greeting-Peace to the world. �14 SLOVAKIA The refusal is officially stamped: "Posta Praha 120". Instead of a signature, there is only the letter K. When such restrictions of freedom of expression are based upon so many laws or regulations, this campaign against the means of formation or information, the spiritual isolation of the people cannot be anything less than illegal legislation and legal spiritual homicide. The second document even more graphically illustrates opposition against religion, which, apparently to all intents and purposes, the state is developing in a legalistic form. It reads: Dissemination of information garnered from foreign publications. Letter and disposition of the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Socialist Republic, N. MK, 4525/1971 of June 17. 1971. To all the centers of church and religious bodies in Slovakia. Through assorted channels a variety of foreign periodicals and publications dealing with religious and church problems have been brought into the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, whose contents in many cases are biased and in conflict with the interests of our socialist state. Their evaluation has shown that they contain articles which untruthfully and rudely slander the CSSR. Future distribution or circulations of such materials, or any part thereof, is not permitted. This regulation also is in force in regards to the distribution or publication of certain informative instructions, etc., whether by internal religious organs, in official bulletins or in any form whatsoever. We warn that any activity that is contrary to the interest of socialist society is a misdemeanor, according to P. 5, Law No. 150/1969, Sb. We direct that you inform all branches subject to your authority of the contents of these instructions. K. Homola, Secretary General and Director for Church Affairs. This communique (signed by K. Homola) in general refers to "foreign" periodicals and publications, as if it avoided labeling them properly "Slovak," but which subsequently became clear because only these were returned by the postal outhorities with the words: "Non admis ... Not admitted ... " Later the explanation in French was added: "Returned. Violates Custom Regulations." Attempts to obtain official copies of the specific government regulations in order to comply with the law have been in vain. Non-admittance of publications from the outside world is now absolute and arbitrary. The returned publications with the official stamp of rejection attached have been filed in the archives of Slovak organizations �15 SLOVAKIA as real proofs and evidence for the future of the present spiritual enslavement of the people by the ruling regime for which the light of truth is obviously a much-feared scarecrow. The dialectics of the communist party defines everything as "biased" if it does not come off its own press, if it fails to idolize Marxism-Leninism, if it does not propagate the idea of the world revolution of the proletariat, etc. Of course, this type of "bias" is detrimentally opposed to the interests of a socialist state, namely the CSSR. Note that even 'internal church information and instructions from abroad' constitute misdemeanors if distributed (if they are not favorable to the spread of communism) because by the very fact they are not pro, they must be con-according to the borrowed Biblical phrase, "Who is not for me, is against me . . ." twisted to suit their own ends and purposes! Someone once observed that the burning of books furnishes light in darkness. We can surely applay this remark in the case of Slovak books arriving at postal centers in Czecho-Slovakia, particularly in Prague. Their fate may be that they are merely censored and confiscated, then returned to the sender, but more often consigned officially to be burned. Despite this, they continue to have their influence. The fear, in official circles of Czecho• Slovakia, of the Slovak word from abroad is clearly a case of a bad conscience. I conclude this review of past events with reference to a recent article in our press in Slovakia that labelled Slovak emigration as a dry, lifeless branch of the Slovak nation. How much or little truth there is in that arbitrary <;tatement an unprejudiced person can easily determine. lil THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA through its Ladies luud.liary, the "VCIELKY" (Bees), sponsors Slovak cultttrai displays. concerts, lectures, art exhibits, folk festjvals, social evenings, etc. Our aim is to have a "Hive" of our "V~ielky" in every large Slovak community. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1973, Vol. 23 Description An account of the resource Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document SLOVAKIA 3 The Slovak Word Abroad Gorazd Z V O ni C ky A man on a motorcycle cried out as he whizzed by a motorist driving a Mercedes Benz rather leisurely: "Do you know something about Lambretta ?" The elderly man at the wheel of the car stepped on the gas to show the cyclist that he, too, had power, power and speed to pass up the Lambretta! Later he slowed down, and soon the motorcycle came into view and before long was passing him again. The young man on the motorcycle waved his hand and cried out as he passed the car a second time; "Say, do you know anything about a Lambretta." The man in the car this time did not resume the chase, thinking it was no use to race with a speed demon. Soon afterwards he came upon the Lambretta and its occupant piled up by the side of the road. As the young man disengaged himself from his motorcycle, the man in the car stopped and yelled out: "See there, you young smart aleck, where did it get you to show off, anyway?" Whereupon the slightly shaken up young motorcyclist retorted: "Who was showing off? I was merely asking you if you know anything about a Lambretta to tell me how to stop it." The same can happen to an inexperienced speaker; he may know how to start but not how to stop. In our case a sheet of paper is the best brake in the world. One mu.st first stop to reflect and then write it down. To perceive the kernel of a theme, we must first of all touch upon a few peripheral points on the subject at hand. A person seldom stops to consider what a word means. We are so accustomed to speak and converse that we do not even think about a situation that might arise when we cannot even utter a single word. A mute can best evaluate the value of the gift the spoken word. I speak of a gift because the spoken word is, in a sense, par t of a dowry bequeathed to us by the Creator. Think for a moment what a joyful event it is in a family circle when 4 SLOVAKIA a child comes out with its first word, which is somehow an integral part of every being as he says for the first time, 'Papa,' or 'Mama.' These first intelligible sounds are not only a pleasant surprise for the child's parents who gave him life, but a vital expression of his very being. The first words are important enough to be registered in a family album and an occasion for a family treat or celebration. Everyday life employs the spoken word as a usual, easy and effective means of communicatio n. The spoken word introduces us to the outside world, and works either for good or evil, according to one's inner motives and purposes. The word is a manifestation of our being and thoughts. If human thoughts are good and proper, so will be their outward expression, according to the saying: "What is in the heart is on the tip of our tongue.'' And Holy Scripture notes: "Out of the fullness of the heart the mouth speaketh." Imagine what our life would be like if we were limited to sign language. How far could we advance in civilization and culture? What would be our future destiny as thinking beings? On the other hand, how unbearable life would become if words were misused for lying, chicanery, deceit and instigation, or for indulging the passions and evil desires instead of being put to good use in promoting peace, justice and harmony in society. The meaning of the spoken word, like the written word, has a profound effect and has infinite range. We are aware of the fact that the Slovak spoken word reaches us and our fellow countrymen via radio broadcasts, e. g. from the Vatican, Radio Free Europe and other radio stations. I want to emphasize the Vatican Broadcast in that it unquestionab ly exercises widespread influence in the spiritual life of our Slovak countrymen in their native homeland. Until recently, dozens of letters came from listeners who expressed thanks for every word, declaring that the talks they heard were highly informative, enlightening and a powerful shield to defend themselves against the incessant tempest of anti-religious propaganda in the schools, from the press and radio, on television, in meetings of workingmen's associations, in army barracks, and reams of mis- SLOVAKIA 5 information in textbooks, etc. This is a vital factor in preserving truth and a sense of justice in a country where all the forces militate against what is just, what is right and truthful. For obvious reasons we cannot publicize these letters, but they indicate beyond a shadow of a doubt that they get the message despite many obstacles that are set up to prevent them from hearing the truth. Permit us to quote briefly from one of these letters that speaks for many: "You have no idea how eagerly we wait for your broadcast. We pass on the information to others who cannot listen. The spiritual message about the Christian way of life for the faithful who constitute the healthy kernel of our Slovak nation is like a falling rain on a desert in our land in which the official press is forever agitating and scandalous. During the recent lull in the anti-religious movement not even such prominent persons as Archbishop Necsey or Bishop Trochta were given the opportunity to express what was in their minds and hearts, as if they did not have anything worthwhile to say to their unseen television audience of millions of fellow countrymen." The written non-Slovak word that has as its subject the Slovak and his life in his native land, or abroad. whether in the original or as a translation, has exceedingly great value. For example, in English we find a series of publications that deal with Slovak themes: history, folklore, folk songs, science, sociology, and almost every phase of Slovak culture and art. Dr. Inovecky's books in Italian truthfully inform the Italian public about the situation of the Catholic Intelligentsia, youth, priests and nuns in Slovakia where they are subjected to atheistic attacks. Although defenseless, they must face a formidable and heavily armed foe who daily attacks them with a barrage of diabolical propaganda. Dr. :ourica, professor of political science at the University of Padua, in his works presents a true picture of our times in the light of historical analysis and perception with precision and conclusive proof, while contemporary Slovak historians in Slovakia under pressing orders from the Party (Communist) must twist, falsify, blacken and distort everything, particularly the events of the second world war and its aftermath. 6 SLOVAKIA A number of valuable works have been published, too, in German, Spanish, and French. For detailed information Professor Michael Lacko, S. J. edited a Slovak bibliography for the years from 1945 to 1965. This come off the press as the 7th volume of Slovak Studies under the auspices of the Slovak Institute (Cleveland-Rome). Works by the old and new generations of Slovak writers in exile have been simply overwhelming. As we all know, perhaps, the old emigrants from Slovakia left their native land mainly for economic reasons. They emigrated to find employment and to assure their future existence. Most of them came from villages where literary tastes usually had as yet not developed beyond the stage of the almanac and the prayerbook. This was much the same in their new environment where the prayerbook and almanac were read but with one notable exception: now they had their own Slovak newspapers. The new wave of emigrants, to which we belong (after World War II) was quite different; it was more idealistic and ideological, and without false pride, it may be said, too, that it was more educated. And therefore, this new generation of emigrants from Slovakia had more estethic and literary tastes, which soon necessitated the publication of books and the establishment of publishing centers to keep alive the fires of Slovak literary and spiritual life abroad. Alphabetically, we may list Buenos Aires, Chicago, Cleveland, Danville, Middletown, Pittsburgh and Scranton in Pennsylvania, Munich, New York, Passaic in New Jersey, Toronto in Canada, Valparaiso and the Slovak Franciscans; Whiting, Indiana, the home of the immortal Father Lach, a great patron of Slovak literature, and Winnipeg, Man., in Canada, where Culen published several noteworthy works. Rome, however, must be recognized for its primacy in the field of Slovak publications abroad, both because here is concentrated the largest single group of Slovak emigrant writers under the sponsorship of the SS. Cyril and Methodius Slovak Institute. To date, the number of editions here has totaled 142, in all more than 30,000 pages of the Slovak word in print. This amazing output of the Slovak press, considering the brief span of the existence of the Institute in Rome, as well as, bearing in mind what SLOVAKIA 7 obstacles it had to face and overcome, and new difficulties that keep on coming in its way, it is truly a priceless contribution to the spiritual treasury of the Slovak nation. Add to this fact, the Hlasy z Rima monthly over a period of almost twenty years (5,000 pages of printed matter), and you have a tremendous accomplishment which, to borrow a Biblical phrase in our case, these have worked long and perseveringly like the Israelites of old who in rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem worked with a tool in one hand and a weapon in the other to defend themselves against the enemy in the event of a sudden attack. Let us look at the contents and supplementary material of the Slovak word (written) abroad. Its primary and foremost inspiration is Slovakia and its people: the country, the nation, the history of the country and its people, state institutions, political movements and currents and economic conditions, then, too, the religious aspect and the situation of the people of faith, the activity of the Church and its spokesmen and leaders, Slovak philology, literary history and criticism, architecture, archeology, medicine, the arts, music, books, about Slovaks living abroad, philosophical handbooks, catechetical works, notably Bystrik's catechism, (Nova Cesta) homiletic sources for preachers of the Word of God in Slovak, especially the various revised editions of Sacred Scripture, liturgical texts and prayerbooks, biographies of heroic men, Christian meditations, and finally general works in prose and poetry. Obviously, this is a great treasure, a rich inheritance, an almost inexhaustible source of infinite variety that helps to keep alive the genuine spirit of the Slovak nation in its historic homeland, as well as far beyond its natural boundaries throughout all parts of the free world. Now it is easier to reply to the question: "Of what importance are our Slovak publications abroad?" At the very outset of our brief study, let us reflect upon the religious angle. It is no secret, neither an untruth, to declare that the regime now ruling Slovakia is not only unfriendly but inimical to religion, employing all of its machinery to destroy the religious life of the people after depriving them of every means of publication and communication to resist godless warfare upon their Faith. What little religious publication the regime tolerates is so negligible that it serves the state rather than the Church 8 SLOVAKIA or religion, as far the press is concerned. This applies to the Spolok sv . Vojtecha, which once was the chief source of religious instruction and religious literary publications for the common people, as well as for the intelligentsia, but at present its publishing activities in the religious program have been reduced almost to zero. Meanwhile, its resources are actually being misused in the planning of the Party system for abetting and supplementing its ideological struggle against religion all along the line. A liturgical renewal from which an intensification of the spiritual life was naturally expected was announced as necessary to those who believe in God. This, of course, went against the grain of an actively aggressive atheism. Permission for paper and printing for this purpose advanced at a snail's pace and virtually came to a standstill as government requisition failed to materialize. Quite surprisingly, but soon fully understood, was a motherly concern by the atheistic regime to preserve the Latin liturgy intact, it was fearful of the introduction of the vernacular because the language of the people would strengthen the position of the church. Meanwhile, the Slovak Institute of SS. Cyril and Methodius in Rome edited and published a complete Slovak-Latin Missal which, under the circumstances (the result of Divine Providence actually), the civil authorities in Slovakia could not refuse entry because that would have given them a bad image abroad. Thus, the liturgical movement gained momentum and reached all parishes and became at the same time a manifestation of the strong faith of the people and a source of spiritual nourishment. In Rome a Slovak missal appeared in the latest postconciliar form and is now in use in Slovak parishes outside Slovakia. This has not only activated a spiritual renewal among the Slovak faithful abroad but has assured the preservation of the Slovak language in various parts of the free world, which is indirectly a vital contribution to the entire Slovak nation. Last year, only because of pressure from abroad, an edition of new canons for the Mass was published in Slovakia. Our people in Slovakia were unable to obtain prayerbooks to strengthen them morally and spiritually in their everyday struggle for their temporal as well as for their SLOVAKIA 9 ~piritual welfare. They, therefore, begged their brethren abroad not for bread but rather for prayerbooks that were denied them in their own native land. Their more fortunate brethren heeded their plea even though it required sacrifices beyond the call of duty . . . and for this the public activists in Slovakia ought to be grateful, too, because prayer contributes to public morality, to borrow a contemporary and timely phrase. Moreover, morality suffers a sharp decline where prayer ceases. The people who work most conscientously in our native country are certainly those who pray ... and, thank God, there are few exceptions, if any. If the rulers of our country were not blinded by their fanatical hatred of God and religious beliefs, we could suggest a helpful program, namely, to give the people more prayerbooks, assuring them that then the morale of the workers everywhere would improve considerably and the working standards would increase, too, because a vital religious faith is a source of action: it inevitably inspires an optimistic attitude and fosters initiative. Without these primary principles there cannot be spontaneous and fruitful productivity. Ideological atheism in practice spawns laziness, indifference, indolence, and exploitation, in fact, to put it bluntly, eventually it robs both the individual and society. For the above cited reasons the majority of Slovak tourists from abroad sought to bring into Slovakia, particularly during the year before the Soviet invasion of 1968, a generous supply of prayerbooks and religious literature. The spiritual hunger of the Slovak people, subjected to a planned scarcity of religious sources of the printed word, was satisfied temporarily, at least, by a welcome influx of books, which offered conclusive proof or evidence that there was a universal need for religious literature as the result of anti-religious policies of the governing regime. At the same time, it manifested beyond any doubt that the best part of the people understood the need and value of such books for their temporal and spiritual welfare. Karel Havlicek-Borovsky who said many obscene things elsewhere, did, however, express something nice about books as being "a universal school, a school for young and old, a school with many wise teachers." If he really meant 'good' books, he certainly deserves an A plus. SLOVAKIA Dr. Montaigne consiqered books to be the best preparation for life's journey, and he felt pity for all who did not possess books. In our times, he would have felt sorry, too, for those who are forced to read books that are contrary to their way of sound thinking. Ruskin wrote that books are as necessary to man as wings for a bird. And in this respect the Slovak book abroad became practically the only means for a Christian training of our Slovak youth in their native homeland. The various catechisms for old and young, life stories of virtuous young men and women, reflections on various themes for the sophisticated, e. g., Hlinka's works (K sirsim obzorom -To wider horizons and Cesty-Highways) are rich sources from which all may benefit, both those who are being trained and the trainers themselves personally. In no way it is rash or a breach of confidence to statethat Marxism-Leninism, as we know it so far, has has not proved successful in the development or the advancement of man. While on a state visit to Hungary the late Khruschev said quite frankly in jest (but truthfully at any rate ) that Russian specialists were unable to train even a young ox, it was enough for the animal to start kicking, the Ukrainian politician said, and the socalled experts scattered in all directions. Particularly in the training of youth the communist system proved to be a failure, for which we have more evidence than is necessary to prove our point. If the communist (Marxist-Leninist) system accomplished something it has been one-sided and doubtful because it does not consider the whole person: it ignores his religious instincts and warps his moral nature. It knows only how to harness instincts and human resources to serve its own perverse purposes and designs. Unfortunately, this is not the place nor the time to dwell upon the moral condition of the Slovak youth today. I will leave the discussion to authorities on the subject and hope that they will devote more time to study the situation in depth and give a more factual and detailed report at some future date. Slovak editions abroad are a great help to our students in their own country. The well known 'scripts' of profes- SLOVAKIA 11 sors-primarily in the theological schools-are far from complete, if for no other reason than that they are lacking in proper information on the subject and they ignore the development of reasoning and leave out the basic fundamentals of theological and philosophical truths. Theologians in the city of Bratislava have various handbooks at their disposal, even though concise, for teaching philosophy, theology, sociology and the Bible, both the Old and New Testament. Undoubtedly, many are acquainted with the works, "Posolstvo--Mission," and "Za svetlom-Towards the Light" by dedicated men like Msgr. Botek and Msgr. Vrablec. Authoritative handbooks, though lacking much in details, are still far superior to mere 'scripts.' Not even in the field of prose, simply literature, is our group of authors in exile out of step with the times . This fact was admitted in Slovakia when there was some freedom of speech, and when, for a short time several years ago, publications in the country were permitted without being subject to orders 'from above.' Dante's Inferno was translated about the same time both in and outside of Slovakia. In my opinion, in many ways, the translation in exile excelled the domestic edition. The translation and selections of Claudel's poetry in exile, too, are far better than that of the edition in Slovakia. It was not without ulterior motives, therefore, that Karol Strmen, author of the above mentioned translations, became the subject of a virulent attack in the domestic press of Slovakia. Hronsky's original novels and short stories, written and published in exile, were admitted for publication in his native homeland. Meciar's critical reviews of Kukucin's works, too, were permitted entry as a source of vital information about this Slovak novelist who lived in Argentina for many years. The Most quarterly and the Slovak v Amerike's Almanach somehow get into Slovakia and are circulated throughout the country. Slovak poems from abroad are copied and circulated, memorized and recited in closed circles. This, too, belongs to popular education, esthetics, literature, etc. as an answer to those who would deny 12 SLOVAKIA not only political and religious liberty but cultural freedom to the Slovak nation in its native homeland. A word about the meaning and mission of Slovak political literature abroad, particularly for these reasons: 1) In the free world alone can one express himself freely in behalf of the self-determination of the Slovak nation, and nations in the same predicament, or for freedom to manifest its will to control its own national destiny. 2) The truth can be spoken, written and proved in the free world alone as to the past history of the Slovak nation in the light of the facts and truth without fear of police interference and judicial reprisals. We are responsible for the destiny of our Slovak nation that cannot, at this time under the present circumstances, know the full truth of its past because the truth is hidden or falsified and distorted in behalf of the party in power. That is why the Slovak nation is thankful to God that beyond the reach of the politbureau events as they actually happen are factually reported and registered without any pressure from directives or threats from the Party meetings. These are the reasons why I recommend that we have a common center for our historic and political publications of our writers abroad, and no one can hold this against me, justly, that is. A common and mutual endeavor is our responsibility because history-life's teacher-must also be a teacher in our political life. 'I'he late Matus cernak, Karol Sidor, Dr. Frantisek Hrusovsky and Konstantin culen, as well as the living, namely, Professor Vojtech Bucko, Dr. Arved Grebert, Kristof Greiner, Dr. Ferdinand i'.>urcansky, Dr. Jozef Kirschbaum, Dr. Jozef Mikus, Dr. Jozef Pauco, Dr. Jan Rekem, Professor Frantisek Vnuk and many, many others in our Slovak life have made invaluable contributions to the Slovak nation's cause, and to the world in general, by their numerous efforts and achievements. All these will someday provide inexhaustible sources for those who will write the history of Slovakia and the Slovak nation without any bias or prejudice. The future will be concerned not only with historic events but with the truth about personalities who come LIBRARY SLOVAKIA 13 to the fore in the re-creation of history as it actually happened. For example, the history of Hlinka or Tiso, and of their closest collaborators, and adversaries, too, can now be known only in the writings of authors in the free world because in their homeland a furious campaign to erase their names from history pages, a hate campaign to smear their names and to eliminate them as persons who in their time exercised profound influence. That must be adequately evaluated in Slovak history in the future. Personal biographical profiles sketched by the pens of Dr. Pauco, Bor and others in the free world will one day hold a place of honor in the national album of the great men in the history of the Slovak nation and its historic homeland of a thousand and more years. Finally, the meaning of the Slovak word, written, spoken, in exile, and somewhat exemphasized, perhaps, will one day be understood and properly evaluated in the future when the Slovaks will once again control their national destiny as a free nation in central Europe. The governing regime in Slovakia has unwittingly given public testimony of the intrinsic value of the Slovak word from abroad. The Postal Center 120 in Praha put a ban on Slovak periodicals and publications from abroad and has consistently returned or destroyed the Slovak printed word from the free world. The first document presented here is that of the postal administration addressed to the sender of a parcel of books. I submit it fully with the exception of the name of the publication and the date to prevent tracing the source of my information. It reads: Posta Praha 120. In Prague, date ... Dear Sir, Dear sirs, We inform you that your inclosed postal parcel contains, among other items, the following publication: .. . The entry and circulation of such publications is prohibited by a law on publication and information, given on the basis of Law 23, No. 8/ 1966 Sb., relating to periodicals, publications and other informational mediums according to Law No. 23, 127/1968, Sb. That is why these publications were forbidden postal delivery. Items not admitted for postal delivery fall under Par. 6, Art. 4 of the official regulation No. 240/1949, Sb. under postal laws for the welfare of the state. Greeting-Peace to the world. 14 SLOVAKIA The refusal is officially stamped: "Posta Praha 120". Instead of a signature, there is only the letter K. When such restrictions of freedom of expression are based upon so many laws or regulations, this campaign against the means of formation or information, the spiritual isolation of the people cannot be anything less than illegal legislation and legal spiritual homicide. The second document even more graphically illustrates opposition against religion, which, apparently to all intents and purposes, the state is developing in a legalistic form. It reads: Dissemination of information garnered from foreign publications. Letter and disposition of the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Socialist Republic, N. MK, 4525/1971 of June 17. 1971. To all the centers of church and religious bodies in Slovakia. Through assorted channels a variety of foreign periodicals and publications dealing with religious and church problems have been brought into the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, whose contents in many cases are biased and in conflict with the interests of our socialist state. Their evaluation has shown that they contain articles which untruthfully and rudely slander the CSSR. Future distribution or circulations of such materials, or any part thereof, is not permitted. This regulation also is in force in regards to the distribution or publication of certain informative instructions, etc., whether by internal religious organs, in official bulletins or in any form whatsoever. We warn that any activity that is contrary to the interest of socialist society is a misdemeanor, according to P. 5, Law No. 150/1969, Sb. We direct that you inform all branches subject to your authority of the contents of these instructions. K. Homola, Secretary General and Director for Church Affairs. This communique (signed by K. Homola) in general refers to "foreign" periodicals and publications, as if it avoided labeling them properly "Slovak," but which subsequently became clear because only these were returned by the postal outhorities with the words: "Non admis ... Not admitted ... " Later the explanation in French was added: "Returned. Violates Custom Regulations." Attempts to obtain official copies of the specific government regulations in order to comply with the law have been in vain. Non-admittance of publications from the outside world is now absolute and arbitrary. The returned publications with the official stamp of rejection attached have been filed in the archives of Slovak organizations 15 SLOVAKIA as real proofs and evidence for the future of the present spiritual enslavement of the people by the ruling regime for which the light of truth is obviously a much-feared scarecrow. The dialectics of the communist party defines everything as "biased" if it does not come off its own press, if it fails to idolize Marxism-Leninism, if it does not propagate the idea of the world revolution of the proletariat, etc. Of course, this type of "bias" is detrimentally opposed to the interests of a socialist state, namely the CSSR. Note that even 'internal church information and instructions from abroad' constitute misdemeanors if distributed (if they are not favorable to the spread of communism) because by the very fact they are not pro, they must be con-according to the borrowed Biblical phrase, "Who is not for me, is against me . . ." twisted to suit their own ends and purposes! Someone once observed that the burning of books furnishes light in darkness. We can surely applay this remark in the case of Slovak books arriving at postal centers in Czecho-Slovakia, particularly in Prague. Their fate may be that they are merely censored and confiscated, then returned to the sender, but more often consigned officially to be burned. Despite this, they continue to have their influence. The fear, in official circles of Czecho• Slovakia, of the Slovak word from abroad is clearly a case of a bad conscience. I conclude this review of past events with reference to a recent article in our press in Slovakia that labelled Slovak emigration as a dry, lifeless branch of the Slovak nation. How much or little truth there is in that arbitrary <;tatement an unprejudiced person can easily determine. lil THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA through its Ladies luud.liary, the "VCIELKY" (Bees), sponsors Slovak cultttrai displays. concerts, lectures, art exhibits, folk festjvals, social evenings, etc. Our aim is to have a "Hive" of our "V~ielky" in every large Slovak community.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Slovak Word Abroad Description An account of the resource Gorazd Zvonický Slovakia, Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973 pp. 3-15 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Zvonický, Gorazd, 1913-1995 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 LCNAF https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/51c144843ab1fd6e3714598095f41efa.pdf 8f723c282c925d723462bda5c3268e96 PDF Text Text �SLOVAKIA VOLUME XXIII • 1973 • N0.46 Editor JOSEPH PAUCO, Ph.D. LIBRARY Maranatha Bapti. t .t5ible College W a tert isconsin Published by THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA 313 Ridge Avenue • Middletown, Pennsylvania 17057 �Printed by JEDNCYI'A PRINTEJRY, Middletown, Pennsylvania, U. S. A. � �SLOVAKIA VOLUME XXIII • 1973 • N0.46 Editor JOSEPH PAUCO, Ph.D. LIBRARY Maranatha Bapti. t .t5ible College W a tert isconsin Published by THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA 313 Ridge Avenue • Middletown, Pennsylvania 17057 �Printed by JEDNCYI'A PRINTEJRY, Middletown, Pennsylvania, U. S. A. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1973, Vol. 23 Description An account of the resource Vol. 23 (No. 46), 1973. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document SLOVAKIA VOLUME XXIII • 1973 • N0.46 Editor JOSEPH PAUCO, Ph.D. LIBRARY Maranatha Bapti. t .t5ible College W a tert isconsin Published by THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA 313 Ridge Avenue • Middletown, Pennsylvania 17057 Printed by JEDNCYI'A PRINTEJRY, Middletown, Pennsylvania, U. S. A.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Front Matter, Slovakia, Vol. 23 (No. 46) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973 https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/5c84ba193349ca8be719af99811dfa73.pdf 026bfe83c00414990c13fcfa434d188c PDF Text Text 210 SLOVAKIA CURRENT ISSUES RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED AT CONFERENCE OF THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA IN NEW YORK CITY, MAY 19, 1973 Your Holiness: In the name of more than 350,000 American-Slovaks, the greater majority Catholic, and supporting the Slovak League of America and its cultural and civic programs, we extend cordial greetings. We appreciate your efforts and dedication to obtain equal rights for all Catholics and to continue the ecumenical co-operation with all Christians and believers throughout the whole world. We also present to you a petition asking that you give particular attention to the land of our forefathers-Slovakia -cradle in 833 of Christianity in Central Europe and ever devotedly loyal to the Holy See. Notwithstanding this historic fact, Slovakia, oppressed by the atheistic Soviet regime in civil affairs, lacks, in the spiritual domain, its own province, does not have a single archbishop and for so long a time, no Slovak has achieved cardinalhood. Of course, Slovak Catholics share their sufferings with their Lutheran and Greek Catholic brethren. We respectfully suggest that Slovakia be accorded similar recognition as Bohemia, Moravia, Slovenia, Croatia and many other countries in Africa and Asia. We are confident that among dedicated and oppressed Slovak clergy can be found an archbishop to lead a Slovak ;irovince as in days gone by. Such a magnanimous gesture would invigorate all Slovaks at home as well as here in America. We believe that your Holiness by such a decision will strengthen us and thus fortify our fidelity to the Vatican and reverence to the throne of St. Peter. Very respectfully and sincerely, Edward J. Behuncik, President Dr. Joseph Pauco, Secretary Dear Mr. President: The Slovak League of America on the occasion of its 1973 Conference here in New York extends cordial greetings. We hope you will continue to enjoy good health and achieve even greater success in your efforts on behalf of all citizens of whatever origin. We unequivocally endorse your stand in Vietnam and welcome your policy in Europe and Asia. As you are well aware, our origins are in Central Europe, in �SLOVAKIA 211 Slovakia, which has a more than 1100 year Christian history and which for many centuries, excepting a brief period, has lived in subjugation. Now, Slovakia is in its fifth year of Soviet occupation and deprivation by the communists of all human, spiritual and political rights. So, today, we again respectfully request that you, individually as our leader, as well as your entire administration, continue to remember Slovakia and the other oppressed nations behind the Iron Curtain. All thes•e subjugated peoples seek and des·erve statehood and democratic freedom such as we in the United States are so fortunate to enjoy. In your discussions with the leaders of the totalitarian world, we ask that you give high priority to this humane cause. W!! are confident that if permitted free elections, our brethren in Slovakia would officially confirm their dedication and devotion to the United States of America as the stalwart guardian of human freedoms . Most Sincerely, Edward J. Behuncik, President Dr. Joseph Pauco, Secretary DECLARATION ADOPTED AT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE SLOVAK WORLD CONGRESS HELD IN CHICAGO ON JUNE 30TH 1973 The representatives of Slovaks abroad gathered at the General Assembly of the Slovak World Congress, held in Chicago on June 28-30th, 1973, adopted the following Declaration: (1) We consider ourselves an integral part of the Slovak people. We are conscious of our co-responsibility for their destiny and for their contribution to the overall culture of humanity. (2) We claim for the Slovak nation, on the basis of its national individuality, recognition for an equal status with other sovereign nations of the world. (3) We deny any Great Power the right to interfere with the destiny of the Slovak people and to integrate Slovakia in other states or zones of influence which are opposed to the will of the Slovak people and their national interests. We consider such actions, condemned as they are by all civilized people of the world, to be a violation of the Charter of the United Nations. (4) We demand the departure of all occupation forces from Central Europe in order that, after more than a quarter �212 SLOVAKIA of a century since the end of the War, the nations of that area can finally govern themselves. (5) As representatives of a nation conscious of its responsibility towards others, we consider the principles of democracy and humanism the basis for peace and co-operation among the peoples of the world. (6) On these principles alone, life in freedom and a free culture can develop in Slovakia according to the traditions of the Slovak people and in harmony with the progress of the world. PHILIP A. HROBAK YEAR January 10, 1974 marked the tenth anniversary of the death of Philip A. Hrobak, and on May 1, 1974 we will mark the seventieth anniversary of his birth. These special dates impel us to honor his memory in a special way. He was one of the most deserving of our cultural and civic workers from among the many American-born Slovaks and one who dedicated himself to the Slovak cause since early manhoJd. Philip A. Hrobak, as a newspaperman, writer, histocian, linguist, fraternalist and organizer rose to heights in American Slovak life. His contributions to the Slovak cause in both English and Slovak are most noteworthy and memorable in Slovak history. Therefore, the Slovak League of America deems it a special honor to be able to lend itself to the legacy of Philip A. Hrobak. Not only did he honorably serve as a long time editor of JEDNOTA, as the founder and editor of "Slovak Newsletters," "Jednota Annual Furdek" and "Slo·v akia", but also as a distinguished President and member of the Executive Committee of the Slovak League of America-all this is his eternal monument. Bowing before his genius, we turn to our Slovak people and we seek recognition in 1974 of the unfinished dreams of Philip A. Hrobak and so-licit continued help in proving that we i>..re all worthy followers of this g,r eat son of our people. For the Slovak League of America, the year 1974 will be the time of increased activity, as he idealized and set by his example. In tribute to his linguistic talents, we can have the opportunity to help build a strong scholarship fund for the League, because the main purpose of this fund is to preserve and enhance, as he desired, the Slovak conscience in America. Surely, there cannot be any American Slovak who would not make his or her contribution to our scholarship fund in memory of Philip .A. Hirobak. The Slovak League of America also feels compelled to follow the �SLOVAKIA 213 footsteps of Philip A. Hrobak in other fields. In the firat place, we must preserve and continue with the annual "Slovakia", we must daily and fairly continue to inform the American public of the ideals and accomplishments of the American Slovaks, and we must continue our cl-forts to renew the rightful place of the Slovak nation as an independent unit in the family of nations. These were the goals of Philip A. Hrobak, and our Slovak League has so proceeded in the last ten years since we with heavy hearts bid a sad farewell to our never-forgotten leader. With prayer, with labor, and with sacrifices we thus honor this meritocious Slovak son. May the memory of Philip A. Hrobak be perpetual. Edward J. Behuncik, President Dr. Joseph Pauco, Secretary As the others see it represented. What to me is more worse, is the attempt to sublimate the Slovaks into the Czech people. That's why we hear about a 'Czechoslovak nation'. It does not exists! Czecho-Slovakia is a political entity of two nations - the Czechs and the Slovaks. I never think of myself as Czech. I am Slovak and nothing else."- Rev. John Zornan, President of the Slovak Zion Synod, "What kind of man is Alex Del- National News, Pittsburgh, Pa., vecchio? (Playing for Detroit Red August 1, 1973. Wings.) He's middle aged, 41. A guy who you can't get in an "Despite the courage and per• argument with. His salt-and-pepper severance the Slovaks and other gray hair is impeccably coiffured peoples of Eastern Europe have around round Eastern European displayed time and again in their face (his late mother was a Slovak; relentless search for internal liberhis father Italian.)" - Bob Naylor, ties and external sovereignty, they Detroit Free Press, December 9, cannot achieve their goals without 1973. outside help. It is our duty, and only in keeping with our own "The idea of 'Slovak Heritage' is to extend our support. The ideals, quite intriguing to me. It implies world will not know genuine that we have one. Looking at hisevery country enjoys tory books, however, you might peace until freedom and can exercise the right have doubts. Even when discussing to self-determination. Central Europe, the Slovaks as a "The history of Slovakia is one nation are often forgotten or mis- "Call a Slovak Czechoslovak and you plant a burr under his skin. To a Slovak, named for a geograph• ic region divided by the wars and politics, that frequent error is more than just misnomer; it conveys a complete historical misunderstanding of who he is." - Sue Morse, The Herald Statesman, Yonkers, N. Y., November 30, 1973. �214 SLOVAKIA of turmoil, frustration, and heroic struggle. Your continued devotion to the cause of a free and independent Slovakia - despite hundreds of years of oppression - is an inspiration to those of us who cherish freedom as you do. These are the characteristics that help us, in maintaining a better and stronger America. "The existence of the World Congress is an important step in achieving your long delayed place among the family of the free naRobert P. Hanrahan, tions." Member of Congress. U.S. Senator Adlai E. Stevenson. "I am sure all of the American Slovaks sincerely wish to acknowledge the plight of their brethren under Communist oppression. The Slovak people strongly pursue the course that someday freedom will reign in all corners of the world. People of America need to be remainded of the severe repressing of Communist-held nations of the world endure." - U.S. Senator Hugh Scott. "Slovaks of Cleveland brought many Christmas customs from the old country, notably the custom of caroling. Among the most cherished Slovak folk songs are those sung at Christmas time. These carols are sung not only in churches, but also in the homes of the faithful, no matter how many generations they have lived here." - Sun Herald, Cleveland, 0., December 20, 1973. "We must re-dedicate ourselves to cause of all captives of Communism. Recognizing that the world cannot enjoy peace until all peoples are free from yoke of Communism. Please continue your dedication to the traditions, cultural life, religious beliefs, and desire for independence on behalf of Slo"There is a strong feeling of vak people everywhere."- Edward awareness among some ethnic J. Derwinski, Member of Congress. members of the younger generation. "I do want you to know I share There are also strong indications your commitment to the Slovak that the melting pot concept can people and to strengthening the no longer be maintained and that ties with their sons and daughters America is beginning to recognize throughout the world. I know we and appreciate the diversity of its will not falter in our efforts to ethnic populations in terms of a insure that no people need face re- new cultural pluralism."- Dr. Goy, pression and indignity as a result a member of City College's library of their yearning to be free." - faculty, New York, N. Y. �SLOVAKIA 215 -------------- WHO'S WHO Among American Slovaks JOSEPH C. K RAJ SA It was a mark of social maturity when the Chamber of Commerce of the Greater Harrisburg Area decided to have "Slovak power" for its presidency. Such is progress that it is hardly news anymore when a second-generation American of ethnic background and working-class origins becomes the leader of the town's top capitalists. Pardon us, Karl Marx. Joseph Charles Krajsa is the 60th president of the Harrisburg Chamber. He is so ethnic that more than half the Chamber's members can't pronounce his name correctly: It is "Crysa," and Anglicized it would mean "nicer." Well beyond his own physical size - 6-foot-1 and 240 pounds Krajsa is a big man. He was manager of the Allentown Finance Co. for 14 years, which is owned by his older brother, John. He has the equivalent of two college degrees and has a speaking knowledge of seven languages. He was an outstanding football, baseball and basketball coach for 11 years. And, lastly, he served as auditor and vice president of the First Catholic Slovak Union, and is now the editor of its bilingual weekly, Jednota, and manager of the Jednota home, farm and printery. Very much a Slovak as a warm convivial person, Krajsa also is a Rotarian, Elk, Legionaire and democrat. He once was a topflight golfer who won country-club trophies. "I find more businessmen in this Chamber, for example, wanting to be more human, wanting to share their good fortune," he said. "The single-minded emphasis on economics has diminished. A person must be involved politically, socially and religiously, as well as economically, to be well-rounded, and more and more businessmen understand that." Krajsa, 56, grew up in Allentown. His father was a wire-worker from Skalica in Slovakia and emigrated to America in 1906. Old Joe Krajsa married a girl living here, Agnes Baranek, a native of Horna Krupa, Slovakia. He built his own home and started a corner grocery. Everybody knew and loved the Krajsas. "Put it on the book," or "na knizku," they said as Father Krajsa had a credit book, so the neighborhood could have its groceries. One of the articles in Krajsa's published Furdek 1974 is entitled "Slovaks Are Lovers." The author asserts, "Slovak mothers can equally match the 'Good Jewish Mother' of book fame." A Slovak mother will say to her daughter, "Ja som t'a nevychovala, aby si behala za muzami," or "I didn'-t raise you to go chasing after men." Many Slovaks came to America between 1880 and 1920, with most of them settling here between 1900 and 1910. Thousands settled in Pennsylvania, and the men became the muscle of this commonwealth's steel, coal and railroading indus- �216 SLOVAKIA tries. Of Slovak descent are Astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, Penn State's great lineman, Mark Markovich; Will Hartack, Chuck Bednarik, Johnny Bucha and George Blanda. Stan Musial is half-Polish and half-Slovak. Blanda's mother is president of the Jednota lodge in Youngwood. There were 277 scattered Slovak fraternal organizations and widoworphan funds when in 1890 the Rev. Stephen Furdek, of Cleveland, organized the national union called Jednota (the word means union, or united). Nineteen years later the Middletown property of the aristocrat Simon Cameron Young was purchased for $38,000. What originally was 298 acres is now 255 acres, but worth well over one million dollars. The old orphanage, now phased out, cared for 4,000 children in its history. The newspaper Krajsa edits and writes for has a circulation of 40,000. Jednota also publishes 15 book titles annually. It is building a million dollar printery. Krajsa was elected editor for a three-year term in 1964, and he keeps being re-elected. He arrived in Middletown when Olmsted Air Force Base was closing, so immediately he plunged into civic activity. It got him involved in Chamber of Commerce work, and he did so well that the Chamber named him president last October. Krajsa had a typical Americanimmigrant family upbringing. He did well in his studies. He captained Allentown Central Catholic High School's basketball team, was center on the football team and pitched for the baseball team. He went on to East Stroudsburg State College, where he was a stellar athlete, and then was a Navy chief petty officer in World War II. After the war, he married Romanza Fairman, from Kansas City, and settled in Allentown. He put in 11 years at Central Catholic High lurning in several state championship teams and ending up as athletic director. Meanwhile, he was in the finance business, too. The Krajsas have four children: Joe, in insurance, Mike, administrative assistant in the Agriculture Department; Maryagnes, assistant to the Dauphin County Democratic chairman, and George, an athlete at Middletown High. Krajsa's desire for the Chamber of Commerce is a Slovak's wish for more unity, more strength of purpose and more aggressiveness for the community. "We can get unity and not take a thing away from anybody," he said looking toward the West Shore. He believes that the county line should be easier to cross than the ethnic line over which his presidency already has triumphed. Paul B. Beers, Associated Editor The Evening News Harrisburg, Pa. THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA heartily commends all efforts of our governmental and other organs to ferret out and unmask all Communists and fellow travellers, as well as all persons and organizations who wittingly or unwittingly give aid and comfort to the conspiracy of Communism promoted by the Soviet Union. �SLOVAKIA - 217 Book Reviews Books on Slovakia and Slovaks Reviewed by Prof. J. M. Kirschbaum writes about the Czech l.'esistance during the last years of the War. Three contributions deal with the Slovak problem. Hans Kaiser writes about integration of Slovakia into national socialist war economy; In this carefully edited volume, Ladislav Lipscher examines the in12 German scholars and specialists fluence of the Third Reich on the in Czecho-Slovak affairs analyze the policy of the Slovak government eventful year of 1945 in Czecho- with regard to the Jewish problem, Slovakia. Some of the contributors and Jorg K. Hoensch gives a generare known as experts in the prob- al survey of the situation in Slovalems of Eastern Europe. Others kia in 1945. specialized in the German-Czech The remaining contributions deal relations or in the Slovak problem. with the transfer of the Sudeten Since until recently the German Germans and its consequences (Pescholars avoided publishing the re- ter Burian); with rebuilding of the sults of their research on Czecho- Communist Party of Czecho-SlovaSlovakia, their views will be of lda in 1945 (Heinrich Kuhn); with interest for schoiars in the West. the constitutional problems in The volume gives a survey of Czecho-Slovakia in 1945 (Helmut international, national and socio- Slapnicka); and with the integraeconomic problems in Czecho-Slova- tion of the Sudeten German expelkia in 1945, but two contributions, lees in Germany. The book provides abundant inone by Ferdinand Seibt, and the other by Karl Bosl, outline the formation on each topic and referhistorical background of boundary ences to sources used indicate that problems and basic information on German scholars weve dealing with the division of Germany by the their subjects with great effort to present an objective picture of Allies. Further contributions deal with Czecho-Slovakia in 1945. Their Czecho-Slovakia itself during the views and conclusions will, thereWar and her l'estoration in 1945. fore, be at variance with some Peter Kruger gives a survey of the Western specialists in East Central views of the Allies on Czecho-Slo- ; Europe, including the emigre Czech vakia from the Atlantic Charter to j historians. Czecho-Slovakia has the Potsdam Conference; Martin K. been presented in the West during Bachstein outlines the policy of I the past decades with evident relithe social democratic exiles from ance on Czech sources and favoring Czecho-Slovakia and Detlef Brandes I the Czechs. Especially Slovakia was Karl Bosl: Das Jahr 1945 in der Tschechoslowakei, Vortrag,e der wissenschaftlichen Tagung des Collegium Carolinum, R. Oldenbourg, Mlinchen-Wien, 1971, 316 p. �218 SLOVAKIA treated with bias, mostly as a "postscriptum" to Czech history, and the cruel and often inhuman treatment of minorities or political adversaries was overlooked. German scholars endeavored to be factual and objective and since some of them were born or raised in Czecho-Slovakia, their knowledge of the prob!ems discussed in their contribution cannot be doubted. Nevertheless, they present a German view, because nobody can separate himself fr.om his own background and personal or national experience. · And the manner in which Prague solved the Sudeten German problem in 1945 was bound to create deep resentiment and animosity, which is not easy to overcome. Slovakia is treated in the book with more understanding and impa.rtiality than is the usual case in Western historiography; there is nevertheless certain bias in all three contributors "with regard to the Slovak republic, including the article ·by Jorg Hoensch. Hoensch published two well researched books on Slovakia in the past but, in many instances, adopted the Czech or the Slovak Marxist view of the wartime Slovakia. This also occurred in his present contribution which is well researched and refers also to Slovak emigre political literature. Nevertheless, some conclusions were made by Hoensch on assumptions and not on facts. For instance, his view that "the majority of the Slovak leading strata and, even more, the large masses of the population believed during the war that their social ,i nterest and political rights would be better preserved in the restored Czechoslovakia" and that the Slovak Republic "could not give proof -of its viability (Lebensfiihigkeit)" is a part of Czech and Communist propaganda which was recen_tly contradicted and abandoned even by Slovak Marxist historians (see books by L. Liptak and S. Falt'an). Likewise is disputable his statement that the "Slovak population accepted with equal passivity the introduction of the peoples democracy and the declaration of the Slovak Republic." The enthusiastic manifestations in Slovakia in 1939 can hardly be compared with the fear from rape, confiscation, deportation and hiding in cellars which ·could be witness in Slovakia ' during the first months of the restoration of Czecho-Slovakia. Also treated in the volume are two important problems for Slovakia during the war years: the integration of Slovakia into the German war economy and the policy of the Slovak government with regard to the Jewish problem. Hans Kaiser deals with the first topic and gives a well researched survey of the impact of Germany on Slovak economy, and of the pressures used by Berlin on the Slovak government. Kaiser's contribution is the first one in the West to deal expertly · with the subject. So far, only the Marxist historians or economists published studies on the economic situation in Slovakia during th e War and their approach was a priori hostile. The views of the members of the Slovak government and Slovak economists who did not side with the regime imposed upon Slovakia in 1945, are buried in the archives of the "people's courts" and only in part were published by Slovak emigre politicians and writers. The picture of Slovak :war economy presented by Kaiser cannot, therefore, be without flaws. It is, in any case, a useful basis for further research and full presentation of the economic development of Slovakia during the Second , World War. �SLOVAKIA · 219 The third contributio n dealing I Horst Glass!: Die slowakische Geschichtswis senschaft nach 1945 with Slovakia touches on the prob(Slovak Historiogra phy After !em which harmed Slovaks and 1945), Otto Harrassowi tz, Wies their reputation in the world, but baden, 1971, 166 pages, Register. the11e were only a few attempts to put the policy of the Slovak governThe author and the publisher of ment towa!'ds Jews into a proper this book deserve recognition for perspective. making available to Western scholars and students of history an Lipscher's contributio n analyzes objective survey of Slovak historithe influence of the Third Reich on ography after 1945. Except for that policy on the basis of G€rman short summaries in one or two archives and partly also on the foreign languages, writings of Slohave been published Slovak sources. In comparison vak historians 1945 exclusively in Slovak since with many articles published on and, as such, they have remained this subject in the West, Lipscher's inaccessible to most of foreign hiscontributio n is marked by an effort torians. Glassl's book provides at to present the policy of the Slovak least those Western historians who impartial governmen t more objectively and read German with an phy and historiogra Slovak at look with considerab le restraint from during blaming only the Slovak govern- its remarkable developme nt decades. two past the ment in harsh terms, as has been the case until now. Lipscher does The book is the result of a thornot make any reference to sources ough research in Slovakia itself. of Slovak emigre historians and The author compiled considerab le political writers who dealt with the knowledge of writings on Slovak subject and he recognized that the history by both the old traditionalproblem would require further ist and the recent Marxist historistudy. This indicates that he enIn his attempt to give an obans. deJvored to approach the problem pictul'e he points to the jective wi th impartiality and, as a result, and ideological interrestrictions his contributio n may be a beginwhich Slovak histounder ference ning of dealing with the tragedy or remain silent write to had rians of Jews in Slovakia with more "It lasted 1956. until 1948 after understand ing of the circumstan ces "before Glassl, says years," several and pressures under which the developthe that possible was it Slovaks could not save more Jewment of Slovak historiogra phy and ish citizens than they did. research could come up with noA complete review of this volume ticeable results. Under the pressure would, of course, require to deal of the circumstan ces in those years with all the other contributio ns (Slovak) histo1ians had to take into which give a survey of many prob- considerati on the political goals lems in the Czech part of Czecho- and requiremen ts. The Communist Slovakia, and analyze the relations Party which took over power in between Czechs and G€rmans in- Czecho-Slovakia required complete cluding the expulsion, often under re-writing of the whole historiinhuman circumstan ces, of the Su- ography acco11ding to Marxist crideten Germans. teria ... many historians were fired �220 SLOVAKIA from their positions, and some of works on Slovakia. The author made undoubtedly a very thorough th,em were even sent to jails." On the other hand, the author research into the writings and publications of Slovak historians and underlines that there was a remarkable development of Slovak produced a standard work on a historiography since the War either high academic level. in the number of books published or in the number of institutes and people involved in research. Unlike Marxist or some Western historians, Glass! also states that "during the period of the Slovak Republic (]939-1945) , there was a fruitful development in the field of historical research even though the war was not the right time for a successful build-up of this discipline." He considers it as wrong and unjust of the Marxist historians to belittle the results of this period in research into the history of Slovakia. Glass! also refers to the writings of Slovak scholars in Western countries but for some reason he became acquainted only with the works published by Prof. M. Lacko and with one book and one essay by this reviewer. Writings of other Slovak historians, especially those pertaining to the period of the 18th and 19th centuries, escaped the author, which is regrettable, because they shed a different light on Slovak national awakening from that of Marxist historiography. The book stops at the year 1918 and leaves out the past 60 years during which Slovakia, as well as Slovak historiography, experienced an unexpected development. The explanation for this is given by the author in the Preface by one sentence: "For understandable political reasons, the inclusion in this survey of the writings dealing exclusive,l y with the period 1918-1960 was abandoned." Even in the present form the book is a very valuable scholarly addition to the foreign language MORE ABOUT BOOKS Slov akia in the 19th and 20th Centuries, Edited by Prof. Joseph M. Kirschbaum ; Preface by S. B. Roman, published by the Slovak World Congress, Toronto, Ont. , 1973, 368 p., bibl., $12.50. The Slovak World Congress published for the General Meeting held in Chicago on June 28th-July 1st, 1973, another English book on Slovakia which deserves special attention. While the first publication by the Congress outlined the historical and cultural background of Slovakia, this new voluminous work will give the readers an insight into the political and literary developments in Slovakia in the 19th and 20th centuries. In his Preface to the book, the President of the Slovak World Congress, Stephen B. Roman, explains that the Slovak World Congress "undertook to publish this book with the desire to contribute to the search for historical truth about Slovaks and thereby to help better understanding and co-operation among the nations of Central Europe. It is our firm belief that peoples of that vital area can regain their political freedom and build their future only in close co-oper ation and only if each recognizes the equal rights to independence that each has." One cannot but agree with such aim and the contents of the book confirm that it was also the intention of the editor and contributors. The book is composed of contributions by 20 authors, four of �221 SLOVAKIA whom are of non-Slovak origin, and it is divided into four parts. The first part deals with Slovak national philosophy and the subject is treated by two known Slovak professors, Charles Murin from the University of Montreal, and Stefan Polakovic, former professor at the University of Bratislava. The second part deals with Slovak politics and culture in the 19th and 20th centuries and contains contributions by Prof. J. A. Mikus, Msgr. J. Rekem, Dr. Stefan Osusky, Prof. F . Vnuk, Dr. F. f>urcansky, Prof. E. Loebl, Prof. Stefan Glejdura, Dr. lmrich Kruzliak and Rev. Mikulas Sprinc. Part three deals with the relations of Slovakia with her neighbors and among the contributors are mostly authors of non-Slovak origin. On Slovakia under the Habsburg rule, an interesting survey was written by a members of the Jlabsburg dynasty, Archduke Robert of Austria while Slovak-Hungarian relations are treated by Prof. George Perenyi-Lukacs with comments by Dr. Arved Grebert and Prof. J . M. Kirschbaum. Prof. Thaddeus Gromada contributed an excellent essay on Slovak-Polish relations and Slovak-Russian relations are analyzed and evaluated by Prof. Stefan Glejdura and Miroslav Licko. Prof. Kurt Glaser, author of the book, Czecho-Slovakia - A Critical History, closed this chapter with a scholarly treatise on "National States Versus Federalism in Central European Future," commented upon by Prof J. A. Mikus and Prof. J. M. Kirschbaum. In the last part, the book deals with Slovaks abroad and their attitude towards Slovakia. It contains two essays, one by Dr. Joseph Pauro and another by Dr. F . Braxator. An extensive Select Bibliography on Slovakia completes the contents of this standard work. We cannot but welcome this new English book on Slovakia and Slovaks abroad. It fills an important gap which existed for a long time in presenting Slovakia's political and cultural development in the 19th and 20th centuries to the Western world in an objective manner. For the first time 20 experts are expressing their opinions on various subjects pertaining to Slovakia. They belong not only to two generations, as the editor of the book observed, but "also represent two schools of thought and, therefore, the book presents a confrontation of views on the Slovak p:i.st and present." In form and contents, the book is a scholarly work. The editor, Prof. J . M. Kirschbaum, took his task seriously and enhanced the volume by an extensive bibliography in several languages. He also paid tribute to American Slovaks by stating that "at the end of the First World War, Slovakia was freed from Hungarian rule above all by the efforts of Slovaks who settled in the United States and by Slovak legionaries fighting on the side of the victorious powers. This gave American Slovaks and all Slovaks abroad not only recognition and a new sense of patriotism but also a consciousness of their mission to speak on behalf of the Slovak people when they are silenced." It would be desirable that this volume be followed by a book on Slovak culture, especially arts and literature of the past two hundred years. A conference on these topics, at the next general meeting of the Congress could help to achieve this goal. Joseph P a u co �222 SLOVAKIA TWO PUBLICATIONS BY l\'lATICA SLOVENSKA Matica slovenska was degraded by the Communist regime and went through several periods of regimentation and persecution of her leading representatives and cultural workers. Independent of political pressure and refusing to serve political parties or ideologies, Matica slovenska was, before 1945, a cultural institution which belonged to the nation and represented the highest aspirations of all Slovaks. The Communist Party made Matica slovenska a subservient tool of the regimes imposed upon S'lovakia since 1945. In spite of this nefarious situation, Matica slovenska succeeded in developing Slovak culture at least in some sectors. Among these sectors, literary history and philology deserve our consideration. vakia from literary to musical. This was a neglected sector in the past mainly due to the lack of experts and, therefore, we have to welcome this publication. Of special interest for elucidating some periods of Slovak history is, however, the essay by Jozef Kuzmik : Book Culture Among the Slova/c Slavs in the Years 863-1000. The period of Great Moravia became a favored subject for Slovak intellectuals during the past two decades. In Kuzmik's contribution we find some interesting information about the territorial extent of the ancestors of today's Slovaks, as well as about their book culture which were in the past hardly known or were insufficiently explored. Unfortunately, the publication has only a Russian and German summary and, therefore, it is accessible to a very limited number For several years, Matica has of scholars in the Anglo-Saxon published a series of publications world where there are still many dealing with Slovak literary life misconceptions about the Slovak entitled:Letopis pamiitnika sloven- past. A new confusion was created s/cej literatury and Literarny ar- even recently by scholars of Magchiv. We have revi,ewed some issues yar background who tried to deny in the past in Slovakia, underlying the cultural heritage of the Great their significance for Slovak litera- Moravian period to Slovaks. Li t erarny archiv 8/ 71 is a valuture. We have now received Litercirny archiv 8/ 71, edited by Michal able source for literary history on Elias, and Letopis 19 72 , edited by several Slovak poets and writers Juraj Chovan-Rehak, and some not only of the 19th century but comments would perhaps be ap- also of the 20th century. The publication deals mostly with archive propriate. Letopis 1972 contains a number of materials, unknown manuscripts, or contributions dealing with various correspondence among leading Slosubjects from book culture (kniz- vak literary figures and cultural na kultura) among Slovak Slavs in workers. Even though the Commuthe years 863-1000 to several in- nist regime tried to regiment Sloteresting contributions on the de- vak literary history and endeavorvelopment of museums in Slovakia ed to impose Marxist criteria, Sloand the idiomatic vocabulary in vak intellectuals display more or the writing of Martin Kukucin. The less equal interest in the literary main part of the book is dedicated life of poets and writers who were to the history and development of I neglected in the past because of various types of museums in Slo- their religion or ideological orien- �SLOVAKIA 223 Literature, government, law, education, etc. Even though hardly complete, the Bibliography shows that Canadian Slavists were not idle during the twenty post-war years. In spite of the fact that Slavic studies had to start in Canada from scratch, the Bibliography contains many titles of books, essays, studies and articles, which have given Canadian students a new picture of the history, culture and civilization of the Slavic peoples. From the Slovak point of view, we have many reasons to welcome this Bibliography. Similar American or European bibliographies either overlooked books, publicaJ.M. Kirschbaum tions and essays on Slovak history, Daniel Dorotich (ed.) : A Bibliogra- Language and literature by Slovak phy of Canadian Slavists 1951- authors, or made selection of writ1971 , University of Saskatchewan ings which presented Slovakia and Publications, Saskatoon, Sask., Slovak culture in the light of ad1972. verse propaganda and Czech linAfter the Second World War, a guistic and literary theses. The misnumber of Canadian universities conceptions about the Slovak people added to their usual curricular and their culture were cultivated courses on Slavic languages, litera- especially by the older generations ture and civilization. At some uni- of Slavists who studied at the Universities special Centres or Depart- versity of Prague and use as their ments of Slavic Studies were organ- source of information books pubized, while at other universities lished by Czech scholars before Slavic languages, literature and and during the Second World War. The new generation of Slavists history were taught within Departm ents of Modern Languages and at American and Canadian univerLiteratures and in History Depart- sities gradually detached itself from the old school. Using source ments. In Canada, professors of Slavic materials published in today's Slostudies were soon organized in the vakia and other socialist countries Ca nadian Association of Slavists ' as well as in Western countries' which held every year an annual they have no more any doubt that meeting within the framework of Slovaks are a distinct nation and Canadian Learned Societies. The their language and literature have present Bibliography gives an in- developed independently of the sight into the writings and pub- Czechs or other Slavs. The Bibliography compiled and lications of the members of the edited by Prof. Dorotich reflects Association. Prof. Dorotich, in compiling and this new trend in Slavic studies editing the Bibliography, followed with regard to Slovakia. By inlhe •usual division of subject mat- eluding over 50 titles (books, monoters _into general history, languages, graphs, essays, articles) published talion and those who were closer to the socialist outlook. As a result, Literarny archiv contains interesting information on Bernolak, Stur, Vajansky and Radlinsky, as well as on Janko Kral', Roy, Hamuljak and others. It is regrettable that also in this publication the summary is only in Russian and German. For Slovak literary history, both publications are nevertheless of importance and unveil to a great degree some periods of Slovak cultural development which were intentionally neglected before 1938 as well as during the Stalinist period. �224 SLOVAKIA by Prof. J . M. Kirschbaum in five languages, the Bibliography presents a new picture of Slovak history, culture, language and literature. Not only the main works on Slovakia in English are recorded, but also one book published in Slovak, monographs and essays in French, English, German and Spanish. In fact, the Bibliography is more complete in this respect that the Slovak Bibliography Abroad compiled by Prof. M. Lacko and published by the Slovak Institute (Rome, 1967). Since the Bibliography will go into the hands of many Slavists and into university libraries, we welcome this publication as a very useful guide for students and professors of Slavic studies. Joseph Pauco Joseph Pauco: Slovenski priekopnici v Amerike (Slovak Pioneers in America), The First Catholic Slovak Union, Cleveland, Ohio, 1972, English Introduction by J. C. Krajsa, Ill., 360 pages. Slovaks in the United States played an important role in the history of the Slovak people, but a complete story of their endeavors on behalf of Slovakia, their struggle for preserving national consciousness and cultural heritage has not yet been published. Due to political circumstances in Slovakia, historians either were not allowed or had no possibility to carry out research in order to compile a standard work which would present Slovaks in the United States in an objective light. It was only during the Second World War that two volumes: Dejiny Slovakov v Amerike (History of Slovaks in America) by Konstantin Culen were published in Slovakia. Since that time, only Slovak exiled intellectuals, including Culen, carried out a research and published monographs on the life and achievements of the large Slovak ethnic group in the United States. Historians in Slovakia were either not allowed by ,t he Communist regime or for ideological reasons avoided recording their struggle for survival and the many contributions of American Slovaks not only to their own national life but also to the fight for freedom and independence of the Slovak people. After Prof. F . Hrusovsky and K. Culen, Dr. Joseph Pauco deserves main credit for systematic research into the past and present of American Slovaks. For the past 20 years he published monographs on individual Slovak leaders and organizations of which the voluminous history of the First Catholic Slovak union deserves particular mention. In the present book he deals with 55 outstanding Slovak leaders who did the pioneering organizational, cultural and religious work among American Slovaks. The importance of this book should be, however, measured not only according to its literary value, but also against the fact that there are no organized archives and many printed documents are perishing. In spite of this, Dr. Pauco gathered many valuable facts about the individual leaders among whom there are clergymen of both denominations - Catholic and Lutheran - outstanding organizers of Slovak fraternal and cultural life, men and women of great dedication to the cause of preservation of Slovak cultural heritage. The author approached his subjects with great abjectivity and painted their profiles in a fluent, uncomplicated style to make the book readab1e to the general public and, at the same time, by many references to printed sources, useful to historians and researchers. �SLOVAKIA Some of the chapters are shorter and contain only the most important data. Others present a full life story and evaluation of the activities and of the role the individual leaders played in the Slovak organizational, religious and cultural life in America. The reason for the uneven treatment of some pioneers was given by the author in the introduction to the book. As he says he was sometimes unable to gather, even the most neces~ary information, because there was no organization and no individuals in the past who would have preserved old newpapers, almanacs, minutes of meetings, or other archive materials. Since the Second World War the Slovak Institute in Cleveland and the recently organized Jankola Library have made an effort to gather and preserve archive materials pertaining to the Slovak ethnic group in the United States. In these circumstances, Pauco's present work, as well as his book on the First Catholic Slovak Union and numerous monographs, deserve special recognition. The book has, however, also its own value due to its composition, contents and style. Dr. Pauco produced a standard work comparable with writings of this kind on any other ethnic groups in America. The book also has a useful introduction by Joseph C. Krajsa, but it lack an English summary which would have given to the younger generations of American Slovaks and researchers at least the basic information on Slovak pioneers in America. Unless the author and the publisher intend to publish this work in English, it would be a useful thing to attach to the second edition an extensive English summary. J. M. Ki rs c h b au m 225 Joseph L. Dieska: "Faith and Reason" in the Life and Philosophy of Jacques Maritain, An Offprint from Most, Vol. XIX, No. 3-4, Cleveland, Ohio, 1973. Shortly before the death of the famous French philosopher, Jacques Maritain, Slovaks paid his tribute on the occasion of his 90th birthday in a commemorative study by Prof. Joseph L. Dieska under the title The Religious and Philo sophical Profile of Jacques Maritain. The scholarly essay was pub- lished in Slovak but the author prepared also an English version under the above title. Prof. Dieska was one of the known adherents of Maritain's philosophy already in Slovakia, and pursued his interests in the great Catholic philosopher's concepts also as Professor of Philosophy at the University of Dayton, Ohio, where he has taught for the past several years. The present essay is one of his numerous articles on the subjects. The Slovak and English texts contain a well written and well documented insight and analysis of Maritain's religious and philosophical profile. Dieska approached Maritain's philosophy from the position of "Faith and Reason" and explains the role of reason as well as the mystery of faith in Maritain's philosophy which became a part of the Catholic doctrine and influenced the thinking of several generations in Europe and elsewhere. His theories of creative evolution and his ability to find basic reality through intuition ,e xalted the spirit of man in many parts of the world. Known as neo-Thomism Maritain's philosophy anchors in the works and philosophical concepts of St. Thomas Aquinas. As Dieska explains, Maritain became adherent to the philosophy of St. Thomas as a result of his own independent reflections and �226 SLOVAKIA studies of various philosophers and ing tribute to Maritain also on because of the comparison he made behalf of Slovak intellectuals who between them. He found the truth are silenced in their native counhe was searching for in the an- try where Maritain's philosophy had a strong influence before Marxswers of St. Thomas. However, if it is true that Mari- ism was imposed as the only philotain followed the logic and argu- sophical concept tolerated by the mentation of St. Thomas, he put regime. J. M. Ki rs c h b au m both, in the view of Prof. Dieska, in a " new, modern, and contemporary setting. His language was ad- Encydopedic Directory of Ethnic Newspapers and P eriodicals in justed to the philosophical expresthe United States. By Lubomyr sions used today. His arguments R. Wynar. 260 pp. Libraries Unare aimed at and against modern limited, Inc., Littleton, Colorado, and recent objectors and critics. 1972. $12.50. And above all, when he speaks of For those interested in ethnic the necessity of taking faith and supernatural, revealed truths into studies a valuable tool has recentconsiderations while solving the ly been published to aid in learning political, social, ethical and estheti- 1 about the complex mosaic that is cal difficulties and 'crises' of our ' the United States of America. time, Maritain must transcend Tho- Whereas in the past the student mas and go much farther not, of of ethnic Americana had to wade course, in essential immutable, and through Ulrich's directories, or universally valid principles but in through state manuals, or specialtheir applications to the new, dif- ized histories, facility in locating Icrent and more complex situations data about 903 ethnic publications and issues. In these new approach- can now be had by utilizing Luboes lie the tremendous responsibility myr R. Wynar's Encyclopedic Diand significance of Maritain's Tho- rectory of Ethnic Newspapers and mistic solutions, proposals and Periodicals in the United States. often even sharp and merciless Included in this directory are escriticisms of the 'evils of time'"- scntials about 53 ethnic presses, ranging from the Albanian Press, concludes Dieska. As St. Thomas had found in Assyrian Press, Italian Press, JaAristotle a philosophical basis for panese Pr,ess, Slovak Press, Ukrainreconciling man's reason and ian Press, etc. , to some not poChristian faith, so Maritain, in half pular enough presses such as the a lifetime of philosophical study, Cossack, Cax,patho-Ruthenian, Flembrought a rejuvenated Thomism ish, Swiss, and Welsh. In cases such as Croatian, Sloveinto a modern age of scepticism and science. After the Second nian, and Serbian, there is a generWorld War, Maritain's vision and al heading as Yugoslav, which in philosophy helped lend strength effect increases the number of also to the whole Christian demo- presses substantially beyond the cratic movement which stood as a figure of 53. Data cited for pub1.Julwark against Communism and lications are: title translations, year founded, complete address to the Catholic Church. The author and the editor of (including ZIP), name of editor, Most deserve recognition for pub- language(s) , sponsor, circulation, Jishing both versions and for pay- frequency of publication, and sub- �SLOVAKIA scription rate. In additions commentaries aid in explaining the scope of publications., e.g., the following for "The Handbook Ilbo'' (The Korea Times): "This publication, the only Korean daily in the United States, carries international, national, and local news of interest of the Korean community. Jllustrated. " Professor Wynar of Kent State University, both a librarian and an ethnic specialist, includes a very interesting Appendix of Statistical Analysis for each ethnic group, summarizing the number of publications, weekly circulation totals, monthly circulation totals, totals for native language publications, bi-lingual totals, and English language totals. An index to the publications completes the book. An interesting addendum to the book would have been an analysis of ethnic publications in each of the fifty states. This directory truly is the first comprehensive annotated guide to the current ethnic press in the United States and with its clear type and excellent alphabetical format clearly rates an A. Paul F e n c h a k Panorama: A H i storical Review of the Czechs and Slovaks i n the United States of America. Pub- lished by the Czechoslovak National Council of America, Cicero, Ill., U.S.A. Cicero-Berwyn Press, 1970, pp. 328, index. It is quite evident that there exists today in America a need for authorative works on the histories of the various ethnic groups which have contributed to the development of America. Objective, factual and concise histories of the various groups is essential. This volume of the dual histories of the Czech 227 and Slovak immigrations to America, unfortunately from a viewpoint of abjective Slovak history, seems to lack sufficient factual data to be accepted as a history of the Slovak immigration to America. From the standpoint of the history of the Czech immigration it is factu al, unbiased history but even then much is amiss particularly in the area of the religious development of the Czech community in the United States. Two basic criticisms can be found in the basic format of the work. The single most important error in the work is the fact that the various writers of Slovak topics are weak in objective reporting, so necessary in a historical work of this kind . Unfortunately the writers, who are of the " Czechoslovak" philosophical persuasion, would wa nt the reader to actually believe that only those Slovak organizations which support that philosophy have contributed to the development of the Slovak American community. In fact it must be remembered that over eighty per cent of the organized Slovak American community does not support the '· Czechoslovak" philosophy but ra ther a distinct Slovak philosophy within the family of nations. The authors seem to infer that the staunch Catholic mass of Slovak immigrants contributed little if anything at all to the development of the Slovak community in Am erica. It appears that such notables as Father Stephen Furdek, founder of the First Catholic Slovak Union, the co-founder of the First Catholic Slovak Ladies. Association and the founder of the Slovak League of America played a very minor role in the development of the Slovak community. Other prominent leaders such as Father Matthew Jankola, Joseph Rusek, �228 SLOVAKIA Anna Hurban and Philip Hrobak are not even mentioned. The second most important ingredient which is lacking in this work is organization. Various bits and pieces are scattered throughout the work on both the Czech and Slovak development in America and from an academic journalistic point of view it is quite primitive in its presentation. Too many writers cover certain geographical areas of the Slovak immigration but much is ignored and almost always repetitious. Too often the writers are offering opinionated biased reporting which is not acc-eptable by the vast majority of the Slovak community today. There exists a certain disorganization present in the work and most often it effects an objective Slovak history. In one area in particular the work is both factually deficient and openly opinionated, that is the area of the Slovak organization" in the United States. Such organizations as "Catholic Slovak Unity, Catholic Slovak Women's Unity. Unity of Catholic Sokols" are not acceptable as Slovak organizations, as such do not exist. Again faulty research is evidenced in the presentation of Slovak organizations. One area lists "all" the Czech and Slovak organizations in America and the largest and most important Slovak societies are not listed. Subjective reporting would lead one to believe that indeed the Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol is the most importa nt and influential organization of Americans of Slovak descent. However factual research will reveal to the alert writer that in fact the above named organization has a membership of less than 24,000 while the First Catholic Slovak Union, the First Catholic Slovak Ladies Association, the Slovak Catholic Sokol, the Pennsyl- vania Slovak Catholic Union, the Ladies Pennsylvania Slovak Catholic Union and the First Slovak Wreath of the Free Eagle have a combined membership of over 300,000. The informed reader will at once note that Sokol U.S.A., as it is commonly associated and pubblicised in the America press is of the "Czechoslovak" philosophical persuasion while the other Catholic Slovak organizations representing the overwhelming majority of organized Americans of Slovak descent are not of the appendage philosophy but rather support a distinct Slovak path completely free of Czech domination. Another noteworthy fact is that the Sokol U.S.A. is the only Slovak organization of any magnitude which is a member of the Czechoslovak National Council of America. Included in the work is a Who's Who among Americans of Czech and Slovak ancestry. Again only those Slovaks who support the idea of a "Czechoslovak" culture, language and heritage are included. Not only are the above mentioned Slovaks notably absent but such luminary as Bishop Andrew G. Grutka, D.D., the Roman Catholic Bishop of Gary, Indiana and countless others who have contributed to the growth and development of the Slovak American Community. In the final analysis the work offers little insight into the history and development of the Slovaks in America. The history of the Czechs in America is acceptable but no t commendable since again the underlining theme is to discredit any theistic organizational development. The work in general is primitive in the Slovak sense and therefore can not be accepted as a factual history of the Slovaks in America. This work is a prime example of Czech and "Czechoslovak" chauvin- �SLOVAKIA 229 ism in the interpretation of Slovak suring Czech hegemony in CzechoSlovakia, regardless of the fact history. Daniel F. Tanzone that the Communist movement is discredited by their policy. In some Eugen Steiner: The Slovak Dilem- ways Czech Communists resemble ma, Cambridge, at the University to Czech non-Communists or antiPress, 1973, 229 pages. Series Communists who used and still are International Studies, Published using democracy, socialism, liberalfor the Centre for International ism or Catholicism for imposing or Studies, London School of Eco- maintaining Czech hegemony over nomics and Political Sciences. others, especially Slovaks. The situation in Czecho-Slovakia between inthe in writes author the As troduction his aim was "to trace 1918-1938 attests to it sufficiently. the Communist attitude to national- The policy of Prague Governments ism, and to define the effects of from 1918 to this day proved that this attitude as far as the Slovaks Czechs are not capable to fulfill the arc concerned." Or in other words mission which the victorious Powhe "deals in microcosm with a ers entrusted to them in 1918 or major problem which lies at the again in 1945. Czecho-Slovalda did heart of the Soviet Union's policies, not become a barrier against German expansion or a bridge between internal and external." (p. 3) and West. Czech governments East Dr. Steiner uses the case of Slovakia to show how Communism forced into opposition against the fa iled to solve nationality problems. European block which created Not only in the Soviet Union was Czecho-Slovakia, not only the mithis problem hidden behind slogans norities but also Slovaks. Czech on the equality of nations, while politicians did not honor any agreethe Russians are the rulers, but ment, promise or pledge given to also in restored and by Communists Slovaks. They practiced such a policy regoverned Czecho-Slovakia. Steiner's book leaves no doubt that the Marx- gardless of the danger for the Leninist thesis on the problems of existence of the state or the misnationalities did not bring a satis- sion Czecho-Slovakia was to fulfill factory solution to the relations according to its friends and creabetween the Czechs and Slovaks; tors. After occupying Slovakia with on the contrary, since 1945 when the help of French and Italian Czecho-Slovakia was restored (a- military units in 1918, and with the gainst the will of majority of Slo- help of the Soviet armies in 1945, vaks) the Czech rule was imposed they disregarded their promises on Slovaks step by step, brutally and the rights of Slovaks to selfand without regard to promises and government. About the period of agreements. Up to 1948, the Czech 1918-1938 there is in Western lanCommunists found accomplices in guages comparatively large literanon-Communists. After 1948, they ture dealing with this subject. The imposed their rule on Slovaks with book by Dr. Steiner gives to Westthe help of a handful of collabora- ern readers sufficient information tors from Slovakia, mostly of non- and documentary evidence for the Slovak origin (Bacilek, Bil'ak, Mos- period of 1945-1968. Dr. Steiner writes in the introkovic, Daubner, Siroky and others). Czech Communists are using Com- duction to his book that he has munism as an instrument for as- "chosen exile as a Jew, as a Com- �230 SLOVAK.IA On the cover of Steiner's book munist and as a Slovak." He wrote his book from this point of view, there are reproductions of pictures which makes his work more inter- from demonstrations of Slovak esting and more valuable. It is a youth in Bratislava against the testimony of a "Jew, Communist Soviet occupation in August 1968. and Slovak" about the political On the posters we can read: "Slodevelopments in Slovakia in this vaks stand firm, they won't pass! Occupa nts go home!" These slogans century. His background and ideological o- express the feelings of Slovaks in rientation explain to a great degree Slovakia as well as abroad not only not only his favorable attitude to- against the So·,iet occupants, but wards regimes in 1918-1938 (though any occupants, including the Czechs. Czech Statistics can easily prove This conclusion can be found, if the opposite) but his negative stand carefully read, also in Dr. Steiner's towards the Slovak republic of book: The Slovak Dilemma. Dr. A. Gr eb er t, 1939-1945 as well. We understand Geneva, Switzerland that the anti-communist and antijewish measures of the Slovak Government could not meet with Slovak Studies, Historica 7 and 8, Vol. X and XI, Slovak Institute, his approval. It is, however, hard Rome-Cleveland, Editor Prof. M. to understand his attitude towards Lacko, S. J . Dr. Benes and his Government-inBoth volumes of Slovak Studies exile. Even such adherents of "Czechoslovakism" as were Dr. M. deal with history of Slovakia and Hodfu and Dr. S. Osusky disagreed except for the contribution by Dr. and at the end fought against Be- S. Nahalka, with the events of our nes and his anti-Slovak policy which century. Since the Marxist historihe later (after 1945) also practiced ans not only avoid certain subjects in co-operation with Czech Commu- but also write with prejudice and nists and non-Communists. Unfor- strictly from the Marxist point of tunately, Dr. Steiner deals with view, these volumes perform specific this rather superficially and un- role in historiography on Slovakia. convincingly. The post-war develop- In addition, their value is enhanced ments in Czecho-Slovakia prove by the fact that they are published that the Slovak-Czech antagonism in foreign language and two of the is not a matter of temporary politi - contributors were educated abroad. Students of modern Slovak hiscal situation but a fundamental and lasting feature of Slovak-Czech tory will welcome especially the relations. It is impossible to solve Ph.D. thesis by Sister M. E. Lubek, this problem within the "Czecho- "An Inquiry into the United States Slovak" framework. The successive _ Czechoslovak Relations between a_bolition, ~~er 1969, _of C~nstitu- I 1918-1948." There were many myths t10nal prov1S1ons dealing with the published on this subjects, but to federalization of Czecho-Slovakia, my knowledge, no scholarly work. mentioned in Dr. Steiner's book, Some years ago Prof. M. Mamatey prove convincingly the validity of shed some light on the period of the First World War, later years the above conclusions. In spite of some shortcomings, Dr. remained, however, unresearched. Steiner's book is a valuable contri- Yet, this is an interesting topic, bution to the historiography on since the United States played an important role in the emergence Eastern Europe. �231 SLOVAKIA of Czecho-Slovakia in 1918 and in her re-emergence in 1945. Needless to say that the treatise by M. E. Lubek does not cover all the aspects of the inter-state relations, remaining mostly in the field of politics and diplomacy. The study is nevertheless of the importance and will be useful for further research. For foreign historians dealing with Slovakia of special interest will also be the contributions by Prof. M. S. :l'.>urica, who researched Italian Military Documents in order to shed a new light on the tragic death of M. R. Stefanik, one of the founders of Czecho-Slovakia, and German biography of President Dr. J. Tiso by F. H. Schneider. We commented on the value of Prof. Durica's study when it was first published in Italian language (Slovalcia, Vol. XXIII, 1973) , and cannot but welcome the English version. Schneider's essay on the life and historical role of Dr. J . Tiso in Slovak politics is of importance for more than one reason. The adversaries of Slovak aspirations for independence - Communists and non-Communists - succeeded in presenting Dr. Tiso and his policies in Western countries in a distorted light. Even though, Dr. Tiso mostly suffered for his forced cooperation with Germany, there was a long silence about him and Slovakia among German historians. Schneider's contribution does not exhaust the subject and shows gaps, but it was high time to draw a little differe nt picture of President Tiso in ♦ ♦ German language than it was done by Prague and Slovak Communists. Unfortunately, Schneider overlooked some books and articles which contain substantial information on Dr. Tiso's life and politics, such as Prof. Murin's articles, one of Dr. Polakovic's books, many articles in Sl.ovakia and other sources. Dr. S. Nahalka's istructive article on "Holy Scripture among Slovaks" is a valuable contribution to the religious and cultural history of Slovaks. Religious history of Slovakia is one of the completely neglected fields in today's historiography in Slovakia, even though Slova ks survived as a nation mostly due to the fact that clergy (Catholic and Protestant) took over the cultural leadership and national struggle. Professor Lacko in his contributions presents the synthesis of the studies on Great-Moravian and Cyrillo-Methodian period and a survey of events which led to the reestablishment of the Greek-Catholic Church in Slovakia. The latter study would deserve to be completed by documents and names of people who in Slovakia and abroad helped the re-establishment. Both contributions are timely and instructive. Prof. Lacko deserves recognition also for his efforts to continue publishing the Slovak Studies. Slovak cultural activities abroad would be much poorer without this series. J. M. Ki rs c h b au m ♦ Life Membership in the Slovak League of America is $100.00 - join us! Write to: Slovak League of America, 313 Ridge Avenue, Middletown, Pa. 17057. �SLOVAKlA 232 Our Contributor s theologian, author, Cambridge, Ontario Stephen Sencik, S.J. - Anthony X. Sutherland, Ph.D ., Columbus, Ohio Sr. Martina Tybor, SS.C.M. - author, Director, Slovak Institute, Cleveland, 0 . Andrew Pier, O.S.B. Joseph C. Krajsa - teacher, author, Danville, Pa. Editor, Jednota, Middletown, Pa. industrialist, Toronto, Ontario Stephen B. Roman - attorney-at-law, Stratford, Conn. Edward J. Behuncik - Joseph M. Kirschbaum, LL.D., Ph.D . Jozef Pauco, Ph.D. - historian, author, Toronto, Ont. author, historian, Middletown, Pa. Michael O'Pake, Esq. - State Senator, Reading, Pa. Daniel F. Tanzone, M.A. - teacher, Yonkers, N. Y. Susan Pojer, B.A., Yonkers, N. Y. professor, author, consultant for Rockefeller Foundation, New York, N. Y. Michael Novak, Ph.D. Paul Fenchak - teacher, Baltimore, Md. Steven I. Miller, Ph.D. - assistant professor, Loyola University, Chicago, Illinois Junior history major, Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, Pa. William Wagner Francis Vnuk - historian; professor, Institute of Technology, Adelaide, Australia Dr. Arved Grebert - former Slovak diplomat, now in Switzerland Jane Noonan, Marlene Bartos, Stephen J. Knoblock - America Scholarship Winners Slovak League of �OFFICERS OF THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA Honorary President : EDWARD J. BEHUNCIK President 2385 Main Street Stratford, Conn. 06497 Stephen J. Tkach , DR. JOSEPH PAUCO Secretary 313 Ridge Avenue Middletown, Pa. 17057 Vice Presidents: Milan V. Blazek, Stephen Suhajcik, Mary Piroch ' Executive Committee : Edward J. Behuncik, John A. Holy, Paul C. Kazimer, Tibor Kovalovsky, Joseph R. Kristotik, Dr. Joseph Pauco, John A. Sabol SLOVAK FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS (Affiliated with the Slovak League of America) THE FIRST CATHOLIC SLOVAK UNION Cleveland, Ohio - Membership: 104,500 ·-:i THE FIRST CATHOLIC SLOVAK LADIES ASSOCIATION Cleveland, Ohio .;_ Membership: 96,000 THE SLOVAK CATHOLIC SOKOL Passaic, N. J. - Membership: 53,000 PENNSYLVANIA SLOVAK CATHOLIC UNION Wilkes-Barre, Pa: - Membership: 18,000 LADIES PENNSYLVANIA SLOVAK CATHOLIC UNION Wilkes-Barre, Pa. - Membership: 16,500 SLOVAK NEWSPAPER'S JOURNALISTS' ASSOCI.A.TION (Affiliated with the Slovak League of America) SLOVAK NEWSPAPERS (Affiliated with the Slovak League of Americ,a) BRATSTVO Wilkes-Barre, Pa. SLOVAK V AMERIKE Middletown, Pa. JEDNOTA Middletown, Pa. ZENSKA JEDNOTA Cleveland, Ohio KATOLICKY SOKOL Passaic, N. J. ZORNICK_A Wilkes-Barre, Pa. SLOVAKIA $4.00 per annum in the U.S.A. - $5.00 elsewhere PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. JEDNOTA PRESS Middletown, Pennsylvania 17057 � 210 SLOVAKIA CURRENT ISSUES RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED AT CONFERENCE OF THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA IN NEW YORK CITY, MAY 19, 1973 Your Holiness: In the name of more than 350,000 American-Slovaks, the greater majority Catholic, and supporting the Slovak League of America and its cultural and civic programs, we extend cordial greetings. We appreciate your efforts and dedication to obtain equal rights for all Catholics and to continue the ecumenical co-operation with all Christians and believers throughout the whole world. We also present to you a petition asking that you give particular attention to the land of our forefathers-Slovakia -cradle in 833 of Christianity in Central Europe and ever devotedly loyal to the Holy See. Notwithstanding this historic fact, Slovakia, oppressed by the atheistic Soviet regime in civil affairs, lacks, in the spiritual domain, its own province, does not have a single archbishop and for so long a time, no Slovak has achieved cardinalhood. Of course, Slovak Catholics share their sufferings with their Lutheran and Greek Catholic brethren. We respectfully suggest that Slovakia be accorded similar recognition as Bohemia, Moravia, Slovenia, Croatia and many other countries in Africa and Asia. We are confident that among dedicated and oppressed Slovak clergy can be found an archbishop to lead a Slovak ;irovince as in days gone by. Such a magnanimous gesture would invigorate all Slovaks at home as well as here in America. We believe that your Holiness by such a decision will strengthen us and thus fortify our fidelity to the Vatican and reverence to the throne of St. Peter. Very respectfully and sincerely, Edward J. Behuncik, President Dr. Joseph Pauco, Secretary Dear Mr. President: The Slovak League of America on the occasion of its 1973 Conference here in New York extends cordial greetings. We hope you will continue to enjoy good health and achieve even greater success in your efforts on behalf of all citizens of whatever origin. We unequivocally endorse your stand in Vietnam and welcome your policy in Europe and Asia. As you are well aware, our origins are in Central Europe, in �SLOVAKIA 211 Slovakia, which has a more than 1100 year Christian history and which for many centuries, excepting a brief period, has lived in subjugation. Now, Slovakia is in its fifth year of Soviet occupation and deprivation by the communists of all human, spiritual and political rights. So, today, we again respectfully request that you, individually as our leader, as well as your entire administration, continue to remember Slovakia and the other oppressed nations behind the Iron Curtain. All thes•e subjugated peoples seek and des·erve statehood and democratic freedom such as we in the United States are so fortunate to enjoy. In your discussions with the leaders of the totalitarian world, we ask that you give high priority to this humane cause. W!! are confident that if permitted free elections, our brethren in Slovakia would officially confirm their dedication and devotion to the United States of America as the stalwart guardian of human freedoms . Most Sincerely, Edward J. Behuncik, President Dr. Joseph Pauco, Secretary DECLARATION ADOPTED AT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE SLOVAK WORLD CONGRESS HELD IN CHICAGO ON JUNE 30TH 1973 The representatives of Slovaks abroad gathered at the General Assembly of the Slovak World Congress, held in Chicago on June 28-30th, 1973, adopted the following Declaration: (1) We consider ourselves an integral part of the Slovak people. We are conscious of our co-responsibility for their destiny and for their contribution to the overall culture of humanity. (2) We claim for the Slovak nation, on the basis of its national individuality, recognition for an equal status with other sovereign nations of the world. (3) We deny any Great Power the right to interfere with the destiny of the Slovak people and to integrate Slovakia in other states or zones of influence which are opposed to the will of the Slovak people and their national interests. We consider such actions, condemned as they are by all civilized people of the world, to be a violation of the Charter of the United Nations. (4) We demand the departure of all occupation forces from Central Europe in order that, after more than a quarter �212 SLOVAKIA of a century since the end of the War, the nations of that area can finally govern themselves. (5) As representatives of a nation conscious of its responsibility towards others, we consider the principles of democracy and humanism the basis for peace and co-operation among the peoples of the world. (6) On these principles alone, life in freedom and a free culture can develop in Slovakia according to the traditions of the Slovak people and in harmony with the progress of the world. PHILIP A. HROBAK YEAR January 10, 1974 marked the tenth anniversary of the death of Philip A. Hrobak, and on May 1, 1974 we will mark the seventieth anniversary of his birth. These special dates impel us to honor his memory in a special way. He was one of the most deserving of our cultural and civic workers from among the many American-born Slovaks and one who dedicated himself to the Slovak cause since early manhoJd. Philip A. Hrobak, as a newspaperman, writer, histocian, linguist, fraternalist and organizer rose to heights in American Slovak life. His contributions to the Slovak cause in both English and Slovak are most noteworthy and memorable in Slovak history. Therefore, the Slovak League of America deems it a special honor to be able to lend itself to the legacy of Philip A. Hrobak. Not only did he honorably serve as a long time editor of JEDNOTA, as the founder and editor of "Slovak Newsletters," "Jednota Annual Furdek" and "Slo·v akia", but also as a distinguished President and member of the Executive Committee of the Slovak League of America-all this is his eternal monument. Bowing before his genius, we turn to our Slovak people and we seek recognition in 1974 of the unfinished dreams of Philip A. Hrobak and so-licit continued help in proving that we i>..re all worthy followers of this g,r eat son of our people. For the Slovak League of America, the year 1974 will be the time of increased activity, as he idealized and set by his example. In tribute to his linguistic talents, we can have the opportunity to help build a strong scholarship fund for the League, because the main purpose of this fund is to preserve and enhance, as he desired, the Slovak conscience in America. Surely, there cannot be any American Slovak who would not make his or her contribution to our scholarship fund in memory of Philip .A. Hirobak. The Slovak League of America also feels compelled to follow the �SLOVAKIA 213 footsteps of Philip A. Hrobak in other fields. In the firat place, we must preserve and continue with the annual "Slovakia", we must daily and fairly continue to inform the American public of the ideals and accomplishments of the American Slovaks, and we must continue our cl-forts to renew the rightful place of the Slovak nation as an independent unit in the family of nations. These were the goals of Philip A. Hrobak, and our Slovak League has so proceeded in the last ten years since we with heavy hearts bid a sad farewell to our never-forgotten leader. With prayer, with labor, and with sacrifices we thus honor this meritocious Slovak son. May the memory of Philip A. Hrobak be perpetual. Edward J. Behuncik, President Dr. Joseph Pauco, Secretary As the others see it represented. What to me is more worse, is the attempt to sublimate the Slovaks into the Czech people. That's why we hear about a 'Czechoslovak nation'. It does not exists! Czecho-Slovakia is a political entity of two nations - the Czechs and the Slovaks. I never think of myself as Czech. I am Slovak and nothing else."- Rev. John Zornan, President of the Slovak Zion Synod, "What kind of man is Alex Del- National News, Pittsburgh, Pa., vecchio? (Playing for Detroit Red August 1, 1973. Wings.) He's middle aged, 41. A guy who you can't get in an "Despite the courage and per• argument with. His salt-and-pepper severance the Slovaks and other gray hair is impeccably coiffured peoples of Eastern Europe have around round Eastern European displayed time and again in their face (his late mother was a Slovak; relentless search for internal liberhis father Italian.)" - Bob Naylor, ties and external sovereignty, they Detroit Free Press, December 9, cannot achieve their goals without 1973. outside help. It is our duty, and only in keeping with our own "The idea of 'Slovak Heritage' is to extend our support. The ideals, quite intriguing to me. It implies world will not know genuine that we have one. Looking at hisevery country enjoys tory books, however, you might peace until freedom and can exercise the right have doubts. Even when discussing to self-determination. Central Europe, the Slovaks as a "The history of Slovakia is one nation are often forgotten or mis- "Call a Slovak Czechoslovak and you plant a burr under his skin. To a Slovak, named for a geograph• ic region divided by the wars and politics, that frequent error is more than just misnomer; it conveys a complete historical misunderstanding of who he is." - Sue Morse, The Herald Statesman, Yonkers, N. Y., November 30, 1973. �214 SLOVAKIA of turmoil, frustration, and heroic struggle. Your continued devotion to the cause of a free and independent Slovakia - despite hundreds of years of oppression - is an inspiration to those of us who cherish freedom as you do. These are the characteristics that help us, in maintaining a better and stronger America. "The existence of the World Congress is an important step in achieving your long delayed place among the family of the free naRobert P. Hanrahan, tions." Member of Congress. U.S. Senator Adlai E. Stevenson. "I am sure all of the American Slovaks sincerely wish to acknowledge the plight of their brethren under Communist oppression. The Slovak people strongly pursue the course that someday freedom will reign in all corners of the world. People of America need to be remainded of the severe repressing of Communist-held nations of the world endure." - U.S. Senator Hugh Scott. "Slovaks of Cleveland brought many Christmas customs from the old country, notably the custom of caroling. Among the most cherished Slovak folk songs are those sung at Christmas time. These carols are sung not only in churches, but also in the homes of the faithful, no matter how many generations they have lived here." - Sun Herald, Cleveland, 0., December 20, 1973. "We must re-dedicate ourselves to cause of all captives of Communism. Recognizing that the world cannot enjoy peace until all peoples are free from yoke of Communism. Please continue your dedication to the traditions, cultural life, religious beliefs, and desire for independence on behalf of Slo"There is a strong feeling of vak people everywhere."- Edward awareness among some ethnic J. Derwinski, Member of Congress. members of the younger generation. "I do want you to know I share There are also strong indications your commitment to the Slovak that the melting pot concept can people and to strengthening the no longer be maintained and that ties with their sons and daughters America is beginning to recognize throughout the world. I know we and appreciate the diversity of its will not falter in our efforts to ethnic populations in terms of a insure that no people need face re- new cultural pluralism."- Dr. Goy, pression and indignity as a result a member of City College's library of their yearning to be free." - faculty, New York, N. Y. �SLOVAKIA 215 -------------- WHO'S WHO Among American Slovaks JOSEPH C. K RAJ SA It was a mark of social maturity when the Chamber of Commerce of the Greater Harrisburg Area decided to have "Slovak power" for its presidency. Such is progress that it is hardly news anymore when a second-generation American of ethnic background and working-class origins becomes the leader of the town's top capitalists. Pardon us, Karl Marx. Joseph Charles Krajsa is the 60th president of the Harrisburg Chamber. He is so ethnic that more than half the Chamber's members can't pronounce his name correctly: It is "Crysa," and Anglicized it would mean "nicer." Well beyond his own physical size - 6-foot-1 and 240 pounds Krajsa is a big man. He was manager of the Allentown Finance Co. for 14 years, which is owned by his older brother, John. He has the equivalent of two college degrees and has a speaking knowledge of seven languages. He was an outstanding football, baseball and basketball coach for 11 years. And, lastly, he served as auditor and vice president of the First Catholic Slovak Union, and is now the editor of its bilingual weekly, Jednota, and manager of the Jednota home, farm and printery. Very much a Slovak as a warm convivial person, Krajsa also is a Rotarian, Elk, Legionaire and democrat. He once was a topflight golfer who won country-club trophies. "I find more businessmen in this Chamber, for example, wanting to be more human, wanting to share their good fortune," he said. "The single-minded emphasis on economics has diminished. A person must be involved politically, socially and religiously, as well as economically, to be well-rounded, and more and more businessmen understand that." Krajsa, 56, grew up in Allentown. His father was a wire-worker from Skalica in Slovakia and emigrated to America in 1906. Old Joe Krajsa married a girl living here, Agnes Baranek, a native of Horna Krupa, Slovakia. He built his own home and started a corner grocery. Everybody knew and loved the Krajsas. "Put it on the book," or "na knizku," they said as Father Krajsa had a credit book, so the neighborhood could have its groceries. One of the articles in Krajsa's published Furdek 1974 is entitled "Slovaks Are Lovers." The author asserts, "Slovak mothers can equally match the 'Good Jewish Mother' of book fame." A Slovak mother will say to her daughter, "Ja som t'a nevychovala, aby si behala za muzami," or "I didn'-t raise you to go chasing after men." Many Slovaks came to America between 1880 and 1920, with most of them settling here between 1900 and 1910. Thousands settled in Pennsylvania, and the men became the muscle of this commonwealth's steel, coal and railroading indus- �216 SLOVAKIA tries. Of Slovak descent are Astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, Penn State's great lineman, Mark Markovich; Will Hartack, Chuck Bednarik, Johnny Bucha and George Blanda. Stan Musial is half-Polish and half-Slovak. Blanda's mother is president of the Jednota lodge in Youngwood. There were 277 scattered Slovak fraternal organizations and widoworphan funds when in 1890 the Rev. Stephen Furdek, of Cleveland, organized the national union called Jednota (the word means union, or united). Nineteen years later the Middletown property of the aristocrat Simon Cameron Young was purchased for $38,000. What originally was 298 acres is now 255 acres, but worth well over one million dollars. The old orphanage, now phased out, cared for 4,000 children in its history. The newspaper Krajsa edits and writes for has a circulation of 40,000. Jednota also publishes 15 book titles annually. It is building a million dollar printery. Krajsa was elected editor for a three-year term in 1964, and he keeps being re-elected. He arrived in Middletown when Olmsted Air Force Base was closing, so immediately he plunged into civic activity. It got him involved in Chamber of Commerce work, and he did so well that the Chamber named him president last October. Krajsa had a typical Americanimmigrant family upbringing. He did well in his studies. He captained Allentown Central Catholic High School's basketball team, was center on the football team and pitched for the baseball team. He went on to East Stroudsburg State College, where he was a stellar athlete, and then was a Navy chief petty officer in World War II. After the war, he married Romanza Fairman, from Kansas City, and settled in Allentown. He put in 11 years at Central Catholic High lurning in several state championship teams and ending up as athletic director. Meanwhile, he was in the finance business, too. The Krajsas have four children: Joe, in insurance, Mike, administrative assistant in the Agriculture Department; Maryagnes, assistant to the Dauphin County Democratic chairman, and George, an athlete at Middletown High. Krajsa's desire for the Chamber of Commerce is a Slovak's wish for more unity, more strength of purpose and more aggressiveness for the community. "We can get unity and not take a thing away from anybody," he said looking toward the West Shore. He believes that the county line should be easier to cross than the ethnic line over which his presidency already has triumphed. Paul B. Beers, Associated Editor The Evening News Harrisburg, Pa. THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA heartily commends all efforts of our governmental and other organs to ferret out and unmask all Communists and fellow travellers, as well as all persons and organizations who wittingly or unwittingly give aid and comfort to the conspiracy of Communism promoted by the Soviet Union. �SLOVAKIA - 217 Book Reviews Books on Slovakia and Slovaks Reviewed by Prof. J. M. Kirschbaum writes about the Czech l.'esistance during the last years of the War. Three contributions deal with the Slovak problem. Hans Kaiser writes about integration of Slovakia into national socialist war economy; In this carefully edited volume, Ladislav Lipscher examines the in12 German scholars and specialists fluence of the Third Reich on the in Czecho-Slovak affairs analyze the policy of the Slovak government eventful year of 1945 in Czecho- with regard to the Jewish problem, Slovakia. Some of the contributors and Jorg K. Hoensch gives a generare known as experts in the prob- al survey of the situation in Slovalems of Eastern Europe. Others kia in 1945. specialized in the German-Czech The remaining contributions deal relations or in the Slovak problem. with the transfer of the Sudeten Since until recently the German Germans and its consequences (Pescholars avoided publishing the re- ter Burian); with rebuilding of the sults of their research on Czecho- Communist Party of Czecho-SlovaSlovakia, their views will be of lda in 1945 (Heinrich Kuhn); with interest for schoiars in the West. the constitutional problems in The volume gives a survey of Czecho-Slovakia in 1945 (Helmut international, national and socio- Slapnicka); and with the integraeconomic problems in Czecho-Slova- tion of the Sudeten German expelkia in 1945, but two contributions, lees in Germany. The book provides abundant inone by Ferdinand Seibt, and the other by Karl Bosl, outline the formation on each topic and referhistorical background of boundary ences to sources used indicate that problems and basic information on German scholars weve dealing with the division of Germany by the their subjects with great effort to present an objective picture of Allies. Further contributions deal with Czecho-Slovakia in 1945. Their Czecho-Slovakia itself during the views and conclusions will, thereWar and her l'estoration in 1945. fore, be at variance with some Peter Kruger gives a survey of the Western specialists in East Central views of the Allies on Czecho-Slo- ; Europe, including the emigre Czech vakia from the Atlantic Charter to j historians. Czecho-Slovakia has the Potsdam Conference; Martin K. been presented in the West during Bachstein outlines the policy of I the past decades with evident relithe social democratic exiles from ance on Czech sources and favoring Czecho-Slovakia and Detlef Brandes I the Czechs. Especially Slovakia was Karl Bosl: Das Jahr 1945 in der Tschechoslowakei, Vortrag,e der wissenschaftlichen Tagung des Collegium Carolinum, R. Oldenbourg, Mlinchen-Wien, 1971, 316 p. �218 SLOVAKIA treated with bias, mostly as a "postscriptum" to Czech history, and the cruel and often inhuman treatment of minorities or political adversaries was overlooked. German scholars endeavored to be factual and objective and since some of them were born or raised in Czecho-Slovakia, their knowledge of the prob!ems discussed in their contribution cannot be doubted. Nevertheless, they present a German view, because nobody can separate himself fr.om his own background and personal or national experience. · And the manner in which Prague solved the Sudeten German problem in 1945 was bound to create deep resentiment and animosity, which is not easy to overcome. Slovakia is treated in the book with more understanding and impa.rtiality than is the usual case in Western historiography; there is nevertheless certain bias in all three contributors "with regard to the Slovak republic, including the article ·by Jorg Hoensch. Hoensch published two well researched books on Slovakia in the past but, in many instances, adopted the Czech or the Slovak Marxist view of the wartime Slovakia. This also occurred in his present contribution which is well researched and refers also to Slovak emigre political literature. Nevertheless, some conclusions were made by Hoensch on assumptions and not on facts. For instance, his view that "the majority of the Slovak leading strata and, even more, the large masses of the population believed during the war that their social ,i nterest and political rights would be better preserved in the restored Czechoslovakia" and that the Slovak Republic "could not give proof -of its viability (Lebensfiihigkeit)" is a part of Czech and Communist propaganda which was recen_tly contradicted and abandoned even by Slovak Marxist historians (see books by L. Liptak and S. Falt'an). Likewise is disputable his statement that the "Slovak population accepted with equal passivity the introduction of the peoples democracy and the declaration of the Slovak Republic." The enthusiastic manifestations in Slovakia in 1939 can hardly be compared with the fear from rape, confiscation, deportation and hiding in cellars which ·could be witness in Slovakia ' during the first months of the restoration of Czecho-Slovakia. Also treated in the volume are two important problems for Slovakia during the war years: the integration of Slovakia into the German war economy and the policy of the Slovak government with regard to the Jewish problem. Hans Kaiser deals with the first topic and gives a well researched survey of the impact of Germany on Slovak economy, and of the pressures used by Berlin on the Slovak government. Kaiser's contribution is the first one in the West to deal expertly · with the subject. So far, only the Marxist historians or economists published studies on the economic situation in Slovakia during th e War and their approach was a priori hostile. The views of the members of the Slovak government and Slovak economists who did not side with the regime imposed upon Slovakia in 1945, are buried in the archives of the "people's courts" and only in part were published by Slovak emigre politicians and writers. The picture of Slovak :war economy presented by Kaiser cannot, therefore, be without flaws. It is, in any case, a useful basis for further research and full presentation of the economic development of Slovakia during the Second , World War. �SLOVAKIA · 219 The third contributio n dealing I Horst Glass!: Die slowakische Geschichtswis senschaft nach 1945 with Slovakia touches on the prob(Slovak Historiogra phy After !em which harmed Slovaks and 1945), Otto Harrassowi tz, Wies their reputation in the world, but baden, 1971, 166 pages, Register. the11e were only a few attempts to put the policy of the Slovak governThe author and the publisher of ment towa!'ds Jews into a proper this book deserve recognition for perspective. making available to Western scholars and students of history an Lipscher's contributio n analyzes objective survey of Slovak historithe influence of the Third Reich on ography after 1945. Except for that policy on the basis of G€rman short summaries in one or two archives and partly also on the foreign languages, writings of Slohave been published Slovak sources. In comparison vak historians 1945 exclusively in Slovak since with many articles published on and, as such, they have remained this subject in the West, Lipscher's inaccessible to most of foreign hiscontributio n is marked by an effort torians. Glassl's book provides at to present the policy of the Slovak least those Western historians who impartial governmen t more objectively and read German with an phy and historiogra Slovak at look with considerab le restraint from during blaming only the Slovak govern- its remarkable developme nt decades. two past the ment in harsh terms, as has been the case until now. Lipscher does The book is the result of a thornot make any reference to sources ough research in Slovakia itself. of Slovak emigre historians and The author compiled considerab le political writers who dealt with the knowledge of writings on Slovak subject and he recognized that the history by both the old traditionalproblem would require further ist and the recent Marxist historistudy. This indicates that he enIn his attempt to give an obans. deJvored to approach the problem pictul'e he points to the jective wi th impartiality and, as a result, and ideological interrestrictions his contributio n may be a beginwhich Slovak histounder ference ning of dealing with the tragedy or remain silent write to had rians of Jews in Slovakia with more "It lasted 1956. until 1948 after understand ing of the circumstan ces "before Glassl, says years," several and pressures under which the developthe that possible was it Slovaks could not save more Jewment of Slovak historiogra phy and ish citizens than they did. research could come up with noA complete review of this volume ticeable results. Under the pressure would, of course, require to deal of the circumstan ces in those years with all the other contributio ns (Slovak) histo1ians had to take into which give a survey of many prob- considerati on the political goals lems in the Czech part of Czecho- and requiremen ts. The Communist Slovakia, and analyze the relations Party which took over power in between Czechs and G€rmans in- Czecho-Slovakia required complete cluding the expulsion, often under re-writing of the whole historiinhuman circumstan ces, of the Su- ography acco11ding to Marxist crideten Germans. teria ... many historians were fired �220 SLOVAKIA from their positions, and some of works on Slovakia. The author made undoubtedly a very thorough th,em were even sent to jails." On the other hand, the author research into the writings and publications of Slovak historians and underlines that there was a remarkable development of Slovak produced a standard work on a historiography since the War either high academic level. in the number of books published or in the number of institutes and people involved in research. Unlike Marxist or some Western historians, Glass! also states that "during the period of the Slovak Republic (]939-1945) , there was a fruitful development in the field of historical research even though the war was not the right time for a successful build-up of this discipline." He considers it as wrong and unjust of the Marxist historians to belittle the results of this period in research into the history of Slovakia. Glass! also refers to the writings of Slovak scholars in Western countries but for some reason he became acquainted only with the works published by Prof. M. Lacko and with one book and one essay by this reviewer. Writings of other Slovak historians, especially those pertaining to the period of the 18th and 19th centuries, escaped the author, which is regrettable, because they shed a different light on Slovak national awakening from that of Marxist historiography. The book stops at the year 1918 and leaves out the past 60 years during which Slovakia, as well as Slovak historiography, experienced an unexpected development. The explanation for this is given by the author in the Preface by one sentence: "For understandable political reasons, the inclusion in this survey of the writings dealing exclusive,l y with the period 1918-1960 was abandoned." Even in the present form the book is a very valuable scholarly addition to the foreign language MORE ABOUT BOOKS Slov akia in the 19th and 20th Centuries, Edited by Prof. Joseph M. Kirschbaum ; Preface by S. B. Roman, published by the Slovak World Congress, Toronto, Ont. , 1973, 368 p., bibl., $12.50. The Slovak World Congress published for the General Meeting held in Chicago on June 28th-July 1st, 1973, another English book on Slovakia which deserves special attention. While the first publication by the Congress outlined the historical and cultural background of Slovakia, this new voluminous work will give the readers an insight into the political and literary developments in Slovakia in the 19th and 20th centuries. In his Preface to the book, the President of the Slovak World Congress, Stephen B. Roman, explains that the Slovak World Congress "undertook to publish this book with the desire to contribute to the search for historical truth about Slovaks and thereby to help better understanding and co-operation among the nations of Central Europe. It is our firm belief that peoples of that vital area can regain their political freedom and build their future only in close co-oper ation and only if each recognizes the equal rights to independence that each has." One cannot but agree with such aim and the contents of the book confirm that it was also the intention of the editor and contributors. The book is composed of contributions by 20 authors, four of �221 SLOVAKIA whom are of non-Slovak origin, and it is divided into four parts. The first part deals with Slovak national philosophy and the subject is treated by two known Slovak professors, Charles Murin from the University of Montreal, and Stefan Polakovic, former professor at the University of Bratislava. The second part deals with Slovak politics and culture in the 19th and 20th centuries and contains contributions by Prof. J. A. Mikus, Msgr. J. Rekem, Dr. Stefan Osusky, Prof. F . Vnuk, Dr. F. f>urcansky, Prof. E. Loebl, Prof. Stefan Glejdura, Dr. lmrich Kruzliak and Rev. Mikulas Sprinc. Part three deals with the relations of Slovakia with her neighbors and among the contributors are mostly authors of non-Slovak origin. On Slovakia under the Habsburg rule, an interesting survey was written by a members of the Jlabsburg dynasty, Archduke Robert of Austria while Slovak-Hungarian relations are treated by Prof. George Perenyi-Lukacs with comments by Dr. Arved Grebert and Prof. J . M. Kirschbaum. Prof. Thaddeus Gromada contributed an excellent essay on Slovak-Polish relations and Slovak-Russian relations are analyzed and evaluated by Prof. Stefan Glejdura and Miroslav Licko. Prof. Kurt Glaser, author of the book, Czecho-Slovakia - A Critical History, closed this chapter with a scholarly treatise on "National States Versus Federalism in Central European Future," commented upon by Prof J. A. Mikus and Prof. J. M. Kirschbaum. In the last part, the book deals with Slovaks abroad and their attitude towards Slovakia. It contains two essays, one by Dr. Joseph Pauro and another by Dr. F . Braxator. An extensive Select Bibliography on Slovakia completes the contents of this standard work. We cannot but welcome this new English book on Slovakia and Slovaks abroad. It fills an important gap which existed for a long time in presenting Slovakia's political and cultural development in the 19th and 20th centuries to the Western world in an objective manner. For the first time 20 experts are expressing their opinions on various subjects pertaining to Slovakia. They belong not only to two generations, as the editor of the book observed, but "also represent two schools of thought and, therefore, the book presents a confrontation of views on the Slovak p:i.st and present." In form and contents, the book is a scholarly work. The editor, Prof. J . M. Kirschbaum, took his task seriously and enhanced the volume by an extensive bibliography in several languages. He also paid tribute to American Slovaks by stating that "at the end of the First World War, Slovakia was freed from Hungarian rule above all by the efforts of Slovaks who settled in the United States and by Slovak legionaries fighting on the side of the victorious powers. This gave American Slovaks and all Slovaks abroad not only recognition and a new sense of patriotism but also a consciousness of their mission to speak on behalf of the Slovak people when they are silenced." It would be desirable that this volume be followed by a book on Slovak culture, especially arts and literature of the past two hundred years. A conference on these topics, at the next general meeting of the Congress could help to achieve this goal. Joseph P a u co �222 SLOVAKIA TWO PUBLICATIONS BY l\'lATICA SLOVENSKA Matica slovenska was degraded by the Communist regime and went through several periods of regimentation and persecution of her leading representatives and cultural workers. Independent of political pressure and refusing to serve political parties or ideologies, Matica slovenska was, before 1945, a cultural institution which belonged to the nation and represented the highest aspirations of all Slovaks. The Communist Party made Matica slovenska a subservient tool of the regimes imposed upon S'lovakia since 1945. In spite of this nefarious situation, Matica slovenska succeeded in developing Slovak culture at least in some sectors. Among these sectors, literary history and philology deserve our consideration. vakia from literary to musical. This was a neglected sector in the past mainly due to the lack of experts and, therefore, we have to welcome this publication. Of special interest for elucidating some periods of Slovak history is, however, the essay by Jozef Kuzmik : Book Culture Among the Slova/c Slavs in the Years 863-1000. The period of Great Moravia became a favored subject for Slovak intellectuals during the past two decades. In Kuzmik's contribution we find some interesting information about the territorial extent of the ancestors of today's Slovaks, as well as about their book culture which were in the past hardly known or were insufficiently explored. Unfortunately, the publication has only a Russian and German summary and, therefore, it is accessible to a very limited number For several years, Matica has of scholars in the Anglo-Saxon published a series of publications world where there are still many dealing with Slovak literary life misconceptions about the Slovak entitled:Letopis pamiitnika sloven- past. A new confusion was created s/cej literatury and Literarny ar- even recently by scholars of Magchiv. We have revi,ewed some issues yar background who tried to deny in the past in Slovakia, underlying the cultural heritage of the Great their significance for Slovak litera- Moravian period to Slovaks. Li t erarny archiv 8/ 71 is a valuture. We have now received Litercirny archiv 8/ 71, edited by Michal able source for literary history on Elias, and Letopis 19 72 , edited by several Slovak poets and writers Juraj Chovan-Rehak, and some not only of the 19th century but comments would perhaps be ap- also of the 20th century. The publication deals mostly with archive propriate. Letopis 1972 contains a number of materials, unknown manuscripts, or contributions dealing with various correspondence among leading Slosubjects from book culture (kniz- vak literary figures and cultural na kultura) among Slovak Slavs in workers. Even though the Commuthe years 863-1000 to several in- nist regime tried to regiment Sloteresting contributions on the de- vak literary history and endeavorvelopment of museums in Slovakia ed to impose Marxist criteria, Sloand the idiomatic vocabulary in vak intellectuals display more or the writing of Martin Kukucin. The less equal interest in the literary main part of the book is dedicated life of poets and writers who were to the history and development of I neglected in the past because of various types of museums in Slo- their religion or ideological orien- �SLOVAKIA 223 Literature, government, law, education, etc. Even though hardly complete, the Bibliography shows that Canadian Slavists were not idle during the twenty post-war years. In spite of the fact that Slavic studies had to start in Canada from scratch, the Bibliography contains many titles of books, essays, studies and articles, which have given Canadian students a new picture of the history, culture and civilization of the Slavic peoples. From the Slovak point of view, we have many reasons to welcome this Bibliography. Similar American or European bibliographies either overlooked books, publicaJ.M. Kirschbaum tions and essays on Slovak history, Daniel Dorotich (ed.) : A Bibliogra- Language and literature by Slovak phy of Canadian Slavists 1951- authors, or made selection of writ1971 , University of Saskatchewan ings which presented Slovakia and Publications, Saskatoon, Sask., Slovak culture in the light of ad1972. verse propaganda and Czech linAfter the Second World War, a guistic and literary theses. The misnumber of Canadian universities conceptions about the Slovak people added to their usual curricular and their culture were cultivated courses on Slavic languages, litera- especially by the older generations ture and civilization. At some uni- of Slavists who studied at the Universities special Centres or Depart- versity of Prague and use as their ments of Slavic Studies were organ- source of information books pubized, while at other universities lished by Czech scholars before Slavic languages, literature and and during the Second World War. The new generation of Slavists history were taught within Departm ents of Modern Languages and at American and Canadian univerLiteratures and in History Depart- sities gradually detached itself from the old school. Using source ments. In Canada, professors of Slavic materials published in today's Slostudies were soon organized in the vakia and other socialist countries Ca nadian Association of Slavists ' as well as in Western countries' which held every year an annual they have no more any doubt that meeting within the framework of Slovaks are a distinct nation and Canadian Learned Societies. The their language and literature have present Bibliography gives an in- developed independently of the sight into the writings and pub- Czechs or other Slavs. The Bibliography compiled and lications of the members of the edited by Prof. Dorotich reflects Association. Prof. Dorotich, in compiling and this new trend in Slavic studies editing the Bibliography, followed with regard to Slovakia. By inlhe •usual division of subject mat- eluding over 50 titles (books, monoters _into general history, languages, graphs, essays, articles) published talion and those who were closer to the socialist outlook. As a result, Literarny archiv contains interesting information on Bernolak, Stur, Vajansky and Radlinsky, as well as on Janko Kral', Roy, Hamuljak and others. It is regrettable that also in this publication the summary is only in Russian and German. For Slovak literary history, both publications are nevertheless of importance and unveil to a great degree some periods of Slovak cultural development which were intentionally neglected before 1938 as well as during the Stalinist period. �224 SLOVAKIA by Prof. J . M. Kirschbaum in five languages, the Bibliography presents a new picture of Slovak history, culture, language and literature. Not only the main works on Slovakia in English are recorded, but also one book published in Slovak, monographs and essays in French, English, German and Spanish. In fact, the Bibliography is more complete in this respect that the Slovak Bibliography Abroad compiled by Prof. M. Lacko and published by the Slovak Institute (Rome, 1967). Since the Bibliography will go into the hands of many Slavists and into university libraries, we welcome this publication as a very useful guide for students and professors of Slavic studies. Joseph Pauco Joseph Pauco: Slovenski priekopnici v Amerike (Slovak Pioneers in America), The First Catholic Slovak Union, Cleveland, Ohio, 1972, English Introduction by J. C. Krajsa, Ill., 360 pages. Slovaks in the United States played an important role in the history of the Slovak people, but a complete story of their endeavors on behalf of Slovakia, their struggle for preserving national consciousness and cultural heritage has not yet been published. Due to political circumstances in Slovakia, historians either were not allowed or had no possibility to carry out research in order to compile a standard work which would present Slovaks in the United States in an objective light. It was only during the Second World War that two volumes: Dejiny Slovakov v Amerike (History of Slovaks in America) by Konstantin Culen were published in Slovakia. Since that time, only Slovak exiled intellectuals, including Culen, carried out a research and published monographs on the life and achievements of the large Slovak ethnic group in the United States. Historians in Slovakia were either not allowed by ,t he Communist regime or for ideological reasons avoided recording their struggle for survival and the many contributions of American Slovaks not only to their own national life but also to the fight for freedom and independence of the Slovak people. After Prof. F . Hrusovsky and K. Culen, Dr. Joseph Pauco deserves main credit for systematic research into the past and present of American Slovaks. For the past 20 years he published monographs on individual Slovak leaders and organizations of which the voluminous history of the First Catholic Slovak union deserves particular mention. In the present book he deals with 55 outstanding Slovak leaders who did the pioneering organizational, cultural and religious work among American Slovaks. The importance of this book should be, however, measured not only according to its literary value, but also against the fact that there are no organized archives and many printed documents are perishing. In spite of this, Dr. Pauco gathered many valuable facts about the individual leaders among whom there are clergymen of both denominations - Catholic and Lutheran - outstanding organizers of Slovak fraternal and cultural life, men and women of great dedication to the cause of preservation of Slovak cultural heritage. The author approached his subjects with great abjectivity and painted their profiles in a fluent, uncomplicated style to make the book readab1e to the general public and, at the same time, by many references to printed sources, useful to historians and researchers. �SLOVAKIA Some of the chapters are shorter and contain only the most important data. Others present a full life story and evaluation of the activities and of the role the individual leaders played in the Slovak organizational, religious and cultural life in America. The reason for the uneven treatment of some pioneers was given by the author in the introduction to the book. As he says he was sometimes unable to gather, even the most neces~ary information, because there was no organization and no individuals in the past who would have preserved old newpapers, almanacs, minutes of meetings, or other archive materials. Since the Second World War the Slovak Institute in Cleveland and the recently organized Jankola Library have made an effort to gather and preserve archive materials pertaining to the Slovak ethnic group in the United States. In these circumstances, Pauco's present work, as well as his book on the First Catholic Slovak Union and numerous monographs, deserve special recognition. The book has, however, also its own value due to its composition, contents and style. Dr. Pauco produced a standard work comparable with writings of this kind on any other ethnic groups in America. The book also has a useful introduction by Joseph C. Krajsa, but it lack an English summary which would have given to the younger generations of American Slovaks and researchers at least the basic information on Slovak pioneers in America. Unless the author and the publisher intend to publish this work in English, it would be a useful thing to attach to the second edition an extensive English summary. J. M. Ki rs c h b au m 225 Joseph L. Dieska: "Faith and Reason" in the Life and Philosophy of Jacques Maritain, An Offprint from Most, Vol. XIX, No. 3-4, Cleveland, Ohio, 1973. Shortly before the death of the famous French philosopher, Jacques Maritain, Slovaks paid his tribute on the occasion of his 90th birthday in a commemorative study by Prof. Joseph L. Dieska under the title The Religious and Philo sophical Profile of Jacques Maritain. The scholarly essay was pub- lished in Slovak but the author prepared also an English version under the above title. Prof. Dieska was one of the known adherents of Maritain's philosophy already in Slovakia, and pursued his interests in the great Catholic philosopher's concepts also as Professor of Philosophy at the University of Dayton, Ohio, where he has taught for the past several years. The present essay is one of his numerous articles on the subjects. The Slovak and English texts contain a well written and well documented insight and analysis of Maritain's religious and philosophical profile. Dieska approached Maritain's philosophy from the position of "Faith and Reason" and explains the role of reason as well as the mystery of faith in Maritain's philosophy which became a part of the Catholic doctrine and influenced the thinking of several generations in Europe and elsewhere. His theories of creative evolution and his ability to find basic reality through intuition ,e xalted the spirit of man in many parts of the world. Known as neo-Thomism Maritain's philosophy anchors in the works and philosophical concepts of St. Thomas Aquinas. As Dieska explains, Maritain became adherent to the philosophy of St. Thomas as a result of his own independent reflections and �226 SLOVAKIA studies of various philosophers and ing tribute to Maritain also on because of the comparison he made behalf of Slovak intellectuals who between them. He found the truth are silenced in their native counhe was searching for in the an- try where Maritain's philosophy had a strong influence before Marxswers of St. Thomas. However, if it is true that Mari- ism was imposed as the only philotain followed the logic and argu- sophical concept tolerated by the mentation of St. Thomas, he put regime. J. M. Ki rs c h b au m both, in the view of Prof. Dieska, in a " new, modern, and contemporary setting. His language was ad- Encydopedic Directory of Ethnic Newspapers and P eriodicals in justed to the philosophical expresthe United States. By Lubomyr sions used today. His arguments R. Wynar. 260 pp. Libraries Unare aimed at and against modern limited, Inc., Littleton, Colorado, and recent objectors and critics. 1972. $12.50. And above all, when he speaks of For those interested in ethnic the necessity of taking faith and supernatural, revealed truths into studies a valuable tool has recentconsiderations while solving the ly been published to aid in learning political, social, ethical and estheti- 1 about the complex mosaic that is cal difficulties and 'crises' of our ' the United States of America. time, Maritain must transcend Tho- Whereas in the past the student mas and go much farther not, of of ethnic Americana had to wade course, in essential immutable, and through Ulrich's directories, or universally valid principles but in through state manuals, or specialtheir applications to the new, dif- ized histories, facility in locating Icrent and more complex situations data about 903 ethnic publications and issues. In these new approach- can now be had by utilizing Luboes lie the tremendous responsibility myr R. Wynar's Encyclopedic Diand significance of Maritain's Tho- rectory of Ethnic Newspapers and mistic solutions, proposals and Periodicals in the United States. often even sharp and merciless Included in this directory are escriticisms of the 'evils of time'"- scntials about 53 ethnic presses, ranging from the Albanian Press, concludes Dieska. As St. Thomas had found in Assyrian Press, Italian Press, JaAristotle a philosophical basis for panese Pr,ess, Slovak Press, Ukrainreconciling man's reason and ian Press, etc. , to some not poChristian faith, so Maritain, in half pular enough presses such as the a lifetime of philosophical study, Cossack, Cax,patho-Ruthenian, Flembrought a rejuvenated Thomism ish, Swiss, and Welsh. In cases such as Croatian, Sloveinto a modern age of scepticism and science. After the Second nian, and Serbian, there is a generWorld War, Maritain's vision and al heading as Yugoslav, which in philosophy helped lend strength effect increases the number of also to the whole Christian demo- presses substantially beyond the cratic movement which stood as a figure of 53. Data cited for pub1.Julwark against Communism and lications are: title translations, year founded, complete address to the Catholic Church. The author and the editor of (including ZIP), name of editor, Most deserve recognition for pub- language(s) , sponsor, circulation, Jishing both versions and for pay- frequency of publication, and sub- �SLOVAKIA scription rate. In additions commentaries aid in explaining the scope of publications., e.g., the following for "The Handbook Ilbo'' (The Korea Times): "This publication, the only Korean daily in the United States, carries international, national, and local news of interest of the Korean community. Jllustrated. " Professor Wynar of Kent State University, both a librarian and an ethnic specialist, includes a very interesting Appendix of Statistical Analysis for each ethnic group, summarizing the number of publications, weekly circulation totals, monthly circulation totals, totals for native language publications, bi-lingual totals, and English language totals. An index to the publications completes the book. An interesting addendum to the book would have been an analysis of ethnic publications in each of the fifty states. This directory truly is the first comprehensive annotated guide to the current ethnic press in the United States and with its clear type and excellent alphabetical format clearly rates an A. Paul F e n c h a k Panorama: A H i storical Review of the Czechs and Slovaks i n the United States of America. Pub- lished by the Czechoslovak National Council of America, Cicero, Ill., U.S.A. Cicero-Berwyn Press, 1970, pp. 328, index. It is quite evident that there exists today in America a need for authorative works on the histories of the various ethnic groups which have contributed to the development of America. Objective, factual and concise histories of the various groups is essential. This volume of the dual histories of the Czech 227 and Slovak immigrations to America, unfortunately from a viewpoint of abjective Slovak history, seems to lack sufficient factual data to be accepted as a history of the Slovak immigration to America. From the standpoint of the history of the Czech immigration it is factu al, unbiased history but even then much is amiss particularly in the area of the religious development of the Czech community in the United States. Two basic criticisms can be found in the basic format of the work. The single most important error in the work is the fact that the various writers of Slovak topics are weak in objective reporting, so necessary in a historical work of this kind . Unfortunately the writers, who are of the " Czechoslovak" philosophical persuasion, would wa nt the reader to actually believe that only those Slovak organizations which support that philosophy have contributed to the development of the Slovak American community. In fact it must be remembered that over eighty per cent of the organized Slovak American community does not support the '· Czechoslovak" philosophy but ra ther a distinct Slovak philosophy within the family of nations. The authors seem to infer that the staunch Catholic mass of Slovak immigrants contributed little if anything at all to the development of the Slovak community in Am erica. It appears that such notables as Father Stephen Furdek, founder of the First Catholic Slovak Union, the co-founder of the First Catholic Slovak Ladies. Association and the founder of the Slovak League of America played a very minor role in the development of the Slovak community. Other prominent leaders such as Father Matthew Jankola, Joseph Rusek, �228 SLOVAKIA Anna Hurban and Philip Hrobak are not even mentioned. The second most important ingredient which is lacking in this work is organization. Various bits and pieces are scattered throughout the work on both the Czech and Slovak development in America and from an academic journalistic point of view it is quite primitive in its presentation. Too many writers cover certain geographical areas of the Slovak immigration but much is ignored and almost always repetitious. Too often the writers are offering opinionated biased reporting which is not acc-eptable by the vast majority of the Slovak community today. There exists a certain disorganization present in the work and most often it effects an objective Slovak history. In one area in particular the work is both factually deficient and openly opinionated, that is the area of the Slovak organization" in the United States. Such organizations as "Catholic Slovak Unity, Catholic Slovak Women's Unity. Unity of Catholic Sokols" are not acceptable as Slovak organizations, as such do not exist. Again faulty research is evidenced in the presentation of Slovak organizations. One area lists "all" the Czech and Slovak organizations in America and the largest and most important Slovak societies are not listed. Subjective reporting would lead one to believe that indeed the Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol is the most importa nt and influential organization of Americans of Slovak descent. However factual research will reveal to the alert writer that in fact the above named organization has a membership of less than 24,000 while the First Catholic Slovak Union, the First Catholic Slovak Ladies Association, the Slovak Catholic Sokol, the Pennsyl- vania Slovak Catholic Union, the Ladies Pennsylvania Slovak Catholic Union and the First Slovak Wreath of the Free Eagle have a combined membership of over 300,000. The informed reader will at once note that Sokol U.S.A., as it is commonly associated and pubblicised in the America press is of the "Czechoslovak" philosophical persuasion while the other Catholic Slovak organizations representing the overwhelming majority of organized Americans of Slovak descent are not of the appendage philosophy but rather support a distinct Slovak path completely free of Czech domination. Another noteworthy fact is that the Sokol U.S.A. is the only Slovak organization of any magnitude which is a member of the Czechoslovak National Council of America. Included in the work is a Who's Who among Americans of Czech and Slovak ancestry. Again only those Slovaks who support the idea of a "Czechoslovak" culture, language and heritage are included. Not only are the above mentioned Slovaks notably absent but such luminary as Bishop Andrew G. Grutka, D.D., the Roman Catholic Bishop of Gary, Indiana and countless others who have contributed to the growth and development of the Slovak American Community. In the final analysis the work offers little insight into the history and development of the Slovaks in America. The history of the Czechs in America is acceptable but no t commendable since again the underlining theme is to discredit any theistic organizational development. The work in general is primitive in the Slovak sense and therefore can not be accepted as a factual history of the Slovaks in America. This work is a prime example of Czech and "Czechoslovak" chauvin- �SLOVAKIA 229 ism in the interpretation of Slovak suring Czech hegemony in CzechoSlovakia, regardless of the fact history. Daniel F. Tanzone that the Communist movement is discredited by their policy. In some Eugen Steiner: The Slovak Dilem- ways Czech Communists resemble ma, Cambridge, at the University to Czech non-Communists or antiPress, 1973, 229 pages. Series Communists who used and still are International Studies, Published using democracy, socialism, liberalfor the Centre for International ism or Catholicism for imposing or Studies, London School of Eco- maintaining Czech hegemony over nomics and Political Sciences. others, especially Slovaks. The situation in Czecho-Slovakia between inthe in writes author the As troduction his aim was "to trace 1918-1938 attests to it sufficiently. the Communist attitude to national- The policy of Prague Governments ism, and to define the effects of from 1918 to this day proved that this attitude as far as the Slovaks Czechs are not capable to fulfill the arc concerned." Or in other words mission which the victorious Powhe "deals in microcosm with a ers entrusted to them in 1918 or major problem which lies at the again in 1945. Czecho-Slovalda did heart of the Soviet Union's policies, not become a barrier against German expansion or a bridge between internal and external." (p. 3) and West. Czech governments East Dr. Steiner uses the case of Slovakia to show how Communism forced into opposition against the fa iled to solve nationality problems. European block which created Not only in the Soviet Union was Czecho-Slovakia, not only the mithis problem hidden behind slogans norities but also Slovaks. Czech on the equality of nations, while politicians did not honor any agreethe Russians are the rulers, but ment, promise or pledge given to also in restored and by Communists Slovaks. They practiced such a policy regoverned Czecho-Slovakia. Steiner's book leaves no doubt that the Marx- gardless of the danger for the Leninist thesis on the problems of existence of the state or the misnationalities did not bring a satis- sion Czecho-Slovakia was to fulfill factory solution to the relations according to its friends and creabetween the Czechs and Slovaks; tors. After occupying Slovakia with on the contrary, since 1945 when the help of French and Italian Czecho-Slovakia was restored (a- military units in 1918, and with the gainst the will of majority of Slo- help of the Soviet armies in 1945, vaks) the Czech rule was imposed they disregarded their promises on Slovaks step by step, brutally and the rights of Slovaks to selfand without regard to promises and government. About the period of agreements. Up to 1948, the Czech 1918-1938 there is in Western lanCommunists found accomplices in guages comparatively large literanon-Communists. After 1948, they ture dealing with this subject. The imposed their rule on Slovaks with book by Dr. Steiner gives to Westthe help of a handful of collabora- ern readers sufficient information tors from Slovakia, mostly of non- and documentary evidence for the Slovak origin (Bacilek, Bil'ak, Mos- period of 1945-1968. Dr. Steiner writes in the introkovic, Daubner, Siroky and others). Czech Communists are using Com- duction to his book that he has munism as an instrument for as- "chosen exile as a Jew, as a Com- �230 SLOVAK.IA On the cover of Steiner's book munist and as a Slovak." He wrote his book from this point of view, there are reproductions of pictures which makes his work more inter- from demonstrations of Slovak esting and more valuable. It is a youth in Bratislava against the testimony of a "Jew, Communist Soviet occupation in August 1968. and Slovak" about the political On the posters we can read: "Slodevelopments in Slovakia in this vaks stand firm, they won't pass! Occupa nts go home!" These slogans century. His background and ideological o- express the feelings of Slovaks in rientation explain to a great degree Slovakia as well as abroad not only not only his favorable attitude to- against the So·,iet occupants, but wards regimes in 1918-1938 (though any occupants, including the Czechs. Czech Statistics can easily prove This conclusion can be found, if the opposite) but his negative stand carefully read, also in Dr. Steiner's towards the Slovak republic of book: The Slovak Dilemma. Dr. A. Gr eb er t, 1939-1945 as well. We understand Geneva, Switzerland that the anti-communist and antijewish measures of the Slovak Government could not meet with Slovak Studies, Historica 7 and 8, Vol. X and XI, Slovak Institute, his approval. It is, however, hard Rome-Cleveland, Editor Prof. M. to understand his attitude towards Lacko, S. J . Dr. Benes and his Government-inBoth volumes of Slovak Studies exile. Even such adherents of "Czechoslovakism" as were Dr. M. deal with history of Slovakia and Hodfu and Dr. S. Osusky disagreed except for the contribution by Dr. and at the end fought against Be- S. Nahalka, with the events of our nes and his anti-Slovak policy which century. Since the Marxist historihe later (after 1945) also practiced ans not only avoid certain subjects in co-operation with Czech Commu- but also write with prejudice and nists and non-Communists. Unfor- strictly from the Marxist point of tunately, Dr. Steiner deals with view, these volumes perform specific this rather superficially and un- role in historiography on Slovakia. convincingly. The post-war develop- In addition, their value is enhanced ments in Czecho-Slovakia prove by the fact that they are published that the Slovak-Czech antagonism in foreign language and two of the is not a matter of temporary politi - contributors were educated abroad. Students of modern Slovak hiscal situation but a fundamental and lasting feature of Slovak-Czech tory will welcome especially the relations. It is impossible to solve Ph.D. thesis by Sister M. E. Lubek, this problem within the "Czecho- "An Inquiry into the United States Slovak" framework. The successive _ Czechoslovak Relations between a_bolition, ~~er 1969, _of C~nstitu- I 1918-1948." There were many myths t10nal prov1S1ons dealing with the published on this subjects, but to federalization of Czecho-Slovakia, my knowledge, no scholarly work. mentioned in Dr. Steiner's book, Some years ago Prof. M. Mamatey prove convincingly the validity of shed some light on the period of the First World War, later years the above conclusions. In spite of some shortcomings, Dr. remained, however, unresearched. Steiner's book is a valuable contri- Yet, this is an interesting topic, bution to the historiography on since the United States played an important role in the emergence Eastern Europe. �231 SLOVAKIA of Czecho-Slovakia in 1918 and in her re-emergence in 1945. Needless to say that the treatise by M. E. Lubek does not cover all the aspects of the inter-state relations, remaining mostly in the field of politics and diplomacy. The study is nevertheless of the importance and will be useful for further research. For foreign historians dealing with Slovakia of special interest will also be the contributions by Prof. M. S. :l'.>urica, who researched Italian Military Documents in order to shed a new light on the tragic death of M. R. Stefanik, one of the founders of Czecho-Slovakia, and German biography of President Dr. J. Tiso by F. H. Schneider. We commented on the value of Prof. Durica's study when it was first published in Italian language (Slovalcia, Vol. XXIII, 1973) , and cannot but welcome the English version. Schneider's essay on the life and historical role of Dr. J . Tiso in Slovak politics is of importance for more than one reason. The adversaries of Slovak aspirations for independence - Communists and non-Communists - succeeded in presenting Dr. Tiso and his policies in Western countries in a distorted light. Even though, Dr. Tiso mostly suffered for his forced cooperation with Germany, there was a long silence about him and Slovakia among German historians. Schneider's contribution does not exhaust the subject and shows gaps, but it was high time to draw a little differe nt picture of President Tiso in ♦ ♦ German language than it was done by Prague and Slovak Communists. Unfortunately, Schneider overlooked some books and articles which contain substantial information on Dr. Tiso's life and politics, such as Prof. Murin's articles, one of Dr. Polakovic's books, many articles in Sl.ovakia and other sources. Dr. S. Nahalka's istructive article on "Holy Scripture among Slovaks" is a valuable contribution to the religious and cultural history of Slovaks. Religious history of Slovakia is one of the completely neglected fields in today's historiography in Slovakia, even though Slova ks survived as a nation mostly due to the fact that clergy (Catholic and Protestant) took over the cultural leadership and national struggle. Professor Lacko in his contributions presents the synthesis of the studies on Great-Moravian and Cyrillo-Methodian period and a survey of events which led to the reestablishment of the Greek-Catholic Church in Slovakia. The latter study would deserve to be completed by documents and names of people who in Slovakia and abroad helped the re-establishment. Both contributions are timely and instructive. Prof. Lacko deserves recognition also for his efforts to continue publishing the Slovak Studies. Slovak cultural activities abroad would be much poorer without this series. J. M. Ki rs c h b au m ♦ Life Membership in the Slovak League of America is $100.00 - join us! Write to: Slovak League of America, 313 Ridge Avenue, Middletown, Pa. 17057. �SLOVAKlA 232 Our Contributor s theologian, author, Cambridge, Ontario Stephen Sencik, S.J. - Anthony X. Sutherland, Ph.D ., Columbus, Ohio Sr. Martina Tybor, SS.C.M. - author, Director, Slovak Institute, Cleveland, 0 . Andrew Pier, O.S.B. Joseph C. Krajsa - teacher, author, Danville, Pa. Editor, Jednota, Middletown, Pa. industrialist, Toronto, Ontario Stephen B. Roman - attorney-at-law, Stratford, Conn. Edward J. Behuncik - Joseph M. Kirschbaum, LL.D., Ph.D . Jozef Pauco, Ph.D. - historian, author, Toronto, Ont. author, historian, Middletown, Pa. Michael O'Pake, Esq. - State Senator, Reading, Pa. Daniel F. Tanzone, M.A. - teacher, Yonkers, N. Y. Susan Pojer, B.A., Yonkers, N. Y. professor, author, consultant for Rockefeller Foundation, New York, N. Y. Michael Novak, Ph.D. Paul Fenchak - teacher, Baltimore, Md. Steven I. Miller, Ph.D. - assistant professor, Loyola University, Chicago, Illinois Junior history major, Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, Pa. William Wagner Francis Vnuk - historian; professor, Institute of Technology, Adelaide, Australia Dr. Arved Grebert - former Slovak diplomat, now in Switzerland Jane Noonan, Marlene Bartos, Stephen J. Knoblock - America Scholarship Winners Slovak League of �OFFICERS OF THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA Honorary President : EDWARD J. BEHUNCIK President 2385 Main Street Stratford, Conn. 06497 Stephen J. Tkach , DR. JOSEPH PAUCO Secretary 313 Ridge Avenue Middletown, Pa. 17057 Vice Presidents: Milan V. Blazek, Stephen Suhajcik, Mary Piroch ' Executive Committee : Edward J. Behuncik, John A. Holy, Paul C. Kazimer, Tibor Kovalovsky, Joseph R. Kristotik, Dr. Joseph Pauco, John A. Sabol SLOVAK FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS (Affiliated with the Slovak League of America) THE FIRST CATHOLIC SLOVAK UNION Cleveland, Ohio - Membership: 104,500 ·-:i THE FIRST CATHOLIC SLOVAK LADIES ASSOCIATION Cleveland, Ohio .;_ Membership: 96,000 THE SLOVAK CATHOLIC SOKOL Passaic, N. J. - Membership: 53,000 PENNSYLVANIA SLOVAK CATHOLIC UNION Wilkes-Barre, Pa: - Membership: 18,000 LADIES PENNSYLVANIA SLOVAK CATHOLIC UNION Wilkes-Barre, Pa. - Membership: 16,500 SLOVAK NEWSPAPER'S JOURNALISTS' ASSOCI.A.TION (Affiliated with the Slovak League of America) SLOVAK NEWSPAPERS (Affiliated with the Slovak League of Americ,a) BRATSTVO Wilkes-Barre, Pa. SLOVAK V AMERIKE Middletown, Pa. JEDNOTA Middletown, Pa. ZENSKA JEDNOTA Cleveland, Ohio KATOLICKY SOKOL Passaic, N. J. ZORNICK_A Wilkes-Barre, Pa. SLOVAKIA $4.00 per annum in the U.S.A. - $5.00 elsewhere PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. JEDNOTA PRESS Middletown, Pennsylvania 17057 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1974, Vol. 24 Description An account of the resource Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document 210 SLOVAKIA CURRENT ISSUES RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED AT CONFERENCE OF THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA IN NEW YORK CITY, MAY 19, 1973 Your Holiness: In the name of more than 350,000 American-Slovaks, the greater majority Catholic, and supporting the Slovak League of America and its cultural and civic programs, we extend cordial greetings. We appreciate your efforts and dedication to obtain equal rights for all Catholics and to continue the ecumenical co-operation with all Christians and believers throughout the whole world. We also present to you a petition asking that you give particular attention to the land of our forefathers-Slovakia -cradle in 833 of Christianity in Central Europe and ever devotedly loyal to the Holy See. Notwithstanding this historic fact, Slovakia, oppressed by the atheistic Soviet regime in civil affairs, lacks, in the spiritual domain, its own province, does not have a single archbishop and for so long a time, no Slovak has achieved cardinalhood. Of course, Slovak Catholics share their sufferings with their Lutheran and Greek Catholic brethren. We respectfully suggest that Slovakia be accorded similar recognition as Bohemia, Moravia, Slovenia, Croatia and many other countries in Africa and Asia. We are confident that among dedicated and oppressed Slovak clergy can be found an archbishop to lead a Slovak ;irovince as in days gone by. Such a magnanimous gesture would invigorate all Slovaks at home as well as here in America. We believe that your Holiness by such a decision will strengthen us and thus fortify our fidelity to the Vatican and reverence to the throne of St. Peter. Very respectfully and sincerely, Edward J. Behuncik, President Dr. Joseph Pauco, Secretary Dear Mr. President: The Slovak League of America on the occasion of its 1973 Conference here in New York extends cordial greetings. We hope you will continue to enjoy good health and achieve even greater success in your efforts on behalf of all citizens of whatever origin. We unequivocally endorse your stand in Vietnam and welcome your policy in Europe and Asia. As you are well aware, our origins are in Central Europe, in SLOVAKIA 211 Slovakia, which has a more than 1100 year Christian history and which for many centuries, excepting a brief period, has lived in subjugation. Now, Slovakia is in its fifth year of Soviet occupation and deprivation by the communists of all human, spiritual and political rights. So, today, we again respectfully request that you, individually as our leader, as well as your entire administration, continue to remember Slovakia and the other oppressed nations behind the Iron Curtain. All thes•e subjugated peoples seek and des·erve statehood and democratic freedom such as we in the United States are so fortunate to enjoy. In your discussions with the leaders of the totalitarian world, we ask that you give high priority to this humane cause. W!! are confident that if permitted free elections, our brethren in Slovakia would officially confirm their dedication and devotion to the United States of America as the stalwart guardian of human freedoms . Most Sincerely, Edward J. Behuncik, President Dr. Joseph Pauco, Secretary DECLARATION ADOPTED AT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE SLOVAK WORLD CONGRESS HELD IN CHICAGO ON JUNE 30TH 1973 The representatives of Slovaks abroad gathered at the General Assembly of the Slovak World Congress, held in Chicago on June 28-30th, 1973, adopted the following Declaration: (1) We consider ourselves an integral part of the Slovak people. We are conscious of our co-responsibility for their destiny and for their contribution to the overall culture of humanity. (2) We claim for the Slovak nation, on the basis of its national individuality, recognition for an equal status with other sovereign nations of the world. (3) We deny any Great Power the right to interfere with the destiny of the Slovak people and to integrate Slovakia in other states or zones of influence which are opposed to the will of the Slovak people and their national interests. We consider such actions, condemned as they are by all civilized people of the world, to be a violation of the Charter of the United Nations. (4) We demand the departure of all occupation forces from Central Europe in order that, after more than a quarter 212 SLOVAKIA of a century since the end of the War, the nations of that area can finally govern themselves. (5) As representatives of a nation conscious of its responsibility towards others, we consider the principles of democracy and humanism the basis for peace and co-operation among the peoples of the world. (6) On these principles alone, life in freedom and a free culture can develop in Slovakia according to the traditions of the Slovak people and in harmony with the progress of the world. PHILIP A. HROBAK YEAR January 10, 1974 marked the tenth anniversary of the death of Philip A. Hrobak, and on May 1, 1974 we will mark the seventieth anniversary of his birth. These special dates impel us to honor his memory in a special way. He was one of the most deserving of our cultural and civic workers from among the many American-born Slovaks and one who dedicated himself to the Slovak cause since early manhoJd. Philip A. Hrobak, as a newspaperman, writer, histocian, linguist, fraternalist and organizer rose to heights in American Slovak life. His contributions to the Slovak cause in both English and Slovak are most noteworthy and memorable in Slovak history. Therefore, the Slovak League of America deems it a special honor to be able to lend itself to the legacy of Philip A. Hrobak. Not only did he honorably serve as a long time editor of JEDNOTA, as the founder and editor of "Slovak Newsletters," "Jednota Annual Furdek" and "Slo·v akia", but also as a distinguished President and member of the Executive Committee of the Slovak League of America-all this is his eternal monument. Bowing before his genius, we turn to our Slovak people and we seek recognition in 1974 of the unfinished dreams of Philip A. Hrobak and so-licit continued help in proving that we i>..re all worthy followers of this g,r eat son of our people. For the Slovak League of America, the year 1974 will be the time of increased activity, as he idealized and set by his example. In tribute to his linguistic talents, we can have the opportunity to help build a strong scholarship fund for the League, because the main purpose of this fund is to preserve and enhance, as he desired, the Slovak conscience in America. Surely, there cannot be any American Slovak who would not make his or her contribution to our scholarship fund in memory of Philip .A. Hirobak. The Slovak League of America also feels compelled to follow the SLOVAKIA 213 footsteps of Philip A. Hrobak in other fields. In the firat place, we must preserve and continue with the annual "Slovakia", we must daily and fairly continue to inform the American public of the ideals and accomplishments of the American Slovaks, and we must continue our cl-forts to renew the rightful place of the Slovak nation as an independent unit in the family of nations. These were the goals of Philip A. Hrobak, and our Slovak League has so proceeded in the last ten years since we with heavy hearts bid a sad farewell to our never-forgotten leader. With prayer, with labor, and with sacrifices we thus honor this meritocious Slovak son. May the memory of Philip A. Hrobak be perpetual. Edward J. Behuncik, President Dr. Joseph Pauco, Secretary As the others see it represented. What to me is more worse, is the attempt to sublimate the Slovaks into the Czech people. That's why we hear about a 'Czechoslovak nation'. It does not exists! Czecho-Slovakia is a political entity of two nations - the Czechs and the Slovaks. I never think of myself as Czech. I am Slovak and nothing else."- Rev. John Zornan, President of the Slovak Zion Synod, "What kind of man is Alex Del- National News, Pittsburgh, Pa., vecchio? (Playing for Detroit Red August 1, 1973. Wings.) He's middle aged, 41. A guy who you can't get in an "Despite the courage and per• argument with. His salt-and-pepper severance the Slovaks and other gray hair is impeccably coiffured peoples of Eastern Europe have around round Eastern European displayed time and again in their face (his late mother was a Slovak; relentless search for internal liberhis father Italian.)" - Bob Naylor, ties and external sovereignty, they Detroit Free Press, December 9, cannot achieve their goals without 1973. outside help. It is our duty, and only in keeping with our own "The idea of 'Slovak Heritage' is to extend our support. The ideals, quite intriguing to me. It implies world will not know genuine that we have one. Looking at hisevery country enjoys tory books, however, you might peace until freedom and can exercise the right have doubts. Even when discussing to self-determination. Central Europe, the Slovaks as a "The history of Slovakia is one nation are often forgotten or mis- "Call a Slovak Czechoslovak and you plant a burr under his skin. To a Slovak, named for a geograph• ic region divided by the wars and politics, that frequent error is more than just misnomer; it conveys a complete historical misunderstanding of who he is." - Sue Morse, The Herald Statesman, Yonkers, N. Y., November 30, 1973. 214 SLOVAKIA of turmoil, frustration, and heroic struggle. Your continued devotion to the cause of a free and independent Slovakia - despite hundreds of years of oppression - is an inspiration to those of us who cherish freedom as you do. These are the characteristics that help us, in maintaining a better and stronger America. "The existence of the World Congress is an important step in achieving your long delayed place among the family of the free naRobert P. Hanrahan, tions." Member of Congress. U.S. Senator Adlai E. Stevenson. "I am sure all of the American Slovaks sincerely wish to acknowledge the plight of their brethren under Communist oppression. The Slovak people strongly pursue the course that someday freedom will reign in all corners of the world. People of America need to be remainded of the severe repressing of Communist-held nations of the world endure." - U.S. Senator Hugh Scott. "Slovaks of Cleveland brought many Christmas customs from the old country, notably the custom of caroling. Among the most cherished Slovak folk songs are those sung at Christmas time. These carols are sung not only in churches, but also in the homes of the faithful, no matter how many generations they have lived here." - Sun Herald, Cleveland, 0., December 20, 1973. "We must re-dedicate ourselves to cause of all captives of Communism. Recognizing that the world cannot enjoy peace until all peoples are free from yoke of Communism. Please continue your dedication to the traditions, cultural life, religious beliefs, and desire for independence on behalf of Slo"There is a strong feeling of vak people everywhere."- Edward awareness among some ethnic J. Derwinski, Member of Congress. members of the younger generation. "I do want you to know I share There are also strong indications your commitment to the Slovak that the melting pot concept can people and to strengthening the no longer be maintained and that ties with their sons and daughters America is beginning to recognize throughout the world. I know we and appreciate the diversity of its will not falter in our efforts to ethnic populations in terms of a insure that no people need face re- new cultural pluralism."- Dr. Goy, pression and indignity as a result a member of City College's library of their yearning to be free." - faculty, New York, N. Y. SLOVAKIA 215 -------------- WHO'S WHO Among American Slovaks JOSEPH C. K RAJ SA It was a mark of social maturity when the Chamber of Commerce of the Greater Harrisburg Area decided to have "Slovak power" for its presidency. Such is progress that it is hardly news anymore when a second-generation American of ethnic background and working-class origins becomes the leader of the town's top capitalists. Pardon us, Karl Marx. Joseph Charles Krajsa is the 60th president of the Harrisburg Chamber. He is so ethnic that more than half the Chamber's members can't pronounce his name correctly: It is "Crysa," and Anglicized it would mean "nicer." Well beyond his own physical size - 6-foot-1 and 240 pounds Krajsa is a big man. He was manager of the Allentown Finance Co. for 14 years, which is owned by his older brother, John. He has the equivalent of two college degrees and has a speaking knowledge of seven languages. He was an outstanding football, baseball and basketball coach for 11 years. And, lastly, he served as auditor and vice president of the First Catholic Slovak Union, and is now the editor of its bilingual weekly, Jednota, and manager of the Jednota home, farm and printery. Very much a Slovak as a warm convivial person, Krajsa also is a Rotarian, Elk, Legionaire and democrat. He once was a topflight golfer who won country-club trophies. "I find more businessmen in this Chamber, for example, wanting to be more human, wanting to share their good fortune," he said. "The single-minded emphasis on economics has diminished. A person must be involved politically, socially and religiously, as well as economically, to be well-rounded, and more and more businessmen understand that." Krajsa, 56, grew up in Allentown. His father was a wire-worker from Skalica in Slovakia and emigrated to America in 1906. Old Joe Krajsa married a girl living here, Agnes Baranek, a native of Horna Krupa, Slovakia. He built his own home and started a corner grocery. Everybody knew and loved the Krajsas. "Put it on the book," or "na knizku," they said as Father Krajsa had a credit book, so the neighborhood could have its groceries. One of the articles in Krajsa's published Furdek 1974 is entitled "Slovaks Are Lovers." The author asserts, "Slovak mothers can equally match the 'Good Jewish Mother' of book fame." A Slovak mother will say to her daughter, "Ja som t'a nevychovala, aby si behala za muzami," or "I didn'-t raise you to go chasing after men." Many Slovaks came to America between 1880 and 1920, with most of them settling here between 1900 and 1910. Thousands settled in Pennsylvania, and the men became the muscle of this commonwealth's steel, coal and railroading indus- 216 SLOVAKIA tries. Of Slovak descent are Astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, Penn State's great lineman, Mark Markovich; Will Hartack, Chuck Bednarik, Johnny Bucha and George Blanda. Stan Musial is half-Polish and half-Slovak. Blanda's mother is president of the Jednota lodge in Youngwood. There were 277 scattered Slovak fraternal organizations and widoworphan funds when in 1890 the Rev. Stephen Furdek, of Cleveland, organized the national union called Jednota (the word means union, or united). Nineteen years later the Middletown property of the aristocrat Simon Cameron Young was purchased for $38,000. What originally was 298 acres is now 255 acres, but worth well over one million dollars. The old orphanage, now phased out, cared for 4,000 children in its history. The newspaper Krajsa edits and writes for has a circulation of 40,000. Jednota also publishes 15 book titles annually. It is building a million dollar printery. Krajsa was elected editor for a three-year term in 1964, and he keeps being re-elected. He arrived in Middletown when Olmsted Air Force Base was closing, so immediately he plunged into civic activity. It got him involved in Chamber of Commerce work, and he did so well that the Chamber named him president last October. Krajsa had a typical Americanimmigrant family upbringing. He did well in his studies. He captained Allentown Central Catholic High School's basketball team, was center on the football team and pitched for the baseball team. He went on to East Stroudsburg State College, where he was a stellar athlete, and then was a Navy chief petty officer in World War II. After the war, he married Romanza Fairman, from Kansas City, and settled in Allentown. He put in 11 years at Central Catholic High lurning in several state championship teams and ending up as athletic director. Meanwhile, he was in the finance business, too. The Krajsas have four children: Joe, in insurance, Mike, administrative assistant in the Agriculture Department; Maryagnes, assistant to the Dauphin County Democratic chairman, and George, an athlete at Middletown High. Krajsa's desire for the Chamber of Commerce is a Slovak's wish for more unity, more strength of purpose and more aggressiveness for the community. "We can get unity and not take a thing away from anybody," he said looking toward the West Shore. He believes that the county line should be easier to cross than the ethnic line over which his presidency already has triumphed. Paul B. Beers, Associated Editor The Evening News Harrisburg, Pa. THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA heartily commends all efforts of our governmental and other organs to ferret out and unmask all Communists and fellow travellers, as well as all persons and organizations who wittingly or unwittingly give aid and comfort to the conspiracy of Communism promoted by the Soviet Union. SLOVAKIA - 217 Book Reviews Books on Slovakia and Slovaks Reviewed by Prof. J. M. Kirschbaum writes about the Czech l.'esistance during the last years of the War. Three contributions deal with the Slovak problem. Hans Kaiser writes about integration of Slovakia into national socialist war economy; In this carefully edited volume, Ladislav Lipscher examines the in12 German scholars and specialists fluence of the Third Reich on the in Czecho-Slovak affairs analyze the policy of the Slovak government eventful year of 1945 in Czecho- with regard to the Jewish problem, Slovakia. Some of the contributors and Jorg K. Hoensch gives a generare known as experts in the prob- al survey of the situation in Slovalems of Eastern Europe. Others kia in 1945. specialized in the German-Czech The remaining contributions deal relations or in the Slovak problem. with the transfer of the Sudeten Since until recently the German Germans and its consequences (Pescholars avoided publishing the re- ter Burian); with rebuilding of the sults of their research on Czecho- Communist Party of Czecho-SlovaSlovakia, their views will be of lda in 1945 (Heinrich Kuhn); with interest for schoiars in the West. the constitutional problems in The volume gives a survey of Czecho-Slovakia in 1945 (Helmut international, national and socio- Slapnicka); and with the integraeconomic problems in Czecho-Slova- tion of the Sudeten German expelkia in 1945, but two contributions, lees in Germany. The book provides abundant inone by Ferdinand Seibt, and the other by Karl Bosl, outline the formation on each topic and referhistorical background of boundary ences to sources used indicate that problems and basic information on German scholars weve dealing with the division of Germany by the their subjects with great effort to present an objective picture of Allies. Further contributions deal with Czecho-Slovakia in 1945. Their Czecho-Slovakia itself during the views and conclusions will, thereWar and her l'estoration in 1945. fore, be at variance with some Peter Kruger gives a survey of the Western specialists in East Central views of the Allies on Czecho-Slo- ; Europe, including the emigre Czech vakia from the Atlantic Charter to j historians. Czecho-Slovakia has the Potsdam Conference; Martin K. been presented in the West during Bachstein outlines the policy of I the past decades with evident relithe social democratic exiles from ance on Czech sources and favoring Czecho-Slovakia and Detlef Brandes I the Czechs. Especially Slovakia was Karl Bosl: Das Jahr 1945 in der Tschechoslowakei, Vortrag,e der wissenschaftlichen Tagung des Collegium Carolinum, R. Oldenbourg, Mlinchen-Wien, 1971, 316 p. 218 SLOVAKIA treated with bias, mostly as a "postscriptum" to Czech history, and the cruel and often inhuman treatment of minorities or political adversaries was overlooked. German scholars endeavored to be factual and objective and since some of them were born or raised in Czecho-Slovakia, their knowledge of the prob!ems discussed in their contribution cannot be doubted. Nevertheless, they present a German view, because nobody can separate himself fr.om his own background and personal or national experience. · And the manner in which Prague solved the Sudeten German problem in 1945 was bound to create deep resentiment and animosity, which is not easy to overcome. Slovakia is treated in the book with more understanding and impa.rtiality than is the usual case in Western historiography; there is nevertheless certain bias in all three contributors "with regard to the Slovak republic, including the article ·by Jorg Hoensch. Hoensch published two well researched books on Slovakia in the past but, in many instances, adopted the Czech or the Slovak Marxist view of the wartime Slovakia. This also occurred in his present contribution which is well researched and refers also to Slovak emigre political literature. Nevertheless, some conclusions were made by Hoensch on assumptions and not on facts. For instance, his view that "the majority of the Slovak leading strata and, even more, the large masses of the population believed during the war that their social ,i nterest and political rights would be better preserved in the restored Czechoslovakia" and that the Slovak Republic "could not give proof -of its viability (Lebensfiihigkeit)" is a part of Czech and Communist propaganda which was recen_tly contradicted and abandoned even by Slovak Marxist historians (see books by L. Liptak and S. Falt'an). Likewise is disputable his statement that the "Slovak population accepted with equal passivity the introduction of the peoples democracy and the declaration of the Slovak Republic." The enthusiastic manifestations in Slovakia in 1939 can hardly be compared with the fear from rape, confiscation, deportation and hiding in cellars which ·could be witness in Slovakia ' during the first months of the restoration of Czecho-Slovakia. Also treated in the volume are two important problems for Slovakia during the war years: the integration of Slovakia into the German war economy and the policy of the Slovak government with regard to the Jewish problem. Hans Kaiser deals with the first topic and gives a well researched survey of the impact of Germany on Slovak economy, and of the pressures used by Berlin on the Slovak government. Kaiser's contribution is the first one in the West to deal expertly · with the subject. So far, only the Marxist historians or economists published studies on the economic situation in Slovakia during th e War and their approach was a priori hostile. The views of the members of the Slovak government and Slovak economists who did not side with the regime imposed upon Slovakia in 1945, are buried in the archives of the "people's courts" and only in part were published by Slovak emigre politicians and writers. The picture of Slovak :war economy presented by Kaiser cannot, therefore, be without flaws. It is, in any case, a useful basis for further research and full presentation of the economic development of Slovakia during the Second , World War. SLOVAKIA · 219 The third contributio n dealing I Horst Glass!: Die slowakische Geschichtswis senschaft nach 1945 with Slovakia touches on the prob(Slovak Historiogra phy After !em which harmed Slovaks and 1945), Otto Harrassowi tz, Wies their reputation in the world, but baden, 1971, 166 pages, Register. the11e were only a few attempts to put the policy of the Slovak governThe author and the publisher of ment towa!'ds Jews into a proper this book deserve recognition for perspective. making available to Western scholars and students of history an Lipscher's contributio n analyzes objective survey of Slovak historithe influence of the Third Reich on ography after 1945. Except for that policy on the basis of G€rman short summaries in one or two archives and partly also on the foreign languages, writings of Slohave been published Slovak sources. In comparison vak historians 1945 exclusively in Slovak since with many articles published on and, as such, they have remained this subject in the West, Lipscher's inaccessible to most of foreign hiscontributio n is marked by an effort torians. Glassl's book provides at to present the policy of the Slovak least those Western historians who impartial governmen t more objectively and read German with an phy and historiogra Slovak at look with considerab le restraint from during blaming only the Slovak govern- its remarkable developme nt decades. two past the ment in harsh terms, as has been the case until now. Lipscher does The book is the result of a thornot make any reference to sources ough research in Slovakia itself. of Slovak emigre historians and The author compiled considerab le political writers who dealt with the knowledge of writings on Slovak subject and he recognized that the history by both the old traditionalproblem would require further ist and the recent Marxist historistudy. This indicates that he enIn his attempt to give an obans. deJvored to approach the problem pictul'e he points to the jective wi th impartiality and, as a result, and ideological interrestrictions his contributio n may be a beginwhich Slovak histounder ference ning of dealing with the tragedy or remain silent write to had rians of Jews in Slovakia with more "It lasted 1956. until 1948 after understand ing of the circumstan ces "before Glassl, says years," several and pressures under which the developthe that possible was it Slovaks could not save more Jewment of Slovak historiogra phy and ish citizens than they did. research could come up with noA complete review of this volume ticeable results. Under the pressure would, of course, require to deal of the circumstan ces in those years with all the other contributio ns (Slovak) histo1ians had to take into which give a survey of many prob- considerati on the political goals lems in the Czech part of Czecho- and requiremen ts. The Communist Slovakia, and analyze the relations Party which took over power in between Czechs and G€rmans in- Czecho-Slovakia required complete cluding the expulsion, often under re-writing of the whole historiinhuman circumstan ces, of the Su- ography acco11ding to Marxist crideten Germans. teria ... many historians were fired 220 SLOVAKIA from their positions, and some of works on Slovakia. The author made undoubtedly a very thorough th,em were even sent to jails." On the other hand, the author research into the writings and publications of Slovak historians and underlines that there was a remarkable development of Slovak produced a standard work on a historiography since the War either high academic level. in the number of books published or in the number of institutes and people involved in research. Unlike Marxist or some Western historians, Glass! also states that "during the period of the Slovak Republic (]939-1945) , there was a fruitful development in the field of historical research even though the war was not the right time for a successful build-up of this discipline." He considers it as wrong and unjust of the Marxist historians to belittle the results of this period in research into the history of Slovakia. Glass! also refers to the writings of Slovak scholars in Western countries but for some reason he became acquainted only with the works published by Prof. M. Lacko and with one book and one essay by this reviewer. Writings of other Slovak historians, especially those pertaining to the period of the 18th and 19th centuries, escaped the author, which is regrettable, because they shed a different light on Slovak national awakening from that of Marxist historiography. The book stops at the year 1918 and leaves out the past 60 years during which Slovakia, as well as Slovak historiography, experienced an unexpected development. The explanation for this is given by the author in the Preface by one sentence: "For understandable political reasons, the inclusion in this survey of the writings dealing exclusive,l y with the period 1918-1960 was abandoned." Even in the present form the book is a very valuable scholarly addition to the foreign language MORE ABOUT BOOKS Slov akia in the 19th and 20th Centuries, Edited by Prof. Joseph M. Kirschbaum ; Preface by S. B. Roman, published by the Slovak World Congress, Toronto, Ont. , 1973, 368 p., bibl., $12.50. The Slovak World Congress published for the General Meeting held in Chicago on June 28th-July 1st, 1973, another English book on Slovakia which deserves special attention. While the first publication by the Congress outlined the historical and cultural background of Slovakia, this new voluminous work will give the readers an insight into the political and literary developments in Slovakia in the 19th and 20th centuries. In his Preface to the book, the President of the Slovak World Congress, Stephen B. Roman, explains that the Slovak World Congress "undertook to publish this book with the desire to contribute to the search for historical truth about Slovaks and thereby to help better understanding and co-operation among the nations of Central Europe. It is our firm belief that peoples of that vital area can regain their political freedom and build their future only in close co-oper ation and only if each recognizes the equal rights to independence that each has." One cannot but agree with such aim and the contents of the book confirm that it was also the intention of the editor and contributors. The book is composed of contributions by 20 authors, four of 221 SLOVAKIA whom are of non-Slovak origin, and it is divided into four parts. The first part deals with Slovak national philosophy and the subject is treated by two known Slovak professors, Charles Murin from the University of Montreal, and Stefan Polakovic, former professor at the University of Bratislava. The second part deals with Slovak politics and culture in the 19th and 20th centuries and contains contributions by Prof. J. A. Mikus, Msgr. J. Rekem, Dr. Stefan Osusky, Prof. F . Vnuk, Dr. F. f>urcansky, Prof. E. Loebl, Prof. Stefan Glejdura, Dr. lmrich Kruzliak and Rev. Mikulas Sprinc. Part three deals with the relations of Slovakia with her neighbors and among the contributors are mostly authors of non-Slovak origin. On Slovakia under the Habsburg rule, an interesting survey was written by a members of the Jlabsburg dynasty, Archduke Robert of Austria while Slovak-Hungarian relations are treated by Prof. George Perenyi-Lukacs with comments by Dr. Arved Grebert and Prof. J . M. Kirschbaum. Prof. Thaddeus Gromada contributed an excellent essay on Slovak-Polish relations and Slovak-Russian relations are analyzed and evaluated by Prof. Stefan Glejdura and Miroslav Licko. Prof. Kurt Glaser, author of the book, Czecho-Slovakia - A Critical History, closed this chapter with a scholarly treatise on "National States Versus Federalism in Central European Future," commented upon by Prof J. A. Mikus and Prof. J. M. Kirschbaum. In the last part, the book deals with Slovaks abroad and their attitude towards Slovakia. It contains two essays, one by Dr. Joseph Pauro and another by Dr. F . Braxator. An extensive Select Bibliography on Slovakia completes the contents of this standard work. We cannot but welcome this new English book on Slovakia and Slovaks abroad. It fills an important gap which existed for a long time in presenting Slovakia's political and cultural development in the 19th and 20th centuries to the Western world in an objective manner. For the first time 20 experts are expressing their opinions on various subjects pertaining to Slovakia. They belong not only to two generations, as the editor of the book observed, but "also represent two schools of thought and, therefore, the book presents a confrontation of views on the Slovak p:i.st and present." In form and contents, the book is a scholarly work. The editor, Prof. J . M. Kirschbaum, took his task seriously and enhanced the volume by an extensive bibliography in several languages. He also paid tribute to American Slovaks by stating that "at the end of the First World War, Slovakia was freed from Hungarian rule above all by the efforts of Slovaks who settled in the United States and by Slovak legionaries fighting on the side of the victorious powers. This gave American Slovaks and all Slovaks abroad not only recognition and a new sense of patriotism but also a consciousness of their mission to speak on behalf of the Slovak people when they are silenced." It would be desirable that this volume be followed by a book on Slovak culture, especially arts and literature of the past two hundred years. A conference on these topics, at the next general meeting of the Congress could help to achieve this goal. Joseph P a u co 222 SLOVAKIA TWO PUBLICATIONS BY l\'lATICA SLOVENSKA Matica slovenska was degraded by the Communist regime and went through several periods of regimentation and persecution of her leading representatives and cultural workers. Independent of political pressure and refusing to serve political parties or ideologies, Matica slovenska was, before 1945, a cultural institution which belonged to the nation and represented the highest aspirations of all Slovaks. The Communist Party made Matica slovenska a subservient tool of the regimes imposed upon S'lovakia since 1945. In spite of this nefarious situation, Matica slovenska succeeded in developing Slovak culture at least in some sectors. Among these sectors, literary history and philology deserve our consideration. vakia from literary to musical. This was a neglected sector in the past mainly due to the lack of experts and, therefore, we have to welcome this publication. Of special interest for elucidating some periods of Slovak history is, however, the essay by Jozef Kuzmik : Book Culture Among the Slova/c Slavs in the Years 863-1000. The period of Great Moravia became a favored subject for Slovak intellectuals during the past two decades. In Kuzmik's contribution we find some interesting information about the territorial extent of the ancestors of today's Slovaks, as well as about their book culture which were in the past hardly known or were insufficiently explored. Unfortunately, the publication has only a Russian and German summary and, therefore, it is accessible to a very limited number For several years, Matica has of scholars in the Anglo-Saxon published a series of publications world where there are still many dealing with Slovak literary life misconceptions about the Slovak entitled:Letopis pamiitnika sloven- past. A new confusion was created s/cej literatury and Literarny ar- even recently by scholars of Magchiv. We have revi,ewed some issues yar background who tried to deny in the past in Slovakia, underlying the cultural heritage of the Great their significance for Slovak litera- Moravian period to Slovaks. Li t erarny archiv 8/ 71 is a valuture. We have now received Litercirny archiv 8/ 71, edited by Michal able source for literary history on Elias, and Letopis 19 72 , edited by several Slovak poets and writers Juraj Chovan-Rehak, and some not only of the 19th century but comments would perhaps be ap- also of the 20th century. The publication deals mostly with archive propriate. Letopis 1972 contains a number of materials, unknown manuscripts, or contributions dealing with various correspondence among leading Slosubjects from book culture (kniz- vak literary figures and cultural na kultura) among Slovak Slavs in workers. Even though the Commuthe years 863-1000 to several in- nist regime tried to regiment Sloteresting contributions on the de- vak literary history and endeavorvelopment of museums in Slovakia ed to impose Marxist criteria, Sloand the idiomatic vocabulary in vak intellectuals display more or the writing of Martin Kukucin. The less equal interest in the literary main part of the book is dedicated life of poets and writers who were to the history and development of I neglected in the past because of various types of museums in Slo- their religion or ideological orien- SLOVAKIA 223 Literature, government, law, education, etc. Even though hardly complete, the Bibliography shows that Canadian Slavists were not idle during the twenty post-war years. In spite of the fact that Slavic studies had to start in Canada from scratch, the Bibliography contains many titles of books, essays, studies and articles, which have given Canadian students a new picture of the history, culture and civilization of the Slavic peoples. From the Slovak point of view, we have many reasons to welcome this Bibliography. Similar American or European bibliographies either overlooked books, publicaJ.M. Kirschbaum tions and essays on Slovak history, Daniel Dorotich (ed.) : A Bibliogra- Language and literature by Slovak phy of Canadian Slavists 1951- authors, or made selection of writ1971 , University of Saskatchewan ings which presented Slovakia and Publications, Saskatoon, Sask., Slovak culture in the light of ad1972. verse propaganda and Czech linAfter the Second World War, a guistic and literary theses. The misnumber of Canadian universities conceptions about the Slovak people added to their usual curricular and their culture were cultivated courses on Slavic languages, litera- especially by the older generations ture and civilization. At some uni- of Slavists who studied at the Universities special Centres or Depart- versity of Prague and use as their ments of Slavic Studies were organ- source of information books pubized, while at other universities lished by Czech scholars before Slavic languages, literature and and during the Second World War. The new generation of Slavists history were taught within Departm ents of Modern Languages and at American and Canadian univerLiteratures and in History Depart- sities gradually detached itself from the old school. Using source ments. In Canada, professors of Slavic materials published in today's Slostudies were soon organized in the vakia and other socialist countries Ca nadian Association of Slavists ' as well as in Western countries' which held every year an annual they have no more any doubt that meeting within the framework of Slovaks are a distinct nation and Canadian Learned Societies. The their language and literature have present Bibliography gives an in- developed independently of the sight into the writings and pub- Czechs or other Slavs. The Bibliography compiled and lications of the members of the edited by Prof. Dorotich reflects Association. Prof. Dorotich, in compiling and this new trend in Slavic studies editing the Bibliography, followed with regard to Slovakia. By inlhe •usual division of subject mat- eluding over 50 titles (books, monoters _into general history, languages, graphs, essays, articles) published talion and those who were closer to the socialist outlook. As a result, Literarny archiv contains interesting information on Bernolak, Stur, Vajansky and Radlinsky, as well as on Janko Kral', Roy, Hamuljak and others. It is regrettable that also in this publication the summary is only in Russian and German. For Slovak literary history, both publications are nevertheless of importance and unveil to a great degree some periods of Slovak cultural development which were intentionally neglected before 1938 as well as during the Stalinist period. 224 SLOVAKIA by Prof. J . M. Kirschbaum in five languages, the Bibliography presents a new picture of Slovak history, culture, language and literature. Not only the main works on Slovakia in English are recorded, but also one book published in Slovak, monographs and essays in French, English, German and Spanish. In fact, the Bibliography is more complete in this respect that the Slovak Bibliography Abroad compiled by Prof. M. Lacko and published by the Slovak Institute (Rome, 1967). Since the Bibliography will go into the hands of many Slavists and into university libraries, we welcome this publication as a very useful guide for students and professors of Slavic studies. Joseph Pauco Joseph Pauco: Slovenski priekopnici v Amerike (Slovak Pioneers in America), The First Catholic Slovak Union, Cleveland, Ohio, 1972, English Introduction by J. C. Krajsa, Ill., 360 pages. Slovaks in the United States played an important role in the history of the Slovak people, but a complete story of their endeavors on behalf of Slovakia, their struggle for preserving national consciousness and cultural heritage has not yet been published. Due to political circumstances in Slovakia, historians either were not allowed or had no possibility to carry out research in order to compile a standard work which would present Slovaks in the United States in an objective light. It was only during the Second World War that two volumes: Dejiny Slovakov v Amerike (History of Slovaks in America) by Konstantin Culen were published in Slovakia. Since that time, only Slovak exiled intellectuals, including Culen, carried out a research and published monographs on the life and achievements of the large Slovak ethnic group in the United States. Historians in Slovakia were either not allowed by ,t he Communist regime or for ideological reasons avoided recording their struggle for survival and the many contributions of American Slovaks not only to their own national life but also to the fight for freedom and independence of the Slovak people. After Prof. F . Hrusovsky and K. Culen, Dr. Joseph Pauco deserves main credit for systematic research into the past and present of American Slovaks. For the past 20 years he published monographs on individual Slovak leaders and organizations of which the voluminous history of the First Catholic Slovak union deserves particular mention. In the present book he deals with 55 outstanding Slovak leaders who did the pioneering organizational, cultural and religious work among American Slovaks. The importance of this book should be, however, measured not only according to its literary value, but also against the fact that there are no organized archives and many printed documents are perishing. In spite of this, Dr. Pauco gathered many valuable facts about the individual leaders among whom there are clergymen of both denominations - Catholic and Lutheran - outstanding organizers of Slovak fraternal and cultural life, men and women of great dedication to the cause of preservation of Slovak cultural heritage. The author approached his subjects with great abjectivity and painted their profiles in a fluent, uncomplicated style to make the book readab1e to the general public and, at the same time, by many references to printed sources, useful to historians and researchers. SLOVAKIA Some of the chapters are shorter and contain only the most important data. Others present a full life story and evaluation of the activities and of the role the individual leaders played in the Slovak organizational, religious and cultural life in America. The reason for the uneven treatment of some pioneers was given by the author in the introduction to the book. As he says he was sometimes unable to gather, even the most neces~ary information, because there was no organization and no individuals in the past who would have preserved old newpapers, almanacs, minutes of meetings, or other archive materials. Since the Second World War the Slovak Institute in Cleveland and the recently organized Jankola Library have made an effort to gather and preserve archive materials pertaining to the Slovak ethnic group in the United States. In these circumstances, Pauco's present work, as well as his book on the First Catholic Slovak Union and numerous monographs, deserve special recognition. The book has, however, also its own value due to its composition, contents and style. Dr. Pauco produced a standard work comparable with writings of this kind on any other ethnic groups in America. The book also has a useful introduction by Joseph C. Krajsa, but it lack an English summary which would have given to the younger generations of American Slovaks and researchers at least the basic information on Slovak pioneers in America. Unless the author and the publisher intend to publish this work in English, it would be a useful thing to attach to the second edition an extensive English summary. J. M. Ki rs c h b au m 225 Joseph L. Dieska: "Faith and Reason" in the Life and Philosophy of Jacques Maritain, An Offprint from Most, Vol. XIX, No. 3-4, Cleveland, Ohio, 1973. Shortly before the death of the famous French philosopher, Jacques Maritain, Slovaks paid his tribute on the occasion of his 90th birthday in a commemorative study by Prof. Joseph L. Dieska under the title The Religious and Philo sophical Profile of Jacques Maritain. The scholarly essay was pub- lished in Slovak but the author prepared also an English version under the above title. Prof. Dieska was one of the known adherents of Maritain's philosophy already in Slovakia, and pursued his interests in the great Catholic philosopher's concepts also as Professor of Philosophy at the University of Dayton, Ohio, where he has taught for the past several years. The present essay is one of his numerous articles on the subjects. The Slovak and English texts contain a well written and well documented insight and analysis of Maritain's religious and philosophical profile. Dieska approached Maritain's philosophy from the position of "Faith and Reason" and explains the role of reason as well as the mystery of faith in Maritain's philosophy which became a part of the Catholic doctrine and influenced the thinking of several generations in Europe and elsewhere. His theories of creative evolution and his ability to find basic reality through intuition ,e xalted the spirit of man in many parts of the world. Known as neo-Thomism Maritain's philosophy anchors in the works and philosophical concepts of St. Thomas Aquinas. As Dieska explains, Maritain became adherent to the philosophy of St. Thomas as a result of his own independent reflections and 226 SLOVAKIA studies of various philosophers and ing tribute to Maritain also on because of the comparison he made behalf of Slovak intellectuals who between them. He found the truth are silenced in their native counhe was searching for in the an- try where Maritain's philosophy had a strong influence before Marxswers of St. Thomas. However, if it is true that Mari- ism was imposed as the only philotain followed the logic and argu- sophical concept tolerated by the mentation of St. Thomas, he put regime. J. M. Ki rs c h b au m both, in the view of Prof. Dieska, in a " new, modern, and contemporary setting. His language was ad- Encydopedic Directory of Ethnic Newspapers and P eriodicals in justed to the philosophical expresthe United States. By Lubomyr sions used today. His arguments R. Wynar. 260 pp. Libraries Unare aimed at and against modern limited, Inc., Littleton, Colorado, and recent objectors and critics. 1972. $12.50. And above all, when he speaks of For those interested in ethnic the necessity of taking faith and supernatural, revealed truths into studies a valuable tool has recentconsiderations while solving the ly been published to aid in learning political, social, ethical and estheti- 1 about the complex mosaic that is cal difficulties and 'crises' of our ' the United States of America. time, Maritain must transcend Tho- Whereas in the past the student mas and go much farther not, of of ethnic Americana had to wade course, in essential immutable, and through Ulrich's directories, or universally valid principles but in through state manuals, or specialtheir applications to the new, dif- ized histories, facility in locating Icrent and more complex situations data about 903 ethnic publications and issues. In these new approach- can now be had by utilizing Luboes lie the tremendous responsibility myr R. Wynar's Encyclopedic Diand significance of Maritain's Tho- rectory of Ethnic Newspapers and mistic solutions, proposals and Periodicals in the United States. often even sharp and merciless Included in this directory are escriticisms of the 'evils of time'"- scntials about 53 ethnic presses, ranging from the Albanian Press, concludes Dieska. As St. Thomas had found in Assyrian Press, Italian Press, JaAristotle a philosophical basis for panese Pr,ess, Slovak Press, Ukrainreconciling man's reason and ian Press, etc. , to some not poChristian faith, so Maritain, in half pular enough presses such as the a lifetime of philosophical study, Cossack, Cax,patho-Ruthenian, Flembrought a rejuvenated Thomism ish, Swiss, and Welsh. In cases such as Croatian, Sloveinto a modern age of scepticism and science. After the Second nian, and Serbian, there is a generWorld War, Maritain's vision and al heading as Yugoslav, which in philosophy helped lend strength effect increases the number of also to the whole Christian demo- presses substantially beyond the cratic movement which stood as a figure of 53. Data cited for pub1.Julwark against Communism and lications are: title translations, year founded, complete address to the Catholic Church. The author and the editor of (including ZIP), name of editor, Most deserve recognition for pub- language(s) , sponsor, circulation, Jishing both versions and for pay- frequency of publication, and sub- SLOVAKIA scription rate. In additions commentaries aid in explaining the scope of publications., e.g., the following for "The Handbook Ilbo'' (The Korea Times): "This publication, the only Korean daily in the United States, carries international, national, and local news of interest of the Korean community. Jllustrated. " Professor Wynar of Kent State University, both a librarian and an ethnic specialist, includes a very interesting Appendix of Statistical Analysis for each ethnic group, summarizing the number of publications, weekly circulation totals, monthly circulation totals, totals for native language publications, bi-lingual totals, and English language totals. An index to the publications completes the book. An interesting addendum to the book would have been an analysis of ethnic publications in each of the fifty states. This directory truly is the first comprehensive annotated guide to the current ethnic press in the United States and with its clear type and excellent alphabetical format clearly rates an A. Paul F e n c h a k Panorama: A H i storical Review of the Czechs and Slovaks i n the United States of America. Pub- lished by the Czechoslovak National Council of America, Cicero, Ill., U.S.A. Cicero-Berwyn Press, 1970, pp. 328, index. It is quite evident that there exists today in America a need for authorative works on the histories of the various ethnic groups which have contributed to the development of America. Objective, factual and concise histories of the various groups is essential. This volume of the dual histories of the Czech 227 and Slovak immigrations to America, unfortunately from a viewpoint of abjective Slovak history, seems to lack sufficient factual data to be accepted as a history of the Slovak immigration to America. From the standpoint of the history of the Czech immigration it is factu al, unbiased history but even then much is amiss particularly in the area of the religious development of the Czech community in the United States. Two basic criticisms can be found in the basic format of the work. The single most important error in the work is the fact that the various writers of Slovak topics are weak in objective reporting, so necessary in a historical work of this kind . Unfortunately the writers, who are of the " Czechoslovak" philosophical persuasion, would wa nt the reader to actually believe that only those Slovak organizations which support that philosophy have contributed to the development of the Slovak American community. In fact it must be remembered that over eighty per cent of the organized Slovak American community does not support the '· Czechoslovak" philosophy but ra ther a distinct Slovak philosophy within the family of nations. The authors seem to infer that the staunch Catholic mass of Slovak immigrants contributed little if anything at all to the development of the Slovak community in Am erica. It appears that such notables as Father Stephen Furdek, founder of the First Catholic Slovak Union, the co-founder of the First Catholic Slovak Ladies. Association and the founder of the Slovak League of America played a very minor role in the development of the Slovak community. Other prominent leaders such as Father Matthew Jankola, Joseph Rusek, 228 SLOVAKIA Anna Hurban and Philip Hrobak are not even mentioned. The second most important ingredient which is lacking in this work is organization. Various bits and pieces are scattered throughout the work on both the Czech and Slovak development in America and from an academic journalistic point of view it is quite primitive in its presentation. Too many writers cover certain geographical areas of the Slovak immigration but much is ignored and almost always repetitious. Too often the writers are offering opinionated biased reporting which is not acc-eptable by the vast majority of the Slovak community today. There exists a certain disorganization present in the work and most often it effects an objective Slovak history. In one area in particular the work is both factually deficient and openly opinionated, that is the area of the Slovak organization" in the United States. Such organizations as "Catholic Slovak Unity, Catholic Slovak Women's Unity. Unity of Catholic Sokols" are not acceptable as Slovak organizations, as such do not exist. Again faulty research is evidenced in the presentation of Slovak organizations. One area lists "all" the Czech and Slovak organizations in America and the largest and most important Slovak societies are not listed. Subjective reporting would lead one to believe that indeed the Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol is the most importa nt and influential organization of Americans of Slovak descent. However factual research will reveal to the alert writer that in fact the above named organization has a membership of less than 24,000 while the First Catholic Slovak Union, the First Catholic Slovak Ladies Association, the Slovak Catholic Sokol, the Pennsyl- vania Slovak Catholic Union, the Ladies Pennsylvania Slovak Catholic Union and the First Slovak Wreath of the Free Eagle have a combined membership of over 300,000. The informed reader will at once note that Sokol U.S.A., as it is commonly associated and pubblicised in the America press is of the "Czechoslovak" philosophical persuasion while the other Catholic Slovak organizations representing the overwhelming majority of organized Americans of Slovak descent are not of the appendage philosophy but rather support a distinct Slovak path completely free of Czech domination. Another noteworthy fact is that the Sokol U.S.A. is the only Slovak organization of any magnitude which is a member of the Czechoslovak National Council of America. Included in the work is a Who's Who among Americans of Czech and Slovak ancestry. Again only those Slovaks who support the idea of a "Czechoslovak" culture, language and heritage are included. Not only are the above mentioned Slovaks notably absent but such luminary as Bishop Andrew G. Grutka, D.D., the Roman Catholic Bishop of Gary, Indiana and countless others who have contributed to the growth and development of the Slovak American Community. In the final analysis the work offers little insight into the history and development of the Slovaks in America. The history of the Czechs in America is acceptable but no t commendable since again the underlining theme is to discredit any theistic organizational development. The work in general is primitive in the Slovak sense and therefore can not be accepted as a factual history of the Slovaks in America. This work is a prime example of Czech and "Czechoslovak" chauvin- SLOVAKIA 229 ism in the interpretation of Slovak suring Czech hegemony in CzechoSlovakia, regardless of the fact history. Daniel F. Tanzone that the Communist movement is discredited by their policy. In some Eugen Steiner: The Slovak Dilem- ways Czech Communists resemble ma, Cambridge, at the University to Czech non-Communists or antiPress, 1973, 229 pages. Series Communists who used and still are International Studies, Published using democracy, socialism, liberalfor the Centre for International ism or Catholicism for imposing or Studies, London School of Eco- maintaining Czech hegemony over nomics and Political Sciences. others, especially Slovaks. The situation in Czecho-Slovakia between inthe in writes author the As troduction his aim was "to trace 1918-1938 attests to it sufficiently. the Communist attitude to national- The policy of Prague Governments ism, and to define the effects of from 1918 to this day proved that this attitude as far as the Slovaks Czechs are not capable to fulfill the arc concerned." Or in other words mission which the victorious Powhe "deals in microcosm with a ers entrusted to them in 1918 or major problem which lies at the again in 1945. Czecho-Slovalda did heart of the Soviet Union's policies, not become a barrier against German expansion or a bridge between internal and external." (p. 3) and West. Czech governments East Dr. Steiner uses the case of Slovakia to show how Communism forced into opposition against the fa iled to solve nationality problems. European block which created Not only in the Soviet Union was Czecho-Slovakia, not only the mithis problem hidden behind slogans norities but also Slovaks. Czech on the equality of nations, while politicians did not honor any agreethe Russians are the rulers, but ment, promise or pledge given to also in restored and by Communists Slovaks. They practiced such a policy regoverned Czecho-Slovakia. Steiner's book leaves no doubt that the Marx- gardless of the danger for the Leninist thesis on the problems of existence of the state or the misnationalities did not bring a satis- sion Czecho-Slovakia was to fulfill factory solution to the relations according to its friends and creabetween the Czechs and Slovaks; tors. After occupying Slovakia with on the contrary, since 1945 when the help of French and Italian Czecho-Slovakia was restored (a- military units in 1918, and with the gainst the will of majority of Slo- help of the Soviet armies in 1945, vaks) the Czech rule was imposed they disregarded their promises on Slovaks step by step, brutally and the rights of Slovaks to selfand without regard to promises and government. About the period of agreements. Up to 1948, the Czech 1918-1938 there is in Western lanCommunists found accomplices in guages comparatively large literanon-Communists. After 1948, they ture dealing with this subject. The imposed their rule on Slovaks with book by Dr. Steiner gives to Westthe help of a handful of collabora- ern readers sufficient information tors from Slovakia, mostly of non- and documentary evidence for the Slovak origin (Bacilek, Bil'ak, Mos- period of 1945-1968. Dr. Steiner writes in the introkovic, Daubner, Siroky and others). Czech Communists are using Com- duction to his book that he has munism as an instrument for as- "chosen exile as a Jew, as a Com- 230 SLOVAK.IA On the cover of Steiner's book munist and as a Slovak." He wrote his book from this point of view, there are reproductions of pictures which makes his work more inter- from demonstrations of Slovak esting and more valuable. It is a youth in Bratislava against the testimony of a "Jew, Communist Soviet occupation in August 1968. and Slovak" about the political On the posters we can read: "Slodevelopments in Slovakia in this vaks stand firm, they won't pass! Occupa nts go home!" These slogans century. His background and ideological o- express the feelings of Slovaks in rientation explain to a great degree Slovakia as well as abroad not only not only his favorable attitude to- against the So·,iet occupants, but wards regimes in 1918-1938 (though any occupants, including the Czechs. Czech Statistics can easily prove This conclusion can be found, if the opposite) but his negative stand carefully read, also in Dr. Steiner's towards the Slovak republic of book: The Slovak Dilemma. Dr. A. Gr eb er t, 1939-1945 as well. We understand Geneva, Switzerland that the anti-communist and antijewish measures of the Slovak Government could not meet with Slovak Studies, Historica 7 and 8, Vol. X and XI, Slovak Institute, his approval. It is, however, hard Rome-Cleveland, Editor Prof. M. to understand his attitude towards Lacko, S. J . Dr. Benes and his Government-inBoth volumes of Slovak Studies exile. Even such adherents of "Czechoslovakism" as were Dr. M. deal with history of Slovakia and Hodfu and Dr. S. Osusky disagreed except for the contribution by Dr. and at the end fought against Be- S. Nahalka, with the events of our nes and his anti-Slovak policy which century. Since the Marxist historihe later (after 1945) also practiced ans not only avoid certain subjects in co-operation with Czech Commu- but also write with prejudice and nists and non-Communists. Unfor- strictly from the Marxist point of tunately, Dr. Steiner deals with view, these volumes perform specific this rather superficially and un- role in historiography on Slovakia. convincingly. The post-war develop- In addition, their value is enhanced ments in Czecho-Slovakia prove by the fact that they are published that the Slovak-Czech antagonism in foreign language and two of the is not a matter of temporary politi - contributors were educated abroad. Students of modern Slovak hiscal situation but a fundamental and lasting feature of Slovak-Czech tory will welcome especially the relations. It is impossible to solve Ph.D. thesis by Sister M. E. Lubek, this problem within the "Czecho- "An Inquiry into the United States Slovak" framework. The successive _ Czechoslovak Relations between a_bolition, ~~er 1969, _of C~nstitu- I 1918-1948." There were many myths t10nal prov1S1ons dealing with the published on this subjects, but to federalization of Czecho-Slovakia, my knowledge, no scholarly work. mentioned in Dr. Steiner's book, Some years ago Prof. M. Mamatey prove convincingly the validity of shed some light on the period of the First World War, later years the above conclusions. In spite of some shortcomings, Dr. remained, however, unresearched. Steiner's book is a valuable contri- Yet, this is an interesting topic, bution to the historiography on since the United States played an important role in the emergence Eastern Europe. 231 SLOVAKIA of Czecho-Slovakia in 1918 and in her re-emergence in 1945. Needless to say that the treatise by M. E. Lubek does not cover all the aspects of the inter-state relations, remaining mostly in the field of politics and diplomacy. The study is nevertheless of the importance and will be useful for further research. For foreign historians dealing with Slovakia of special interest will also be the contributions by Prof. M. S. :l'.>urica, who researched Italian Military Documents in order to shed a new light on the tragic death of M. R. Stefanik, one of the founders of Czecho-Slovakia, and German biography of President Dr. J. Tiso by F. H. Schneider. We commented on the value of Prof. Durica's study when it was first published in Italian language (Slovalcia, Vol. XXIII, 1973) , and cannot but welcome the English version. Schneider's essay on the life and historical role of Dr. J . Tiso in Slovak politics is of importance for more than one reason. The adversaries of Slovak aspirations for independence - Communists and non-Communists - succeeded in presenting Dr. Tiso and his policies in Western countries in a distorted light. Even though, Dr. Tiso mostly suffered for his forced cooperation with Germany, there was a long silence about him and Slovakia among German historians. Schneider's contribution does not exhaust the subject and shows gaps, but it was high time to draw a little differe nt picture of President Tiso in ♦ ♦ German language than it was done by Prague and Slovak Communists. Unfortunately, Schneider overlooked some books and articles which contain substantial information on Dr. Tiso's life and politics, such as Prof. Murin's articles, one of Dr. Polakovic's books, many articles in Sl.ovakia and other sources. Dr. S. Nahalka's istructive article on "Holy Scripture among Slovaks" is a valuable contribution to the religious and cultural history of Slovaks. Religious history of Slovakia is one of the completely neglected fields in today's historiography in Slovakia, even though Slova ks survived as a nation mostly due to the fact that clergy (Catholic and Protestant) took over the cultural leadership and national struggle. Professor Lacko in his contributions presents the synthesis of the studies on Great-Moravian and Cyrillo-Methodian period and a survey of events which led to the reestablishment of the Greek-Catholic Church in Slovakia. The latter study would deserve to be completed by documents and names of people who in Slovakia and abroad helped the re-establishment. Both contributions are timely and instructive. Prof. Lacko deserves recognition also for his efforts to continue publishing the Slovak Studies. Slovak cultural activities abroad would be much poorer without this series. J. M. Ki rs c h b au m ♦ Life Membership in the Slovak League of America is $100.00 - join us! Write to: Slovak League of America, 313 Ridge Avenue, Middletown, Pa. 17057. SLOVAKlA 232 Our Contributor s theologian, author, Cambridge, Ontario Stephen Sencik, S.J. - Anthony X. Sutherland, Ph.D ., Columbus, Ohio Sr. Martina Tybor, SS.C.M. - author, Director, Slovak Institute, Cleveland, 0 . Andrew Pier, O.S.B. Joseph C. Krajsa - teacher, author, Danville, Pa. Editor, Jednota, Middletown, Pa. industrialist, Toronto, Ontario Stephen B. Roman - attorney-at-law, Stratford, Conn. Edward J. Behuncik - Joseph M. Kirschbaum, LL.D., Ph.D . Jozef Pauco, Ph.D. - historian, author, Toronto, Ont. author, historian, Middletown, Pa. Michael O'Pake, Esq. - State Senator, Reading, Pa. Daniel F. Tanzone, M.A. - teacher, Yonkers, N. Y. Susan Pojer, B.A., Yonkers, N. Y. professor, author, consultant for Rockefeller Foundation, New York, N. Y. Michael Novak, Ph.D. Paul Fenchak - teacher, Baltimore, Md. Steven I. Miller, Ph.D. - assistant professor, Loyola University, Chicago, Illinois Junior history major, Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, Pa. William Wagner Francis Vnuk - historian; professor, Institute of Technology, Adelaide, Australia Dr. Arved Grebert - former Slovak diplomat, now in Switzerland Jane Noonan, Marlene Bartos, Stephen J. Knoblock - America Scholarship Winners Slovak League of OFFICERS OF THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA Honorary President : EDWARD J. BEHUNCIK President 2385 Main Street Stratford, Conn. 06497 Stephen J. Tkach , DR. JOSEPH PAUCO Secretary 313 Ridge Avenue Middletown, Pa. 17057 Vice Presidents: Milan V. Blazek, Stephen Suhajcik, Mary Piroch ' Executive Committee : Edward J. Behuncik, John A. Holy, Paul C. Kazimer, Tibor Kovalovsky, Joseph R. Kristotik, Dr. Joseph Pauco, John A. Sabol SLOVAK FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS (Affiliated with the Slovak League of America) THE FIRST CATHOLIC SLOVAK UNION Cleveland, Ohio - Membership: 104,500 ·-:i THE FIRST CATHOLIC SLOVAK LADIES ASSOCIATION Cleveland, Ohio .;_ Membership: 96,000 THE SLOVAK CATHOLIC SOKOL Passaic, N. J. - Membership: 53,000 PENNSYLVANIA SLOVAK CATHOLIC UNION Wilkes-Barre, Pa: - Membership: 18,000 LADIES PENNSYLVANIA SLOVAK CATHOLIC UNION Wilkes-Barre, Pa. - Membership: 16,500 SLOVAK NEWSPAPER'S JOURNALISTS' ASSOCI.A.TION (Affiliated with the Slovak League of America) SLOVAK NEWSPAPERS (Affiliated with the Slovak League of Americ,a) BRATSTVO Wilkes-Barre, Pa. SLOVAK V AMERIKE Middletown, Pa. JEDNOTA Middletown, Pa. ZENSKA JEDNOTA Cleveland, Ohio KATOLICKY SOKOL Passaic, N. J. ZORNICK_A Wilkes-Barre, Pa. SLOVAKIA $4.00 per annum in the U.S.A. - $5.00 elsewhere PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. JEDNOTA PRESS Middletown, Pennsylvania 17057  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Back Matter, Slovakia, Vol. 24 (No. 47) Description An account of the resource includes Current Issues; As the Others See It; Who's Who Among American Slovaks; Book Reviews; Our Contributors Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/6376f63cc018b9fe9d80cf8807fc3bfc.pdf 1fa2404f2402048916991549b5b05250 PDF Text Text 203 SLOVAKIA REVIEWS OF PAUCO'S WRITINGS IN LEADING PERIODICALS MOST co po komunizme? (I, 1, 1954, p . 44) Tisov odkaz (I, 2, 1954, p. 39-40. Dr. Karol Murin) Dr. Jozef Tiso o sebe (I, 3, 1954, p. 41-43. F. Hrusovsky) Stefan Furdek a slovenske prist'ahovalectvo (II, 2, 1955, p. 136-137) Mest'ancik) Slovcici a komunizmus (IV, 3, 1957, p. 132-133. Unconquerables (VI, 1-2, 1959, p. 83-85. Andrew Pier, O.S.B.) Christian Slovakia Under Communism (VI, 3, 1959, p. 186-187. Andrew Jan Pier, O.S.B. ) Pi:it'desiatnik Dr. Jozef Kirschbaum (XI, 3-4, 1964, p. 181) Slovakia (XI, 3-4, 1964, p. 182-183) Litercirny Almanach Slovcika v Amerike na rok 1965 (XII, 1-2, 1965, p. 82-83) Slovakia (XII, 3-4, 1965, p. 189) SLOVAKIA 75 rokov Prvej Katolickej Slovenskej Jednoty (XV, 38, 1965, p . 152-155. Mother M. Emerentia, SS.C.M.) Litercirny Almanach Slovcika v Amerike 1967 (XVII, 40, 1967, p. 190-192. Sister M. Tarcisia Gregorovic, SS.C.M.) Tak sme sa poznali (XVIII, 41, 1968, p . 159-164. Sister M. Tarcisia, SS. C.M.) Slovenski priekopnici v Amerike ( XXIII , 46, 1973, p. 196-197. Joseph C. Krajsa) F URD EK All writings by Dr. Pauco on the history of American Slovaks are evaluated by J . M. Kirschbaum in his article Dr. Pauco' s W ritings and the History of American Slovaks (Furdek, 1974, p. 75-80) . Francis V n u k : A BIOGRAPHICAL VALEDICTION In spite of the fact that the Slovaks are among the oldest inhabitants of the Central European region their efforts to secure a fully independent life has been seldom appreciated and rarely understood. But frustrations and disappointments can never deter a nation from its ultimate aim, and where one generation fails another will rise to continue the struggle. The natural aspirations of a nature and self-respecting nation cannot be suppressed by terror, nor silenced by bribes, nor extinguished by an apparent �204 SLOVAKIA lack of success. In all its history - and especially in the last 200 years - the Slovak nation has always had selfless and dedicated sons who in the struggle for national independence - not unlike Tennyson's Ulysses - were "strong in will to strive, to seek, to find and not to yield." One of these indefatigable fighters is Dr. Jozef Pauco who on February 26th was celebrating his 60th birthday. This memorable occasion makes one pause a moment and look into the past in order to reconstruct a brief outline of his life-career with all its notable moments and achievements. As a man in the forefront of Slovak public activities Dr. Pauco has many friends and admirers and not a few enemies. But - no matter what their feeling towards him are - they would all be unanimous in admitting that the name of Dr. Pauco has become a synonym of hard and continuous work in the cause of his nation. The beginnings of his involvement in this kind of work go back to his student days; the seeds, however, were sown much earlier, in the years of his childhood. Born on February 26th, 1914 (at Pila, near Lucenec) of Slovak peasant stock, young Pauco grew up in a typical Central European village environment where life was harsh, shortages common and rewards only very modest. This situation was further aggravated by the outbreak of World War I, when all able-bodied men were called up and the heavy burden of daily life had.to be carried by the women and old people. Pauco's father had to go too and he never came back. He died as a conscript in the service of those who denied the very existence of the Slovak nation and were seeking its physical extinction. This powerful traumatic experience, combined with the gentle influence of his widowed mother, imbued the young boy with a strong sense of justice, and with a fighting spirit to undo wrongs and to see that one received what was due to him. In Czecho-Slovakia which came into being in October 1918 the Slovaks were faring much better than in the prewar Hungary, but they still were treated by their Czech brethren as minor partners in an unequal Czecho-Slovak partnership. As a young high school student at Nitra (where �SLOVAKIA 205 - according to his mother's wishes - he was preparing for the priesthood) J. Pauco could see this inequality which was both humiliating and insulting. His teachers (as well as other public servants and State employees) were Czechs, while Slovaks were without jobs. Not only did these Czechs occupy jobs and posts which belonged to the Slovaks but they also abused their positions by denigrating the Slovak language, culture, history and way of life. The outcome of this haughty and unsparing attitude towards the Slovak people was quite predictible. A general disenchantment soon gave way to discontent and these sentiments eventually crystallized out as a massive opposition movement led by Andrej Hlinka. Under Hlinka's charismatic leadership Slovakia launched a campaign for administrative self-government (autonomy) which- incidentallyhad been guaranteed to Slovaks back in 1918 by President T. G. Masaryk in the well-known Pittsburgh Agreement. · Hlinka's massive following came from all strata of Slovak society but the most significant support came from the enthusiastic followers among the young people. They provided the Hlinka People's Party with the most convincing arguments vis-a-vis Prague's centralist "Czechoslovak" policies. The young Slovak generation was autonomist in its outlook almost to a man, as was demonstrated at Trencianske Teplice in 1932. J. Pauco soon translated into action his admiration for Hlinka's valiant struggle for Slovak autonomy. His contributions to this common national effort were more and more substantial as he grew older and when in 1936 he came to Bratislava to study Philosophy at the Slovak University he was already a fully-fledged and highly-valued activist within the ranks of the Slovak autonomist movement. In Bratislava he became involved in the affairs of the busy campus life, where at that time the political issues were fought and argued in the most radical manner. (One of Dr. Pauco's ideological opponents was a fellow-student from the Law Faculty, G. Husak, today's Communist boss of Czecho-Slovakia). In addition to the campus activities J . Pauco was a regular contributor to the People's Party dailies and periodicals. This part-time collaboration with �206 SLOVAKIA the press was destined to become the enduring attachmen t of his life. In 1938 the struggle for Slovak autonomy took on a dramatic turn. The artificial facade of "Czechoslo vak" unity could not withstand the combined pressure of internal and external factors and collapsed completely , as predicted by those Slovak politicians whose warnings were never heeded. In the hectic three months September -November 1938 the Czecho-Slovakia of Masaryk and Benes changed beyond recognition . It had to cede the Sudeten territories to Germany, Southern Slovakia to the Magyars, the Teschen region to Poland and internally to grant autonomy to Slovaks and Ruthenians . Slovak autonomy, declared by all the Slovak political parties ( except the Socialists and Communis ts) on October 6th, 1938, was long overdue, but its arrival at this critical time (as an aftermath of the Munich crisis) made its realization easily misinterpr eted. For the Slovaks, however, it was a most welcome developme nt in which they saw the culminatio n of their long political struggle. For the Slovak People's Party (led since the death of A. Hlinka - in August 1938 - by Dr. Jozef Tiso, who became Premier of the Slovak autonomou s governmen t) autonomy was a challenge to show the world around us that we could manage our affairs with skill and responsibil ity. In communic ating its aims and ideals to the people the governmen t required a reliable and prompt press service. Consequen tly J. Pauco was asked to concentrat e his activities mainly in this direction. In March 1939 the Slovaks declared their independen ce and a new state appeared on the map of Europe: the Slovak Republic. The transition from autonomy to independence was rapid and the road to independen ce was somewhat steep. But the Slovaks knew that in the given situation theirs was not to argue and ponder about the road behind, but to do something about the road ahead. They grasped eagerly the historic opportunit y which independence offered and set out to make Slovakia as happy and prosperous a place for all Slovaks as was possible under the given circumstan ces. In this challenging and unique period of Slovak history �SLOVAKIA 207 Dr. Jozef Pauco played a major and politically significant role. Apart from administrative responsibilities (he was acting as a district secretary of the People's Party at Nitra) he steadily maintained his journalistic and editorial connections with numerous political dailies and weeklies. In 1942 Dr. Jozef Tiso, the President of the Slovak Republic, appointed him as Editor-in-Chief of the principal national daily, Slovak. Slovak was the official press organ of the People's Party and of the Slovak government. It is an eloquent testimony to Pauco's journalistic abilities and political maturity that President Tiso placed such an important function on the shoulders of such a youthful (28 years old ) man. Dr. J . Pauco reciprocated this trust and served Dr. Tiso faithfully in the subsequent years. It was his concern to explain and popularize the current governmental policies, to provide ideological guidance, to maintain and foster proud nationalistic sentiments among the people and to instil hope and optimism when the situation became grim and critical. It is a tragic aspect of Slovak history that during the global conflict of 1939-45 Slovakia - unable to escape its geography - was politically under German protection and influence. The enemies of Slovak independence exploited this unfortunate situation and persuaded both the Western Allies and the Soviet Union that in the post-war settlement Slovakia should be again annexed to the Czech lands and that the pre-Munich Czecho-Slovakia should be restored. The Slovak patriots who had fought for and defended the independent Slovak state were branded as fascists, traitors and even criminals and were threatened with severe punishments and retribution. To escape the advancing Red Army Slovak political leaders, administrators, intellectuals and even ordinary citizens fled in thousands to the West where they hoped to find sympathy and understanding for their cause. Dr. J. Pauco and his family (his wife Draga whom he had married in 1942 and infant-son Svatopluk) were among them. The last issue of the daily, Slovak was published in Bratislava on April 1st, 1945 and it sadly signified the end of an era. The bulk of Slovak political refugees eventually sur· �208 SLOVAKIA rendered to the Americans. But the American military, starry-eyed about "the gallant Soviet ally," and having swallowed all the Communist lies about the refugees unthinkingly handed them over to their Communist jailers and executioners. To escape death or a fate worse than death the refugees had to scatter and go into hiding in the hope the West would soon wake up and cease this inhuman practice. Gradually the Western statesmen realized their folly and refused to comply with the bloodthirsty Soviet wishes. The refugees could now breathe relief, but their troubles were far from over. And what was even more tragic for hundreds and thousands of them it was already too late. Dr. J. Pauco was among the lucky ones. Moving from place to place in Austria and Bavaria he finally settled in Munich. During this trying period his son Svatopluk died and many of his close friends and colleagues were forcibly "repatriated" to Slovakia where they faced the vengeance of the so-called "people's tribunals." President Tiso and most of the members of the Slovak government were among them. But these tremendous losses and blows failed to break Pauco's spirit. Believing in justice and convinced that truth would ultimately triumph, he refused to accept defeat. As soon as it was possible (in April 1946) he started the publication of Slobodne Slovensko (Free Slovakia) in war-torn Munich. Though modest in appearance this mimeographed journal was the very embodiment of ardent Slovak nationalism. The journal was a great moral and psychological boost for the hard-pressed and frightened Slovak refugees . To explain the Slovak position to foreigners Dr. Paufo published bulletins in the German and Ukrainian languages. Dr. Pauco's stay in West Germany lasted five years. They were years of extreme hardship and at the same time years of very intense activity. Many events and happenings of this period are recorded in his autobiographical novel The Flight to Wonderland. The "Wonderland" to him was America which since the 1870's has become the adopted country to almost one million Slovaks. He settled in a small provincial township, Middletown, Pa., where a major Slovak fraternalistic society has its printery and where the largest Slovak-English weekly, Jednota is published. He took up the position of �SLOVAKIA 209 associate editor of this paper and has remained there till now. But the editorial work could not possibly absorb all his energies. Soon after his arrival in the USA he was deeply involved in all the aspects of Slovak communal activities. One cannot go through them in detail, but even a simple enumeration of them is impressive enough to confirm what was said at the beginning, i.e . that Pauco's name is synonymous with continuous work in the service of his nation. He participates actively in several Slovak associations and societies: in the Slovak League of America (where he serves as secretary-general and editor of its English language annual, Slovakia) , in the First Catholic Slovak Union, in the Slovak Catholic Federation, etc. He plays a leading role in Slovak political organizations such as the Slovak National Council Abroad, Slovak Liberation Council, Slovak World Congress (as the chairman of its Information Committee. ) He takes a keen interest in the history of the Slovak immigrants in the USA and in this field he has produced five books (including a comprehensive history of the First Catholic Slovak Union, 1890-1965) and a large number of articles. He is owner-publisher of a popular weekly Slovak v Amerike and editor of its prestigious annual Literdrny Almanach. As a writer Dr. Pauco has to his credit two books of fictionalized autobiography (Unconquerables, 1958 and The Flight to Wonderland , 1963), a volume of reminiscences concerning famous people he met ( Tak sme sa poznali, 1966) and several books and pamphlets of political writing (e.g. Slovdci a komunizmus, 1957; co po komunizme?, 1952; Tisov odkaz, 1953; etc.). It is indeed a life rich in achievements and, what is more, one can say without fear of contradiction that - as in the past so in the future - Dr. J. Pauco will certainly enrich it further with many valuable additions in every sphere of his many-sided activity. We, his friends and colleagues, greet him warmly at this momentous milestone of his life and ask the Almighty to grant him health and strength not only to continue in his work but also to reap a justly deserved reward for his efforts. Ad multos annos! � 203 SLOVAKIA REVIEWS OF PAUCO'S WRITINGS IN LEADING PERIODICALS MOST co po komunizme? (I, 1, 1954, p . 44) Tisov odkaz (I, 2, 1954, p. 39-40. Dr. Karol Murin) Dr. Jozef Tiso o sebe (I, 3, 1954, p. 41-43. F. Hrusovsky) Stefan Furdek a slovenske prist'ahovalectvo (II, 2, 1955, p. 136-137) Mest'ancik) Slovcici a komunizmus (IV, 3, 1957, p. 132-133. Unconquerables (VI, 1-2, 1959, p. 83-85. Andrew Pier, O.S.B.) Christian Slovakia Under Communism (VI, 3, 1959, p. 186-187. Andrew Jan Pier, O.S.B. ) Pi:it'desiatnik Dr. Jozef Kirschbaum (XI, 3-4, 1964, p. 181) Slovakia (XI, 3-4, 1964, p. 182-183) Litercirny Almanach Slovcika v Amerike na rok 1965 (XII, 1-2, 1965, p. 82-83) Slovakia (XII, 3-4, 1965, p. 189) SLOVAKIA 75 rokov Prvej Katolickej Slovenskej Jednoty (XV, 38, 1965, p . 152-155. Mother M. Emerentia, SS.C.M.) Litercirny Almanach Slovcika v Amerike 1967 (XVII, 40, 1967, p. 190-192. Sister M. Tarcisia Gregorovic, SS.C.M.) Tak sme sa poznali (XVIII, 41, 1968, p . 159-164. Sister M. Tarcisia, SS. C.M.) Slovenski priekopnici v Amerike ( XXIII , 46, 1973, p. 196-197. Joseph C. Krajsa) F URD EK All writings by Dr. Pauco on the history of American Slovaks are evaluated by J . M. Kirschbaum in his article Dr. Pauco' s W ritings and the History of American Slovaks (Furdek, 1974, p. 75-80) . Francis V n u k : A BIOGRAPHICAL VALEDICTION In spite of the fact that the Slovaks are among the oldest inhabitants of the Central European region their efforts to secure a fully independent life has been seldom appreciated and rarely understood. But frustrations and disappointments can never deter a nation from its ultimate aim, and where one generation fails another will rise to continue the struggle. The natural aspirations of a nature and self-respecting nation cannot be suppressed by terror, nor silenced by bribes, nor extinguished by an apparent �204 SLOVAKIA lack of success. In all its history - and especially in the last 200 years - the Slovak nation has always had selfless and dedicated sons who in the struggle for national independence - not unlike Tennyson's Ulysses - were "strong in will to strive, to seek, to find and not to yield." One of these indefatigable fighters is Dr. Jozef Pauco who on February 26th was celebrating his 60th birthday. This memorable occasion makes one pause a moment and look into the past in order to reconstruct a brief outline of his life-career with all its notable moments and achievements. As a man in the forefront of Slovak public activities Dr. Pauco has many friends and admirers and not a few enemies. But - no matter what their feeling towards him are - they would all be unanimous in admitting that the name of Dr. Pauco has become a synonym of hard and continuous work in the cause of his nation. The beginnings of his involvement in this kind of work go back to his student days; the seeds, however, were sown much earlier, in the years of his childhood. Born on February 26th, 1914 (at Pila, near Lucenec) of Slovak peasant stock, young Pauco grew up in a typical Central European village environment where life was harsh, shortages common and rewards only very modest. This situation was further aggravated by the outbreak of World War I, when all able-bodied men were called up and the heavy burden of daily life had.to be carried by the women and old people. Pauco's father had to go too and he never came back. He died as a conscript in the service of those who denied the very existence of the Slovak nation and were seeking its physical extinction. This powerful traumatic experience, combined with the gentle influence of his widowed mother, imbued the young boy with a strong sense of justice, and with a fighting spirit to undo wrongs and to see that one received what was due to him. In Czecho-Slovakia which came into being in October 1918 the Slovaks were faring much better than in the prewar Hungary, but they still were treated by their Czech brethren as minor partners in an unequal Czecho-Slovak partnership. As a young high school student at Nitra (where �SLOVAKIA 205 - according to his mother's wishes - he was preparing for the priesthood) J. Pauco could see this inequality which was both humiliating and insulting. His teachers (as well as other public servants and State employees) were Czechs, while Slovaks were without jobs. Not only did these Czechs occupy jobs and posts which belonged to the Slovaks but they also abused their positions by denigrating the Slovak language, culture, history and way of life. The outcome of this haughty and unsparing attitude towards the Slovak people was quite predictible. A general disenchantment soon gave way to discontent and these sentiments eventually crystallized out as a massive opposition movement led by Andrej Hlinka. Under Hlinka's charismatic leadership Slovakia launched a campaign for administrative self-government (autonomy) which- incidentallyhad been guaranteed to Slovaks back in 1918 by President T. G. Masaryk in the well-known Pittsburgh Agreement. · Hlinka's massive following came from all strata of Slovak society but the most significant support came from the enthusiastic followers among the young people. They provided the Hlinka People's Party with the most convincing arguments vis-a-vis Prague's centralist "Czechoslovak" policies. The young Slovak generation was autonomist in its outlook almost to a man, as was demonstrated at Trencianske Teplice in 1932. J. Pauco soon translated into action his admiration for Hlinka's valiant struggle for Slovak autonomy. His contributions to this common national effort were more and more substantial as he grew older and when in 1936 he came to Bratislava to study Philosophy at the Slovak University he was already a fully-fledged and highly-valued activist within the ranks of the Slovak autonomist movement. In Bratislava he became involved in the affairs of the busy campus life, where at that time the political issues were fought and argued in the most radical manner. (One of Dr. Pauco's ideological opponents was a fellow-student from the Law Faculty, G. Husak, today's Communist boss of Czecho-Slovakia). In addition to the campus activities J . Pauco was a regular contributor to the People's Party dailies and periodicals. This part-time collaboration with �206 SLOVAKIA the press was destined to become the enduring attachmen t of his life. In 1938 the struggle for Slovak autonomy took on a dramatic turn. The artificial facade of "Czechoslo vak" unity could not withstand the combined pressure of internal and external factors and collapsed completely , as predicted by those Slovak politicians whose warnings were never heeded. In the hectic three months September -November 1938 the Czecho-Slovakia of Masaryk and Benes changed beyond recognition . It had to cede the Sudeten territories to Germany, Southern Slovakia to the Magyars, the Teschen region to Poland and internally to grant autonomy to Slovaks and Ruthenians . Slovak autonomy, declared by all the Slovak political parties ( except the Socialists and Communis ts) on October 6th, 1938, was long overdue, but its arrival at this critical time (as an aftermath of the Munich crisis) made its realization easily misinterpr eted. For the Slovaks, however, it was a most welcome developme nt in which they saw the culminatio n of their long political struggle. For the Slovak People's Party (led since the death of A. Hlinka - in August 1938 - by Dr. Jozef Tiso, who became Premier of the Slovak autonomou s governmen t) autonomy was a challenge to show the world around us that we could manage our affairs with skill and responsibil ity. In communic ating its aims and ideals to the people the governmen t required a reliable and prompt press service. Consequen tly J. Pauco was asked to concentrat e his activities mainly in this direction. In March 1939 the Slovaks declared their independen ce and a new state appeared on the map of Europe: the Slovak Republic. The transition from autonomy to independence was rapid and the road to independen ce was somewhat steep. But the Slovaks knew that in the given situation theirs was not to argue and ponder about the road behind, but to do something about the road ahead. They grasped eagerly the historic opportunit y which independence offered and set out to make Slovakia as happy and prosperous a place for all Slovaks as was possible under the given circumstan ces. In this challenging and unique period of Slovak history �SLOVAKIA 207 Dr. Jozef Pauco played a major and politically significant role. Apart from administrative responsibilities (he was acting as a district secretary of the People's Party at Nitra) he steadily maintained his journalistic and editorial connections with numerous political dailies and weeklies. In 1942 Dr. Jozef Tiso, the President of the Slovak Republic, appointed him as Editor-in-Chief of the principal national daily, Slovak. Slovak was the official press organ of the People's Party and of the Slovak government. It is an eloquent testimony to Pauco's journalistic abilities and political maturity that President Tiso placed such an important function on the shoulders of such a youthful (28 years old ) man. Dr. J . Pauco reciprocated this trust and served Dr. Tiso faithfully in the subsequent years. It was his concern to explain and popularize the current governmental policies, to provide ideological guidance, to maintain and foster proud nationalistic sentiments among the people and to instil hope and optimism when the situation became grim and critical. It is a tragic aspect of Slovak history that during the global conflict of 1939-45 Slovakia - unable to escape its geography - was politically under German protection and influence. The enemies of Slovak independence exploited this unfortunate situation and persuaded both the Western Allies and the Soviet Union that in the post-war settlement Slovakia should be again annexed to the Czech lands and that the pre-Munich Czecho-Slovakia should be restored. The Slovak patriots who had fought for and defended the independent Slovak state were branded as fascists, traitors and even criminals and were threatened with severe punishments and retribution. To escape the advancing Red Army Slovak political leaders, administrators, intellectuals and even ordinary citizens fled in thousands to the West where they hoped to find sympathy and understanding for their cause. Dr. J. Pauco and his family (his wife Draga whom he had married in 1942 and infant-son Svatopluk) were among them. The last issue of the daily, Slovak was published in Bratislava on April 1st, 1945 and it sadly signified the end of an era. The bulk of Slovak political refugees eventually sur· �208 SLOVAKIA rendered to the Americans. But the American military, starry-eyed about "the gallant Soviet ally," and having swallowed all the Communist lies about the refugees unthinkingly handed them over to their Communist jailers and executioners. To escape death or a fate worse than death the refugees had to scatter and go into hiding in the hope the West would soon wake up and cease this inhuman practice. Gradually the Western statesmen realized their folly and refused to comply with the bloodthirsty Soviet wishes. The refugees could now breathe relief, but their troubles were far from over. And what was even more tragic for hundreds and thousands of them it was already too late. Dr. J. Pauco was among the lucky ones. Moving from place to place in Austria and Bavaria he finally settled in Munich. During this trying period his son Svatopluk died and many of his close friends and colleagues were forcibly "repatriated" to Slovakia where they faced the vengeance of the so-called "people's tribunals." President Tiso and most of the members of the Slovak government were among them. But these tremendous losses and blows failed to break Pauco's spirit. Believing in justice and convinced that truth would ultimately triumph, he refused to accept defeat. As soon as it was possible (in April 1946) he started the publication of Slobodne Slovensko (Free Slovakia) in war-torn Munich. Though modest in appearance this mimeographed journal was the very embodiment of ardent Slovak nationalism. The journal was a great moral and psychological boost for the hard-pressed and frightened Slovak refugees . To explain the Slovak position to foreigners Dr. Paufo published bulletins in the German and Ukrainian languages. Dr. Pauco's stay in West Germany lasted five years. They were years of extreme hardship and at the same time years of very intense activity. Many events and happenings of this period are recorded in his autobiographical novel The Flight to Wonderland. The "Wonderland" to him was America which since the 1870's has become the adopted country to almost one million Slovaks. He settled in a small provincial township, Middletown, Pa., where a major Slovak fraternalistic society has its printery and where the largest Slovak-English weekly, Jednota is published. He took up the position of �SLOVAKIA 209 associate editor of this paper and has remained there till now. But the editorial work could not possibly absorb all his energies. Soon after his arrival in the USA he was deeply involved in all the aspects of Slovak communal activities. One cannot go through them in detail, but even a simple enumeration of them is impressive enough to confirm what was said at the beginning, i.e . that Pauco's name is synonymous with continuous work in the service of his nation. He participates actively in several Slovak associations and societies: in the Slovak League of America (where he serves as secretary-general and editor of its English language annual, Slovakia) , in the First Catholic Slovak Union, in the Slovak Catholic Federation, etc. He plays a leading role in Slovak political organizations such as the Slovak National Council Abroad, Slovak Liberation Council, Slovak World Congress (as the chairman of its Information Committee. ) He takes a keen interest in the history of the Slovak immigrants in the USA and in this field he has produced five books (including a comprehensive history of the First Catholic Slovak Union, 1890-1965) and a large number of articles. He is owner-publisher of a popular weekly Slovak v Amerike and editor of its prestigious annual Literdrny Almanach. As a writer Dr. Pauco has to his credit two books of fictionalized autobiography (Unconquerables, 1958 and The Flight to Wonderland , 1963), a volume of reminiscences concerning famous people he met ( Tak sme sa poznali, 1966) and several books and pamphlets of political writing (e.g. Slovdci a komunizmus, 1957; co po komunizme?, 1952; Tisov odkaz, 1953; etc.). It is indeed a life rich in achievements and, what is more, one can say without fear of contradiction that - as in the past so in the future - Dr. J. Pauco will certainly enrich it further with many valuable additions in every sphere of his many-sided activity. We, his friends and colleagues, greet him warmly at this momentous milestone of his life and ask the Almighty to grant him health and strength not only to continue in his work but also to reap a justly deserved reward for his efforts. Ad multos annos! � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1974, Vol. 24 Description An account of the resource Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document 203 SLOVAKIA REVIEWS OF PAUCO'S WRITINGS IN LEADING PERIODICALS MOST co po komunizme? (I, 1, 1954, p . 44) Tisov odkaz (I, 2, 1954, p. 39-40. Dr. Karol Murin) Dr. Jozef Tiso o sebe (I, 3, 1954, p. 41-43. F. Hrusovsky) Stefan Furdek a slovenske prist'ahovalectvo (II, 2, 1955, p. 136-137) Mest'ancik) Slovcici a komunizmus (IV, 3, 1957, p. 132-133. Unconquerables (VI, 1-2, 1959, p. 83-85. Andrew Pier, O.S.B.) Christian Slovakia Under Communism (VI, 3, 1959, p. 186-187. Andrew Jan Pier, O.S.B. ) Pi:it'desiatnik Dr. Jozef Kirschbaum (XI, 3-4, 1964, p. 181) Slovakia (XI, 3-4, 1964, p. 182-183) Litercirny Almanach Slovcika v Amerike na rok 1965 (XII, 1-2, 1965, p. 82-83) Slovakia (XII, 3-4, 1965, p. 189) SLOVAKIA 75 rokov Prvej Katolickej Slovenskej Jednoty (XV, 38, 1965, p . 152-155. Mother M. Emerentia, SS.C.M.) Litercirny Almanach Slovcika v Amerike 1967 (XVII, 40, 1967, p. 190-192. Sister M. Tarcisia Gregorovic, SS.C.M.) Tak sme sa poznali (XVIII, 41, 1968, p . 159-164. Sister M. Tarcisia, SS. C.M.) Slovenski priekopnici v Amerike ( XXIII , 46, 1973, p. 196-197. Joseph C. Krajsa) F URD EK All writings by Dr. Pauco on the history of American Slovaks are evaluated by J . M. Kirschbaum in his article Dr. Pauco' s W ritings and the History of American Slovaks (Furdek, 1974, p. 75-80) . Francis V n u k : A BIOGRAPHICAL VALEDICTION In spite of the fact that the Slovaks are among the oldest inhabitants of the Central European region their efforts to secure a fully independent life has been seldom appreciated and rarely understood. But frustrations and disappointments can never deter a nation from its ultimate aim, and where one generation fails another will rise to continue the struggle. The natural aspirations of a nature and self-respecting nation cannot be suppressed by terror, nor silenced by bribes, nor extinguished by an apparent 204 SLOVAKIA lack of success. In all its history - and especially in the last 200 years - the Slovak nation has always had selfless and dedicated sons who in the struggle for national independence - not unlike Tennyson's Ulysses - were "strong in will to strive, to seek, to find and not to yield." One of these indefatigable fighters is Dr. Jozef Pauco who on February 26th was celebrating his 60th birthday. This memorable occasion makes one pause a moment and look into the past in order to reconstruct a brief outline of his life-career with all its notable moments and achievements. As a man in the forefront of Slovak public activities Dr. Pauco has many friends and admirers and not a few enemies. But - no matter what their feeling towards him are - they would all be unanimous in admitting that the name of Dr. Pauco has become a synonym of hard and continuous work in the cause of his nation. The beginnings of his involvement in this kind of work go back to his student days; the seeds, however, were sown much earlier, in the years of his childhood. Born on February 26th, 1914 (at Pila, near Lucenec) of Slovak peasant stock, young Pauco grew up in a typical Central European village environment where life was harsh, shortages common and rewards only very modest. This situation was further aggravated by the outbreak of World War I, when all able-bodied men were called up and the heavy burden of daily life had.to be carried by the women and old people. Pauco's father had to go too and he never came back. He died as a conscript in the service of those who denied the very existence of the Slovak nation and were seeking its physical extinction. This powerful traumatic experience, combined with the gentle influence of his widowed mother, imbued the young boy with a strong sense of justice, and with a fighting spirit to undo wrongs and to see that one received what was due to him. In Czecho-Slovakia which came into being in October 1918 the Slovaks were faring much better than in the prewar Hungary, but they still were treated by their Czech brethren as minor partners in an unequal Czecho-Slovak partnership. As a young high school student at Nitra (where SLOVAKIA 205 - according to his mother's wishes - he was preparing for the priesthood) J. Pauco could see this inequality which was both humiliating and insulting. His teachers (as well as other public servants and State employees) were Czechs, while Slovaks were without jobs. Not only did these Czechs occupy jobs and posts which belonged to the Slovaks but they also abused their positions by denigrating the Slovak language, culture, history and way of life. The outcome of this haughty and unsparing attitude towards the Slovak people was quite predictible. A general disenchantment soon gave way to discontent and these sentiments eventually crystallized out as a massive opposition movement led by Andrej Hlinka. Under Hlinka's charismatic leadership Slovakia launched a campaign for administrative self-government (autonomy) which- incidentallyhad been guaranteed to Slovaks back in 1918 by President T. G. Masaryk in the well-known Pittsburgh Agreement. · Hlinka's massive following came from all strata of Slovak society but the most significant support came from the enthusiastic followers among the young people. They provided the Hlinka People's Party with the most convincing arguments vis-a-vis Prague's centralist "Czechoslovak" policies. The young Slovak generation was autonomist in its outlook almost to a man, as was demonstrated at Trencianske Teplice in 1932. J. Pauco soon translated into action his admiration for Hlinka's valiant struggle for Slovak autonomy. His contributions to this common national effort were more and more substantial as he grew older and when in 1936 he came to Bratislava to study Philosophy at the Slovak University he was already a fully-fledged and highly-valued activist within the ranks of the Slovak autonomist movement. In Bratislava he became involved in the affairs of the busy campus life, where at that time the political issues were fought and argued in the most radical manner. (One of Dr. Pauco's ideological opponents was a fellow-student from the Law Faculty, G. Husak, today's Communist boss of Czecho-Slovakia). In addition to the campus activities J . Pauco was a regular contributor to the People's Party dailies and periodicals. This part-time collaboration with 206 SLOVAKIA the press was destined to become the enduring attachmen t of his life. In 1938 the struggle for Slovak autonomy took on a dramatic turn. The artificial facade of "Czechoslo vak" unity could not withstand the combined pressure of internal and external factors and collapsed completely , as predicted by those Slovak politicians whose warnings were never heeded. In the hectic three months September -November 1938 the Czecho-Slovakia of Masaryk and Benes changed beyond recognition . It had to cede the Sudeten territories to Germany, Southern Slovakia to the Magyars, the Teschen region to Poland and internally to grant autonomy to Slovaks and Ruthenians . Slovak autonomy, declared by all the Slovak political parties ( except the Socialists and Communis ts) on October 6th, 1938, was long overdue, but its arrival at this critical time (as an aftermath of the Munich crisis) made its realization easily misinterpr eted. For the Slovaks, however, it was a most welcome developme nt in which they saw the culminatio n of their long political struggle. For the Slovak People's Party (led since the death of A. Hlinka - in August 1938 - by Dr. Jozef Tiso, who became Premier of the Slovak autonomou s governmen t) autonomy was a challenge to show the world around us that we could manage our affairs with skill and responsibil ity. In communic ating its aims and ideals to the people the governmen t required a reliable and prompt press service. Consequen tly J. Pauco was asked to concentrat e his activities mainly in this direction. In March 1939 the Slovaks declared their independen ce and a new state appeared on the map of Europe: the Slovak Republic. The transition from autonomy to independence was rapid and the road to independen ce was somewhat steep. But the Slovaks knew that in the given situation theirs was not to argue and ponder about the road behind, but to do something about the road ahead. They grasped eagerly the historic opportunit y which independence offered and set out to make Slovakia as happy and prosperous a place for all Slovaks as was possible under the given circumstan ces. In this challenging and unique period of Slovak history SLOVAKIA 207 Dr. Jozef Pauco played a major and politically significant role. Apart from administrative responsibilities (he was acting as a district secretary of the People's Party at Nitra) he steadily maintained his journalistic and editorial connections with numerous political dailies and weeklies. In 1942 Dr. Jozef Tiso, the President of the Slovak Republic, appointed him as Editor-in-Chief of the principal national daily, Slovak. Slovak was the official press organ of the People's Party and of the Slovak government. It is an eloquent testimony to Pauco's journalistic abilities and political maturity that President Tiso placed such an important function on the shoulders of such a youthful (28 years old ) man. Dr. J . Pauco reciprocated this trust and served Dr. Tiso faithfully in the subsequent years. It was his concern to explain and popularize the current governmental policies, to provide ideological guidance, to maintain and foster proud nationalistic sentiments among the people and to instil hope and optimism when the situation became grim and critical. It is a tragic aspect of Slovak history that during the global conflict of 1939-45 Slovakia - unable to escape its geography - was politically under German protection and influence. The enemies of Slovak independence exploited this unfortunate situation and persuaded both the Western Allies and the Soviet Union that in the post-war settlement Slovakia should be again annexed to the Czech lands and that the pre-Munich Czecho-Slovakia should be restored. The Slovak patriots who had fought for and defended the independent Slovak state were branded as fascists, traitors and even criminals and were threatened with severe punishments and retribution. To escape the advancing Red Army Slovak political leaders, administrators, intellectuals and even ordinary citizens fled in thousands to the West where they hoped to find sympathy and understanding for their cause. Dr. J. Pauco and his family (his wife Draga whom he had married in 1942 and infant-son Svatopluk) were among them. The last issue of the daily, Slovak was published in Bratislava on April 1st, 1945 and it sadly signified the end of an era. The bulk of Slovak political refugees eventually sur· 208 SLOVAKIA rendered to the Americans. But the American military, starry-eyed about "the gallant Soviet ally," and having swallowed all the Communist lies about the refugees unthinkingly handed them over to their Communist jailers and executioners. To escape death or a fate worse than death the refugees had to scatter and go into hiding in the hope the West would soon wake up and cease this inhuman practice. Gradually the Western statesmen realized their folly and refused to comply with the bloodthirsty Soviet wishes. The refugees could now breathe relief, but their troubles were far from over. And what was even more tragic for hundreds and thousands of them it was already too late. Dr. J. Pauco was among the lucky ones. Moving from place to place in Austria and Bavaria he finally settled in Munich. During this trying period his son Svatopluk died and many of his close friends and colleagues were forcibly "repatriated" to Slovakia where they faced the vengeance of the so-called "people's tribunals." President Tiso and most of the members of the Slovak government were among them. But these tremendous losses and blows failed to break Pauco's spirit. Believing in justice and convinced that truth would ultimately triumph, he refused to accept defeat. As soon as it was possible (in April 1946) he started the publication of Slobodne Slovensko (Free Slovakia) in war-torn Munich. Though modest in appearance this mimeographed journal was the very embodiment of ardent Slovak nationalism. The journal was a great moral and psychological boost for the hard-pressed and frightened Slovak refugees . To explain the Slovak position to foreigners Dr. Paufo published bulletins in the German and Ukrainian languages. Dr. Pauco's stay in West Germany lasted five years. They were years of extreme hardship and at the same time years of very intense activity. Many events and happenings of this period are recorded in his autobiographical novel The Flight to Wonderland. The "Wonderland" to him was America which since the 1870's has become the adopted country to almost one million Slovaks. He settled in a small provincial township, Middletown, Pa., where a major Slovak fraternalistic society has its printery and where the largest Slovak-English weekly, Jednota is published. He took up the position of SLOVAKIA 209 associate editor of this paper and has remained there till now. But the editorial work could not possibly absorb all his energies. Soon after his arrival in the USA he was deeply involved in all the aspects of Slovak communal activities. One cannot go through them in detail, but even a simple enumeration of them is impressive enough to confirm what was said at the beginning, i.e . that Pauco's name is synonymous with continuous work in the service of his nation. He participates actively in several Slovak associations and societies: in the Slovak League of America (where he serves as secretary-general and editor of its English language annual, Slovakia) , in the First Catholic Slovak Union, in the Slovak Catholic Federation, etc. He plays a leading role in Slovak political organizations such as the Slovak National Council Abroad, Slovak Liberation Council, Slovak World Congress (as the chairman of its Information Committee. ) He takes a keen interest in the history of the Slovak immigrants in the USA and in this field he has produced five books (including a comprehensive history of the First Catholic Slovak Union, 1890-1965) and a large number of articles. He is owner-publisher of a popular weekly Slovak v Amerike and editor of its prestigious annual Literdrny Almanach. As a writer Dr. Pauco has to his credit two books of fictionalized autobiography (Unconquerables, 1958 and The Flight to Wonderland , 1963), a volume of reminiscences concerning famous people he met ( Tak sme sa poznali, 1966) and several books and pamphlets of political writing (e.g. Slovdci a komunizmus, 1957; co po komunizme?, 1952; Tisov odkaz, 1953; etc.). It is indeed a life rich in achievements and, what is more, one can say without fear of contradiction that - as in the past so in the future - Dr. J. Pauco will certainly enrich it further with many valuable additions in every sphere of his many-sided activity. We, his friends and colleagues, greet him warmly at this momentous milestone of his life and ask the Almighty to grant him health and strength not only to continue in his work but also to reap a justly deserved reward for his efforts. Ad multos annos!  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource A Biographical Valediction Description An account of the resource Francis Vnuk Slovakia, Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974 pp. 203-209 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Vnuk, František, 1926- Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 SNK https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/329328bd44102fc8e3fc31826c3d7211.pdf ada238b3dd98531f7a084d213a4f9584 PDF Text Text SLOVAKIA 181 ,J.. M. Ki rs ch b au m, Ph.D.: Noted Slovak Jubilarians Andrej Z a r n o v "Les elites emigrees vivent tragiquement. Elles sont contraintes a une vie hasardeuse, solitaire, humiliee. Elles sont amenees par l'exil a l'epreuve a reviser leurs valeurs, et a en connaitre ou a en creer d'autres ... " Albert Thibaudet, Histoire de la litterature fra~aise de 1780 a nos jours, Paris, 1936. Since 1945, when Slovakia was overrun by the Soviet armies and subject to communist rule, a number of poets and writers left their native land in protest against political oppression in their homeland and with the intention of working in the free world for freedom and independence of their country. This political mission is especially true with regard to the emigre writers and poets who left Slovakia in 1945-1949 among whom were several of the leading Slovak writers and poets. A similar example can be found mutatis mutandis only in 19th century Poland, when after the revolution of 1830 the best Polish poets (Mickiewicz, Krasinski, Slowacki) and a number of writers and intellectuals escaped the Russians and made Paris the center of Polish literature. The fate of Slovak poets and writers was, of course, not as favorable as that of Polish "grande emigration." Some of the more prominent Slovak writers were soon captured in Austria and brought back to Slovakia and imprisoned (Milo Urban, A. zarnov, Tido J. Gaspar) while others had to fight against false denunciations and other pressures, in order to survive and create. In spite of this, "the 50 odd Slovak men of letters living on this side of the Iron Curtain kept the lights of Slovak culture burning while they were out of their native country. This may sound emotional or sentimental, yet it is a sad truth that in the years 1950-55 there hardly appeared in Slovakia a single book worthy of reading. In those years indeed the emigre literature was the contemporary Slovak literature." 1 �182 SLOVAKIA Slovak poets and writers in exile continued to play especially the role of the "conscience of the nation" and that of interpreters of the aspirations of the Slovak people, traditionally assumed by Slovak poets and writers. More than in any other nation, not only the national rebirth was the work of Slovak poets and writers, but also the struggle for political rights and social justice; the first national rebellion was led by them, and they kept the national spirit alive in time of despair. Since the time when the poet Jan Holly (1785-1849) awakened the Slovak intelligentsia by unveiling to them the glorious past of Slovak ancestors in the Great Moravian period, and by giving them hope for a better future, Slovak poetry was an instrument of the national struggle, an expression of the national ideals and hopes, of national sufferings and joy. The poets and writers were the heralds and prophets of a new and better world, often being also social revolutionary leaders. This tradition was cultivated in Slovak literature over the past one hundred and fifty years and was even strengthened during the crucial years of Slovakia's national struggle in this century. Slovak poets and writers in exile have not considered themselves exempt from this special mission. On the contrary, exile made them more patriotic and the sufferings of the Slovak people more conscious of their duty to be the "conscience" of their nation and the interpreters of the aspiration of the Slovak people. In the countryside of New York State, one of the best contemporary Slovak poets, Andrej zarnov (by his own name Prof. Frantisek subik), attained on November 19, 1973 the prestigous age of 70. If the present Slovak generations owe a tribute to any poet for his participation in the struggle for national rights and equality with other nations, Andrej zarnov deserves such recognition from Slovaks abroad as well as in Slovakia. Born in 1903 in the village of Kuklov in Western Slovakia, zarnov remained proud of his rural heritage even when he achieved the position of University Professor of Pathology and high recognition from critics and readers for his literary work. He made his secondary studies in Skalica and Trnava and his study of medicine in Bratislava where he was active in student organizations and became �SLOVAKIA 183 well-known for his fiery verses already during his university years. In 1926, :2:arnov accompanied Msgr. Andrej Hlinka on the triumphant journey around the United States. At that time neither zarnov nor the American Slovaks could expect that after the dramatic events of the Second World War, he would return to the United States as an exile, persecuted for his patriotism and his part in the International Red Cross Commission which examined during the Second World War the brutal massacre of 10,000 Polish officers by the Soviets in Katyn. zarnov left Slovakia in 1945, but he was forcibly "repatriated" from Austria, arrested and jailed. In 1952 he left Slovakia in a dramatic flight and settled first near Washington and later at Wingdale, N. Y. where he lives presently with his family. 2 ZARNOV'S WORK AND PLACE IN SLOVAK LITERATURE Perhaps to no other country more than to Slovakia is the statement of historians applicable, that in Central and Eastern European national movements were the concern of poets, writers and scholars and that they created the nationalities. Not only was the national rebirth the work of Slovak poets and writers, but also the struggle for political rights and social justice; the first national rebellion was led by them, and they kept the national spirit alive in time of despair. Since the first great Slovak poet, Jan Holly (1785-1849) awakened the Slovak intelligentsia by unveiling to them the glorious past of Slovak ancestors and by giving them a strong faith in a better future of the Slovak people, Slovak poetry was an instrument of national struggle, an expression of the national idea, national sufferings, joys, and hopes. The poets and writers were the heralds and prophets of a new and better world; they were social revolutionaries and national leaders. This tradition was respected in Slovak literature over the past one hundred years, and during the crucial years of Slovak national struggle in this century the role was played by Andrej :2:arnov more prominently than by any other Slovak poet, except for Martin Razus. Andrej :2:arnov appeared in Slovak literature in a period when the Slovak people fought their harsh struggle (against �184 SLOVAKIA the Czech assimilatory tendencies) for preserving their language, national identity and cultural heritage. It was the period of the 20's and 30's of this century, when on one hand Slovakia experienced a strong cultural development, but was at the same time forced into an uneven struggle for her national future, for social justice and political and economic equality. The danger of this situation was not only in the preponderance of means and political power or in the fact that Slovaks were far outnumbered by Czechs, but also in the fact that the masses of the Slovak people were going through the final phase of the process of maturing politically and the Slovak intelligentsia was in cultural and ideological ferment. In this national struggle Zarnov came with his fiery verses full of faith in the Slovak people and his vitality, adYocating national solidarity and protesting against the Czech attempts to rule, exploit and denationalize the Slovak people. At the same time, his poetry dared Slovaks to defend themselves, to stand firmly on their feet and not bow, not to yield. It was a revolutionary call for political and social justice, for national pride and honor which very soon found a favorable echo among the young Slovak intelligentsia and made Zarnov, since he identified himself with his nation's aspirations, sorrows and sufferings, the poet of the Slovak national struggle, and of Slovak patriotism. There was an outburst of poetic production in Slovakia between the two wars, but only Zarnov (besides M. Razus) stood on the barricades of Slovak national struggle with his patriotic poems, his forceful indignation, with his spiritual roots in the national tradition and fervent belief in the victory of the Slovak cause. Zarnov's fiery poetry, after being largely recited and published in periodicals and dailies, had been edited in several volumes. The first one, Strdz pri Morave (The Guard on Morava, 1925) was composed of verses expressing the poet's and his generation's political and spiritual orientation and provoked even the political censors to intervene. The second volwne Brdzda cez uhory (The Furrow Through Fallows, 1929) contained rather meditative and lyrical poetry enquiring into the spiritual ferment and restlessness of the poet's generation. While in the first volwne Zarnov created of his poetry an effective instrument for Slovak �SLOVAKIA 185 national struggle, in the second volume he turned his eyes to the soul of the people he inflamed to struggle and bitterly analyzed its conscience. The third volume Hlas krvi (The Call of the Blood, 1932) and the following volume stit (The Shield, 1940) still contained verses of patriotic inspirations; his last volume Mftvy (The Dead, 1941) contains, however, poetry of deep personal sorrow and refine lyrics inspired by the untimely death of his young son. The profile of a patriotic revolutionary and interpreter of the nation's aspirations and struggle was thus completed in z arnov's last volume by poetry of deep human feelings and meditations. In all his volumes, zarnov preferred rather simple poetic forms, including the free verse. The rhythm of his poetry and his vocabulary were of great effectiveness and from the very beginning it indicated a strong talent. His books are, of course, on the index in Slovakia, but some of his verses are among the most recited by Slovaks in the free world, in which zarnov found refuge after the Communists seized power in Slovakia. ZARNOV'S TRANSLATIONS FROM WORLD LITERATURES zarnov enriched, however, Slovak literature also by many masterful translations of lyrics, epics and dramas. His first translations go back to 1933-34 at which time zarnov published in Slovak dailies and periodicals his version of Przerwa-Tetmajer Jdnosikove motivy (Janosik's Motives). In 1936 zarnov translated for the Slovak National Theatre the well-known play from the life of F. Chopin and Georges Sand Leto v Nohante (The Summer in Nohant) by J. Iwaszkiewicz. A year after, Matica slovenska published Sophocles' Antigona in zarnov's translation and in 1941 King Oedipus. The same year zarnov translated for the Slovak National Theatre the libretto of the opera Rusalka and in 1943 his translation of Zygmunt Krasinski's Nebozskd komedia (The Undivine Comedy) was published by Matica slovenska. After the Second World War, in the oppressive atmosphere of the Communist and Czech domination of Slovakia, zarnov was not allowed to publish his own poetry, but he did not cease creating and talking to his countrymen. In �186 SLOVAKIA 1949 the Society of St. Adalbert published his translation of Murphy's novel on Mary Magdalene The Scarlet Lily, in 1950 appeared the volume of translations from Adam Mickiewicz Poeezia, and in 1951 Hymny (The Hymns) of Jan Kasprowicz. The Communist regime did not, however, allow zarnov to use his pen-name on Kasprowicz's Hymns. They were published as translations by Francis ~ubik. Before his dramatic flight from Slovakia, zarnov prepared for publication his translation of Dante's Peklo (The Hell) and selections of poems by Leopold Staff Vyber z poezie (Selected Poems), but they remained in manusscript. zarnov's masterful translations were highly regarded by Slovak literary critics and by the readers and contributed especially to useful cultural relations of Slovakia with Poland. He received a Silver wreath from the Polish Academy of Literature for his pre-war translation U pol'sk'!}ch b<isnikov ( Among Polish Poets) and during the Second World War he prepared an entire book of translations from Adam Mickiewicz's works. 3 The volume was published "in order to transplant Mickiewicz's works to Slovak soil and thereby strengthen the structure of Slavic brotherhood in the cultural sector," and because "in world literature there are only a few great poets who in the work of their genius accumulate and present so universally, profoundly, and magnificently the history of the efforts, failures and spiritual achievements of their own people as does Adam Mickiewicz, the greatest Polish and all-Slavic poet." The book appeared in 1948, published by the Slovak Catholic cultural institution the "Society of St. Adalbert." We can say without exaggeration that zarnov has been, in his generation, artistically and spiritually the best prepared to transmit the heritage of Mickiewicz's most beautiful poems into Slovak literature. And he did it with great artistic skill and brilliance. His volume Poezia contains not only the eighteen Crimean Sonnets, but also Konrad Wallenrod, the Ode to Youth, To a Polish Mother, To My Muscovite Friends, Sages, A Vision, The Master of Masters, Flight and Out of My Sight, thus presenting some valuable lyrics along with his patriotic verse tale about his fatherland. The Crimean Sonnets in zarnov's translation remain �SLOVAKIA 187 "a wonder," since he has preserved to a great degree the richness of beauty of the poetic expression which always takes us by surprise and makes us marvel at the audacity of thought and the moral courage which produce the special splendor of this collection. zarnov's poetic language is, naturally, modern, his verse and rhythm vivid, and the whole translation audacious. zarnov found in his own rich poetical invention the metaphors and poetic visions to express Mickiewicz's ideas and colorful images. The translation of Konrad Wallenrod is a poetical and genuine interpretation, equalling in beauty Mickiewicz's own work. zarnov is certainly no romantic in the pattern of the last century, but still an enthusiastic patriot who sings in his poetry a hymn to his crucified country, dooming its traitors and fighting for justice, one who has consecrated his life and his heart to his fatherland. More than anyone else among modern Slovak poets he was, therefore predestined to enrich modern Slovak literature by this Byronic work of great charm and poetic vision, which "of the many and often highly inspired types of Byronism in Polish poetry ranks highest." zarnov's versions of the Ode to Youth and To My Muscovite Friends are to be remembered not only for brilliance of translation ( which could be demonstrated only by quotations and comparisons of texts), but also for the purpose which the translator wished to serve. The volume Poezia was published after the tragic experiences with the Russian occupation of Slovakia. zarnov, to whom the national cause has always been a question of honor and personal dedication, addressed, in Mickiewicz's mordant verses, the new Muscovite rulers and summoned Slovak youth to the dynamic faith which Mickiewicz, in the Ode to Youth, expressed for Poles under very similar circumstances. zarnov's translations were thus to serve after a century the same aim as Mickiewicz had assigned to his poetry. Through the literary works of Mickiewicz zarnov wished to teach the Slovaks, as Mickiewicz had the Poles, "to regard as their personal affair the great question of honor and dedication, truth and falsehood, nobility of ends and legitimacy of means for attaining them." zarnov attemped to convince his martyred people that "the national cause must become an autochthonous idea, the ultimate �188 SLOVAKIA moral criterion around which the entire spiritual life of the nation is crystalized." The real function of zarnov's poetry and translation was, like that of Mickiewicz's, not only to provide artistic enjoyment or to refine aesthetic taste, but primarily to equip his people with the spiritual resources necessary to enable them to survive their enslavement and to fight for their freedom. The Muscovite rulers in Slovakia grasped his intention and silenced the book. zarnov, under constant threat of arrest and deportation, and many times in prison, made a dramatic flight from his country and now fights in exile for his ideas. In exile he published a number of patriotic verses and a masterful transcription of several poems by Jan Holly into a modern Slovak language, to remind the Slovaks of their spiritual roots and national heritage, and to confirm once more that he was one of the Slovak poets who penetrated and stirred to the depths the spirits of his generation and especially of the young intelligentsia, helped to bring them to a strong awareness of their spiritual and national individuality, and successfully summoned them to the struggle for justice and freedom. On behalf of that generation, we are sending to the quiet countryside near New York our grateful: Ad multos annos. F OOTNOTES 1) See F. Vnuk, Sedemnast' neurodnych ro kov . N acrt slovenske j li t eratury v rokoch 1945-62. (Middletown, Pa., 1965) , p . 277. 2) F or more details on 2arnov's work and life, see J . Pauco (ed .), L iterarny Almanach Slovaka v Amerike, Middletown, Pa. 1967. 3) On 2arnov's translations from Mickiewicz, see W. Lednicki, Adam . Micki ewicz in W orld Literature, University of California Press, 1956i contribution by J . M. Kirschbaum. lmrich K r u f I i a k The prose and poetry of Slovak emigre writers is varied in themes and literary styles and strongly reflects a deep sadness over the loss of their native country and over the treatment of their people under communism. This is especially characteristic of the writings of poets and writers who had played a prominent role in Slovak literary life before they left their native land. Strong national feelings and "heimweh''; however, can also be found in the works �SLOVAKIA 189 of poets who developed their talents far away from their native country. Prominent in this group of Slovak intellectuals is Dr. Imrich Kruzliak whose 60th birthday we will commemorate on December 8, 1974. Born in the romantic Detva, Kruzliak followed the path of educated Slovaks of his generation from villages and towns who went through secondary schools and universities by their own efforts and talents and, after helping the struggle for national independence, had to pay in jails or in exile for their patriotism. Kruzliak did not leave his native Slovakia in 1945. He decided to stay and fight with other Catholic intellectuals for the preservation of Slovak national traditions and for a place for Catholics in the post-war political life. When in 1947, the Communists began their persecution of Catholic intellectuals, he was arrested, tortured, and kept in jail for a year. To avoid a new arrest, he escaped in 1949 to Austria and in 1951 settled in Munich where he became employed by Radio Free Europe as a commentator on Slovak cultural matters. Writing mostly under the pen-name Marian ziar and initials I. K., mz, Dr. Kruzliak contributed in exile to emigre literature either in poetry or in literary criticism. Although Kruzliak had published verses and literary essays already before and during the war, it was in exile that he became known as a poet and mainly as a cultivated commentator and critic of Slovak literary and cultural life at home and abroad. His essays, comments and book reviews have been published mostly in the quarterly Most, Literdr ny Almanach, Rozhl'ady, but also in annuals and newspapers Jednota, Slovak v Amerike and for the past two years in Horizont of which he has been the editor in chief. His writings have been among the best in Slovak empire literature. We would mention especially his survey of Slovak literature under Communism (Most, 1958), anci essay "Shakespeare and Slovaks" (Most, 1964), a study on the "Literary and artistic cult of Sts. Cyril and Methodius among Slovaks" (Most, 1963) and ":C. stur" (Most, 1965) . In scores of book reviews, Kruzliak enriched Slovak emigre literature with new ideas, well-balanced opinions, and by an effort to keep Slovak cultural life abroad on a European level. �190 SLOVAKIA He also deserves recognition for editing and publishing two volumes of poetry of poets in communist jails Modlitby v putdch (Prayers in Shackles, Munich, 1955) and translations from Polish, Magyar and Russian poets of the period of "thaw" Podaj ndm ruku, Eur6pa ( Give us Helping Hand, Europe, Munich, 1957). One of his extensive surveys of Slovak culture under Communism was published in mimeographed book form and his contribution on Slovak culture since 1945 appeared in the symposium Slovakia in the 19th and 20th Centuries, published by the Slovak World Congress (Toronto, 1973). He also edited special volume of Arena (Vol. 16, 3-4) which the P.E.N. Centre for Writers in Exile published on Slovak literature in London, England in 1963. Dr. Kruzliak does not belong, however, to literary life alone. Since his university years he was among the most active intellectuals in the Slovak public life and a leading figure in the generation which dedicated talents and energies to the struggle of the Slovak people for an equal place among European nations. His literary beginnings are connected with students periodicals (Rozvoj, Svojet') in the 1930's, while his participation in public life began before he obtained his Ph.D. summa cum laude at the Bratislava University. As many members of his generation, he also was inspired by the idealism of ~udovit t5tur, represented in 1920's and 1930's in Slovak national struggle by Andrej Hlinka. Idealism and dedication of those years marked Dr. Kruzliak's whole life in Slovakia as well as in exile. On the threshold of his 60th birthday he continues his life struggle in the Slovak World Congress as the head of the cultural section. The upheavals and tragedies experienced by his generation, marked also his life, but did not break his spirit. Hardly any Slovak generation had to go through such trials. There were, however, also victories and uncomparable cultural and spiritual growth of the Slovak nation to' which that generation contributed at home and in exile. And no other generation had such opportunities to see the world, to learn foreign languages and to absorb cultural values of the most advanced nations. It is on behalf of those who from that generation survived the persecutions of the tyrannical regimes in �191 SLOVAKIA Slovakia and the trials of exile, that we cordially greet Dr. Kruzliak on the threshold of his 60th birthday, wishing him that the Lord may fulfill his desires to see Slovakia free, democratic and equal to other nations. Mikulas sp r i n C For the past 25 years, perhaps the most important role in the Slovak literary life in exile was played by the highly cultivated and sensitive poet, Rev. Mikulas sprinc, whose 60th birthday Slovaks abroad will commemorate on November 30th, 1974. Like Dilong and Strmen, sprinc also came from the "Catholic Moderna" group and was well-known in Slovakia as Secretary and later Director of the Slovak Catholic Academy and organizer of many cultural activities before and during the War. He published during the War two collections of his own poetry and four collections of translations : from Rilke, from several Italian poets, as well as from the works of P. Lippert and Giovanni Papini. At the same time he contributed to nearly all Slovak literary journals and periodicals, in addition to being the editor of the main Slovak Catholic literary monthly Kultiira <19431945 ). s princ left Slovakia later than other Slovak emigre poets and writers, and reached Rome through Austria and Germany. He was named by the Vatican a delegate for helping the Slovak refugees in Austria and Germany, but in 1946 he obtained a visa for the United States where he developed not only extensive organizational cultural activities, but also his talent so that he became one of the leading Slovak Catholic poets in Diaspora. A professor of modern languages and philosophy of arts by vocation, he deserves credit for keeping alive the Slovak literary journal Most , of which he has been editor since 1954, as well as for founding the Association of Slovak Writers and Artists, whose President has been the poet Andrej zarnov. sprinc was also one of the founders of the Slovak Institute in Cleveland, and edited several symposia in addition to his own prolific and varied literary activities. Altogether sprinc published 18 collections of musical and highly cultivated poetry, and an English collection �192 SLOVAKIA Driftwood ( 1969), partly translated by himself and partly by one of his students and a well-known translator of Slovak poetry, Jaroslav Vajda. Those who appreciate a poetry rooted in the strong belief in the Creator without sounding too religious, and those who like the beauty of life in the song of birds, in the colors of flowers, in the sound of the wind, and blue skies or the colors of the rainbow, can find great enjoyment in sprinc's poetry. In his lyrical verses, sprinc echoes the art of Paul Verlaine and the spirit of St. Francis of Assissi. The musical and rhythmical quality of his poetry is rarely equalled by other Slovak emigre poets, except probably Gorazd Zvonicky. The translations of sprinc's verses are not an easy task for translators. Many of his volumes also contain fine poems with patriotic overtones, expressing his love for his lost and oppressed Slovakia. Recent volumes of sprinc's poetry have been artistically illustrated and carefully published, reflecting high artistic quality also in their technical presentation. As a result, reading his beautifully published collections is a double pleasure; they are written by a sensitive and gifted poet but, even more, by a man humbly and joyfully believing in God whose faith and glorification of the Creator sounds so natural and full of hope that one longs for the same beautiful world and the author's joyful soul and spirit. Even though Paul Verlaine seems to be his preferred poet (he wrote his M.A . thesis in French on Verlaine), sprinc is very well versed in Italian, German and Spanish poetry, and contributed to Slovak emigre literature by several excellent translations. To his large and varied cultural activities he has added more than 300 articles, book reviews, comments and contributions to Slovak periodicals, almanacs and newspapers. More than any other poet or writer, sprinc deserves credit for keeping Slovak culture abroad not only alive, but also reflecting the best Slovak national traditions. In spite of his many activities as professor, editor and secretary of the Association of Slovak Writers and Artists, sprinc was able during the past two decades to publish nearly every year a volume of his poetry or a book in prose. Among his published works we find: Ozveny v samotdch (1940), Tak umieral bdsnik Pal'o Oliva (1942), 0 ldske �SLOVAKIA a bolesti (1942), Duinske elegie (1942), O Tebe spieva zem idc sdm 0943), K slobodnym pobreziam (1950), Na r:"•rFlo 'l J () • polnopi 'ti· · poludnfa Z (1955), slnku proti (1953), Tvdrou ')s'ted6~ putnie~±{~ moje Oci (1962), orla (1960), Mladost' a ffPk k?J s _ Brat~la'8 (1967), Andante (1952), kovia utrpenia ,a ~- ~1 • S'! 1 JI ora· ll:170 Palidora, z Piesne (1969), (1968), Driftwood 11 "' · j rn JC lovy ostrov (1973) etc.* t'f" : 'iOr.?.910 I'l Among his translation s we should metftionfGidva:aru Papini's work Witnesses of Suffering (Scraiitott CFA-{J'1i95!!) and among his foreign language writings hi M~..fthesi t Paul Verlaine: Etude de sa poesie religieuse,Wil'i-100',i stiill u v[ ,, , 1 ;. ,.... in manuscrip t. I 'di _Jj(,· ~-II sprinc also published an interesting narra,J;;':vp1!n,:prose about his escape and journey from Slovakia ~f?' ,1i0:Yr'l1Il,~9 States in a volume K slobodnym pobreziam ('J;R>t~'rr r;;~1e Shores), a book on St. Andrew Svorad as vv,:e, ~r~~d l. p~~lf dedicated to the Virgin Mary. For the llth -1 0~~t[;npial<: 0J Christianit y in Slovakia, he edited a collectiop."r~ ~!:5e-? by several Slovak poets under the title Zdravic0-; sp-"'qy j!oRi a Metodovi (Rome, 1963). He also contributec l:11f?: 1aurn~smr~ fully illustrated anthology Odkaz (The Legacy.., 197Jp in f.eJfg~ehte~. which leading Slovak poets and writers are ro "¼o"'"' 10· ""i In prose, he edited the memoirs of Msgr. Joze · KaB3-i a prominent Slovak diplomat at the Vatican du¥fh§ \ .war Spod Rohdcov po Vatikdn (From Rohace M9tiRtim to? · e Vatican, 1973) as well as two symposia comp.~~~ ,cif 'qop; C~ictrfn_tributions by Slovak emigre writers: Ndde7· vit'azria 1J 'R? 'fJf U?'f • -. ::;;_ 1939-1-.~4(} republika Slovenskd and 1947) Hope, ous ' ,.., Republic 1939-1949, Scranton, Pa., 1949). 9.i · V)\1)')1Sh'1 ·i•h ai 1~f'd2 c( aii~ Literary work of this envergure and 1 we -Iiifre > ; case; a does not need to be praised. It is again 1 • if'tceW!. Laudat'·a'¥f have to repeat the Latin dictum: Opus fivities It was a blessing for Slovak literature and cultubr-a~i abroad that sprinc left Slovakia. Therefore, ori~he~ooa §i6n of his 60th birthday, we cannot be more sincer.e"1wlierfJ,we - :>.r. ,h,i< say: Ad multos annos! 1 (JJ Jy3c-riqz~t{ :llC J *) :r-r::;m For more details on Sprinc and his work, see Literltrfi'y 11.lrMnbcn for 1967, p. 232-234, and Most, Vol. I, 2, 1954, and Vol. 13~ 4;-1956!!') �194 SLOVAKIA Teodorik Zubek To the ranks of prominent Slovak intellectuals in exile whose 60th birthday we will commemorate in 1974, also belongs Prof. T. J. Zubek, oustanding member of the Slovak Franciscan Order in Slovakia and the United States, who was born on April 4, 1914 in Malacky, Western Slovakia. Professor Zubek filled an important gap in exile activities by his theological writings and mainly by presenting the religious situation in post war Slovakia to the Western World. At the same time he deserves recognition for reviving the Order of Slovak Franciscan Fathers in the United States who under his leadership become active not only in the religious field but also in education and cultural life. Well educated at Slovak and foreign Universities (Zagreb, Croatia; Fribourg, Switzerland), Dr. Zubek played leading role in his Order in Slovakia, and had to pay under the Communist regime for his patriotism and service to God by detention in the concentration camp for priests in Svaty Benadik. After his escape in 1951, he found refuge in Austria and Rome, Italy, from where he came to the United States in 1952. Soon after his arrival to the U.S.A. Dr. Zubek became Professor of Theology at Seton Hall University, Newark, N. J. and published an authoritative work on the Communist persecution of religion in his native country Church of Silence in Slovakia (J. Lach Publ., Whiting, Ind., 1956). This book and his scholarly contributions to American religious and academic periodicals (Homiletic and Pastoral Review, Jurist, Ameri can Ecclesiastical Review, The Catholic Educator and others) performed an important service to the Slovak cause among Western intellectuals. Some of his studies rank among the best writings on contemporary theological and educational topics. From the Slovak point of view, of great importance among his English writings is also his presentation of the case of Msgr. Tiso and the fate of Slovak bishops (Slovak Bishops - Martyrs of Christ, 1963) to Western readers. Exposed to hostile propaganda during the War and after, many people in the free world maintained biased attitudes towards Slovakia even among clergy and in academic circles. Dr. Zubek was among the first Slovak emigre �SLOVAKIA 195 intellectuals who grasped the need for writing on Slovakia in English and in non-Slovak periodicals, and for doing it in a much more reserved manner than we can afford in our Slovak publications. Dr. Zubek contributed at the same time to Slovak periodicals and newspapers, to Slovak Studies, and edited the religious monthly Listy Sv. Frantiska (Leaflets of St. Francis) published by his Order of which he was the head as Provincial Delegate. He also took part in Slovak emigre cultural and organizational activities aiming at the unity and co-operation, namely in Slovak Liberation Council and Slovak World Congress, at the Conference on Slovakia held in Toronto in 1971 and elsewhere. From the very beginning of his exile has been considered as one of the most distinguished representatives of Slovak clergymen abroad. By his activities, high education and devotion to the work for God and bonum commune, Dr. Zubek upheld the noble tradition of the Franciscan Order in Slovakia, whose members belonged to the best educators, historians, writers and poets in the centuries of Slovak national revival as well as in this century. It is with sincere admiration for his work and great human qualities that we greet him on his sixtieth birthday with a heartfelt: Ad multos annos! Jozef Pa u co For more than a century, journalists and editors played in Slovak national life a role going far beyond their profession. Starting with Eudovit stur in the middle of the 19th century, leading Slovak journalists were also political leaders, poets, writers, historians, grammarians and organizers of cultural and political institutions. This phenomenon appeared in Slovakia as well as among Slovaks abroad, especially in the United States and Canada. After stur, S. H . Vajansky was an outstanding example of a journalist, who also was a prominent poet, novelist and fighter for the Slovak cause. In the following generation Karol Sidor and Konstantin Culen remained faithful to that tradition in Slovakia and on the American continent. Both of them were journalists by profession, but they also wrote a �[96 SLOVAKIA am lil,erary works and books dealing with the ofoSI~aks and their struggle for freedom. h'eq>ast 25 years, an austanding example of journalist who became a historian, political writer and organizer • .Joll!uraI &F.~ political activities, was Dr. Jozef Pauco, ~ '1We .1 2¥thday was celebrated by Slovaks abroad on ~ 8f.f9 r¥R~L 1974. Pauco's admiration for E. stur goes Bi~ 1t2,1r.. ,years when he wrote his Ph.D. thesis at the I}, ·1-ffi ·1i v~c13ratislava, which was later published under 9} yt • {,1J{!,OJJYChova u sturovcov (Popular Education in nt) . Since that time Dr. Pauco also followed ~ ' x' MB, ~ f8o}§jeps of K. Sidor and K. culen in his work as ~n !n eing a political exile, in his dedication to the ~ ~.HJ.Iijijle:iJer2 freecto111: , and independence for Slovakia and i - fillfp,tjfj>_n with American Slovaks and Slovak-American organizations. bibliography listed below indicates, Dr. As thej seJect ' ' r[J J)l [IQ[ f y Hjj r(~mgs are not only extensive, but also cover e.vera1' ~ cfs9!rom history to political science and belles 12t ,nw .fil~S.V O II . pub1·ished works . part of his 1l 1 :e~ . .tS s19.a y, th e maJor . t ct· f d t S {:_!(, ''IS I'I .'11 ' hJfiIH~W . , rAR?"ever, a e en mg he Slovak cause. This :a cr1°fsB~afiW even his works on American Slovaks, which !fh~ Y#1 ~9 ~fo~);'o his best writings and in their method and $I&»Jay flDif compare with standard works on the subj~cf.'."'i frer fof. F. Hrusovsky and K. culen, he actually deserves main credit for systematic research into the past and present of American Slovaks. His books on their history atest to his great love for jjl_jz~ i 9_mt branch of the Slovak people. In addition, lzli-l ~ftlltl.futijsplayed in his works on American Slovaks, of Wlli.Plb :ti~cY~mninous history of the First Catholic Slovak ~smrubip rrecent book on Slovak Pioneers in America 4%fill:YJ O ~fkteular attention, that history was the field W~fttmt~ ld use his academic education and thorough fmID'{fflP.g.f~mf@lovak American organizational structure and ~ ~g:njfl~J:?.g ~ of individual leaders. As a result, whoever }Y!UsiYfOOl ~(tc,::omplete history of American Slovak~, will lff)lUiffifHfliiO.l:Wlfite authoritatively without ~sing Dr. Pauco's , ~f4J!!g)}V~rks. 110Ui-Bi¥unMjgl,lly, a larger number of books, essays an(\ MMtje b&;ia . Pauco deals, however, with Slova~a•s strugglaj::Rf!~~p.filldence l;l,nd with the _defense of leading Slovak h'i&j t> n; b~ �SLOVAKIA 197 personalities, especially Dr. Jozef Tiso, against whom many incorrect views and misconceptions were spread in the West during and after the Second World War. Slovakia and Slovaks suffered not only under Communism. There was a lot of injustice and descrimination against Slovaks also before the War and during the short period after the War when the Communists ruled together with their Czech and Slovak fellow-travelers from the non-communist parties. In his writings, Dr. Pauco endeavored to fight the falsehood and injustice of· both. It was, however, the communist misrule in Slovakia and the communist ideology which he exposed and fiercely criticized in his writings, advocating Christian democracy and the independence of Slovakia. Besides his own books, essays and thousands of articles, Dr. Pauco also published-as editor-the valuable documentary work Dr. Jozef Tiso o sebe (Dr. Jozef Tiso About Himself), containing the defense of the President of the Slovak Republic at his trial by the communist court, and a number of symposia on leading Slovak exiles (K. Sidor, J.C. Hronsky,· etc.). Furthermore, he deserves recognition for publishing and editing the Literdrny Almanach and the weekly Slovak v Amerike, both of which would have disappeared several years ago without his dedication and sacrifice as well that of his literary active wife. Last but not least, Dr. Pauco has rendered great service to the Slovak cause as the editor of the English periodical dealing with Slovak cultural and political matters, Slovakia. founded by Philip Hrobak. This editorial part of Dr. Pauco's work is of far reaching importance for the activities of Slovaks abroad and can be evaluated adequately only if we imagine how much poorer Slovak cultural life and the struggle for independence would be without these publications. In view of the fact that the historical and geopolitical situation of Slovakia made the Slovak cause a matter of controversy, Dr. Pauco's writings were bol,lild to provoke a strong reaction from the adversaries of the Slovak struggle for independence. His militant spirit, uncompromising attitude and fervor incited them to make denunciations, accusations and . undeserved attacks, but Pauco remained, in spite of all attacks on his person, one of 'the most dedicated defenders of the Slovak cause in his generation. �198 SLOVAKIA He also continues to be the most prolific Slovak journalist and writer on politics and history who remained faithful to stur's tradition and Hlinka-Tiso's ideology of Christian democracy and self-determination for the Slovaks. SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY IN SLOVAK Popular Education ). Matica slovenska. Turciansky Sv. Martin, 1943, pp. 151. Politicko-narodny program Hsns (Political Program of the Slovak People's Party ). Andrej uc. spol. Bratislava, 1944, pp. 96. co po komunizme? (After Communism What?) . Jednota, Middletown, Pa., 1952, pp. 29. Dr. Jozef Ti so o sebe (Dr. Joseph Tiso About Himself) . Slovensky Katolicky Sokol, Passaic, N. J., 1952, pp. 359. (Ed.) Tisov odkaz (Tiso's Message). Jednota, Middletown, Pa., 1953, pp. 89. Stefan Furdek a slovenske prist'ahovalectvo (Stephen Furdek and Slovak Immigration ). J ednota, Middletown, Pa., 1955, pp. 190. Slovcici a komunizmus (The Slovaks and Communism ). Rev. Jan Lach, Whiting, Ind., 1957, pp. 318. P-0d zcistavou krest'anskej demokracie (Under the Banner of the Christian Democracy). Slovenski krest'anski demokrati v Spojenych Statoch, Middletown, Pa. , 1957, pp. 30. Slovenskci rehol'a Sestier sv. Cyrila a Metoda (Slovak Order of the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius). Slovensky .Zensky Spolok sv. Anny, Wyoming Valley, Pa., 1957, pp. 32. Matus Jankola - knaz a ncirodovec (Matus Jankola - A Priest and Patriot). Rad sestier sv. Cyrila a Metoda, Danville, Pa., 1959, pp. 174. Pamiatke Jozefa Cigra Hronskeho (In Memoriam Jozef Cig-er Hronsky) . Literarny Almanach Slovaka v Amerike, Middletown, Pa., 1960, pp. 46. (Ed.) Martin Kopunek) . Laicky apostol Martin Kopunek (Lay Apostle Vychodna Oblast' Sdruzenia Slovenskych Katolikov, Bethlehem, Pa., 1961, pp. 67. (Ed.) Neporazitel'ni (Unconquerables). Prva Katolicka Slovenska Jednota, Middletown, Pa., 1961, pp. 190. Karol Sidor - politik novincir, spisovatel' (Karol Sidor - Politician, Newspaperman, and Writer) . Literarny Almanach Slovaka v Amerike, Middletown, Pa., 1962, pp. 148. (Ed.) Piit'desiatnik Dr. J-0zef Kirschbaum (Dr. Jozef Kirschbaum - Fifty Years Old). Literarny Almanach Slovaka v Amerike, Middletown, Pa., 1963, pp. 171. (Ed.) Prvej Katolickej Slovenskej Jednoty (75 Years of the First rokov 75 Catholic Slovak Union). Prva Katolicka Slovenska Jednota, Cleveland, Ohio, 1965, pp. 560 and XIV. 80 pages of pictures. Na uteku (Flight to Wonderland; serialized in the Weekly Jednota) . Middletown, Pa., 1965. l}udovychova u sturovcov (Stur's Movement - �SLOVAKIA 199 Tak sme sa poznali (So Have We Known One Another). Literarny Almanach Slovaka v Amerike, Middletown, Pa., 1967, pp. 281. Illustra- tions. Slovenski priekopnici v Amerike (Slovak Pioneers in America). First Catholic Slovak Union, Cleveland, Ohio, 1972, pp. 358. Illustrations. IN ENGLISH Unconquerables, Vantage Press, New York, N. Y., 1958, pp. 225. Christian Slovakia Under Communism. The Slovak Catholic Federation, Valparaiso, Ind., 1959, pp. 31. Flight to Wonderland. Robert Speller and Sons, New York, N. Y., 1963, pp. 334. 'i0 Years of the Slovak League of America. Middletown, Pa., 1967, pp. 146. (Ed.) IN GERMAN Dr. Jozef Tiso: Die Wahrheit uber die Slowakei (The Truth About Slovakia). Tisovo Tovarisstvo, in the Emigration, 1948, pp. 187. Illustrated. ARTICLES IN ENGLISH The Practi cal Aspect of a Federation. Slovakia, III, No. 2, 1953, p. 26-36. American Slovaks and March 14, 1939. Slovakia, IV, No. 1, 1954, p. 17-22. The Slovak Republic and Communism. Slovakia, IV, No. 3-4, 1954, p. 35-38. Slovakia Viewed By American Historians. Most, I. No. 4, 1954, p . 17-25. The Failures of Communist Politics in Slovakia, Slovakia, V, No. 4, 1955, p. 3-20. Stu.r's Group in the Service of the People. Slovakia, VI, No. 1, 1956, p. 11-16. I Was Editor of President Tiso's Newspaper. Slovakia, VII, No. 1, 1957, p. 9-12. Dr. Joseph Tiso : Christian Democrat. Slovakia, VII, No. 2, 1957, p. 37-50. The Stirring Days of March 1939. Slovakia, IX, No. 4, 1959, p. 24-32. Slovakia Under Communism. Slovakia, IX, N-0. 5, 1959, p. 1-5; Slovakia, X, No. 6, 1960, p. 62-73 ; Slovakia, XI, No. 1, 1961, p. 13-21. Slovakia's Mid-Nineteenth Century Struggle for National Life. Slovak Studies I, 1961, p. 69-83. The Matica Slovenskd in America. Slovakia, XIII, No. 1, 1963, p. 77-82. American Slovaks and the Beginnings of Czecho-Slovakia. Slovakia, XVI, No. 39, 1966, p. 63-75. Slovak Pioneers in America. Slovakia, XIX, No. 42, 1969, p. l0S-124. Under Dynamic Leadership. 60 Years of the Slovak League of America, 1967, p. 112-146. The Slovak Benedictines Review 50 Years in Cleveland, Ohio. Slovakia, XXII, No. 45, 1972, p. 92-97. Twenty Years of the Slovak Institute in Cleveland. Slovakia, XXIII, No. 46, 1973, p. 16-23. Cultural Revival of American and Canadian Slovaks. Slovakia, XXIII, No. 46, 1973, p. 72-81. Mother M. Emerentia Petrasek. Slovakia, XXIII, No. 46, 1973, p. 123-128. �200 SLOVAKIA EVALUATION OF DR. PAUCO'S WRITINGS BY REVIEWERS The number of book reviews published on individual Pauco's works is too large to be listed in this survey. In general, we can say that extensive reviews and commentaries, written by known Slovak authors, scholars, poets and cultural workers, were published not only in newspapers, but also in literary and cultural periodicals (Most, Furdek, Slovakia) and almanacs. Book reviews in Slovak language prevail, but his major writings were evaluated and commented upon also in English, mostly by reviewers born or educated on the American continent. The majority of reviewers of Dr. Pauco's books evaluated his writings favorably not only because of their ideological contents and usefulness for preservation of Slovak cultural heritage but also for their literary, and in many instances, scholarly value, thorough research and vast knowledge of the Slovak past and present. Deeply involved in Slovak political and cultural life since his students years, Dr. Pauco was a participant in historical events or closely associated with persons he writes about in a majority of his books, which gives to some of his works particular significance. On the other hand, his books on the history of American Slovaks fill an important gap and therefore the reviewers valued them for their contribution to the neglected history of American Slovaks as well as for their documentation and objectivity with which Pauco approached his subjects. Among the reviewers of Dr. Pauco's books and publications edited by him were K. culen, Prof. F. Hrusovsky, J . E. Bor, M. Jankovsky, J. M. Kirschbaum, J. C. Krajsa, M. K. Mlynarovic, J. Mest'ancik, Prof. K. Murin, Rev. Andrew Pier, O.S.B., Dr. B. Pissko, Dr. J. Rekem, Dr. J. Stasko, Rev. Mother Emerentia, Rev. Sister Tarcisia and many others. The book 75 Years of the FCSU was reviewed by 15 and his recent book Slovak Pioneers in America by 9 reviewers. All reviews were favorable . The evaluation by American born reviewers deserves, however special mention. Prof. V. R. Greene of the Kansas State University, who has learned to read and understand Slovak and wrote his �SLOVAKIA 201 Ph.D. thesis on East European immigrants in Pennsylvania , said on Pauco's 75 Years of the First Catholic Slovak Union: "Not only is it a complete and most comprehensiv e history of the Jednota and the Slovaks in America, but its many references, footnotes and bibliography will satisfy any serious reader and research historian." Mother M. Emerentia, SS.C.M. in her extensive review published in Jednota (June 30, 1965) referred to Matthew Arnold's statement that "Great creative works in literature result from happy concurence of two notable powers, the power of the man and the power of the moment," and wrote on Pauco's book: "Such a happy concurence of two notable powers has been strikingly exemplified before our eyes this year. For the power of the moment there was the 75th anniversary of the First Catholic Slovak Union in 1965, calling for the writing of the history of this remarkable organization. For the power of the man there was Joseph Pauco, Ph.D., a gifted author, historian and scholar, capable and willing to assume the task of writing this history. The result is a truly monumental contribution to Slovak history and literature, entitled 75 rokov Prvej Katolickej Slovenskej Jednoty." The book Tak sme sa poznali (So Have We Known One Another, 1967) attracted the attention of Slovak exiles as well as of American born Slovak intellectuals. "Dr. J. Pauco's Memoirs encompass - according to Sister M. Tarcisia - multiple and varied personal contacts as well as deep insight, broad vision and a skillful pen. The author is a scholar, a man of the people, an editor, a journalist, a lecturer, a politcian. The era he portrays was at once shatteringly disruptive and marvelously formative in its application to Central Europe and specifically to Slovakia. The men who played the leading roles in the drama of the Slovak Republic (1939-1945) were true to human nature: some giants, some midgets, some heroes, some traitors. Tak sme sa poznali is a tremendously vital book. In recounting his experience in the Slovak Republic - all of which he saw, part of which he was - Dr. Pauco has written authentic history. As such it will live and flourish." �202 SLOVAKIA Pauco's last book Slovenskt priekopnici v Amerike (Slovak Pioneers in America, 1972) was favorably reviewed and welcome as a valuable contribution to the history of American Slovaks by a dozen of Slovak writers, scholars, journalists and cultural workers. In the opinion of the American born editor of Jednota, J. C. Krajsa, "Pauco's work required serious research and documentation. In an objective manner he credits the life and work of the pioneers and categorizes them in their proper niche in the history of the American Slovaks, in America and the Slovak nation. He presents those leading pioneers who played the greatest role in the cultural field; those who organized fraternal societies, parishes, schools, and religious orders; those who preserved the literary culture with the publication of newspapers and books; and those who were fired with the ideal of liberty that even permeated to Slovakia." The book is in Krajsa's view "in itself a pioneer book. Nothing to date has been published in such documentary detail about American Slovak pioneers. The First Catholic Slovak Union is proud to publish this vital literary work of Dr. Joseph Pauco." According to another prominent American Slovak, Fr. J. A. Gajdosik "Pauco's book is one sure way to arousing interest in the Slovak heritage on a personal and individual basis, especially among our younger people. Hopefully, an English translation will be made in the near future, so that devotion to the Slovak ethnicity will be fostered. "The book should bolster Dr. Joseph Pauco's strong thoughts about the termination and death of the Slovak language in the United States. The book is also a warning to our fair-weather-Slovaks, who claim that they received little if anything from their Slovak ancestors, for it teaches that much Slovak affluence and prestige is directly the result of the conduct and work of our pioneers. "It behooves our brethren who are ashamed of their Slovak ethnicity, to study their history, and learn how everything they have was given to them, and that they should give themselves for others as our pioneers did. The ultimate lesson is that we, American of Slovak ancestry, should foster and serve the Slovak cause and ideal, at least as much, if not better than our pioneers in early America." �203 SLOVAKIA REVIEWS OF PAUCO'S WRITINGS IN LEADING PERIODICALS MOST co po komunizme? (I, 1, 1954, p . 44) Tisov odkaz (I, 2, 1954, p. 39-40. Dr. Karol Murin) Dr. Jozef Tiso o sebe (I, 3, 1954, p. 41-43. F. Hrusovsky) Stefan Furdek a slovenske prist'ahovalectvo (II, 2, 1955, p. 136-137) Mest'ancik) Slovcici a komunizmus (IV, 3, 1957, p. 132-133. Unconquerables (VI, 1-2, 1959, p. 83-85. Andrew Pier, O.S.B.) Christian Slovakia Under Communism (VI, 3, 1959, p. 186-187. Andrew Jan Pier, O.S.B. ) Pi:it'desiatnik Dr. Jozef Kirschbaum (XI, 3-4, 1964, p. 181) Slovakia (XI, 3-4, 1964, p. 182-183) Litercirny Almanach Slovcika v Amerike na rok 1965 (XII, 1-2, 1965, p. 82-83) Slovakia (XII, 3-4, 1965, p. 189) SLOVAKIA 75 rokov Prvej Katolickej Slovenskej Jednoty (XV, 38, 1965, p . 152-155. Mother M. Emerentia, SS.C.M.) Litercirny Almanach Slovcika v Amerike 1967 (XVII, 40, 1967, p. 190-192. Sister M. Tarcisia Gregorovic, SS.C.M.) Tak sme sa poznali (XVIII, 41, 1968, p . 159-164. Sister M. Tarcisia, SS. C.M.) Slovenski priekopnici v Amerike ( XXIII , 46, 1973, p. 196-197. Joseph C. Krajsa) F URD EK All writings by Dr. Pauco on the history of American Slovaks are evaluated by J . M. Kirschbaum in his article Dr. Pauco' s W ritings and the History of American Slovaks (Furdek, 1974, p. 75-80) . Francis V n u k : A BIOGRAPHICAL VALEDICTION In spite of the fact that the Slovaks are among the oldest inhabitants of the Central European region their efforts to secure a fully independent life has been seldom appreciated and rarely understood. But frustrations and disappointments can never deter a nation from its ultimate aim, and where one generation fails another will rise to continue the struggle. The natural aspirations of a nature and self-respecting nation cannot be suppressed by terror, nor silenced by bribes, nor extinguished by an apparent � SLOVAKIA 181 ,J.. M. Ki rs ch b au m, Ph.D.: Noted Slovak Jubilarians Andrej Z a r n o v "Les elites emigrees vivent tragiquement. Elles sont contraintes a une vie hasardeuse, solitaire, humiliee. Elles sont amenees par l'exil a l'epreuve a reviser leurs valeurs, et a en connaitre ou a en creer d'autres ... " Albert Thibaudet, Histoire de la litterature fra~aise de 1780 a nos jours, Paris, 1936. Since 1945, when Slovakia was overrun by the Soviet armies and subject to communist rule, a number of poets and writers left their native land in protest against political oppression in their homeland and with the intention of working in the free world for freedom and independence of their country. This political mission is especially true with regard to the emigre writers and poets who left Slovakia in 1945-1949 among whom were several of the leading Slovak writers and poets. A similar example can be found mutatis mutandis only in 19th century Poland, when after the revolution of 1830 the best Polish poets (Mickiewicz, Krasinski, Slowacki) and a number of writers and intellectuals escaped the Russians and made Paris the center of Polish literature. The fate of Slovak poets and writers was, of course, not as favorable as that of Polish "grande emigration." Some of the more prominent Slovak writers were soon captured in Austria and brought back to Slovakia and imprisoned (Milo Urban, A. zarnov, Tido J. Gaspar) while others had to fight against false denunciations and other pressures, in order to survive and create. In spite of this, "the 50 odd Slovak men of letters living on this side of the Iron Curtain kept the lights of Slovak culture burning while they were out of their native country. This may sound emotional or sentimental, yet it is a sad truth that in the years 1950-55 there hardly appeared in Slovakia a single book worthy of reading. In those years indeed the emigre literature was the contemporary Slovak literature." 1 �182 SLOVAKIA Slovak poets and writers in exile continued to play especially the role of the "conscience of the nation" and that of interpreters of the aspirations of the Slovak people, traditionally assumed by Slovak poets and writers. More than in any other nation, not only the national rebirth was the work of Slovak poets and writers, but also the struggle for political rights and social justice; the first national rebellion was led by them, and they kept the national spirit alive in time of despair. Since the time when the poet Jan Holly (1785-1849) awakened the Slovak intelligentsia by unveiling to them the glorious past of Slovak ancestors in the Great Moravian period, and by giving them hope for a better future, Slovak poetry was an instrument of the national struggle, an expression of the national ideals and hopes, of national sufferings and joy. The poets and writers were the heralds and prophets of a new and better world, often being also social revolutionary leaders. This tradition was cultivated in Slovak literature over the past one hundred and fifty years and was even strengthened during the crucial years of Slovakia's national struggle in this century. Slovak poets and writers in exile have not considered themselves exempt from this special mission. On the contrary, exile made them more patriotic and the sufferings of the Slovak people more conscious of their duty to be the "conscience" of their nation and the interpreters of the aspiration of the Slovak people. In the countryside of New York State, one of the best contemporary Slovak poets, Andrej zarnov (by his own name Prof. Frantisek subik), attained on November 19, 1973 the prestigous age of 70. If the present Slovak generations owe a tribute to any poet for his participation in the struggle for national rights and equality with other nations, Andrej zarnov deserves such recognition from Slovaks abroad as well as in Slovakia. Born in 1903 in the village of Kuklov in Western Slovakia, zarnov remained proud of his rural heritage even when he achieved the position of University Professor of Pathology and high recognition from critics and readers for his literary work. He made his secondary studies in Skalica and Trnava and his study of medicine in Bratislava where he was active in student organizations and became �SLOVAKIA 183 well-known for his fiery verses already during his university years. In 1926, :2:arnov accompanied Msgr. Andrej Hlinka on the triumphant journey around the United States. At that time neither zarnov nor the American Slovaks could expect that after the dramatic events of the Second World War, he would return to the United States as an exile, persecuted for his patriotism and his part in the International Red Cross Commission which examined during the Second World War the brutal massacre of 10,000 Polish officers by the Soviets in Katyn. zarnov left Slovakia in 1945, but he was forcibly "repatriated" from Austria, arrested and jailed. In 1952 he left Slovakia in a dramatic flight and settled first near Washington and later at Wingdale, N. Y. where he lives presently with his family. 2 ZARNOV'S WORK AND PLACE IN SLOVAK LITERATURE Perhaps to no other country more than to Slovakia is the statement of historians applicable, that in Central and Eastern European national movements were the concern of poets, writers and scholars and that they created the nationalities. Not only was the national rebirth the work of Slovak poets and writers, but also the struggle for political rights and social justice; the first national rebellion was led by them, and they kept the national spirit alive in time of despair. Since the first great Slovak poet, Jan Holly (1785-1849) awakened the Slovak intelligentsia by unveiling to them the glorious past of Slovak ancestors and by giving them a strong faith in a better future of the Slovak people, Slovak poetry was an instrument of national struggle, an expression of the national idea, national sufferings, joys, and hopes. The poets and writers were the heralds and prophets of a new and better world; they were social revolutionaries and national leaders. This tradition was respected in Slovak literature over the past one hundred years, and during the crucial years of Slovak national struggle in this century the role was played by Andrej :2:arnov more prominently than by any other Slovak poet, except for Martin Razus. Andrej :2:arnov appeared in Slovak literature in a period when the Slovak people fought their harsh struggle (against �184 SLOVAKIA the Czech assimilatory tendencies) for preserving their language, national identity and cultural heritage. It was the period of the 20's and 30's of this century, when on one hand Slovakia experienced a strong cultural development, but was at the same time forced into an uneven struggle for her national future, for social justice and political and economic equality. The danger of this situation was not only in the preponderance of means and political power or in the fact that Slovaks were far outnumbered by Czechs, but also in the fact that the masses of the Slovak people were going through the final phase of the process of maturing politically and the Slovak intelligentsia was in cultural and ideological ferment. In this national struggle Zarnov came with his fiery verses full of faith in the Slovak people and his vitality, adYocating national solidarity and protesting against the Czech attempts to rule, exploit and denationalize the Slovak people. At the same time, his poetry dared Slovaks to defend themselves, to stand firmly on their feet and not bow, not to yield. It was a revolutionary call for political and social justice, for national pride and honor which very soon found a favorable echo among the young Slovak intelligentsia and made Zarnov, since he identified himself with his nation's aspirations, sorrows and sufferings, the poet of the Slovak national struggle, and of Slovak patriotism. There was an outburst of poetic production in Slovakia between the two wars, but only Zarnov (besides M. Razus) stood on the barricades of Slovak national struggle with his patriotic poems, his forceful indignation, with his spiritual roots in the national tradition and fervent belief in the victory of the Slovak cause. Zarnov's fiery poetry, after being largely recited and published in periodicals and dailies, had been edited in several volumes. The first one, Strdz pri Morave (The Guard on Morava, 1925) was composed of verses expressing the poet's and his generation's political and spiritual orientation and provoked even the political censors to intervene. The second volwne Brdzda cez uhory (The Furrow Through Fallows, 1929) contained rather meditative and lyrical poetry enquiring into the spiritual ferment and restlessness of the poet's generation. While in the first volwne Zarnov created of his poetry an effective instrument for Slovak �SLOVAKIA 185 national struggle, in the second volume he turned his eyes to the soul of the people he inflamed to struggle and bitterly analyzed its conscience. The third volume Hlas krvi (The Call of the Blood, 1932) and the following volume stit (The Shield, 1940) still contained verses of patriotic inspirations; his last volume Mftvy (The Dead, 1941) contains, however, poetry of deep personal sorrow and refine lyrics inspired by the untimely death of his young son. The profile of a patriotic revolutionary and interpreter of the nation's aspirations and struggle was thus completed in z arnov's last volume by poetry of deep human feelings and meditations. In all his volumes, zarnov preferred rather simple poetic forms, including the free verse. The rhythm of his poetry and his vocabulary were of great effectiveness and from the very beginning it indicated a strong talent. His books are, of course, on the index in Slovakia, but some of his verses are among the most recited by Slovaks in the free world, in which zarnov found refuge after the Communists seized power in Slovakia. ZARNOV'S TRANSLATIONS FROM WORLD LITERATURES zarnov enriched, however, Slovak literature also by many masterful translations of lyrics, epics and dramas. His first translations go back to 1933-34 at which time zarnov published in Slovak dailies and periodicals his version of Przerwa-Tetmajer Jdnosikove motivy (Janosik's Motives). In 1936 zarnov translated for the Slovak National Theatre the well-known play from the life of F. Chopin and Georges Sand Leto v Nohante (The Summer in Nohant) by J. Iwaszkiewicz. A year after, Matica slovenska published Sophocles' Antigona in zarnov's translation and in 1941 King Oedipus. The same year zarnov translated for the Slovak National Theatre the libretto of the opera Rusalka and in 1943 his translation of Zygmunt Krasinski's Nebozskd komedia (The Undivine Comedy) was published by Matica slovenska. After the Second World War, in the oppressive atmosphere of the Communist and Czech domination of Slovakia, zarnov was not allowed to publish his own poetry, but he did not cease creating and talking to his countrymen. In �186 SLOVAKIA 1949 the Society of St. Adalbert published his translation of Murphy's novel on Mary Magdalene The Scarlet Lily, in 1950 appeared the volume of translations from Adam Mickiewicz Poeezia, and in 1951 Hymny (The Hymns) of Jan Kasprowicz. The Communist regime did not, however, allow zarnov to use his pen-name on Kasprowicz's Hymns. They were published as translations by Francis ~ubik. Before his dramatic flight from Slovakia, zarnov prepared for publication his translation of Dante's Peklo (The Hell) and selections of poems by Leopold Staff Vyber z poezie (Selected Poems), but they remained in manusscript. zarnov's masterful translations were highly regarded by Slovak literary critics and by the readers and contributed especially to useful cultural relations of Slovakia with Poland. He received a Silver wreath from the Polish Academy of Literature for his pre-war translation U pol'sk'!}ch b<isnikov ( Among Polish Poets) and during the Second World War he prepared an entire book of translations from Adam Mickiewicz's works. 3 The volume was published "in order to transplant Mickiewicz's works to Slovak soil and thereby strengthen the structure of Slavic brotherhood in the cultural sector," and because "in world literature there are only a few great poets who in the work of their genius accumulate and present so universally, profoundly, and magnificently the history of the efforts, failures and spiritual achievements of their own people as does Adam Mickiewicz, the greatest Polish and all-Slavic poet." The book appeared in 1948, published by the Slovak Catholic cultural institution the "Society of St. Adalbert." We can say without exaggeration that zarnov has been, in his generation, artistically and spiritually the best prepared to transmit the heritage of Mickiewicz's most beautiful poems into Slovak literature. And he did it with great artistic skill and brilliance. His volume Poezia contains not only the eighteen Crimean Sonnets, but also Konrad Wallenrod, the Ode to Youth, To a Polish Mother, To My Muscovite Friends, Sages, A Vision, The Master of Masters, Flight and Out of My Sight, thus presenting some valuable lyrics along with his patriotic verse tale about his fatherland. The Crimean Sonnets in zarnov's translation remain �SLOVAKIA 187 "a wonder," since he has preserved to a great degree the richness of beauty of the poetic expression which always takes us by surprise and makes us marvel at the audacity of thought and the moral courage which produce the special splendor of this collection. zarnov's poetic language is, naturally, modern, his verse and rhythm vivid, and the whole translation audacious. zarnov found in his own rich poetical invention the metaphors and poetic visions to express Mickiewicz's ideas and colorful images. The translation of Konrad Wallenrod is a poetical and genuine interpretation, equalling in beauty Mickiewicz's own work. zarnov is certainly no romantic in the pattern of the last century, but still an enthusiastic patriot who sings in his poetry a hymn to his crucified country, dooming its traitors and fighting for justice, one who has consecrated his life and his heart to his fatherland. More than anyone else among modern Slovak poets he was, therefore predestined to enrich modern Slovak literature by this Byronic work of great charm and poetic vision, which "of the many and often highly inspired types of Byronism in Polish poetry ranks highest." zarnov's versions of the Ode to Youth and To My Muscovite Friends are to be remembered not only for brilliance of translation ( which could be demonstrated only by quotations and comparisons of texts), but also for the purpose which the translator wished to serve. The volume Poezia was published after the tragic experiences with the Russian occupation of Slovakia. zarnov, to whom the national cause has always been a question of honor and personal dedication, addressed, in Mickiewicz's mordant verses, the new Muscovite rulers and summoned Slovak youth to the dynamic faith which Mickiewicz, in the Ode to Youth, expressed for Poles under very similar circumstances. zarnov's translations were thus to serve after a century the same aim as Mickiewicz had assigned to his poetry. Through the literary works of Mickiewicz zarnov wished to teach the Slovaks, as Mickiewicz had the Poles, "to regard as their personal affair the great question of honor and dedication, truth and falsehood, nobility of ends and legitimacy of means for attaining them." zarnov attemped to convince his martyred people that "the national cause must become an autochthonous idea, the ultimate �188 SLOVAKIA moral criterion around which the entire spiritual life of the nation is crystalized." The real function of zarnov's poetry and translation was, like that of Mickiewicz's, not only to provide artistic enjoyment or to refine aesthetic taste, but primarily to equip his people with the spiritual resources necessary to enable them to survive their enslavement and to fight for their freedom. The Muscovite rulers in Slovakia grasped his intention and silenced the book. zarnov, under constant threat of arrest and deportation, and many times in prison, made a dramatic flight from his country and now fights in exile for his ideas. In exile he published a number of patriotic verses and a masterful transcription of several poems by Jan Holly into a modern Slovak language, to remind the Slovaks of their spiritual roots and national heritage, and to confirm once more that he was one of the Slovak poets who penetrated and stirred to the depths the spirits of his generation and especially of the young intelligentsia, helped to bring them to a strong awareness of their spiritual and national individuality, and successfully summoned them to the struggle for justice and freedom. On behalf of that generation, we are sending to the quiet countryside near New York our grateful: Ad multos annos. F OOTNOTES 1) See F. Vnuk, Sedemnast' neurodnych ro kov . N acrt slovenske j li t eratury v rokoch 1945-62. (Middletown, Pa., 1965) , p . 277. 2) F or more details on 2arnov's work and life, see J . Pauco (ed .), L iterarny Almanach Slovaka v Amerike, Middletown, Pa. 1967. 3) On 2arnov's translations from Mickiewicz, see W. Lednicki, Adam . Micki ewicz in W orld Literature, University of California Press, 1956i contribution by J . M. Kirschbaum. lmrich K r u f I i a k The prose and poetry of Slovak emigre writers is varied in themes and literary styles and strongly reflects a deep sadness over the loss of their native country and over the treatment of their people under communism. This is especially characteristic of the writings of poets and writers who had played a prominent role in Slovak literary life before they left their native land. Strong national feelings and "heimweh''; however, can also be found in the works �SLOVAKIA 189 of poets who developed their talents far away from their native country. Prominent in this group of Slovak intellectuals is Dr. Imrich Kruzliak whose 60th birthday we will commemorate on December 8, 1974. Born in the romantic Detva, Kruzliak followed the path of educated Slovaks of his generation from villages and towns who went through secondary schools and universities by their own efforts and talents and, after helping the struggle for national independence, had to pay in jails or in exile for their patriotism. Kruzliak did not leave his native Slovakia in 1945. He decided to stay and fight with other Catholic intellectuals for the preservation of Slovak national traditions and for a place for Catholics in the post-war political life. When in 1947, the Communists began their persecution of Catholic intellectuals, he was arrested, tortured, and kept in jail for a year. To avoid a new arrest, he escaped in 1949 to Austria and in 1951 settled in Munich where he became employed by Radio Free Europe as a commentator on Slovak cultural matters. Writing mostly under the pen-name Marian ziar and initials I. K., mz, Dr. Kruzliak contributed in exile to emigre literature either in poetry or in literary criticism. Although Kruzliak had published verses and literary essays already before and during the war, it was in exile that he became known as a poet and mainly as a cultivated commentator and critic of Slovak literary and cultural life at home and abroad. His essays, comments and book reviews have been published mostly in the quarterly Most, Literdr ny Almanach, Rozhl'ady, but also in annuals and newspapers Jednota, Slovak v Amerike and for the past two years in Horizont of which he has been the editor in chief. His writings have been among the best in Slovak empire literature. We would mention especially his survey of Slovak literature under Communism (Most, 1958), anci essay "Shakespeare and Slovaks" (Most, 1964), a study on the "Literary and artistic cult of Sts. Cyril and Methodius among Slovaks" (Most, 1963) and ":C. stur" (Most, 1965) . In scores of book reviews, Kruzliak enriched Slovak emigre literature with new ideas, well-balanced opinions, and by an effort to keep Slovak cultural life abroad on a European level. �190 SLOVAKIA He also deserves recognition for editing and publishing two volumes of poetry of poets in communist jails Modlitby v putdch (Prayers in Shackles, Munich, 1955) and translations from Polish, Magyar and Russian poets of the period of "thaw" Podaj ndm ruku, Eur6pa ( Give us Helping Hand, Europe, Munich, 1957). One of his extensive surveys of Slovak culture under Communism was published in mimeographed book form and his contribution on Slovak culture since 1945 appeared in the symposium Slovakia in the 19th and 20th Centuries, published by the Slovak World Congress (Toronto, 1973). He also edited special volume of Arena (Vol. 16, 3-4) which the P.E.N. Centre for Writers in Exile published on Slovak literature in London, England in 1963. Dr. Kruzliak does not belong, however, to literary life alone. Since his university years he was among the most active intellectuals in the Slovak public life and a leading figure in the generation which dedicated talents and energies to the struggle of the Slovak people for an equal place among European nations. His literary beginnings are connected with students periodicals (Rozvoj, Svojet') in the 1930's, while his participation in public life began before he obtained his Ph.D. summa cum laude at the Bratislava University. As many members of his generation, he also was inspired by the idealism of ~udovit t5tur, represented in 1920's and 1930's in Slovak national struggle by Andrej Hlinka. Idealism and dedication of those years marked Dr. Kruzliak's whole life in Slovakia as well as in exile. On the threshold of his 60th birthday he continues his life struggle in the Slovak World Congress as the head of the cultural section. The upheavals and tragedies experienced by his generation, marked also his life, but did not break his spirit. Hardly any Slovak generation had to go through such trials. There were, however, also victories and uncomparable cultural and spiritual growth of the Slovak nation to' which that generation contributed at home and in exile. And no other generation had such opportunities to see the world, to learn foreign languages and to absorb cultural values of the most advanced nations. It is on behalf of those who from that generation survived the persecutions of the tyrannical regimes in �191 SLOVAKIA Slovakia and the trials of exile, that we cordially greet Dr. Kruzliak on the threshold of his 60th birthday, wishing him that the Lord may fulfill his desires to see Slovakia free, democratic and equal to other nations. Mikulas sp r i n C For the past 25 years, perhaps the most important role in the Slovak literary life in exile was played by the highly cultivated and sensitive poet, Rev. Mikulas sprinc, whose 60th birthday Slovaks abroad will commemorate on November 30th, 1974. Like Dilong and Strmen, sprinc also came from the "Catholic Moderna" group and was well-known in Slovakia as Secretary and later Director of the Slovak Catholic Academy and organizer of many cultural activities before and during the War. He published during the War two collections of his own poetry and four collections of translations : from Rilke, from several Italian poets, as well as from the works of P. Lippert and Giovanni Papini. At the same time he contributed to nearly all Slovak literary journals and periodicals, in addition to being the editor of the main Slovak Catholic literary monthly Kultiira <19431945 ). s princ left Slovakia later than other Slovak emigre poets and writers, and reached Rome through Austria and Germany. He was named by the Vatican a delegate for helping the Slovak refugees in Austria and Germany, but in 1946 he obtained a visa for the United States where he developed not only extensive organizational cultural activities, but also his talent so that he became one of the leading Slovak Catholic poets in Diaspora. A professor of modern languages and philosophy of arts by vocation, he deserves credit for keeping alive the Slovak literary journal Most , of which he has been editor since 1954, as well as for founding the Association of Slovak Writers and Artists, whose President has been the poet Andrej zarnov. sprinc was also one of the founders of the Slovak Institute in Cleveland, and edited several symposia in addition to his own prolific and varied literary activities. Altogether sprinc published 18 collections of musical and highly cultivated poetry, and an English collection �192 SLOVAKIA Driftwood ( 1969), partly translated by himself and partly by one of his students and a well-known translator of Slovak poetry, Jaroslav Vajda. Those who appreciate a poetry rooted in the strong belief in the Creator without sounding too religious, and those who like the beauty of life in the song of birds, in the colors of flowers, in the sound of the wind, and blue skies or the colors of the rainbow, can find great enjoyment in sprinc's poetry. In his lyrical verses, sprinc echoes the art of Paul Verlaine and the spirit of St. Francis of Assissi. The musical and rhythmical quality of his poetry is rarely equalled by other Slovak emigre poets, except probably Gorazd Zvonicky. The translations of sprinc's verses are not an easy task for translators. Many of his volumes also contain fine poems with patriotic overtones, expressing his love for his lost and oppressed Slovakia. Recent volumes of sprinc's poetry have been artistically illustrated and carefully published, reflecting high artistic quality also in their technical presentation. As a result, reading his beautifully published collections is a double pleasure; they are written by a sensitive and gifted poet but, even more, by a man humbly and joyfully believing in God whose faith and glorification of the Creator sounds so natural and full of hope that one longs for the same beautiful world and the author's joyful soul and spirit. Even though Paul Verlaine seems to be his preferred poet (he wrote his M.A . thesis in French on Verlaine), sprinc is very well versed in Italian, German and Spanish poetry, and contributed to Slovak emigre literature by several excellent translations. To his large and varied cultural activities he has added more than 300 articles, book reviews, comments and contributions to Slovak periodicals, almanacs and newspapers. More than any other poet or writer, sprinc deserves credit for keeping Slovak culture abroad not only alive, but also reflecting the best Slovak national traditions. In spite of his many activities as professor, editor and secretary of the Association of Slovak Writers and Artists, sprinc was able during the past two decades to publish nearly every year a volume of his poetry or a book in prose. Among his published works we find: Ozveny v samotdch (1940), Tak umieral bdsnik Pal'o Oliva (1942), 0 ldske �SLOVAKIA a bolesti (1942), Duinske elegie (1942), O Tebe spieva zem idc sdm 0943), K slobodnym pobreziam (1950), Na r:"•rFlo 'l J () • polnopi 'ti· · poludnfa Z (1955), slnku proti (1953), Tvdrou ')s'ted6~ putnie~±{~ moje Oci (1962), orla (1960), Mladost' a ffPk k?J s _ Brat~la'8 (1967), Andante (1952), kovia utrpenia ,a ~- ~1 • S'! 1 JI ora· ll:170 Palidora, z Piesne (1969), (1968), Driftwood 11 "' · j rn JC lovy ostrov (1973) etc.* t'f" : 'iOr.?.910 I'l Among his translation s we should metftionfGidva:aru Papini's work Witnesses of Suffering (Scraiitott CFA-{J'1i95!!) and among his foreign language writings hi M~..fthesi t Paul Verlaine: Etude de sa poesie religieuse,Wil'i-100',i stiill u v[ ,, , 1 ;. ,.... in manuscrip t. I 'di _Jj(,· ~-II sprinc also published an interesting narra,J;;':vp1!n,:prose about his escape and journey from Slovakia ~f?' ,1i0:Yr'l1Il,~9 States in a volume K slobodnym pobreziam ('J;R>t~'rr r;;~1e Shores), a book on St. Andrew Svorad as vv,:e, ~r~~d l. p~~lf dedicated to the Virgin Mary. For the llth -1 0~~t[;npial<: 0J Christianit y in Slovakia, he edited a collectiop."r~ ~!:5e-? by several Slovak poets under the title Zdravic0-; sp-"'qy j!oRi a Metodovi (Rome, 1963). He also contributec l:11f?: 1aurn~smr~ fully illustrated anthology Odkaz (The Legacy.., 197Jp in f.eJfg~ehte~. which leading Slovak poets and writers are ro "¼o"'"' 10· ""i In prose, he edited the memoirs of Msgr. Joze · KaB3-i a prominent Slovak diplomat at the Vatican du¥fh§ \ .war Spod Rohdcov po Vatikdn (From Rohace M9tiRtim to? · e Vatican, 1973) as well as two symposia comp.~~~ ,cif 'qop; C~ictrfn_tributions by Slovak emigre writers: Ndde7· vit'azria 1J 'R? 'fJf U?'f • -. ::;;_ 1939-1-.~4(} republika Slovenskd and 1947) Hope, ous ' ,.., Republic 1939-1949, Scranton, Pa., 1949). 9.i · V)\1)')1Sh'1 ·i•h ai 1~f'd2 c( aii~ Literary work of this envergure and 1 we -Iiifre > ; case; a does not need to be praised. It is again 1 • if'tceW!. Laudat'·a'¥f have to repeat the Latin dictum: Opus fivities It was a blessing for Slovak literature and cultubr-a~i abroad that sprinc left Slovakia. Therefore, ori~he~ooa §i6n of his 60th birthday, we cannot be more sincer.e"1wlierfJ,we - :>.r. ,h,i< say: Ad multos annos! 1 (JJ Jy3c-riqz~t{ :llC J *) :r-r::;m For more details on Sprinc and his work, see Literltrfi'y 11.lrMnbcn for 1967, p. 232-234, and Most, Vol. I, 2, 1954, and Vol. 13~ 4;-1956!!') �194 SLOVAKIA Teodorik Zubek To the ranks of prominent Slovak intellectuals in exile whose 60th birthday we will commemorate in 1974, also belongs Prof. T. J. Zubek, oustanding member of the Slovak Franciscan Order in Slovakia and the United States, who was born on April 4, 1914 in Malacky, Western Slovakia. Professor Zubek filled an important gap in exile activities by his theological writings and mainly by presenting the religious situation in post war Slovakia to the Western World. At the same time he deserves recognition for reviving the Order of Slovak Franciscan Fathers in the United States who under his leadership become active not only in the religious field but also in education and cultural life. Well educated at Slovak and foreign Universities (Zagreb, Croatia; Fribourg, Switzerland), Dr. Zubek played leading role in his Order in Slovakia, and had to pay under the Communist regime for his patriotism and service to God by detention in the concentration camp for priests in Svaty Benadik. After his escape in 1951, he found refuge in Austria and Rome, Italy, from where he came to the United States in 1952. Soon after his arrival to the U.S.A. Dr. Zubek became Professor of Theology at Seton Hall University, Newark, N. J. and published an authoritative work on the Communist persecution of religion in his native country Church of Silence in Slovakia (J. Lach Publ., Whiting, Ind., 1956). This book and his scholarly contributions to American religious and academic periodicals (Homiletic and Pastoral Review, Jurist, Ameri can Ecclesiastical Review, The Catholic Educator and others) performed an important service to the Slovak cause among Western intellectuals. Some of his studies rank among the best writings on contemporary theological and educational topics. From the Slovak point of view, of great importance among his English writings is also his presentation of the case of Msgr. Tiso and the fate of Slovak bishops (Slovak Bishops - Martyrs of Christ, 1963) to Western readers. Exposed to hostile propaganda during the War and after, many people in the free world maintained biased attitudes towards Slovakia even among clergy and in academic circles. Dr. Zubek was among the first Slovak emigre �SLOVAKIA 195 intellectuals who grasped the need for writing on Slovakia in English and in non-Slovak periodicals, and for doing it in a much more reserved manner than we can afford in our Slovak publications. Dr. Zubek contributed at the same time to Slovak periodicals and newspapers, to Slovak Studies, and edited the religious monthly Listy Sv. Frantiska (Leaflets of St. Francis) published by his Order of which he was the head as Provincial Delegate. He also took part in Slovak emigre cultural and organizational activities aiming at the unity and co-operation, namely in Slovak Liberation Council and Slovak World Congress, at the Conference on Slovakia held in Toronto in 1971 and elsewhere. From the very beginning of his exile has been considered as one of the most distinguished representatives of Slovak clergymen abroad. By his activities, high education and devotion to the work for God and bonum commune, Dr. Zubek upheld the noble tradition of the Franciscan Order in Slovakia, whose members belonged to the best educators, historians, writers and poets in the centuries of Slovak national revival as well as in this century. It is with sincere admiration for his work and great human qualities that we greet him on his sixtieth birthday with a heartfelt: Ad multos annos! Jozef Pa u co For more than a century, journalists and editors played in Slovak national life a role going far beyond their profession. Starting with Eudovit stur in the middle of the 19th century, leading Slovak journalists were also political leaders, poets, writers, historians, grammarians and organizers of cultural and political institutions. This phenomenon appeared in Slovakia as well as among Slovaks abroad, especially in the United States and Canada. After stur, S. H . Vajansky was an outstanding example of a journalist, who also was a prominent poet, novelist and fighter for the Slovak cause. In the following generation Karol Sidor and Konstantin Culen remained faithful to that tradition in Slovakia and on the American continent. Both of them were journalists by profession, but they also wrote a �[96 SLOVAKIA am lil,erary works and books dealing with the ofoSI~aks and their struggle for freedom. h'eq>ast 25 years, an austanding example of journalist who became a historian, political writer and organizer • .Joll!uraI &F.~ political activities, was Dr. Jozef Pauco, ~ '1We .1 2¥thday was celebrated by Slovaks abroad on ~ 8f.f9 r¥R~L 1974. Pauco's admiration for E. stur goes Bi~ 1t2,1r.. ,years when he wrote his Ph.D. thesis at the I}, ·1-ffi ·1i v~c13ratislava, which was later published under 9} yt • {,1J{!,OJJYChova u sturovcov (Popular Education in nt) . Since that time Dr. Pauco also followed ~ ' x' MB, ~ f8o}§jeps of K. Sidor and K. culen in his work as ~n !n eing a political exile, in his dedication to the ~ ~.HJ.Iijijle:iJer2 freecto111: , and independence for Slovakia and i - fillfp,tjfj>_n with American Slovaks and Slovak-American organizations. bibliography listed below indicates, Dr. As thej seJect ' ' r[J J)l [IQ[ f y Hjj r(~mgs are not only extensive, but also cover e.vera1' ~ cfs9!rom history to political science and belles 12t ,nw .fil~S.V O II . pub1·ished works . part of his 1l 1 :e~ . .tS s19.a y, th e maJor . t ct· f d t S {:_!(, ''IS I'I .'11 ' hJfiIH~W . , rAR?"ever, a e en mg he Slovak cause. This :a cr1°fsB~afiW even his works on American Slovaks, which !fh~ Y#1 ~9 ~fo~);'o his best writings and in their method and $I&»Jay flDif compare with standard works on the subj~cf.'."'i frer fof. F. Hrusovsky and K. culen, he actually deserves main credit for systematic research into the past and present of American Slovaks. His books on their history atest to his great love for jjl_jz~ i 9_mt branch of the Slovak people. In addition, lzli-l ~ftlltl.futijsplayed in his works on American Slovaks, of Wlli.Plb :ti~cY~mninous history of the First Catholic Slovak ~smrubip rrecent book on Slovak Pioneers in America 4%fill:YJ O ~fkteular attention, that history was the field W~fttmt~ ld use his academic education and thorough fmID'{fflP.g.f~mf@lovak American organizational structure and ~ ~g:njfl~J:?.g ~ of individual leaders. As a result, whoever }Y!UsiYfOOl ~(tc,::omplete history of American Slovak~, will lff)lUiffifHfliiO.l:Wlfite authoritatively without ~sing Dr. Pauco's , ~f4J!!g)}V~rks. 110Ui-Bi¥unMjgl,lly, a larger number of books, essays an(\ MMtje b&;ia . Pauco deals, however, with Slova~a•s strugglaj::Rf!~~p.filldence l;l,nd with the _defense of leading Slovak h'i&j t> n; b~ �SLOVAKIA 197 personalities, especially Dr. Jozef Tiso, against whom many incorrect views and misconceptions were spread in the West during and after the Second World War. Slovakia and Slovaks suffered not only under Communism. There was a lot of injustice and descrimination against Slovaks also before the War and during the short period after the War when the Communists ruled together with their Czech and Slovak fellow-travelers from the non-communist parties. In his writings, Dr. Pauco endeavored to fight the falsehood and injustice of· both. It was, however, the communist misrule in Slovakia and the communist ideology which he exposed and fiercely criticized in his writings, advocating Christian democracy and the independence of Slovakia. Besides his own books, essays and thousands of articles, Dr. Pauco also published-as editor-the valuable documentary work Dr. Jozef Tiso o sebe (Dr. Jozef Tiso About Himself), containing the defense of the President of the Slovak Republic at his trial by the communist court, and a number of symposia on leading Slovak exiles (K. Sidor, J.C. Hronsky,· etc.). Furthermore, he deserves recognition for publishing and editing the Literdrny Almanach and the weekly Slovak v Amerike, both of which would have disappeared several years ago without his dedication and sacrifice as well that of his literary active wife. Last but not least, Dr. Pauco has rendered great service to the Slovak cause as the editor of the English periodical dealing with Slovak cultural and political matters, Slovakia. founded by Philip Hrobak. This editorial part of Dr. Pauco's work is of far reaching importance for the activities of Slovaks abroad and can be evaluated adequately only if we imagine how much poorer Slovak cultural life and the struggle for independence would be without these publications. In view of the fact that the historical and geopolitical situation of Slovakia made the Slovak cause a matter of controversy, Dr. Pauco's writings were bol,lild to provoke a strong reaction from the adversaries of the Slovak struggle for independence. His militant spirit, uncompromising attitude and fervor incited them to make denunciations, accusations and . undeserved attacks, but Pauco remained, in spite of all attacks on his person, one of 'the most dedicated defenders of the Slovak cause in his generation. �198 SLOVAKIA He also continues to be the most prolific Slovak journalist and writer on politics and history who remained faithful to stur's tradition and Hlinka-Tiso's ideology of Christian democracy and self-determination for the Slovaks. SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY IN SLOVAK Popular Education ). Matica slovenska. Turciansky Sv. Martin, 1943, pp. 151. Politicko-narodny program Hsns (Political Program of the Slovak People's Party ). Andrej uc. spol. Bratislava, 1944, pp. 96. co po komunizme? (After Communism What?) . Jednota, Middletown, Pa., 1952, pp. 29. Dr. Jozef Ti so o sebe (Dr. Joseph Tiso About Himself) . Slovensky Katolicky Sokol, Passaic, N. J., 1952, pp. 359. (Ed.) Tisov odkaz (Tiso's Message). Jednota, Middletown, Pa., 1953, pp. 89. Stefan Furdek a slovenske prist'ahovalectvo (Stephen Furdek and Slovak Immigration ). J ednota, Middletown, Pa., 1955, pp. 190. Slovcici a komunizmus (The Slovaks and Communism ). Rev. Jan Lach, Whiting, Ind., 1957, pp. 318. P-0d zcistavou krest'anskej demokracie (Under the Banner of the Christian Democracy). Slovenski krest'anski demokrati v Spojenych Statoch, Middletown, Pa. , 1957, pp. 30. Slovenskci rehol'a Sestier sv. Cyrila a Metoda (Slovak Order of the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius). Slovensky .Zensky Spolok sv. Anny, Wyoming Valley, Pa., 1957, pp. 32. Matus Jankola - knaz a ncirodovec (Matus Jankola - A Priest and Patriot). Rad sestier sv. Cyrila a Metoda, Danville, Pa., 1959, pp. 174. Pamiatke Jozefa Cigra Hronskeho (In Memoriam Jozef Cig-er Hronsky) . Literarny Almanach Slovaka v Amerike, Middletown, Pa., 1960, pp. 46. (Ed.) Martin Kopunek) . Laicky apostol Martin Kopunek (Lay Apostle Vychodna Oblast' Sdruzenia Slovenskych Katolikov, Bethlehem, Pa., 1961, pp. 67. (Ed.) Neporazitel'ni (Unconquerables). Prva Katolicka Slovenska Jednota, Middletown, Pa., 1961, pp. 190. Karol Sidor - politik novincir, spisovatel' (Karol Sidor - Politician, Newspaperman, and Writer) . Literarny Almanach Slovaka v Amerike, Middletown, Pa., 1962, pp. 148. (Ed.) Piit'desiatnik Dr. J-0zef Kirschbaum (Dr. Jozef Kirschbaum - Fifty Years Old). Literarny Almanach Slovaka v Amerike, Middletown, Pa., 1963, pp. 171. (Ed.) Prvej Katolickej Slovenskej Jednoty (75 Years of the First rokov 75 Catholic Slovak Union). Prva Katolicka Slovenska Jednota, Cleveland, Ohio, 1965, pp. 560 and XIV. 80 pages of pictures. Na uteku (Flight to Wonderland; serialized in the Weekly Jednota) . Middletown, Pa., 1965. l}udovychova u sturovcov (Stur's Movement - �SLOVAKIA 199 Tak sme sa poznali (So Have We Known One Another). Literarny Almanach Slovaka v Amerike, Middletown, Pa., 1967, pp. 281. Illustra- tions. Slovenski priekopnici v Amerike (Slovak Pioneers in America). First Catholic Slovak Union, Cleveland, Ohio, 1972, pp. 358. Illustrations. IN ENGLISH Unconquerables, Vantage Press, New York, N. Y., 1958, pp. 225. Christian Slovakia Under Communism. The Slovak Catholic Federation, Valparaiso, Ind., 1959, pp. 31. Flight to Wonderland. Robert Speller and Sons, New York, N. Y., 1963, pp. 334. 'i0 Years of the Slovak League of America. Middletown, Pa., 1967, pp. 146. (Ed.) IN GERMAN Dr. Jozef Tiso: Die Wahrheit uber die Slowakei (The Truth About Slovakia). Tisovo Tovarisstvo, in the Emigration, 1948, pp. 187. Illustrated. ARTICLES IN ENGLISH The Practi cal Aspect of a Federation. Slovakia, III, No. 2, 1953, p. 26-36. American Slovaks and March 14, 1939. Slovakia, IV, No. 1, 1954, p. 17-22. The Slovak Republic and Communism. Slovakia, IV, No. 3-4, 1954, p. 35-38. Slovakia Viewed By American Historians. Most, I. No. 4, 1954, p . 17-25. The Failures of Communist Politics in Slovakia, Slovakia, V, No. 4, 1955, p. 3-20. Stu.r's Group in the Service of the People. Slovakia, VI, No. 1, 1956, p. 11-16. I Was Editor of President Tiso's Newspaper. Slovakia, VII, No. 1, 1957, p. 9-12. Dr. Joseph Tiso : Christian Democrat. Slovakia, VII, No. 2, 1957, p. 37-50. The Stirring Days of March 1939. Slovakia, IX, No. 4, 1959, p. 24-32. Slovakia Under Communism. Slovakia, IX, N-0. 5, 1959, p. 1-5; Slovakia, X, No. 6, 1960, p. 62-73 ; Slovakia, XI, No. 1, 1961, p. 13-21. Slovakia's Mid-Nineteenth Century Struggle for National Life. Slovak Studies I, 1961, p. 69-83. The Matica Slovenskd in America. Slovakia, XIII, No. 1, 1963, p. 77-82. American Slovaks and the Beginnings of Czecho-Slovakia. Slovakia, XVI, No. 39, 1966, p. 63-75. Slovak Pioneers in America. Slovakia, XIX, No. 42, 1969, p. l0S-124. Under Dynamic Leadership. 60 Years of the Slovak League of America, 1967, p. 112-146. The Slovak Benedictines Review 50 Years in Cleveland, Ohio. Slovakia, XXII, No. 45, 1972, p. 92-97. Twenty Years of the Slovak Institute in Cleveland. Slovakia, XXIII, No. 46, 1973, p. 16-23. Cultural Revival of American and Canadian Slovaks. Slovakia, XXIII, No. 46, 1973, p. 72-81. Mother M. Emerentia Petrasek. Slovakia, XXIII, No. 46, 1973, p. 123-128. �200 SLOVAKIA EVALUATION OF DR. PAUCO'S WRITINGS BY REVIEWERS The number of book reviews published on individual Pauco's works is too large to be listed in this survey. In general, we can say that extensive reviews and commentaries, written by known Slovak authors, scholars, poets and cultural workers, were published not only in newspapers, but also in literary and cultural periodicals (Most, Furdek, Slovakia) and almanacs. Book reviews in Slovak language prevail, but his major writings were evaluated and commented upon also in English, mostly by reviewers born or educated on the American continent. The majority of reviewers of Dr. Pauco's books evaluated his writings favorably not only because of their ideological contents and usefulness for preservation of Slovak cultural heritage but also for their literary, and in many instances, scholarly value, thorough research and vast knowledge of the Slovak past and present. Deeply involved in Slovak political and cultural life since his students years, Dr. Pauco was a participant in historical events or closely associated with persons he writes about in a majority of his books, which gives to some of his works particular significance. On the other hand, his books on the history of American Slovaks fill an important gap and therefore the reviewers valued them for their contribution to the neglected history of American Slovaks as well as for their documentation and objectivity with which Pauco approached his subjects. Among the reviewers of Dr. Pauco's books and publications edited by him were K. culen, Prof. F. Hrusovsky, J . E. Bor, M. Jankovsky, J. M. Kirschbaum, J. C. Krajsa, M. K. Mlynarovic, J. Mest'ancik, Prof. K. Murin, Rev. Andrew Pier, O.S.B., Dr. B. Pissko, Dr. J. Rekem, Dr. J. Stasko, Rev. Mother Emerentia, Rev. Sister Tarcisia and many others. The book 75 Years of the FCSU was reviewed by 15 and his recent book Slovak Pioneers in America by 9 reviewers. All reviews were favorable . The evaluation by American born reviewers deserves, however special mention. Prof. V. R. Greene of the Kansas State University, who has learned to read and understand Slovak and wrote his �SLOVAKIA 201 Ph.D. thesis on East European immigrants in Pennsylvania , said on Pauco's 75 Years of the First Catholic Slovak Union: "Not only is it a complete and most comprehensiv e history of the Jednota and the Slovaks in America, but its many references, footnotes and bibliography will satisfy any serious reader and research historian." Mother M. Emerentia, SS.C.M. in her extensive review published in Jednota (June 30, 1965) referred to Matthew Arnold's statement that "Great creative works in literature result from happy concurence of two notable powers, the power of the man and the power of the moment," and wrote on Pauco's book: "Such a happy concurence of two notable powers has been strikingly exemplified before our eyes this year. For the power of the moment there was the 75th anniversary of the First Catholic Slovak Union in 1965, calling for the writing of the history of this remarkable organization. For the power of the man there was Joseph Pauco, Ph.D., a gifted author, historian and scholar, capable and willing to assume the task of writing this history. The result is a truly monumental contribution to Slovak history and literature, entitled 75 rokov Prvej Katolickej Slovenskej Jednoty." The book Tak sme sa poznali (So Have We Known One Another, 1967) attracted the attention of Slovak exiles as well as of American born Slovak intellectuals. "Dr. J. Pauco's Memoirs encompass - according to Sister M. Tarcisia - multiple and varied personal contacts as well as deep insight, broad vision and a skillful pen. The author is a scholar, a man of the people, an editor, a journalist, a lecturer, a politcian. The era he portrays was at once shatteringly disruptive and marvelously formative in its application to Central Europe and specifically to Slovakia. The men who played the leading roles in the drama of the Slovak Republic (1939-1945) were true to human nature: some giants, some midgets, some heroes, some traitors. Tak sme sa poznali is a tremendously vital book. In recounting his experience in the Slovak Republic - all of which he saw, part of which he was - Dr. Pauco has written authentic history. As such it will live and flourish." �202 SLOVAKIA Pauco's last book Slovenskt priekopnici v Amerike (Slovak Pioneers in America, 1972) was favorably reviewed and welcome as a valuable contribution to the history of American Slovaks by a dozen of Slovak writers, scholars, journalists and cultural workers. In the opinion of the American born editor of Jednota, J. C. Krajsa, "Pauco's work required serious research and documentation. In an objective manner he credits the life and work of the pioneers and categorizes them in their proper niche in the history of the American Slovaks, in America and the Slovak nation. He presents those leading pioneers who played the greatest role in the cultural field; those who organized fraternal societies, parishes, schools, and religious orders; those who preserved the literary culture with the publication of newspapers and books; and those who were fired with the ideal of liberty that even permeated to Slovakia." The book is in Krajsa's view "in itself a pioneer book. Nothing to date has been published in such documentary detail about American Slovak pioneers. The First Catholic Slovak Union is proud to publish this vital literary work of Dr. Joseph Pauco." According to another prominent American Slovak, Fr. J. A. Gajdosik "Pauco's book is one sure way to arousing interest in the Slovak heritage on a personal and individual basis, especially among our younger people. Hopefully, an English translation will be made in the near future, so that devotion to the Slovak ethnicity will be fostered. "The book should bolster Dr. Joseph Pauco's strong thoughts about the termination and death of the Slovak language in the United States. The book is also a warning to our fair-weather-Slovaks, who claim that they received little if anything from their Slovak ancestors, for it teaches that much Slovak affluence and prestige is directly the result of the conduct and work of our pioneers. "It behooves our brethren who are ashamed of their Slovak ethnicity, to study their history, and learn how everything they have was given to them, and that they should give themselves for others as our pioneers did. The ultimate lesson is that we, American of Slovak ancestry, should foster and serve the Slovak cause and ideal, at least as much, if not better than our pioneers in early America." �203 SLOVAKIA REVIEWS OF PAUCO'S WRITINGS IN LEADING PERIODICALS MOST co po komunizme? (I, 1, 1954, p . 44) Tisov odkaz (I, 2, 1954, p. 39-40. Dr. Karol Murin) Dr. Jozef Tiso o sebe (I, 3, 1954, p. 41-43. F. Hrusovsky) Stefan Furdek a slovenske prist'ahovalectvo (II, 2, 1955, p. 136-137) Mest'ancik) Slovcici a komunizmus (IV, 3, 1957, p. 132-133. Unconquerables (VI, 1-2, 1959, p. 83-85. Andrew Pier, O.S.B.) Christian Slovakia Under Communism (VI, 3, 1959, p. 186-187. Andrew Jan Pier, O.S.B. ) Pi:it'desiatnik Dr. Jozef Kirschbaum (XI, 3-4, 1964, p. 181) Slovakia (XI, 3-4, 1964, p. 182-183) Litercirny Almanach Slovcika v Amerike na rok 1965 (XII, 1-2, 1965, p. 82-83) Slovakia (XII, 3-4, 1965, p. 189) SLOVAKIA 75 rokov Prvej Katolickej Slovenskej Jednoty (XV, 38, 1965, p . 152-155. Mother M. Emerentia, SS.C.M.) Litercirny Almanach Slovcika v Amerike 1967 (XVII, 40, 1967, p. 190-192. Sister M. Tarcisia Gregorovic, SS.C.M.) Tak sme sa poznali (XVIII, 41, 1968, p . 159-164. Sister M. Tarcisia, SS. C.M.) Slovenski priekopnici v Amerike ( XXIII , 46, 1973, p. 196-197. Joseph C. Krajsa) F URD EK All writings by Dr. Pauco on the history of American Slovaks are evaluated by J . M. Kirschbaum in his article Dr. Pauco' s W ritings and the History of American Slovaks (Furdek, 1974, p. 75-80) . Francis V n u k : A BIOGRAPHICAL VALEDICTION In spite of the fact that the Slovaks are among the oldest inhabitants of the Central European region their efforts to secure a fully independent life has been seldom appreciated and rarely understood. But frustrations and disappointments can never deter a nation from its ultimate aim, and where one generation fails another will rise to continue the struggle. The natural aspirations of a nature and self-respecting nation cannot be suppressed by terror, nor silenced by bribes, nor extinguished by an apparent � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1974, Vol. 24 Description An account of the resource Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document SLOVAKIA 181 ,J.. M. Ki rs ch b au m, Ph.D.: Noted Slovak Jubilarians Andrej Z a r n o v "Les elites emigrees vivent tragiquement. Elles sont contraintes a une vie hasardeuse, solitaire, humiliee. Elles sont amenees par l'exil a l'epreuve a reviser leurs valeurs, et a en connaitre ou a en creer d'autres ... " Albert Thibaudet, Histoire de la litterature fra~aise de 1780 a nos jours, Paris, 1936. Since 1945, when Slovakia was overrun by the Soviet armies and subject to communist rule, a number of poets and writers left their native land in protest against political oppression in their homeland and with the intention of working in the free world for freedom and independence of their country. This political mission is especially true with regard to the emigre writers and poets who left Slovakia in 1945-1949 among whom were several of the leading Slovak writers and poets. A similar example can be found mutatis mutandis only in 19th century Poland, when after the revolution of 1830 the best Polish poets (Mickiewicz, Krasinski, Slowacki) and a number of writers and intellectuals escaped the Russians and made Paris the center of Polish literature. The fate of Slovak poets and writers was, of course, not as favorable as that of Polish "grande emigration." Some of the more prominent Slovak writers were soon captured in Austria and brought back to Slovakia and imprisoned (Milo Urban, A. zarnov, Tido J. Gaspar) while others had to fight against false denunciations and other pressures, in order to survive and create. In spite of this, "the 50 odd Slovak men of letters living on this side of the Iron Curtain kept the lights of Slovak culture burning while they were out of their native country. This may sound emotional or sentimental, yet it is a sad truth that in the years 1950-55 there hardly appeared in Slovakia a single book worthy of reading. In those years indeed the emigre literature was the contemporary Slovak literature." 1 182 SLOVAKIA Slovak poets and writers in exile continued to play especially the role of the "conscience of the nation" and that of interpreters of the aspirations of the Slovak people, traditionally assumed by Slovak poets and writers. More than in any other nation, not only the national rebirth was the work of Slovak poets and writers, but also the struggle for political rights and social justice; the first national rebellion was led by them, and they kept the national spirit alive in time of despair. Since the time when the poet Jan Holly (1785-1849) awakened the Slovak intelligentsia by unveiling to them the glorious past of Slovak ancestors in the Great Moravian period, and by giving them hope for a better future, Slovak poetry was an instrument of the national struggle, an expression of the national ideals and hopes, of national sufferings and joy. The poets and writers were the heralds and prophets of a new and better world, often being also social revolutionary leaders. This tradition was cultivated in Slovak literature over the past one hundred and fifty years and was even strengthened during the crucial years of Slovakia's national struggle in this century. Slovak poets and writers in exile have not considered themselves exempt from this special mission. On the contrary, exile made them more patriotic and the sufferings of the Slovak people more conscious of their duty to be the "conscience" of their nation and the interpreters of the aspiration of the Slovak people. In the countryside of New York State, one of the best contemporary Slovak poets, Andrej zarnov (by his own name Prof. Frantisek subik), attained on November 19, 1973 the prestigous age of 70. If the present Slovak generations owe a tribute to any poet for his participation in the struggle for national rights and equality with other nations, Andrej zarnov deserves such recognition from Slovaks abroad as well as in Slovakia. Born in 1903 in the village of Kuklov in Western Slovakia, zarnov remained proud of his rural heritage even when he achieved the position of University Professor of Pathology and high recognition from critics and readers for his literary work. He made his secondary studies in Skalica and Trnava and his study of medicine in Bratislava where he was active in student organizations and became SLOVAKIA 183 well-known for his fiery verses already during his university years. In 1926, :2:arnov accompanied Msgr. Andrej Hlinka on the triumphant journey around the United States. At that time neither zarnov nor the American Slovaks could expect that after the dramatic events of the Second World War, he would return to the United States as an exile, persecuted for his patriotism and his part in the International Red Cross Commission which examined during the Second World War the brutal massacre of 10,000 Polish officers by the Soviets in Katyn. zarnov left Slovakia in 1945, but he was forcibly "repatriated" from Austria, arrested and jailed. In 1952 he left Slovakia in a dramatic flight and settled first near Washington and later at Wingdale, N. Y. where he lives presently with his family. 2 ZARNOV'S WORK AND PLACE IN SLOVAK LITERATURE Perhaps to no other country more than to Slovakia is the statement of historians applicable, that in Central and Eastern European national movements were the concern of poets, writers and scholars and that they created the nationalities. Not only was the national rebirth the work of Slovak poets and writers, but also the struggle for political rights and social justice; the first national rebellion was led by them, and they kept the national spirit alive in time of despair. Since the first great Slovak poet, Jan Holly (1785-1849) awakened the Slovak intelligentsia by unveiling to them the glorious past of Slovak ancestors and by giving them a strong faith in a better future of the Slovak people, Slovak poetry was an instrument of national struggle, an expression of the national idea, national sufferings, joys, and hopes. The poets and writers were the heralds and prophets of a new and better world; they were social revolutionaries and national leaders. This tradition was respected in Slovak literature over the past one hundred years, and during the crucial years of Slovak national struggle in this century the role was played by Andrej :2:arnov more prominently than by any other Slovak poet, except for Martin Razus. Andrej :2:arnov appeared in Slovak literature in a period when the Slovak people fought their harsh struggle (against 184 SLOVAKIA the Czech assimilatory tendencies) for preserving their language, national identity and cultural heritage. It was the period of the 20's and 30's of this century, when on one hand Slovakia experienced a strong cultural development, but was at the same time forced into an uneven struggle for her national future, for social justice and political and economic equality. The danger of this situation was not only in the preponderance of means and political power or in the fact that Slovaks were far outnumbered by Czechs, but also in the fact that the masses of the Slovak people were going through the final phase of the process of maturing politically and the Slovak intelligentsia was in cultural and ideological ferment. In this national struggle Zarnov came with his fiery verses full of faith in the Slovak people and his vitality, adYocating national solidarity and protesting against the Czech attempts to rule, exploit and denationalize the Slovak people. At the same time, his poetry dared Slovaks to defend themselves, to stand firmly on their feet and not bow, not to yield. It was a revolutionary call for political and social justice, for national pride and honor which very soon found a favorable echo among the young Slovak intelligentsia and made Zarnov, since he identified himself with his nation's aspirations, sorrows and sufferings, the poet of the Slovak national struggle, and of Slovak patriotism. There was an outburst of poetic production in Slovakia between the two wars, but only Zarnov (besides M. Razus) stood on the barricades of Slovak national struggle with his patriotic poems, his forceful indignation, with his spiritual roots in the national tradition and fervent belief in the victory of the Slovak cause. Zarnov's fiery poetry, after being largely recited and published in periodicals and dailies, had been edited in several volumes. The first one, Strdz pri Morave (The Guard on Morava, 1925) was composed of verses expressing the poet's and his generation's political and spiritual orientation and provoked even the political censors to intervene. The second volwne Brdzda cez uhory (The Furrow Through Fallows, 1929) contained rather meditative and lyrical poetry enquiring into the spiritual ferment and restlessness of the poet's generation. While in the first volwne Zarnov created of his poetry an effective instrument for Slovak SLOVAKIA 185 national struggle, in the second volume he turned his eyes to the soul of the people he inflamed to struggle and bitterly analyzed its conscience. The third volume Hlas krvi (The Call of the Blood, 1932) and the following volume stit (The Shield, 1940) still contained verses of patriotic inspirations; his last volume Mftvy (The Dead, 1941) contains, however, poetry of deep personal sorrow and refine lyrics inspired by the untimely death of his young son. The profile of a patriotic revolutionary and interpreter of the nation's aspirations and struggle was thus completed in z arnov's last volume by poetry of deep human feelings and meditations. In all his volumes, zarnov preferred rather simple poetic forms, including the free verse. The rhythm of his poetry and his vocabulary were of great effectiveness and from the very beginning it indicated a strong talent. His books are, of course, on the index in Slovakia, but some of his verses are among the most recited by Slovaks in the free world, in which zarnov found refuge after the Communists seized power in Slovakia. ZARNOV'S TRANSLATIONS FROM WORLD LITERATURES zarnov enriched, however, Slovak literature also by many masterful translations of lyrics, epics and dramas. His first translations go back to 1933-34 at which time zarnov published in Slovak dailies and periodicals his version of Przerwa-Tetmajer Jdnosikove motivy (Janosik's Motives). In 1936 zarnov translated for the Slovak National Theatre the well-known play from the life of F. Chopin and Georges Sand Leto v Nohante (The Summer in Nohant) by J. Iwaszkiewicz. A year after, Matica slovenska published Sophocles' Antigona in zarnov's translation and in 1941 King Oedipus. The same year zarnov translated for the Slovak National Theatre the libretto of the opera Rusalka and in 1943 his translation of Zygmunt Krasinski's Nebozskd komedia (The Undivine Comedy) was published by Matica slovenska. After the Second World War, in the oppressive atmosphere of the Communist and Czech domination of Slovakia, zarnov was not allowed to publish his own poetry, but he did not cease creating and talking to his countrymen. In 186 SLOVAKIA 1949 the Society of St. Adalbert published his translation of Murphy's novel on Mary Magdalene The Scarlet Lily, in 1950 appeared the volume of translations from Adam Mickiewicz Poeezia, and in 1951 Hymny (The Hymns) of Jan Kasprowicz. The Communist regime did not, however, allow zarnov to use his pen-name on Kasprowicz's Hymns. They were published as translations by Francis ~ubik. Before his dramatic flight from Slovakia, zarnov prepared for publication his translation of Dante's Peklo (The Hell) and selections of poems by Leopold Staff Vyber z poezie (Selected Poems), but they remained in manusscript. zarnov's masterful translations were highly regarded by Slovak literary critics and by the readers and contributed especially to useful cultural relations of Slovakia with Poland. He received a Silver wreath from the Polish Academy of Literature for his pre-war translation U pol'sk'!}ch b<isnikov ( Among Polish Poets) and during the Second World War he prepared an entire book of translations from Adam Mickiewicz's works. 3 The volume was published "in order to transplant Mickiewicz's works to Slovak soil and thereby strengthen the structure of Slavic brotherhood in the cultural sector," and because "in world literature there are only a few great poets who in the work of their genius accumulate and present so universally, profoundly, and magnificently the history of the efforts, failures and spiritual achievements of their own people as does Adam Mickiewicz, the greatest Polish and all-Slavic poet." The book appeared in 1948, published by the Slovak Catholic cultural institution the "Society of St. Adalbert." We can say without exaggeration that zarnov has been, in his generation, artistically and spiritually the best prepared to transmit the heritage of Mickiewicz's most beautiful poems into Slovak literature. And he did it with great artistic skill and brilliance. His volume Poezia contains not only the eighteen Crimean Sonnets, but also Konrad Wallenrod, the Ode to Youth, To a Polish Mother, To My Muscovite Friends, Sages, A Vision, The Master of Masters, Flight and Out of My Sight, thus presenting some valuable lyrics along with his patriotic verse tale about his fatherland. The Crimean Sonnets in zarnov's translation remain SLOVAKIA 187 "a wonder," since he has preserved to a great degree the richness of beauty of the poetic expression which always takes us by surprise and makes us marvel at the audacity of thought and the moral courage which produce the special splendor of this collection. zarnov's poetic language is, naturally, modern, his verse and rhythm vivid, and the whole translation audacious. zarnov found in his own rich poetical invention the metaphors and poetic visions to express Mickiewicz's ideas and colorful images. The translation of Konrad Wallenrod is a poetical and genuine interpretation, equalling in beauty Mickiewicz's own work. zarnov is certainly no romantic in the pattern of the last century, but still an enthusiastic patriot who sings in his poetry a hymn to his crucified country, dooming its traitors and fighting for justice, one who has consecrated his life and his heart to his fatherland. More than anyone else among modern Slovak poets he was, therefore predestined to enrich modern Slovak literature by this Byronic work of great charm and poetic vision, which "of the many and often highly inspired types of Byronism in Polish poetry ranks highest." zarnov's versions of the Ode to Youth and To My Muscovite Friends are to be remembered not only for brilliance of translation ( which could be demonstrated only by quotations and comparisons of texts), but also for the purpose which the translator wished to serve. The volume Poezia was published after the tragic experiences with the Russian occupation of Slovakia. zarnov, to whom the national cause has always been a question of honor and personal dedication, addressed, in Mickiewicz's mordant verses, the new Muscovite rulers and summoned Slovak youth to the dynamic faith which Mickiewicz, in the Ode to Youth, expressed for Poles under very similar circumstances. zarnov's translations were thus to serve after a century the same aim as Mickiewicz had assigned to his poetry. Through the literary works of Mickiewicz zarnov wished to teach the Slovaks, as Mickiewicz had the Poles, "to regard as their personal affair the great question of honor and dedication, truth and falsehood, nobility of ends and legitimacy of means for attaining them." zarnov attemped to convince his martyred people that "the national cause must become an autochthonous idea, the ultimate 188 SLOVAKIA moral criterion around which the entire spiritual life of the nation is crystalized." The real function of zarnov's poetry and translation was, like that of Mickiewicz's, not only to provide artistic enjoyment or to refine aesthetic taste, but primarily to equip his people with the spiritual resources necessary to enable them to survive their enslavement and to fight for their freedom. The Muscovite rulers in Slovakia grasped his intention and silenced the book. zarnov, under constant threat of arrest and deportation, and many times in prison, made a dramatic flight from his country and now fights in exile for his ideas. In exile he published a number of patriotic verses and a masterful transcription of several poems by Jan Holly into a modern Slovak language, to remind the Slovaks of their spiritual roots and national heritage, and to confirm once more that he was one of the Slovak poets who penetrated and stirred to the depths the spirits of his generation and especially of the young intelligentsia, helped to bring them to a strong awareness of their spiritual and national individuality, and successfully summoned them to the struggle for justice and freedom. On behalf of that generation, we are sending to the quiet countryside near New York our grateful: Ad multos annos. F OOTNOTES 1) See F. Vnuk, Sedemnast' neurodnych ro kov . N acrt slovenske j li t eratury v rokoch 1945-62. (Middletown, Pa., 1965) , p . 277. 2) F or more details on 2arnov's work and life, see J . Pauco (ed .), L iterarny Almanach Slovaka v Amerike, Middletown, Pa. 1967. 3) On 2arnov's translations from Mickiewicz, see W. Lednicki, Adam . Micki ewicz in W orld Literature, University of California Press, 1956i contribution by J . M. Kirschbaum. lmrich K r u f I i a k The prose and poetry of Slovak emigre writers is varied in themes and literary styles and strongly reflects a deep sadness over the loss of their native country and over the treatment of their people under communism. This is especially characteristic of the writings of poets and writers who had played a prominent role in Slovak literary life before they left their native land. Strong national feelings and "heimweh''; however, can also be found in the works SLOVAKIA 189 of poets who developed their talents far away from their native country. Prominent in this group of Slovak intellectuals is Dr. Imrich Kruzliak whose 60th birthday we will commemorate on December 8, 1974. Born in the romantic Detva, Kruzliak followed the path of educated Slovaks of his generation from villages and towns who went through secondary schools and universities by their own efforts and talents and, after helping the struggle for national independence, had to pay in jails or in exile for their patriotism. Kruzliak did not leave his native Slovakia in 1945. He decided to stay and fight with other Catholic intellectuals for the preservation of Slovak national traditions and for a place for Catholics in the post-war political life. When in 1947, the Communists began their persecution of Catholic intellectuals, he was arrested, tortured, and kept in jail for a year. To avoid a new arrest, he escaped in 1949 to Austria and in 1951 settled in Munich where he became employed by Radio Free Europe as a commentator on Slovak cultural matters. Writing mostly under the pen-name Marian ziar and initials I. K., mz, Dr. Kruzliak contributed in exile to emigre literature either in poetry or in literary criticism. Although Kruzliak had published verses and literary essays already before and during the war, it was in exile that he became known as a poet and mainly as a cultivated commentator and critic of Slovak literary and cultural life at home and abroad. His essays, comments and book reviews have been published mostly in the quarterly Most, Literdr ny Almanach, Rozhl'ady, but also in annuals and newspapers Jednota, Slovak v Amerike and for the past two years in Horizont of which he has been the editor in chief. His writings have been among the best in Slovak empire literature. We would mention especially his survey of Slovak literature under Communism (Most, 1958), anci essay "Shakespeare and Slovaks" (Most, 1964), a study on the "Literary and artistic cult of Sts. Cyril and Methodius among Slovaks" (Most, 1963) and ":C. stur" (Most, 1965) . In scores of book reviews, Kruzliak enriched Slovak emigre literature with new ideas, well-balanced opinions, and by an effort to keep Slovak cultural life abroad on a European level. 190 SLOVAKIA He also deserves recognition for editing and publishing two volumes of poetry of poets in communist jails Modlitby v putdch (Prayers in Shackles, Munich, 1955) and translations from Polish, Magyar and Russian poets of the period of "thaw" Podaj ndm ruku, Eur6pa ( Give us Helping Hand, Europe, Munich, 1957). One of his extensive surveys of Slovak culture under Communism was published in mimeographed book form and his contribution on Slovak culture since 1945 appeared in the symposium Slovakia in the 19th and 20th Centuries, published by the Slovak World Congress (Toronto, 1973). He also edited special volume of Arena (Vol. 16, 3-4) which the P.E.N. Centre for Writers in Exile published on Slovak literature in London, England in 1963. Dr. Kruzliak does not belong, however, to literary life alone. Since his university years he was among the most active intellectuals in the Slovak public life and a leading figure in the generation which dedicated talents and energies to the struggle of the Slovak people for an equal place among European nations. His literary beginnings are connected with students periodicals (Rozvoj, Svojet') in the 1930's, while his participation in public life began before he obtained his Ph.D. summa cum laude at the Bratislava University. As many members of his generation, he also was inspired by the idealism of ~udovit t5tur, represented in 1920's and 1930's in Slovak national struggle by Andrej Hlinka. Idealism and dedication of those years marked Dr. Kruzliak's whole life in Slovakia as well as in exile. On the threshold of his 60th birthday he continues his life struggle in the Slovak World Congress as the head of the cultural section. The upheavals and tragedies experienced by his generation, marked also his life, but did not break his spirit. Hardly any Slovak generation had to go through such trials. There were, however, also victories and uncomparable cultural and spiritual growth of the Slovak nation to' which that generation contributed at home and in exile. And no other generation had such opportunities to see the world, to learn foreign languages and to absorb cultural values of the most advanced nations. It is on behalf of those who from that generation survived the persecutions of the tyrannical regimes in 191 SLOVAKIA Slovakia and the trials of exile, that we cordially greet Dr. Kruzliak on the threshold of his 60th birthday, wishing him that the Lord may fulfill his desires to see Slovakia free, democratic and equal to other nations. Mikulas sp r i n C For the past 25 years, perhaps the most important role in the Slovak literary life in exile was played by the highly cultivated and sensitive poet, Rev. Mikulas sprinc, whose 60th birthday Slovaks abroad will commemorate on November 30th, 1974. Like Dilong and Strmen, sprinc also came from the "Catholic Moderna" group and was well-known in Slovakia as Secretary and later Director of the Slovak Catholic Academy and organizer of many cultural activities before and during the War. He published during the War two collections of his own poetry and four collections of translations : from Rilke, from several Italian poets, as well as from the works of P. Lippert and Giovanni Papini. At the same time he contributed to nearly all Slovak literary journals and periodicals, in addition to being the editor of the main Slovak Catholic literary monthly Kultiira <19431945 ). s princ left Slovakia later than other Slovak emigre poets and writers, and reached Rome through Austria and Germany. He was named by the Vatican a delegate for helping the Slovak refugees in Austria and Germany, but in 1946 he obtained a visa for the United States where he developed not only extensive organizational cultural activities, but also his talent so that he became one of the leading Slovak Catholic poets in Diaspora. A professor of modern languages and philosophy of arts by vocation, he deserves credit for keeping alive the Slovak literary journal Most , of which he has been editor since 1954, as well as for founding the Association of Slovak Writers and Artists, whose President has been the poet Andrej zarnov. sprinc was also one of the founders of the Slovak Institute in Cleveland, and edited several symposia in addition to his own prolific and varied literary activities. Altogether sprinc published 18 collections of musical and highly cultivated poetry, and an English collection 192 SLOVAKIA Driftwood ( 1969), partly translated by himself and partly by one of his students and a well-known translator of Slovak poetry, Jaroslav Vajda. Those who appreciate a poetry rooted in the strong belief in the Creator without sounding too religious, and those who like the beauty of life in the song of birds, in the colors of flowers, in the sound of the wind, and blue skies or the colors of the rainbow, can find great enjoyment in sprinc's poetry. In his lyrical verses, sprinc echoes the art of Paul Verlaine and the spirit of St. Francis of Assissi. The musical and rhythmical quality of his poetry is rarely equalled by other Slovak emigre poets, except probably Gorazd Zvonicky. The translations of sprinc's verses are not an easy task for translators. Many of his volumes also contain fine poems with patriotic overtones, expressing his love for his lost and oppressed Slovakia. Recent volumes of sprinc's poetry have been artistically illustrated and carefully published, reflecting high artistic quality also in their technical presentation. As a result, reading his beautifully published collections is a double pleasure; they are written by a sensitive and gifted poet but, even more, by a man humbly and joyfully believing in God whose faith and glorification of the Creator sounds so natural and full of hope that one longs for the same beautiful world and the author's joyful soul and spirit. Even though Paul Verlaine seems to be his preferred poet (he wrote his M.A . thesis in French on Verlaine), sprinc is very well versed in Italian, German and Spanish poetry, and contributed to Slovak emigre literature by several excellent translations. To his large and varied cultural activities he has added more than 300 articles, book reviews, comments and contributions to Slovak periodicals, almanacs and newspapers. More than any other poet or writer, sprinc deserves credit for keeping Slovak culture abroad not only alive, but also reflecting the best Slovak national traditions. In spite of his many activities as professor, editor and secretary of the Association of Slovak Writers and Artists, sprinc was able during the past two decades to publish nearly every year a volume of his poetry or a book in prose. Among his published works we find: Ozveny v samotdch (1940), Tak umieral bdsnik Pal'o Oliva (1942), 0 ldske SLOVAKIA a bolesti (1942), Duinske elegie (1942), O Tebe spieva zem idc sdm 0943), K slobodnym pobreziam (1950), Na r:"•rFlo 'l J () • polnopi 'ti· · poludnfa Z (1955), slnku proti (1953), Tvdrou ')s'ted6~ putnie~±{~ moje Oci (1962), orla (1960), Mladost' a ffPk k?J s _ Brat~la'8 (1967), Andante (1952), kovia utrpenia ,a ~- ~1 • S'! 1 JI ora· ll:170 Palidora, z Piesne (1969), (1968), Driftwood 11 "' · j rn JC lovy ostrov (1973) etc.* t'f" : 'iOr.?.910 I'l Among his translation s we should metftionfGidva:aru Papini's work Witnesses of Suffering (Scraiitott CFA-{J'1i95!!) and among his foreign language writings hi M~..fthesi t Paul Verlaine: Etude de sa poesie religieuse,Wil'i-100',i stiill u v[ ,, , 1 ;. ,.... in manuscrip t. I 'di _Jj(,· ~-II sprinc also published an interesting narra,J;;':vp1!n,:prose about his escape and journey from Slovakia ~f?' ,1i0:Yr'l1Il,~9 States in a volume K slobodnym pobreziam ('J;R>t~'rr r;;~1e Shores), a book on St. Andrew Svorad as vv,:e, ~r~~d l. p~~lf dedicated to the Virgin Mary. For the llth -1 0~~t[;npial<: 0J Christianit y in Slovakia, he edited a collectiop."r~ ~!:5e-? by several Slovak poets under the title Zdravic0-; sp-"'qy j!oRi a Metodovi (Rome, 1963). He also contributec l:11f?: 1aurn~smr~ fully illustrated anthology Odkaz (The Legacy.., 197Jp in f.eJfg~ehte~. which leading Slovak poets and writers are ro "¼o"'"' 10· ""i In prose, he edited the memoirs of Msgr. Joze · KaB3-i a prominent Slovak diplomat at the Vatican du¥fh§ \ .war Spod Rohdcov po Vatikdn (From Rohace M9tiRtim to? · e Vatican, 1973) as well as two symposia comp.~~~ ,cif 'qop; C~ictrfn_tributions by Slovak emigre writers: Ndde7· vit'azria 1J 'R? 'fJf U?'f • -. ::;;_ 1939-1-.~4(} republika Slovenskd and 1947) Hope, ous ' ,.., Republic 1939-1949, Scranton, Pa., 1949). 9.i · V)\1)')1Sh'1 ·i•h ai 1~f'd2 c( aii~ Literary work of this envergure and 1 we -Iiifre > ; case; a does not need to be praised. It is again 1 • if'tceW!. Laudat'·a'¥f have to repeat the Latin dictum: Opus fivities It was a blessing for Slovak literature and cultubr-a~i abroad that sprinc left Slovakia. Therefore, ori~he~ooa §i6n of his 60th birthday, we cannot be more sincer.e"1wlierfJ,we - :>.r. ,h,i< say: Ad multos annos! 1 (JJ Jy3c-riqz~t{ :llC J *) :r-r::;m For more details on Sprinc and his work, see Literltrfi'y 11.lrMnbcn for 1967, p. 232-234, and Most, Vol. I, 2, 1954, and Vol. 13~ 4;-1956!!') 194 SLOVAKIA Teodorik Zubek To the ranks of prominent Slovak intellectuals in exile whose 60th birthday we will commemorate in 1974, also belongs Prof. T. J. Zubek, oustanding member of the Slovak Franciscan Order in Slovakia and the United States, who was born on April 4, 1914 in Malacky, Western Slovakia. Professor Zubek filled an important gap in exile activities by his theological writings and mainly by presenting the religious situation in post war Slovakia to the Western World. At the same time he deserves recognition for reviving the Order of Slovak Franciscan Fathers in the United States who under his leadership become active not only in the religious field but also in education and cultural life. Well educated at Slovak and foreign Universities (Zagreb, Croatia; Fribourg, Switzerland), Dr. Zubek played leading role in his Order in Slovakia, and had to pay under the Communist regime for his patriotism and service to God by detention in the concentration camp for priests in Svaty Benadik. After his escape in 1951, he found refuge in Austria and Rome, Italy, from where he came to the United States in 1952. Soon after his arrival to the U.S.A. Dr. Zubek became Professor of Theology at Seton Hall University, Newark, N. J. and published an authoritative work on the Communist persecution of religion in his native country Church of Silence in Slovakia (J. Lach Publ., Whiting, Ind., 1956). This book and his scholarly contributions to American religious and academic periodicals (Homiletic and Pastoral Review, Jurist, Ameri can Ecclesiastical Review, The Catholic Educator and others) performed an important service to the Slovak cause among Western intellectuals. Some of his studies rank among the best writings on contemporary theological and educational topics. From the Slovak point of view, of great importance among his English writings is also his presentation of the case of Msgr. Tiso and the fate of Slovak bishops (Slovak Bishops - Martyrs of Christ, 1963) to Western readers. Exposed to hostile propaganda during the War and after, many people in the free world maintained biased attitudes towards Slovakia even among clergy and in academic circles. Dr. Zubek was among the first Slovak emigre SLOVAKIA 195 intellectuals who grasped the need for writing on Slovakia in English and in non-Slovak periodicals, and for doing it in a much more reserved manner than we can afford in our Slovak publications. Dr. Zubek contributed at the same time to Slovak periodicals and newspapers, to Slovak Studies, and edited the religious monthly Listy Sv. Frantiska (Leaflets of St. Francis) published by his Order of which he was the head as Provincial Delegate. He also took part in Slovak emigre cultural and organizational activities aiming at the unity and co-operation, namely in Slovak Liberation Council and Slovak World Congress, at the Conference on Slovakia held in Toronto in 1971 and elsewhere. From the very beginning of his exile has been considered as one of the most distinguished representatives of Slovak clergymen abroad. By his activities, high education and devotion to the work for God and bonum commune, Dr. Zubek upheld the noble tradition of the Franciscan Order in Slovakia, whose members belonged to the best educators, historians, writers and poets in the centuries of Slovak national revival as well as in this century. It is with sincere admiration for his work and great human qualities that we greet him on his sixtieth birthday with a heartfelt: Ad multos annos! Jozef Pa u co For more than a century, journalists and editors played in Slovak national life a role going far beyond their profession. Starting with Eudovit stur in the middle of the 19th century, leading Slovak journalists were also political leaders, poets, writers, historians, grammarians and organizers of cultural and political institutions. This phenomenon appeared in Slovakia as well as among Slovaks abroad, especially in the United States and Canada. After stur, S. H . Vajansky was an outstanding example of a journalist, who also was a prominent poet, novelist and fighter for the Slovak cause. In the following generation Karol Sidor and Konstantin Culen remained faithful to that tradition in Slovakia and on the American continent. Both of them were journalists by profession, but they also wrote a [96 SLOVAKIA am lil,erary works and books dealing with the ofoSI~aks and their struggle for freedom. h'eq>ast 25 years, an austanding example of journalist who became a historian, political writer and organizer • .Joll!uraI &F.~ political activities, was Dr. Jozef Pauco, ~ '1We .1 2¥thday was celebrated by Slovaks abroad on ~ 8f.f9 r¥R~L 1974. Pauco's admiration for E. stur goes Bi~ 1t2,1r.. ,years when he wrote his Ph.D. thesis at the I}, ·1-ffi ·1i v~c13ratislava, which was later published under 9} yt • {,1J{!,OJJYChova u sturovcov (Popular Education in nt) . Since that time Dr. Pauco also followed ~ ' x' MB, ~ f8o}§jeps of K. Sidor and K. culen in his work as ~n !n eing a political exile, in his dedication to the ~ ~.HJ.Iijijle:iJer2 freecto111: , and independence for Slovakia and i - fillfp,tjfj>_n with American Slovaks and Slovak-American organizations. bibliography listed below indicates, Dr. As thej seJect ' ' r[J J)l [IQ[ f y Hjj r(~mgs are not only extensive, but also cover e.vera1' ~ cfs9!rom history to political science and belles 12t ,nw .fil~S.V O II . pub1·ished works . part of his 1l 1 :e~ . .tS s19.a y, th e maJor . t ct· f d t S {:_!(, ''IS I'I .'11 ' hJfiIH~W . , rAR?"ever, a e en mg he Slovak cause. This :a cr1°fsB~afiW even his works on American Slovaks, which !fh~ Y#1 ~9 ~fo~);'o his best writings and in their method and $I&»Jay flDif compare with standard works on the subj~cf.'."'i frer fof. F. Hrusovsky and K. culen, he actually deserves main credit for systematic research into the past and present of American Slovaks. His books on their history atest to his great love for jjl_jz~ i 9_mt branch of the Slovak people. In addition, lzli-l ~ftlltl.futijsplayed in his works on American Slovaks, of Wlli.Plb :ti~cY~mninous history of the First Catholic Slovak ~smrubip rrecent book on Slovak Pioneers in America 4%fill:YJ O ~fkteular attention, that history was the field W~fttmt~ ld use his academic education and thorough fmID'{fflP.g.f~mf@lovak American organizational structure and ~ ~g:njfl~J:?.g ~ of individual leaders. As a result, whoever }Y!UsiYfOOl ~(tc,::omplete history of American Slovak~, will lff)lUiffifHfliiO.l:Wlfite authoritatively without ~sing Dr. Pauco's , ~f4J!!g)}V~rks. 110Ui-Bi¥unMjgl,lly, a larger number of books, essays an(\ MMtje b&;ia . Pauco deals, however, with Slova~a•s strugglaj::Rf!~~p.filldence l;l,nd with the _defense of leading Slovak h'i&j t> n; b~ SLOVAKIA 197 personalities, especially Dr. Jozef Tiso, against whom many incorrect views and misconceptions were spread in the West during and after the Second World War. Slovakia and Slovaks suffered not only under Communism. There was a lot of injustice and descrimination against Slovaks also before the War and during the short period after the War when the Communists ruled together with their Czech and Slovak fellow-travelers from the non-communist parties. In his writings, Dr. Pauco endeavored to fight the falsehood and injustice of· both. It was, however, the communist misrule in Slovakia and the communist ideology which he exposed and fiercely criticized in his writings, advocating Christian democracy and the independence of Slovakia. Besides his own books, essays and thousands of articles, Dr. Pauco also published-as editor-the valuable documentary work Dr. Jozef Tiso o sebe (Dr. Jozef Tiso About Himself), containing the defense of the President of the Slovak Republic at his trial by the communist court, and a number of symposia on leading Slovak exiles (K. Sidor, J.C. Hronsky,· etc.). Furthermore, he deserves recognition for publishing and editing the Literdrny Almanach and the weekly Slovak v Amerike, both of which would have disappeared several years ago without his dedication and sacrifice as well that of his literary active wife. Last but not least, Dr. Pauco has rendered great service to the Slovak cause as the editor of the English periodical dealing with Slovak cultural and political matters, Slovakia. founded by Philip Hrobak. This editorial part of Dr. Pauco's work is of far reaching importance for the activities of Slovaks abroad and can be evaluated adequately only if we imagine how much poorer Slovak cultural life and the struggle for independence would be without these publications. In view of the fact that the historical and geopolitical situation of Slovakia made the Slovak cause a matter of controversy, Dr. Pauco's writings were bol,lild to provoke a strong reaction from the adversaries of the Slovak struggle for independence. His militant spirit, uncompromising attitude and fervor incited them to make denunciations, accusations and . undeserved attacks, but Pauco remained, in spite of all attacks on his person, one of 'the most dedicated defenders of the Slovak cause in his generation. 198 SLOVAKIA He also continues to be the most prolific Slovak journalist and writer on politics and history who remained faithful to stur's tradition and Hlinka-Tiso's ideology of Christian democracy and self-determination for the Slovaks. SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY IN SLOVAK Popular Education ). Matica slovenska. Turciansky Sv. Martin, 1943, pp. 151. Politicko-narodny program Hsns (Political Program of the Slovak People's Party ). Andrej uc. spol. Bratislava, 1944, pp. 96. co po komunizme? (After Communism What?) . Jednota, Middletown, Pa., 1952, pp. 29. Dr. Jozef Ti so o sebe (Dr. Joseph Tiso About Himself) . Slovensky Katolicky Sokol, Passaic, N. J., 1952, pp. 359. (Ed.) Tisov odkaz (Tiso's Message). Jednota, Middletown, Pa., 1953, pp. 89. Stefan Furdek a slovenske prist'ahovalectvo (Stephen Furdek and Slovak Immigration ). J ednota, Middletown, Pa., 1955, pp. 190. Slovcici a komunizmus (The Slovaks and Communism ). Rev. Jan Lach, Whiting, Ind., 1957, pp. 318. P-0d zcistavou krest'anskej demokracie (Under the Banner of the Christian Democracy). Slovenski krest'anski demokrati v Spojenych Statoch, Middletown, Pa. , 1957, pp. 30. Slovenskci rehol'a Sestier sv. Cyrila a Metoda (Slovak Order of the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius). Slovensky .Zensky Spolok sv. Anny, Wyoming Valley, Pa., 1957, pp. 32. Matus Jankola - knaz a ncirodovec (Matus Jankola - A Priest and Patriot). Rad sestier sv. Cyrila a Metoda, Danville, Pa., 1959, pp. 174. Pamiatke Jozefa Cigra Hronskeho (In Memoriam Jozef Cig-er Hronsky) . Literarny Almanach Slovaka v Amerike, Middletown, Pa., 1960, pp. 46. (Ed.) Martin Kopunek) . Laicky apostol Martin Kopunek (Lay Apostle Vychodna Oblast' Sdruzenia Slovenskych Katolikov, Bethlehem, Pa., 1961, pp. 67. (Ed.) Neporazitel'ni (Unconquerables). Prva Katolicka Slovenska Jednota, Middletown, Pa., 1961, pp. 190. Karol Sidor - politik novincir, spisovatel' (Karol Sidor - Politician, Newspaperman, and Writer) . Literarny Almanach Slovaka v Amerike, Middletown, Pa., 1962, pp. 148. (Ed.) Piit'desiatnik Dr. J-0zef Kirschbaum (Dr. Jozef Kirschbaum - Fifty Years Old). Literarny Almanach Slovaka v Amerike, Middletown, Pa., 1963, pp. 171. (Ed.) Prvej Katolickej Slovenskej Jednoty (75 Years of the First rokov 75 Catholic Slovak Union). Prva Katolicka Slovenska Jednota, Cleveland, Ohio, 1965, pp. 560 and XIV. 80 pages of pictures. Na uteku (Flight to Wonderland; serialized in the Weekly Jednota) . Middletown, Pa., 1965. l}udovychova u sturovcov (Stur's Movement - SLOVAKIA 199 Tak sme sa poznali (So Have We Known One Another). Literarny Almanach Slovaka v Amerike, Middletown, Pa., 1967, pp. 281. Illustra- tions. Slovenski priekopnici v Amerike (Slovak Pioneers in America). First Catholic Slovak Union, Cleveland, Ohio, 1972, pp. 358. Illustrations. IN ENGLISH Unconquerables, Vantage Press, New York, N. Y., 1958, pp. 225. Christian Slovakia Under Communism. The Slovak Catholic Federation, Valparaiso, Ind., 1959, pp. 31. Flight to Wonderland. Robert Speller and Sons, New York, N. Y., 1963, pp. 334. 'i0 Years of the Slovak League of America. Middletown, Pa., 1967, pp. 146. (Ed.) IN GERMAN Dr. Jozef Tiso: Die Wahrheit uber die Slowakei (The Truth About Slovakia). Tisovo Tovarisstvo, in the Emigration, 1948, pp. 187. Illustrated. ARTICLES IN ENGLISH The Practi cal Aspect of a Federation. Slovakia, III, No. 2, 1953, p. 26-36. American Slovaks and March 14, 1939. Slovakia, IV, No. 1, 1954, p. 17-22. The Slovak Republic and Communism. Slovakia, IV, No. 3-4, 1954, p. 35-38. Slovakia Viewed By American Historians. Most, I. No. 4, 1954, p . 17-25. The Failures of Communist Politics in Slovakia, Slovakia, V, No. 4, 1955, p. 3-20. Stu.r's Group in the Service of the People. Slovakia, VI, No. 1, 1956, p. 11-16. I Was Editor of President Tiso's Newspaper. Slovakia, VII, No. 1, 1957, p. 9-12. Dr. Joseph Tiso : Christian Democrat. Slovakia, VII, No. 2, 1957, p. 37-50. The Stirring Days of March 1939. Slovakia, IX, No. 4, 1959, p. 24-32. Slovakia Under Communism. Slovakia, IX, N-0. 5, 1959, p. 1-5; Slovakia, X, No. 6, 1960, p. 62-73 ; Slovakia, XI, No. 1, 1961, p. 13-21. Slovakia's Mid-Nineteenth Century Struggle for National Life. Slovak Studies I, 1961, p. 69-83. The Matica Slovenskd in America. Slovakia, XIII, No. 1, 1963, p. 77-82. American Slovaks and the Beginnings of Czecho-Slovakia. Slovakia, XVI, No. 39, 1966, p. 63-75. Slovak Pioneers in America. Slovakia, XIX, No. 42, 1969, p. l0S-124. Under Dynamic Leadership. 60 Years of the Slovak League of America, 1967, p. 112-146. The Slovak Benedictines Review 50 Years in Cleveland, Ohio. Slovakia, XXII, No. 45, 1972, p. 92-97. Twenty Years of the Slovak Institute in Cleveland. Slovakia, XXIII, No. 46, 1973, p. 16-23. Cultural Revival of American and Canadian Slovaks. Slovakia, XXIII, No. 46, 1973, p. 72-81. Mother M. Emerentia Petrasek. Slovakia, XXIII, No. 46, 1973, p. 123-128. 200 SLOVAKIA EVALUATION OF DR. PAUCO'S WRITINGS BY REVIEWERS The number of book reviews published on individual Pauco's works is too large to be listed in this survey. In general, we can say that extensive reviews and commentaries, written by known Slovak authors, scholars, poets and cultural workers, were published not only in newspapers, but also in literary and cultural periodicals (Most, Furdek, Slovakia) and almanacs. Book reviews in Slovak language prevail, but his major writings were evaluated and commented upon also in English, mostly by reviewers born or educated on the American continent. The majority of reviewers of Dr. Pauco's books evaluated his writings favorably not only because of their ideological contents and usefulness for preservation of Slovak cultural heritage but also for their literary, and in many instances, scholarly value, thorough research and vast knowledge of the Slovak past and present. Deeply involved in Slovak political and cultural life since his students years, Dr. Pauco was a participant in historical events or closely associated with persons he writes about in a majority of his books, which gives to some of his works particular significance. On the other hand, his books on the history of American Slovaks fill an important gap and therefore the reviewers valued them for their contribution to the neglected history of American Slovaks as well as for their documentation and objectivity with which Pauco approached his subjects. Among the reviewers of Dr. Pauco's books and publications edited by him were K. culen, Prof. F. Hrusovsky, J . E. Bor, M. Jankovsky, J. M. Kirschbaum, J. C. Krajsa, M. K. Mlynarovic, J. Mest'ancik, Prof. K. Murin, Rev. Andrew Pier, O.S.B., Dr. B. Pissko, Dr. J. Rekem, Dr. J. Stasko, Rev. Mother Emerentia, Rev. Sister Tarcisia and many others. The book 75 Years of the FCSU was reviewed by 15 and his recent book Slovak Pioneers in America by 9 reviewers. All reviews were favorable . The evaluation by American born reviewers deserves, however special mention. Prof. V. R. Greene of the Kansas State University, who has learned to read and understand Slovak and wrote his SLOVAKIA 201 Ph.D. thesis on East European immigrants in Pennsylvania , said on Pauco's 75 Years of the First Catholic Slovak Union: "Not only is it a complete and most comprehensiv e history of the Jednota and the Slovaks in America, but its many references, footnotes and bibliography will satisfy any serious reader and research historian." Mother M. Emerentia, SS.C.M. in her extensive review published in Jednota (June 30, 1965) referred to Matthew Arnold's statement that "Great creative works in literature result from happy concurence of two notable powers, the power of the man and the power of the moment," and wrote on Pauco's book: "Such a happy concurence of two notable powers has been strikingly exemplified before our eyes this year. For the power of the moment there was the 75th anniversary of the First Catholic Slovak Union in 1965, calling for the writing of the history of this remarkable organization. For the power of the man there was Joseph Pauco, Ph.D., a gifted author, historian and scholar, capable and willing to assume the task of writing this history. The result is a truly monumental contribution to Slovak history and literature, entitled 75 rokov Prvej Katolickej Slovenskej Jednoty." The book Tak sme sa poznali (So Have We Known One Another, 1967) attracted the attention of Slovak exiles as well as of American born Slovak intellectuals. "Dr. J. Pauco's Memoirs encompass - according to Sister M. Tarcisia - multiple and varied personal contacts as well as deep insight, broad vision and a skillful pen. The author is a scholar, a man of the people, an editor, a journalist, a lecturer, a politcian. The era he portrays was at once shatteringly disruptive and marvelously formative in its application to Central Europe and specifically to Slovakia. The men who played the leading roles in the drama of the Slovak Republic (1939-1945) were true to human nature: some giants, some midgets, some heroes, some traitors. Tak sme sa poznali is a tremendously vital book. In recounting his experience in the Slovak Republic - all of which he saw, part of which he was - Dr. Pauco has written authentic history. As such it will live and flourish." 202 SLOVAKIA Pauco's last book Slovenskt priekopnici v Amerike (Slovak Pioneers in America, 1972) was favorably reviewed and welcome as a valuable contribution to the history of American Slovaks by a dozen of Slovak writers, scholars, journalists and cultural workers. In the opinion of the American born editor of Jednota, J. C. Krajsa, "Pauco's work required serious research and documentation. In an objective manner he credits the life and work of the pioneers and categorizes them in their proper niche in the history of the American Slovaks, in America and the Slovak nation. He presents those leading pioneers who played the greatest role in the cultural field; those who organized fraternal societies, parishes, schools, and religious orders; those who preserved the literary culture with the publication of newspapers and books; and those who were fired with the ideal of liberty that even permeated to Slovakia." The book is in Krajsa's view "in itself a pioneer book. Nothing to date has been published in such documentary detail about American Slovak pioneers. The First Catholic Slovak Union is proud to publish this vital literary work of Dr. Joseph Pauco." According to another prominent American Slovak, Fr. J. A. Gajdosik "Pauco's book is one sure way to arousing interest in the Slovak heritage on a personal and individual basis, especially among our younger people. Hopefully, an English translation will be made in the near future, so that devotion to the Slovak ethnicity will be fostered. "The book should bolster Dr. Joseph Pauco's strong thoughts about the termination and death of the Slovak language in the United States. The book is also a warning to our fair-weather-Slovaks, who claim that they received little if anything from their Slovak ancestors, for it teaches that much Slovak affluence and prestige is directly the result of the conduct and work of our pioneers. "It behooves our brethren who are ashamed of their Slovak ethnicity, to study their history, and learn how everything they have was given to them, and that they should give themselves for others as our pioneers did. The ultimate lesson is that we, American of Slovak ancestry, should foster and serve the Slovak cause and ideal, at least as much, if not better than our pioneers in early America." 203 SLOVAKIA REVIEWS OF PAUCO'S WRITINGS IN LEADING PERIODICALS MOST co po komunizme? (I, 1, 1954, p . 44) Tisov odkaz (I, 2, 1954, p. 39-40. Dr. Karol Murin) Dr. Jozef Tiso o sebe (I, 3, 1954, p. 41-43. F. Hrusovsky) Stefan Furdek a slovenske prist'ahovalectvo (II, 2, 1955, p. 136-137) Mest'ancik) Slovcici a komunizmus (IV, 3, 1957, p. 132-133. Unconquerables (VI, 1-2, 1959, p. 83-85. Andrew Pier, O.S.B.) Christian Slovakia Under Communism (VI, 3, 1959, p. 186-187. Andrew Jan Pier, O.S.B. ) Pi:it'desiatnik Dr. Jozef Kirschbaum (XI, 3-4, 1964, p. 181) Slovakia (XI, 3-4, 1964, p. 182-183) Litercirny Almanach Slovcika v Amerike na rok 1965 (XII, 1-2, 1965, p. 82-83) Slovakia (XII, 3-4, 1965, p. 189) SLOVAKIA 75 rokov Prvej Katolickej Slovenskej Jednoty (XV, 38, 1965, p . 152-155. Mother M. Emerentia, SS.C.M.) Litercirny Almanach Slovcika v Amerike 1967 (XVII, 40, 1967, p. 190-192. Sister M. Tarcisia Gregorovic, SS.C.M.) Tak sme sa poznali (XVIII, 41, 1968, p . 159-164. Sister M. Tarcisia, SS. C.M.) Slovenski priekopnici v Amerike ( XXIII , 46, 1973, p. 196-197. Joseph C. Krajsa) F URD EK All writings by Dr. Pauco on the history of American Slovaks are evaluated by J . M. Kirschbaum in his article Dr. Pauco' s W ritings and the History of American Slovaks (Furdek, 1974, p. 75-80) . Francis V n u k : A BIOGRAPHICAL VALEDICTION In spite of the fact that the Slovaks are among the oldest inhabitants of the Central European region their efforts to secure a fully independent life has been seldom appreciated and rarely understood. But frustrations and disappointments can never deter a nation from its ultimate aim, and where one generation fails another will rise to continue the struggle. The natural aspirations of a nature and self-respecting nation cannot be suppressed by terror, nor silenced by bribes, nor extinguished by an apparent  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Noted Slovak Jubilarians Description An account of the resource covers ndrej Žarnov, Imrich Kružliak, Mikuláš Šprinc, Teodorik Zúbek, Jozef Paučo incl. "Evaluation of Dr. Paučo's Writings by Reviewers" and "Reviews of Paučo's Writings in Leading Periodicals" J. M. Kirschbaum Slovakia, Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974 pp. 181-203 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kirschbaum, Jozef M., 1913-2001 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 SNK https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/5c313bfa13cf9069d823447544071007.pdf 71baa88f67621894f9b45c50dc7e2861 PDF Text Text SLOVAKIA 177 SLOVAK SOM JA Stephen John Knoblock This is not going to be a composition about our great patrons Saint Cyril and Methodius, nor about the first President the Slovaks had, Dr. Joseph Tiso. I will not write about the founder of the Sisters of Saint Cyril and Methodius, Father Matthew Jankola or of any other great Slovak leader about whom I have only read. Instead I will write about my great-grandparent s who were born in Slovakia and journeyed to this country at the turn of the century. I will tell about their strong love of God, traditions, and the variety of songs which they brought with them, along with stories I have heard from them and my parents. All their traditions today are an integral part of my life. The people of central, southern, and eastern Europe constantly looked toward the United States as a haven free from social injustice, economic serfdom and the threat of national liquidation. The Slovak was no exception. Harassed at home, subject to the insidious pressures of Magyarization, which sought to deprive them of their national character and identity, thousands of Slovak families, including my great-grandparent s, sought refuge in the new world. My great-grandparent s came to the United States on a passenger ship called "Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse" in nineteen hundred, wearing their babuskies and carrying their loved possessions from the old country. Along with goose feathers, perinas, beautifully and artistically embroidered towels and linens, and some fine China pieces, they brought with them most importantly, their strong faith and immense love of God. They settled in little Slovak communities and shared apartments with relatives and friends. Many found work here in Yonkers at the hat factory, Sugar House, or at the Alexander Smith Carpet Mills. It was hard for them in the beginning, but just as any one of the many immigrant groups we can say that they "have made it" in America. They didn't want charity but worked hard and saved their money. They help found our beautiful Church, Most Holy Trinity, and denied themselves many luxuries and pleasures to build a fine school which still stands as a monument to these fine people. �178 SLOVAKIA At that time the Church was the center of their lives. Life revolved around all parish activities. There was no television, airplanes, or mini skirts. Most husbands and wives with their families attended High Mass and Vespers on Sunday afternoon (after their polievka), which was a must. After Vespers many would walk to Glen Park to watch local clubs and teams play soft ball. The Church sponsored many summer outings, Slovak plays and musicals. The Slovak people were a humble close-knit group with an innate reverence, love, and respect for their church and pastors. They were a praying people who always knelt to say morning and evening prayers and the men were not ashamed to be seen praying from their Slovak prayer books and fingering their rosaries. Every Holy Day or well known saint's day was a day for prayer and celebration. Seldom did they miss rosary devotions during the months of May and October or the Stations of the Cross during the season of Lent. Since their lives were so closely related to the church, so too many of their traditions are religious orientated. On the day before Christmas it was considered good luck if a man was the first person to enter a home. The man was expected to Vinsovat' . One major and very loving custom is the traditional Christmas Eve supper. This supper consists of the blessed oblatky, honey, kozare soup (mushroom and sauerkraut), bobal'ky, roshky and kapustnica. This symbolic meal always began and finished with prayers and blessings from the head of the family. The blest oblatky (or Christmas wafers) symbolized the manna that God sent to His people as they sojourned in the desert. Jesus also said that He was the "bread of life." He left us His Body and Blood under the appearances of bread and wine in the Eucharist. The word oblatky derives from the Latin word oblata, which simply means 'offerings'. Blessed bread, associated with Mass and yet distinct from the Eucharist continues to be an important food at our holy meal. We as Slovaks are fortunate in preserving this custom at Christmas, as an aid to worthy reception of Holy Communion as well as a family spiritual communion on this most joyous of feasts. Later that evening they went to Midnight Mass which was always preceeded by the "Koledy" or Slovak Christmas �SLOVAKIA 179 carols. Even today we sing these simple melodic hymns which tell of the events that occured at Bethlehem.Co To Za Krdsne Diet'atko?, Dnesny Den sa Radujme, Narodil Sa Spasitel', Prisli Sme Ku Tebe, are only but a few. My favorite is Novinu Radostnu, a glorious and moving piece written by the late Vendel Galik, organist and choir director of our parish for forty years. Now I am a member of the Most Holy Trinity Choir and am becoming familiar with these simple, yet beautiful hymns. After the solemn, quiet, prayerful season of Post (Lent) came the joyous and happy time of the church year Vel'ka Noc (Easter). When our forefathers sang Aleluja, Radujme Sa, Pan Jezis Kristus Vstal Z Mftvych, they truly were happy and joyfully secure in their faith. Palm Sunday began the holy week with processions of the blessing of the palm branches. Every Slovak, young and old, wore a cross of palms on his lapel, and reverently displayed them at home. Very few missed Mass on Holy Thursday. The procession of priests, altar boys and children venerating the Blessed Sacrament was and is a spiritual experience. It was the custom to visit as many different churches as possible and offer prayers at their altars. Good Friday then was taken a little more seriously. It was a day of prayers and silence. A day to make a visit to Church and say the Way of the Cross. It was a busy day in the kitchen with paskas, nut and poppyseed cakes to be baked and the syrek to be cooked. Dedo usually got the job of grating of horseradish for the making of chren. It was always done outdoors because the aroma was so pungent it actually brought him to tears. On Holy Saturday we always bring our food to church to be blessed by the priest. The food is carried in a basket covered by a specially embroidered cloth or doily. The basket contains baked ham, klobasy, some lamb, decorated hard boiled eggs, chren, butter, paska and my favorite, syrek. The church, filled with hundreds of baskets of food, smelled so good, I could hardly wait for our Easter break~ fast. My great-grandfa ther, so my Mother .tells me, always circled the house with the basket to bring us blessings all year. Now, my Father and I still follow this ritual. I'm not alwas sure why we do all the things we do or �180 SLOVAKIA follow our special customs, but I know without them life would be dull and we wouldn't have much to look forward to. Take any large or small group of Slovak people at a wed.ding, social outing, banquet, family get-to-gether or a bus ride and they invariably start to sing. The man will start with Ja Parobok z Kapusian, and then you'll always hear Pod Tym Nasim Okieneckom, Ked' Komara zenili and the ladies all love Tancuj, Tancuj. Have you ever noticed how the proud Slovak people stand straighter, sing with more gusto and feeling and renewed faith when Hej, Slovaci is played? I always do and I too feel proud and happy to be of Slovak descent. On the)Whole we, too, are happy, singing musical family, and I recall the first few lines of a song, Slovak Som Ja, Slovak Budem and this is the theme of my paper. "Slovak I am and Slovak I will be" and very proud and happy too, if someday I can accomplish as much as my ancestors, and be so well remembered. True, my great-grandparents biographies will never be published, televised or reiterated by great speakers, but the Slovak traditions, customs, and ideals will remain a part of my life. The greatest heritage bequeathed to me is my Catholic Faith ... (First place - High School) No people or nation can blossom culturally, socially, financially and politically without its own state or country. This is true for little or big nations. This is true for America and for Slovakia. THE OLD KR.AEOVIANSKY TUNNEL serves as a warehouse for 50,000 kilograms of the famed bryndza cheese beginning with May each year. � SLOVAKIA 177 SLOVAK SOM JA Stephen John Knoblock This is not going to be a composition about our great patrons Saint Cyril and Methodius, nor about the first President the Slovaks had, Dr. Joseph Tiso. I will not write about the founder of the Sisters of Saint Cyril and Methodius, Father Matthew Jankola or of any other great Slovak leader about whom I have only read. Instead I will write about my great-grandparent s who were born in Slovakia and journeyed to this country at the turn of the century. I will tell about their strong love of God, traditions, and the variety of songs which they brought with them, along with stories I have heard from them and my parents. All their traditions today are an integral part of my life. The people of central, southern, and eastern Europe constantly looked toward the United States as a haven free from social injustice, economic serfdom and the threat of national liquidation. The Slovak was no exception. Harassed at home, subject to the insidious pressures of Magyarization, which sought to deprive them of their national character and identity, thousands of Slovak families, including my great-grandparent s, sought refuge in the new world. My great-grandparent s came to the United States on a passenger ship called "Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse" in nineteen hundred, wearing their babuskies and carrying their loved possessions from the old country. Along with goose feathers, perinas, beautifully and artistically embroidered towels and linens, and some fine China pieces, they brought with them most importantly, their strong faith and immense love of God. They settled in little Slovak communities and shared apartments with relatives and friends. Many found work here in Yonkers at the hat factory, Sugar House, or at the Alexander Smith Carpet Mills. It was hard for them in the beginning, but just as any one of the many immigrant groups we can say that they "have made it" in America. They didn't want charity but worked hard and saved their money. They help found our beautiful Church, Most Holy Trinity, and denied themselves many luxuries and pleasures to build a fine school which still stands as a monument to these fine people. �178 SLOVAKIA At that time the Church was the center of their lives. Life revolved around all parish activities. There was no television, airplanes, or mini skirts. Most husbands and wives with their families attended High Mass and Vespers on Sunday afternoon (after their polievka), which was a must. After Vespers many would walk to Glen Park to watch local clubs and teams play soft ball. The Church sponsored many summer outings, Slovak plays and musicals. The Slovak people were a humble close-knit group with an innate reverence, love, and respect for their church and pastors. They were a praying people who always knelt to say morning and evening prayers and the men were not ashamed to be seen praying from their Slovak prayer books and fingering their rosaries. Every Holy Day or well known saint's day was a day for prayer and celebration. Seldom did they miss rosary devotions during the months of May and October or the Stations of the Cross during the season of Lent. Since their lives were so closely related to the church, so too many of their traditions are religious orientated. On the day before Christmas it was considered good luck if a man was the first person to enter a home. The man was expected to Vinsovat' . One major and very loving custom is the traditional Christmas Eve supper. This supper consists of the blessed oblatky, honey, kozare soup (mushroom and sauerkraut), bobal'ky, roshky and kapustnica. This symbolic meal always began and finished with prayers and blessings from the head of the family. The blest oblatky (or Christmas wafers) symbolized the manna that God sent to His people as they sojourned in the desert. Jesus also said that He was the "bread of life." He left us His Body and Blood under the appearances of bread and wine in the Eucharist. The word oblatky derives from the Latin word oblata, which simply means 'offerings'. Blessed bread, associated with Mass and yet distinct from the Eucharist continues to be an important food at our holy meal. We as Slovaks are fortunate in preserving this custom at Christmas, as an aid to worthy reception of Holy Communion as well as a family spiritual communion on this most joyous of feasts. Later that evening they went to Midnight Mass which was always preceeded by the "Koledy" or Slovak Christmas �SLOVAKIA 179 carols. Even today we sing these simple melodic hymns which tell of the events that occured at Bethlehem.Co To Za Krdsne Diet'atko?, Dnesny Den sa Radujme, Narodil Sa Spasitel', Prisli Sme Ku Tebe, are only but a few. My favorite is Novinu Radostnu, a glorious and moving piece written by the late Vendel Galik, organist and choir director of our parish for forty years. Now I am a member of the Most Holy Trinity Choir and am becoming familiar with these simple, yet beautiful hymns. After the solemn, quiet, prayerful season of Post (Lent) came the joyous and happy time of the church year Vel'ka Noc (Easter). When our forefathers sang Aleluja, Radujme Sa, Pan Jezis Kristus Vstal Z Mftvych, they truly were happy and joyfully secure in their faith. Palm Sunday began the holy week with processions of the blessing of the palm branches. Every Slovak, young and old, wore a cross of palms on his lapel, and reverently displayed them at home. Very few missed Mass on Holy Thursday. The procession of priests, altar boys and children venerating the Blessed Sacrament was and is a spiritual experience. It was the custom to visit as many different churches as possible and offer prayers at their altars. Good Friday then was taken a little more seriously. It was a day of prayers and silence. A day to make a visit to Church and say the Way of the Cross. It was a busy day in the kitchen with paskas, nut and poppyseed cakes to be baked and the syrek to be cooked. Dedo usually got the job of grating of horseradish for the making of chren. It was always done outdoors because the aroma was so pungent it actually brought him to tears. On Holy Saturday we always bring our food to church to be blessed by the priest. The food is carried in a basket covered by a specially embroidered cloth or doily. The basket contains baked ham, klobasy, some lamb, decorated hard boiled eggs, chren, butter, paska and my favorite, syrek. The church, filled with hundreds of baskets of food, smelled so good, I could hardly wait for our Easter break~ fast. My great-grandfa ther, so my Mother .tells me, always circled the house with the basket to bring us blessings all year. Now, my Father and I still follow this ritual. I'm not alwas sure why we do all the things we do or �180 SLOVAKIA follow our special customs, but I know without them life would be dull and we wouldn't have much to look forward to. Take any large or small group of Slovak people at a wed.ding, social outing, banquet, family get-to-gether or a bus ride and they invariably start to sing. The man will start with Ja Parobok z Kapusian, and then you'll always hear Pod Tym Nasim Okieneckom, Ked' Komara zenili and the ladies all love Tancuj, Tancuj. Have you ever noticed how the proud Slovak people stand straighter, sing with more gusto and feeling and renewed faith when Hej, Slovaci is played? I always do and I too feel proud and happy to be of Slovak descent. On the)Whole we, too, are happy, singing musical family, and I recall the first few lines of a song, Slovak Som Ja, Slovak Budem and this is the theme of my paper. "Slovak I am and Slovak I will be" and very proud and happy too, if someday I can accomplish as much as my ancestors, and be so well remembered. True, my great-grandparents biographies will never be published, televised or reiterated by great speakers, but the Slovak traditions, customs, and ideals will remain a part of my life. The greatest heritage bequeathed to me is my Catholic Faith ... (First place - High School) No people or nation can blossom culturally, socially, financially and politically without its own state or country. This is true for little or big nations. This is true for America and for Slovakia. THE OLD KR.AEOVIANSKY TUNNEL serves as a warehouse for 50,000 kilograms of the famed bryndza cheese beginning with May each year. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1974, Vol. 24 Description An account of the resource Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document SLOVAKIA 177 SLOVAK SOM JA Stephen John Knoblock This is not going to be a composition about our great patrons Saint Cyril and Methodius, nor about the first President the Slovaks had, Dr. Joseph Tiso. I will not write about the founder of the Sisters of Saint Cyril and Methodius, Father Matthew Jankola or of any other great Slovak leader about whom I have only read. Instead I will write about my great-grandparent s who were born in Slovakia and journeyed to this country at the turn of the century. I will tell about their strong love of God, traditions, and the variety of songs which they brought with them, along with stories I have heard from them and my parents. All their traditions today are an integral part of my life. The people of central, southern, and eastern Europe constantly looked toward the United States as a haven free from social injustice, economic serfdom and the threat of national liquidation. The Slovak was no exception. Harassed at home, subject to the insidious pressures of Magyarization, which sought to deprive them of their national character and identity, thousands of Slovak families, including my great-grandparent s, sought refuge in the new world. My great-grandparent s came to the United States on a passenger ship called "Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse" in nineteen hundred, wearing their babuskies and carrying their loved possessions from the old country. Along with goose feathers, perinas, beautifully and artistically embroidered towels and linens, and some fine China pieces, they brought with them most importantly, their strong faith and immense love of God. They settled in little Slovak communities and shared apartments with relatives and friends. Many found work here in Yonkers at the hat factory, Sugar House, or at the Alexander Smith Carpet Mills. It was hard for them in the beginning, but just as any one of the many immigrant groups we can say that they "have made it" in America. They didn't want charity but worked hard and saved their money. They help found our beautiful Church, Most Holy Trinity, and denied themselves many luxuries and pleasures to build a fine school which still stands as a monument to these fine people. 178 SLOVAKIA At that time the Church was the center of their lives. Life revolved around all parish activities. There was no television, airplanes, or mini skirts. Most husbands and wives with their families attended High Mass and Vespers on Sunday afternoon (after their polievka), which was a must. After Vespers many would walk to Glen Park to watch local clubs and teams play soft ball. The Church sponsored many summer outings, Slovak plays and musicals. The Slovak people were a humble close-knit group with an innate reverence, love, and respect for their church and pastors. They were a praying people who always knelt to say morning and evening prayers and the men were not ashamed to be seen praying from their Slovak prayer books and fingering their rosaries. Every Holy Day or well known saint's day was a day for prayer and celebration. Seldom did they miss rosary devotions during the months of May and October or the Stations of the Cross during the season of Lent. Since their lives were so closely related to the church, so too many of their traditions are religious orientated. On the day before Christmas it was considered good luck if a man was the first person to enter a home. The man was expected to Vinsovat' . One major and very loving custom is the traditional Christmas Eve supper. This supper consists of the blessed oblatky, honey, kozare soup (mushroom and sauerkraut), bobal'ky, roshky and kapustnica. This symbolic meal always began and finished with prayers and blessings from the head of the family. The blest oblatky (or Christmas wafers) symbolized the manna that God sent to His people as they sojourned in the desert. Jesus also said that He was the "bread of life." He left us His Body and Blood under the appearances of bread and wine in the Eucharist. The word oblatky derives from the Latin word oblata, which simply means 'offerings'. Blessed bread, associated with Mass and yet distinct from the Eucharist continues to be an important food at our holy meal. We as Slovaks are fortunate in preserving this custom at Christmas, as an aid to worthy reception of Holy Communion as well as a family spiritual communion on this most joyous of feasts. Later that evening they went to Midnight Mass which was always preceeded by the "Koledy" or Slovak Christmas SLOVAKIA 179 carols. Even today we sing these simple melodic hymns which tell of the events that occured at Bethlehem.Co To Za Krdsne Diet'atko?, Dnesny Den sa Radujme, Narodil Sa Spasitel', Prisli Sme Ku Tebe, are only but a few. My favorite is Novinu Radostnu, a glorious and moving piece written by the late Vendel Galik, organist and choir director of our parish for forty years. Now I am a member of the Most Holy Trinity Choir and am becoming familiar with these simple, yet beautiful hymns. After the solemn, quiet, prayerful season of Post (Lent) came the joyous and happy time of the church year Vel'ka Noc (Easter). When our forefathers sang Aleluja, Radujme Sa, Pan Jezis Kristus Vstal Z Mftvych, they truly were happy and joyfully secure in their faith. Palm Sunday began the holy week with processions of the blessing of the palm branches. Every Slovak, young and old, wore a cross of palms on his lapel, and reverently displayed them at home. Very few missed Mass on Holy Thursday. The procession of priests, altar boys and children venerating the Blessed Sacrament was and is a spiritual experience. It was the custom to visit as many different churches as possible and offer prayers at their altars. Good Friday then was taken a little more seriously. It was a day of prayers and silence. A day to make a visit to Church and say the Way of the Cross. It was a busy day in the kitchen with paskas, nut and poppyseed cakes to be baked and the syrek to be cooked. Dedo usually got the job of grating of horseradish for the making of chren. It was always done outdoors because the aroma was so pungent it actually brought him to tears. On Holy Saturday we always bring our food to church to be blessed by the priest. The food is carried in a basket covered by a specially embroidered cloth or doily. The basket contains baked ham, klobasy, some lamb, decorated hard boiled eggs, chren, butter, paska and my favorite, syrek. The church, filled with hundreds of baskets of food, smelled so good, I could hardly wait for our Easter break~ fast. My great-grandfa ther, so my Mother .tells me, always circled the house with the basket to bring us blessings all year. Now, my Father and I still follow this ritual. I'm not alwas sure why we do all the things we do or 180 SLOVAKIA follow our special customs, but I know without them life would be dull and we wouldn't have much to look forward to. Take any large or small group of Slovak people at a wed.ding, social outing, banquet, family get-to-gether or a bus ride and they invariably start to sing. The man will start with Ja Parobok z Kapusian, and then you'll always hear Pod Tym Nasim Okieneckom, Ked' Komara zenili and the ladies all love Tancuj, Tancuj. Have you ever noticed how the proud Slovak people stand straighter, sing with more gusto and feeling and renewed faith when Hej, Slovaci is played? I always do and I too feel proud and happy to be of Slovak descent. On the)Whole we, too, are happy, singing musical family, and I recall the first few lines of a song, Slovak Som Ja, Slovak Budem and this is the theme of my paper. "Slovak I am and Slovak I will be" and very proud and happy too, if someday I can accomplish as much as my ancestors, and be so well remembered. True, my great-grandparents biographies will never be published, televised or reiterated by great speakers, but the Slovak traditions, customs, and ideals will remain a part of my life. The greatest heritage bequeathed to me is my Catholic Faith ... (First place - High School) No people or nation can blossom culturally, socially, financially and politically without its own state or country. This is true for little or big nations. This is true for America and for Slovakia. THE OLD KR.AEOVIANSKY TUNNEL serves as a warehouse for 50,000 kilograms of the famed bryndza cheese beginning with May each year.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Slovák som ja Description An account of the resource Stephen John Knoblock Slovakia, Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974 pp. 177-180 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Knoblock, Stephen John Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 SNK https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/75a909bdd8b0fc868aebe25cba299cc4.pdf 3e17d0710ca1e65e2a73b94d244da73e PDF Text Text SLOVAKIA 169 Kirschbaum, Joseph M., "Twenty Years of Czech and Communist Rule in Slovakia," SLovakia, 1965. Levine, Isaac D., Intervention, 1969, Van Rees Press. Oddo, Gilbert L., Slovakia and its People, 1960, Robert Speller and Sons. Pauco, Joseph (ed.), Slovakia, 1966, 1968, 1969, Slovak League of America. Roberts, Adam and Windsor, Philip, Czechoslovakia 1968, 1969, Columbia University Press. Schwartz, Harry, Prague's 200 Days, 1969, Frederick A. Praeger, Inc. Zubek, T. J ., O.F.M., Church of Silence in Slovakia, 1969, J. J . Lach. MAGAZINES Newsweek, Prague Defies the Kremlin, July 29, 1968. Reader's Digest, The Rape of Czechoslovakia, November, 1968. Time, Self-Determination for Czechoslovakia, April 5, 1968; Czechoslovakia-Approaching Total Eclipse, April 6, 1970; Alexander Dubcek's AU Too Human Face, May 18, 1970. PAMPHLETS AND PAPERS Committee on Un-American Activities, Soviet Total War, 1956. Embassy of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, Background Notes Department of State, Socialist Republic Background Notes. New York Times, February 10, 1970, Students in Prague Now Know Their Beautiful Dream is Over, by Alvin Shuster. Hrobak, Philip A., Who Betrayed Slovakia to the Reds. THE SLOVAK ARTS IN PERSPECTIVE Marlene B a rt o s It is \from the vantage point of a multi-ethnic democracy such as the United States that Slovak cultural history can best be placed in true perspective. This paper is an attempt to do so. Because Slovak cultural history has so many ramifications that reach deeply in the histories of neighboring nations, this presentation considers only the theatrical and musical arts, and then only in historical delineation. Analyses and evaluations must remain for the future. The earliest recorded report of a theatrical presentation in Slovakia is the performance of a Christmas play in Bratislava in 1439. By the mid-1500's, plays seem to have been regularly presented. The year 1544 to 1545, for example, records the performances of two plays in German; the one entitled Judith, the other, The Five Wise and Unwise Maidens. Similar reports record activity in Bardejov and Kremnica. (Dejiny slovenskej literatury, 1960. History of Slovak Literature.) �170 SLOVAKIA The 17th century marked dramatic development in Latin at Slovak Jesuit schools, with performances of Seneca, Sophocles, Plautus, and Terentius, among others. These plays were also translated into Slovak, Magyar, and German, and presented in the vernacular. The Piarist Fathers were also active, although their productions did not match the splendor of Jesuit productions in polish or costuming. Jesuit presentations were costumed from Vienna and not infrequently from Venice. Piarist productions, however, were more liberal in content, dealing more with worldly issues, and thus contributed notably to Slovak drama. Original plays in Latin were presented at Slovak Protestant institutions. Isaac Caban (1638-1707), rector at Brezno and later professor at the Presov and Levoca lyceums, wrote a cycle of five Latin plays titled Labarum Triumphale Victrici Palladi Fragariae Solenne (Triumphant Standard of Presov's Victorious Minerva). The cycle was presented in 1665 on five successive days and repeated several times by popular demand. Other original Latin plays by other professors-divines soon appeared. One such play, titled Eleazar Constans, was about a man who was steadfast in his faith. It was presented in Bardejov, in 1668, by students on the anniversary of the founding of their school. This was followed, in 1669, by Papinianus Tetragonus , which met with tremendous success. The nature of the play itself reflected the universal European trend of that time. The protagonist was Papinianus Ictus, a Roman jurist who lived from 140 to 212, "a man brave, steadfast, and honorable." He was executed by Roman Emperor Caracalla because he would not condone the Emperor's fratricide. Papinianus was translated into the prevalent vernaculars-Slovak, German, Magyar-and continued in popularity. A most interesting study for a thesis would be a comparison of the play to the tragedies of Shakespeare, who had been dead only fifty years at that time. Titus Andronicus? Julius Ceasar? Timon of Athens? Anthony and Cleopatra? Coriolanus? Shakespeare drew heavily upon Plutarch's Parallel Lives for the factual bases of his tragedies. Plutarch had �SLOVAKIA 171 already been translated into English and had a profound influence upon English literature; Plutarch was integral to the classical scholarship of Slovakia; Plutarch was the cultural denominator common to England and Slovakia and could therefore serve as the prime basis for a comparative study. Thanks to the well-organized records keeping of the religious orders, much information is available to us about theatrical presentations. From 1601 to 1773, the Jesuits staged over 10,000 plays in Hungary, most of them in Slovakia. The themes of the plays dealt with the bible and with oriental and classical history. Slovak was used for the first time in Bratislava in 1628 as the language of a play entitled About the Sacrament of the Altar. Performances were held every evening during the Lenten season, and the response was so great that more than a thousand tickets were sold every day. An original play entitled Apollo Returned Heaven, by Rector Paul ~uhaj, was performed in Slovak at Levoca, Spisska Kapitula, and Skalica. With the growth of a middle class by the early 1700's came a burgeoning interest in the theater, reaching from the nobility, through the middle-class and the working-class, to the peasantry. The center of this activity in Slovakia was Bratislava, which was also the seat of the Hungarian Parliament. Only a short drive by horse-coach from Vienna, Bratislava teemed with the nobility of the Austrian Imperial Court and consequently that of Hungary and visitors from the other monarchies of Europe. They brought to Bratislava theatrical companies from Austria, Poland, Italy, and Germany. Private theaters became the fashion among such noble families as the Erdody, Eszterhazy, and Zichy, which maintained residences in Bratislava. The permanent theater in Bratislava, from 1741 on, was at Rybarska Brana (Fisherman's Gate). A small summer theater was established in 1760. To the sorrow of Slovak culture, the situation among talented performers of that time still exists today. Persons of outstanding talent would move on to the larger cities of Europe-Budapest, Vienna, Munich, Prague-and asswne a culture that was alien, if not politically hostile, to their Slovak background. Although �172 SLOVAKIA their talents were genetically rooted in Slovakia, the theatrical dynasties they frequently founded were completely alienated, both culturally and politically. The Czech theater was enriched by two Slovaks, Paul Kyrmezer of Banska stiavnica, and George Tesak of Mosovce. Both were refugees from the ravages of the Turks, who held strategic fortresses in Slovakia at that time. Kyrmezer was for a time pastor and school director of various churches in Moravia, being dean in Uherske Hradiste from 1576 until his death in 1589. He wrote several plays and dramas in Old Slovak. George Tesak, who died in Prague in 1617, wrote many plays incorporating music and song, which are considered early forms of the operetta. Both Kyrmezer and Tesak are respected by the Czechs as pioneers in Czech theatrical arts. Adaptations of their works were performed as late as 1938 in Prague, Brno, Olomouc, and other Czech and Moravian centers with great success. The theatrical arts moved ahead quickly in full force in Bratislava, Budapest, and Vienna, which, of course, was reflected in smaller, provincial communities. Music, at this time, became compulsory in all intermediate and higher schools. All professional theaters began to present operas and operettas. Music became an indispensible factor in social and cultural life. Artists-actors, singers, musicians, composers, conductors, and directors-were subsidized by the state and community. Indeed, if one did not attend at least two performances a week, one was almost a social outcast. Many Slovak young men, even from the villages, who came to the big cities to study medicine, pharmacy, law, or philosophy, began to devote themselves to music. They ultimately gave up their original ambitions and enrolled in conservatories of music, undoubtedly causing their parents considerable grief. In this sense they were not unlike our modern youth. · Matthew Kamensky, born in sopron in 1734, composed the first op~ra in Polish, Nedza Uszczesliwiona (Poverty Made Fortunate). He died in Warsaw in 1821 as the popular composer Ka:mi~nski. [Jan Fisher, Dejin,y hudby (History �SLOVAKIA 173 of Music), Spolok sv. Vojtecha (Society of St. Adalbert), Trnava, 1933 ) . Slovakia's central location made the country an important crossing point in the musical lives of surrounding countries. Slovakia was close to the Austrian music of Vienna. But there were also strong Magyar influences. Purely from a Slovak and Slavonic standpoint, the Abbey at Budec was the guardian of liturgical music. The abbey fostered the Cyrilo-Methodian Liturgy and produced many outstanding musicians, composers, and teachers. Bratislava is less than 20 miles, across the Danube, from Rohrau in Austria, where Josef Haydn was born. As a composer of world renown, Haydn contributed outstandingly to the development of the symphony. And as such, he was a teacher of the German genius Ludwig van Beethoven, who raised the symphonic form to its greatest development. Both masters knew Bratislava. Beethoven was only 22 years old when he made Vienna his home in 1792. By 1796 he had already personally endeared himself to Bratislava audiences, although his First Symphony was received with mixed reactions, as elsewhere, when it was first performed in 1800. There is a legend that his Moonlight Sonata was inspired by his love for an innkeeper's daughter in the Slovak spa of Piest'any. Beethoven's fame and popularity brought him many requests for his patronage. One such request, which was fulfilled, came from a young student of music, Jozef Koritansky, who went on to Vienna to become one of the most outstanding of opera stars in Europe. The great Franz Schubert also knew Slovakia. As music teacher to a branch of the Eszterhazy family, he lived in the palace at Zeliezovce. Here he composed his famous Ave Maria, supposedly to express his love for one of the Eszterhazy daughters, which is allegedly why the hymn was banned from churches in some parts of Europe. He, too, was a frequent visitor to Bratislava, where he is known to have had many friends . .Vienna as a cultural magnet, and because of its geographical proximity, drew countless numbers of Slovaks over the centuries. Some went specifically to further their studies. Others went merely to seek their fortunes. At the �174 SLOVAKIA outbreak of World War I, there were innumerable thousands of Slovaks in Vienna. Budapest is an interesting example of Magyar acculturation of Slovaks. The first Magyar opera was composed in 1823 by a Slovak, Jozef Chudy, born in Bratislava. The world-famous composer Ernest Dohnany, was born in Banska Bystrica in 1877. The primadona of the Royal Magyar Theater, Maria Sarvasova, was born in Zvolen in 1894. The leading actress Ilona Bednar was born in Banska stiavnica. Prima ballerina Anna suhaj was a Slovak. The leading actors Jan Sklenar, Tomas Jakub, Pavol Rezar, and Jozef Sedlak, as well as the singers Zoltan Kianicka, Andrej Dvoran, and Jan Mastny, all considered Magyar, had Slovak backgrounds. (Dejiny hudby, Trnava, 1933; Javisko, Turc. Sv. Martin, 1940) As Magyar chauvinism grew in intensity, the Slovak theater in the Slovak highlands suffered, from harassment to direct suppression. Slovak audiences, particularly in the villages, delighted in plays that satirized the Magyarization of the small-town Slovak gentry. Since Magyarization was the planned program of the Budapest government, such plays were considered subversive. Suppression stimulated the growth of the Slovak folk theater, and groups of devoted amateurs sustained the Slovak character through long years of political and cultural oppression. The amateur theater became so ingrained a tradition, that it was brought to the United States by early immigrants, where, with the ubiquitous, multi-functional Slovak choir, it became the fund raiser for most of the Slovak churches, schools, and societies. It would be a long list if one were to enumerate the artists who gained fame on the stages of Budapest and Vienna and whose talents stemmed from the highland villages of Slovakia. It would be an extremely short list to enumerate those artists whose Slovak identity was not obliterated by the cultures of their new environments. There are notable examples, however, of artists who should be mentioned because they emerged as Slovaks through the forces that brought about the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and brought into being new states, among them Czecho-Slovakia. �SLOVAKIA 175 It was in 1916, a year before the United States entered World War I and when the Austro-Hungarian Empire was already tottering, that a Slovak artist of high professional caliber appeared on the American stage as a Slovak, perhaps for the first time in history. It was Anica Fabry, primadona of the Royal Opera at Budapest. She presented several concerts in New York City, which were favorably reviewed by such newspapers as The New York Times, The Herald Tribune, and the Journal American, among others. Noteworthy is the fact that in the programs of songs Miss Fabry sang were those of a young Slovak composer, Mikulas Schneider-Trnavsky. Following upon the end of the war and the emergence of the states in Central and East Central Europe, the world was able to know the young, talented Slovaks building careers on the stages of Budapest and Vienna. The handsome young Slovak actor-singer Frantisek Kristof Vesely was brought from Vienna to Prague, where he became a leading star in films. From Budapest there returned such outstanding artists as Andrej Bagar, Hana Melickova, and Jozef Kelo. Bratislava was nationalistically awakening in quick tempo. But it soon appeared that the Czechs wanted the National Theater at Bratislava to be a bridge for politicizing and for influencing a pan-Czech Slovak development. This led to an internal struggle that lasted for years, during which Slovaks were gradually beginning to supplant Czechs m thA Slovak National Theater, particular as authors and playwriters.Outstanding foreign plays were being translated into Slovak and presented on the stage. Many Slovaks, however, were applying their talents to the Czech stage, as actors, singers, directors, and ballet performers. They were exceptionally well paid for their talents, it should be said, to prevent them from complementing the Slovak theaters at Bratislava and Kosice, which were, through their high professional standards, too dangerously competitive for the Czech theater at Prague and Brno. The year 1938 decided in favor of the Slovaks. The theater in Bratislava was already on a high professional level. The still relatively young, 39-year-old idol, Frantisek �176 SLOVAKIA Kristof Vesely, came home to Bratislava from Prague. Opera star Belo Turba Nitrancan returned from Brno. New strength arrived through the return of young Slovaks who had been studying abroad. All enriched the Slovak stage. Into this resurging theatrical environment entered the ambitious and talented young Slovak, Gejza Dusik, who in the course of a few years wrote dozens of operettas, Turecky tabak (Turkish Tobacco), Modra ruza (Blue Rose), Pozar na vlak (Watch Out for the Train), Pod cudzou vlajkou (Under a Foreign Flag), to name the most popular. These were received with so great and wide acclaim that they were almost immediately translated into neighboring languages - German, Magyar, Croat, Bulgar, and others. Theaters were filled to standing-room-on ly whenever Dusik's operettas were performed. The names Mayzes, Cikker, and Suchan are known world-wide as contemporary composers of classical music, symphonic and operatic. Their works are in the repertoire of every major, internationally known symphony orchestra and opera company. Mayzes' Janosik Suite musically recreates the legends of the popular Slovak hero-outlaw, who "took from the rich and gave to the poor." Cikker's operas are regularly performed in Germany and England, particularly one based on Dicken's Christmas Carol. Suchon's opera Krutnava (Vortex), in purely Slovak setting and theme, begins in tragedy and ends in happiness, contrary to traditional operatic structure. Nevertheless, Krutnava has established itself even in Italy, the birthplace and home of opera. As already stated, this presentation considers Slovak theatrical and musical arts only in historical delineation. Although the years 1938 to 1945 constitute, in a sense, Slovak cultural risorgimento, those years and the years following up to our time are still within the current historical perspective. As such, they do not lend themselves even to a superficial evaluation that can be objective. Such evaluation is for the future. What may be said today about this period of Slovak risorgimento is that Bratislava surpassed Vienna in the state of the arts. What must be asked today is, "Quo vadis, Bratislava?" ( Second place - College) � SLOVAKIA 169 Kirschbaum, Joseph M., "Twenty Years of Czech and Communist Rule in Slovakia," SLovakia, 1965. Levine, Isaac D., Intervention, 1969, Van Rees Press. Oddo, Gilbert L., Slovakia and its People, 1960, Robert Speller and Sons. Pauco, Joseph (ed.), Slovakia, 1966, 1968, 1969, Slovak League of America. Roberts, Adam and Windsor, Philip, Czechoslovakia 1968, 1969, Columbia University Press. Schwartz, Harry, Prague's 200 Days, 1969, Frederick A. Praeger, Inc. Zubek, T. J ., O.F.M., Church of Silence in Slovakia, 1969, J. J . Lach. MAGAZINES Newsweek, Prague Defies the Kremlin, July 29, 1968. Reader's Digest, The Rape of Czechoslovakia, November, 1968. Time, Self-Determination for Czechoslovakia, April 5, 1968; Czechoslovakia-Approaching Total Eclipse, April 6, 1970; Alexander Dubcek's AU Too Human Face, May 18, 1970. PAMPHLETS AND PAPERS Committee on Un-American Activities, Soviet Total War, 1956. Embassy of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, Background Notes Department of State, Socialist Republic Background Notes. New York Times, February 10, 1970, Students in Prague Now Know Their Beautiful Dream is Over, by Alvin Shuster. Hrobak, Philip A., Who Betrayed Slovakia to the Reds. THE SLOVAK ARTS IN PERSPECTIVE Marlene B a rt o s It is \from the vantage point of a multi-ethnic democracy such as the United States that Slovak cultural history can best be placed in true perspective. This paper is an attempt to do so. Because Slovak cultural history has so many ramifications that reach deeply in the histories of neighboring nations, this presentation considers only the theatrical and musical arts, and then only in historical delineation. Analyses and evaluations must remain for the future. The earliest recorded report of a theatrical presentation in Slovakia is the performance of a Christmas play in Bratislava in 1439. By the mid-1500's, plays seem to have been regularly presented. The year 1544 to 1545, for example, records the performances of two plays in German; the one entitled Judith, the other, The Five Wise and Unwise Maidens. Similar reports record activity in Bardejov and Kremnica. (Dejiny slovenskej literatury, 1960. History of Slovak Literature.) �170 SLOVAKIA The 17th century marked dramatic development in Latin at Slovak Jesuit schools, with performances of Seneca, Sophocles, Plautus, and Terentius, among others. These plays were also translated into Slovak, Magyar, and German, and presented in the vernacular. The Piarist Fathers were also active, although their productions did not match the splendor of Jesuit productions in polish or costuming. Jesuit presentations were costumed from Vienna and not infrequently from Venice. Piarist productions, however, were more liberal in content, dealing more with worldly issues, and thus contributed notably to Slovak drama. Original plays in Latin were presented at Slovak Protestant institutions. Isaac Caban (1638-1707), rector at Brezno and later professor at the Presov and Levoca lyceums, wrote a cycle of five Latin plays titled Labarum Triumphale Victrici Palladi Fragariae Solenne (Triumphant Standard of Presov's Victorious Minerva). The cycle was presented in 1665 on five successive days and repeated several times by popular demand. Other original Latin plays by other professors-divines soon appeared. One such play, titled Eleazar Constans, was about a man who was steadfast in his faith. It was presented in Bardejov, in 1668, by students on the anniversary of the founding of their school. This was followed, in 1669, by Papinianus Tetragonus , which met with tremendous success. The nature of the play itself reflected the universal European trend of that time. The protagonist was Papinianus Ictus, a Roman jurist who lived from 140 to 212, "a man brave, steadfast, and honorable." He was executed by Roman Emperor Caracalla because he would not condone the Emperor's fratricide. Papinianus was translated into the prevalent vernaculars-Slovak, German, Magyar-and continued in popularity. A most interesting study for a thesis would be a comparison of the play to the tragedies of Shakespeare, who had been dead only fifty years at that time. Titus Andronicus? Julius Ceasar? Timon of Athens? Anthony and Cleopatra? Coriolanus? Shakespeare drew heavily upon Plutarch's Parallel Lives for the factual bases of his tragedies. Plutarch had �SLOVAKIA 171 already been translated into English and had a profound influence upon English literature; Plutarch was integral to the classical scholarship of Slovakia; Plutarch was the cultural denominator common to England and Slovakia and could therefore serve as the prime basis for a comparative study. Thanks to the well-organized records keeping of the religious orders, much information is available to us about theatrical presentations. From 1601 to 1773, the Jesuits staged over 10,000 plays in Hungary, most of them in Slovakia. The themes of the plays dealt with the bible and with oriental and classical history. Slovak was used for the first time in Bratislava in 1628 as the language of a play entitled About the Sacrament of the Altar. Performances were held every evening during the Lenten season, and the response was so great that more than a thousand tickets were sold every day. An original play entitled Apollo Returned Heaven, by Rector Paul ~uhaj, was performed in Slovak at Levoca, Spisska Kapitula, and Skalica. With the growth of a middle class by the early 1700's came a burgeoning interest in the theater, reaching from the nobility, through the middle-class and the working-class, to the peasantry. The center of this activity in Slovakia was Bratislava, which was also the seat of the Hungarian Parliament. Only a short drive by horse-coach from Vienna, Bratislava teemed with the nobility of the Austrian Imperial Court and consequently that of Hungary and visitors from the other monarchies of Europe. They brought to Bratislava theatrical companies from Austria, Poland, Italy, and Germany. Private theaters became the fashion among such noble families as the Erdody, Eszterhazy, and Zichy, which maintained residences in Bratislava. The permanent theater in Bratislava, from 1741 on, was at Rybarska Brana (Fisherman's Gate). A small summer theater was established in 1760. To the sorrow of Slovak culture, the situation among talented performers of that time still exists today. Persons of outstanding talent would move on to the larger cities of Europe-Budapest, Vienna, Munich, Prague-and asswne a culture that was alien, if not politically hostile, to their Slovak background. Although �172 SLOVAKIA their talents were genetically rooted in Slovakia, the theatrical dynasties they frequently founded were completely alienated, both culturally and politically. The Czech theater was enriched by two Slovaks, Paul Kyrmezer of Banska stiavnica, and George Tesak of Mosovce. Both were refugees from the ravages of the Turks, who held strategic fortresses in Slovakia at that time. Kyrmezer was for a time pastor and school director of various churches in Moravia, being dean in Uherske Hradiste from 1576 until his death in 1589. He wrote several plays and dramas in Old Slovak. George Tesak, who died in Prague in 1617, wrote many plays incorporating music and song, which are considered early forms of the operetta. Both Kyrmezer and Tesak are respected by the Czechs as pioneers in Czech theatrical arts. Adaptations of their works were performed as late as 1938 in Prague, Brno, Olomouc, and other Czech and Moravian centers with great success. The theatrical arts moved ahead quickly in full force in Bratislava, Budapest, and Vienna, which, of course, was reflected in smaller, provincial communities. Music, at this time, became compulsory in all intermediate and higher schools. All professional theaters began to present operas and operettas. Music became an indispensible factor in social and cultural life. Artists-actors, singers, musicians, composers, conductors, and directors-were subsidized by the state and community. Indeed, if one did not attend at least two performances a week, one was almost a social outcast. Many Slovak young men, even from the villages, who came to the big cities to study medicine, pharmacy, law, or philosophy, began to devote themselves to music. They ultimately gave up their original ambitions and enrolled in conservatories of music, undoubtedly causing their parents considerable grief. In this sense they were not unlike our modern youth. · Matthew Kamensky, born in sopron in 1734, composed the first op~ra in Polish, Nedza Uszczesliwiona (Poverty Made Fortunate). He died in Warsaw in 1821 as the popular composer Ka:mi~nski. [Jan Fisher, Dejin,y hudby (History �SLOVAKIA 173 of Music), Spolok sv. Vojtecha (Society of St. Adalbert), Trnava, 1933 ) . Slovakia's central location made the country an important crossing point in the musical lives of surrounding countries. Slovakia was close to the Austrian music of Vienna. But there were also strong Magyar influences. Purely from a Slovak and Slavonic standpoint, the Abbey at Budec was the guardian of liturgical music. The abbey fostered the Cyrilo-Methodian Liturgy and produced many outstanding musicians, composers, and teachers. Bratislava is less than 20 miles, across the Danube, from Rohrau in Austria, where Josef Haydn was born. As a composer of world renown, Haydn contributed outstandingly to the development of the symphony. And as such, he was a teacher of the German genius Ludwig van Beethoven, who raised the symphonic form to its greatest development. Both masters knew Bratislava. Beethoven was only 22 years old when he made Vienna his home in 1792. By 1796 he had already personally endeared himself to Bratislava audiences, although his First Symphony was received with mixed reactions, as elsewhere, when it was first performed in 1800. There is a legend that his Moonlight Sonata was inspired by his love for an innkeeper's daughter in the Slovak spa of Piest'any. Beethoven's fame and popularity brought him many requests for his patronage. One such request, which was fulfilled, came from a young student of music, Jozef Koritansky, who went on to Vienna to become one of the most outstanding of opera stars in Europe. The great Franz Schubert also knew Slovakia. As music teacher to a branch of the Eszterhazy family, he lived in the palace at Zeliezovce. Here he composed his famous Ave Maria, supposedly to express his love for one of the Eszterhazy daughters, which is allegedly why the hymn was banned from churches in some parts of Europe. He, too, was a frequent visitor to Bratislava, where he is known to have had many friends . .Vienna as a cultural magnet, and because of its geographical proximity, drew countless numbers of Slovaks over the centuries. Some went specifically to further their studies. Others went merely to seek their fortunes. At the �174 SLOVAKIA outbreak of World War I, there were innumerable thousands of Slovaks in Vienna. Budapest is an interesting example of Magyar acculturation of Slovaks. The first Magyar opera was composed in 1823 by a Slovak, Jozef Chudy, born in Bratislava. The world-famous composer Ernest Dohnany, was born in Banska Bystrica in 1877. The primadona of the Royal Magyar Theater, Maria Sarvasova, was born in Zvolen in 1894. The leading actress Ilona Bednar was born in Banska stiavnica. Prima ballerina Anna suhaj was a Slovak. The leading actors Jan Sklenar, Tomas Jakub, Pavol Rezar, and Jozef Sedlak, as well as the singers Zoltan Kianicka, Andrej Dvoran, and Jan Mastny, all considered Magyar, had Slovak backgrounds. (Dejiny hudby, Trnava, 1933; Javisko, Turc. Sv. Martin, 1940) As Magyar chauvinism grew in intensity, the Slovak theater in the Slovak highlands suffered, from harassment to direct suppression. Slovak audiences, particularly in the villages, delighted in plays that satirized the Magyarization of the small-town Slovak gentry. Since Magyarization was the planned program of the Budapest government, such plays were considered subversive. Suppression stimulated the growth of the Slovak folk theater, and groups of devoted amateurs sustained the Slovak character through long years of political and cultural oppression. The amateur theater became so ingrained a tradition, that it was brought to the United States by early immigrants, where, with the ubiquitous, multi-functional Slovak choir, it became the fund raiser for most of the Slovak churches, schools, and societies. It would be a long list if one were to enumerate the artists who gained fame on the stages of Budapest and Vienna and whose talents stemmed from the highland villages of Slovakia. It would be an extremely short list to enumerate those artists whose Slovak identity was not obliterated by the cultures of their new environments. There are notable examples, however, of artists who should be mentioned because they emerged as Slovaks through the forces that brought about the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and brought into being new states, among them Czecho-Slovakia. �SLOVAKIA 175 It was in 1916, a year before the United States entered World War I and when the Austro-Hungarian Empire was already tottering, that a Slovak artist of high professional caliber appeared on the American stage as a Slovak, perhaps for the first time in history. It was Anica Fabry, primadona of the Royal Opera at Budapest. She presented several concerts in New York City, which were favorably reviewed by such newspapers as The New York Times, The Herald Tribune, and the Journal American, among others. Noteworthy is the fact that in the programs of songs Miss Fabry sang were those of a young Slovak composer, Mikulas Schneider-Trnavsky. Following upon the end of the war and the emergence of the states in Central and East Central Europe, the world was able to know the young, talented Slovaks building careers on the stages of Budapest and Vienna. The handsome young Slovak actor-singer Frantisek Kristof Vesely was brought from Vienna to Prague, where he became a leading star in films. From Budapest there returned such outstanding artists as Andrej Bagar, Hana Melickova, and Jozef Kelo. Bratislava was nationalistically awakening in quick tempo. But it soon appeared that the Czechs wanted the National Theater at Bratislava to be a bridge for politicizing and for influencing a pan-Czech Slovak development. This led to an internal struggle that lasted for years, during which Slovaks were gradually beginning to supplant Czechs m thA Slovak National Theater, particular as authors and playwriters.Outstanding foreign plays were being translated into Slovak and presented on the stage. Many Slovaks, however, were applying their talents to the Czech stage, as actors, singers, directors, and ballet performers. They were exceptionally well paid for their talents, it should be said, to prevent them from complementing the Slovak theaters at Bratislava and Kosice, which were, through their high professional standards, too dangerously competitive for the Czech theater at Prague and Brno. The year 1938 decided in favor of the Slovaks. The theater in Bratislava was already on a high professional level. The still relatively young, 39-year-old idol, Frantisek �176 SLOVAKIA Kristof Vesely, came home to Bratislava from Prague. Opera star Belo Turba Nitrancan returned from Brno. New strength arrived through the return of young Slovaks who had been studying abroad. All enriched the Slovak stage. Into this resurging theatrical environment entered the ambitious and talented young Slovak, Gejza Dusik, who in the course of a few years wrote dozens of operettas, Turecky tabak (Turkish Tobacco), Modra ruza (Blue Rose), Pozar na vlak (Watch Out for the Train), Pod cudzou vlajkou (Under a Foreign Flag), to name the most popular. These were received with so great and wide acclaim that they were almost immediately translated into neighboring languages - German, Magyar, Croat, Bulgar, and others. Theaters were filled to standing-room-on ly whenever Dusik's operettas were performed. The names Mayzes, Cikker, and Suchan are known world-wide as contemporary composers of classical music, symphonic and operatic. Their works are in the repertoire of every major, internationally known symphony orchestra and opera company. Mayzes' Janosik Suite musically recreates the legends of the popular Slovak hero-outlaw, who "took from the rich and gave to the poor." Cikker's operas are regularly performed in Germany and England, particularly one based on Dicken's Christmas Carol. Suchon's opera Krutnava (Vortex), in purely Slovak setting and theme, begins in tragedy and ends in happiness, contrary to traditional operatic structure. Nevertheless, Krutnava has established itself even in Italy, the birthplace and home of opera. As already stated, this presentation considers Slovak theatrical and musical arts only in historical delineation. Although the years 1938 to 1945 constitute, in a sense, Slovak cultural risorgimento, those years and the years following up to our time are still within the current historical perspective. As such, they do not lend themselves even to a superficial evaluation that can be objective. Such evaluation is for the future. What may be said today about this period of Slovak risorgimento is that Bratislava surpassed Vienna in the state of the arts. What must be asked today is, "Quo vadis, Bratislava?" ( Second place - College) � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1974, Vol. 24 Description An account of the resource Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document SLOVAKIA 169 Kirschbaum, Joseph M., "Twenty Years of Czech and Communist Rule in Slovakia," SLovakia, 1965. Levine, Isaac D., Intervention, 1969, Van Rees Press. Oddo, Gilbert L., Slovakia and its People, 1960, Robert Speller and Sons. Pauco, Joseph (ed.), Slovakia, 1966, 1968, 1969, Slovak League of America. Roberts, Adam and Windsor, Philip, Czechoslovakia 1968, 1969, Columbia University Press. Schwartz, Harry, Prague's 200 Days, 1969, Frederick A. Praeger, Inc. Zubek, T. J ., O.F.M., Church of Silence in Slovakia, 1969, J. J . Lach. MAGAZINES Newsweek, Prague Defies the Kremlin, July 29, 1968. Reader's Digest, The Rape of Czechoslovakia, November, 1968. Time, Self-Determination for Czechoslovakia, April 5, 1968; Czechoslovakia-Approaching Total Eclipse, April 6, 1970; Alexander Dubcek's AU Too Human Face, May 18, 1970. PAMPHLETS AND PAPERS Committee on Un-American Activities, Soviet Total War, 1956. Embassy of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, Background Notes Department of State, Socialist Republic Background Notes. New York Times, February 10, 1970, Students in Prague Now Know Their Beautiful Dream is Over, by Alvin Shuster. Hrobak, Philip A., Who Betrayed Slovakia to the Reds. THE SLOVAK ARTS IN PERSPECTIVE Marlene B a rt o s It is \from the vantage point of a multi-ethnic democracy such as the United States that Slovak cultural history can best be placed in true perspective. This paper is an attempt to do so. Because Slovak cultural history has so many ramifications that reach deeply in the histories of neighboring nations, this presentation considers only the theatrical and musical arts, and then only in historical delineation. Analyses and evaluations must remain for the future. The earliest recorded report of a theatrical presentation in Slovakia is the performance of a Christmas play in Bratislava in 1439. By the mid-1500's, plays seem to have been regularly presented. The year 1544 to 1545, for example, records the performances of two plays in German; the one entitled Judith, the other, The Five Wise and Unwise Maidens. Similar reports record activity in Bardejov and Kremnica. (Dejiny slovenskej literatury, 1960. History of Slovak Literature.) 170 SLOVAKIA The 17th century marked dramatic development in Latin at Slovak Jesuit schools, with performances of Seneca, Sophocles, Plautus, and Terentius, among others. These plays were also translated into Slovak, Magyar, and German, and presented in the vernacular. The Piarist Fathers were also active, although their productions did not match the splendor of Jesuit productions in polish or costuming. Jesuit presentations were costumed from Vienna and not infrequently from Venice. Piarist productions, however, were more liberal in content, dealing more with worldly issues, and thus contributed notably to Slovak drama. Original plays in Latin were presented at Slovak Protestant institutions. Isaac Caban (1638-1707), rector at Brezno and later professor at the Presov and Levoca lyceums, wrote a cycle of five Latin plays titled Labarum Triumphale Victrici Palladi Fragariae Solenne (Triumphant Standard of Presov's Victorious Minerva). The cycle was presented in 1665 on five successive days and repeated several times by popular demand. Other original Latin plays by other professors-divines soon appeared. One such play, titled Eleazar Constans, was about a man who was steadfast in his faith. It was presented in Bardejov, in 1668, by students on the anniversary of the founding of their school. This was followed, in 1669, by Papinianus Tetragonus , which met with tremendous success. The nature of the play itself reflected the universal European trend of that time. The protagonist was Papinianus Ictus, a Roman jurist who lived from 140 to 212, "a man brave, steadfast, and honorable." He was executed by Roman Emperor Caracalla because he would not condone the Emperor's fratricide. Papinianus was translated into the prevalent vernaculars-Slovak, German, Magyar-and continued in popularity. A most interesting study for a thesis would be a comparison of the play to the tragedies of Shakespeare, who had been dead only fifty years at that time. Titus Andronicus? Julius Ceasar? Timon of Athens? Anthony and Cleopatra? Coriolanus? Shakespeare drew heavily upon Plutarch's Parallel Lives for the factual bases of his tragedies. Plutarch had SLOVAKIA 171 already been translated into English and had a profound influence upon English literature; Plutarch was integral to the classical scholarship of Slovakia; Plutarch was the cultural denominator common to England and Slovakia and could therefore serve as the prime basis for a comparative study. Thanks to the well-organized records keeping of the religious orders, much information is available to us about theatrical presentations. From 1601 to 1773, the Jesuits staged over 10,000 plays in Hungary, most of them in Slovakia. The themes of the plays dealt with the bible and with oriental and classical history. Slovak was used for the first time in Bratislava in 1628 as the language of a play entitled About the Sacrament of the Altar. Performances were held every evening during the Lenten season, and the response was so great that more than a thousand tickets were sold every day. An original play entitled Apollo Returned Heaven, by Rector Paul ~uhaj, was performed in Slovak at Levoca, Spisska Kapitula, and Skalica. With the growth of a middle class by the early 1700's came a burgeoning interest in the theater, reaching from the nobility, through the middle-class and the working-class, to the peasantry. The center of this activity in Slovakia was Bratislava, which was also the seat of the Hungarian Parliament. Only a short drive by horse-coach from Vienna, Bratislava teemed with the nobility of the Austrian Imperial Court and consequently that of Hungary and visitors from the other monarchies of Europe. They brought to Bratislava theatrical companies from Austria, Poland, Italy, and Germany. Private theaters became the fashion among such noble families as the Erdody, Eszterhazy, and Zichy, which maintained residences in Bratislava. The permanent theater in Bratislava, from 1741 on, was at Rybarska Brana (Fisherman's Gate). A small summer theater was established in 1760. To the sorrow of Slovak culture, the situation among talented performers of that time still exists today. Persons of outstanding talent would move on to the larger cities of Europe-Budapest, Vienna, Munich, Prague-and asswne a culture that was alien, if not politically hostile, to their Slovak background. Although 172 SLOVAKIA their talents were genetically rooted in Slovakia, the theatrical dynasties they frequently founded were completely alienated, both culturally and politically. The Czech theater was enriched by two Slovaks, Paul Kyrmezer of Banska stiavnica, and George Tesak of Mosovce. Both were refugees from the ravages of the Turks, who held strategic fortresses in Slovakia at that time. Kyrmezer was for a time pastor and school director of various churches in Moravia, being dean in Uherske Hradiste from 1576 until his death in 1589. He wrote several plays and dramas in Old Slovak. George Tesak, who died in Prague in 1617, wrote many plays incorporating music and song, which are considered early forms of the operetta. Both Kyrmezer and Tesak are respected by the Czechs as pioneers in Czech theatrical arts. Adaptations of their works were performed as late as 1938 in Prague, Brno, Olomouc, and other Czech and Moravian centers with great success. The theatrical arts moved ahead quickly in full force in Bratislava, Budapest, and Vienna, which, of course, was reflected in smaller, provincial communities. Music, at this time, became compulsory in all intermediate and higher schools. All professional theaters began to present operas and operettas. Music became an indispensible factor in social and cultural life. Artists-actors, singers, musicians, composers, conductors, and directors-were subsidized by the state and community. Indeed, if one did not attend at least two performances a week, one was almost a social outcast. Many Slovak young men, even from the villages, who came to the big cities to study medicine, pharmacy, law, or philosophy, began to devote themselves to music. They ultimately gave up their original ambitions and enrolled in conservatories of music, undoubtedly causing their parents considerable grief. In this sense they were not unlike our modern youth. · Matthew Kamensky, born in sopron in 1734, composed the first op~ra in Polish, Nedza Uszczesliwiona (Poverty Made Fortunate). He died in Warsaw in 1821 as the popular composer Ka:mi~nski. [Jan Fisher, Dejin,y hudby (History SLOVAKIA 173 of Music), Spolok sv. Vojtecha (Society of St. Adalbert), Trnava, 1933 ) . Slovakia's central location made the country an important crossing point in the musical lives of surrounding countries. Slovakia was close to the Austrian music of Vienna. But there were also strong Magyar influences. Purely from a Slovak and Slavonic standpoint, the Abbey at Budec was the guardian of liturgical music. The abbey fostered the Cyrilo-Methodian Liturgy and produced many outstanding musicians, composers, and teachers. Bratislava is less than 20 miles, across the Danube, from Rohrau in Austria, where Josef Haydn was born. As a composer of world renown, Haydn contributed outstandingly to the development of the symphony. And as such, he was a teacher of the German genius Ludwig van Beethoven, who raised the symphonic form to its greatest development. Both masters knew Bratislava. Beethoven was only 22 years old when he made Vienna his home in 1792. By 1796 he had already personally endeared himself to Bratislava audiences, although his First Symphony was received with mixed reactions, as elsewhere, when it was first performed in 1800. There is a legend that his Moonlight Sonata was inspired by his love for an innkeeper's daughter in the Slovak spa of Piest'any. Beethoven's fame and popularity brought him many requests for his patronage. One such request, which was fulfilled, came from a young student of music, Jozef Koritansky, who went on to Vienna to become one of the most outstanding of opera stars in Europe. The great Franz Schubert also knew Slovakia. As music teacher to a branch of the Eszterhazy family, he lived in the palace at Zeliezovce. Here he composed his famous Ave Maria, supposedly to express his love for one of the Eszterhazy daughters, which is allegedly why the hymn was banned from churches in some parts of Europe. He, too, was a frequent visitor to Bratislava, where he is known to have had many friends . .Vienna as a cultural magnet, and because of its geographical proximity, drew countless numbers of Slovaks over the centuries. Some went specifically to further their studies. Others went merely to seek their fortunes. At the 174 SLOVAKIA outbreak of World War I, there were innumerable thousands of Slovaks in Vienna. Budapest is an interesting example of Magyar acculturation of Slovaks. The first Magyar opera was composed in 1823 by a Slovak, Jozef Chudy, born in Bratislava. The world-famous composer Ernest Dohnany, was born in Banska Bystrica in 1877. The primadona of the Royal Magyar Theater, Maria Sarvasova, was born in Zvolen in 1894. The leading actress Ilona Bednar was born in Banska stiavnica. Prima ballerina Anna suhaj was a Slovak. The leading actors Jan Sklenar, Tomas Jakub, Pavol Rezar, and Jozef Sedlak, as well as the singers Zoltan Kianicka, Andrej Dvoran, and Jan Mastny, all considered Magyar, had Slovak backgrounds. (Dejiny hudby, Trnava, 1933; Javisko, Turc. Sv. Martin, 1940) As Magyar chauvinism grew in intensity, the Slovak theater in the Slovak highlands suffered, from harassment to direct suppression. Slovak audiences, particularly in the villages, delighted in plays that satirized the Magyarization of the small-town Slovak gentry. Since Magyarization was the planned program of the Budapest government, such plays were considered subversive. Suppression stimulated the growth of the Slovak folk theater, and groups of devoted amateurs sustained the Slovak character through long years of political and cultural oppression. The amateur theater became so ingrained a tradition, that it was brought to the United States by early immigrants, where, with the ubiquitous, multi-functional Slovak choir, it became the fund raiser for most of the Slovak churches, schools, and societies. It would be a long list if one were to enumerate the artists who gained fame on the stages of Budapest and Vienna and whose talents stemmed from the highland villages of Slovakia. It would be an extremely short list to enumerate those artists whose Slovak identity was not obliterated by the cultures of their new environments. There are notable examples, however, of artists who should be mentioned because they emerged as Slovaks through the forces that brought about the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and brought into being new states, among them Czecho-Slovakia. SLOVAKIA 175 It was in 1916, a year before the United States entered World War I and when the Austro-Hungarian Empire was already tottering, that a Slovak artist of high professional caliber appeared on the American stage as a Slovak, perhaps for the first time in history. It was Anica Fabry, primadona of the Royal Opera at Budapest. She presented several concerts in New York City, which were favorably reviewed by such newspapers as The New York Times, The Herald Tribune, and the Journal American, among others. Noteworthy is the fact that in the programs of songs Miss Fabry sang were those of a young Slovak composer, Mikulas Schneider-Trnavsky. Following upon the end of the war and the emergence of the states in Central and East Central Europe, the world was able to know the young, talented Slovaks building careers on the stages of Budapest and Vienna. The handsome young Slovak actor-singer Frantisek Kristof Vesely was brought from Vienna to Prague, where he became a leading star in films. From Budapest there returned such outstanding artists as Andrej Bagar, Hana Melickova, and Jozef Kelo. Bratislava was nationalistically awakening in quick tempo. But it soon appeared that the Czechs wanted the National Theater at Bratislava to be a bridge for politicizing and for influencing a pan-Czech Slovak development. This led to an internal struggle that lasted for years, during which Slovaks were gradually beginning to supplant Czechs m thA Slovak National Theater, particular as authors and playwriters.Outstanding foreign plays were being translated into Slovak and presented on the stage. Many Slovaks, however, were applying their talents to the Czech stage, as actors, singers, directors, and ballet performers. They were exceptionally well paid for their talents, it should be said, to prevent them from complementing the Slovak theaters at Bratislava and Kosice, which were, through their high professional standards, too dangerously competitive for the Czech theater at Prague and Brno. The year 1938 decided in favor of the Slovaks. The theater in Bratislava was already on a high professional level. The still relatively young, 39-year-old idol, Frantisek 176 SLOVAKIA Kristof Vesely, came home to Bratislava from Prague. Opera star Belo Turba Nitrancan returned from Brno. New strength arrived through the return of young Slovaks who had been studying abroad. All enriched the Slovak stage. Into this resurging theatrical environment entered the ambitious and talented young Slovak, Gejza Dusik, who in the course of a few years wrote dozens of operettas, Turecky tabak (Turkish Tobacco), Modra ruza (Blue Rose), Pozar na vlak (Watch Out for the Train), Pod cudzou vlajkou (Under a Foreign Flag), to name the most popular. These were received with so great and wide acclaim that they were almost immediately translated into neighboring languages - German, Magyar, Croat, Bulgar, and others. Theaters were filled to standing-room-on ly whenever Dusik's operettas were performed. The names Mayzes, Cikker, and Suchan are known world-wide as contemporary composers of classical music, symphonic and operatic. Their works are in the repertoire of every major, internationally known symphony orchestra and opera company. Mayzes' Janosik Suite musically recreates the legends of the popular Slovak hero-outlaw, who "took from the rich and gave to the poor." Cikker's operas are regularly performed in Germany and England, particularly one based on Dicken's Christmas Carol. Suchon's opera Krutnava (Vortex), in purely Slovak setting and theme, begins in tragedy and ends in happiness, contrary to traditional operatic structure. Nevertheless, Krutnava has established itself even in Italy, the birthplace and home of opera. As already stated, this presentation considers Slovak theatrical and musical arts only in historical delineation. Although the years 1938 to 1945 constitute, in a sense, Slovak cultural risorgimento, those years and the years following up to our time are still within the current historical perspective. As such, they do not lend themselves even to a superficial evaluation that can be objective. Such evaluation is for the future. What may be said today about this period of Slovak risorgimento is that Bratislava surpassed Vienna in the state of the arts. What must be asked today is, "Quo vadis, Bratislava?" ( Second place - College)  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Slovak Arts in Perspective Description An account of the resource Marlene Bartos Slovakia, Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974 pp. 169-176 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bartos, Marlene Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 name https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/515b0e4ac86bbf6f0063a375becb5f25.pdf 9f300ab3cdcf65f756d206de1ede1137 PDF Text Text 162 SLOVAKIA WINNING ESSAYS Slovak League of America Scholarship Program I. SLOVAK BACKGROUND OF EVENTS THROUGH THE SOVIET TAKEOVER IN 1968 By Jane N o o n a n Prior to World War I and the formation of the CzechoSlovak State, the Czech lands and Slovakia were contiguous but separate and geographically situated in the heart of central Europe, at the crossroads of the continent, between the Carpathian Mountains on the north and the Danube and Tisza Rivers on the south. Its inhabitants are known as Slovaks and Czechs and with the Poles of Poland belong to the group of Western Slavs. Since early in the Middle Ages, these and other Slavic peoples have been involved in the great European struggles. During World War I, the spirit of nationalism was greatly stimulated within the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This spirit was reflected by increasing demands for outright independence for the different nations within that empire. In the course of that war, Czech political leaders established a secret committee which directed the activities of the Czech nationalists at home and abroad. Thomas G. Masaryk, as the leader of this movement, toured Europe and the United States where he received encouragement and support. Meanwhile, a movement arose among the large number of Americans of Slovak descent promoting Slovakia's separation from Hungary. Three different solutions of the Slovak problem were imagined-Slovakia as a new state, as a partner of a Czecho-Slovak Federation, and as a territory forming a political union with the prospective Polish Republic. �SLOVAKIA 163 The Slovak League of America entered into contact with the Americans of Czech descent and in 1915 signed with their organization the Cleveland Agreement, and in 1918 the Pittsburgh Pact, both of which aimed at the creation of a Czecho-Slovak federal state. In these documents, the Slovak organization stipulated that Slovakia should be an equal member with the Czech lands and have complete legislative, executive, judicial, and cultural independence in strictly national matters, while matters of common interest, such as foreign affairs and defense, should be within the competence of a common parliament. History shows that Masaryk did not live up to the commitments of the Pittsburgh Pact even though he was one of its signers. Redistributio n of land was an urgent problem facing the new government and a Land Reform Act, therefore, was one of the first measures passed by the Czecho-Slovak Parliament. This act entitled the state to take over, after compensation , all land from the great estates in excess of a fixed maximum, and to permit land purchases by those who needed it most. Thus, the agrarian reform program greatly improved the material conditions of the rural population and averted disturbances. The cultural level of the Slovaks and Czechs was high and their passion for education prompted the new republic t o establish additional free schools and by improving existing schools. The Czecho-Slovak State also forged ahead in the field of social improvement . All groups and interests possessed the right of organization and thus organized labor had its trade unions, farmers their societies, and white-collar workers and businessmen their associations. Health and other types of social insurance were either provided for or encouraged by the State and provision was made for State assistance to housing and co-ops. As to the religious situation, 80 % of the population was Roman Catholic, but the Protestant element played a role far beyond its numerical strength. Many prominent political leaders, Thomas G. Masaryk among them, belonged to the Protestant faith . Economically and financially, Czecho-Slovakia was a sound state in central Europe. As an exporting country it was severly hit by the world economic depression of the �164 SLOVAKIA early thirties, but, by timely adjustments to new price and exchange levels, it was one of the first European countries to weather the crisis. Before Hitler came to power in 1933, Czecho-Slovakia was an enthusiastic supporter of the League of Nations and collaborated whole-heartedly in the negotiations which brought Germany and the Soviet Union into the League. However, when Hitler came to power, Czecho-Slovakia's foreign relations entered into a critical phase. Desperately anxious to avert a new war, France and Great Britain proposed in 1938 to Czecho-Slovakia that she not oppose the leaders of the Sudeten German movement, and further cede to Germany all areas with a German majority. When Czecho-Slovakia demurred, she was informed that she must accept the proposal or bear the consequences alone. The result was that Czecho-Slovakia gave in and the country was divided on the lines dictated by Hitler. After Munich'~' , Czecho-Slovakia tried to adjust itself to the new situation. President Benes resigned and left the country - and the transition to Hitler's New Order was swift. The administration was purged, the press put under rigorous control and anti-democratic measures were enacted. According to the Nuremberg documents, Hitler at that time had already decided to destroy Czecho-Slovakia. But there was apparently no definite decision on Slovakia as to whether to place it under German occupation or to have it occupied by Hungary. On March 14, 1939, the government of Dr. Jozef Tiso of Slovakia proclaimed Slovakia as an independent republic. Dr. Tiso was a Monsignor in the Roman Catholic Church and Vice-President of the People's Party of Slovakia. The Slovak people considered the act was the result of the Prague regime's violations of agreements that had been signed between Prague ( the Czech capital) and Bratislava (the capital of Slovakia) and which agreements had been incorporated in their Constitution. Public demonstrations spread throughout Slovakia. Hitler then suggested, in order to prevent Hungary possibly taking over Slovakia, that there be a declaration of Slovakia's independence. Even though the Slovak State was largely the result of a tense international situation, it nevertheless corresponded to the aspirations of the Slovak people for freedom �SLOVAKIA 165 and the principle of self-determination and self-government. The Slovak state was far from being a perfect democracy in the traditional sense. It, however, reflected a compromise between the past and present, between an old tradition and a temporarily determined political dynamism in Central Europe. But, in general, it was an expression of the selfpreservation instinct of the Slovak nation. In 1941, the Slovak Government found it necessary, because of circumstances, to join Germany in the war against the Soviet Union. However, the Slovak forces, during the Second World War, did not engage in combat against any of the Western Powers. In 1944, an uprising, improvised by Russian Communists as well as Slovak communists, took place and of course the Germans intervened. It took the Nazis exactly two months to crush this rebellion and in the meantime the Red Army laying the ground work for its invasion, held up for more than three months on the Carpathian Mountains, watching this national tragedy quietly. Around 30,000 Slovaks of all political shades were killed in this uprising. Once the uprising had been liquidated, the Soviet Army began to advance and finally occupied Slovakia's territory by mid-April, 1945. Meanwhile, Dr. Benes and most of the Cabinet flew to Moscow where the new Czecho-Slovak Government was to be formed. Dr. Benes and his political entourage believed, or at least hoped, that collaboration between democracy and communism was possible and that co-existence could be achieved without the loss of freedom. They fostered the illusion that the Czech and Slovak Communists were different from other Reds and that their methods would turn out to be evolutionary rather than revolutionary. Thus, the Communist seizure of power in 1948 may be traced back to the 1945 Moscow meeting, and so it was that in April of 1945, Benes proclaimed the so-called 'Kosice Program' for the new Government of re-established CzechoSlovakia. The 'Kosice Program' was in effect a death sentence for the past. In July, 1947, an important event illustrated the new course of Czecho-Slovakia's foreign relations when the Czecho-Slovak Government had unanimously accepted the invitation to a conference of the Marshall Plan, which was �166 SLOVAKIA to be held in Paris. But Moscow reacted vehemently, asserting that Czecho-Slovakia, by accepting the Marshall Plan, would be participating in a political scheme directed against the Soviet Union and demanded that the Government reverse its decision. The Government complied. This was just the beginning of open interference by the Soviets in Czecho-Slovakia's foreign affairs. Then, with the Communist undermining the February, 1948 elections in Czecho-Slovakia, and Benes because of the Communistic pressure accepting the resignations of the 12 Democratic Minister, the Iron Curtain descended on the Czecho-Slovak frontier. Since 1948, Czechs and Slovaks had no independent foreign policy of their own, while internally both the Slovaks and Czechs have been forced to accept systematically 'introduced Soviet institutions which were designed to submerge their national and ethnic consciousness. Furthermore, the Russians have recklessly fostered heavy industry in Slovakia to serve Soviet military and economic needs, while wishes and well-being of the local people go almost totally unheeded. Hence, the Russians enjoy scant confidence and support from the bulk of the Slovak people who look upon them not as "socialist brothers" but instead as tyrans. The government of Czecho-Slovakia is communist, although people qualified to estimate have guessed that no more than 12 to 15 % are Party members or are unqualified supporters of communism. Thus, the peoples of Czecho-Slovakia were pitifully robbed of their economic, spiritual, and intellectual will under the terror of Stalin. This continued for approximately two decades. By the latter part of 1967, Party Chief Novotny of Czecho-Slovakia found himself enmeshed in a political crisis of major proportions; he had alienated the country's educated factions, the economy was in a mess and no one trusted or approved of his efforts to improve the situation, and finally, the Slovaks, led by Alexander Dubcek were daily gaining power towards the goal of getting more of their own people in high government office. Eventually, on February 18, 1968, Novotny lost his job as Party Chief to Alexander Dubcek. The inevitable pressure of circumstances caused Dubcek, a proud Slovak, to transform Czecho-Slovakia into the most liberal state east of the Iron Curtain. �SLOVAKIA 167 Literary and press censorship was abolished, many victims of the Stalinist terror trials were publicly rehabilitated, freedom of minority opinion was guaranteed, travel and trade restrictions with the West were eased, the first strike of Czecho-Slovakia workers under communism was allowed, the police were required to wear numbered badges for identification, the church was partially freed of restraints, and finally the National Assembly was allowed to develop real legislative powers. Mr. Dubcek wanted the government to reflect the will of the people and to respect their traditions. On April 15, 1968, Dubcek unveiled his plans for the future as he published his "Action Program" in which he outlined his plans for even more freedom of the press, rights of assembly, and even larger increase of trade with the rest of Europe, especially with West Germany. Hence, in early 1968, Alexander Dubcek, who began as a leader of the aggrieved Slovaks, ended up as a national symbol for the entire nation. This event, however, created a situation that was both unique and dangerous to continued Russian domination of Eastern Europe. The reforms contemplated for Czecho-Slovakia went far beyond anything attempted before in the Soviet Bloc. Furthermore, there was a clearly pronounced anti-Soviet character to the popular responses to the planned liberalization reforms. Dubcek, although an ardent socialist, attempted to apply the principle that practicing socialism must respect the traditions of the country. All of the foregoing consequently alarmed the Russians, who publicly sought, at every opportunity available, to confer with Dubcek and privately to undermine his support and popularity in every way possible. And so on the night of August 21, 1968,' great hordes of Russian-led tanks and troops crossed into Czecho-Slovakia from neighboring Iron Curtain countries to end the most valiant and extensive attempt to liberalize a communist dominated land. This protest movement, although initiated to a large degree by Slovaks and led by a Slovak Dubcek, had nevertheless succeeded in rallying all segments of the country to seek a freer, more democratic way of life. The Soviets dared not let the noble experiment last, and therefore, in contradiction to all moral and international treaty �168 SLOVAKIA law, they intimidated the Slovaks and Czechs into partial submission by massed military might. Dubcek pleaded with his fellow countrymen that the only way to keep the nation from being literally destroyed by the Russians was to maintain strict discipline and order, as the withdrawal of Russian military force depended on the order in the country. However, the dislike for the invaders was so strong that the Slovaks and Czechs did protest and cursed and spat upon the troops, and some futile attempts at armed resistance was made by courageous young Slovaks who hurled gasoline bombs on tanks, thereby setting them ablaze and their crews scurrying. On August 21, 1968, Russian tanks ended a period of approximately 71/2 months of comparative freedom for the Slovaks and Czechs, and in one brutal week's work, the U.S.S.R. with its "rape of Czecho-Slovakia" made it crystalclear that even a little freedom is more than Soviet communism can tolerate. In conclusion, one must remember it has been said that the longest journey always starts with a single step, and possibly this can be applied to the efforts of the Slovak people to free themselves from the heavy burden of Russian oppression. Hopefully someday in the near future, they will be able to take more, even broader strides towards their freedom. In any case, it does not seem probable that the Slovaks will be forced to step back again. No other nation has suffered so much nor been more misunderstood as had been Slovakia and yet still possesses a fire of determination for its freedom and self-determination. Slovakia did emerge but unfortunately was stifled; yet she will again someday rise up to stand among the free and independent peoples of the earth as mistress of her own household. So be it! an agreement signed in Munich, Germany on September 30, 1938 forcing Czecho-Slovakia to give up the Sudetenland, part of its territory, to Nazi Germany. • Munich - (First place - College) BIBLIOGRAPHY BOOKS Freidin, Seymour, The Forgotten P eople, 1962, Charles Scribner & Soru. Kavka, Frantisek, A n Outline of Czecho-Slovak History, Prague, Orbis, 1963. �SLOVAKIA 169 Kirschbaum, Joseph M., "Twenty Years of Czech and Communist Rule in Slovakia," SLovakia, 1965. Levine, Isaac D., Intervention, 1969, Van Rees Press. Oddo, Gilbert L., Slovakia and its People, 1960, Robert Speller and Sons. Pauco, Joseph (ed.), Slovakia, 1966, 1968, 1969, Slovak League of America. Roberts, Adam and Windsor, Philip, Czechoslovakia 1968, 1969, Columbia University Press. Schwartz, Harry, Prague's 200 Days, 1969, Frederick A. Praeger, Inc. Zubek, T. J ., O.F.M., Church of Silence in Slovakia, 1969, J. J . Lach. MAGAZINES Newsweek, Prague Defies the Kremlin, July 29, 1968. Reader's Digest, The Rape of Czechoslovakia, November, 1968. Time, Self-Determination for Czechoslovakia, April 5, 1968; Czechoslovakia-Approaching Total Eclipse, April 6, 1970; Alexander Dubcek's AU Too Human Face, May 18, 1970. PAMPHLETS AND PAPERS Committee on Un-American Activities, Soviet Total War, 1956. Embassy of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, Background Notes Department of State, Socialist Republic Background Notes. New York Times, February 10, 1970, Students in Prague Now Know Their Beautiful Dream is Over, by Alvin Shuster. Hrobak, Philip A., Who Betrayed Slovakia to the Reds. THE SLOVAK ARTS IN PERSPECTIVE Marlene B a rt o s It is \from the vantage point of a multi-ethnic democracy such as the United States that Slovak cultural history can best be placed in true perspective. This paper is an attempt to do so. Because Slovak cultural history has so many ramifications that reach deeply in the histories of neighboring nations, this presentation considers only the theatrical and musical arts, and then only in historical delineation. Analyses and evaluations must remain for the future. The earliest recorded report of a theatrical presentation in Slovakia is the performance of a Christmas play in Bratislava in 1439. By the mid-1500's, plays seem to have been regularly presented. The year 1544 to 1545, for example, records the performances of two plays in German; the one entitled Judith, the other, The Five Wise and Unwise Maidens. Similar reports record activity in Bardejov and Kremnica. (Dejiny slovenskej literatury, 1960. History of Slovak Literature.) � 162 SLOVAKIA WINNING ESSAYS Slovak League of America Scholarship Program I. SLOVAK BACKGROUND OF EVENTS THROUGH THE SOVIET TAKEOVER IN 1968 By Jane N o o n a n Prior to World War I and the formation of the CzechoSlovak State, the Czech lands and Slovakia were contiguous but separate and geographically situated in the heart of central Europe, at the crossroads of the continent, between the Carpathian Mountains on the north and the Danube and Tisza Rivers on the south. Its inhabitants are known as Slovaks and Czechs and with the Poles of Poland belong to the group of Western Slavs. Since early in the Middle Ages, these and other Slavic peoples have been involved in the great European struggles. During World War I, the spirit of nationalism was greatly stimulated within the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This spirit was reflected by increasing demands for outright independence for the different nations within that empire. In the course of that war, Czech political leaders established a secret committee which directed the activities of the Czech nationalists at home and abroad. Thomas G. Masaryk, as the leader of this movement, toured Europe and the United States where he received encouragement and support. Meanwhile, a movement arose among the large number of Americans of Slovak descent promoting Slovakia's separation from Hungary. Three different solutions of the Slovak problem were imagined-Slovakia as a new state, as a partner of a Czecho-Slovak Federation, and as a territory forming a political union with the prospective Polish Republic. �SLOVAKIA 163 The Slovak League of America entered into contact with the Americans of Czech descent and in 1915 signed with their organization the Cleveland Agreement, and in 1918 the Pittsburgh Pact, both of which aimed at the creation of a Czecho-Slovak federal state. In these documents, the Slovak organization stipulated that Slovakia should be an equal member with the Czech lands and have complete legislative, executive, judicial, and cultural independence in strictly national matters, while matters of common interest, such as foreign affairs and defense, should be within the competence of a common parliament. History shows that Masaryk did not live up to the commitments of the Pittsburgh Pact even though he was one of its signers. Redistributio n of land was an urgent problem facing the new government and a Land Reform Act, therefore, was one of the first measures passed by the Czecho-Slovak Parliament. This act entitled the state to take over, after compensation , all land from the great estates in excess of a fixed maximum, and to permit land purchases by those who needed it most. Thus, the agrarian reform program greatly improved the material conditions of the rural population and averted disturbances. The cultural level of the Slovaks and Czechs was high and their passion for education prompted the new republic t o establish additional free schools and by improving existing schools. The Czecho-Slovak State also forged ahead in the field of social improvement . All groups and interests possessed the right of organization and thus organized labor had its trade unions, farmers their societies, and white-collar workers and businessmen their associations. Health and other types of social insurance were either provided for or encouraged by the State and provision was made for State assistance to housing and co-ops. As to the religious situation, 80 % of the population was Roman Catholic, but the Protestant element played a role far beyond its numerical strength. Many prominent political leaders, Thomas G. Masaryk among them, belonged to the Protestant faith . Economically and financially, Czecho-Slovakia was a sound state in central Europe. As an exporting country it was severly hit by the world economic depression of the �164 SLOVAKIA early thirties, but, by timely adjustments to new price and exchange levels, it was one of the first European countries to weather the crisis. Before Hitler came to power in 1933, Czecho-Slovakia was an enthusiastic supporter of the League of Nations and collaborated whole-heartedly in the negotiations which brought Germany and the Soviet Union into the League. However, when Hitler came to power, Czecho-Slovakia's foreign relations entered into a critical phase. Desperately anxious to avert a new war, France and Great Britain proposed in 1938 to Czecho-Slovakia that she not oppose the leaders of the Sudeten German movement, and further cede to Germany all areas with a German majority. When Czecho-Slovakia demurred, she was informed that she must accept the proposal or bear the consequences alone. The result was that Czecho-Slovakia gave in and the country was divided on the lines dictated by Hitler. After Munich'~' , Czecho-Slovakia tried to adjust itself to the new situation. President Benes resigned and left the country - and the transition to Hitler's New Order was swift. The administration was purged, the press put under rigorous control and anti-democratic measures were enacted. According to the Nuremberg documents, Hitler at that time had already decided to destroy Czecho-Slovakia. But there was apparently no definite decision on Slovakia as to whether to place it under German occupation or to have it occupied by Hungary. On March 14, 1939, the government of Dr. Jozef Tiso of Slovakia proclaimed Slovakia as an independent republic. Dr. Tiso was a Monsignor in the Roman Catholic Church and Vice-President of the People's Party of Slovakia. The Slovak people considered the act was the result of the Prague regime's violations of agreements that had been signed between Prague ( the Czech capital) and Bratislava (the capital of Slovakia) and which agreements had been incorporated in their Constitution. Public demonstrations spread throughout Slovakia. Hitler then suggested, in order to prevent Hungary possibly taking over Slovakia, that there be a declaration of Slovakia's independence. Even though the Slovak State was largely the result of a tense international situation, it nevertheless corresponded to the aspirations of the Slovak people for freedom �SLOVAKIA 165 and the principle of self-determination and self-government. The Slovak state was far from being a perfect democracy in the traditional sense. It, however, reflected a compromise between the past and present, between an old tradition and a temporarily determined political dynamism in Central Europe. But, in general, it was an expression of the selfpreservation instinct of the Slovak nation. In 1941, the Slovak Government found it necessary, because of circumstances, to join Germany in the war against the Soviet Union. However, the Slovak forces, during the Second World War, did not engage in combat against any of the Western Powers. In 1944, an uprising, improvised by Russian Communists as well as Slovak communists, took place and of course the Germans intervened. It took the Nazis exactly two months to crush this rebellion and in the meantime the Red Army laying the ground work for its invasion, held up for more than three months on the Carpathian Mountains, watching this national tragedy quietly. Around 30,000 Slovaks of all political shades were killed in this uprising. Once the uprising had been liquidated, the Soviet Army began to advance and finally occupied Slovakia's territory by mid-April, 1945. Meanwhile, Dr. Benes and most of the Cabinet flew to Moscow where the new Czecho-Slovak Government was to be formed. Dr. Benes and his political entourage believed, or at least hoped, that collaboration between democracy and communism was possible and that co-existence could be achieved without the loss of freedom. They fostered the illusion that the Czech and Slovak Communists were different from other Reds and that their methods would turn out to be evolutionary rather than revolutionary. Thus, the Communist seizure of power in 1948 may be traced back to the 1945 Moscow meeting, and so it was that in April of 1945, Benes proclaimed the so-called 'Kosice Program' for the new Government of re-established CzechoSlovakia. The 'Kosice Program' was in effect a death sentence for the past. In July, 1947, an important event illustrated the new course of Czecho-Slovakia's foreign relations when the Czecho-Slovak Government had unanimously accepted the invitation to a conference of the Marshall Plan, which was �166 SLOVAKIA to be held in Paris. But Moscow reacted vehemently, asserting that Czecho-Slovakia, by accepting the Marshall Plan, would be participating in a political scheme directed against the Soviet Union and demanded that the Government reverse its decision. The Government complied. This was just the beginning of open interference by the Soviets in Czecho-Slovakia's foreign affairs. Then, with the Communist undermining the February, 1948 elections in Czecho-Slovakia, and Benes because of the Communistic pressure accepting the resignations of the 12 Democratic Minister, the Iron Curtain descended on the Czecho-Slovak frontier. Since 1948, Czechs and Slovaks had no independent foreign policy of their own, while internally both the Slovaks and Czechs have been forced to accept systematically 'introduced Soviet institutions which were designed to submerge their national and ethnic consciousness. Furthermore, the Russians have recklessly fostered heavy industry in Slovakia to serve Soviet military and economic needs, while wishes and well-being of the local people go almost totally unheeded. Hence, the Russians enjoy scant confidence and support from the bulk of the Slovak people who look upon them not as "socialist brothers" but instead as tyrans. The government of Czecho-Slovakia is communist, although people qualified to estimate have guessed that no more than 12 to 15 % are Party members or are unqualified supporters of communism. Thus, the peoples of Czecho-Slovakia were pitifully robbed of their economic, spiritual, and intellectual will under the terror of Stalin. This continued for approximately two decades. By the latter part of 1967, Party Chief Novotny of Czecho-Slovakia found himself enmeshed in a political crisis of major proportions; he had alienated the country's educated factions, the economy was in a mess and no one trusted or approved of his efforts to improve the situation, and finally, the Slovaks, led by Alexander Dubcek were daily gaining power towards the goal of getting more of their own people in high government office. Eventually, on February 18, 1968, Novotny lost his job as Party Chief to Alexander Dubcek. The inevitable pressure of circumstances caused Dubcek, a proud Slovak, to transform Czecho-Slovakia into the most liberal state east of the Iron Curtain. �SLOVAKIA 167 Literary and press censorship was abolished, many victims of the Stalinist terror trials were publicly rehabilitated, freedom of minority opinion was guaranteed, travel and trade restrictions with the West were eased, the first strike of Czecho-Slovakia workers under communism was allowed, the police were required to wear numbered badges for identification, the church was partially freed of restraints, and finally the National Assembly was allowed to develop real legislative powers. Mr. Dubcek wanted the government to reflect the will of the people and to respect their traditions. On April 15, 1968, Dubcek unveiled his plans for the future as he published his "Action Program" in which he outlined his plans for even more freedom of the press, rights of assembly, and even larger increase of trade with the rest of Europe, especially with West Germany. Hence, in early 1968, Alexander Dubcek, who began as a leader of the aggrieved Slovaks, ended up as a national symbol for the entire nation. This event, however, created a situation that was both unique and dangerous to continued Russian domination of Eastern Europe. The reforms contemplated for Czecho-Slovakia went far beyond anything attempted before in the Soviet Bloc. Furthermore, there was a clearly pronounced anti-Soviet character to the popular responses to the planned liberalization reforms. Dubcek, although an ardent socialist, attempted to apply the principle that practicing socialism must respect the traditions of the country. All of the foregoing consequently alarmed the Russians, who publicly sought, at every opportunity available, to confer with Dubcek and privately to undermine his support and popularity in every way possible. And so on the night of August 21, 1968,' great hordes of Russian-led tanks and troops crossed into Czecho-Slovakia from neighboring Iron Curtain countries to end the most valiant and extensive attempt to liberalize a communist dominated land. This protest movement, although initiated to a large degree by Slovaks and led by a Slovak Dubcek, had nevertheless succeeded in rallying all segments of the country to seek a freer, more democratic way of life. The Soviets dared not let the noble experiment last, and therefore, in contradiction to all moral and international treaty �168 SLOVAKIA law, they intimidated the Slovaks and Czechs into partial submission by massed military might. Dubcek pleaded with his fellow countrymen that the only way to keep the nation from being literally destroyed by the Russians was to maintain strict discipline and order, as the withdrawal of Russian military force depended on the order in the country. However, the dislike for the invaders was so strong that the Slovaks and Czechs did protest and cursed and spat upon the troops, and some futile attempts at armed resistance was made by courageous young Slovaks who hurled gasoline bombs on tanks, thereby setting them ablaze and their crews scurrying. On August 21, 1968, Russian tanks ended a period of approximately 71/2 months of comparative freedom for the Slovaks and Czechs, and in one brutal week's work, the U.S.S.R. with its "rape of Czecho-Slovakia" made it crystalclear that even a little freedom is more than Soviet communism can tolerate. In conclusion, one must remember it has been said that the longest journey always starts with a single step, and possibly this can be applied to the efforts of the Slovak people to free themselves from the heavy burden of Russian oppression. Hopefully someday in the near future, they will be able to take more, even broader strides towards their freedom. In any case, it does not seem probable that the Slovaks will be forced to step back again. No other nation has suffered so much nor been more misunderstood as had been Slovakia and yet still possesses a fire of determination for its freedom and self-determination. Slovakia did emerge but unfortunately was stifled; yet she will again someday rise up to stand among the free and independent peoples of the earth as mistress of her own household. So be it! an agreement signed in Munich, Germany on September 30, 1938 forcing Czecho-Slovakia to give up the Sudetenland, part of its territory, to Nazi Germany. • Munich - (First place - College) BIBLIOGRAPHY BOOKS Freidin, Seymour, The Forgotten P eople, 1962, Charles Scribner & Soru. Kavka, Frantisek, A n Outline of Czecho-Slovak History, Prague, Orbis, 1963. �SLOVAKIA 169 Kirschbaum, Joseph M., "Twenty Years of Czech and Communist Rule in Slovakia," SLovakia, 1965. Levine, Isaac D., Intervention, 1969, Van Rees Press. Oddo, Gilbert L., Slovakia and its People, 1960, Robert Speller and Sons. Pauco, Joseph (ed.), Slovakia, 1966, 1968, 1969, Slovak League of America. Roberts, Adam and Windsor, Philip, Czechoslovakia 1968, 1969, Columbia University Press. Schwartz, Harry, Prague's 200 Days, 1969, Frederick A. Praeger, Inc. Zubek, T. J ., O.F.M., Church of Silence in Slovakia, 1969, J. J . Lach. MAGAZINES Newsweek, Prague Defies the Kremlin, July 29, 1968. Reader's Digest, The Rape of Czechoslovakia, November, 1968. Time, Self-Determination for Czechoslovakia, April 5, 1968; Czechoslovakia-Approaching Total Eclipse, April 6, 1970; Alexander Dubcek's AU Too Human Face, May 18, 1970. PAMPHLETS AND PAPERS Committee on Un-American Activities, Soviet Total War, 1956. Embassy of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, Background Notes Department of State, Socialist Republic Background Notes. New York Times, February 10, 1970, Students in Prague Now Know Their Beautiful Dream is Over, by Alvin Shuster. Hrobak, Philip A., Who Betrayed Slovakia to the Reds. THE SLOVAK ARTS IN PERSPECTIVE Marlene B a rt o s It is \from the vantage point of a multi-ethnic democracy such as the United States that Slovak cultural history can best be placed in true perspective. This paper is an attempt to do so. Because Slovak cultural history has so many ramifications that reach deeply in the histories of neighboring nations, this presentation considers only the theatrical and musical arts, and then only in historical delineation. Analyses and evaluations must remain for the future. The earliest recorded report of a theatrical presentation in Slovakia is the performance of a Christmas play in Bratislava in 1439. By the mid-1500's, plays seem to have been regularly presented. The year 1544 to 1545, for example, records the performances of two plays in German; the one entitled Judith, the other, The Five Wise and Unwise Maidens. Similar reports record activity in Bardejov and Kremnica. (Dejiny slovenskej literatury, 1960. History of Slovak Literature.) � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1974, Vol. 24 Description An account of the resource Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document 162 SLOVAKIA WINNING ESSAYS Slovak League of America Scholarship Program I. SLOVAK BACKGROUND OF EVENTS THROUGH THE SOVIET TAKEOVER IN 1968 By Jane N o o n a n Prior to World War I and the formation of the CzechoSlovak State, the Czech lands and Slovakia were contiguous but separate and geographically situated in the heart of central Europe, at the crossroads of the continent, between the Carpathian Mountains on the north and the Danube and Tisza Rivers on the south. Its inhabitants are known as Slovaks and Czechs and with the Poles of Poland belong to the group of Western Slavs. Since early in the Middle Ages, these and other Slavic peoples have been involved in the great European struggles. During World War I, the spirit of nationalism was greatly stimulated within the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This spirit was reflected by increasing demands for outright independence for the different nations within that empire. In the course of that war, Czech political leaders established a secret committee which directed the activities of the Czech nationalists at home and abroad. Thomas G. Masaryk, as the leader of this movement, toured Europe and the United States where he received encouragement and support. Meanwhile, a movement arose among the large number of Americans of Slovak descent promoting Slovakia's separation from Hungary. Three different solutions of the Slovak problem were imagined-Slovakia as a new state, as a partner of a Czecho-Slovak Federation, and as a territory forming a political union with the prospective Polish Republic. SLOVAKIA 163 The Slovak League of America entered into contact with the Americans of Czech descent and in 1915 signed with their organization the Cleveland Agreement, and in 1918 the Pittsburgh Pact, both of which aimed at the creation of a Czecho-Slovak federal state. In these documents, the Slovak organization stipulated that Slovakia should be an equal member with the Czech lands and have complete legislative, executive, judicial, and cultural independence in strictly national matters, while matters of common interest, such as foreign affairs and defense, should be within the competence of a common parliament. History shows that Masaryk did not live up to the commitments of the Pittsburgh Pact even though he was one of its signers. Redistributio n of land was an urgent problem facing the new government and a Land Reform Act, therefore, was one of the first measures passed by the Czecho-Slovak Parliament. This act entitled the state to take over, after compensation , all land from the great estates in excess of a fixed maximum, and to permit land purchases by those who needed it most. Thus, the agrarian reform program greatly improved the material conditions of the rural population and averted disturbances. The cultural level of the Slovaks and Czechs was high and their passion for education prompted the new republic t o establish additional free schools and by improving existing schools. The Czecho-Slovak State also forged ahead in the field of social improvement . All groups and interests possessed the right of organization and thus organized labor had its trade unions, farmers their societies, and white-collar workers and businessmen their associations. Health and other types of social insurance were either provided for or encouraged by the State and provision was made for State assistance to housing and co-ops. As to the religious situation, 80 % of the population was Roman Catholic, but the Protestant element played a role far beyond its numerical strength. Many prominent political leaders, Thomas G. Masaryk among them, belonged to the Protestant faith . Economically and financially, Czecho-Slovakia was a sound state in central Europe. As an exporting country it was severly hit by the world economic depression of the 164 SLOVAKIA early thirties, but, by timely adjustments to new price and exchange levels, it was one of the first European countries to weather the crisis. Before Hitler came to power in 1933, Czecho-Slovakia was an enthusiastic supporter of the League of Nations and collaborated whole-heartedly in the negotiations which brought Germany and the Soviet Union into the League. However, when Hitler came to power, Czecho-Slovakia's foreign relations entered into a critical phase. Desperately anxious to avert a new war, France and Great Britain proposed in 1938 to Czecho-Slovakia that she not oppose the leaders of the Sudeten German movement, and further cede to Germany all areas with a German majority. When Czecho-Slovakia demurred, she was informed that she must accept the proposal or bear the consequences alone. The result was that Czecho-Slovakia gave in and the country was divided on the lines dictated by Hitler. After Munich'~' , Czecho-Slovakia tried to adjust itself to the new situation. President Benes resigned and left the country - and the transition to Hitler's New Order was swift. The administration was purged, the press put under rigorous control and anti-democratic measures were enacted. According to the Nuremberg documents, Hitler at that time had already decided to destroy Czecho-Slovakia. But there was apparently no definite decision on Slovakia as to whether to place it under German occupation or to have it occupied by Hungary. On March 14, 1939, the government of Dr. Jozef Tiso of Slovakia proclaimed Slovakia as an independent republic. Dr. Tiso was a Monsignor in the Roman Catholic Church and Vice-President of the People's Party of Slovakia. The Slovak people considered the act was the result of the Prague regime's violations of agreements that had been signed between Prague ( the Czech capital) and Bratislava (the capital of Slovakia) and which agreements had been incorporated in their Constitution. Public demonstrations spread throughout Slovakia. Hitler then suggested, in order to prevent Hungary possibly taking over Slovakia, that there be a declaration of Slovakia's independence. Even though the Slovak State was largely the result of a tense international situation, it nevertheless corresponded to the aspirations of the Slovak people for freedom SLOVAKIA 165 and the principle of self-determination and self-government. The Slovak state was far from being a perfect democracy in the traditional sense. It, however, reflected a compromise between the past and present, between an old tradition and a temporarily determined political dynamism in Central Europe. But, in general, it was an expression of the selfpreservation instinct of the Slovak nation. In 1941, the Slovak Government found it necessary, because of circumstances, to join Germany in the war against the Soviet Union. However, the Slovak forces, during the Second World War, did not engage in combat against any of the Western Powers. In 1944, an uprising, improvised by Russian Communists as well as Slovak communists, took place and of course the Germans intervened. It took the Nazis exactly two months to crush this rebellion and in the meantime the Red Army laying the ground work for its invasion, held up for more than three months on the Carpathian Mountains, watching this national tragedy quietly. Around 30,000 Slovaks of all political shades were killed in this uprising. Once the uprising had been liquidated, the Soviet Army began to advance and finally occupied Slovakia's territory by mid-April, 1945. Meanwhile, Dr. Benes and most of the Cabinet flew to Moscow where the new Czecho-Slovak Government was to be formed. Dr. Benes and his political entourage believed, or at least hoped, that collaboration between democracy and communism was possible and that co-existence could be achieved without the loss of freedom. They fostered the illusion that the Czech and Slovak Communists were different from other Reds and that their methods would turn out to be evolutionary rather than revolutionary. Thus, the Communist seizure of power in 1948 may be traced back to the 1945 Moscow meeting, and so it was that in April of 1945, Benes proclaimed the so-called 'Kosice Program' for the new Government of re-established CzechoSlovakia. The 'Kosice Program' was in effect a death sentence for the past. In July, 1947, an important event illustrated the new course of Czecho-Slovakia's foreign relations when the Czecho-Slovak Government had unanimously accepted the invitation to a conference of the Marshall Plan, which was 166 SLOVAKIA to be held in Paris. But Moscow reacted vehemently, asserting that Czecho-Slovakia, by accepting the Marshall Plan, would be participating in a political scheme directed against the Soviet Union and demanded that the Government reverse its decision. The Government complied. This was just the beginning of open interference by the Soviets in Czecho-Slovakia's foreign affairs. Then, with the Communist undermining the February, 1948 elections in Czecho-Slovakia, and Benes because of the Communistic pressure accepting the resignations of the 12 Democratic Minister, the Iron Curtain descended on the Czecho-Slovak frontier. Since 1948, Czechs and Slovaks had no independent foreign policy of their own, while internally both the Slovaks and Czechs have been forced to accept systematically 'introduced Soviet institutions which were designed to submerge their national and ethnic consciousness. Furthermore, the Russians have recklessly fostered heavy industry in Slovakia to serve Soviet military and economic needs, while wishes and well-being of the local people go almost totally unheeded. Hence, the Russians enjoy scant confidence and support from the bulk of the Slovak people who look upon them not as "socialist brothers" but instead as tyrans. The government of Czecho-Slovakia is communist, although people qualified to estimate have guessed that no more than 12 to 15 % are Party members or are unqualified supporters of communism. Thus, the peoples of Czecho-Slovakia were pitifully robbed of their economic, spiritual, and intellectual will under the terror of Stalin. This continued for approximately two decades. By the latter part of 1967, Party Chief Novotny of Czecho-Slovakia found himself enmeshed in a political crisis of major proportions; he had alienated the country's educated factions, the economy was in a mess and no one trusted or approved of his efforts to improve the situation, and finally, the Slovaks, led by Alexander Dubcek were daily gaining power towards the goal of getting more of their own people in high government office. Eventually, on February 18, 1968, Novotny lost his job as Party Chief to Alexander Dubcek. The inevitable pressure of circumstances caused Dubcek, a proud Slovak, to transform Czecho-Slovakia into the most liberal state east of the Iron Curtain. SLOVAKIA 167 Literary and press censorship was abolished, many victims of the Stalinist terror trials were publicly rehabilitated, freedom of minority opinion was guaranteed, travel and trade restrictions with the West were eased, the first strike of Czecho-Slovakia workers under communism was allowed, the police were required to wear numbered badges for identification, the church was partially freed of restraints, and finally the National Assembly was allowed to develop real legislative powers. Mr. Dubcek wanted the government to reflect the will of the people and to respect their traditions. On April 15, 1968, Dubcek unveiled his plans for the future as he published his "Action Program" in which he outlined his plans for even more freedom of the press, rights of assembly, and even larger increase of trade with the rest of Europe, especially with West Germany. Hence, in early 1968, Alexander Dubcek, who began as a leader of the aggrieved Slovaks, ended up as a national symbol for the entire nation. This event, however, created a situation that was both unique and dangerous to continued Russian domination of Eastern Europe. The reforms contemplated for Czecho-Slovakia went far beyond anything attempted before in the Soviet Bloc. Furthermore, there was a clearly pronounced anti-Soviet character to the popular responses to the planned liberalization reforms. Dubcek, although an ardent socialist, attempted to apply the principle that practicing socialism must respect the traditions of the country. All of the foregoing consequently alarmed the Russians, who publicly sought, at every opportunity available, to confer with Dubcek and privately to undermine his support and popularity in every way possible. And so on the night of August 21, 1968,' great hordes of Russian-led tanks and troops crossed into Czecho-Slovakia from neighboring Iron Curtain countries to end the most valiant and extensive attempt to liberalize a communist dominated land. This protest movement, although initiated to a large degree by Slovaks and led by a Slovak Dubcek, had nevertheless succeeded in rallying all segments of the country to seek a freer, more democratic way of life. The Soviets dared not let the noble experiment last, and therefore, in contradiction to all moral and international treaty 168 SLOVAKIA law, they intimidated the Slovaks and Czechs into partial submission by massed military might. Dubcek pleaded with his fellow countrymen that the only way to keep the nation from being literally destroyed by the Russians was to maintain strict discipline and order, as the withdrawal of Russian military force depended on the order in the country. However, the dislike for the invaders was so strong that the Slovaks and Czechs did protest and cursed and spat upon the troops, and some futile attempts at armed resistance was made by courageous young Slovaks who hurled gasoline bombs on tanks, thereby setting them ablaze and their crews scurrying. On August 21, 1968, Russian tanks ended a period of approximately 71/2 months of comparative freedom for the Slovaks and Czechs, and in one brutal week's work, the U.S.S.R. with its "rape of Czecho-Slovakia" made it crystalclear that even a little freedom is more than Soviet communism can tolerate. In conclusion, one must remember it has been said that the longest journey always starts with a single step, and possibly this can be applied to the efforts of the Slovak people to free themselves from the heavy burden of Russian oppression. Hopefully someday in the near future, they will be able to take more, even broader strides towards their freedom. In any case, it does not seem probable that the Slovaks will be forced to step back again. No other nation has suffered so much nor been more misunderstood as had been Slovakia and yet still possesses a fire of determination for its freedom and self-determination. Slovakia did emerge but unfortunately was stifled; yet she will again someday rise up to stand among the free and independent peoples of the earth as mistress of her own household. So be it! an agreement signed in Munich, Germany on September 30, 1938 forcing Czecho-Slovakia to give up the Sudetenland, part of its territory, to Nazi Germany. • Munich - (First place - College) BIBLIOGRAPHY BOOKS Freidin, Seymour, The Forgotten P eople, 1962, Charles Scribner & Soru. Kavka, Frantisek, A n Outline of Czecho-Slovak History, Prague, Orbis, 1963. SLOVAKIA 169 Kirschbaum, Joseph M., "Twenty Years of Czech and Communist Rule in Slovakia," SLovakia, 1965. Levine, Isaac D., Intervention, 1969, Van Rees Press. Oddo, Gilbert L., Slovakia and its People, 1960, Robert Speller and Sons. Pauco, Joseph (ed.), Slovakia, 1966, 1968, 1969, Slovak League of America. Roberts, Adam and Windsor, Philip, Czechoslovakia 1968, 1969, Columbia University Press. Schwartz, Harry, Prague's 200 Days, 1969, Frederick A. Praeger, Inc. Zubek, T. J ., O.F.M., Church of Silence in Slovakia, 1969, J. J . Lach. MAGAZINES Newsweek, Prague Defies the Kremlin, July 29, 1968. Reader's Digest, The Rape of Czechoslovakia, November, 1968. Time, Self-Determination for Czechoslovakia, April 5, 1968; Czechoslovakia-Approaching Total Eclipse, April 6, 1970; Alexander Dubcek's AU Too Human Face, May 18, 1970. PAMPHLETS AND PAPERS Committee on Un-American Activities, Soviet Total War, 1956. Embassy of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, Background Notes Department of State, Socialist Republic Background Notes. New York Times, February 10, 1970, Students in Prague Now Know Their Beautiful Dream is Over, by Alvin Shuster. Hrobak, Philip A., Who Betrayed Slovakia to the Reds. THE SLOVAK ARTS IN PERSPECTIVE Marlene B a rt o s It is \from the vantage point of a multi-ethnic democracy such as the United States that Slovak cultural history can best be placed in true perspective. This paper is an attempt to do so. Because Slovak cultural history has so many ramifications that reach deeply in the histories of neighboring nations, this presentation considers only the theatrical and musical arts, and then only in historical delineation. Analyses and evaluations must remain for the future. The earliest recorded report of a theatrical presentation in Slovakia is the performance of a Christmas play in Bratislava in 1439. By the mid-1500's, plays seem to have been regularly presented. The year 1544 to 1545, for example, records the performances of two plays in German; the one entitled Judith, the other, The Five Wise and Unwise Maidens. Similar reports record activity in Bardejov and Kremnica. (Dejiny slovenskej literatury, 1960. History of Slovak Literature.)  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Slovak Background of Events Through the Soviet Takeover in 1968 Description An account of the resource Jane Noonan Slovakia, Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974 pp. 162-169 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Noonan, Jane Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 name https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/67a71766807f746825c0f4f6587618a4.pdf f0d1736d284a8276bfdba5d1f1dacd6a PDF Text Text 156 SLOVAKIA Famous Slovak Inventors Long before the arrival of the Slovaks in central Europer the Celts who inhabited the area, mined iron-ore, silver, gold and lead and utilized these minerals in making various instruments, ornaments and utensils. As newcomers, the Slovaks continued to use these minerals centuries before the coming of the Turkish-Mongol tribes. Technically, both the mining and metal industries remained rather primitive until modern times. New methods and techniques which were developed outside the· country were not introduced until quite recently. Modernization of the mining industry in Slovakia, though of recent data, was preceded in the 17th and 18th centuries by several notable processes. In 1627, for example, it was K. Wendler, a Tyrolean explosive expert, who detonated the first black-powder charge in the Banska stiavnica mines in Slovakia; incidentally, the first of its kind in mining history. Then, J. A. Born (1742-1791), a Saxon from Transylvania, in the latter half of the 18th century introduced the quicksilver (mercury) amalgamation process of refining gold, silver and lead. At the end of the 17th century most of the Slovak mines were flooded because continual warfare caused them to be neglected. Primitive methods of pumping out the water proved inefficient and expensive. They required an outlay of money for wood, men-power and horses. The cost was prohibitive. Water-wheels proved unsatisfactory and mining engineers decided to try the new atmospheric-fire invention of Newcombe. Potter, an Englishman, came to install the new machinery in the Nova Ban.a mine. It was put into operation in 1724. But when it proved to be a failure it was dismantled. In 1733 a series of modified methods were introduced but all proved inadequate. Finally, J. K. Hell (1713-1789), a native Slovak engineer and machinist, installed his own machinery at the entrance of the mine in Banska stiavnica in 1749. It proved successful, and soon afterwards he installed his invention in a �SLOVAKIA 157 number of deep mine shafts. Later Hell developed a better atmospheric type of mine-pump. Mining methods for gold, silver and lead remained primitive and time consuming. It was Born's amalgamation process, developed and adapted from the Spanish types employed in the mines of South America, which reduced the time of processing silver from six weeks to approximately twelve hours. Moreover, wood was reduced to a minimum and lead was saved in the process. A silver metallurgical plant was built in Sklene Teplice, Slovakia, in 1785, and a lead mill or foundry was constructed in Ulmanka, near Stare Hory, in 1788. Sometime in the 14th century the manufacture of glass was introduced into Slovakia, most likely from the Czech plants in Bohemia. At first, ordinary glass was made, and only later quality glassware was produced for use in the metal and chemical plants in the country. We present a brief summary of the life-work of the following Slovak pioneers in technology. Some of these early scientific technicians are known, some but little known, but their work has all been at least partially evaluated. STEFAN A. JEDLfK Among the earliest inventors in Slovakia was Stefan Ananian Jedlik (1800-1896), who came from the village of Zemne, near Kollarovo, Slovakia. A talented youth he chose the priesthood as a life's vocation. In 1831 he was assigned as a teacher to the Gymnasium ( Junior College ) in Bratislava. Soon his work in Physics won the attention of the administration at the University of Budapest, where he was destined to teach for the next four decades. That is why the Magyars claim him as a Hungarian scientist although he stoutly maintained he was a Slovak. As an electro-technician Jedlik won wide acclaim when electricity was still in its infancy. As early as 1829 in his research in electro-magnetism, he hit upon the theory that an electro-magnet must oscillate simultaneously around another electro-magnet once the current is turned on. His experiments proved the theory true and his primitive motor was the forerunner of the induction motor. �158 SLOVAKIA Although Arag, a French physicist, is credited with the discovery of the theory of electro-magnetism , Jedlik's first motor was certainly closer to the idea of the induction motor than Arag's ideas in theoretical form. Unfortunately, the Slovak scientific genius did not publicize his discovery because he dismissed the motor as economically impractical because it depended on power from an expensive source he himself developed, and which a railroad firm adopted not merely for its own use for its telegraph system but actually put it on the market for general use later. In the late 1850's Jedlik discovered the principle of the self-generating dynamo in which a spark at the magnetic pole is sufficient to give it the initial impetus and gradually the electric current generated will attain maximum power. Werner Siemens, a German pioneer in this field, is given credit for the discovery of the dynamo-electric principle which he patented in 1866 despite the fact that Jedlik and others had actually made the discovery before Siemens registered his patent rights. So far it has been ascertained that Jedlik patented approximately eighty (80 ) patents, mostly in the electromagnetic field. Atoms, Jedlik declared, could be split by a high electric current. Matter, he said, consisted of a radio-active primate, later confirmed by the discovery of radium. AUREL STODOLA World renown was won by another Slovak, namely, Aurel Stodola (1859-1942) in the field of electro-technology indirectly, for he developed the idea of the extensive industrial use of electricity by inventing the steam and gas turbines. He always made it quite clear that he was a Slovak who was born in Liptovsky Sv. Mikulas, Slovakia. His first studies in Levoca were supplemented at the technological institute in Budapest. Here he won a scholarship to study at the technological school in Zilrich, Switzerland. After two years of work on the railways of Hungary, Stodola went for further study at the technical college in Charlotteburg in Germany, and then in Paris. He returned to his native homeland where he remained only a short time �SLOVAKIA 159 because his services were required by the Rustanka firm in Prague. In the 1880's Parsons and Laval's steam turbines caught the interest of Stodola who now began concentrating upon perfecting their theoretical ideas and putting them into practical use. His success won him a professorship at the Technological Institute in Ztirich, Switzerland in 1892. Here he remained until 1929. During this period he trained hundreds of experts of two generations in the field of steam and gas turbines. Stodola's life-work in the design and manufacture of turbine engines, which he continued to perfect constantly, remains unique in the scientific world. He won the Watt medal and the Nobel prize in science. JOZEF MURGAS Jozef Murgas (1864-1929), world famous pioneer in wireless telegraphy, was born in Tajov, near Banska Bystrica, Slovakia. He was born of a peasant family and early in life was destined to study for the priesthood. His talents were many, however, particularly in art. Soon after ordination he was sent by his bishop to study at the Academy of Art in Munich. For some reason shortly before completing his course of study at the Academy, he was recalled to Slovakia for pastoral work. Because of his ardent patriotism he incurred the hostility of the pro-Magyar ecclesiastical authorities. Upon hearing of the need for priests for Slovak immigrant communities, he immediately applied for this apostolate. Accordingly, he was sent to the anthracite city of Wilkes-Barre in northeastern Pennsylvania. Father Murgas' apostolate as pastor of a thriving Slovak parish was marked by devoted service to his Slovak people. In his spare time he did some painting, but his experiments in wireless teiegraphy began to take up most of his leisure moments. In his scientific laboratory, which he built himself at one end of the parsonage, the priest-scientist experimented in attempts to send messages by air. At first he used the Morse code but later replaced it with a tone system, which he patented in 1904. By 1911 he obtained about a dozen additional patents. Private speculators and syndicates sensed that his experiments were on the right track to revolutionize the communications' system, and they bombarded Father Mur- �160 SLOVAKIA gas with offers. Finally, the inventor accepted the bid from a Philadelphia syndicate, the Aether or Ether Telegraph Company, which furnished him with a new laboratory in return for his patent rights. But he had to erect the necessary towers for transmitting and receiving the messages. This Father Murgas did by constructing twin towers, each 60 meters in height, one near his home in Wilkes-Barre and the other about ten miles distant near Scranton, Pa. It is a matter of historical record that in 1905 Father Murgas succeeded in sending a message from his hometower to Scranton. Before he could pursue his experimentation further, however, a violent storm damaged the wooden towers and destroyed the antenas. His company refused to advance the money necessary for repairs and soon after the syndicate was dissolved. Apparently, Father Murgas was unable to raise enough money to make the repairs himself. Moreover, he became embroiled in a patent suit with Marconi (who was subsequently to be credited with the invention of modern radio) and Fessenden. Although Father Murgas won the law-suit, the government controls imposed on all means of communicati on at the outbreak of World War I prevented him from following up his initial success. Thus ended the scientific career of the great Slovak pioneer in wireless telegraphy. From this time until his death in 1929 he devoted all his time exclusively to pastoral service and patriotic work among his Slovak people. JOZEF M. PETZVAL Jozef Maximilian Petzval (Pecval)-180 7-1895-was a Slovak despite claims by Magyars and Austrians to the contrary. He was born in Spisska Bela in Slovakia. After completing his schooling in Podolinec, Levoca and the Lyceum in Kosice (in Slovakia) he attended the polytechnical institute at the University of Budapest. He paid his own way from his salary as a city engineer. After receiving his doctorate in mathematics he obtained a professorship at the University of Vienna in 1836. Petzval secured living quarters in an abandoned monastery on Kahlenberg hill above the city. Here he established his own mechanical laboratory where he began producing �SLOVAKIA 161 special optical lens of such quality so that soon they were in demand in all parts of the world. When the daguerrotype photo apparatus appeared on the scene in the 1830's Petzval opened his own studio where he made invaluable contributions to modern photography. By 1840 he developed a photo lens that increased the degree of light ten-fold, thereby considerably decreasing the time of exposure. Voigtlander, an optician in Vienna, became the recipient of a real windfall when Petzval surrendered his formulas in the science of optics to him in return for a contract. Voigtlander refused to live up to the agreement. Accordingly, Petzval became so bitterly involved in litigation that this caused him to become a recluse . .. a final outcome of his misanthropic tendencies. Petzval developed the basics for the production of lens for people afflicted with astigmatism, and his process was adopted in the 1880's by the great Zeiss corporation in Jena. From Petzval's laboratories came the first high-power telescopes and fieldglasses, super electric spotlights and other improvements in the field of optics, as well as new developments in the mathematical sciences. It was only during World War II that Petzval's name was discovered inscribed (in German) on a memorial tablet in his birthplace in Spisska Bela, Slovakia. STEFAN BANIC stefan Banic, the inventor of the parachute, emigrated from his native Slovakia in search of a job in the U.S. He worked at odd jobs and tinkered with an invention that resulted in the making of the first real, workable parachute for which he obtained patent rights from the U.S. Patent Office in 1914. Banic sold the patent rights to a company for a mere pittance and the company made millions on government orders from the U.S. Army Air force during the first World War. (A. A. Hoch, Vyndlezy, ktore zmenili svet (Inventions which changed the world). Published by Mlade Leta, Bratislava, 1959). � 156 SLOVAKIA Famous Slovak Inventors Long before the arrival of the Slovaks in central Europer the Celts who inhabited the area, mined iron-ore, silver, gold and lead and utilized these minerals in making various instruments, ornaments and utensils. As newcomers, the Slovaks continued to use these minerals centuries before the coming of the Turkish-Mongol tribes. Technically, both the mining and metal industries remained rather primitive until modern times. New methods and techniques which were developed outside the· country were not introduced until quite recently. Modernization of the mining industry in Slovakia, though of recent data, was preceded in the 17th and 18th centuries by several notable processes. In 1627, for example, it was K. Wendler, a Tyrolean explosive expert, who detonated the first black-powder charge in the Banska stiavnica mines in Slovakia; incidentally, the first of its kind in mining history. Then, J. A. Born (1742-1791), a Saxon from Transylvania, in the latter half of the 18th century introduced the quicksilver (mercury) amalgamation process of refining gold, silver and lead. At the end of the 17th century most of the Slovak mines were flooded because continual warfare caused them to be neglected. Primitive methods of pumping out the water proved inefficient and expensive. They required an outlay of money for wood, men-power and horses. The cost was prohibitive. Water-wheels proved unsatisfactory and mining engineers decided to try the new atmospheric-fire invention of Newcombe. Potter, an Englishman, came to install the new machinery in the Nova Ban.a mine. It was put into operation in 1724. But when it proved to be a failure it was dismantled. In 1733 a series of modified methods were introduced but all proved inadequate. Finally, J. K. Hell (1713-1789), a native Slovak engineer and machinist, installed his own machinery at the entrance of the mine in Banska stiavnica in 1749. It proved successful, and soon afterwards he installed his invention in a �SLOVAKIA 157 number of deep mine shafts. Later Hell developed a better atmospheric type of mine-pump. Mining methods for gold, silver and lead remained primitive and time consuming. It was Born's amalgamation process, developed and adapted from the Spanish types employed in the mines of South America, which reduced the time of processing silver from six weeks to approximately twelve hours. Moreover, wood was reduced to a minimum and lead was saved in the process. A silver metallurgical plant was built in Sklene Teplice, Slovakia, in 1785, and a lead mill or foundry was constructed in Ulmanka, near Stare Hory, in 1788. Sometime in the 14th century the manufacture of glass was introduced into Slovakia, most likely from the Czech plants in Bohemia. At first, ordinary glass was made, and only later quality glassware was produced for use in the metal and chemical plants in the country. We present a brief summary of the life-work of the following Slovak pioneers in technology. Some of these early scientific technicians are known, some but little known, but their work has all been at least partially evaluated. STEFAN A. JEDLfK Among the earliest inventors in Slovakia was Stefan Ananian Jedlik (1800-1896), who came from the village of Zemne, near Kollarovo, Slovakia. A talented youth he chose the priesthood as a life's vocation. In 1831 he was assigned as a teacher to the Gymnasium ( Junior College ) in Bratislava. Soon his work in Physics won the attention of the administration at the University of Budapest, where he was destined to teach for the next four decades. That is why the Magyars claim him as a Hungarian scientist although he stoutly maintained he was a Slovak. As an electro-technician Jedlik won wide acclaim when electricity was still in its infancy. As early as 1829 in his research in electro-magnetism, he hit upon the theory that an electro-magnet must oscillate simultaneously around another electro-magnet once the current is turned on. His experiments proved the theory true and his primitive motor was the forerunner of the induction motor. �158 SLOVAKIA Although Arag, a French physicist, is credited with the discovery of the theory of electro-magnetism , Jedlik's first motor was certainly closer to the idea of the induction motor than Arag's ideas in theoretical form. Unfortunately, the Slovak scientific genius did not publicize his discovery because he dismissed the motor as economically impractical because it depended on power from an expensive source he himself developed, and which a railroad firm adopted not merely for its own use for its telegraph system but actually put it on the market for general use later. In the late 1850's Jedlik discovered the principle of the self-generating dynamo in which a spark at the magnetic pole is sufficient to give it the initial impetus and gradually the electric current generated will attain maximum power. Werner Siemens, a German pioneer in this field, is given credit for the discovery of the dynamo-electric principle which he patented in 1866 despite the fact that Jedlik and others had actually made the discovery before Siemens registered his patent rights. So far it has been ascertained that Jedlik patented approximately eighty (80 ) patents, mostly in the electromagnetic field. Atoms, Jedlik declared, could be split by a high electric current. Matter, he said, consisted of a radio-active primate, later confirmed by the discovery of radium. AUREL STODOLA World renown was won by another Slovak, namely, Aurel Stodola (1859-1942) in the field of electro-technology indirectly, for he developed the idea of the extensive industrial use of electricity by inventing the steam and gas turbines. He always made it quite clear that he was a Slovak who was born in Liptovsky Sv. Mikulas, Slovakia. His first studies in Levoca were supplemented at the technological institute in Budapest. Here he won a scholarship to study at the technological school in Zilrich, Switzerland. After two years of work on the railways of Hungary, Stodola went for further study at the technical college in Charlotteburg in Germany, and then in Paris. He returned to his native homeland where he remained only a short time �SLOVAKIA 159 because his services were required by the Rustanka firm in Prague. In the 1880's Parsons and Laval's steam turbines caught the interest of Stodola who now began concentrating upon perfecting their theoretical ideas and putting them into practical use. His success won him a professorship at the Technological Institute in Ztirich, Switzerland in 1892. Here he remained until 1929. During this period he trained hundreds of experts of two generations in the field of steam and gas turbines. Stodola's life-work in the design and manufacture of turbine engines, which he continued to perfect constantly, remains unique in the scientific world. He won the Watt medal and the Nobel prize in science. JOZEF MURGAS Jozef Murgas (1864-1929), world famous pioneer in wireless telegraphy, was born in Tajov, near Banska Bystrica, Slovakia. He was born of a peasant family and early in life was destined to study for the priesthood. His talents were many, however, particularly in art. Soon after ordination he was sent by his bishop to study at the Academy of Art in Munich. For some reason shortly before completing his course of study at the Academy, he was recalled to Slovakia for pastoral work. Because of his ardent patriotism he incurred the hostility of the pro-Magyar ecclesiastical authorities. Upon hearing of the need for priests for Slovak immigrant communities, he immediately applied for this apostolate. Accordingly, he was sent to the anthracite city of Wilkes-Barre in northeastern Pennsylvania. Father Murgas' apostolate as pastor of a thriving Slovak parish was marked by devoted service to his Slovak people. In his spare time he did some painting, but his experiments in wireless teiegraphy began to take up most of his leisure moments. In his scientific laboratory, which he built himself at one end of the parsonage, the priest-scientist experimented in attempts to send messages by air. At first he used the Morse code but later replaced it with a tone system, which he patented in 1904. By 1911 he obtained about a dozen additional patents. Private speculators and syndicates sensed that his experiments were on the right track to revolutionize the communications' system, and they bombarded Father Mur- �160 SLOVAKIA gas with offers. Finally, the inventor accepted the bid from a Philadelphia syndicate, the Aether or Ether Telegraph Company, which furnished him with a new laboratory in return for his patent rights. But he had to erect the necessary towers for transmitting and receiving the messages. This Father Murgas did by constructing twin towers, each 60 meters in height, one near his home in Wilkes-Barre and the other about ten miles distant near Scranton, Pa. It is a matter of historical record that in 1905 Father Murgas succeeded in sending a message from his hometower to Scranton. Before he could pursue his experimentation further, however, a violent storm damaged the wooden towers and destroyed the antenas. His company refused to advance the money necessary for repairs and soon after the syndicate was dissolved. Apparently, Father Murgas was unable to raise enough money to make the repairs himself. Moreover, he became embroiled in a patent suit with Marconi (who was subsequently to be credited with the invention of modern radio) and Fessenden. Although Father Murgas won the law-suit, the government controls imposed on all means of communicati on at the outbreak of World War I prevented him from following up his initial success. Thus ended the scientific career of the great Slovak pioneer in wireless telegraphy. From this time until his death in 1929 he devoted all his time exclusively to pastoral service and patriotic work among his Slovak people. JOZEF M. PETZVAL Jozef Maximilian Petzval (Pecval)-180 7-1895-was a Slovak despite claims by Magyars and Austrians to the contrary. He was born in Spisska Bela in Slovakia. After completing his schooling in Podolinec, Levoca and the Lyceum in Kosice (in Slovakia) he attended the polytechnical institute at the University of Budapest. He paid his own way from his salary as a city engineer. After receiving his doctorate in mathematics he obtained a professorship at the University of Vienna in 1836. Petzval secured living quarters in an abandoned monastery on Kahlenberg hill above the city. Here he established his own mechanical laboratory where he began producing �SLOVAKIA 161 special optical lens of such quality so that soon they were in demand in all parts of the world. When the daguerrotype photo apparatus appeared on the scene in the 1830's Petzval opened his own studio where he made invaluable contributions to modern photography. By 1840 he developed a photo lens that increased the degree of light ten-fold, thereby considerably decreasing the time of exposure. Voigtlander, an optician in Vienna, became the recipient of a real windfall when Petzval surrendered his formulas in the science of optics to him in return for a contract. Voigtlander refused to live up to the agreement. Accordingly, Petzval became so bitterly involved in litigation that this caused him to become a recluse . .. a final outcome of his misanthropic tendencies. Petzval developed the basics for the production of lens for people afflicted with astigmatism, and his process was adopted in the 1880's by the great Zeiss corporation in Jena. From Petzval's laboratories came the first high-power telescopes and fieldglasses, super electric spotlights and other improvements in the field of optics, as well as new developments in the mathematical sciences. It was only during World War II that Petzval's name was discovered inscribed (in German) on a memorial tablet in his birthplace in Spisska Bela, Slovakia. STEFAN BANIC stefan Banic, the inventor of the parachute, emigrated from his native Slovakia in search of a job in the U.S. He worked at odd jobs and tinkered with an invention that resulted in the making of the first real, workable parachute for which he obtained patent rights from the U.S. Patent Office in 1914. Banic sold the patent rights to a company for a mere pittance and the company made millions on government orders from the U.S. Army Air force during the first World War. (A. A. Hoch, Vyndlezy, ktore zmenili svet (Inventions which changed the world). Published by Mlade Leta, Bratislava, 1959). � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1974, Vol. 24 Description An account of the resource Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document 156 SLOVAKIA Famous Slovak Inventors Long before the arrival of the Slovaks in central Europer the Celts who inhabited the area, mined iron-ore, silver, gold and lead and utilized these minerals in making various instruments, ornaments and utensils. As newcomers, the Slovaks continued to use these minerals centuries before the coming of the Turkish-Mongol tribes. Technically, both the mining and metal industries remained rather primitive until modern times. New methods and techniques which were developed outside the· country were not introduced until quite recently. Modernization of the mining industry in Slovakia, though of recent data, was preceded in the 17th and 18th centuries by several notable processes. In 1627, for example, it was K. Wendler, a Tyrolean explosive expert, who detonated the first black-powder charge in the Banska stiavnica mines in Slovakia; incidentally, the first of its kind in mining history. Then, J. A. Born (1742-1791), a Saxon from Transylvania, in the latter half of the 18th century introduced the quicksilver (mercury) amalgamation process of refining gold, silver and lead. At the end of the 17th century most of the Slovak mines were flooded because continual warfare caused them to be neglected. Primitive methods of pumping out the water proved inefficient and expensive. They required an outlay of money for wood, men-power and horses. The cost was prohibitive. Water-wheels proved unsatisfactory and mining engineers decided to try the new atmospheric-fire invention of Newcombe. Potter, an Englishman, came to install the new machinery in the Nova Ban.a mine. It was put into operation in 1724. But when it proved to be a failure it was dismantled. In 1733 a series of modified methods were introduced but all proved inadequate. Finally, J. K. Hell (1713-1789), a native Slovak engineer and machinist, installed his own machinery at the entrance of the mine in Banska stiavnica in 1749. It proved successful, and soon afterwards he installed his invention in a SLOVAKIA 157 number of deep mine shafts. Later Hell developed a better atmospheric type of mine-pump. Mining methods for gold, silver and lead remained primitive and time consuming. It was Born's amalgamation process, developed and adapted from the Spanish types employed in the mines of South America, which reduced the time of processing silver from six weeks to approximately twelve hours. Moreover, wood was reduced to a minimum and lead was saved in the process. A silver metallurgical plant was built in Sklene Teplice, Slovakia, in 1785, and a lead mill or foundry was constructed in Ulmanka, near Stare Hory, in 1788. Sometime in the 14th century the manufacture of glass was introduced into Slovakia, most likely from the Czech plants in Bohemia. At first, ordinary glass was made, and only later quality glassware was produced for use in the metal and chemical plants in the country. We present a brief summary of the life-work of the following Slovak pioneers in technology. Some of these early scientific technicians are known, some but little known, but their work has all been at least partially evaluated. STEFAN A. JEDLfK Among the earliest inventors in Slovakia was Stefan Ananian Jedlik (1800-1896), who came from the village of Zemne, near Kollarovo, Slovakia. A talented youth he chose the priesthood as a life's vocation. In 1831 he was assigned as a teacher to the Gymnasium ( Junior College ) in Bratislava. Soon his work in Physics won the attention of the administration at the University of Budapest, where he was destined to teach for the next four decades. That is why the Magyars claim him as a Hungarian scientist although he stoutly maintained he was a Slovak. As an electro-technician Jedlik won wide acclaim when electricity was still in its infancy. As early as 1829 in his research in electro-magnetism, he hit upon the theory that an electro-magnet must oscillate simultaneously around another electro-magnet once the current is turned on. His experiments proved the theory true and his primitive motor was the forerunner of the induction motor. 158 SLOVAKIA Although Arag, a French physicist, is credited with the discovery of the theory of electro-magnetism , Jedlik's first motor was certainly closer to the idea of the induction motor than Arag's ideas in theoretical form. Unfortunately, the Slovak scientific genius did not publicize his discovery because he dismissed the motor as economically impractical because it depended on power from an expensive source he himself developed, and which a railroad firm adopted not merely for its own use for its telegraph system but actually put it on the market for general use later. In the late 1850's Jedlik discovered the principle of the self-generating dynamo in which a spark at the magnetic pole is sufficient to give it the initial impetus and gradually the electric current generated will attain maximum power. Werner Siemens, a German pioneer in this field, is given credit for the discovery of the dynamo-electric principle which he patented in 1866 despite the fact that Jedlik and others had actually made the discovery before Siemens registered his patent rights. So far it has been ascertained that Jedlik patented approximately eighty (80 ) patents, mostly in the electromagnetic field. Atoms, Jedlik declared, could be split by a high electric current. Matter, he said, consisted of a radio-active primate, later confirmed by the discovery of radium. AUREL STODOLA World renown was won by another Slovak, namely, Aurel Stodola (1859-1942) in the field of electro-technology indirectly, for he developed the idea of the extensive industrial use of electricity by inventing the steam and gas turbines. He always made it quite clear that he was a Slovak who was born in Liptovsky Sv. Mikulas, Slovakia. His first studies in Levoca were supplemented at the technological institute in Budapest. Here he won a scholarship to study at the technological school in Zilrich, Switzerland. After two years of work on the railways of Hungary, Stodola went for further study at the technical college in Charlotteburg in Germany, and then in Paris. He returned to his native homeland where he remained only a short time SLOVAKIA 159 because his services were required by the Rustanka firm in Prague. In the 1880's Parsons and Laval's steam turbines caught the interest of Stodola who now began concentrating upon perfecting their theoretical ideas and putting them into practical use. His success won him a professorship at the Technological Institute in Ztirich, Switzerland in 1892. Here he remained until 1929. During this period he trained hundreds of experts of two generations in the field of steam and gas turbines. Stodola's life-work in the design and manufacture of turbine engines, which he continued to perfect constantly, remains unique in the scientific world. He won the Watt medal and the Nobel prize in science. JOZEF MURGAS Jozef Murgas (1864-1929), world famous pioneer in wireless telegraphy, was born in Tajov, near Banska Bystrica, Slovakia. He was born of a peasant family and early in life was destined to study for the priesthood. His talents were many, however, particularly in art. Soon after ordination he was sent by his bishop to study at the Academy of Art in Munich. For some reason shortly before completing his course of study at the Academy, he was recalled to Slovakia for pastoral work. Because of his ardent patriotism he incurred the hostility of the pro-Magyar ecclesiastical authorities. Upon hearing of the need for priests for Slovak immigrant communities, he immediately applied for this apostolate. Accordingly, he was sent to the anthracite city of Wilkes-Barre in northeastern Pennsylvania. Father Murgas' apostolate as pastor of a thriving Slovak parish was marked by devoted service to his Slovak people. In his spare time he did some painting, but his experiments in wireless teiegraphy began to take up most of his leisure moments. In his scientific laboratory, which he built himself at one end of the parsonage, the priest-scientist experimented in attempts to send messages by air. At first he used the Morse code but later replaced it with a tone system, which he patented in 1904. By 1911 he obtained about a dozen additional patents. Private speculators and syndicates sensed that his experiments were on the right track to revolutionize the communications' system, and they bombarded Father Mur- 160 SLOVAKIA gas with offers. Finally, the inventor accepted the bid from a Philadelphia syndicate, the Aether or Ether Telegraph Company, which furnished him with a new laboratory in return for his patent rights. But he had to erect the necessary towers for transmitting and receiving the messages. This Father Murgas did by constructing twin towers, each 60 meters in height, one near his home in Wilkes-Barre and the other about ten miles distant near Scranton, Pa. It is a matter of historical record that in 1905 Father Murgas succeeded in sending a message from his hometower to Scranton. Before he could pursue his experimentation further, however, a violent storm damaged the wooden towers and destroyed the antenas. His company refused to advance the money necessary for repairs and soon after the syndicate was dissolved. Apparently, Father Murgas was unable to raise enough money to make the repairs himself. Moreover, he became embroiled in a patent suit with Marconi (who was subsequently to be credited with the invention of modern radio) and Fessenden. Although Father Murgas won the law-suit, the government controls imposed on all means of communicati on at the outbreak of World War I prevented him from following up his initial success. Thus ended the scientific career of the great Slovak pioneer in wireless telegraphy. From this time until his death in 1929 he devoted all his time exclusively to pastoral service and patriotic work among his Slovak people. JOZEF M. PETZVAL Jozef Maximilian Petzval (Pecval)-180 7-1895-was a Slovak despite claims by Magyars and Austrians to the contrary. He was born in Spisska Bela in Slovakia. After completing his schooling in Podolinec, Levoca and the Lyceum in Kosice (in Slovakia) he attended the polytechnical institute at the University of Budapest. He paid his own way from his salary as a city engineer. After receiving his doctorate in mathematics he obtained a professorship at the University of Vienna in 1836. Petzval secured living quarters in an abandoned monastery on Kahlenberg hill above the city. Here he established his own mechanical laboratory where he began producing SLOVAKIA 161 special optical lens of such quality so that soon they were in demand in all parts of the world. When the daguerrotype photo apparatus appeared on the scene in the 1830's Petzval opened his own studio where he made invaluable contributions to modern photography. By 1840 he developed a photo lens that increased the degree of light ten-fold, thereby considerably decreasing the time of exposure. Voigtlander, an optician in Vienna, became the recipient of a real windfall when Petzval surrendered his formulas in the science of optics to him in return for a contract. Voigtlander refused to live up to the agreement. Accordingly, Petzval became so bitterly involved in litigation that this caused him to become a recluse . .. a final outcome of his misanthropic tendencies. Petzval developed the basics for the production of lens for people afflicted with astigmatism, and his process was adopted in the 1880's by the great Zeiss corporation in Jena. From Petzval's laboratories came the first high-power telescopes and fieldglasses, super electric spotlights and other improvements in the field of optics, as well as new developments in the mathematical sciences. It was only during World War II that Petzval's name was discovered inscribed (in German) on a memorial tablet in his birthplace in Spisska Bela, Slovakia. STEFAN BANIC stefan Banic, the inventor of the parachute, emigrated from his native Slovakia in search of a job in the U.S. He worked at odd jobs and tinkered with an invention that resulted in the making of the first real, workable parachute for which he obtained patent rights from the U.S. Patent Office in 1914. Banic sold the patent rights to a company for a mere pittance and the company made millions on government orders from the U.S. Army Air force during the first World War. (A. A. Hoch, Vyndlezy, ktore zmenili svet (Inventions which changed the world). Published by Mlade Leta, Bratislava, 1959).  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Famous Slovak Inventors Description An account of the resource from A. A. Hoch, Vynálezy, ktoré zmenili svet (Inventions Which Changed the World), pub. Mladé Letá, Bratislava, 1959. covers Štefan A. Jedlík, Aurel Stodola, Jozef Murgaš, Jozef M. Petzval, Štefan Banič Slovakia, Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974 pp. 156-161 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Hoch, Alois Adalbert, 1888-1978 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 SNK https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/8f351efb370a1007cadd2031f7e772b0.pdf 764e880de0cf3d7b93aa2c077163b3f3 PDF Text Text 132 SLOVAKIA William W a g n e r : The Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius and the Preservation of Slovak Culture in America The research involved in writing the history of an ethnic teaching community presented me with two problems. First, there are relatively few works completed on American ethnic groups, including the Slovak Americans. Secondly, the past of this particular teaching Community, the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius, has been largely recorded only by the Sisters of that Community. Therefore, my research on the Slovak past ( still predominantly written in the Slovak tongue) and my compiling of the Community's history were very dependent on the writings of the Sisters of the Community. I believe my work is objective, because of the limitation of my knowledge of the Community's religious life, thus removing me from a biased influence. All in all, I attempted to deal with this subject in such a manner as to present an honest view of the history and purpose surrounding the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius. My appreciation is extended to Reverend Mother M. Valeria Romanchek and special thanks are expressed to the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius for their helpful cooperation and endless assistance and guidance throughout the researching of this paper. I dedicate this history to Reverend Mother M. Emerentia Petrasek, former Community historian, upon whose research of the Slovak past and the tracing of the Community's growth I so heavily relied. THE ROOTS OF SLOVAK CULTURE ARE CENTURIES OLD The United States is the most important immigrant receiving country in the world. Between 1850 and 1930 no less than thirty-eight million people settled within our borders. 1 Although early in this immigration period many �SLOVAKIA 133 newcomers strove to sever ties with the old world, a sizeable portion continued to look reverently upon their past. The Slovak American, who journeyed to this country primarily in the later wave of European immigration, were such a group. The Slovaks feared the loss of their native culture to a new growing American culture because their past history consisted of repeated attempts at such assimilation. But also in America the Slovak hoped for the chance and the right to have his own life. The Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius are a teaching community dedicated to preserving and promoting this American Slovak culture. Because one-third of all Slovaks live in America,2 the Sisters' preservation of their culture is extremely important to the overall existence of the Slovak people as a national entity. The Slovak people are a small part of the Slavic family found on the European continent. Ethnologists place the Slovaks in the Western Slavic group, which also includes Poles, Czechs and Moravians. Commonly but erroneously the Slovaks are considered only a part of the "Czechoslovak Nation," but during the ten centuries of Slovak history, the Slovaks did not live in a common state with the Czechs until 1918. Little is known of the early Slavs. Ancient Greeks and Romans made contact, but left few records. Early recorded Slovak history tells of struggles with Asiatic tribes, particularly the Avari to whom the Slovaks were subjected for almost a century. The subjection was followed by the influence and reign of the Franks. 3 The early Slovak was pagan and war-like. He had many customs but few laws. He was chiefly agricultural and believed in various superstitions. This type of religion held fast until the ninth century when Prince Pribina, the first direct Slovak ruler of Slavic birth, established the first Slavic Christian church. Pribina's efforts to christianize his people met with little success, largely because he was dependent on Frankish missionaries whose language his people could not understand. 4 In 846 Pribina's court surrendered to Rastislav, a skillful warrior, who succeeded in winning independence from the Franks. Rastislav sought religious as well as political freedom. In the year 863 Prince Rastislav invited the two �134 SLOVAKIA holy brothers, Constantine and Methodius, to come from Constantinople and work among the Slovak people. These Byzantine missionaries found it necessary to invent an alphabet for the Slavs, so that the Holy Scriptures could be given to them in their own tongue. After having the use of the Slavonic tongue in Western Liturgy sanctioned by the Roman Pope, Methodius returned to Slovakia as a bishop. Constantine meanwhile had died in Rome in 869 , after entering a monastery there and assuming the name of Cyril. By means of their translations of the Holy Scriptures Constantine and Methodius laid the foundations of Slavic literature. The introduction of schools went hand in hand with this introduction and spread of Christianity in Slovakia.5 Archbishop Methodius continued his teaching and missionary activity until his death in 885. That period of political independence for Slovakia lasted but a short time. Slovakia was soon incorporated into the State of Hungary, which during medieval times consisted of various nations. During this period known as 'The Thousand Years of Oppression', the Slovaks' civil life declined and thus their national consciousness was under a cloud. The Lutheran Reformation, the Turkish invasion of Hungary in 1526 and the Counter-Reformation led by the Jesuits all had varying effects on Slovak education. But it was not until the suppression of the Jesuit Order in 1773 and the state control of education under Empress Maria Theresa, that the Slovak education was directed by any one source. The State of Hungary considered it its duty to provide for the education of its people, hoping to make the power of the state felt in every phase of life.6 The reigns of Maria Theresa and Joseph II saw an expansion of education and also an attempt at Germanization of the Slovaks. Joseph's attempt at Germanization was significantly challenged in 1847 and replaced by Hungarian Magyarization. Whether Germanization or Magyarization the NonHungarian Nationalities' interests were ignored. In 1867 the 'Austro-Hungarian Compromise' touched off rapid action to create a unitary Hungary by Magyarizing all departments of public life, especially the schools. The aim of this policy was the complete assimilation and �SLOVAKIA 135 conversion of Slovakia into a purely Magyar Province of Hungary. Since language is the chief symbol of nationality, the Slovak language was suppressed. Poor economically and having their national ideals and traditions submerged, the Slovaks began seeking a new way to improve their life. U.S. SHINES WITH HOPE FOR SLOVAK IMMIGRANTS Immigration held the dream of a better life. The heaviest immigration of the Slovaks occurred between 1890 and 1900.7 It must be stressed that the majority of immigrants came to America for economic reasons, few peasants ever left East Europe during this period due to political reasons, though politics did cause many not to return. 8 The first immigrants were usually the fathers of the Slovak families, hoping for quick economic gain, and a subsequent return to their native land and families. But once in America few immigrants returned. They found employment that significantly raised their living standard. Though in a strange, sometimes hostile land, the immigrant recognized the ideals of freedom that he was denied in his homeland. As thoughts of returning to their native land diminished, the pioneering immigrants sent for their families to join them in their adopted country. 9 Once the immigrant families had situated themselves in this new land, they were faced with problems of adjustment. The majority of the Slovak immigrants settled in the industrial East, seeking employment with the mining industries, particularly in Pennsylvania. Since the closing of the American frontier the greatest means of livelihood for new immigrants was in these rising industrial areas.10 As the economic necessity of making a living diminished, the new Americans turned to their social needs. Subsequently as the new settlements became more permanent, these Slovak immigrants turned to their religious needs. They began by building community parishes, while searching for Slovak priests who were few in number in this time of early immigration.11 The churches provided a common bond upon which were built beneficial organizations, such as the organizations of the First Catholic Slovak Union known as Jednota. It was the purpose of these beneficial groups to locate and unite the scattered elements �136 SLOVAKIA of American Slovaks. Unity was usually provided through the weekly Slovak newspapers. EDUCATION AL ASPIRATIONS OF AMERICAN SLOVAKS Upon completion of the drive to build parishes the Slovaks had finished with what they call the Church Age of their settlement in America. 12 Having established themselves within their own community, they were faced with the task of joining the larger American community. Obviously, they needed to learn the English language and familiarize themselves with American customs. It was over this need for education that friction developed. On the one hand the immigrant desired to be accepted in this new environment; yet on the other, he also desired to preserve his own cultural past. The first generation immigrant was taught English usually by his employer and did not have his culture challenged, thus resisting assimilation. 13 It was the education of successive generations that presented the problem of cultural alienation. The apparent choice in education was to enroll their offsprings in public schools in order to help them adjust to this new American Life. But education in the public schools posed severe cultural hazards. The public school taught American subjects with American values. The foreign children were judged by American cultural standards of conduct. In this position the foreign children were caught between their old culture and the new American culture. This had definite results: A limited number abandoned their embarrassing heritage-to accept American standards; a larger number sought to forget their traditional background regarding them as inferior-lead ing to family disruption and disintegration . Finally, the largest group failed to adjust to school and left feeling disregarded, discouraged and inferior .14 The public school encouraged the disintegration of Slovak families. The Slovaks had successfully resisted attempts of assimilation by stronger cultures in the past, but now they faced the task of resisting assimilation in a foreign land. To be assimilated meant the destruction of their culture. The chief means of assimilation was through education, as was attempted in their past history. Though it was largely an unconscious process by which America imposed its own standard of ideals on the new- �SLOVAKIA 137 comers, the public schools were succeeding in imposing a common English culture upon the children of many nationalities. 15 By treating the immigrant as a native the public school disregarded his culture and background. What was needed was a means to hand down a suitable portion of his native culture in order to provide a past, thus avoiding an identity crisis. The public school system could not provide this necessity in full. What was needed was a new system that could teach their children good American citizenship and preserve in them a profitable appreciation of the language, culture and tradition of their forefathers, while still providing a sufficient academic education. Fearing further disintegration of their culture, the Slovaks began searching and discussing alternatives in the development of Slovak America. REV. MATTHEW JANKOLA ASSUMES LEADERSHIP A leader in this search for a solution to the American Slovak's educational needs was Father Matthew Jankola. He spent much time studying his fellow Slovaks in their new surroundings. Early in his life he wrote: "We have a serious problem, the problem of educating our children according to American methods, and for American citizenship, without, however, destroying their cultural character and their cultural traditions." 16 With this attitude Father Jankola formed an Association of Priests in 1903 to consider the question of providing for the Catholic education of Slovak youth. Father Jankola began his studies for the priesthood in his native Slovakia. But under pressure from both the Hungarian civil and ecclesiastical authorities, which frowned apon Slovak devotion to Saints Cyril and Methodius, and the fostering of Slovak nationalism, Father Jankola sought refuge in America. 17 He arrived in 1893, and finished his studies at Saint Bonaventure's Seminary in Allegheny, New York. As a priest Father Jankola dedicated himself to the problem of cultural disintegration of his people, begun in Hungary and now continuing in America. It was on behalf of this couse that Father Jankola directed his early writings. When considering education, Father Jankola looked to its broader meaning of culture, rather than its narrow sense of formal schooling. He felt �138 SLOVAKIA that next to the parish church must be a school, because without Catholic schools the Catholic Church had no future, no assured existence. Father Jankola saw the parish church alone and unaided by a Catholic school as but a "feeble barrier" against the rapid onrush of worldliness and a too sudden Americanization for Slovak youth. Further, to preserve the Slovak national character, the children must be educated in Slovak schools with religious principles. Father Jankola held the schools as helpful for religious training, and necessary also to preserve nationality. In Father Jankola's mind the church directed religion, not language; for the teaching of language, which fosters the national spirit, teachers and schools were needed.18 In this spirit Father Jankola called for the establishment of schools, staffed by Slovak Sisters. His initial contact with the Slovak people on this project was done through the newspapers, such as the weekly Jednota. Many attempts were made · to secure Slavic Sisters, but to no avail. This was a time of heavy immigration causing the demand for Sisters in America to be very great. Confronted with the problem of no available Sisters for his project, Father Jankola suggested the possibility of founding a Religious Community for the education of Slovak youth. The suggestion was received favorably, so Father Jankola sought Slovak candidates to train in an American Sisterhood, which would later branch off into an independent congregation as their numbers grew. A Czech Benedictine Community of Sisters expressed willingness to receive and educate Slovak girls. Father Jankola secured three aspirants who were sent to the Czech Sisters in Chicago. But this project failed when the girls became discontented and wished to return to Pennsylvania. Their return was hard on Father Jankola, but their young age and the great distances they had traveled made him sympathetic. 19 Father Jankola did not abandon his project. Instead, upon further study he came in contact with Mother Mary Cyril at Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Scranton, Penna. After considering Father Jankola's plan for a parochial school system under Slovak Sisters, Mother Mary Cyril agreed to accept the young girls. The girls entered Mount Saint Mary's Seminary in November of 1903, to learn the �SLOVAKIA 139 principles of religious life and live according to its Rules. 20 While preparing the Slovak girls for religious teaching and guidance under Mother Mary Cyril and the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Father Jankola began a fund to further his project. He established "St. Anthony's Treasury" which received donations from parishes, societies and individuals. A TEACHING COMMUNITY OF SLOVAK SISTERS IS BORN On September 11, 1909, the first Slovak girls pronounced their religious vows, 21 marking the birth of the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius, honoring the Saints who gave Slovakia its faith and culture. Father Jankola noted that this was the founding of the first Slovak religious sisterhood that the Slovaks ever had, either in Europe or America. At the birth of this new Order Father Jankola set down four principal reasons for its conception: 1) Educate Slovak children 2) Care for Slovak orphans and aged 3) Preserve Slovak culture 4) Pray for the return of Slav schismatics.22 Father Jankola's first principle has been the primary apostolate of the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius. The parish school has always constituted the particular vocation of the Sisters. The Sisters set themselves the traditional objective of education in a Christian spirit to develop and train to the fullest the powers and capacities of a young student's mind and body. They also strove to inculcate principles of true patriotism and citizenship in order to develop enlightened, conscientious American citizens, imbued with Christian attitudes of justice and charity, peace and order, which they feel are the main components for social living. As Slovak American teachers, they endeavored to preserve some of the traditions and the cultural heritage of the Slovak people among the students of Slovak parentage, and to foster in all students an interest and respect for the varied cultures and attitudes that make up the Brotherhood of Man. 23 Through such recognition and acceptance of foreign natures, characteristics, and personalities built from a different culture, the Sisters sought to achieve cultural democracy. To accept cultural democracy means to accept �140 SLOVAKIA a technique of social adjustment that will make possible the preservation of the best of all cultures. 24 This was the desire of the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius. To accept, as well as to be accepted, is the condition for effective pluralism in a nation. Cultural pluralism in the American educational system has existed because we are a multi-cultural, multi-racial, and multi-lingual nation. It was thought that the public school system would Americanize these foreign elements into the melting pot of uniform American culture. The concept of American culture as a mosaic has been the reason for, and the challenge of, the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius. For six years this newly established Community of Sisters continued under the guidance of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. It was on August 4, 1915, that the Community had its first elections in which Sister Mary (Mihalik) was elected the first Superior General. During this period the Sisters opened their first school to educate children in the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, marking the beginning of the educational work of the Community. Before this group could be firmly established Mother Mary died in 1916. Her successor was Mother M. Emmanuel whose greatest achievement involved the establishment of a suitable, permanent Motherhouse.25 MOTHER M. EMMANUEL, SS.C.M. (1916-1922) The Sisters had been temporarily situated in Middletown, Pennsylvania. While in this location, Mother M. Emmanuel sought a permanent Motherhouse. She was informed by Reverend Julius Foin about a large tract of land with an old mansion in Danville. Through Bishop Philip R. McDevitt, Mother M. Emmanuel made contact with a local attorney, Ralph Kisner, and was informed that the 'Castle Grove' property was for sale. The Mansion site proper, containing thirteen acres-forty rooms, eleven bathrooms-finished throughout with hardwood, was a relic of the passing iron industry in Danville. There was also an adjoining farm with one hundred thirty-three acres and numerous outbuildings. This enormous dwelling was perfect for Mother M. Emmanuel's aims, but the price was beyond the Community's ability to pay. Upon inspection of this property, Mother M. Emmanuel found that the Mansion had stood �SLOVAKIA 141 vacant for fourteen years, needing numerous repairs. With this in mind she made a meager offer. The actual owner was in France, causing slow communication. Price remained the hindrance as Mother M. Emmanuel would not raise her offer. In March of 1919, Attorney Kisner informed the Sisters that the owner had agreed to drastically reduce his price to meet the Community's needs. Now that the Community's prayers for a Motherhouse had been answered, only the necessary funds for purchase remained an obstacle. The Sisters had saved about half of the required amount, but had discouraging experiences in acquiring the rest. This was the critical period during World War I, causing excess funds to be scarce.26 After futile appeals to the citizens and banks of the Wilkes-Barre area, a heavily populated Slovak community, Mother M. Emmanuel turned to the Danville National Bank for a loan. This bank considered the risk minimal and granted the loan at low interest. With payment secured, the Sisters concluded the 'Castle Grove' deal in June of 1919, and began preparations for the transfer of the Motherhouse from Middletown to its permanent home in Danville. Throughout the summer months in 1919, the Sisters worked to put the house and grounds in order. Within this new convent the Community prepared for the continuance of religious training for its Sisters and converted one of the two ballrooms into a chapel. Holy Mass was first celebrated on Sunday morning, July 6, 1919. With the approach of Autumn all but the Sisters in training took leave of 'Sacred Heart Villa,' as the grounds had been named, to resume their duties in the parish schools. During the War Years the demand for Sisters in parochial schools became very great. The war and the influenza epidemic strongly limited the work of the Sisters.27 As this situation relaxed in the summer of 1920, Mother M. Emmanuel arranged classes for the Sisters to improve their educational resources. The educational progress of the Community was under the direction of the Sisters from Marywood. This was being continued by Mother M. Emmanuel who sought also to further the Community's material progress. She was engaged in soliciting funds from the homes of Slovaks to pay off the Sister's bank loan. Mother M. Emmanuel promoted thrift within her �142 SLOVAKIA Community because she felt the Community would be more secure in the American culture when free from debt. Mother M. Emmanuel's term expired in 1922. She had directed this young Sisterhood through its pioneering days, giving it shelter, resources and existence through the war years. Mother M. Emmanuel's main contribution was, of course, the establishment of the Motherhouse that was to become the center of Slovak culture in America. MOTHER M. PIUS, SS.C.M. OPENS ST. CYRIL ACADEMY IN 1922 By the choice of the Sisters, Sister M. Pius was elected the third Superior General. Bishop McDevitt, who supervised the election, also commented on the importance of the Sisters' studies because someday the civil authorities would require that every teacher must be certified by the State of Pennsylvania. Certification would be important in having the Community accepted as a competent educational institution in American society. Now that they had an established center, the Sisters could begin to focus their educational mission with greater assurance. The Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius had always wished for the establishment of a high school and boarding school for girls. Presently, they were only employed in elementary education. This idea for an institution of higher education for their own children was popular among the Slovaks. In addition to the regularly prescribed American branches, they wanted their offsprings to be taught the mother tongue and trained to appreciate the historical and cultural traditions of their nation. 28 To this wish Mother M. Pius responded. Mother M. Pius expressed a desire to have an official from the Department of Public Instruction in Harrisburg come to Danville to give a lecture on the requirements of the State, regarding the equipment and function of a high school and its accreditation. In August of 1922, Doctor Edward Hoban arrived from Harrisburg and explained such subjects as extension courses, summer school, teacher certificates, teaching of foreign languages, importance of teaching citizenship, the teaching of historical and social studies, and the necessity of physical education. This lecture assured the commencement of preparation for a high school on American terms. �SLOVAKIA 143 The following week an advertisement appeared in the Slovak newspapers stating that the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius had equipped part of their convent at Danville as a boarding school for girls. To conform to American standards the equipment of the high school called for two very important departments -the Library and the Laboratory for the Sciences. Both of these were begun with the opening of the school. Books acquired were those recommended by the Department o! Education. Also a large selection of Catholic and Slovak books supplemented the Community's aim of a multicultural education. In all, nineteen pupils attended the first year of the First Catholic Slovak Girls High School, indicating a desire on the part of the Slovaks to have their children educated in a Slovak, as well as an American atmosphere. Towards the close of the first year in the spring of 1923, a small group of students ventured into the school's first extra-curricular activity. These girls formed a Literary Society in which they compiled a little booklet of essays, stories, and poems. Under Mother M. Pius' encouragement this activity continued, resulting in the first issue of the bi-lingual (Slovak and American) school magazine, Fialky (Violets). The Fialky were thereafter issued semi-annually until 1940 and then annually until 1970, when it ceased publication. During the summer vacation Mother M. Pius encouraged the Sisters toward further studies, hoping to improve their competence as teachers. She was anxious to secure state certification for as many Sisters as could qualify. Now that the Community was engaged in all levels of education, Mother M. Pius wished to secure them within the American educational system through accreditation. The Academy's opening in the second year exposed space problems as enrollment grew. Mother Pius expressed the need for a strong building fund and enacted new collection drives among the Slovak people. The number of students steadily increased into the third and fourth year.• With the fourth year the need for accredition increased as the first graduation approached. The school was informed that the State Representatives would make an official inspection at the school year's end. That June, just a week before graduation, the State �144 SLOVAKIA Inspector arrived and spent a day inspecting the school, interviewing both the staff and the students. The State Representative, Doctor Pentz, found the Slovak students being educated and trained in all that the modern high schools offered, and in their Religion and mother tongue as well. To this he expressed his satisfaction, commenting on the orderly and methodological way in which the different departments were being conducted. 29 After Dr. Pentz reported the Academy as "first class" in both arrangement and curriculum, the school received a telegram, congratulating teachers and students on receiving accreditation from the State. This good news arrived just days before the first graduation, much to the Sisters' delight. While preparations for this first commencement progressed, another great event was in prospect, namely, the Eucharistic Congress in Chicago. This event made a great impact on the first commencement of the First Catholic Slovak Girls High School. Accreditation from the State of Pennsylvania proved the Sisters' ability to provide their students with a fitting education in their new society, but what remained to be seen was whether or not the Sisters could live up to the task of preserving Slovak culture in America. Slovak American culture was to receive a fresh impetus by the Eucharistic Congress held in Chicago. Due to attend the Congress were four bishops from Slovakia. The presence of these Slovak bishops greatly excited the Slovak Americans and especially the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius, since through the influence of Bishop McDevitt arrangements were made to have these four bishops attend the Academy's first graduation. The date of the festivity was June 14, 1926. Under the guidance of Bishop McDevitt, who presided at the First Graduation ceremony, the entire Community and students assembled at the Convent's gate to welcome the visiting bishops. Upon the arrival of the Slovak bishops, who were traveling in European fashion, clad in cassock and purple cincture, the commencement proceeded with prayers, songs, and speeches. The speeches were delivered in Slovak, calling for a continuance of Catholic education. Bishop McDevitt's address underscored the advantages which the �SLOVAKIA 145 Slovak people can derive from a solid Catholic education. He also pointed out that this could be done because the American government stood to protect the religious rights of all American citizens. The theme of religious pluralism in America was carried further by the Senior Bishop from Slovakia in a speech that noted how this American government respects, upholds, and protects the religious liberty of the people who found refuge under her banner. Bishop Marian Blaha further cited the great accomplishments of the American Slovaks. Their ability to provide a Catholic education while preserving their mother tongue greatly impressed him. Then as an old Slovak proverb states, "Every perfect day must end even as the sweetest song" -this first commencement was no exception; it was concluded by a student chorale of inspirational Slovak songs.30 The first graduation was a significant milestone in the history of the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius. It was their first public manifestation of their educational standards and traditions. The graduation exercise presented a new phase in the mission of the Slovak Sisters. Their people realized that Danville would not only house a Convent and an Academy, but would be the center of genuine culture for the Slovaks in America. To attain a status combining a true Americanism with an appreciation of the spirit and traditions of their native land was the Community's desire.31 With this spirit of appreciation, encouraged by the sharp increase of applicants, new thoughts of building were entertained. But unlike before, the Slovak people, organizations and individuals alike, urged this step. These groups advised a general benefit drive for funds, alleging the time was ripe for such a movement since industrial conditions were favorable and the people were willing to donate.32 In the spring of 1927 Mother M. Pius presented a letter of the officers of the First Catholic Slovak Ladies' Union, another element of Slovak-American culture, announcing the drive for a building fund. When Mother M. Pius asked for their contribution, she was immediately promised five thousand dollars. The response elsewhere was the same. The Slovak newspapers pushed the drive and local groups competed in fund raising. This favorable reaction illustrates the Slovak-Americans' desire for an enlarged Slovak cultural center in America. �146 SLOVAKIA With the building fund well under way, Mother M. Pius contracted Architect Bernard Starr of Harrisburg, who in turn sought the assistance of Harry Sternfeld of Philadelphia. A spot for the new building was selected on the Villa Sacred Heart campus, and Mr. Sternfeld sketched a building dominated by a central tower. This initial plan brought eriticism for its "needless extravagance," but Mother M. Pius retained the plan as the answer to the needs of the Community, plus the cultural, educational and religious needs of the Slovak-American people. The Community wasted no time in beginning the new building. Ground was broken on May 23, 1929, in a ceremony which the local Danville Morning News described as an event to go down in Slovak history. 33 The speakers' program included representatives of the church, state, and Slovak national life. As the building progressed, the country entered the depression of the 1930's. By the time the building was completed, economic tension was beginning to be felt everywhere.34 With this in mind, Mother M. Pius avoided any elaborate dedication ceremony. This new building was made to catch the spirit of the past and to intepret it with a contemporaneous point of view in order to make it fit actual conditions.35 Its design was in accord with the ideals of the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius, who hoped to blend the past into a new, usable present. In a more practical manner the new building provided an institution solely devoted to the education of the Slovak people and the preserving of their culture. It was viewed as a national work, one that provided b roader limits and better accommodations which would produce greater results. 36 The local paper saw the building as a monument to the Slovak people of America, and considered it one of the local community's finest aspects.37 The Sisters moved into their new building in September of 1931. The following three years were quiet, filled with earnest activity toward the educational goals of the Community. This period ended with the significant year of 1934, the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Community's existence. In those twenty-five years the Community developed and established itself in a permanent Motherhouse, which in turn had developed the First Catholic Slovak Girls' High �SLOVAKIA 147 School, crowned by the magnificent new building. This had been done under three Superiors General-Mother Mary, Mother M. Emmanuel, Mother M. Pius-all of whom promoted the cultivation of the Slovak language and history, which, with religion, constitute the two outstanding characteristics of the Slovak Academy. Extra-curricular activities, like Fialky and Cyrilika-a society for fostering interest in Slovak journalism-as well as customs established for the practical study of Slovak, such as speaking Slovak all day every Saturday, and the annual observance of Slovak Week, acquired notice and approval. The observance of Slovak tradition gave this Academy a unique position in the field of American education.38 With a high spirit of celebration the Silver Jubilee of the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius commenced. The Jubilee marked still another turning point in the Community's history as it came at the close of Mother M. Pius' long administration. Her work finished laying a firm foundation which became the base for a promising era of new growth. MOTHER M. EMERENTIA, SS.C.M. (1934-1946) In this new period of the Community's history the work of the Academy advanced quietly, with gratifying results in the field of Slovak-American culture. When Mother M. Emerentia was elected Superior General in 1934, she encouraged Slovak interests and cultural projects like formal programs, dramatic productions, Slovak readings, folk song festivals and, above all, research and creative writing on Slovak topics. Mother M. Emerentia was also responsible for the compilation of Slovak language texts and hymnals used widely in Slovak elementary schools and parishes in America. The early years of Mother M. Emerentia's administration coincided with the greatest period of the depression. Though there was no drop in student enrollment, neither was there the marked increase that would have normally been the case.• These drawbacks, however, had advantages. The subdued quiet of the interval was conducive to a greater concentration on school work, both regular and extracurricular. Correspondence with students in Slovakia '' See enrollment figures; Table I. �148 SLOVAKIA was an activity greatly enjoyed by the students of St. Cyril Academy. It was also during these years that the school was favored by a number of distinguished visitors from Slovakia, including a delegation from the Slovak Institute of Arts and Sciences, a group of students from the Slovak unit of Pax Romana, plus numerous distinguished scholars, writers, and statesmen, including the Slovak martyr, Msgr. Joseph Tiso.39 When our country was drawn into war on December 8, 1941, the first care of the Motherhouse was directed toward the Sisters and their pupils in the parish schools. The Community placed its trust in God and His care of our country, and classes went on as usual. However, extracurricular activities were directed toward war needs. Beyond the prayers for peace, the Community and its students turned out quantities of knitted sweaters and helmets. They experienced the value of thrift by rationing food and collected all scraps such as fats, iron and paper. The Sisters also joined in relief efforts for their native land. An extensive relief project for the war sufferers in Slovakia was aided by the Community, which sent abroad numerous packages of relief materials. The motherhouse was a center for this organized relief work. The relief project continued in action even after the war, when Slovakia again was suppressed by a stronger force. Following a remarkably successful and flourishing six-year period of self-rule under the Presidency of Tiso, the Slovak government collapsed when victory came to Russia and the Allies. 40 With this victory Slovakia was overrun by the Communists. Their occupation of the country led to the execution of Msgr. Tiso, plus the silencing of many bishops and priests. The people of Slovakia remained in destitution; hence, the necessity for relief work to continue until the Iron Curtain cut off all communication. 41 The Communist occupation caused more refugees to seek freedom and sanctuary from Slovakia. As thousands came to America, the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius and their students enjoyed fresh contacts with persons of their fatherland. Priests and professional people willingly gave lectures to both the Sisters and the students, chiefly on conditions in Slovakia and on topics of Slovak history. �SLOVAKIA 149 Several high school students from Slovakia enrolled in the Academy, thus enriching the Slovak-American culture. MOTHER M. CRESCENTIA, SS.C.M. (1946-1958) While the Slovak-American tradition was being enriched during these post-war years, a new Superior General was elected, placing renewed importance on the educational aspects of the Academy. Mother M. Crescentia realized that during the earlier years the educational objectives could not be pursued as fully as desired since more urgent activities were at hand. In time, however, conditions improved, so that more and better organized work could be done in the field of teacher education. Mother M. Crescentia took advantage of this situation, arranging for more Sisters to take college courses in a greater variety of fields. With this renewed progress in the Sisters' personal educational ventures, activities in the Academy moved apace. The student enrollment at the Academy, which increased only to a minor extent after the depression, now began rapid growth. This growth of the Academy advanced steadily into the fifties, causing every available space within the Academy to be filled. It necessitated the building of Saint Philomena Hall to be used for students' living and classrooms. Also in the fifties, the Community worked for the founding of Father Jankola. They are Villa Saint Cyril in Highland Park, Illinois, and Maria Joseph Manor in Danville, Pennsylvania. By 1958 the Community had a new Superior General in the person of Mother M. Bernard. MOTHER M. BERNARD, SS.C.M. (1958-1970) The highlight of this decade was the observance of the Community's Golden Jubilee. It was climaxed by the celebration of a Roman-Slavonic Mass on the Villa campus in the presence of five thousand visitors from all parts of the country.42 It was the first Roman rite vernacular Mass ever offered on this continent. The increased enrollment and the large turnout for the Roman-Slavonic Mass indicates the strong support the Academy received from the Slovak-American people in its preserving of Slovak culture. The early sixties were also highlighted by a large celebration honoring another aspect of the Comunity's Slovak heritage. The year 1963 marked the eleven hundredth �150 SLOVAKIA anniversary of the arrival of SS. Cyril and Methodius among the Slovaks. In addition to the Community celebration in America, the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius participated in a week-long observance in Rome, involving numerous Slovak pilgrims, who had assembled there for the dedication of the Slovak Institute of SS. Cyril and Methodius, a seminary for the training of priests for Slovakia. THE JANKOLA LIBRARY The latter sixties and early seventies for St. Cyril Academy had been dominated by two cherished Slovak projects. First was the active cooperation with the Apostolate of the Slovak Institute of SS. Cyril and Methodius in Rome, begun during the 1963 pilgrimage. Second was the professional development of the Jankola Library at the Academy. This Library is a center of Slovak culture and learning for St. Cyril Academy and Slovak America. It is called Jankola Library in honor of the founder of the Community and promoter of Slovak-American culture, Father Matthew Jankola. The Library provides invaluable resources for study and research purposes, as well as literary works to enrich the Slovak spirit. Jankola Library contains over six thousand (6,000) fully catalogued items on its shelves with several hundred more reserved for further processing.43 Beyond just Slovak books this Library also promotes Slovak-American culture with its large collection of Slovak art. Included among its treasures are a large unusual map of Czecho-Slovakia, an artistically costumed mannequin representing the Slovak tradition, and a large, valuable collection of Slovak ceramic art, some embroidery and sizeable pieces of cutglass sent from Slovakia. This Library with its vast assortment of Slovak art is truly a tribute to Slovakia's culture. With Jankola Library as its Slovak center, SS. Cyril Academy still provides an excellent American education. It offers a wide range of courses, including four foreign languages.* Besides educating students for social living in America, the Academy can also train girls for a religious teaching life within its own Community. The Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius are presently teaching in parish schools and eight (8) high schools, including a boarding * Source listing of St. Cyril Academy. Table II. �151 SLOVAKIA school for girls. 0 Education of Slovak children continues to be the principal vocation of a Sister of SS. Cyril and Methodius. It is to these children that a Sister dedicates herseJf and hopes to preserve Slovakia's heritage. Today, the St. Cyril Academy is justifiably proud of tts accomplishments during the past fifty ( 50) years. Both the teaching Sisters and their students are fully educated in, and cognizant of, their dual heritage. The traditions and artifacts of Slovak culture have been preserved; while at the same time, each graduate is proud to be an American. St. Cyril Academy continues to revere its Slovak past. The Sisters continue to aid the suppressed people of Slovakia, but now this is done indirectly to the extent possible. It is the desire of the Sisters of the Academy to provide their countrymen with new hope of cultural freedom by showing them the accomplishments that have been possible in America. This Academy is rightly considered the center of Slovak culture in America. "" List of schools staffed by Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius. Table III. TABLE I Enrollment figures of St. Cyril Academy, Danville, Pa. Year 1925-26 1926-27 1927-28 1928-29 1929-30 1930-31 1931-32 1932-33 1933-34 1934-35 1935-36 1936-37 1937-38 1938-39 1939-40 1940-41 Total Number of Students 38 39 44 47 42 61 75 69 60 58 52 58 54 50 60 70 Year 1941-42 1942-43 1943-44 1944-45 1945-46 1946-47 1947-48 1948-49 1949-50 1950-51 1951-52 1952-53 1953-54 1954-55 1955-56 1956-57 Total Number of Students 66 55 55 69 91 96 90 107 112 109 123 138 148 153 157 180 Total Number Year of Students 1957-58 1958-59 1959-60 1960-61 1961-62 1962-63 1963-64 1964-65 1965-66 1966-67 1967-68 1968-69 1969-70 1970-71 1971-72 1972-73 181 175 162 182 202 195 202 171 156 178 120 108 104 101 108 106 �SLOVAKIA 152 TABLE II Curriculum of St. Cyril Academy FIRST YEAR Religion I English I Algebra I Intr. Physical Science Physical Education Chorus World Culture I Latin I Spanish I French I Slovak I Foods Art I Art Appreciation Music Appreciation Health Education Piano Interpretive Dance SECOND YEAR Religion II English II Geometry Biology Physical Education Chorus World Culture II Latin II French II Spanish II Slovak II Foods Clothing I Art II Piano Interpretive Dance THIRD YEAR Religion III English III Algebra II Chemistry Physical Education Chorus American Culture I Latin III Spanish III French III Slovak III Foods Advanced Clothing Art III Piano Interpretive Dance Typing I Stenography I �SLOVAKIA 153 FOURTH YEAR Religion IV English IV Business English Math 12 Advanced Biology Physical Education Chorus American Culture II Latin IV Spanish IV French IV Slovak IV Advanced Clothing Art IV Speech Piano Interpretive Dance Typing II Stenography II Bookkeeping Business Law TABLE III SCHOOLS STAFFED BY SIS'llEIBS OF SS. CYRIL AND METHODIUS Berwick, Pa. Bloomsburg, Pa. Binghamton, N. Y. Binghamton, N. Y. Bridgeport, Conn. Bridgeport, Pa. Charleston, S. C. Charleston, S. C. Chicago, Ill. East Vandergrift, Pa. Endicott, N. Y. Gary, Indiana Hazleton, Pa. Jessup, Pa. Lebanon, Pa. Luzerne, Pa. Nanticoke, Pa. New York, N. Y. Olyphant, Pa. Perth Amboy, N. J. Phoenixville, Pa. Pittston, Pa. Plymouth, Pa. Stratford, Conn. Swoyersville, Pa. Torrington, Conn. St. Mary's School St. Columba School SS. Cyril and Methodius School St. Ann's School SS. Cyril and Methodius School Mother of Sorrows School Blessed Sacrament School Nativity School SS. Simon and Jude School Holy Trinity School St. Joseph School Holy Trinity School St. Joseph School St. Michael's School SS. Cyril and Methodius School St. John Nepomucene School St. Joseph School St. John Nepomucene School Holy Ghost School Holy Trinity School Sacred Heart of Jesus School St. John Baptist School St. Stephen School Sacred Name of Jesus School Holy Trinity School Sacred Heart of Jesus School �SLOVAKIA 154 Immaculate Conception School Sacred Heart of Jesus School Holy Trinity School Whiting, Ind. Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Yonkers, N. Y. IDGH SCHOOLS Andrean High School Dunmore Catholic High School Lourdes H. S. Lebanon Catholic H. S. Kingston Catholic Central Catholic Central H. S. Catholic Central (St. Pius X) Blessed Sacrament Academy St. Cyril Academy 1. Gary, Ind. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Dunmore, Pa. Shamokin, Pa. Lebanon, Pa. Kingston, Pa. Charleston, S. C. Pottstown, Pa. Yonkers, N. Y. Danville, Pa. FOOTNOTES 1) David F . Bowers, "Social and Cultural Impact" in For eign Influences in American Life (Princeton, 1944) , p. 1. 2) Emily Balch, Our Slavic Fellow Citizens (New York, 1969), p. 86. 3) The Slovak Nation, Manuscript in Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius Community Archives, Danville, Pennsylvania. 4 ) Ibid. 5) Education in Slovakia, Manuscript in SS. C. M Community Archives, composition by M . I. Angelovic, pp. 88. 6) Ibid. 7) Ear liest Immigration, Ms. in SS. C. M. Community Archives. 8 ) Emily Balch, Our Slavic Fellow Citizens, p . 108. 9 ) Earliest Immigration Ms. 10) Francis Brown and Joseph Roucek, "Czechoslovak American" in One America (New York, 1946), p. 147. 11) In 1899, there were eight Slovak priests in America. Earliest Immigration Ms. 12) The Slovaks divide their settlement in America into three Ages: Church Age, School Age, and Institution Age. Ibid. 13) Daniel Tanzone, "The Slovak Experience in Contemporary America" in Slovakia (Middletown, Pa., 1972), p. 129. 14) Francis Brown and Joseph Roucek, Our Racial and National Minorities (New York, 1937), p. 602. 15) Timothy Smith, "New Approaches to the History of Immigration in 20th Century America", in The America Historical Review LXXI, (July 1966), p. 127. �155 SLOVAKIA 16) Contributions of Reverend Matthew Jankola to Slovak Catholic Education in the United States, Ms. in SS. C. M. Community Archives, composition by Sister M. Consuela Gregorovic, p. 14. 17) Ibid. , p. 3. 18 ) Earliest Plans, Ms. in SS. C. M. Community Archives. 19) Ibid . 20) Ibid. 21) The girls wer,e Mary Mihalik, Mary Bartek and Mary Pauly. 22) Father Jankola, Ms., pp. 38-46. 23) Philosophy of Saint Cyril Academy, Ms. 24) Francis Brown and Joseph Roucek, Our America, p. 501. 25) The Educational Activities of the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius in the United States, Ms. in SS. C. M. C-Ommunity Archives, composition by Sister Maria Berchmans Teplicky, p. 4. 26) Danville, Ms. in SS. C. M. Community Archives. 27) Ibid. 28) Educational Expansion, Ms. in SS. C.M. Community Archives. 29) Josephine M. Marcinko, "A Little Historical Sketch" in Fialky (Danville, 1927), p. 23. 30) Edttcational Expansion, Ms. 31) Preparing to Build, Ms. in SS. C. M. Community Archives. 32) Ibid. 33) Morning News, (Danville, May 23, 1929), p. 6. 34 ) Brief History of the Congregation of the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius, Ms. in SS. C. M. Community Archives, composition by Mother M. Emerentia Petrasek, p. 85. 35) Fialky, (Danville, 1931), p. 82. 36) Brief History, Ms., Petrasek, p. 85. 37) Morning News, (Danville, June 8, 1931), p. 4. 38) Brief History, Ms., Petrasek, pp. 88-90. 39 ) Ibid. , p. 108. 40 ) Joseph Pauco, Slovakia, pp. 26-28. 41) Brief History, Ms., Petrasek, p. 125. 42) Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius, Jankola Book, (Danville, 1972) , p. 90. 43) SS. C. M., Jankola Book, p. 108. � 132 SLOVAKIA William W a g n e r : The Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius and the Preservation of Slovak Culture in America The research involved in writing the history of an ethnic teaching community presented me with two problems. First, there are relatively few works completed on American ethnic groups, including the Slovak Americans. Secondly, the past of this particular teaching Community, the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius, has been largely recorded only by the Sisters of that Community. Therefore, my research on the Slovak past ( still predominantly written in the Slovak tongue) and my compiling of the Community's history were very dependent on the writings of the Sisters of the Community. I believe my work is objective, because of the limitation of my knowledge of the Community's religious life, thus removing me from a biased influence. All in all, I attempted to deal with this subject in such a manner as to present an honest view of the history and purpose surrounding the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius. My appreciation is extended to Reverend Mother M. Valeria Romanchek and special thanks are expressed to the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius for their helpful cooperation and endless assistance and guidance throughout the researching of this paper. I dedicate this history to Reverend Mother M. Emerentia Petrasek, former Community historian, upon whose research of the Slovak past and the tracing of the Community's growth I so heavily relied. THE ROOTS OF SLOVAK CULTURE ARE CENTURIES OLD The United States is the most important immigrant receiving country in the world. Between 1850 and 1930 no less than thirty-eight million people settled within our borders. 1 Although early in this immigration period many �SLOVAKIA 133 newcomers strove to sever ties with the old world, a sizeable portion continued to look reverently upon their past. The Slovak American, who journeyed to this country primarily in the later wave of European immigration, were such a group. The Slovaks feared the loss of their native culture to a new growing American culture because their past history consisted of repeated attempts at such assimilation. But also in America the Slovak hoped for the chance and the right to have his own life. The Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius are a teaching community dedicated to preserving and promoting this American Slovak culture. Because one-third of all Slovaks live in America,2 the Sisters' preservation of their culture is extremely important to the overall existence of the Slovak people as a national entity. The Slovak people are a small part of the Slavic family found on the European continent. Ethnologists place the Slovaks in the Western Slavic group, which also includes Poles, Czechs and Moravians. Commonly but erroneously the Slovaks are considered only a part of the "Czechoslovak Nation," but during the ten centuries of Slovak history, the Slovaks did not live in a common state with the Czechs until 1918. Little is known of the early Slavs. Ancient Greeks and Romans made contact, but left few records. Early recorded Slovak history tells of struggles with Asiatic tribes, particularly the Avari to whom the Slovaks were subjected for almost a century. The subjection was followed by the influence and reign of the Franks. 3 The early Slovak was pagan and war-like. He had many customs but few laws. He was chiefly agricultural and believed in various superstitions. This type of religion held fast until the ninth century when Prince Pribina, the first direct Slovak ruler of Slavic birth, established the first Slavic Christian church. Pribina's efforts to christianize his people met with little success, largely because he was dependent on Frankish missionaries whose language his people could not understand. 4 In 846 Pribina's court surrendered to Rastislav, a skillful warrior, who succeeded in winning independence from the Franks. Rastislav sought religious as well as political freedom. In the year 863 Prince Rastislav invited the two �134 SLOVAKIA holy brothers, Constantine and Methodius, to come from Constantinople and work among the Slovak people. These Byzantine missionaries found it necessary to invent an alphabet for the Slavs, so that the Holy Scriptures could be given to them in their own tongue. After having the use of the Slavonic tongue in Western Liturgy sanctioned by the Roman Pope, Methodius returned to Slovakia as a bishop. Constantine meanwhile had died in Rome in 869 , after entering a monastery there and assuming the name of Cyril. By means of their translations of the Holy Scriptures Constantine and Methodius laid the foundations of Slavic literature. The introduction of schools went hand in hand with this introduction and spread of Christianity in Slovakia.5 Archbishop Methodius continued his teaching and missionary activity until his death in 885. That period of political independence for Slovakia lasted but a short time. Slovakia was soon incorporated into the State of Hungary, which during medieval times consisted of various nations. During this period known as 'The Thousand Years of Oppression', the Slovaks' civil life declined and thus their national consciousness was under a cloud. The Lutheran Reformation, the Turkish invasion of Hungary in 1526 and the Counter-Reformation led by the Jesuits all had varying effects on Slovak education. But it was not until the suppression of the Jesuit Order in 1773 and the state control of education under Empress Maria Theresa, that the Slovak education was directed by any one source. The State of Hungary considered it its duty to provide for the education of its people, hoping to make the power of the state felt in every phase of life.6 The reigns of Maria Theresa and Joseph II saw an expansion of education and also an attempt at Germanization of the Slovaks. Joseph's attempt at Germanization was significantly challenged in 1847 and replaced by Hungarian Magyarization. Whether Germanization or Magyarization the NonHungarian Nationalities' interests were ignored. In 1867 the 'Austro-Hungarian Compromise' touched off rapid action to create a unitary Hungary by Magyarizing all departments of public life, especially the schools. The aim of this policy was the complete assimilation and �SLOVAKIA 135 conversion of Slovakia into a purely Magyar Province of Hungary. Since language is the chief symbol of nationality, the Slovak language was suppressed. Poor economically and having their national ideals and traditions submerged, the Slovaks began seeking a new way to improve their life. U.S. SHINES WITH HOPE FOR SLOVAK IMMIGRANTS Immigration held the dream of a better life. The heaviest immigration of the Slovaks occurred between 1890 and 1900.7 It must be stressed that the majority of immigrants came to America for economic reasons, few peasants ever left East Europe during this period due to political reasons, though politics did cause many not to return. 8 The first immigrants were usually the fathers of the Slovak families, hoping for quick economic gain, and a subsequent return to their native land and families. But once in America few immigrants returned. They found employment that significantly raised their living standard. Though in a strange, sometimes hostile land, the immigrant recognized the ideals of freedom that he was denied in his homeland. As thoughts of returning to their native land diminished, the pioneering immigrants sent for their families to join them in their adopted country. 9 Once the immigrant families had situated themselves in this new land, they were faced with problems of adjustment. The majority of the Slovak immigrants settled in the industrial East, seeking employment with the mining industries, particularly in Pennsylvania. Since the closing of the American frontier the greatest means of livelihood for new immigrants was in these rising industrial areas.10 As the economic necessity of making a living diminished, the new Americans turned to their social needs. Subsequently as the new settlements became more permanent, these Slovak immigrants turned to their religious needs. They began by building community parishes, while searching for Slovak priests who were few in number in this time of early immigration.11 The churches provided a common bond upon which were built beneficial organizations, such as the organizations of the First Catholic Slovak Union known as Jednota. It was the purpose of these beneficial groups to locate and unite the scattered elements �136 SLOVAKIA of American Slovaks. Unity was usually provided through the weekly Slovak newspapers. EDUCATION AL ASPIRATIONS OF AMERICAN SLOVAKS Upon completion of the drive to build parishes the Slovaks had finished with what they call the Church Age of their settlement in America. 12 Having established themselves within their own community, they were faced with the task of joining the larger American community. Obviously, they needed to learn the English language and familiarize themselves with American customs. It was over this need for education that friction developed. On the one hand the immigrant desired to be accepted in this new environment; yet on the other, he also desired to preserve his own cultural past. The first generation immigrant was taught English usually by his employer and did not have his culture challenged, thus resisting assimilation. 13 It was the education of successive generations that presented the problem of cultural alienation. The apparent choice in education was to enroll their offsprings in public schools in order to help them adjust to this new American Life. But education in the public schools posed severe cultural hazards. The public school taught American subjects with American values. The foreign children were judged by American cultural standards of conduct. In this position the foreign children were caught between their old culture and the new American culture. This had definite results: A limited number abandoned their embarrassing heritage-to accept American standards; a larger number sought to forget their traditional background regarding them as inferior-lead ing to family disruption and disintegration . Finally, the largest group failed to adjust to school and left feeling disregarded, discouraged and inferior .14 The public school encouraged the disintegration of Slovak families. The Slovaks had successfully resisted attempts of assimilation by stronger cultures in the past, but now they faced the task of resisting assimilation in a foreign land. To be assimilated meant the destruction of their culture. The chief means of assimilation was through education, as was attempted in their past history. Though it was largely an unconscious process by which America imposed its own standard of ideals on the new- �SLOVAKIA 137 comers, the public schools were succeeding in imposing a common English culture upon the children of many nationalities. 15 By treating the immigrant as a native the public school disregarded his culture and background. What was needed was a means to hand down a suitable portion of his native culture in order to provide a past, thus avoiding an identity crisis. The public school system could not provide this necessity in full. What was needed was a new system that could teach their children good American citizenship and preserve in them a profitable appreciation of the language, culture and tradition of their forefathers, while still providing a sufficient academic education. Fearing further disintegration of their culture, the Slovaks began searching and discussing alternatives in the development of Slovak America. REV. MATTHEW JANKOLA ASSUMES LEADERSHIP A leader in this search for a solution to the American Slovak's educational needs was Father Matthew Jankola. He spent much time studying his fellow Slovaks in their new surroundings. Early in his life he wrote: "We have a serious problem, the problem of educating our children according to American methods, and for American citizenship, without, however, destroying their cultural character and their cultural traditions." 16 With this attitude Father Jankola formed an Association of Priests in 1903 to consider the question of providing for the Catholic education of Slovak youth. Father Jankola began his studies for the priesthood in his native Slovakia. But under pressure from both the Hungarian civil and ecclesiastical authorities, which frowned apon Slovak devotion to Saints Cyril and Methodius, and the fostering of Slovak nationalism, Father Jankola sought refuge in America. 17 He arrived in 1893, and finished his studies at Saint Bonaventure's Seminary in Allegheny, New York. As a priest Father Jankola dedicated himself to the problem of cultural disintegration of his people, begun in Hungary and now continuing in America. It was on behalf of this couse that Father Jankola directed his early writings. When considering education, Father Jankola looked to its broader meaning of culture, rather than its narrow sense of formal schooling. He felt �138 SLOVAKIA that next to the parish church must be a school, because without Catholic schools the Catholic Church had no future, no assured existence. Father Jankola saw the parish church alone and unaided by a Catholic school as but a "feeble barrier" against the rapid onrush of worldliness and a too sudden Americanization for Slovak youth. Further, to preserve the Slovak national character, the children must be educated in Slovak schools with religious principles. Father Jankola held the schools as helpful for religious training, and necessary also to preserve nationality. In Father Jankola's mind the church directed religion, not language; for the teaching of language, which fosters the national spirit, teachers and schools were needed.18 In this spirit Father Jankola called for the establishment of schools, staffed by Slovak Sisters. His initial contact with the Slovak people on this project was done through the newspapers, such as the weekly Jednota. Many attempts were made · to secure Slavic Sisters, but to no avail. This was a time of heavy immigration causing the demand for Sisters in America to be very great. Confronted with the problem of no available Sisters for his project, Father Jankola suggested the possibility of founding a Religious Community for the education of Slovak youth. The suggestion was received favorably, so Father Jankola sought Slovak candidates to train in an American Sisterhood, which would later branch off into an independent congregation as their numbers grew. A Czech Benedictine Community of Sisters expressed willingness to receive and educate Slovak girls. Father Jankola secured three aspirants who were sent to the Czech Sisters in Chicago. But this project failed when the girls became discontented and wished to return to Pennsylvania. Their return was hard on Father Jankola, but their young age and the great distances they had traveled made him sympathetic. 19 Father Jankola did not abandon his project. Instead, upon further study he came in contact with Mother Mary Cyril at Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Scranton, Penna. After considering Father Jankola's plan for a parochial school system under Slovak Sisters, Mother Mary Cyril agreed to accept the young girls. The girls entered Mount Saint Mary's Seminary in November of 1903, to learn the �SLOVAKIA 139 principles of religious life and live according to its Rules. 20 While preparing the Slovak girls for religious teaching and guidance under Mother Mary Cyril and the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Father Jankola began a fund to further his project. He established "St. Anthony's Treasury" which received donations from parishes, societies and individuals. A TEACHING COMMUNITY OF SLOVAK SISTERS IS BORN On September 11, 1909, the first Slovak girls pronounced their religious vows, 21 marking the birth of the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius, honoring the Saints who gave Slovakia its faith and culture. Father Jankola noted that this was the founding of the first Slovak religious sisterhood that the Slovaks ever had, either in Europe or America. At the birth of this new Order Father Jankola set down four principal reasons for its conception: 1) Educate Slovak children 2) Care for Slovak orphans and aged 3) Preserve Slovak culture 4) Pray for the return of Slav schismatics.22 Father Jankola's first principle has been the primary apostolate of the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius. The parish school has always constituted the particular vocation of the Sisters. The Sisters set themselves the traditional objective of education in a Christian spirit to develop and train to the fullest the powers and capacities of a young student's mind and body. They also strove to inculcate principles of true patriotism and citizenship in order to develop enlightened, conscientious American citizens, imbued with Christian attitudes of justice and charity, peace and order, which they feel are the main components for social living. As Slovak American teachers, they endeavored to preserve some of the traditions and the cultural heritage of the Slovak people among the students of Slovak parentage, and to foster in all students an interest and respect for the varied cultures and attitudes that make up the Brotherhood of Man. 23 Through such recognition and acceptance of foreign natures, characteristics, and personalities built from a different culture, the Sisters sought to achieve cultural democracy. To accept cultural democracy means to accept �140 SLOVAKIA a technique of social adjustment that will make possible the preservation of the best of all cultures. 24 This was the desire of the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius. To accept, as well as to be accepted, is the condition for effective pluralism in a nation. Cultural pluralism in the American educational system has existed because we are a multi-cultural, multi-racial, and multi-lingual nation. It was thought that the public school system would Americanize these foreign elements into the melting pot of uniform American culture. The concept of American culture as a mosaic has been the reason for, and the challenge of, the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius. For six years this newly established Community of Sisters continued under the guidance of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. It was on August 4, 1915, that the Community had its first elections in which Sister Mary (Mihalik) was elected the first Superior General. During this period the Sisters opened their first school to educate children in the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, marking the beginning of the educational work of the Community. Before this group could be firmly established Mother Mary died in 1916. Her successor was Mother M. Emmanuel whose greatest achievement involved the establishment of a suitable, permanent Motherhouse.25 MOTHER M. EMMANUEL, SS.C.M. (1916-1922) The Sisters had been temporarily situated in Middletown, Pennsylvania. While in this location, Mother M. Emmanuel sought a permanent Motherhouse. She was informed by Reverend Julius Foin about a large tract of land with an old mansion in Danville. Through Bishop Philip R. McDevitt, Mother M. Emmanuel made contact with a local attorney, Ralph Kisner, and was informed that the 'Castle Grove' property was for sale. The Mansion site proper, containing thirteen acres-forty rooms, eleven bathrooms-finished throughout with hardwood, was a relic of the passing iron industry in Danville. There was also an adjoining farm with one hundred thirty-three acres and numerous outbuildings. This enormous dwelling was perfect for Mother M. Emmanuel's aims, but the price was beyond the Community's ability to pay. Upon inspection of this property, Mother M. Emmanuel found that the Mansion had stood �SLOVAKIA 141 vacant for fourteen years, needing numerous repairs. With this in mind she made a meager offer. The actual owner was in France, causing slow communication. Price remained the hindrance as Mother M. Emmanuel would not raise her offer. In March of 1919, Attorney Kisner informed the Sisters that the owner had agreed to drastically reduce his price to meet the Community's needs. Now that the Community's prayers for a Motherhouse had been answered, only the necessary funds for purchase remained an obstacle. The Sisters had saved about half of the required amount, but had discouraging experiences in acquiring the rest. This was the critical period during World War I, causing excess funds to be scarce.26 After futile appeals to the citizens and banks of the Wilkes-Barre area, a heavily populated Slovak community, Mother M. Emmanuel turned to the Danville National Bank for a loan. This bank considered the risk minimal and granted the loan at low interest. With payment secured, the Sisters concluded the 'Castle Grove' deal in June of 1919, and began preparations for the transfer of the Motherhouse from Middletown to its permanent home in Danville. Throughout the summer months in 1919, the Sisters worked to put the house and grounds in order. Within this new convent the Community prepared for the continuance of religious training for its Sisters and converted one of the two ballrooms into a chapel. Holy Mass was first celebrated on Sunday morning, July 6, 1919. With the approach of Autumn all but the Sisters in training took leave of 'Sacred Heart Villa,' as the grounds had been named, to resume their duties in the parish schools. During the War Years the demand for Sisters in parochial schools became very great. The war and the influenza epidemic strongly limited the work of the Sisters.27 As this situation relaxed in the summer of 1920, Mother M. Emmanuel arranged classes for the Sisters to improve their educational resources. The educational progress of the Community was under the direction of the Sisters from Marywood. This was being continued by Mother M. Emmanuel who sought also to further the Community's material progress. She was engaged in soliciting funds from the homes of Slovaks to pay off the Sister's bank loan. Mother M. Emmanuel promoted thrift within her �142 SLOVAKIA Community because she felt the Community would be more secure in the American culture when free from debt. Mother M. Emmanuel's term expired in 1922. She had directed this young Sisterhood through its pioneering days, giving it shelter, resources and existence through the war years. Mother M. Emmanuel's main contribution was, of course, the establishment of the Motherhouse that was to become the center of Slovak culture in America. MOTHER M. PIUS, SS.C.M. OPENS ST. CYRIL ACADEMY IN 1922 By the choice of the Sisters, Sister M. Pius was elected the third Superior General. Bishop McDevitt, who supervised the election, also commented on the importance of the Sisters' studies because someday the civil authorities would require that every teacher must be certified by the State of Pennsylvania. Certification would be important in having the Community accepted as a competent educational institution in American society. Now that they had an established center, the Sisters could begin to focus their educational mission with greater assurance. The Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius had always wished for the establishment of a high school and boarding school for girls. Presently, they were only employed in elementary education. This idea for an institution of higher education for their own children was popular among the Slovaks. In addition to the regularly prescribed American branches, they wanted their offsprings to be taught the mother tongue and trained to appreciate the historical and cultural traditions of their nation. 28 To this wish Mother M. Pius responded. Mother M. Pius expressed a desire to have an official from the Department of Public Instruction in Harrisburg come to Danville to give a lecture on the requirements of the State, regarding the equipment and function of a high school and its accreditation. In August of 1922, Doctor Edward Hoban arrived from Harrisburg and explained such subjects as extension courses, summer school, teacher certificates, teaching of foreign languages, importance of teaching citizenship, the teaching of historical and social studies, and the necessity of physical education. This lecture assured the commencement of preparation for a high school on American terms. �SLOVAKIA 143 The following week an advertisement appeared in the Slovak newspapers stating that the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius had equipped part of their convent at Danville as a boarding school for girls. To conform to American standards the equipment of the high school called for two very important departments -the Library and the Laboratory for the Sciences. Both of these were begun with the opening of the school. Books acquired were those recommended by the Department o! Education. Also a large selection of Catholic and Slovak books supplemented the Community's aim of a multicultural education. In all, nineteen pupils attended the first year of the First Catholic Slovak Girls High School, indicating a desire on the part of the Slovaks to have their children educated in a Slovak, as well as an American atmosphere. Towards the close of the first year in the spring of 1923, a small group of students ventured into the school's first extra-curricular activity. These girls formed a Literary Society in which they compiled a little booklet of essays, stories, and poems. Under Mother M. Pius' encouragement this activity continued, resulting in the first issue of the bi-lingual (Slovak and American) school magazine, Fialky (Violets). The Fialky were thereafter issued semi-annually until 1940 and then annually until 1970, when it ceased publication. During the summer vacation Mother M. Pius encouraged the Sisters toward further studies, hoping to improve their competence as teachers. She was anxious to secure state certification for as many Sisters as could qualify. Now that the Community was engaged in all levels of education, Mother M. Pius wished to secure them within the American educational system through accreditation. The Academy's opening in the second year exposed space problems as enrollment grew. Mother Pius expressed the need for a strong building fund and enacted new collection drives among the Slovak people. The number of students steadily increased into the third and fourth year.• With the fourth year the need for accredition increased as the first graduation approached. The school was informed that the State Representatives would make an official inspection at the school year's end. That June, just a week before graduation, the State �144 SLOVAKIA Inspector arrived and spent a day inspecting the school, interviewing both the staff and the students. The State Representative, Doctor Pentz, found the Slovak students being educated and trained in all that the modern high schools offered, and in their Religion and mother tongue as well. To this he expressed his satisfaction, commenting on the orderly and methodological way in which the different departments were being conducted. 29 After Dr. Pentz reported the Academy as "first class" in both arrangement and curriculum, the school received a telegram, congratulating teachers and students on receiving accreditation from the State. This good news arrived just days before the first graduation, much to the Sisters' delight. While preparations for this first commencement progressed, another great event was in prospect, namely, the Eucharistic Congress in Chicago. This event made a great impact on the first commencement of the First Catholic Slovak Girls High School. Accreditation from the State of Pennsylvania proved the Sisters' ability to provide their students with a fitting education in their new society, but what remained to be seen was whether or not the Sisters could live up to the task of preserving Slovak culture in America. Slovak American culture was to receive a fresh impetus by the Eucharistic Congress held in Chicago. Due to attend the Congress were four bishops from Slovakia. The presence of these Slovak bishops greatly excited the Slovak Americans and especially the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius, since through the influence of Bishop McDevitt arrangements were made to have these four bishops attend the Academy's first graduation. The date of the festivity was June 14, 1926. Under the guidance of Bishop McDevitt, who presided at the First Graduation ceremony, the entire Community and students assembled at the Convent's gate to welcome the visiting bishops. Upon the arrival of the Slovak bishops, who were traveling in European fashion, clad in cassock and purple cincture, the commencement proceeded with prayers, songs, and speeches. The speeches were delivered in Slovak, calling for a continuance of Catholic education. Bishop McDevitt's address underscored the advantages which the �SLOVAKIA 145 Slovak people can derive from a solid Catholic education. He also pointed out that this could be done because the American government stood to protect the religious rights of all American citizens. The theme of religious pluralism in America was carried further by the Senior Bishop from Slovakia in a speech that noted how this American government respects, upholds, and protects the religious liberty of the people who found refuge under her banner. Bishop Marian Blaha further cited the great accomplishments of the American Slovaks. Their ability to provide a Catholic education while preserving their mother tongue greatly impressed him. Then as an old Slovak proverb states, "Every perfect day must end even as the sweetest song" -this first commencement was no exception; it was concluded by a student chorale of inspirational Slovak songs.30 The first graduation was a significant milestone in the history of the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius. It was their first public manifestation of their educational standards and traditions. The graduation exercise presented a new phase in the mission of the Slovak Sisters. Their people realized that Danville would not only house a Convent and an Academy, but would be the center of genuine culture for the Slovaks in America. To attain a status combining a true Americanism with an appreciation of the spirit and traditions of their native land was the Community's desire.31 With this spirit of appreciation, encouraged by the sharp increase of applicants, new thoughts of building were entertained. But unlike before, the Slovak people, organizations and individuals alike, urged this step. These groups advised a general benefit drive for funds, alleging the time was ripe for such a movement since industrial conditions were favorable and the people were willing to donate.32 In the spring of 1927 Mother M. Pius presented a letter of the officers of the First Catholic Slovak Ladies' Union, another element of Slovak-American culture, announcing the drive for a building fund. When Mother M. Pius asked for their contribution, she was immediately promised five thousand dollars. The response elsewhere was the same. The Slovak newspapers pushed the drive and local groups competed in fund raising. This favorable reaction illustrates the Slovak-Americans' desire for an enlarged Slovak cultural center in America. �146 SLOVAKIA With the building fund well under way, Mother M. Pius contracted Architect Bernard Starr of Harrisburg, who in turn sought the assistance of Harry Sternfeld of Philadelphia. A spot for the new building was selected on the Villa Sacred Heart campus, and Mr. Sternfeld sketched a building dominated by a central tower. This initial plan brought eriticism for its "needless extravagance," but Mother M. Pius retained the plan as the answer to the needs of the Community, plus the cultural, educational and religious needs of the Slovak-American people. The Community wasted no time in beginning the new building. Ground was broken on May 23, 1929, in a ceremony which the local Danville Morning News described as an event to go down in Slovak history. 33 The speakers' program included representatives of the church, state, and Slovak national life. As the building progressed, the country entered the depression of the 1930's. By the time the building was completed, economic tension was beginning to be felt everywhere.34 With this in mind, Mother M. Pius avoided any elaborate dedication ceremony. This new building was made to catch the spirit of the past and to intepret it with a contemporaneous point of view in order to make it fit actual conditions.35 Its design was in accord with the ideals of the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius, who hoped to blend the past into a new, usable present. In a more practical manner the new building provided an institution solely devoted to the education of the Slovak people and the preserving of their culture. It was viewed as a national work, one that provided b roader limits and better accommodations which would produce greater results. 36 The local paper saw the building as a monument to the Slovak people of America, and considered it one of the local community's finest aspects.37 The Sisters moved into their new building in September of 1931. The following three years were quiet, filled with earnest activity toward the educational goals of the Community. This period ended with the significant year of 1934, the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Community's existence. In those twenty-five years the Community developed and established itself in a permanent Motherhouse, which in turn had developed the First Catholic Slovak Girls' High �SLOVAKIA 147 School, crowned by the magnificent new building. This had been done under three Superiors General-Mother Mary, Mother M. Emmanuel, Mother M. Pius-all of whom promoted the cultivation of the Slovak language and history, which, with religion, constitute the two outstanding characteristics of the Slovak Academy. Extra-curricular activities, like Fialky and Cyrilika-a society for fostering interest in Slovak journalism-as well as customs established for the practical study of Slovak, such as speaking Slovak all day every Saturday, and the annual observance of Slovak Week, acquired notice and approval. The observance of Slovak tradition gave this Academy a unique position in the field of American education.38 With a high spirit of celebration the Silver Jubilee of the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius commenced. The Jubilee marked still another turning point in the Community's history as it came at the close of Mother M. Pius' long administration. Her work finished laying a firm foundation which became the base for a promising era of new growth. MOTHER M. EMERENTIA, SS.C.M. (1934-1946) In this new period of the Community's history the work of the Academy advanced quietly, with gratifying results in the field of Slovak-American culture. When Mother M. Emerentia was elected Superior General in 1934, she encouraged Slovak interests and cultural projects like formal programs, dramatic productions, Slovak readings, folk song festivals and, above all, research and creative writing on Slovak topics. Mother M. Emerentia was also responsible for the compilation of Slovak language texts and hymnals used widely in Slovak elementary schools and parishes in America. The early years of Mother M. Emerentia's administration coincided with the greatest period of the depression. Though there was no drop in student enrollment, neither was there the marked increase that would have normally been the case.• These drawbacks, however, had advantages. The subdued quiet of the interval was conducive to a greater concentration on school work, both regular and extracurricular. Correspondence with students in Slovakia '' See enrollment figures; Table I. �148 SLOVAKIA was an activity greatly enjoyed by the students of St. Cyril Academy. It was also during these years that the school was favored by a number of distinguished visitors from Slovakia, including a delegation from the Slovak Institute of Arts and Sciences, a group of students from the Slovak unit of Pax Romana, plus numerous distinguished scholars, writers, and statesmen, including the Slovak martyr, Msgr. Joseph Tiso.39 When our country was drawn into war on December 8, 1941, the first care of the Motherhouse was directed toward the Sisters and their pupils in the parish schools. The Community placed its trust in God and His care of our country, and classes went on as usual. However, extracurricular activities were directed toward war needs. Beyond the prayers for peace, the Community and its students turned out quantities of knitted sweaters and helmets. They experienced the value of thrift by rationing food and collected all scraps such as fats, iron and paper. The Sisters also joined in relief efforts for their native land. An extensive relief project for the war sufferers in Slovakia was aided by the Community, which sent abroad numerous packages of relief materials. The motherhouse was a center for this organized relief work. The relief project continued in action even after the war, when Slovakia again was suppressed by a stronger force. Following a remarkably successful and flourishing six-year period of self-rule under the Presidency of Tiso, the Slovak government collapsed when victory came to Russia and the Allies. 40 With this victory Slovakia was overrun by the Communists. Their occupation of the country led to the execution of Msgr. Tiso, plus the silencing of many bishops and priests. The people of Slovakia remained in destitution; hence, the necessity for relief work to continue until the Iron Curtain cut off all communication. 41 The Communist occupation caused more refugees to seek freedom and sanctuary from Slovakia. As thousands came to America, the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius and their students enjoyed fresh contacts with persons of their fatherland. Priests and professional people willingly gave lectures to both the Sisters and the students, chiefly on conditions in Slovakia and on topics of Slovak history. �SLOVAKIA 149 Several high school students from Slovakia enrolled in the Academy, thus enriching the Slovak-American culture. MOTHER M. CRESCENTIA, SS.C.M. (1946-1958) While the Slovak-American tradition was being enriched during these post-war years, a new Superior General was elected, placing renewed importance on the educational aspects of the Academy. Mother M. Crescentia realized that during the earlier years the educational objectives could not be pursued as fully as desired since more urgent activities were at hand. In time, however, conditions improved, so that more and better organized work could be done in the field of teacher education. Mother M. Crescentia took advantage of this situation, arranging for more Sisters to take college courses in a greater variety of fields. With this renewed progress in the Sisters' personal educational ventures, activities in the Academy moved apace. The student enrollment at the Academy, which increased only to a minor extent after the depression, now began rapid growth. This growth of the Academy advanced steadily into the fifties, causing every available space within the Academy to be filled. It necessitated the building of Saint Philomena Hall to be used for students' living and classrooms. Also in the fifties, the Community worked for the founding of Father Jankola. They are Villa Saint Cyril in Highland Park, Illinois, and Maria Joseph Manor in Danville, Pennsylvania. By 1958 the Community had a new Superior General in the person of Mother M. Bernard. MOTHER M. BERNARD, SS.C.M. (1958-1970) The highlight of this decade was the observance of the Community's Golden Jubilee. It was climaxed by the celebration of a Roman-Slavonic Mass on the Villa campus in the presence of five thousand visitors from all parts of the country.42 It was the first Roman rite vernacular Mass ever offered on this continent. The increased enrollment and the large turnout for the Roman-Slavonic Mass indicates the strong support the Academy received from the Slovak-American people in its preserving of Slovak culture. The early sixties were also highlighted by a large celebration honoring another aspect of the Comunity's Slovak heritage. The year 1963 marked the eleven hundredth �150 SLOVAKIA anniversary of the arrival of SS. Cyril and Methodius among the Slovaks. In addition to the Community celebration in America, the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius participated in a week-long observance in Rome, involving numerous Slovak pilgrims, who had assembled there for the dedication of the Slovak Institute of SS. Cyril and Methodius, a seminary for the training of priests for Slovakia. THE JANKOLA LIBRARY The latter sixties and early seventies for St. Cyril Academy had been dominated by two cherished Slovak projects. First was the active cooperation with the Apostolate of the Slovak Institute of SS. Cyril and Methodius in Rome, begun during the 1963 pilgrimage. Second was the professional development of the Jankola Library at the Academy. This Library is a center of Slovak culture and learning for St. Cyril Academy and Slovak America. It is called Jankola Library in honor of the founder of the Community and promoter of Slovak-American culture, Father Matthew Jankola. The Library provides invaluable resources for study and research purposes, as well as literary works to enrich the Slovak spirit. Jankola Library contains over six thousand (6,000) fully catalogued items on its shelves with several hundred more reserved for further processing.43 Beyond just Slovak books this Library also promotes Slovak-American culture with its large collection of Slovak art. Included among its treasures are a large unusual map of Czecho-Slovakia, an artistically costumed mannequin representing the Slovak tradition, and a large, valuable collection of Slovak ceramic art, some embroidery and sizeable pieces of cutglass sent from Slovakia. This Library with its vast assortment of Slovak art is truly a tribute to Slovakia's culture. With Jankola Library as its Slovak center, SS. Cyril Academy still provides an excellent American education. It offers a wide range of courses, including four foreign languages.* Besides educating students for social living in America, the Academy can also train girls for a religious teaching life within its own Community. The Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius are presently teaching in parish schools and eight (8) high schools, including a boarding * Source listing of St. Cyril Academy. Table II. �151 SLOVAKIA school for girls. 0 Education of Slovak children continues to be the principal vocation of a Sister of SS. Cyril and Methodius. It is to these children that a Sister dedicates herseJf and hopes to preserve Slovakia's heritage. Today, the St. Cyril Academy is justifiably proud of tts accomplishments during the past fifty ( 50) years. Both the teaching Sisters and their students are fully educated in, and cognizant of, their dual heritage. The traditions and artifacts of Slovak culture have been preserved; while at the same time, each graduate is proud to be an American. St. Cyril Academy continues to revere its Slovak past. The Sisters continue to aid the suppressed people of Slovakia, but now this is done indirectly to the extent possible. It is the desire of the Sisters of the Academy to provide their countrymen with new hope of cultural freedom by showing them the accomplishments that have been possible in America. This Academy is rightly considered the center of Slovak culture in America. "" List of schools staffed by Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius. Table III. TABLE I Enrollment figures of St. Cyril Academy, Danville, Pa. Year 1925-26 1926-27 1927-28 1928-29 1929-30 1930-31 1931-32 1932-33 1933-34 1934-35 1935-36 1936-37 1937-38 1938-39 1939-40 1940-41 Total Number of Students 38 39 44 47 42 61 75 69 60 58 52 58 54 50 60 70 Year 1941-42 1942-43 1943-44 1944-45 1945-46 1946-47 1947-48 1948-49 1949-50 1950-51 1951-52 1952-53 1953-54 1954-55 1955-56 1956-57 Total Number of Students 66 55 55 69 91 96 90 107 112 109 123 138 148 153 157 180 Total Number Year of Students 1957-58 1958-59 1959-60 1960-61 1961-62 1962-63 1963-64 1964-65 1965-66 1966-67 1967-68 1968-69 1969-70 1970-71 1971-72 1972-73 181 175 162 182 202 195 202 171 156 178 120 108 104 101 108 106 �SLOVAKIA 152 TABLE II Curriculum of St. Cyril Academy FIRST YEAR Religion I English I Algebra I Intr. Physical Science Physical Education Chorus World Culture I Latin I Spanish I French I Slovak I Foods Art I Art Appreciation Music Appreciation Health Education Piano Interpretive Dance SECOND YEAR Religion II English II Geometry Biology Physical Education Chorus World Culture II Latin II French II Spanish II Slovak II Foods Clothing I Art II Piano Interpretive Dance THIRD YEAR Religion III English III Algebra II Chemistry Physical Education Chorus American Culture I Latin III Spanish III French III Slovak III Foods Advanced Clothing Art III Piano Interpretive Dance Typing I Stenography I �SLOVAKIA 153 FOURTH YEAR Religion IV English IV Business English Math 12 Advanced Biology Physical Education Chorus American Culture II Latin IV Spanish IV French IV Slovak IV Advanced Clothing Art IV Speech Piano Interpretive Dance Typing II Stenography II Bookkeeping Business Law TABLE III SCHOOLS STAFFED BY SIS'llEIBS OF SS. CYRIL AND METHODIUS Berwick, Pa. Bloomsburg, Pa. Binghamton, N. Y. Binghamton, N. Y. Bridgeport, Conn. Bridgeport, Pa. Charleston, S. C. Charleston, S. C. Chicago, Ill. East Vandergrift, Pa. Endicott, N. Y. Gary, Indiana Hazleton, Pa. Jessup, Pa. Lebanon, Pa. Luzerne, Pa. Nanticoke, Pa. New York, N. Y. Olyphant, Pa. Perth Amboy, N. J. Phoenixville, Pa. Pittston, Pa. Plymouth, Pa. Stratford, Conn. Swoyersville, Pa. Torrington, Conn. St. Mary's School St. Columba School SS. Cyril and Methodius School St. Ann's School SS. Cyril and Methodius School Mother of Sorrows School Blessed Sacrament School Nativity School SS. Simon and Jude School Holy Trinity School St. Joseph School Holy Trinity School St. Joseph School St. Michael's School SS. Cyril and Methodius School St. John Nepomucene School St. Joseph School St. John Nepomucene School Holy Ghost School Holy Trinity School Sacred Heart of Jesus School St. John Baptist School St. Stephen School Sacred Name of Jesus School Holy Trinity School Sacred Heart of Jesus School �SLOVAKIA 154 Immaculate Conception School Sacred Heart of Jesus School Holy Trinity School Whiting, Ind. Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Yonkers, N. Y. IDGH SCHOOLS Andrean High School Dunmore Catholic High School Lourdes H. S. Lebanon Catholic H. S. Kingston Catholic Central Catholic Central H. S. Catholic Central (St. Pius X) Blessed Sacrament Academy St. Cyril Academy 1. Gary, Ind. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Dunmore, Pa. Shamokin, Pa. Lebanon, Pa. Kingston, Pa. Charleston, S. C. Pottstown, Pa. Yonkers, N. Y. Danville, Pa. FOOTNOTES 1) David F . Bowers, "Social and Cultural Impact" in For eign Influences in American Life (Princeton, 1944) , p. 1. 2) Emily Balch, Our Slavic Fellow Citizens (New York, 1969), p. 86. 3) The Slovak Nation, Manuscript in Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius Community Archives, Danville, Pennsylvania. 4 ) Ibid. 5) Education in Slovakia, Manuscript in SS. C. M Community Archives, composition by M . I. Angelovic, pp. 88. 6) Ibid. 7) Ear liest Immigration, Ms. in SS. C. M. Community Archives. 8 ) Emily Balch, Our Slavic Fellow Citizens, p . 108. 9 ) Earliest Immigration Ms. 10) Francis Brown and Joseph Roucek, "Czechoslovak American" in One America (New York, 1946), p. 147. 11) In 1899, there were eight Slovak priests in America. Earliest Immigration Ms. 12) The Slovaks divide their settlement in America into three Ages: Church Age, School Age, and Institution Age. Ibid. 13) Daniel Tanzone, "The Slovak Experience in Contemporary America" in Slovakia (Middletown, Pa., 1972), p. 129. 14) Francis Brown and Joseph Roucek, Our Racial and National Minorities (New York, 1937), p. 602. 15) Timothy Smith, "New Approaches to the History of Immigration in 20th Century America", in The America Historical Review LXXI, (July 1966), p. 127. �155 SLOVAKIA 16) Contributions of Reverend Matthew Jankola to Slovak Catholic Education in the United States, Ms. in SS. C. M. Community Archives, composition by Sister M. Consuela Gregorovic, p. 14. 17) Ibid. , p. 3. 18 ) Earliest Plans, Ms. in SS. C. M. Community Archives. 19) Ibid . 20) Ibid. 21) The girls wer,e Mary Mihalik, Mary Bartek and Mary Pauly. 22) Father Jankola, Ms., pp. 38-46. 23) Philosophy of Saint Cyril Academy, Ms. 24) Francis Brown and Joseph Roucek, Our America, p. 501. 25) The Educational Activities of the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius in the United States, Ms. in SS. C. M. C-Ommunity Archives, composition by Sister Maria Berchmans Teplicky, p. 4. 26) Danville, Ms. in SS. C. M. Community Archives. 27) Ibid. 28) Educational Expansion, Ms. in SS. C.M. Community Archives. 29) Josephine M. Marcinko, "A Little Historical Sketch" in Fialky (Danville, 1927), p. 23. 30) Edttcational Expansion, Ms. 31) Preparing to Build, Ms. in SS. C. M. Community Archives. 32) Ibid. 33) Morning News, (Danville, May 23, 1929), p. 6. 34 ) Brief History of the Congregation of the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius, Ms. in SS. C. M. Community Archives, composition by Mother M. Emerentia Petrasek, p. 85. 35) Fialky, (Danville, 1931), p. 82. 36) Brief History, Ms., Petrasek, p. 85. 37) Morning News, (Danville, June 8, 1931), p. 4. 38) Brief History, Ms., Petrasek, pp. 88-90. 39 ) Ibid. , p. 108. 40 ) Joseph Pauco, Slovakia, pp. 26-28. 41) Brief History, Ms., Petrasek, p. 125. 42) Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius, Jankola Book, (Danville, 1972) , p. 90. 43) SS. C. M., Jankola Book, p. 108. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1974, Vol. 24 Description An account of the resource Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document 132 SLOVAKIA William W a g n e r : The Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius and the Preservation of Slovak Culture in America The research involved in writing the history of an ethnic teaching community presented me with two problems. First, there are relatively few works completed on American ethnic groups, including the Slovak Americans. Secondly, the past of this particular teaching Community, the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius, has been largely recorded only by the Sisters of that Community. Therefore, my research on the Slovak past ( still predominantly written in the Slovak tongue) and my compiling of the Community's history were very dependent on the writings of the Sisters of the Community. I believe my work is objective, because of the limitation of my knowledge of the Community's religious life, thus removing me from a biased influence. All in all, I attempted to deal with this subject in such a manner as to present an honest view of the history and purpose surrounding the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius. My appreciation is extended to Reverend Mother M. Valeria Romanchek and special thanks are expressed to the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius for their helpful cooperation and endless assistance and guidance throughout the researching of this paper. I dedicate this history to Reverend Mother M. Emerentia Petrasek, former Community historian, upon whose research of the Slovak past and the tracing of the Community's growth I so heavily relied. THE ROOTS OF SLOVAK CULTURE ARE CENTURIES OLD The United States is the most important immigrant receiving country in the world. Between 1850 and 1930 no less than thirty-eight million people settled within our borders. 1 Although early in this immigration period many SLOVAKIA 133 newcomers strove to sever ties with the old world, a sizeable portion continued to look reverently upon their past. The Slovak American, who journeyed to this country primarily in the later wave of European immigration, were such a group. The Slovaks feared the loss of their native culture to a new growing American culture because their past history consisted of repeated attempts at such assimilation. But also in America the Slovak hoped for the chance and the right to have his own life. The Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius are a teaching community dedicated to preserving and promoting this American Slovak culture. Because one-third of all Slovaks live in America,2 the Sisters' preservation of their culture is extremely important to the overall existence of the Slovak people as a national entity. The Slovak people are a small part of the Slavic family found on the European continent. Ethnologists place the Slovaks in the Western Slavic group, which also includes Poles, Czechs and Moravians. Commonly but erroneously the Slovaks are considered only a part of the "Czechoslovak Nation," but during the ten centuries of Slovak history, the Slovaks did not live in a common state with the Czechs until 1918. Little is known of the early Slavs. Ancient Greeks and Romans made contact, but left few records. Early recorded Slovak history tells of struggles with Asiatic tribes, particularly the Avari to whom the Slovaks were subjected for almost a century. The subjection was followed by the influence and reign of the Franks. 3 The early Slovak was pagan and war-like. He had many customs but few laws. He was chiefly agricultural and believed in various superstitions. This type of religion held fast until the ninth century when Prince Pribina, the first direct Slovak ruler of Slavic birth, established the first Slavic Christian church. Pribina's efforts to christianize his people met with little success, largely because he was dependent on Frankish missionaries whose language his people could not understand. 4 In 846 Pribina's court surrendered to Rastislav, a skillful warrior, who succeeded in winning independence from the Franks. Rastislav sought religious as well as political freedom. In the year 863 Prince Rastislav invited the two 134 SLOVAKIA holy brothers, Constantine and Methodius, to come from Constantinople and work among the Slovak people. These Byzantine missionaries found it necessary to invent an alphabet for the Slavs, so that the Holy Scriptures could be given to them in their own tongue. After having the use of the Slavonic tongue in Western Liturgy sanctioned by the Roman Pope, Methodius returned to Slovakia as a bishop. Constantine meanwhile had died in Rome in 869 , after entering a monastery there and assuming the name of Cyril. By means of their translations of the Holy Scriptures Constantine and Methodius laid the foundations of Slavic literature. The introduction of schools went hand in hand with this introduction and spread of Christianity in Slovakia.5 Archbishop Methodius continued his teaching and missionary activity until his death in 885. That period of political independence for Slovakia lasted but a short time. Slovakia was soon incorporated into the State of Hungary, which during medieval times consisted of various nations. During this period known as 'The Thousand Years of Oppression', the Slovaks' civil life declined and thus their national consciousness was under a cloud. The Lutheran Reformation, the Turkish invasion of Hungary in 1526 and the Counter-Reformation led by the Jesuits all had varying effects on Slovak education. But it was not until the suppression of the Jesuit Order in 1773 and the state control of education under Empress Maria Theresa, that the Slovak education was directed by any one source. The State of Hungary considered it its duty to provide for the education of its people, hoping to make the power of the state felt in every phase of life.6 The reigns of Maria Theresa and Joseph II saw an expansion of education and also an attempt at Germanization of the Slovaks. Joseph's attempt at Germanization was significantly challenged in 1847 and replaced by Hungarian Magyarization. Whether Germanization or Magyarization the NonHungarian Nationalities' interests were ignored. In 1867 the 'Austro-Hungarian Compromise' touched off rapid action to create a unitary Hungary by Magyarizing all departments of public life, especially the schools. The aim of this policy was the complete assimilation and SLOVAKIA 135 conversion of Slovakia into a purely Magyar Province of Hungary. Since language is the chief symbol of nationality, the Slovak language was suppressed. Poor economically and having their national ideals and traditions submerged, the Slovaks began seeking a new way to improve their life. U.S. SHINES WITH HOPE FOR SLOVAK IMMIGRANTS Immigration held the dream of a better life. The heaviest immigration of the Slovaks occurred between 1890 and 1900.7 It must be stressed that the majority of immigrants came to America for economic reasons, few peasants ever left East Europe during this period due to political reasons, though politics did cause many not to return. 8 The first immigrants were usually the fathers of the Slovak families, hoping for quick economic gain, and a subsequent return to their native land and families. But once in America few immigrants returned. They found employment that significantly raised their living standard. Though in a strange, sometimes hostile land, the immigrant recognized the ideals of freedom that he was denied in his homeland. As thoughts of returning to their native land diminished, the pioneering immigrants sent for their families to join them in their adopted country. 9 Once the immigrant families had situated themselves in this new land, they were faced with problems of adjustment. The majority of the Slovak immigrants settled in the industrial East, seeking employment with the mining industries, particularly in Pennsylvania. Since the closing of the American frontier the greatest means of livelihood for new immigrants was in these rising industrial areas.10 As the economic necessity of making a living diminished, the new Americans turned to their social needs. Subsequently as the new settlements became more permanent, these Slovak immigrants turned to their religious needs. They began by building community parishes, while searching for Slovak priests who were few in number in this time of early immigration.11 The churches provided a common bond upon which were built beneficial organizations, such as the organizations of the First Catholic Slovak Union known as Jednota. It was the purpose of these beneficial groups to locate and unite the scattered elements 136 SLOVAKIA of American Slovaks. Unity was usually provided through the weekly Slovak newspapers. EDUCATION AL ASPIRATIONS OF AMERICAN SLOVAKS Upon completion of the drive to build parishes the Slovaks had finished with what they call the Church Age of their settlement in America. 12 Having established themselves within their own community, they were faced with the task of joining the larger American community. Obviously, they needed to learn the English language and familiarize themselves with American customs. It was over this need for education that friction developed. On the one hand the immigrant desired to be accepted in this new environment; yet on the other, he also desired to preserve his own cultural past. The first generation immigrant was taught English usually by his employer and did not have his culture challenged, thus resisting assimilation. 13 It was the education of successive generations that presented the problem of cultural alienation. The apparent choice in education was to enroll their offsprings in public schools in order to help them adjust to this new American Life. But education in the public schools posed severe cultural hazards. The public school taught American subjects with American values. The foreign children were judged by American cultural standards of conduct. In this position the foreign children were caught between their old culture and the new American culture. This had definite results: A limited number abandoned their embarrassing heritage-to accept American standards; a larger number sought to forget their traditional background regarding them as inferior-lead ing to family disruption and disintegration . Finally, the largest group failed to adjust to school and left feeling disregarded, discouraged and inferior .14 The public school encouraged the disintegration of Slovak families. The Slovaks had successfully resisted attempts of assimilation by stronger cultures in the past, but now they faced the task of resisting assimilation in a foreign land. To be assimilated meant the destruction of their culture. The chief means of assimilation was through education, as was attempted in their past history. Though it was largely an unconscious process by which America imposed its own standard of ideals on the new- SLOVAKIA 137 comers, the public schools were succeeding in imposing a common English culture upon the children of many nationalities. 15 By treating the immigrant as a native the public school disregarded his culture and background. What was needed was a means to hand down a suitable portion of his native culture in order to provide a past, thus avoiding an identity crisis. The public school system could not provide this necessity in full. What was needed was a new system that could teach their children good American citizenship and preserve in them a profitable appreciation of the language, culture and tradition of their forefathers, while still providing a sufficient academic education. Fearing further disintegration of their culture, the Slovaks began searching and discussing alternatives in the development of Slovak America. REV. MATTHEW JANKOLA ASSUMES LEADERSHIP A leader in this search for a solution to the American Slovak's educational needs was Father Matthew Jankola. He spent much time studying his fellow Slovaks in their new surroundings. Early in his life he wrote: "We have a serious problem, the problem of educating our children according to American methods, and for American citizenship, without, however, destroying their cultural character and their cultural traditions." 16 With this attitude Father Jankola formed an Association of Priests in 1903 to consider the question of providing for the Catholic education of Slovak youth. Father Jankola began his studies for the priesthood in his native Slovakia. But under pressure from both the Hungarian civil and ecclesiastical authorities, which frowned apon Slovak devotion to Saints Cyril and Methodius, and the fostering of Slovak nationalism, Father Jankola sought refuge in America. 17 He arrived in 1893, and finished his studies at Saint Bonaventure's Seminary in Allegheny, New York. As a priest Father Jankola dedicated himself to the problem of cultural disintegration of his people, begun in Hungary and now continuing in America. It was on behalf of this couse that Father Jankola directed his early writings. When considering education, Father Jankola looked to its broader meaning of culture, rather than its narrow sense of formal schooling. He felt 138 SLOVAKIA that next to the parish church must be a school, because without Catholic schools the Catholic Church had no future, no assured existence. Father Jankola saw the parish church alone and unaided by a Catholic school as but a "feeble barrier" against the rapid onrush of worldliness and a too sudden Americanization for Slovak youth. Further, to preserve the Slovak national character, the children must be educated in Slovak schools with religious principles. Father Jankola held the schools as helpful for religious training, and necessary also to preserve nationality. In Father Jankola's mind the church directed religion, not language; for the teaching of language, which fosters the national spirit, teachers and schools were needed.18 In this spirit Father Jankola called for the establishment of schools, staffed by Slovak Sisters. His initial contact with the Slovak people on this project was done through the newspapers, such as the weekly Jednota. Many attempts were made · to secure Slavic Sisters, but to no avail. This was a time of heavy immigration causing the demand for Sisters in America to be very great. Confronted with the problem of no available Sisters for his project, Father Jankola suggested the possibility of founding a Religious Community for the education of Slovak youth. The suggestion was received favorably, so Father Jankola sought Slovak candidates to train in an American Sisterhood, which would later branch off into an independent congregation as their numbers grew. A Czech Benedictine Community of Sisters expressed willingness to receive and educate Slovak girls. Father Jankola secured three aspirants who were sent to the Czech Sisters in Chicago. But this project failed when the girls became discontented and wished to return to Pennsylvania. Their return was hard on Father Jankola, but their young age and the great distances they had traveled made him sympathetic. 19 Father Jankola did not abandon his project. Instead, upon further study he came in contact with Mother Mary Cyril at Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Scranton, Penna. After considering Father Jankola's plan for a parochial school system under Slovak Sisters, Mother Mary Cyril agreed to accept the young girls. The girls entered Mount Saint Mary's Seminary in November of 1903, to learn the SLOVAKIA 139 principles of religious life and live according to its Rules. 20 While preparing the Slovak girls for religious teaching and guidance under Mother Mary Cyril and the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Father Jankola began a fund to further his project. He established "St. Anthony's Treasury" which received donations from parishes, societies and individuals. A TEACHING COMMUNITY OF SLOVAK SISTERS IS BORN On September 11, 1909, the first Slovak girls pronounced their religious vows, 21 marking the birth of the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius, honoring the Saints who gave Slovakia its faith and culture. Father Jankola noted that this was the founding of the first Slovak religious sisterhood that the Slovaks ever had, either in Europe or America. At the birth of this new Order Father Jankola set down four principal reasons for its conception: 1) Educate Slovak children 2) Care for Slovak orphans and aged 3) Preserve Slovak culture 4) Pray for the return of Slav schismatics.22 Father Jankola's first principle has been the primary apostolate of the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius. The parish school has always constituted the particular vocation of the Sisters. The Sisters set themselves the traditional objective of education in a Christian spirit to develop and train to the fullest the powers and capacities of a young student's mind and body. They also strove to inculcate principles of true patriotism and citizenship in order to develop enlightened, conscientious American citizens, imbued with Christian attitudes of justice and charity, peace and order, which they feel are the main components for social living. As Slovak American teachers, they endeavored to preserve some of the traditions and the cultural heritage of the Slovak people among the students of Slovak parentage, and to foster in all students an interest and respect for the varied cultures and attitudes that make up the Brotherhood of Man. 23 Through such recognition and acceptance of foreign natures, characteristics, and personalities built from a different culture, the Sisters sought to achieve cultural democracy. To accept cultural democracy means to accept 140 SLOVAKIA a technique of social adjustment that will make possible the preservation of the best of all cultures. 24 This was the desire of the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius. To accept, as well as to be accepted, is the condition for effective pluralism in a nation. Cultural pluralism in the American educational system has existed because we are a multi-cultural, multi-racial, and multi-lingual nation. It was thought that the public school system would Americanize these foreign elements into the melting pot of uniform American culture. The concept of American culture as a mosaic has been the reason for, and the challenge of, the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius. For six years this newly established Community of Sisters continued under the guidance of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. It was on August 4, 1915, that the Community had its first elections in which Sister Mary (Mihalik) was elected the first Superior General. During this period the Sisters opened their first school to educate children in the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, marking the beginning of the educational work of the Community. Before this group could be firmly established Mother Mary died in 1916. Her successor was Mother M. Emmanuel whose greatest achievement involved the establishment of a suitable, permanent Motherhouse.25 MOTHER M. EMMANUEL, SS.C.M. (1916-1922) The Sisters had been temporarily situated in Middletown, Pennsylvania. While in this location, Mother M. Emmanuel sought a permanent Motherhouse. She was informed by Reverend Julius Foin about a large tract of land with an old mansion in Danville. Through Bishop Philip R. McDevitt, Mother M. Emmanuel made contact with a local attorney, Ralph Kisner, and was informed that the 'Castle Grove' property was for sale. The Mansion site proper, containing thirteen acres-forty rooms, eleven bathrooms-finished throughout with hardwood, was a relic of the passing iron industry in Danville. There was also an adjoining farm with one hundred thirty-three acres and numerous outbuildings. This enormous dwelling was perfect for Mother M. Emmanuel's aims, but the price was beyond the Community's ability to pay. Upon inspection of this property, Mother M. Emmanuel found that the Mansion had stood SLOVAKIA 141 vacant for fourteen years, needing numerous repairs. With this in mind she made a meager offer. The actual owner was in France, causing slow communication. Price remained the hindrance as Mother M. Emmanuel would not raise her offer. In March of 1919, Attorney Kisner informed the Sisters that the owner had agreed to drastically reduce his price to meet the Community's needs. Now that the Community's prayers for a Motherhouse had been answered, only the necessary funds for purchase remained an obstacle. The Sisters had saved about half of the required amount, but had discouraging experiences in acquiring the rest. This was the critical period during World War I, causing excess funds to be scarce.26 After futile appeals to the citizens and banks of the Wilkes-Barre area, a heavily populated Slovak community, Mother M. Emmanuel turned to the Danville National Bank for a loan. This bank considered the risk minimal and granted the loan at low interest. With payment secured, the Sisters concluded the 'Castle Grove' deal in June of 1919, and began preparations for the transfer of the Motherhouse from Middletown to its permanent home in Danville. Throughout the summer months in 1919, the Sisters worked to put the house and grounds in order. Within this new convent the Community prepared for the continuance of religious training for its Sisters and converted one of the two ballrooms into a chapel. Holy Mass was first celebrated on Sunday morning, July 6, 1919. With the approach of Autumn all but the Sisters in training took leave of 'Sacred Heart Villa,' as the grounds had been named, to resume their duties in the parish schools. During the War Years the demand for Sisters in parochial schools became very great. The war and the influenza epidemic strongly limited the work of the Sisters.27 As this situation relaxed in the summer of 1920, Mother M. Emmanuel arranged classes for the Sisters to improve their educational resources. The educational progress of the Community was under the direction of the Sisters from Marywood. This was being continued by Mother M. Emmanuel who sought also to further the Community's material progress. She was engaged in soliciting funds from the homes of Slovaks to pay off the Sister's bank loan. Mother M. Emmanuel promoted thrift within her 142 SLOVAKIA Community because she felt the Community would be more secure in the American culture when free from debt. Mother M. Emmanuel's term expired in 1922. She had directed this young Sisterhood through its pioneering days, giving it shelter, resources and existence through the war years. Mother M. Emmanuel's main contribution was, of course, the establishment of the Motherhouse that was to become the center of Slovak culture in America. MOTHER M. PIUS, SS.C.M. OPENS ST. CYRIL ACADEMY IN 1922 By the choice of the Sisters, Sister M. Pius was elected the third Superior General. Bishop McDevitt, who supervised the election, also commented on the importance of the Sisters' studies because someday the civil authorities would require that every teacher must be certified by the State of Pennsylvania. Certification would be important in having the Community accepted as a competent educational institution in American society. Now that they had an established center, the Sisters could begin to focus their educational mission with greater assurance. The Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius had always wished for the establishment of a high school and boarding school for girls. Presently, they were only employed in elementary education. This idea for an institution of higher education for their own children was popular among the Slovaks. In addition to the regularly prescribed American branches, they wanted their offsprings to be taught the mother tongue and trained to appreciate the historical and cultural traditions of their nation. 28 To this wish Mother M. Pius responded. Mother M. Pius expressed a desire to have an official from the Department of Public Instruction in Harrisburg come to Danville to give a lecture on the requirements of the State, regarding the equipment and function of a high school and its accreditation. In August of 1922, Doctor Edward Hoban arrived from Harrisburg and explained such subjects as extension courses, summer school, teacher certificates, teaching of foreign languages, importance of teaching citizenship, the teaching of historical and social studies, and the necessity of physical education. This lecture assured the commencement of preparation for a high school on American terms. SLOVAKIA 143 The following week an advertisement appeared in the Slovak newspapers stating that the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius had equipped part of their convent at Danville as a boarding school for girls. To conform to American standards the equipment of the high school called for two very important departments -the Library and the Laboratory for the Sciences. Both of these were begun with the opening of the school. Books acquired were those recommended by the Department o! Education. Also a large selection of Catholic and Slovak books supplemented the Community's aim of a multicultural education. In all, nineteen pupils attended the first year of the First Catholic Slovak Girls High School, indicating a desire on the part of the Slovaks to have their children educated in a Slovak, as well as an American atmosphere. Towards the close of the first year in the spring of 1923, a small group of students ventured into the school's first extra-curricular activity. These girls formed a Literary Society in which they compiled a little booklet of essays, stories, and poems. Under Mother M. Pius' encouragement this activity continued, resulting in the first issue of the bi-lingual (Slovak and American) school magazine, Fialky (Violets). The Fialky were thereafter issued semi-annually until 1940 and then annually until 1970, when it ceased publication. During the summer vacation Mother M. Pius encouraged the Sisters toward further studies, hoping to improve their competence as teachers. She was anxious to secure state certification for as many Sisters as could qualify. Now that the Community was engaged in all levels of education, Mother M. Pius wished to secure them within the American educational system through accreditation. The Academy's opening in the second year exposed space problems as enrollment grew. Mother Pius expressed the need for a strong building fund and enacted new collection drives among the Slovak people. The number of students steadily increased into the third and fourth year.• With the fourth year the need for accredition increased as the first graduation approached. The school was informed that the State Representatives would make an official inspection at the school year's end. That June, just a week before graduation, the State 144 SLOVAKIA Inspector arrived and spent a day inspecting the school, interviewing both the staff and the students. The State Representative, Doctor Pentz, found the Slovak students being educated and trained in all that the modern high schools offered, and in their Religion and mother tongue as well. To this he expressed his satisfaction, commenting on the orderly and methodological way in which the different departments were being conducted. 29 After Dr. Pentz reported the Academy as "first class" in both arrangement and curriculum, the school received a telegram, congratulating teachers and students on receiving accreditation from the State. This good news arrived just days before the first graduation, much to the Sisters' delight. While preparations for this first commencement progressed, another great event was in prospect, namely, the Eucharistic Congress in Chicago. This event made a great impact on the first commencement of the First Catholic Slovak Girls High School. Accreditation from the State of Pennsylvania proved the Sisters' ability to provide their students with a fitting education in their new society, but what remained to be seen was whether or not the Sisters could live up to the task of preserving Slovak culture in America. Slovak American culture was to receive a fresh impetus by the Eucharistic Congress held in Chicago. Due to attend the Congress were four bishops from Slovakia. The presence of these Slovak bishops greatly excited the Slovak Americans and especially the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius, since through the influence of Bishop McDevitt arrangements were made to have these four bishops attend the Academy's first graduation. The date of the festivity was June 14, 1926. Under the guidance of Bishop McDevitt, who presided at the First Graduation ceremony, the entire Community and students assembled at the Convent's gate to welcome the visiting bishops. Upon the arrival of the Slovak bishops, who were traveling in European fashion, clad in cassock and purple cincture, the commencement proceeded with prayers, songs, and speeches. The speeches were delivered in Slovak, calling for a continuance of Catholic education. Bishop McDevitt's address underscored the advantages which the SLOVAKIA 145 Slovak people can derive from a solid Catholic education. He also pointed out that this could be done because the American government stood to protect the religious rights of all American citizens. The theme of religious pluralism in America was carried further by the Senior Bishop from Slovakia in a speech that noted how this American government respects, upholds, and protects the religious liberty of the people who found refuge under her banner. Bishop Marian Blaha further cited the great accomplishments of the American Slovaks. Their ability to provide a Catholic education while preserving their mother tongue greatly impressed him. Then as an old Slovak proverb states, "Every perfect day must end even as the sweetest song" -this first commencement was no exception; it was concluded by a student chorale of inspirational Slovak songs.30 The first graduation was a significant milestone in the history of the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius. It was their first public manifestation of their educational standards and traditions. The graduation exercise presented a new phase in the mission of the Slovak Sisters. Their people realized that Danville would not only house a Convent and an Academy, but would be the center of genuine culture for the Slovaks in America. To attain a status combining a true Americanism with an appreciation of the spirit and traditions of their native land was the Community's desire.31 With this spirit of appreciation, encouraged by the sharp increase of applicants, new thoughts of building were entertained. But unlike before, the Slovak people, organizations and individuals alike, urged this step. These groups advised a general benefit drive for funds, alleging the time was ripe for such a movement since industrial conditions were favorable and the people were willing to donate.32 In the spring of 1927 Mother M. Pius presented a letter of the officers of the First Catholic Slovak Ladies' Union, another element of Slovak-American culture, announcing the drive for a building fund. When Mother M. Pius asked for their contribution, she was immediately promised five thousand dollars. The response elsewhere was the same. The Slovak newspapers pushed the drive and local groups competed in fund raising. This favorable reaction illustrates the Slovak-Americans' desire for an enlarged Slovak cultural center in America. 146 SLOVAKIA With the building fund well under way, Mother M. Pius contracted Architect Bernard Starr of Harrisburg, who in turn sought the assistance of Harry Sternfeld of Philadelphia. A spot for the new building was selected on the Villa Sacred Heart campus, and Mr. Sternfeld sketched a building dominated by a central tower. This initial plan brought eriticism for its "needless extravagance," but Mother M. Pius retained the plan as the answer to the needs of the Community, plus the cultural, educational and religious needs of the Slovak-American people. The Community wasted no time in beginning the new building. Ground was broken on May 23, 1929, in a ceremony which the local Danville Morning News described as an event to go down in Slovak history. 33 The speakers' program included representatives of the church, state, and Slovak national life. As the building progressed, the country entered the depression of the 1930's. By the time the building was completed, economic tension was beginning to be felt everywhere.34 With this in mind, Mother M. Pius avoided any elaborate dedication ceremony. This new building was made to catch the spirit of the past and to intepret it with a contemporaneous point of view in order to make it fit actual conditions.35 Its design was in accord with the ideals of the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius, who hoped to blend the past into a new, usable present. In a more practical manner the new building provided an institution solely devoted to the education of the Slovak people and the preserving of their culture. It was viewed as a national work, one that provided b roader limits and better accommodations which would produce greater results. 36 The local paper saw the building as a monument to the Slovak people of America, and considered it one of the local community's finest aspects.37 The Sisters moved into their new building in September of 1931. The following three years were quiet, filled with earnest activity toward the educational goals of the Community. This period ended with the significant year of 1934, the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Community's existence. In those twenty-five years the Community developed and established itself in a permanent Motherhouse, which in turn had developed the First Catholic Slovak Girls' High SLOVAKIA 147 School, crowned by the magnificent new building. This had been done under three Superiors General-Mother Mary, Mother M. Emmanuel, Mother M. Pius-all of whom promoted the cultivation of the Slovak language and history, which, with religion, constitute the two outstanding characteristics of the Slovak Academy. Extra-curricular activities, like Fialky and Cyrilika-a society for fostering interest in Slovak journalism-as well as customs established for the practical study of Slovak, such as speaking Slovak all day every Saturday, and the annual observance of Slovak Week, acquired notice and approval. The observance of Slovak tradition gave this Academy a unique position in the field of American education.38 With a high spirit of celebration the Silver Jubilee of the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius commenced. The Jubilee marked still another turning point in the Community's history as it came at the close of Mother M. Pius' long administration. Her work finished laying a firm foundation which became the base for a promising era of new growth. MOTHER M. EMERENTIA, SS.C.M. (1934-1946) In this new period of the Community's history the work of the Academy advanced quietly, with gratifying results in the field of Slovak-American culture. When Mother M. Emerentia was elected Superior General in 1934, she encouraged Slovak interests and cultural projects like formal programs, dramatic productions, Slovak readings, folk song festivals and, above all, research and creative writing on Slovak topics. Mother M. Emerentia was also responsible for the compilation of Slovak language texts and hymnals used widely in Slovak elementary schools and parishes in America. The early years of Mother M. Emerentia's administration coincided with the greatest period of the depression. Though there was no drop in student enrollment, neither was there the marked increase that would have normally been the case.• These drawbacks, however, had advantages. The subdued quiet of the interval was conducive to a greater concentration on school work, both regular and extracurricular. Correspondence with students in Slovakia '' See enrollment figures; Table I. 148 SLOVAKIA was an activity greatly enjoyed by the students of St. Cyril Academy. It was also during these years that the school was favored by a number of distinguished visitors from Slovakia, including a delegation from the Slovak Institute of Arts and Sciences, a group of students from the Slovak unit of Pax Romana, plus numerous distinguished scholars, writers, and statesmen, including the Slovak martyr, Msgr. Joseph Tiso.39 When our country was drawn into war on December 8, 1941, the first care of the Motherhouse was directed toward the Sisters and their pupils in the parish schools. The Community placed its trust in God and His care of our country, and classes went on as usual. However, extracurricular activities were directed toward war needs. Beyond the prayers for peace, the Community and its students turned out quantities of knitted sweaters and helmets. They experienced the value of thrift by rationing food and collected all scraps such as fats, iron and paper. The Sisters also joined in relief efforts for their native land. An extensive relief project for the war sufferers in Slovakia was aided by the Community, which sent abroad numerous packages of relief materials. The motherhouse was a center for this organized relief work. The relief project continued in action even after the war, when Slovakia again was suppressed by a stronger force. Following a remarkably successful and flourishing six-year period of self-rule under the Presidency of Tiso, the Slovak government collapsed when victory came to Russia and the Allies. 40 With this victory Slovakia was overrun by the Communists. Their occupation of the country led to the execution of Msgr. Tiso, plus the silencing of many bishops and priests. The people of Slovakia remained in destitution; hence, the necessity for relief work to continue until the Iron Curtain cut off all communication. 41 The Communist occupation caused more refugees to seek freedom and sanctuary from Slovakia. As thousands came to America, the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius and their students enjoyed fresh contacts with persons of their fatherland. Priests and professional people willingly gave lectures to both the Sisters and the students, chiefly on conditions in Slovakia and on topics of Slovak history. SLOVAKIA 149 Several high school students from Slovakia enrolled in the Academy, thus enriching the Slovak-American culture. MOTHER M. CRESCENTIA, SS.C.M. (1946-1958) While the Slovak-American tradition was being enriched during these post-war years, a new Superior General was elected, placing renewed importance on the educational aspects of the Academy. Mother M. Crescentia realized that during the earlier years the educational objectives could not be pursued as fully as desired since more urgent activities were at hand. In time, however, conditions improved, so that more and better organized work could be done in the field of teacher education. Mother M. Crescentia took advantage of this situation, arranging for more Sisters to take college courses in a greater variety of fields. With this renewed progress in the Sisters' personal educational ventures, activities in the Academy moved apace. The student enrollment at the Academy, which increased only to a minor extent after the depression, now began rapid growth. This growth of the Academy advanced steadily into the fifties, causing every available space within the Academy to be filled. It necessitated the building of Saint Philomena Hall to be used for students' living and classrooms. Also in the fifties, the Community worked for the founding of Father Jankola. They are Villa Saint Cyril in Highland Park, Illinois, and Maria Joseph Manor in Danville, Pennsylvania. By 1958 the Community had a new Superior General in the person of Mother M. Bernard. MOTHER M. BERNARD, SS.C.M. (1958-1970) The highlight of this decade was the observance of the Community's Golden Jubilee. It was climaxed by the celebration of a Roman-Slavonic Mass on the Villa campus in the presence of five thousand visitors from all parts of the country.42 It was the first Roman rite vernacular Mass ever offered on this continent. The increased enrollment and the large turnout for the Roman-Slavonic Mass indicates the strong support the Academy received from the Slovak-American people in its preserving of Slovak culture. The early sixties were also highlighted by a large celebration honoring another aspect of the Comunity's Slovak heritage. The year 1963 marked the eleven hundredth 150 SLOVAKIA anniversary of the arrival of SS. Cyril and Methodius among the Slovaks. In addition to the Community celebration in America, the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius participated in a week-long observance in Rome, involving numerous Slovak pilgrims, who had assembled there for the dedication of the Slovak Institute of SS. Cyril and Methodius, a seminary for the training of priests for Slovakia. THE JANKOLA LIBRARY The latter sixties and early seventies for St. Cyril Academy had been dominated by two cherished Slovak projects. First was the active cooperation with the Apostolate of the Slovak Institute of SS. Cyril and Methodius in Rome, begun during the 1963 pilgrimage. Second was the professional development of the Jankola Library at the Academy. This Library is a center of Slovak culture and learning for St. Cyril Academy and Slovak America. It is called Jankola Library in honor of the founder of the Community and promoter of Slovak-American culture, Father Matthew Jankola. The Library provides invaluable resources for study and research purposes, as well as literary works to enrich the Slovak spirit. Jankola Library contains over six thousand (6,000) fully catalogued items on its shelves with several hundred more reserved for further processing.43 Beyond just Slovak books this Library also promotes Slovak-American culture with its large collection of Slovak art. Included among its treasures are a large unusual map of Czecho-Slovakia, an artistically costumed mannequin representing the Slovak tradition, and a large, valuable collection of Slovak ceramic art, some embroidery and sizeable pieces of cutglass sent from Slovakia. This Library with its vast assortment of Slovak art is truly a tribute to Slovakia's culture. With Jankola Library as its Slovak center, SS. Cyril Academy still provides an excellent American education. It offers a wide range of courses, including four foreign languages.* Besides educating students for social living in America, the Academy can also train girls for a religious teaching life within its own Community. The Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius are presently teaching in parish schools and eight (8) high schools, including a boarding * Source listing of St. Cyril Academy. Table II. 151 SLOVAKIA school for girls. 0 Education of Slovak children continues to be the principal vocation of a Sister of SS. Cyril and Methodius. It is to these children that a Sister dedicates herseJf and hopes to preserve Slovakia's heritage. Today, the St. Cyril Academy is justifiably proud of tts accomplishments during the past fifty ( 50) years. Both the teaching Sisters and their students are fully educated in, and cognizant of, their dual heritage. The traditions and artifacts of Slovak culture have been preserved; while at the same time, each graduate is proud to be an American. St. Cyril Academy continues to revere its Slovak past. The Sisters continue to aid the suppressed people of Slovakia, but now this is done indirectly to the extent possible. It is the desire of the Sisters of the Academy to provide their countrymen with new hope of cultural freedom by showing them the accomplishments that have been possible in America. This Academy is rightly considered the center of Slovak culture in America. "" List of schools staffed by Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius. Table III. TABLE I Enrollment figures of St. Cyril Academy, Danville, Pa. Year 1925-26 1926-27 1927-28 1928-29 1929-30 1930-31 1931-32 1932-33 1933-34 1934-35 1935-36 1936-37 1937-38 1938-39 1939-40 1940-41 Total Number of Students 38 39 44 47 42 61 75 69 60 58 52 58 54 50 60 70 Year 1941-42 1942-43 1943-44 1944-45 1945-46 1946-47 1947-48 1948-49 1949-50 1950-51 1951-52 1952-53 1953-54 1954-55 1955-56 1956-57 Total Number of Students 66 55 55 69 91 96 90 107 112 109 123 138 148 153 157 180 Total Number Year of Students 1957-58 1958-59 1959-60 1960-61 1961-62 1962-63 1963-64 1964-65 1965-66 1966-67 1967-68 1968-69 1969-70 1970-71 1971-72 1972-73 181 175 162 182 202 195 202 171 156 178 120 108 104 101 108 106 SLOVAKIA 152 TABLE II Curriculum of St. Cyril Academy FIRST YEAR Religion I English I Algebra I Intr. Physical Science Physical Education Chorus World Culture I Latin I Spanish I French I Slovak I Foods Art I Art Appreciation Music Appreciation Health Education Piano Interpretive Dance SECOND YEAR Religion II English II Geometry Biology Physical Education Chorus World Culture II Latin II French II Spanish II Slovak II Foods Clothing I Art II Piano Interpretive Dance THIRD YEAR Religion III English III Algebra II Chemistry Physical Education Chorus American Culture I Latin III Spanish III French III Slovak III Foods Advanced Clothing Art III Piano Interpretive Dance Typing I Stenography I SLOVAKIA 153 FOURTH YEAR Religion IV English IV Business English Math 12 Advanced Biology Physical Education Chorus American Culture II Latin IV Spanish IV French IV Slovak IV Advanced Clothing Art IV Speech Piano Interpretive Dance Typing II Stenography II Bookkeeping Business Law TABLE III SCHOOLS STAFFED BY SIS'llEIBS OF SS. CYRIL AND METHODIUS Berwick, Pa. Bloomsburg, Pa. Binghamton, N. Y. Binghamton, N. Y. Bridgeport, Conn. Bridgeport, Pa. Charleston, S. C. Charleston, S. C. Chicago, Ill. East Vandergrift, Pa. Endicott, N. Y. Gary, Indiana Hazleton, Pa. Jessup, Pa. Lebanon, Pa. Luzerne, Pa. Nanticoke, Pa. New York, N. Y. Olyphant, Pa. Perth Amboy, N. J. Phoenixville, Pa. Pittston, Pa. Plymouth, Pa. Stratford, Conn. Swoyersville, Pa. Torrington, Conn. St. Mary's School St. Columba School SS. Cyril and Methodius School St. Ann's School SS. Cyril and Methodius School Mother of Sorrows School Blessed Sacrament School Nativity School SS. Simon and Jude School Holy Trinity School St. Joseph School Holy Trinity School St. Joseph School St. Michael's School SS. Cyril and Methodius School St. John Nepomucene School St. Joseph School St. John Nepomucene School Holy Ghost School Holy Trinity School Sacred Heart of Jesus School St. John Baptist School St. Stephen School Sacred Name of Jesus School Holy Trinity School Sacred Heart of Jesus School SLOVAKIA 154 Immaculate Conception School Sacred Heart of Jesus School Holy Trinity School Whiting, Ind. Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Yonkers, N. Y. IDGH SCHOOLS Andrean High School Dunmore Catholic High School Lourdes H. S. Lebanon Catholic H. S. Kingston Catholic Central Catholic Central H. S. Catholic Central (St. Pius X) Blessed Sacrament Academy St. Cyril Academy 1. Gary, Ind. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Dunmore, Pa. Shamokin, Pa. Lebanon, Pa. Kingston, Pa. Charleston, S. C. Pottstown, Pa. Yonkers, N. Y. Danville, Pa. FOOTNOTES 1) David F . Bowers, "Social and Cultural Impact" in For eign Influences in American Life (Princeton, 1944) , p. 1. 2) Emily Balch, Our Slavic Fellow Citizens (New York, 1969), p. 86. 3) The Slovak Nation, Manuscript in Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius Community Archives, Danville, Pennsylvania. 4 ) Ibid. 5) Education in Slovakia, Manuscript in SS. C. M Community Archives, composition by M . I. Angelovic, pp. 88. 6) Ibid. 7) Ear liest Immigration, Ms. in SS. C. M. Community Archives. 8 ) Emily Balch, Our Slavic Fellow Citizens, p . 108. 9 ) Earliest Immigration Ms. 10) Francis Brown and Joseph Roucek, "Czechoslovak American" in One America (New York, 1946), p. 147. 11) In 1899, there were eight Slovak priests in America. Earliest Immigration Ms. 12) The Slovaks divide their settlement in America into three Ages: Church Age, School Age, and Institution Age. Ibid. 13) Daniel Tanzone, "The Slovak Experience in Contemporary America" in Slovakia (Middletown, Pa., 1972), p. 129. 14) Francis Brown and Joseph Roucek, Our Racial and National Minorities (New York, 1937), p. 602. 15) Timothy Smith, "New Approaches to the History of Immigration in 20th Century America", in The America Historical Review LXXI, (July 1966), p. 127. 155 SLOVAKIA 16) Contributions of Reverend Matthew Jankola to Slovak Catholic Education in the United States, Ms. in SS. C. M. Community Archives, composition by Sister M. Consuela Gregorovic, p. 14. 17) Ibid. , p. 3. 18 ) Earliest Plans, Ms. in SS. C. M. Community Archives. 19) Ibid . 20) Ibid. 21) The girls wer,e Mary Mihalik, Mary Bartek and Mary Pauly. 22) Father Jankola, Ms., pp. 38-46. 23) Philosophy of Saint Cyril Academy, Ms. 24) Francis Brown and Joseph Roucek, Our America, p. 501. 25) The Educational Activities of the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius in the United States, Ms. in SS. C. M. C-Ommunity Archives, composition by Sister Maria Berchmans Teplicky, p. 4. 26) Danville, Ms. in SS. C. M. Community Archives. 27) Ibid. 28) Educational Expansion, Ms. in SS. C.M. Community Archives. 29) Josephine M. Marcinko, "A Little Historical Sketch" in Fialky (Danville, 1927), p. 23. 30) Edttcational Expansion, Ms. 31) Preparing to Build, Ms. in SS. C. M. Community Archives. 32) Ibid. 33) Morning News, (Danville, May 23, 1929), p. 6. 34 ) Brief History of the Congregation of the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius, Ms. in SS. C. M. Community Archives, composition by Mother M. Emerentia Petrasek, p. 85. 35) Fialky, (Danville, 1931), p. 82. 36) Brief History, Ms., Petrasek, p. 85. 37) Morning News, (Danville, June 8, 1931), p. 4. 38) Brief History, Ms., Petrasek, pp. 88-90. 39 ) Ibid. , p. 108. 40 ) Joseph Pauco, Slovakia, pp. 26-28. 41) Brief History, Ms., Petrasek, p. 125. 42) Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius, Jankola Book, (Danville, 1972) , p. 90. 43) SS. C. M., Jankola Book, p. 108.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius and the Preservation of Slovak Culture in America Description An account of the resource William Wagner Slovakia, Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974 pp. 132-155 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Wagner, William Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 name https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/86d96c7d18c798012ece401fefbe311c.pdf 9cc550b54da39724fe915bd2ad8cc4c2 PDF Text Text 130 SLOVAKIA Great Slovak Talent Ethnic America is finally emerging from the cocoon of silence about its hopes, successes and failures, progress and achievements. This emergence is not, as some critics charge, hyphenating the United States. On the contrary it is a reemphasis and recounting of the very ideals which made this country gloriously different from other nations. Slovak-Americans are quick to tell you that in the past, and even current history of Slovakia, success could not have been easily achieved by Slovaks. Liberty was something they discovered only in the United States where even failure is not hopeless. The following article from the pen of the editor of Slovakia was translated from Slovak into English as a reminder that the fruition of the dreams of immigrants are fulfilled by succeeding sons and daughters and grandchildren, thanks to the opportunity for education, liberty, as well as the "stick-to-it-iveness" of each individual. The translator therefore presents this article in that spirit and with a hearty ... BRAVO, CYRIL J. ZILKA Among the talented artists justifiably highlighted by Jednota is Cyril J. Zilka of Miami, Florida. Although only 18 years of age, Cyril is a member of the Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra of Miami. It may therefore be a correct assumption that he is one of the youngest member of a philharmonic symphony orchestra in America. Such membership is acquired only through exceptional talent and our Slovak-American, Cyril Zilka, possesses it. His long series of performances testify to his mastership and artistry. It was not luck or mere chance that gave Zilka the opportunity to participate in the All-American Youth Orchestra at the John F. Kennedy Musical Center at Washington on May 9, 1972. Only the best musical talent in the land was accepted for this orchestra. This opportunity and success came about through Cyril's talent and performances in other cities. In 1972 Cyril was the orchestral concert master of all �SLOVAKIA 131 high schools in Florida, as well as of the Orchestral School of Miami, and likewise for the past two years of the Youth Orchestra of Greater Miami. Last year he was concert master at the Conservatory of the University of Cincinnati and he will continue in this capacity this summer. Cyril has attended many music courses in which he has always placed first. In 1971 he won a scholarship to Tanglewood, renowned musical center, and he also won a scholarship to the Eastern Musical Festival. He is a member of the Carmen Nappo Quarted where he plays first violin. For the past three years he has been a member of the Symphonic Orchestra in North Miami Beach in which he also plays first violin. He has appeared in 90 public concerts in Miami and the neighboring vicinity. Last year he won first prize, competing against contestants of all the high schools of the state of Florida - as soloist, in duet, and in chamber orchestral performances. He played first violin in all of these appearances. In 1972 Cyril won a scholarship for an eight-week music festival in Rome, Italy. He has received offers for further studies from the University of Cincinnati, Peabody Conservatory, Boston University, and the University of Miami for his oustanding performances. Cyril selected the University of Cincinnati. He is the bearer of All-American awards for musical performances - three Arion Awards - and innumerable musical awards and trophies. There is no doubt that Cyril Zilka has great talent. His grandparents came from Slovakia and settled in Monessen, Pa., where for many years they were members of the First Catholic Slovak Union, Branch 311. Cyril's father, Cyril, Sr., was a teacher at the Slovak Benedictine Boys High School at Cleveland, Ohio. If we need any further nudge to have some means of compiling data on our talented Slovak-Americans, the case of Cyril J. Zilka should provide it. We need a SlovakAmerican "Who's Who" for without it we have no way of knowing the progress and successes of our people or who represents us in the advancement of the cultural, artistic, military, professional, political or organizational life in the United States. Translated by Paul B e r i s h � 130 SLOVAKIA Great Slovak Talent Ethnic America is finally emerging from the cocoon of silence about its hopes, successes and failures, progress and achievements. This emergence is not, as some critics charge, hyphenating the United States. On the contrary it is a reemphasis and recounting of the very ideals which made this country gloriously different from other nations. Slovak-Americans are quick to tell you that in the past, and even current history of Slovakia, success could not have been easily achieved by Slovaks. Liberty was something they discovered only in the United States where even failure is not hopeless. The following article from the pen of the editor of Slovakia was translated from Slovak into English as a reminder that the fruition of the dreams of immigrants are fulfilled by succeeding sons and daughters and grandchildren, thanks to the opportunity for education, liberty, as well as the "stick-to-it-iveness" of each individual. The translator therefore presents this article in that spirit and with a hearty ... BRAVO, CYRIL J. ZILKA Among the talented artists justifiably highlighted by Jednota is Cyril J. Zilka of Miami, Florida. Although only 18 years of age, Cyril is a member of the Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra of Miami. It may therefore be a correct assumption that he is one of the youngest member of a philharmonic symphony orchestra in America. Such membership is acquired only through exceptional talent and our Slovak-American, Cyril Zilka, possesses it. His long series of performances testify to his mastership and artistry. It was not luck or mere chance that gave Zilka the opportunity to participate in the All-American Youth Orchestra at the John F. Kennedy Musical Center at Washington on May 9, 1972. Only the best musical talent in the land was accepted for this orchestra. This opportunity and success came about through Cyril's talent and performances in other cities. In 1972 Cyril was the orchestral concert master of all �SLOVAKIA 131 high schools in Florida, as well as of the Orchestral School of Miami, and likewise for the past two years of the Youth Orchestra of Greater Miami. Last year he was concert master at the Conservatory of the University of Cincinnati and he will continue in this capacity this summer. Cyril has attended many music courses in which he has always placed first. In 1971 he won a scholarship to Tanglewood, renowned musical center, and he also won a scholarship to the Eastern Musical Festival. He is a member of the Carmen Nappo Quarted where he plays first violin. For the past three years he has been a member of the Symphonic Orchestra in North Miami Beach in which he also plays first violin. He has appeared in 90 public concerts in Miami and the neighboring vicinity. Last year he won first prize, competing against contestants of all the high schools of the state of Florida - as soloist, in duet, and in chamber orchestral performances. He played first violin in all of these appearances. In 1972 Cyril won a scholarship for an eight-week music festival in Rome, Italy. He has received offers for further studies from the University of Cincinnati, Peabody Conservatory, Boston University, and the University of Miami for his oustanding performances. Cyril selected the University of Cincinnati. He is the bearer of All-American awards for musical performances - three Arion Awards - and innumerable musical awards and trophies. There is no doubt that Cyril Zilka has great talent. His grandparents came from Slovakia and settled in Monessen, Pa., where for many years they were members of the First Catholic Slovak Union, Branch 311. Cyril's father, Cyril, Sr., was a teacher at the Slovak Benedictine Boys High School at Cleveland, Ohio. If we need any further nudge to have some means of compiling data on our talented Slovak-Americans, the case of Cyril J. Zilka should provide it. We need a SlovakAmerican "Who's Who" for without it we have no way of knowing the progress and successes of our people or who represents us in the advancement of the cultural, artistic, military, professional, political or organizational life in the United States. Translated by Paul B e r i s h � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1974, Vol. 24 Description An account of the resource Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document 130 SLOVAKIA Great Slovak Talent Ethnic America is finally emerging from the cocoon of silence about its hopes, successes and failures, progress and achievements. This emergence is not, as some critics charge, hyphenating the United States. On the contrary it is a reemphasis and recounting of the very ideals which made this country gloriously different from other nations. Slovak-Americans are quick to tell you that in the past, and even current history of Slovakia, success could not have been easily achieved by Slovaks. Liberty was something they discovered only in the United States where even failure is not hopeless. The following article from the pen of the editor of Slovakia was translated from Slovak into English as a reminder that the fruition of the dreams of immigrants are fulfilled by succeeding sons and daughters and grandchildren, thanks to the opportunity for education, liberty, as well as the "stick-to-it-iveness" of each individual. The translator therefore presents this article in that spirit and with a hearty ... BRAVO, CYRIL J. ZILKA Among the talented artists justifiably highlighted by Jednota is Cyril J. Zilka of Miami, Florida. Although only 18 years of age, Cyril is a member of the Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra of Miami. It may therefore be a correct assumption that he is one of the youngest member of a philharmonic symphony orchestra in America. Such membership is acquired only through exceptional talent and our Slovak-American, Cyril Zilka, possesses it. His long series of performances testify to his mastership and artistry. It was not luck or mere chance that gave Zilka the opportunity to participate in the All-American Youth Orchestra at the John F. Kennedy Musical Center at Washington on May 9, 1972. Only the best musical talent in the land was accepted for this orchestra. This opportunity and success came about through Cyril's talent and performances in other cities. In 1972 Cyril was the orchestral concert master of all SLOVAKIA 131 high schools in Florida, as well as of the Orchestral School of Miami, and likewise for the past two years of the Youth Orchestra of Greater Miami. Last year he was concert master at the Conservatory of the University of Cincinnati and he will continue in this capacity this summer. Cyril has attended many music courses in which he has always placed first. In 1971 he won a scholarship to Tanglewood, renowned musical center, and he also won a scholarship to the Eastern Musical Festival. He is a member of the Carmen Nappo Quarted where he plays first violin. For the past three years he has been a member of the Symphonic Orchestra in North Miami Beach in which he also plays first violin. He has appeared in 90 public concerts in Miami and the neighboring vicinity. Last year he won first prize, competing against contestants of all the high schools of the state of Florida - as soloist, in duet, and in chamber orchestral performances. He played first violin in all of these appearances. In 1972 Cyril won a scholarship for an eight-week music festival in Rome, Italy. He has received offers for further studies from the University of Cincinnati, Peabody Conservatory, Boston University, and the University of Miami for his oustanding performances. Cyril selected the University of Cincinnati. He is the bearer of All-American awards for musical performances - three Arion Awards - and innumerable musical awards and trophies. There is no doubt that Cyril Zilka has great talent. His grandparents came from Slovakia and settled in Monessen, Pa., where for many years they were members of the First Catholic Slovak Union, Branch 311. Cyril's father, Cyril, Sr., was a teacher at the Slovak Benedictine Boys High School at Cleveland, Ohio. If we need any further nudge to have some means of compiling data on our talented Slovak-Americans, the case of Cyril J. Zilka should provide it. We need a SlovakAmerican "Who's Who" for without it we have no way of knowing the progress and successes of our people or who represents us in the advancement of the cultural, artistic, military, professional, political or organizational life in the United States. Translated by Paul B e r i s h  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Great Slovak Talent Description An account of the resource "The following article from the pen of the editor of Slovakia was translated from Slovak into English..." trans. Paul Berish Slovakia, Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974 pp. 130-131 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Paučo, Jozef, 1914-1975 Berish, Paul Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 name SNK https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/3bd6b8d67e6244e70a9cfdeafefe3d2f.pdf 3159be9185a023845d86ca8c2474ffcf PDF Text Text 120 SLOVAKIA Survey Research and Ethnic Studies Steven I. M i l l e r , Ph.D. The basic purpose of survey research ( or broadly speaking, empirical research) is to find relationships be tween variables. 1 If a relationship, or association, can be established, than it becomes possible to predict one variable from another. Thus, if we know that the variable IQ and achievement test scores are related to one another, it then becomes possible (within limits) to predict one from the other. That is, if we know a person's IQ score, we can say with some degree of certainty what his score may be on the particular achievement test. 2 The idea of accurate prediction is one of the most important assumptions underlying the scientific method in general, and its specific applications to the field of social science. In addition to prediction, however, the idea of a relationship between two variables gives us other important information. For one, it tells us that two things that we probably did not think were associated in any meaningful way turn out to be so. We might find out, for instance, that there is a relationship between the arrival of various Slovak immigrants and their political behavior; or that compared to Polish immigrants, Slovak immigrants have voted more consistently for a particular political party.3 The idea of looking for a relationships also has consequences in terms of constructing a coherent body of propositions that can give us a clear and comprehensive picture of a field of study, i.e., Slovak immigrant behavior. In a similar view, if it is possible to establish valid empirical generalization about a specific group, then it may be possible to extend these findings to other groups. In this way, it is possible to extend the theoretical base for a field of inquiry. 4 �SLOVAKIA 121 THE LOGIC OF PROCEDURE In the search for relationship in the social world, there is a definite procedure that can be utilized. There are certain logical steps that help us proceed with the investigation in such a way so as to determine the meaning of our problem. 5 The first step, then, would be to identify a problem that is of interest to us. The area of investigation should be one that is in need of clarification. Let us choose for our problem the following: Do all Slovaks concern themselves in similar ways with the political and religious problems of Slovakia? Why choose this particular issue? That would entirely depend on what we were concerned with? There are, of course, hundreds of different issues that we could turn our direction to. But let us assume that the present one is important to us because we suspect (for whatever reason) that interest in political and religious affairs in Slovakia is decreasing; it could also be the opposite: interest is increasing. Perhaps, however, we believe the first assertion is correct. Furthermore, we have some previous information from which to draw on which indicates that immigrants who have lived in their adopted country for a period of time will become socialized into the norms of that society, and will increasingly become interested in the concerns of their adopted country rather than their native one. If we had a larger context in which to place our specific problem, then, in a very broad sense, we have some type of theory. Having a "theory" of behavior enables us to focus our attention more clearly on the specific problem, as well as presenting possibilities of generalizing from our findings .6 Once we have the problem in focus, the next step is to place it in more precise and formal language. This is called an hypothesis. An hypothesis is "a conjectural statement about the relationship between two or more variables." 7 We can state the problem in the following way: there is a relationship between length of residence in the adopted country and interest in political (religious) affairs of the �122 SLOVAKIA native country. This is, of course, a very broad hypothesis, but it sets the boundaries of our investigation. It tells us, minimally, that we are interested in determining a relationship between two things: length of residence and political interest. There are many other aspects that are left open to investigation. We will examine these a little later. LOOKING FOR A RELATIONSHIP The first step is to determine whether our two variables are related. We want to know, in other words, if the independent variable length of residence is affecting the dependent variable, political interest. Residence is our independent variable because we can see that a person's length of residence may influence his political beliefs, but a person's political beliefs would not normally "cause" his length of residence. 8 To see if the variables are associated, it is necessary to show that the independent variable can be divided into at least two mutually exhaustive and inclusive categories.9 For instance, we could divide our independent variable into the categories of "old residents" and "new residents," or into more precise categories of years-perhaps every ten years. For our purposes, let us say "old residents" will be those coming to the United States from 1939 to 1950, while "new" residents will be those coming from 1950 to 1970. Let us further assume that we are dealing only with those individuals who were at least fifteen years or older when they emigrated, and who were therefore at last somewhat politically aware. To continue, let us also say that we have gotten a representative sample of Slovaks, and that through the use of a questionaire information has been received on a range of topics. In terms of political interest, we could ask, for example, whether or not they have a strong, personal interest in the political affairs of Slovakia. The responses could be measured by constructing a scale that would be a valid and reliable measure of this particular attitude. 10 Let us represent our hypothetical findings by the following table: �123 SLOVAKIA TABLE 1 Interest in Slovak Political Affairs by Length of Residence in United States (Hypothetical Data) PERCENTAGE STRONGLY INTERESTED IN POLITICAL AFFAIRS "Old" Residents 35% (1000) "New" Residents 75% (1000) Residence The table shows us that our two variables are related.11 There is a 40 percentage point difference indicating that the newer residents are more interested in Slovak political affairs than the older residents. Now if we found this type of relationship in our data, we would report the relationship and leave it at that. This would give us some information, but it would be a very restricted sort of information. One logical question we might want to ask is "why is there such a relationship?" Once we ask the "why," we are in the realm of explanatory research.12 That is, we are now interested in extending our original findings. But how can we explain the original relationship? There are many possibilities. We may argue, for example, that our original independent and dependent variables were not clearly defined, and therefore, our findings is incorrect; or that our sampling was not done correctly. These, of course, could be legitimate criticisms. But let us assume that we have satifactorily overcome these problems. We must now attempt to find another reason why the original relationship is there. To do this requires thinking of some other factors that may be of importance. One may be age. We could argue that the "older" residents are chronologically older than the "younger" residents and that the difference in political interest is simply one of the effects of age. It would, of course, be helpful to have some type of theory or data which suggests a relationship between age and political interest. When we think another factor is responsible for our original relationship, and we wish to see if it is having any effect on the original relationship, then we say we are "controlling for," or "holding constant" this factor. 13 Or �124 SLOVAKIA put somewhat differently, we are saying "were it not for age, the original relationsb,ip would disappear or be substantially reduced." That is, we think that age is the reason why there is a relationship between residence and political interest. What we want to do, then, is to make people "alike" on age and see what happens. How shall we divide people in our sample by age? A very rough measure would be to look at people over sixty and under sixty years of age. This is represented in the following Table. TABLE 2 The Relationship of Political Interest and Residence by Age (Hypothetical Data) % STRONG POLITICAL INTEREST Old -60 10 (300) New 40 (600) Age 10 (700) Residence 40 (400) The table shows that even when we control for age, the original relationship is maintained: new residents are still more likely to have strong political interests regardless of age. How it is possible that when we controlled for age the original relationship could have "disappeared." 14 If this had happened, we would have concluded that age was the reason for the association, and that our original finding had been "spurious." 15 Since age is not the factor we are looking for, other variables must be considered. For example, one possibility would be a person's sex. That is, the reason why we observed the original relationship was because there were differences among men and women in terms of political interest. There may, of course, be many other potential explanatory variables-educational level, rural-urban residence, level of intelligence, socioeconomic status to mention just a few. No matter what variable(s) we decide to use as test factors, there should be some (often tbere is not) a priori reason for selecting them. 16 Tn return to our example, let us say we chose educational level as our test factor. OUr guess is that a person's �125 SLOVAKIA educational level is related to political interest regardless of whether or not he has resided in the United States a particular period of time. Table three illustrates this. TABLE 3 Relationship of Political Interest and Residence by Education (Hypothetical Data) % STRONG POLITlCAL INTEREST Less than H.S. Educational Level High School College Old 20 (400) 30 (300) 50 (100) New 20 (200) 30 (500) 40 (500) Residence Table three shows that when educational level is introduced as a test factor, our original relationship between residence and political activity disappears. What we are saying is that while there were more college-educated Slovaks that had a high degree of political interest, it did not matter, at any educational level whether or not the Slovaks were new or old residents. Our educational breakdowns, are of course, rather crude, and it is seldom the case that a table would appear as it does above. In addition, there would be some other problems that would require additional attention. We would want to know, for the new residents as well as the old, at what point in time the highest educational level was being measured. Thus, it would be possible to have certain members of the new residents who had not completed their formal education at the time of the study. It is also possible, for our old residents, to have a significant number fifteen years old in 1940. It would, however, be possible to ask for the highest educational level attained. Thus, one could still determine the amount of education received by the old residents after 1940. If, on the other hand, there was a large group of fifteen-year-olds who arrived in 1968, and assuming the study was done around that time, it would be possible through other means, to estimate their highest educational level of attainment. �126 SLOVAKIA EXTENDING RELATIONSHIPS: INTERVENING ANTECEDENT AND EXTRANEOUS VARIABLES A point worth noting is that if we were interested in understanding the behavior of Slovaks, and if the empirical method were chosen to do this, then the type of information received is only one segment of a larger causal chain. What we attempt to do is to examine only one part of a large and very complex pattern of behavior, and possibly relate the findings to other patterns so as to form a complete picture. Again we are asking, "why is this variable influencing that variable?" Even when we find that two variables are related, we are still faced with several problems of interpretation. For instance, in our previous example, it was found that when educational level was controlled, the original relationship disappeared. Well, what does it mean to say that the original relationship "disappears?" There are several possibilities here. One is the search for intervening variables. 17 This means that the original relationship is "caused" by the intervention of a third variable. This third variable, however, is related to the independent and dependent variables in a special way. It logically comes between the independent and dependent variables, and when controlled for, makes the original relationship disappear. For example, we might discover that Slovak-Americans and Polish-Americans differ in the amount of "ethnic consciousness" they display. 13 Let us assume that Slovak-Americans demonstrate higher levels of ethnic consciousness. We now have an original relationship between the independent variable "ethnicity" and the dependent variable "ethnic consciousness." We are again faced with the problem of trying to explain the relationship. One way would be to search for an intervening variable. The intervening variable is in effect another independent variable. The intervening variable must also logically come after the original independent variable. For our example, such a variable could be education. We could argue that ethnicity precedes education, and that education has an effect on level of consciousness. The relationship would look like the following: Ethnicity ♦ (Independent) Education ♦ (Intervening) Consciousness (Dependent) �127 SLOVAKIA We are saying here that a person's ethnic background is related to his level of education and his level of education is responsible for his degree of ethnic consciousness. Let us look at some other possiblities. One principal objective of survey research is to trace out a "causal chain." This means that in addition to looking for intervening variables, we are also finding a causal link in which a variable precedes the original independent variable, is related to it, and in which the original independent variable is then related to the dependent variable. In order to construct this chain of events, Rosenberg lists three conditions that must be set. 19 1. All three variables must be related. 2. When the antecedent variable is controlled, the relationship between the independent and dependent variables should not disappear. 3. When the independent variable is controlled, the relationship between the antecedent and dependent variables should disappear. As an illustration, let us suppose that we find a relationship between liberal and conservative Slovak-Americans and degree of alienation. Specifically, we find that conservative Slovak-Americans are more alienated. In this case, however, we are interested in looking for an antecedent variable; one that comes before political orientation and is related to it. We might postulate that such a variable could be religion. Thus, we are saying that a person's religion influences his political orientation and his political orientation influence his degree of alienation. Schematically it would be as follows: Religion • (Antecedent) Political Orientation (Independent) • Alienation (Dependent ) In order to be considered a true antecedent relationship, it would have to meet all three of Rosenberg's conditions. We would first control on religion. If the relationship is maintained between political orientation and alienation, then we are on the right track. We would next want to control on political orientation. If the relationship between religion and alienation disappears, we have found the correct antecedent variable. Let us consider one additional relationship before �SLOVAKIA 128 closing the discussion. This is called looking the extraneous variables. The logic here is this: we find a relationship between two variables, introduce a test factor, and the original relationship disappears. Let us assume further that the test factor precedes the independent factor, and therefore, is not an intervening one. If the relationship disappears, we then conclude that it was "spurious"-that another variable ( the test factor) was producing the original results. For instance, in our original example, we found that Slovaks who were "newer" residents had a higher level of political interest than "older" residents. We concluded that the reason was education. Education, in this instance, could be considered an extraneous variable. That is, there is no inherent link between the original independent and dependent variables. Rather, both are related separately to the extraneous variable education.20 The relationship would be as follows: ♦ Residence (Independent) ♦ Political Interest (Dependent) Education (Extraneous) Here we are saying that the reason why residence was associated with political interest was because education was separately related to residence and to political interest. The newer residents had more education than the older ones, and people who have lower levels of education may be less politically motivated. SUMMARY If Slovaks, whether native-born or American, are interested in maintaining their ethnic heritage, then new research efforts must be undertaken. These research efforts should at least in part use the logic and methodology of the social sciences. Although this is only one of many approaches to the understanding of social phenomena, it is an important one because it enables us to probe deeply into the motivations underlying human behavior. The above has been an elementary attempt to show some of the thinking, or logic of procedure, behind that part of empirical inquiry called survey analysis. While the procedure has many and complex facets to it, in its most �SLOVAKIA 129 general form it attempts to establish relationships between variables and then elaborates on those relationships . REFERENC ES 1) Stephen Cole, The Sociological Method (Chicago: Markham, 1972), Ch. 4. 2) Harry L. Miller and Roger R. Woock, Social Foundations of Urban Education (Hindale, Ill.: The Dryden Press, 1970), pp. 401-412. 3) See, for example, Djuro J. Vrga, "Different Associational Involvement of Successive Ethnic Immigrants: An Indicator of Ethno-Religious Factionalism and Alienation of Immigrants," Social Forces, 50 (December, 1971), pp. 239-249. 4) See, generally, Richard S. Rudner, Philosophy of Social Science (Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice-Hall, 1966), Ch. 1 and 2. 5) One of the best volumes in this connection is Morris Rosenberg, The Logic of Survey Analysis (New York: Basic Books, 1968). I will draw heavily from Rosenberg in the remaining discussion. 6) For theory building in the social sciences, see Robert Dubin, Theory Building (New York: The Free Press, 1969) , Ch. 1 and 2. 7) Fred N. Kerlinger, Foundations of Behavioral Research (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1965), p. 20. 8) Cole, The Sociological Method, Ch. 2. 9) James A. Davis, Elementary Survey Analysis (Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice-Hall, 1971), pp. 9-10. 10) See Max D. Engelhart, Methods of Educational Research (Chicago: Rand McNally, 1972), Ch. 7. 11) Here we are only interested in establishing a percentage point difference. We are not analyzing all the cells (4) of the table, nor are we discussing "significant" differences. There are appropriate methods for this that go beyond this discussion. 12) Cole, The Sociological Method, pp. 101-106. 13) Travis Hirschi and Hanan C. Selven, Delinquency Research: An Appraisal of Analytical Methods (New York: The Free Press, 1967) , pp. 37-51; and Rosenberg, The Logic of Survey Analysis, Ch. 2 and 3. 14) "Disappear" in this context usually means that an original relationship is substantially reduced when the test factor is introduced. 15) Cole and Rosenberg give this term a slightly different meaning. We are using it in Rosenberg's sense of a relationship existing because it is an effect of a common cause, pp. 23-82. 16) Rosenberg, The Logic of Survey Analysis, pp. 37-39. 17) Ibid., pp. 54-82. 18 ) We will assume there is some way of measuring "ethnic consciousness." 19) Rosenberg, Logic of Survey Analysis, pp. 68-69. 20) Ibid., pp. 27-4-0. � 120 SLOVAKIA Survey Research and Ethnic Studies Steven I. M i l l e r , Ph.D. The basic purpose of survey research ( or broadly speaking, empirical research) is to find relationships be tween variables. 1 If a relationship, or association, can be established, than it becomes possible to predict one variable from another. Thus, if we know that the variable IQ and achievement test scores are related to one another, it then becomes possible (within limits) to predict one from the other. That is, if we know a person's IQ score, we can say with some degree of certainty what his score may be on the particular achievement test. 2 The idea of accurate prediction is one of the most important assumptions underlying the scientific method in general, and its specific applications to the field of social science. In addition to prediction, however, the idea of a relationship between two variables gives us other important information. For one, it tells us that two things that we probably did not think were associated in any meaningful way turn out to be so. We might find out, for instance, that there is a relationship between the arrival of various Slovak immigrants and their political behavior; or that compared to Polish immigrants, Slovak immigrants have voted more consistently for a particular political party.3 The idea of looking for a relationships also has consequences in terms of constructing a coherent body of propositions that can give us a clear and comprehensive picture of a field of study, i.e., Slovak immigrant behavior. In a similar view, if it is possible to establish valid empirical generalization about a specific group, then it may be possible to extend these findings to other groups. In this way, it is possible to extend the theoretical base for a field of inquiry. 4 �SLOVAKIA 121 THE LOGIC OF PROCEDURE In the search for relationship in the social world, there is a definite procedure that can be utilized. There are certain logical steps that help us proceed with the investigation in such a way so as to determine the meaning of our problem. 5 The first step, then, would be to identify a problem that is of interest to us. The area of investigation should be one that is in need of clarification. Let us choose for our problem the following: Do all Slovaks concern themselves in similar ways with the political and religious problems of Slovakia? Why choose this particular issue? That would entirely depend on what we were concerned with? There are, of course, hundreds of different issues that we could turn our direction to. But let us assume that the present one is important to us because we suspect (for whatever reason) that interest in political and religious affairs in Slovakia is decreasing; it could also be the opposite: interest is increasing. Perhaps, however, we believe the first assertion is correct. Furthermore, we have some previous information from which to draw on which indicates that immigrants who have lived in their adopted country for a period of time will become socialized into the norms of that society, and will increasingly become interested in the concerns of their adopted country rather than their native one. If we had a larger context in which to place our specific problem, then, in a very broad sense, we have some type of theory. Having a "theory" of behavior enables us to focus our attention more clearly on the specific problem, as well as presenting possibilities of generalizing from our findings .6 Once we have the problem in focus, the next step is to place it in more precise and formal language. This is called an hypothesis. An hypothesis is "a conjectural statement about the relationship between two or more variables." 7 We can state the problem in the following way: there is a relationship between length of residence in the adopted country and interest in political (religious) affairs of the �122 SLOVAKIA native country. This is, of course, a very broad hypothesis, but it sets the boundaries of our investigation. It tells us, minimally, that we are interested in determining a relationship between two things: length of residence and political interest. There are many other aspects that are left open to investigation. We will examine these a little later. LOOKING FOR A RELATIONSHIP The first step is to determine whether our two variables are related. We want to know, in other words, if the independent variable length of residence is affecting the dependent variable, political interest. Residence is our independent variable because we can see that a person's length of residence may influence his political beliefs, but a person's political beliefs would not normally "cause" his length of residence. 8 To see if the variables are associated, it is necessary to show that the independent variable can be divided into at least two mutually exhaustive and inclusive categories.9 For instance, we could divide our independent variable into the categories of "old residents" and "new residents," or into more precise categories of years-perhaps every ten years. For our purposes, let us say "old residents" will be those coming to the United States from 1939 to 1950, while "new" residents will be those coming from 1950 to 1970. Let us further assume that we are dealing only with those individuals who were at least fifteen years or older when they emigrated, and who were therefore at last somewhat politically aware. To continue, let us also say that we have gotten a representative sample of Slovaks, and that through the use of a questionaire information has been received on a range of topics. In terms of political interest, we could ask, for example, whether or not they have a strong, personal interest in the political affairs of Slovakia. The responses could be measured by constructing a scale that would be a valid and reliable measure of this particular attitude. 10 Let us represent our hypothetical findings by the following table: �123 SLOVAKIA TABLE 1 Interest in Slovak Political Affairs by Length of Residence in United States (Hypothetical Data) PERCENTAGE STRONGLY INTERESTED IN POLITICAL AFFAIRS "Old" Residents 35% (1000) "New" Residents 75% (1000) Residence The table shows us that our two variables are related.11 There is a 40 percentage point difference indicating that the newer residents are more interested in Slovak political affairs than the older residents. Now if we found this type of relationship in our data, we would report the relationship and leave it at that. This would give us some information, but it would be a very restricted sort of information. One logical question we might want to ask is "why is there such a relationship?" Once we ask the "why," we are in the realm of explanatory research.12 That is, we are now interested in extending our original findings. But how can we explain the original relationship? There are many possibilities. We may argue, for example, that our original independent and dependent variables were not clearly defined, and therefore, our findings is incorrect; or that our sampling was not done correctly. These, of course, could be legitimate criticisms. But let us assume that we have satifactorily overcome these problems. We must now attempt to find another reason why the original relationship is there. To do this requires thinking of some other factors that may be of importance. One may be age. We could argue that the "older" residents are chronologically older than the "younger" residents and that the difference in political interest is simply one of the effects of age. It would, of course, be helpful to have some type of theory or data which suggests a relationship between age and political interest. When we think another factor is responsible for our original relationship, and we wish to see if it is having any effect on the original relationship, then we say we are "controlling for," or "holding constant" this factor. 13 Or �124 SLOVAKIA put somewhat differently, we are saying "were it not for age, the original relationsb,ip would disappear or be substantially reduced." That is, we think that age is the reason why there is a relationship between residence and political interest. What we want to do, then, is to make people "alike" on age and see what happens. How shall we divide people in our sample by age? A very rough measure would be to look at people over sixty and under sixty years of age. This is represented in the following Table. TABLE 2 The Relationship of Political Interest and Residence by Age (Hypothetical Data) % STRONG POLITICAL INTEREST Old -60 10 (300) New 40 (600) Age 10 (700) Residence 40 (400) The table shows that even when we control for age, the original relationship is maintained: new residents are still more likely to have strong political interests regardless of age. How it is possible that when we controlled for age the original relationship could have "disappeared." 14 If this had happened, we would have concluded that age was the reason for the association, and that our original finding had been "spurious." 15 Since age is not the factor we are looking for, other variables must be considered. For example, one possibility would be a person's sex. That is, the reason why we observed the original relationship was because there were differences among men and women in terms of political interest. There may, of course, be many other potential explanatory variables-educational level, rural-urban residence, level of intelligence, socioeconomic status to mention just a few. No matter what variable(s) we decide to use as test factors, there should be some (often tbere is not) a priori reason for selecting them. 16 Tn return to our example, let us say we chose educational level as our test factor. OUr guess is that a person's �125 SLOVAKIA educational level is related to political interest regardless of whether or not he has resided in the United States a particular period of time. Table three illustrates this. TABLE 3 Relationship of Political Interest and Residence by Education (Hypothetical Data) % STRONG POLITlCAL INTEREST Less than H.S. Educational Level High School College Old 20 (400) 30 (300) 50 (100) New 20 (200) 30 (500) 40 (500) Residence Table three shows that when educational level is introduced as a test factor, our original relationship between residence and political activity disappears. What we are saying is that while there were more college-educated Slovaks that had a high degree of political interest, it did not matter, at any educational level whether or not the Slovaks were new or old residents. Our educational breakdowns, are of course, rather crude, and it is seldom the case that a table would appear as it does above. In addition, there would be some other problems that would require additional attention. We would want to know, for the new residents as well as the old, at what point in time the highest educational level was being measured. Thus, it would be possible to have certain members of the new residents who had not completed their formal education at the time of the study. It is also possible, for our old residents, to have a significant number fifteen years old in 1940. It would, however, be possible to ask for the highest educational level attained. Thus, one could still determine the amount of education received by the old residents after 1940. If, on the other hand, there was a large group of fifteen-year-olds who arrived in 1968, and assuming the study was done around that time, it would be possible through other means, to estimate their highest educational level of attainment. �126 SLOVAKIA EXTENDING RELATIONSHIPS: INTERVENING ANTECEDENT AND EXTRANEOUS VARIABLES A point worth noting is that if we were interested in understanding the behavior of Slovaks, and if the empirical method were chosen to do this, then the type of information received is only one segment of a larger causal chain. What we attempt to do is to examine only one part of a large and very complex pattern of behavior, and possibly relate the findings to other patterns so as to form a complete picture. Again we are asking, "why is this variable influencing that variable?" Even when we find that two variables are related, we are still faced with several problems of interpretation. For instance, in our previous example, it was found that when educational level was controlled, the original relationship disappeared. Well, what does it mean to say that the original relationship "disappears?" There are several possibilities here. One is the search for intervening variables. 17 This means that the original relationship is "caused" by the intervention of a third variable. This third variable, however, is related to the independent and dependent variables in a special way. It logically comes between the independent and dependent variables, and when controlled for, makes the original relationship disappear. For example, we might discover that Slovak-Americans and Polish-Americans differ in the amount of "ethnic consciousness" they display. 13 Let us assume that Slovak-Americans demonstrate higher levels of ethnic consciousness. We now have an original relationship between the independent variable "ethnicity" and the dependent variable "ethnic consciousness." We are again faced with the problem of trying to explain the relationship. One way would be to search for an intervening variable. The intervening variable is in effect another independent variable. The intervening variable must also logically come after the original independent variable. For our example, such a variable could be education. We could argue that ethnicity precedes education, and that education has an effect on level of consciousness. The relationship would look like the following: Ethnicity ♦ (Independent) Education ♦ (Intervening) Consciousness (Dependent) �127 SLOVAKIA We are saying here that a person's ethnic background is related to his level of education and his level of education is responsible for his degree of ethnic consciousness. Let us look at some other possiblities. One principal objective of survey research is to trace out a "causal chain." This means that in addition to looking for intervening variables, we are also finding a causal link in which a variable precedes the original independent variable, is related to it, and in which the original independent variable is then related to the dependent variable. In order to construct this chain of events, Rosenberg lists three conditions that must be set. 19 1. All three variables must be related. 2. When the antecedent variable is controlled, the relationship between the independent and dependent variables should not disappear. 3. When the independent variable is controlled, the relationship between the antecedent and dependent variables should disappear. As an illustration, let us suppose that we find a relationship between liberal and conservative Slovak-Americans and degree of alienation. Specifically, we find that conservative Slovak-Americans are more alienated. In this case, however, we are interested in looking for an antecedent variable; one that comes before political orientation and is related to it. We might postulate that such a variable could be religion. Thus, we are saying that a person's religion influences his political orientation and his political orientation influence his degree of alienation. Schematically it would be as follows: Religion • (Antecedent) Political Orientation (Independent) • Alienation (Dependent ) In order to be considered a true antecedent relationship, it would have to meet all three of Rosenberg's conditions. We would first control on religion. If the relationship is maintained between political orientation and alienation, then we are on the right track. We would next want to control on political orientation. If the relationship between religion and alienation disappears, we have found the correct antecedent variable. Let us consider one additional relationship before �SLOVAKIA 128 closing the discussion. This is called looking the extraneous variables. The logic here is this: we find a relationship between two variables, introduce a test factor, and the original relationship disappears. Let us assume further that the test factor precedes the independent factor, and therefore, is not an intervening one. If the relationship disappears, we then conclude that it was "spurious"-that another variable ( the test factor) was producing the original results. For instance, in our original example, we found that Slovaks who were "newer" residents had a higher level of political interest than "older" residents. We concluded that the reason was education. Education, in this instance, could be considered an extraneous variable. That is, there is no inherent link between the original independent and dependent variables. Rather, both are related separately to the extraneous variable education.20 The relationship would be as follows: ♦ Residence (Independent) ♦ Political Interest (Dependent) Education (Extraneous) Here we are saying that the reason why residence was associated with political interest was because education was separately related to residence and to political interest. The newer residents had more education than the older ones, and people who have lower levels of education may be less politically motivated. SUMMARY If Slovaks, whether native-born or American, are interested in maintaining their ethnic heritage, then new research efforts must be undertaken. These research efforts should at least in part use the logic and methodology of the social sciences. Although this is only one of many approaches to the understanding of social phenomena, it is an important one because it enables us to probe deeply into the motivations underlying human behavior. The above has been an elementary attempt to show some of the thinking, or logic of procedure, behind that part of empirical inquiry called survey analysis. While the procedure has many and complex facets to it, in its most �SLOVAKIA 129 general form it attempts to establish relationships between variables and then elaborates on those relationships . REFERENC ES 1) Stephen Cole, The Sociological Method (Chicago: Markham, 1972), Ch. 4. 2) Harry L. Miller and Roger R. Woock, Social Foundations of Urban Education (Hindale, Ill.: The Dryden Press, 1970), pp. 401-412. 3) See, for example, Djuro J. Vrga, "Different Associational Involvement of Successive Ethnic Immigrants: An Indicator of Ethno-Religious Factionalism and Alienation of Immigrants," Social Forces, 50 (December, 1971), pp. 239-249. 4) See, generally, Richard S. Rudner, Philosophy of Social Science (Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice-Hall, 1966), Ch. 1 and 2. 5) One of the best volumes in this connection is Morris Rosenberg, The Logic of Survey Analysis (New York: Basic Books, 1968). I will draw heavily from Rosenberg in the remaining discussion. 6) For theory building in the social sciences, see Robert Dubin, Theory Building (New York: The Free Press, 1969) , Ch. 1 and 2. 7) Fred N. Kerlinger, Foundations of Behavioral Research (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1965), p. 20. 8) Cole, The Sociological Method, Ch. 2. 9) James A. Davis, Elementary Survey Analysis (Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice-Hall, 1971), pp. 9-10. 10) See Max D. Engelhart, Methods of Educational Research (Chicago: Rand McNally, 1972), Ch. 7. 11) Here we are only interested in establishing a percentage point difference. We are not analyzing all the cells (4) of the table, nor are we discussing "significant" differences. There are appropriate methods for this that go beyond this discussion. 12) Cole, The Sociological Method, pp. 101-106. 13) Travis Hirschi and Hanan C. Selven, Delinquency Research: An Appraisal of Analytical Methods (New York: The Free Press, 1967) , pp. 37-51; and Rosenberg, The Logic of Survey Analysis, Ch. 2 and 3. 14) "Disappear" in this context usually means that an original relationship is substantially reduced when the test factor is introduced. 15) Cole and Rosenberg give this term a slightly different meaning. We are using it in Rosenberg's sense of a relationship existing because it is an effect of a common cause, pp. 23-82. 16) Rosenberg, The Logic of Survey Analysis, pp. 37-39. 17) Ibid., pp. 54-82. 18 ) We will assume there is some way of measuring "ethnic consciousness." 19) Rosenberg, Logic of Survey Analysis, pp. 68-69. 20) Ibid., pp. 27-4-0. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1974, Vol. 24 Description An account of the resource Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document 120 SLOVAKIA Survey Research and Ethnic Studies Steven I. M i l l e r , Ph.D. The basic purpose of survey research ( or broadly speaking, empirical research) is to find relationships be tween variables. 1 If a relationship, or association, can be established, than it becomes possible to predict one variable from another. Thus, if we know that the variable IQ and achievement test scores are related to one another, it then becomes possible (within limits) to predict one from the other. That is, if we know a person's IQ score, we can say with some degree of certainty what his score may be on the particular achievement test. 2 The idea of accurate prediction is one of the most important assumptions underlying the scientific method in general, and its specific applications to the field of social science. In addition to prediction, however, the idea of a relationship between two variables gives us other important information. For one, it tells us that two things that we probably did not think were associated in any meaningful way turn out to be so. We might find out, for instance, that there is a relationship between the arrival of various Slovak immigrants and their political behavior; or that compared to Polish immigrants, Slovak immigrants have voted more consistently for a particular political party.3 The idea of looking for a relationships also has consequences in terms of constructing a coherent body of propositions that can give us a clear and comprehensive picture of a field of study, i.e., Slovak immigrant behavior. In a similar view, if it is possible to establish valid empirical generalization about a specific group, then it may be possible to extend these findings to other groups. In this way, it is possible to extend the theoretical base for a field of inquiry. 4 SLOVAKIA 121 THE LOGIC OF PROCEDURE In the search for relationship in the social world, there is a definite procedure that can be utilized. There are certain logical steps that help us proceed with the investigation in such a way so as to determine the meaning of our problem. 5 The first step, then, would be to identify a problem that is of interest to us. The area of investigation should be one that is in need of clarification. Let us choose for our problem the following: Do all Slovaks concern themselves in similar ways with the political and religious problems of Slovakia? Why choose this particular issue? That would entirely depend on what we were concerned with? There are, of course, hundreds of different issues that we could turn our direction to. But let us assume that the present one is important to us because we suspect (for whatever reason) that interest in political and religious affairs in Slovakia is decreasing; it could also be the opposite: interest is increasing. Perhaps, however, we believe the first assertion is correct. Furthermore, we have some previous information from which to draw on which indicates that immigrants who have lived in their adopted country for a period of time will become socialized into the norms of that society, and will increasingly become interested in the concerns of their adopted country rather than their native one. If we had a larger context in which to place our specific problem, then, in a very broad sense, we have some type of theory. Having a "theory" of behavior enables us to focus our attention more clearly on the specific problem, as well as presenting possibilities of generalizing from our findings .6 Once we have the problem in focus, the next step is to place it in more precise and formal language. This is called an hypothesis. An hypothesis is "a conjectural statement about the relationship between two or more variables." 7 We can state the problem in the following way: there is a relationship between length of residence in the adopted country and interest in political (religious) affairs of the 122 SLOVAKIA native country. This is, of course, a very broad hypothesis, but it sets the boundaries of our investigation. It tells us, minimally, that we are interested in determining a relationship between two things: length of residence and political interest. There are many other aspects that are left open to investigation. We will examine these a little later. LOOKING FOR A RELATIONSHIP The first step is to determine whether our two variables are related. We want to know, in other words, if the independent variable length of residence is affecting the dependent variable, political interest. Residence is our independent variable because we can see that a person's length of residence may influence his political beliefs, but a person's political beliefs would not normally "cause" his length of residence. 8 To see if the variables are associated, it is necessary to show that the independent variable can be divided into at least two mutually exhaustive and inclusive categories.9 For instance, we could divide our independent variable into the categories of "old residents" and "new residents," or into more precise categories of years-perhaps every ten years. For our purposes, let us say "old residents" will be those coming to the United States from 1939 to 1950, while "new" residents will be those coming from 1950 to 1970. Let us further assume that we are dealing only with those individuals who were at least fifteen years or older when they emigrated, and who were therefore at last somewhat politically aware. To continue, let us also say that we have gotten a representative sample of Slovaks, and that through the use of a questionaire information has been received on a range of topics. In terms of political interest, we could ask, for example, whether or not they have a strong, personal interest in the political affairs of Slovakia. The responses could be measured by constructing a scale that would be a valid and reliable measure of this particular attitude. 10 Let us represent our hypothetical findings by the following table: 123 SLOVAKIA TABLE 1 Interest in Slovak Political Affairs by Length of Residence in United States (Hypothetical Data) PERCENTAGE STRONGLY INTERESTED IN POLITICAL AFFAIRS "Old" Residents 35% (1000) "New" Residents 75% (1000) Residence The table shows us that our two variables are related.11 There is a 40 percentage point difference indicating that the newer residents are more interested in Slovak political affairs than the older residents. Now if we found this type of relationship in our data, we would report the relationship and leave it at that. This would give us some information, but it would be a very restricted sort of information. One logical question we might want to ask is "why is there such a relationship?" Once we ask the "why," we are in the realm of explanatory research.12 That is, we are now interested in extending our original findings. But how can we explain the original relationship? There are many possibilities. We may argue, for example, that our original independent and dependent variables were not clearly defined, and therefore, our findings is incorrect; or that our sampling was not done correctly. These, of course, could be legitimate criticisms. But let us assume that we have satifactorily overcome these problems. We must now attempt to find another reason why the original relationship is there. To do this requires thinking of some other factors that may be of importance. One may be age. We could argue that the "older" residents are chronologically older than the "younger" residents and that the difference in political interest is simply one of the effects of age. It would, of course, be helpful to have some type of theory or data which suggests a relationship between age and political interest. When we think another factor is responsible for our original relationship, and we wish to see if it is having any effect on the original relationship, then we say we are "controlling for," or "holding constant" this factor. 13 Or 124 SLOVAKIA put somewhat differently, we are saying "were it not for age, the original relationsb,ip would disappear or be substantially reduced." That is, we think that age is the reason why there is a relationship between residence and political interest. What we want to do, then, is to make people "alike" on age and see what happens. How shall we divide people in our sample by age? A very rough measure would be to look at people over sixty and under sixty years of age. This is represented in the following Table. TABLE 2 The Relationship of Political Interest and Residence by Age (Hypothetical Data) % STRONG POLITICAL INTEREST Old -60 10 (300) New 40 (600) Age 10 (700) Residence 40 (400) The table shows that even when we control for age, the original relationship is maintained: new residents are still more likely to have strong political interests regardless of age. How it is possible that when we controlled for age the original relationship could have "disappeared." 14 If this had happened, we would have concluded that age was the reason for the association, and that our original finding had been "spurious." 15 Since age is not the factor we are looking for, other variables must be considered. For example, one possibility would be a person's sex. That is, the reason why we observed the original relationship was because there were differences among men and women in terms of political interest. There may, of course, be many other potential explanatory variables-educational level, rural-urban residence, level of intelligence, socioeconomic status to mention just a few. No matter what variable(s) we decide to use as test factors, there should be some (often tbere is not) a priori reason for selecting them. 16 Tn return to our example, let us say we chose educational level as our test factor. OUr guess is that a person's 125 SLOVAKIA educational level is related to political interest regardless of whether or not he has resided in the United States a particular period of time. Table three illustrates this. TABLE 3 Relationship of Political Interest and Residence by Education (Hypothetical Data) % STRONG POLITlCAL INTEREST Less than H.S. Educational Level High School College Old 20 (400) 30 (300) 50 (100) New 20 (200) 30 (500) 40 (500) Residence Table three shows that when educational level is introduced as a test factor, our original relationship between residence and political activity disappears. What we are saying is that while there were more college-educated Slovaks that had a high degree of political interest, it did not matter, at any educational level whether or not the Slovaks were new or old residents. Our educational breakdowns, are of course, rather crude, and it is seldom the case that a table would appear as it does above. In addition, there would be some other problems that would require additional attention. We would want to know, for the new residents as well as the old, at what point in time the highest educational level was being measured. Thus, it would be possible to have certain members of the new residents who had not completed their formal education at the time of the study. It is also possible, for our old residents, to have a significant number fifteen years old in 1940. It would, however, be possible to ask for the highest educational level attained. Thus, one could still determine the amount of education received by the old residents after 1940. If, on the other hand, there was a large group of fifteen-year-olds who arrived in 1968, and assuming the study was done around that time, it would be possible through other means, to estimate their highest educational level of attainment. 126 SLOVAKIA EXTENDING RELATIONSHIPS: INTERVENING ANTECEDENT AND EXTRANEOUS VARIABLES A point worth noting is that if we were interested in understanding the behavior of Slovaks, and if the empirical method were chosen to do this, then the type of information received is only one segment of a larger causal chain. What we attempt to do is to examine only one part of a large and very complex pattern of behavior, and possibly relate the findings to other patterns so as to form a complete picture. Again we are asking, "why is this variable influencing that variable?" Even when we find that two variables are related, we are still faced with several problems of interpretation. For instance, in our previous example, it was found that when educational level was controlled, the original relationship disappeared. Well, what does it mean to say that the original relationship "disappears?" There are several possibilities here. One is the search for intervening variables. 17 This means that the original relationship is "caused" by the intervention of a third variable. This third variable, however, is related to the independent and dependent variables in a special way. It logically comes between the independent and dependent variables, and when controlled for, makes the original relationship disappear. For example, we might discover that Slovak-Americans and Polish-Americans differ in the amount of "ethnic consciousness" they display. 13 Let us assume that Slovak-Americans demonstrate higher levels of ethnic consciousness. We now have an original relationship between the independent variable "ethnicity" and the dependent variable "ethnic consciousness." We are again faced with the problem of trying to explain the relationship. One way would be to search for an intervening variable. The intervening variable is in effect another independent variable. The intervening variable must also logically come after the original independent variable. For our example, such a variable could be education. We could argue that ethnicity precedes education, and that education has an effect on level of consciousness. The relationship would look like the following: Ethnicity ♦ (Independent) Education ♦ (Intervening) Consciousness (Dependent) 127 SLOVAKIA We are saying here that a person's ethnic background is related to his level of education and his level of education is responsible for his degree of ethnic consciousness. Let us look at some other possiblities. One principal objective of survey research is to trace out a "causal chain." This means that in addition to looking for intervening variables, we are also finding a causal link in which a variable precedes the original independent variable, is related to it, and in which the original independent variable is then related to the dependent variable. In order to construct this chain of events, Rosenberg lists three conditions that must be set. 19 1. All three variables must be related. 2. When the antecedent variable is controlled, the relationship between the independent and dependent variables should not disappear. 3. When the independent variable is controlled, the relationship between the antecedent and dependent variables should disappear. As an illustration, let us suppose that we find a relationship between liberal and conservative Slovak-Americans and degree of alienation. Specifically, we find that conservative Slovak-Americans are more alienated. In this case, however, we are interested in looking for an antecedent variable; one that comes before political orientation and is related to it. We might postulate that such a variable could be religion. Thus, we are saying that a person's religion influences his political orientation and his political orientation influence his degree of alienation. Schematically it would be as follows: Religion • (Antecedent) Political Orientation (Independent) • Alienation (Dependent ) In order to be considered a true antecedent relationship, it would have to meet all three of Rosenberg's conditions. We would first control on religion. If the relationship is maintained between political orientation and alienation, then we are on the right track. We would next want to control on political orientation. If the relationship between religion and alienation disappears, we have found the correct antecedent variable. Let us consider one additional relationship before SLOVAKIA 128 closing the discussion. This is called looking the extraneous variables. The logic here is this: we find a relationship between two variables, introduce a test factor, and the original relationship disappears. Let us assume further that the test factor precedes the independent factor, and therefore, is not an intervening one. If the relationship disappears, we then conclude that it was "spurious"-that another variable ( the test factor) was producing the original results. For instance, in our original example, we found that Slovaks who were "newer" residents had a higher level of political interest than "older" residents. We concluded that the reason was education. Education, in this instance, could be considered an extraneous variable. That is, there is no inherent link between the original independent and dependent variables. Rather, both are related separately to the extraneous variable education.20 The relationship would be as follows: ♦ Residence (Independent) ♦ Political Interest (Dependent) Education (Extraneous) Here we are saying that the reason why residence was associated with political interest was because education was separately related to residence and to political interest. The newer residents had more education than the older ones, and people who have lower levels of education may be less politically motivated. SUMMARY If Slovaks, whether native-born or American, are interested in maintaining their ethnic heritage, then new research efforts must be undertaken. These research efforts should at least in part use the logic and methodology of the social sciences. Although this is only one of many approaches to the understanding of social phenomena, it is an important one because it enables us to probe deeply into the motivations underlying human behavior. The above has been an elementary attempt to show some of the thinking, or logic of procedure, behind that part of empirical inquiry called survey analysis. While the procedure has many and complex facets to it, in its most SLOVAKIA 129 general form it attempts to establish relationships between variables and then elaborates on those relationships . REFERENC ES 1) Stephen Cole, The Sociological Method (Chicago: Markham, 1972), Ch. 4. 2) Harry L. Miller and Roger R. Woock, Social Foundations of Urban Education (Hindale, Ill.: The Dryden Press, 1970), pp. 401-412. 3) See, for example, Djuro J. Vrga, "Different Associational Involvement of Successive Ethnic Immigrants: An Indicator of Ethno-Religious Factionalism and Alienation of Immigrants," Social Forces, 50 (December, 1971), pp. 239-249. 4) See, generally, Richard S. Rudner, Philosophy of Social Science (Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice-Hall, 1966), Ch. 1 and 2. 5) One of the best volumes in this connection is Morris Rosenberg, The Logic of Survey Analysis (New York: Basic Books, 1968). I will draw heavily from Rosenberg in the remaining discussion. 6) For theory building in the social sciences, see Robert Dubin, Theory Building (New York: The Free Press, 1969) , Ch. 1 and 2. 7) Fred N. Kerlinger, Foundations of Behavioral Research (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1965), p. 20. 8) Cole, The Sociological Method, Ch. 2. 9) James A. Davis, Elementary Survey Analysis (Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice-Hall, 1971), pp. 9-10. 10) See Max D. Engelhart, Methods of Educational Research (Chicago: Rand McNally, 1972), Ch. 7. 11) Here we are only interested in establishing a percentage point difference. We are not analyzing all the cells (4) of the table, nor are we discussing "significant" differences. There are appropriate methods for this that go beyond this discussion. 12) Cole, The Sociological Method, pp. 101-106. 13) Travis Hirschi and Hanan C. Selven, Delinquency Research: An Appraisal of Analytical Methods (New York: The Free Press, 1967) , pp. 37-51; and Rosenberg, The Logic of Survey Analysis, Ch. 2 and 3. 14) "Disappear" in this context usually means that an original relationship is substantially reduced when the test factor is introduced. 15) Cole and Rosenberg give this term a slightly different meaning. We are using it in Rosenberg's sense of a relationship existing because it is an effect of a common cause, pp. 23-82. 16) Rosenberg, The Logic of Survey Analysis, pp. 37-39. 17) Ibid., pp. 54-82. 18 ) We will assume there is some way of measuring "ethnic consciousness." 19) Rosenberg, Logic of Survey Analysis, pp. 68-69. 20) Ibid., pp. 27-4-0.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Survey Research and Ethnic Studies Description An account of the resource Steven I. Miller, Ph.D. Slovakia, Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974 pp. 120-129 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Miller, Steven I. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 LCNAF https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/2665a947275bb254be9e3a566380943b.pdf 735a3280b60052bd52944c0d480379ca PDF Text Text 112 SLOVAKIA The Artful Dodgers: Directors of Ethnic Studies Programs By Paul F e n c h a k In Dickens' novel Oliver Twist, Jack Dawkins, called the Artful Dodger, is a teacher - albeit one who taught the art of pickpocketing to innocent youngsters such as Oliver Twist. His motive: personal gain. The writer of this article is convinced that the counterparts of the Artful Dodger are today directing ethnic studies programs in the public schools of the United States. Seemingly they are no more altruistic towards needful ethnic groups in America than the Artful Dodger was toward the welfare of Oliver Twist. Formulators of ethnic studies programs dodge no small number of ethnic groups as they label "minority groups" to the Blacks, Indians, Spanish Americans, and Orientals. Frequently space is also given to Jews, Germans, Italians, and Poles. Scholars who would talk of Ukrainians, Slovaks, Croatians, Bulgarians, Lithuanians, Latvians, and Rumanians, among others, are judged to be divining in some dark, mysterious regions, presided over by pagan gods who, midst Gog and Magog, are all agog in exotic studies about areas considered to be "powder kegs" and "tinderboxes" - "balkanized" beyond comprehension to sensible people. The powerful National Education Association boasts of having a "strong program to improve the lot of minority groups, including Blacks, Indians, Spanish Americans, and other bi-lingual groups." Often Croatians, Byelorussians, Ukrainians, Slovaks, Lithuanians, Finns, et al., are more bi-lingual than some groups cited by the NEA, yet the amount of coverage given East European-Americ ans is usually nil. In 1972 the writer wrote the State Superintendents of Schools of the fifty state education departments requesting copies of curriculum guides, brochures, bulletins, etc., �SLOVAKIA 113 dealing with racial, cultural, multi-cultural, inter-cultural, disadvantaged, etc., matters of ethnics in America. For sundry reasons the responses were not rapid in arriving. To date 24 of 50 state education departments have either forwarded materials or have indicated that materials will be forthcoming. In summary of the vast amount of ethnic studies promoted by state education departments, one conclusion can easily be made: East European ethnics do not exist in the United States. Even Pennsylvania, the most Slavic of the fifty states, with fraternal, religious, and educational institutions located throughout the commonwealth in large numbers, is guilty of producing ethnic materials that are absolutely ignominous to the mass of citizens of East European ancestry living within the state. In Pennsylvania one need just travel from town to town, stopping to examine the names of those who served and those who died for the United States in both World Wars, as registered on community Honor Rolls. Seemingly then, the non-sense of excluding East Europeans would end - and even the very productive efforts of these peoples in the mines, mills, and farms, in athletics, in scholarship, and in good citizenship would then be recognized. The map of Pennsylvania already recognizes these peoples: Mazeppa, Kossuth, Pulaski, Po1and Mines, Dalmatia, Zelienople, Gallitzin, Livonia, St. Petersburg, and Slovan, among others. The bulk of the state curriculum guides, with Texas being a noteworthy exception, on ethnic and racial/cultural studies focus on the groups cited by the National Education Association: Blacks, Indians, and Spanish-Americans. Orientals and Jews are reasonably well-covered as are Italians, Irish, English, Germans, and French. It is always interesting to observe how state and local education experts use the term "minority group." One county in Maryland that contains thousands of Poles, Slovaks, Ukrainians, Czechs, et al., admits having "5,603 black students and another 706 pupils from various other minority groups." The thruth is that in most states the term "minority groups" as presented in curriculum guides excludes Americans of East European ancestry and consequently millions of Americans are being denied the �114 SLOVAKIA opportunity of studying their heritages. Likewise, they are being denied opportunity in employment quests and, worst of all, some Americans are being deprived of the opportunity of attaining optimum psychological and emotional growth. Whereas the successful guidance counselor can help students to correctly answer the important question, "Whom am I?," counselors rarely talk about, or know anything about, Slavic languages, Finno-Ugric languages, Baltic languages, etc. But it is ever so fashionable in American schools to talk about the pleasantries of French, Spanish, German, and Latin. Evidently one of the major problems in education re ethnics is that the artful dodgers are not honest enough to admit that they need re-trained in order to be able to properly assemble the American mosaic. How many Slavic-Americans live in Peoria, Illinois? Frankly, the writer doesn't know, yet he assumes that in an industrial area of ca. 150,000 some Croatians, Bulgarians, Czechs, Poles, et al., do live and work. (All cities always have Russans!) Given the resources of the Peoria educational system the writer could develop reasonably accurate projections of the ethnic composition for Peoria; the same could be done for Paducah, Kentucky, or Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Why then the mystique about the manifold ethnic groups that comprise America? It appears that our ethnic directors are hiding and confusing issues. They are run by a system that relegated East Europeans. How negatively runs the cross-examination when an East European scholar seeks to get more considerations from librarians, curriculum directors, supervisors, administrators, editors, and other educators. Sooner or later the question emerges: How many Ukrainians (Czechs, Finns, et. al.) are then in Peoria? Yet these same specialists are able to calculate that there are certain numbers of Blacks and Spanish~speaking in their areas. How strange! The writer has heard this tactic so many times that he refuses to dignify such questions, presenting instead a general response that there are many Slavs, Finno-Ugrics, Baltics, etc., in a political sub-division, if such is the case. If the specialist is persistent in wanting to know the exact number of Czechs in Peoria, the writer usually asks .the specialist to secure �SLOVAKIA 115 that data for him, using the resources of people who should know. It is patently obvious that ethnic analysts do not want t o know how many East European-Americans live in various communities, as there is absolutely nothing stopping them from researching such data for East Europeans. The Texas Education Agency is to be commended for having produced an interesting curriculum guide: Czecho-Slovakia: Information Minimum. This booklet (71 pages) contains important facts about Czecho-Slovakia, especially as they relate to the history and culture of the United States. With its excellent maps, drawings, alphabets, data summaries, etc., it is the type of guide needed by more groups in more states. Unfortunately, of the 24 states that responded with materials, only Texas submitted any recognizable booklet doing justice to East Europeans. The catty Polish jokes seem to have nine lives. In years gone by the same tripe was slurred against Jews, Italians, and Irish. Yet the time length of the ethnic joke being in vogue was never so long. The Polish joke has been in circulation so long now that it is possible that a student my have entered kindergarten, completed grade school and junior high school, and have been graduated from high school while hearing no ethnic jokes other than the Polish variety. The tragedy of this attitude is supported by the extremely weak collection of literature available about East European peoples in American schools. This despite the fact that there are in America today some 35,000,000 Americans of East European ancestry. A stigma of the Polish joke is that some Americans who are not Poles also are labelled as Poles for purposes of jibing, e.g., the writer's daughter who as a third grade student was continually chided by her WASP classmates as being "Polish." "No need to explain that you are a Ukrainian-Slovak-American, Marcia! You're Polish! Ha! Ha! Ha!" (Marcia learned how to counter such diatribes by asking, "How many of you know Polish?" Response: "None of us." "How does it feel to be dumber than a Pole?") This is cited as the last Polish joke. That "Russian" studies receive top billing in American �116 SLOVAKIA schools goes without saying. Soviet Life is the most popular periodical in school libraries, so from such "reliable" sources students learn how the Germans killed 10,000 Polish army officers in the Katyn Forest, as an article early in 1971 indicated. After reading the Soviet account of how the Germans killed the Polish officers, the author wrote a letter to Soviet Life asking how accusations against the Russians can be disproved. Nicholai Zhiltsov, managing editor of Soviet Life, submitted the following reply on June 1, 1971: "Please excuse the delay in answering your letter which we have forwarded to our Moscow Editorial Board for their comments." Needless to say, by late 1973 a reply has not yet arrived. Barbara Mikulski, Polish-American and member of the City Council of Baltimore, spoke clearly and honestly about many situations when she stated, "When we ask for something, we are either put off, put out, or put down." Ask for books for the library and the librarian will write off your requests as "Not in Books in Print." Ask that East European specialists be invited to participate in social studies workshops, and your letter goes unanswered. Suggest that an Ethnic Library be started, with coverage for all ethnics, and again your letter is unanswered. Apply for a position in human relations and you are told that the emphasis is on black studies. Period. A frequently used dodge by curriculum formulators is the statement that they do not desire to approach East European studies, as, if they do, then it will be necessary to analyze all other ethnic groups in the United States. In a sense this attitude translates as "East Europeans don't burn, don't riot, don't act like rowdies ... so nobody pays any attention to them." That deceit shows through current ethnic analyses is obvious enough as in legal provisions for the teaching about ethnic studies in most states, no groups are expressly excluded. When prices in America continue to skyrocket as a result of expanded trade with East European nations, a need for better understanding about East Europeans is more imperative than ever. The current campaign by Jews in America to identify the lack of liberties accorded their brethre.n in the Soviet Union could in some ways be made �SLOVAKIA 117 to appear rather miniscule if injustices perpetrated against Slovaks, Lithuanians, Ukrainians, Byelorussians, et. al., were similarly examined. Freedom still remains undebatable despite the economic strategems of government and big business. At home, one of principal educational problems may be that big business is too much in the saddle in influencing ethnic studies programs. No champions from business arose to exhort the cause of ethnics when the Schweiker ethnic studies bill was not approved for funding by tlie White House, yet industrial support was hardly lacking for both parties. Michael Novak in The Rise of the Unmeltable Ethnics speaks of the possibility of Blacks and ethnics forming a coalition for mutual gain. It cannot be assumed that because Blacks have been afforded study programs and given some economic assistance, that power groups in America are genuinely interested in their welfare. Nobody volunteered any help to the Blacks and it can be reasonably assumed that nothing will be given East Europeans unless they demand considerations. One of the greatest problems confronting East Europeans is that textbook purchasers know too little about non-Russian-oriented publications; they buy primarily from the big, conventional publishing houses. East European publishers need to wage a campaign to bring their publications to the school systems throughout the country. The fact is that numerous administrators know as much about East Europeans as a dog knows about mathematics. An example: The late Prof. Roman Smal-Stocki, when at Marquette University, used to begin his classes with an anonymous quiz, one of the questions of which was: List the Slavic nationalities or peoples in Europe. The usual answer ran like this: Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Rumania, Albania, Turkey, Austria, Russians, Bavarians, Bolsheviks, "Lower Slobovia" (Li'l Abner's contribution) and "Carpathia" (Marilyn Monroe's contribution from the movie, "The Prince and the Showgirl"). On July 11, 1954, the New York Times altered geography of Europe with the following headline: Rising Danube Flood Hits Prague. The Baltimore Sun had an interesting article (some �118 SLOVAKIA reporters are more discerning than many of our educators) on December 4, 1935, written by R. P. Harriss, "All Others." Harriss states, "The official census for Baltimore is a curious intensely interesting document, both for what it reveals and for what it leaves out. It lists some 14,000 nonexistent Russians and contains vague hints of a polygenous percentage which it does not bother to define." True enough. In an article in the Baltimore Sun on February 13, 1967, a native of Kazan, Russia, is quoted: "There are probably not more than five or six families of true Russians in Baltimore." Yet the article speaks of Russians from Galicia, Byelorussia, Carpatho-Ukraine. Seems that census officials and educators have in America done a magician's job of creating 'Russians.' How some of the mysteries regarding census data will be clarified remains a monumental task for the artful dodgers who have compiled the data thus far. Quoting again the Harriss article of 1935: "Officially there are 1,637 Hungarians in Baltimore, 1,441 Ruman.ians, and no Ukrainians, no Serbs." Harriss was candid enough to realize that by 1935 there were three Ukrainian churches, plus other institutions, in the Baltimore area and he was smart enough to see that the census data was akin to ethnic studies programs of today. Surely nobody would suspect that the Russians built the Ukrainian churches! The situation in literary studies is not much better than in the social sciences. To be sure "Russian Literature" units are taught in many schools, yet in "World Literature" courses very little is presented to develop the genius of Slovak, Czech, Ukrainian, Finnish, Polish, et. al., writers. Likewise the study of art and music suffer from non-coverage and from misconceptions. Now is the time to clear the muddied waters. East Europeans must declare themselves. They need to write more, question more, educate P.T.A. groups, civic organizations, education councils (on which they are rarely represented), etc. The "education crisis" should be recognized immediately. Forget about token appointments and honorary ethnic banquets (which cost you $100) in Washington where ethnic foods and cultural items are displayed. Begin a program called "Operation Hometown." Organize East European �SLOVAKIA 119 festivals as was done at Harpur College in Binghamton, New York. Show films. Present books and audio-visual aids to libraries. Request relevant books at your public libraries. Have cultural groups perform at YMCA's, schools, colleges, charity events, etc. It is important that school book lists be examined and that books by and about East Europeans be added. Music departments should be exhorted to sound to the tunes of rhapsodies, mazurkas, kolomajykas, polkas. Home economic departments would win adherents by presenting samplings of pirohy, halusky, makovnik, etc. Courses of study need to be expanded to include information about the great contributions of East Europeans to America, as, in the words of Michael Novak, "America is becoming America." The name of the game for East Europeans is "catch-up." Don't wait for the artful dodgers to structure your ethnic studies as you are excluded from their terminology. In the words of Dickens " ... You must get up very early in the morning, to win against the Dodger." "Morning!" said Charley Bates; "you must put your boots on over-night, and have a telescope at each eye, and a opera-glass between your shoulders, if you want to come over him." The U.S. flight crew for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project visited Russia for two weeks in November 1973 to familiarize themselves with the Soyuz spacecraft system that will link up with their Apollo in 1975. Most of their activities were conducted in the J . A. Gagarin Center of Cosmonaut Training at Zvezdny Goroduk, or Star City, near Moscow. Making the trip were the three Apollo crewmen, Brig. Gen. Thomas P. Stafford, Vance D. Brand and Donald K. Slayton; backup crewmen, Capt. Alan L. Bean, Capt. Ronald E. Evans and Maj. Jack R. Lousma; support crewmen, Lt. Col. Robert F. Overmyer and Lt. Col. Karol J. Bobko; and Capt. Eugene A. Ceman, Special Assistant to the U.S. ASTP Technical Director. Bobko and Cer:nan are Slovaks. � 112 SLOVAKIA The Artful Dodgers: Directors of Ethnic Studies Programs By Paul F e n c h a k In Dickens' novel Oliver Twist, Jack Dawkins, called the Artful Dodger, is a teacher - albeit one who taught the art of pickpocketing to innocent youngsters such as Oliver Twist. His motive: personal gain. The writer of this article is convinced that the counterparts of the Artful Dodger are today directing ethnic studies programs in the public schools of the United States. Seemingly they are no more altruistic towards needful ethnic groups in America than the Artful Dodger was toward the welfare of Oliver Twist. Formulators of ethnic studies programs dodge no small number of ethnic groups as they label "minority groups" to the Blacks, Indians, Spanish Americans, and Orientals. Frequently space is also given to Jews, Germans, Italians, and Poles. Scholars who would talk of Ukrainians, Slovaks, Croatians, Bulgarians, Lithuanians, Latvians, and Rumanians, among others, are judged to be divining in some dark, mysterious regions, presided over by pagan gods who, midst Gog and Magog, are all agog in exotic studies about areas considered to be "powder kegs" and "tinderboxes" - "balkanized" beyond comprehension to sensible people. The powerful National Education Association boasts of having a "strong program to improve the lot of minority groups, including Blacks, Indians, Spanish Americans, and other bi-lingual groups." Often Croatians, Byelorussians, Ukrainians, Slovaks, Lithuanians, Finns, et al., are more bi-lingual than some groups cited by the NEA, yet the amount of coverage given East European-Americ ans is usually nil. In 1972 the writer wrote the State Superintendents of Schools of the fifty state education departments requesting copies of curriculum guides, brochures, bulletins, etc., �SLOVAKIA 113 dealing with racial, cultural, multi-cultural, inter-cultural, disadvantaged, etc., matters of ethnics in America. For sundry reasons the responses were not rapid in arriving. To date 24 of 50 state education departments have either forwarded materials or have indicated that materials will be forthcoming. In summary of the vast amount of ethnic studies promoted by state education departments, one conclusion can easily be made: East European ethnics do not exist in the United States. Even Pennsylvania, the most Slavic of the fifty states, with fraternal, religious, and educational institutions located throughout the commonwealth in large numbers, is guilty of producing ethnic materials that are absolutely ignominous to the mass of citizens of East European ancestry living within the state. In Pennsylvania one need just travel from town to town, stopping to examine the names of those who served and those who died for the United States in both World Wars, as registered on community Honor Rolls. Seemingly then, the non-sense of excluding East Europeans would end - and even the very productive efforts of these peoples in the mines, mills, and farms, in athletics, in scholarship, and in good citizenship would then be recognized. The map of Pennsylvania already recognizes these peoples: Mazeppa, Kossuth, Pulaski, Po1and Mines, Dalmatia, Zelienople, Gallitzin, Livonia, St. Petersburg, and Slovan, among others. The bulk of the state curriculum guides, with Texas being a noteworthy exception, on ethnic and racial/cultural studies focus on the groups cited by the National Education Association: Blacks, Indians, and Spanish-Americans. Orientals and Jews are reasonably well-covered as are Italians, Irish, English, Germans, and French. It is always interesting to observe how state and local education experts use the term "minority group." One county in Maryland that contains thousands of Poles, Slovaks, Ukrainians, Czechs, et al., admits having "5,603 black students and another 706 pupils from various other minority groups." The thruth is that in most states the term "minority groups" as presented in curriculum guides excludes Americans of East European ancestry and consequently millions of Americans are being denied the �114 SLOVAKIA opportunity of studying their heritages. Likewise, they are being denied opportunity in employment quests and, worst of all, some Americans are being deprived of the opportunity of attaining optimum psychological and emotional growth. Whereas the successful guidance counselor can help students to correctly answer the important question, "Whom am I?," counselors rarely talk about, or know anything about, Slavic languages, Finno-Ugric languages, Baltic languages, etc. But it is ever so fashionable in American schools to talk about the pleasantries of French, Spanish, German, and Latin. Evidently one of the major problems in education re ethnics is that the artful dodgers are not honest enough to admit that they need re-trained in order to be able to properly assemble the American mosaic. How many Slavic-Americans live in Peoria, Illinois? Frankly, the writer doesn't know, yet he assumes that in an industrial area of ca. 150,000 some Croatians, Bulgarians, Czechs, Poles, et al., do live and work. (All cities always have Russans!) Given the resources of the Peoria educational system the writer could develop reasonably accurate projections of the ethnic composition for Peoria; the same could be done for Paducah, Kentucky, or Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Why then the mystique about the manifold ethnic groups that comprise America? It appears that our ethnic directors are hiding and confusing issues. They are run by a system that relegated East Europeans. How negatively runs the cross-examination when an East European scholar seeks to get more considerations from librarians, curriculum directors, supervisors, administrators, editors, and other educators. Sooner or later the question emerges: How many Ukrainians (Czechs, Finns, et. al.) are then in Peoria? Yet these same specialists are able to calculate that there are certain numbers of Blacks and Spanish~speaking in their areas. How strange! The writer has heard this tactic so many times that he refuses to dignify such questions, presenting instead a general response that there are many Slavs, Finno-Ugrics, Baltics, etc., in a political sub-division, if such is the case. If the specialist is persistent in wanting to know the exact number of Czechs in Peoria, the writer usually asks .the specialist to secure �SLOVAKIA 115 that data for him, using the resources of people who should know. It is patently obvious that ethnic analysts do not want t o know how many East European-Americans live in various communities, as there is absolutely nothing stopping them from researching such data for East Europeans. The Texas Education Agency is to be commended for having produced an interesting curriculum guide: Czecho-Slovakia: Information Minimum. This booklet (71 pages) contains important facts about Czecho-Slovakia, especially as they relate to the history and culture of the United States. With its excellent maps, drawings, alphabets, data summaries, etc., it is the type of guide needed by more groups in more states. Unfortunately, of the 24 states that responded with materials, only Texas submitted any recognizable booklet doing justice to East Europeans. The catty Polish jokes seem to have nine lives. In years gone by the same tripe was slurred against Jews, Italians, and Irish. Yet the time length of the ethnic joke being in vogue was never so long. The Polish joke has been in circulation so long now that it is possible that a student my have entered kindergarten, completed grade school and junior high school, and have been graduated from high school while hearing no ethnic jokes other than the Polish variety. The tragedy of this attitude is supported by the extremely weak collection of literature available about East European peoples in American schools. This despite the fact that there are in America today some 35,000,000 Americans of East European ancestry. A stigma of the Polish joke is that some Americans who are not Poles also are labelled as Poles for purposes of jibing, e.g., the writer's daughter who as a third grade student was continually chided by her WASP classmates as being "Polish." "No need to explain that you are a Ukrainian-Slovak-American, Marcia! You're Polish! Ha! Ha! Ha!" (Marcia learned how to counter such diatribes by asking, "How many of you know Polish?" Response: "None of us." "How does it feel to be dumber than a Pole?") This is cited as the last Polish joke. That "Russian" studies receive top billing in American �116 SLOVAKIA schools goes without saying. Soviet Life is the most popular periodical in school libraries, so from such "reliable" sources students learn how the Germans killed 10,000 Polish army officers in the Katyn Forest, as an article early in 1971 indicated. After reading the Soviet account of how the Germans killed the Polish officers, the author wrote a letter to Soviet Life asking how accusations against the Russians can be disproved. Nicholai Zhiltsov, managing editor of Soviet Life, submitted the following reply on June 1, 1971: "Please excuse the delay in answering your letter which we have forwarded to our Moscow Editorial Board for their comments." Needless to say, by late 1973 a reply has not yet arrived. Barbara Mikulski, Polish-American and member of the City Council of Baltimore, spoke clearly and honestly about many situations when she stated, "When we ask for something, we are either put off, put out, or put down." Ask for books for the library and the librarian will write off your requests as "Not in Books in Print." Ask that East European specialists be invited to participate in social studies workshops, and your letter goes unanswered. Suggest that an Ethnic Library be started, with coverage for all ethnics, and again your letter is unanswered. Apply for a position in human relations and you are told that the emphasis is on black studies. Period. A frequently used dodge by curriculum formulators is the statement that they do not desire to approach East European studies, as, if they do, then it will be necessary to analyze all other ethnic groups in the United States. In a sense this attitude translates as "East Europeans don't burn, don't riot, don't act like rowdies ... so nobody pays any attention to them." That deceit shows through current ethnic analyses is obvious enough as in legal provisions for the teaching about ethnic studies in most states, no groups are expressly excluded. When prices in America continue to skyrocket as a result of expanded trade with East European nations, a need for better understanding about East Europeans is more imperative than ever. The current campaign by Jews in America to identify the lack of liberties accorded their brethre.n in the Soviet Union could in some ways be made �SLOVAKIA 117 to appear rather miniscule if injustices perpetrated against Slovaks, Lithuanians, Ukrainians, Byelorussians, et. al., were similarly examined. Freedom still remains undebatable despite the economic strategems of government and big business. At home, one of principal educational problems may be that big business is too much in the saddle in influencing ethnic studies programs. No champions from business arose to exhort the cause of ethnics when the Schweiker ethnic studies bill was not approved for funding by tlie White House, yet industrial support was hardly lacking for both parties. Michael Novak in The Rise of the Unmeltable Ethnics speaks of the possibility of Blacks and ethnics forming a coalition for mutual gain. It cannot be assumed that because Blacks have been afforded study programs and given some economic assistance, that power groups in America are genuinely interested in their welfare. Nobody volunteered any help to the Blacks and it can be reasonably assumed that nothing will be given East Europeans unless they demand considerations. One of the greatest problems confronting East Europeans is that textbook purchasers know too little about non-Russian-oriented publications; they buy primarily from the big, conventional publishing houses. East European publishers need to wage a campaign to bring their publications to the school systems throughout the country. The fact is that numerous administrators know as much about East Europeans as a dog knows about mathematics. An example: The late Prof. Roman Smal-Stocki, when at Marquette University, used to begin his classes with an anonymous quiz, one of the questions of which was: List the Slavic nationalities or peoples in Europe. The usual answer ran like this: Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Rumania, Albania, Turkey, Austria, Russians, Bavarians, Bolsheviks, "Lower Slobovia" (Li'l Abner's contribution) and "Carpathia" (Marilyn Monroe's contribution from the movie, "The Prince and the Showgirl"). On July 11, 1954, the New York Times altered geography of Europe with the following headline: Rising Danube Flood Hits Prague. The Baltimore Sun had an interesting article (some �118 SLOVAKIA reporters are more discerning than many of our educators) on December 4, 1935, written by R. P. Harriss, "All Others." Harriss states, "The official census for Baltimore is a curious intensely interesting document, both for what it reveals and for what it leaves out. It lists some 14,000 nonexistent Russians and contains vague hints of a polygenous percentage which it does not bother to define." True enough. In an article in the Baltimore Sun on February 13, 1967, a native of Kazan, Russia, is quoted: "There are probably not more than five or six families of true Russians in Baltimore." Yet the article speaks of Russians from Galicia, Byelorussia, Carpatho-Ukraine. Seems that census officials and educators have in America done a magician's job of creating 'Russians.' How some of the mysteries regarding census data will be clarified remains a monumental task for the artful dodgers who have compiled the data thus far. Quoting again the Harriss article of 1935: "Officially there are 1,637 Hungarians in Baltimore, 1,441 Ruman.ians, and no Ukrainians, no Serbs." Harriss was candid enough to realize that by 1935 there were three Ukrainian churches, plus other institutions, in the Baltimore area and he was smart enough to see that the census data was akin to ethnic studies programs of today. Surely nobody would suspect that the Russians built the Ukrainian churches! The situation in literary studies is not much better than in the social sciences. To be sure "Russian Literature" units are taught in many schools, yet in "World Literature" courses very little is presented to develop the genius of Slovak, Czech, Ukrainian, Finnish, Polish, et. al., writers. Likewise the study of art and music suffer from non-coverage and from misconceptions. Now is the time to clear the muddied waters. East Europeans must declare themselves. They need to write more, question more, educate P.T.A. groups, civic organizations, education councils (on which they are rarely represented), etc. The "education crisis" should be recognized immediately. Forget about token appointments and honorary ethnic banquets (which cost you $100) in Washington where ethnic foods and cultural items are displayed. Begin a program called "Operation Hometown." Organize East European �SLOVAKIA 119 festivals as was done at Harpur College in Binghamton, New York. Show films. Present books and audio-visual aids to libraries. Request relevant books at your public libraries. Have cultural groups perform at YMCA's, schools, colleges, charity events, etc. It is important that school book lists be examined and that books by and about East Europeans be added. Music departments should be exhorted to sound to the tunes of rhapsodies, mazurkas, kolomajykas, polkas. Home economic departments would win adherents by presenting samplings of pirohy, halusky, makovnik, etc. Courses of study need to be expanded to include information about the great contributions of East Europeans to America, as, in the words of Michael Novak, "America is becoming America." The name of the game for East Europeans is "catch-up." Don't wait for the artful dodgers to structure your ethnic studies as you are excluded from their terminology. In the words of Dickens " ... You must get up very early in the morning, to win against the Dodger." "Morning!" said Charley Bates; "you must put your boots on over-night, and have a telescope at each eye, and a opera-glass between your shoulders, if you want to come over him." The U.S. flight crew for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project visited Russia for two weeks in November 1973 to familiarize themselves with the Soyuz spacecraft system that will link up with their Apollo in 1975. Most of their activities were conducted in the J . A. Gagarin Center of Cosmonaut Training at Zvezdny Goroduk, or Star City, near Moscow. Making the trip were the three Apollo crewmen, Brig. Gen. Thomas P. Stafford, Vance D. Brand and Donald K. Slayton; backup crewmen, Capt. Alan L. Bean, Capt. Ronald E. Evans and Maj. Jack R. Lousma; support crewmen, Lt. Col. Robert F. Overmyer and Lt. Col. Karol J. Bobko; and Capt. Eugene A. Ceman, Special Assistant to the U.S. ASTP Technical Director. Bobko and Cer:nan are Slovaks. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1974, Vol. 24 Description An account of the resource Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document 112 SLOVAKIA The Artful Dodgers: Directors of Ethnic Studies Programs By Paul F e n c h a k In Dickens' novel Oliver Twist, Jack Dawkins, called the Artful Dodger, is a teacher - albeit one who taught the art of pickpocketing to innocent youngsters such as Oliver Twist. His motive: personal gain. The writer of this article is convinced that the counterparts of the Artful Dodger are today directing ethnic studies programs in the public schools of the United States. Seemingly they are no more altruistic towards needful ethnic groups in America than the Artful Dodger was toward the welfare of Oliver Twist. Formulators of ethnic studies programs dodge no small number of ethnic groups as they label "minority groups" to the Blacks, Indians, Spanish Americans, and Orientals. Frequently space is also given to Jews, Germans, Italians, and Poles. Scholars who would talk of Ukrainians, Slovaks, Croatians, Bulgarians, Lithuanians, Latvians, and Rumanians, among others, are judged to be divining in some dark, mysterious regions, presided over by pagan gods who, midst Gog and Magog, are all agog in exotic studies about areas considered to be "powder kegs" and "tinderboxes" - "balkanized" beyond comprehension to sensible people. The powerful National Education Association boasts of having a "strong program to improve the lot of minority groups, including Blacks, Indians, Spanish Americans, and other bi-lingual groups." Often Croatians, Byelorussians, Ukrainians, Slovaks, Lithuanians, Finns, et al., are more bi-lingual than some groups cited by the NEA, yet the amount of coverage given East European-Americ ans is usually nil. In 1972 the writer wrote the State Superintendents of Schools of the fifty state education departments requesting copies of curriculum guides, brochures, bulletins, etc., SLOVAKIA 113 dealing with racial, cultural, multi-cultural, inter-cultural, disadvantaged, etc., matters of ethnics in America. For sundry reasons the responses were not rapid in arriving. To date 24 of 50 state education departments have either forwarded materials or have indicated that materials will be forthcoming. In summary of the vast amount of ethnic studies promoted by state education departments, one conclusion can easily be made: East European ethnics do not exist in the United States. Even Pennsylvania, the most Slavic of the fifty states, with fraternal, religious, and educational institutions located throughout the commonwealth in large numbers, is guilty of producing ethnic materials that are absolutely ignominous to the mass of citizens of East European ancestry living within the state. In Pennsylvania one need just travel from town to town, stopping to examine the names of those who served and those who died for the United States in both World Wars, as registered on community Honor Rolls. Seemingly then, the non-sense of excluding East Europeans would end - and even the very productive efforts of these peoples in the mines, mills, and farms, in athletics, in scholarship, and in good citizenship would then be recognized. The map of Pennsylvania already recognizes these peoples: Mazeppa, Kossuth, Pulaski, Po1and Mines, Dalmatia, Zelienople, Gallitzin, Livonia, St. Petersburg, and Slovan, among others. The bulk of the state curriculum guides, with Texas being a noteworthy exception, on ethnic and racial/cultural studies focus on the groups cited by the National Education Association: Blacks, Indians, and Spanish-Americans. Orientals and Jews are reasonably well-covered as are Italians, Irish, English, Germans, and French. It is always interesting to observe how state and local education experts use the term "minority group." One county in Maryland that contains thousands of Poles, Slovaks, Ukrainians, Czechs, et al., admits having "5,603 black students and another 706 pupils from various other minority groups." The thruth is that in most states the term "minority groups" as presented in curriculum guides excludes Americans of East European ancestry and consequently millions of Americans are being denied the 114 SLOVAKIA opportunity of studying their heritages. Likewise, they are being denied opportunity in employment quests and, worst of all, some Americans are being deprived of the opportunity of attaining optimum psychological and emotional growth. Whereas the successful guidance counselor can help students to correctly answer the important question, "Whom am I?," counselors rarely talk about, or know anything about, Slavic languages, Finno-Ugric languages, Baltic languages, etc. But it is ever so fashionable in American schools to talk about the pleasantries of French, Spanish, German, and Latin. Evidently one of the major problems in education re ethnics is that the artful dodgers are not honest enough to admit that they need re-trained in order to be able to properly assemble the American mosaic. How many Slavic-Americans live in Peoria, Illinois? Frankly, the writer doesn't know, yet he assumes that in an industrial area of ca. 150,000 some Croatians, Bulgarians, Czechs, Poles, et al., do live and work. (All cities always have Russans!) Given the resources of the Peoria educational system the writer could develop reasonably accurate projections of the ethnic composition for Peoria; the same could be done for Paducah, Kentucky, or Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Why then the mystique about the manifold ethnic groups that comprise America? It appears that our ethnic directors are hiding and confusing issues. They are run by a system that relegated East Europeans. How negatively runs the cross-examination when an East European scholar seeks to get more considerations from librarians, curriculum directors, supervisors, administrators, editors, and other educators. Sooner or later the question emerges: How many Ukrainians (Czechs, Finns, et. al.) are then in Peoria? Yet these same specialists are able to calculate that there are certain numbers of Blacks and Spanish~speaking in their areas. How strange! The writer has heard this tactic so many times that he refuses to dignify such questions, presenting instead a general response that there are many Slavs, Finno-Ugrics, Baltics, etc., in a political sub-division, if such is the case. If the specialist is persistent in wanting to know the exact number of Czechs in Peoria, the writer usually asks .the specialist to secure SLOVAKIA 115 that data for him, using the resources of people who should know. It is patently obvious that ethnic analysts do not want t o know how many East European-Americans live in various communities, as there is absolutely nothing stopping them from researching such data for East Europeans. The Texas Education Agency is to be commended for having produced an interesting curriculum guide: Czecho-Slovakia: Information Minimum. This booklet (71 pages) contains important facts about Czecho-Slovakia, especially as they relate to the history and culture of the United States. With its excellent maps, drawings, alphabets, data summaries, etc., it is the type of guide needed by more groups in more states. Unfortunately, of the 24 states that responded with materials, only Texas submitted any recognizable booklet doing justice to East Europeans. The catty Polish jokes seem to have nine lives. In years gone by the same tripe was slurred against Jews, Italians, and Irish. Yet the time length of the ethnic joke being in vogue was never so long. The Polish joke has been in circulation so long now that it is possible that a student my have entered kindergarten, completed grade school and junior high school, and have been graduated from high school while hearing no ethnic jokes other than the Polish variety. The tragedy of this attitude is supported by the extremely weak collection of literature available about East European peoples in American schools. This despite the fact that there are in America today some 35,000,000 Americans of East European ancestry. A stigma of the Polish joke is that some Americans who are not Poles also are labelled as Poles for purposes of jibing, e.g., the writer's daughter who as a third grade student was continually chided by her WASP classmates as being "Polish." "No need to explain that you are a Ukrainian-Slovak-American, Marcia! You're Polish! Ha! Ha! Ha!" (Marcia learned how to counter such diatribes by asking, "How many of you know Polish?" Response: "None of us." "How does it feel to be dumber than a Pole?") This is cited as the last Polish joke. That "Russian" studies receive top billing in American 116 SLOVAKIA schools goes without saying. Soviet Life is the most popular periodical in school libraries, so from such "reliable" sources students learn how the Germans killed 10,000 Polish army officers in the Katyn Forest, as an article early in 1971 indicated. After reading the Soviet account of how the Germans killed the Polish officers, the author wrote a letter to Soviet Life asking how accusations against the Russians can be disproved. Nicholai Zhiltsov, managing editor of Soviet Life, submitted the following reply on June 1, 1971: "Please excuse the delay in answering your letter which we have forwarded to our Moscow Editorial Board for their comments." Needless to say, by late 1973 a reply has not yet arrived. Barbara Mikulski, Polish-American and member of the City Council of Baltimore, spoke clearly and honestly about many situations when she stated, "When we ask for something, we are either put off, put out, or put down." Ask for books for the library and the librarian will write off your requests as "Not in Books in Print." Ask that East European specialists be invited to participate in social studies workshops, and your letter goes unanswered. Suggest that an Ethnic Library be started, with coverage for all ethnics, and again your letter is unanswered. Apply for a position in human relations and you are told that the emphasis is on black studies. Period. A frequently used dodge by curriculum formulators is the statement that they do not desire to approach East European studies, as, if they do, then it will be necessary to analyze all other ethnic groups in the United States. In a sense this attitude translates as "East Europeans don't burn, don't riot, don't act like rowdies ... so nobody pays any attention to them." That deceit shows through current ethnic analyses is obvious enough as in legal provisions for the teaching about ethnic studies in most states, no groups are expressly excluded. When prices in America continue to skyrocket as a result of expanded trade with East European nations, a need for better understanding about East Europeans is more imperative than ever. The current campaign by Jews in America to identify the lack of liberties accorded their brethre.n in the Soviet Union could in some ways be made SLOVAKIA 117 to appear rather miniscule if injustices perpetrated against Slovaks, Lithuanians, Ukrainians, Byelorussians, et. al., were similarly examined. Freedom still remains undebatable despite the economic strategems of government and big business. At home, one of principal educational problems may be that big business is too much in the saddle in influencing ethnic studies programs. No champions from business arose to exhort the cause of ethnics when the Schweiker ethnic studies bill was not approved for funding by tlie White House, yet industrial support was hardly lacking for both parties. Michael Novak in The Rise of the Unmeltable Ethnics speaks of the possibility of Blacks and ethnics forming a coalition for mutual gain. It cannot be assumed that because Blacks have been afforded study programs and given some economic assistance, that power groups in America are genuinely interested in their welfare. Nobody volunteered any help to the Blacks and it can be reasonably assumed that nothing will be given East Europeans unless they demand considerations. One of the greatest problems confronting East Europeans is that textbook purchasers know too little about non-Russian-oriented publications; they buy primarily from the big, conventional publishing houses. East European publishers need to wage a campaign to bring their publications to the school systems throughout the country. The fact is that numerous administrators know as much about East Europeans as a dog knows about mathematics. An example: The late Prof. Roman Smal-Stocki, when at Marquette University, used to begin his classes with an anonymous quiz, one of the questions of which was: List the Slavic nationalities or peoples in Europe. The usual answer ran like this: Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Rumania, Albania, Turkey, Austria, Russians, Bavarians, Bolsheviks, "Lower Slobovia" (Li'l Abner's contribution) and "Carpathia" (Marilyn Monroe's contribution from the movie, "The Prince and the Showgirl"). On July 11, 1954, the New York Times altered geography of Europe with the following headline: Rising Danube Flood Hits Prague. The Baltimore Sun had an interesting article (some 118 SLOVAKIA reporters are more discerning than many of our educators) on December 4, 1935, written by R. P. Harriss, "All Others." Harriss states, "The official census for Baltimore is a curious intensely interesting document, both for what it reveals and for what it leaves out. It lists some 14,000 nonexistent Russians and contains vague hints of a polygenous percentage which it does not bother to define." True enough. In an article in the Baltimore Sun on February 13, 1967, a native of Kazan, Russia, is quoted: "There are probably not more than five or six families of true Russians in Baltimore." Yet the article speaks of Russians from Galicia, Byelorussia, Carpatho-Ukraine. Seems that census officials and educators have in America done a magician's job of creating 'Russians.' How some of the mysteries regarding census data will be clarified remains a monumental task for the artful dodgers who have compiled the data thus far. Quoting again the Harriss article of 1935: "Officially there are 1,637 Hungarians in Baltimore, 1,441 Ruman.ians, and no Ukrainians, no Serbs." Harriss was candid enough to realize that by 1935 there were three Ukrainian churches, plus other institutions, in the Baltimore area and he was smart enough to see that the census data was akin to ethnic studies programs of today. Surely nobody would suspect that the Russians built the Ukrainian churches! The situation in literary studies is not much better than in the social sciences. To be sure "Russian Literature" units are taught in many schools, yet in "World Literature" courses very little is presented to develop the genius of Slovak, Czech, Ukrainian, Finnish, Polish, et. al., writers. Likewise the study of art and music suffer from non-coverage and from misconceptions. Now is the time to clear the muddied waters. East Europeans must declare themselves. They need to write more, question more, educate P.T.A. groups, civic organizations, education councils (on which they are rarely represented), etc. The "education crisis" should be recognized immediately. Forget about token appointments and honorary ethnic banquets (which cost you $100) in Washington where ethnic foods and cultural items are displayed. Begin a program called "Operation Hometown." Organize East European SLOVAKIA 119 festivals as was done at Harpur College in Binghamton, New York. Show films. Present books and audio-visual aids to libraries. Request relevant books at your public libraries. Have cultural groups perform at YMCA's, schools, colleges, charity events, etc. It is important that school book lists be examined and that books by and about East Europeans be added. Music departments should be exhorted to sound to the tunes of rhapsodies, mazurkas, kolomajykas, polkas. Home economic departments would win adherents by presenting samplings of pirohy, halusky, makovnik, etc. Courses of study need to be expanded to include information about the great contributions of East Europeans to America, as, in the words of Michael Novak, "America is becoming America." The name of the game for East Europeans is "catch-up." Don't wait for the artful dodgers to structure your ethnic studies as you are excluded from their terminology. In the words of Dickens " ... You must get up very early in the morning, to win against the Dodger." "Morning!" said Charley Bates; "you must put your boots on over-night, and have a telescope at each eye, and a opera-glass between your shoulders, if you want to come over him." The U.S. flight crew for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project visited Russia for two weeks in November 1973 to familiarize themselves with the Soyuz spacecraft system that will link up with their Apollo in 1975. Most of their activities were conducted in the J . A. Gagarin Center of Cosmonaut Training at Zvezdny Goroduk, or Star City, near Moscow. Making the trip were the three Apollo crewmen, Brig. Gen. Thomas P. Stafford, Vance D. Brand and Donald K. Slayton; backup crewmen, Capt. Alan L. Bean, Capt. Ronald E. Evans and Maj. Jack R. Lousma; support crewmen, Lt. Col. Robert F. Overmyer and Lt. Col. Karol J. Bobko; and Capt. Eugene A. Ceman, Special Assistant to the U.S. ASTP Technical Director. Bobko and Cer:nan are Slovaks.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Artful Dodgers: Directors of Ethnic Studies Programs Description An account of the resource Paul Fenchak Slovakia, Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974 pp. 112-119 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Fenchak, Paul Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 LCNAF https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/1df83948b28be53f41f1a49d27467cd0.pdf 64cadc0dbdfe4aaeb00fb33597bbf71f PDF Text Text 96 SLOVAKIA One Species, Many Cultures Michael N ov ak Bounded by the slow Danube River on the south and by the rugged Carpathian Mountains on the north, the ancestral land of the Slovak people lies at the axis of Westem lcivilization. For centuries, the vast armies of Attila, Genghis Khan, the Turks, the Germans and the Russians have risen like a tide toward Europe and in due course have been broken in or near the mountains of Slovakia. In the ninth century, Saints Cyril and Methodius established there the Byzantine influence of the Cyrillic alphabet and the Old Slavonic liturgy; but ambitious German rulers later imposed the Latin language, in order to draw Slovakia back toward the West. The rivers of Slovakia run southward and the cultivation of grapes makes Slovakia a wine-drinking nation; the sensibility pf the Slovaks is partly Mediterranean and partly Nordic. For two thousand years, the Slovak people, often to their woe, have abhorred large governmental units and preferred local rule. For a thousand years they have endured almost unbroken political oppression. Just before the Johnstown flood of 1889, one of my grandfathers came from Slovakia to the United States; within a few years, all three of my other grandparents had done the same. During the thirty-nine years from 1875 to 1914, nearly a third of the population of Slovakia emigrated. They left from sheer hunger, to escape military conscription in the h~ted Hungarian army, to find some was to break the political oppression of Hungarian "magyarization," "" and to 'fulfill the ancient Slovak legends and myths of freedom. The Slovaks, like many other Slavs, tend to be suspicious of governments, activism and politicians. "Every official has a tail, to sweep in goods," runs a Slovak proverb. Better to concentrate on home, family and work. No other Slavic people is so inventive in song; over fifteen thousand folk songs Qf the Slovaks have been catalogued, and a Slavic saying goes: "See. a Slovak, hear a song." Nearly all the arts of the Slovaks focus on the home. �SLOVAKIA 97 The great Slovak names Svatopluk, Janosik, Benovsky and Stefanik mean little to most Americans. But this is only to say that an ordinary American education is remarkably ethnocentric. About one-third of our population is of Anglo-Saxon ancestry. Yet so far is our nation from fulfilling its own pluralistic destiny that our education is almost entirely Anglo-American. (Indeed, not even all social classes, religious traditions, or regions of Anglo-Americans are equally represented in our educational cultures-"rednecks," evangelicals, Appalachians, for example.) Perhaps the dominance of Anglo-Saxon ethnocentrism in the past necessitates its continued dominance; it has shaped our history. Every American should learn about and, to some extent, assimilate English political history and literature. But is a virtually total concentration on the upper-class culture based in the northeastern section of the nation a sufficient intellectual guide to actual American life, or to the character of the other cultures on this planet? Not long ago, "the humanities" meant, not humanity, but "Western civilization." More than that, it meant "Western civilization as seen through English, Protestant, upperclass eyes." Not many of the graduates of Harvard, Princeton and Yale now in their fifties learned very much in their college days about the other cultures of the world - about Buddhism, or Slavic history, or Jewish family life, or Chinese civilization, or Latin America, or the history of slavery. What they were instructed in as "liberal arts" was not quite fully liberating; what passed before their eyes as "the humanities" was, rather astonishingly, a mirror image of their own ethnicity. The phrase "our common culture" has in recent years been used with more glibness than hard reflection. A culture is not put on like a suit of clothes. One can mimic a culture, absorb it, even use it as a vehicle of one's own self-expression. If, however, the culture does not flow out of one's own tutored instincts and aspirations, it is not yet one's own and does not yet exhaust one's own intelligence, perceptions or dreams. So for many millions of immigrants and their descendants-for a majority of Americans-what is currently available as "mainstream culture" does not spring from the heart. Hundreds of thousands of freshmen tapping their feet in classrooms in Providence, Buffalo, �98 SLOVAKIA Pittsburgh, Detroit, Miami, Houston and Los Angeles do not hear, in the voice of their professors, their own voices - and this is not only because of television, or a generation gap, or the collapsing of "the great tradition." The great tradition itself has been in America too narrowly, too ethnocentrically, perceived. I concur, there is a great tradition. There is a "common" Western culture, distinct from other cultures. But ever since Kant, scholars have sought this tradition in a premature and inaccurately projected "universality." They have tried to emphasize what is common in all men, what is universal, those qualities in which we all share and are alike, those characteristics that do not divide, but rather unite us. A laudable but grievously mistaken impulse. A profound irony is involved in our common identity as members of the human species. The species to which we belong in a historical species; it possesses consciousness, and this consciousness is at once symbolic and concrete. That is, our species lives not only within the physical atmosphere surrounding this blue green planet but also within a variety of concrete, historical cultures. We are the species that lives within cultures - within spheres of meaning, sensibility, selective perception and patterned action. What we have in common is that we are diverse. Our diversity is proof that we are human. We are not so many ants crawling on a soundless orb, nor so many apes obeying laws of natural selection. We generate distinctive cultures. Within cultures, we develop endlessly complex, distinctive individuals. We live within symbolic worlds all our own, both as individuals and as cultures. In the twentieth century (which is itself, a friend reminds me, a somewhat "culture-bound" concept), the relativity of each of our identities is borne in upon us because we inescapably encounter so many who differ from us. In this relativity we meet a second and novel kind of common identity. What we have in common are our finitude and interdependence. Our diversity does not mean we are intrinsically divided from each other, only that we are intrinsically different from each other. Our future unity lies not in "overcoming our differences" but in seeing how they are analogous: in learning to see that my struggle to become a moral human being is rather like (not the same �SLOVAKIA 99 as, only analogous to) your struggle to become a moral human being. In a word, the way to become moral is not to become universal, but to become concrete. I need not become the same as you. But my struggle to realize my own moral identity - solely my own, concrete, unique - has many parallels to your struggle to realize your own identity. We face, for example, many similar obstacles: social inequities, ill fortune, self-deception, aging, death. How you face these obstacles in your life illuminates possibilities by which I may, allowing for our differences, conduct my life as well. A nun may define her life around her chastity, as a chosen symbol of God's transcendent love; whereas I, a sensual man, may see in her struggles to protect virginity (of spirit and of flesh) illumination for the perplexities surrounding the central value by which I define my life. The world's literature opens up for me a world of analogy, where flashes of illumination ricochet in unpredictable patterns off a thousand mirrors. The critic of literature who reads Nietzsche after having learned Goethe may catch different reflections from one who reads him after studying Russell, Hare and Austin. What "the great tradition" concerns is wisdom, the voyages individuals take toward moral maturity and moral growth, and the analogous "stages on the way," the analogous "moves," the analogous "dilemmas," "ironies" and "tragedies" they encounter. These words, of course, are already heavy with cultural specificity; they conjure up Aeschylus, Kierkegaard, Hesse and a hundred German scholars. Still, every human life is a structuring of time; each begins with birth, each ends. "Voyage," therefore, is a universal motif. It is the kind of motif that allows for infinite variation, for concrete diversity, for cultural and personal uniqueness. Cultures structure time quite differently. Cultures imagine the model of human fulfillment differently. Yet in every culture individuals voyage from birth to death, and from moral beginnings to moral development. Many of our present perplexities arise from two confusions: one is a misperception of class, the other a misperception of culture. Some young blacks from Hough may not be literate, but that does not mean that the basic human voyage is closed to them. Both the Autobiography �100 SLOVAKIA of Malcolm X and Sou l on Ice are classically Greek and Christian in the metanoia they narrate, and in the structure of decision and liberation they exhibit. (Note even their chapter headings.) It is a mistake to hold that the fundamental moral struggle is restricted to upper-class AngloSaxons - or to the "oppressed." Whatever one's social class, the struggle against self-deception (never decisively won), the struggle for clear vision, and the struggle to respect concrete human persons different from oneself is always present. Bourgeois morality, the morality of appearances and proprieties, must be distinguished from fundamental human morality. "The habit doth not make the monk." One may be an attorney general of the United States without becoming a moral hero to whom others look for illumination on how to become a moral man. It is not easy to be moral simply because one is wellborn, nor simply because one is born in a slum. The voyage toward moral development in either case is analogous to the others - essentially different, yet sufficiently parallel to cast mutual illumination. No human life is so different from all others that it cannot shed morally profitable light; thus the fascination of stories even about moral monsters. When a culture is highly articulated, a "cultivated" person is skilled both in discerning movements of the soul and in giving names to them. He will have a full range of references and allusions with which to speak of what he feels. It is not enough, for example, to be "an atheist." Like Sartre? Or like Merleau-Ponty? Or like Malraux? Or like Camus? Like John Dewey? Or like Corliss Lamont? Or like some churchgoer going through empty motions? The state of soul is remarkably various in every case. Nevertheless, a lack of words does not necessarily indicate an incapacity of soul. It is true (it certainly seems true) that many persons are indeed shallow of soul and contemptuous of introspection. It does not necessarily follow that an abundance of words indicates greatness of soul, or poverty of words powerty of spirit. There are some professors, disdainful of the "cultural deprivation" of those they are obliged to instruct, who are sterile of soul; and in some of their students there are depths untongued. Among some of the Indian chiefs of American history, �SLOVAKIA 101 for example, there is an eloquence, dignity and precision of speech worthy of the ancient Greeks. Or, to state the matter differently, some of the heroes of Homer utter sentiments worthy of the Indian nations. Want of reading does not disbar human beings from profound moral insight or from classical eloquence. One does not have to read Greek to encounter ancient wisdom. (The American Indians produced no Aristotle; neither has New York.) On the other hand, a university education in the humanities today is not aimed at profound moral insight or classical eloquence. They are lucky indeed whose insight and eloquence are not destroyed by a university education today. For the culture of the universities today is not the culture of "the great tradition," not the culture of Western civilization, not even the culture of upper-class Anglo-Americans. In some few persons, it may be these things. In most administrators, professors, teaching assistants and students a university education exhibits a different culture altogether. Let me call it "the culture of the professionals" and attempt to draw attention to its pervasiveness. Not long ago, a major corporation took an ad in the Wall Street Journal to honor one of its employees. Above his picture was a single word, "Professionalism ... " and below it a definition: "More than education ... More than experience . . . More than training ... it's a state of mind." Who today are proud to call themselves professionals? Football players, stockbrockers, doctors, lawyers, journal• ists, gangsters and professors of literature, philosophy and other fields. "Professionalism. " "State of Mind." These are terms of considerable power. Implied are choices, special• izations, narrowings down for purposes of efficiency and effect. Implied, indeed, is the disciplining of an entire life, a concentration upon a limited field of expertise. "A state of mind." "A way of life." A major, driving, powerful culture in our midst is the culture of professionals. Football is its major public liturgy, its dramatic expression, its mirror-image festival. In the daily world of politics, the word "professional" is used in fascinating ways. Of some lifelong politicians, an informed opinion of their performance is "hack" or "fake." By contrast, the most sober and comforting praise �102 SLOVAKIA for a public figure or for this or that person on his staff is, "He's a real pro." An intermediate word of praise, spoken with a faintly baffled sort of affection, is the phrase, "an old pro." The meaning is that the person in question - Senator Sam Ervin, let us say - lacks some of the technical sophistication and scientific art of modern professionalism, but is, so to speak, an artist of an older style, in a different sort of way, and by God, admirable nevertheless. He "knows his way around," "knows what he's doing," and so one "shouldn't be fooled" by his apparent naivete or folksy style. There are some jobs, among some constituencies, that maybe "the old pro" tackles with a surer grasp that "the real pro." It's a very good feeling to be called by one's peers "a pro." Certification (college degrees, a tough job assignment) confers the objective status. But not all who have the certification are truly considered by their peers to be "the real pros." Such hints suggest that an accurate discussion of culture must move on several levels. The first meaning of culture applies to the "state of mind," or the "way of life," of our professional classes. This is the class that manages our institutions of certification the schools, the universities, the media and the new institutes of research, development and consultantship. This same class also manages many of our traditional institutions - business corporations, government, foundations, churches and national organizations. By no means a majority of Americans experiences the culture of professionalizatio n. But most of the high-salaried and/or organizing, articulating, managing and "influential" people do. "Above" the level of the professional culture lies the "high culture" of family tradition, and/or money, and/ or dedication to the classical, recognized arts. Nurture in a certain kind of family tradition - children of Cabots or Lodges, or of concert violinists or professors of the clasics - sometimes provides the requisite sensibility. Money that can buy a new generation the education denied its parents may provide it. (There are many "middle-brow" participants in high culture who enjoy its fruits without being creators.) Finally, sheer talent and desire, an "innate" capacity for the flowering of one's spirit, and the good �SLOVAKIA 103 fortune of schooling of some sort may provide it. Thus, not a few of our ablest artists and scholars today, like Abraham Lincoln and William Shakespeare, although not "wellborn," have advanced the reaches of the human spirit. It is true that the "high culture," once it has been achieved, is in some respects more accessible to the wealthy than to the poor. The wealthy can travel. They have leisure. They are provided with instruction. They finance artists and scholars. They buy the materials, the time spent and the fruits of artistic endeavor; they are the patrons of art and learning. Yet by their nature the achievements of high culture speak to - and belong to - the human spirit, not to wealth. Instrumentally both a society and individuals require sufficient wealth to gain that freedom from necessity without which there are no liberal arts. Such wealth can be very modest. Even in the caves, humans began to draw, and already by the fireside the spirit of Lincoln was being forged. High culture, nonetheless, requires a culture in which leisure is available; it requires wealth. This instrumental tie between wealth and high culture occasions a certain embarrassment in a ruthlessly egalitarian society. Common speech, we recall, distinguishes several kinds of professional performance. The main force of the word "professional" points toward a specialized commitment: one professes one line of work rather than another. A "hack" is a fellow who has not really mastered all the skills he needs, or else does not really commit the whole of himself to the skills does possess. A "slick professional," or "operator," or apparatchik is a fellow who has the skills but no larger commitment to the whole reality of the world within which he operates, he is "a gun for hire." We respect his skills, but not the spirit of their use. When we say "real pro," however, we mean that the person has not been distorted by his specialized techniques. We mean that his intelligence and instincts reach out for all the complex, ambiguous, even mysterious elements of the social realities within which he operates. We mean that, both regarding himself and regarding the world of his activities, he maintains a certain realism. He is "in touch." His professionalism is an instrument of his commitment to reality, not a defense against that reality. He is neither an operator, nor a hack, nor a mere specialist. �104 SLOVAKIA Hacks are easy to understand but what is the culture of the operator? We are afflicted with operators in America. As testimony to their "cultivation," they may take homemovies, or become amateur photographers, or be buffs of considerable artistic skill in one field or another. They may attend concerts or go to all the arty flicks. They may be articulate and even, in some sense, well and broadly educated. Yet there is a sense in which, used in this context, the word "culture" gives off a tinny ring. No doubt anthropologists should study their "culture," too; in a perfectly neutral scene, they represent a "state of mind," a "way of life," as surely as do primitive tribes in New Guinea. But in some way they are rootless, rudderless, without depth. They have made themselves rather into instruments than into ends. The phrase "new barbarians" points to their shallowness. It suggests that smooth, civil persons, persons of considerable education and articulateness, are somehow empty and lacking. Empty of what? Lacking what? No tradition, it seems, lives in them; no long-range, virtually unchangeable, perennial values guide them; their moral universe is without a center; no passionate inwardness directs them. They are, in a sense, larger than David Riesman intended, "other-directed." Success, power, expertise - their guides are extrinsic, changeable, consulted for the short term. The social realities of our "temporary society" do not discourage the flexibility such men exemplify. The state, as Plato says, is man writ large; so men are often their society writ small. Operators, then, are quintessentially American; their role has been mythically established in Huck Finn and in Melville's The Confidence Man. They are outsiders, from the city (or the university), traveling salesmen, "experts." But what about the local cultures, those millions who admire and understand "the old pros" but dislike operators? When Senator Sam Ervin quotes the Bible and Shakespeare, he makes reverberate a network of trustworthy and illuminating traditions. He plays on symbolic strings that have shaped the consciousness of perhaps eightly million Americans. Many, indeed, find the language of a "country lawyer" a good deal more persuasive than the language of the new professionals. Many, indeed, can scarcely discriminate among the several languages of the new professionals. To �SLOVAKIA 105 them, they are all the same: the smooth articulateness of John Dean and Gary Hart, of David Brinkley and Professor Galbraith, of Doctor Kildare and Doctor Spock, of Jeb Stuart Magruder and William Coffin. Often today ideology does not divide people (liberal versus conservative) so much as cultural style does. The old pros remain connected to the symbolic worlds of this nation's many diverse cultures; the operators leave and "do not go home again." Region, ethnicity, religion, race and other cultural factors shape symbolic consciousness in different ways. The Irish of Boston are not exactly like those of Minnesota or Texas; contrasts among John Kennedy, Eugene McCarthy, Joseph McCarthy, Richard Daley and John Connally suggest several of the most significant Irish traditions in the nation. Both George McGovern and George Wallace spring from fundamentalist Scotch-Irish traditions, but in regions whose history has been profoundly different. The symbolic worlds within which they speak set off intense but opposite vibrations. Of the French-Canadians of New Hampshire and Maine; the Appalachians of West Virginia and Kentucky, the poor whites of Alabama and the Florida Panhandle; the AngloAmericans of Wyoming and Idaho; the Oregonians; the Mormons of Utah; the Slavic farmers of Illinois and Nebraska, contrasted with the Slavic miners and millworkers of Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan; the Italians contrasted with the upper-class and the lower-class Jews of New York City; the Anglo-American Protestants who supported George Wallace in the 1968 Indiana primary in proportions far heavier than did German-American Protestants of similar economic class - of such diverse and crisscross variety is this nation composed. Among blacks, there are differences depending on origins in Africa: on the generations of colonial experience whether in the West Indies, or rural Mississippi, or the cities of the South; and on length of time in the urban North. The Spanish-speaking population of Miami, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Antonio and Albuquerque are significantly different. The experiences of Oriental Americans - including, without benefit of "Protestant ethic," their astonishing capacity for work and for success - are better admitted into consciousness if one approaches �106 SLOVAKIA American pluralism from Hawaii and California, than from Boston and New York. The variety of cultural worlds in the United States is a powerful, subterranean influence in our national life. It remains subterranean because it is often repressed, as thought it were something "dirty," disfunctional, and doomed to disappear. In its place, a "national" ideology has been created, divided into three parts. First, there is the ideology of "the American way of life," popular, patriotic, capitalistic, chauvinistic. Second, there is the ideology of the mobile, educated, "committed," professional classes what one writer has called "the ideocracy." Third, there is the ideology of the neutral, meritocratic, incommitted, objective professional classes, neither conservative nor liberal, but comfortably in charge. All three of these ideologies, for their own various purposes, try to eliminate cultural diversity. Each carries with it its own ethnic and regional biases. Some, for example, make provision for black, Hispanic and Indian diversity - and, pressed a little, perhaps, they might expand the list. But the terms of their analyses do not give cultural diversity the prominence reality demands. It is true, we have seen, that there is a "common culture" in the West, a set of achievements that represents the most profound insights, wrested from suffering, that Western peoples for some five millennia have attained. But it is not true that even highly educated people in any part of the West are well versed in all the subtraditions of this "common culture." A young Italian from New Jersey who attends the University of Notre Dame will have as part of the furniture of his mind and sensibility materials that the young Jew from Brooklyn who attends City College of New York will not share, and vice versa. When I compare, for example, my years of reading in St. Augustine, St. Bernard, Thomas Aquinas, Cardinal Newman and others, my virtual neglect of Marx, and my dislike of Enlightenment writers like Kant and Mill, with the reading patterns exhibited by, say, Irving Howe, it is vividly clear to me that American intellectual life is profoundly diverse. So it is also with Protestant colleagues of mine in philosophy and religious studies who respond in significantly different ways to materials we jointly consider. Other colleagues have �SLOVAKIA 107 interests and training in the sciences or social sciences; their symbolic world is, again, quite different from mine. "Where did you grow up? Where did you go to school? What is your religious and ethnic background? What do these mean to you?" These are important questions, not for purpose of stereotyping, but for intelligent and sensitive perception. In order to come to learn and to appreciate the cultural background within which the words of others gain their full and familiar meaning, we must be able to answer such questions. What we have most to gain from each other is generated by our mutual differences. The different horizon, standpoint and way of perceiving we each bring to our common world are instruments of spiritual wealth. Consider the following propositions: 1. There is a common Western culture of high intellectual and humanizing potency, instructing all who journey into it in inexhaustible wisdom, insight and spiritual depth. 2. This common culture is composed of many related but divergent traditions, and no one can master all of them. 3. Beyond the boundaries of Western culture, there are also other "common cultures" of great complexity and diversity. In some of these non-Western riches, westerners are also beginning to share in ways both superficial and serious. 4. In higher education and in museums and other instrumentalities of culture in the United States, Protestant traditions within the common culture have been favored over Catholic and Jewish traditions. English literature and philosophy have been favored over Continental literatures and philosophies. Post-Enlightenment materials have virtually driven pre-Enlightenment materials from the field. Agnostic or atheistic materials are favored over religious materials. A rather positivistic ideology of the modern, the progressive and the "factual" has dominated our dictionaries and encyclopedias, as well as our schools, our journalism and our business world. (Dictionaries do not list under "rose" one of its most important cultural meanings: that it is the flower of love, fate and war.) 5. Education is commonly regarded, not as a device for strengthening and benefiting by local, regional, ethnic and religious differences but for "overcoming" them, �108 SLOVAKIA for replacing them with a more or less universal culture. The underlying model for this "universal" ideological outlook is not perfectly neutral as regards those who enter into it. Even if they are of equal talent, some will find cultural models, heroes, texts and materials related to their own cultural background, and others will not. 6. The preferred and most prestigious model for the "high culture" in the United States coincides with the background of our most wealthy and powerful citizens. This model illustrates the history of some, at least, of our major institutions, and partially grounds the dominant language of the land. Hence even though it is biased, it cannot be ignored. Let us attend, first, to proposition 6. Andover, Groton, Milton, Choate and the other prestigious private schools nurture a good part of one major wing of the nation's financial and governmental elites. Yet with every year that passes, in order to understand American reality, students have to go further beyond the limits of Anglo-American traditions. How can one understand Mailer, Malamud, Trilling, Chomsky or Howe without understanding the Jewish traditions of Eastern Europe and America? How can one understand Kennedy, McCarthy or Daley without learning about the Irish experience in America? Will anyone comprehend Detroit without learning about black history in America and Polish history in America - two out of every three citizens of that city being either black or Polish, while virtually all the wealth and power of the city's elites remain Anglo-American and Jewish? Power in America is essentially Anglo-American, hence it is a condition of survival (and of eventual justice) that all the others penetrate the intricacies of the Anglo-American mind. The Yankee pride in "candor," fo example, has generated unique deceptions, especially self-deceptions, whose routes must be painfully traced and plainly marked Yankee appeals to "morality" and leadership" and "integrity" require most careful scrutiny; these are the banners of the most powerful elites. Thus those whose heritage is not Anglo-American, have every right (and duty) both to assimilate all that is good in Anglo-American culture, and to be clear-eyed about what assimilation entails. Two years ago, Irving Howe quoted in these pages �SLOVAKIA 109 the argument of Louis Kampf that "initiating the 'underpriviledged' to the cultural treasures of the West could be a form of oppression - a weapon in the hands of those who rule . .. High culture itself ... tends to reinforce the given alignments of powers within the society." Against Kampf, Howe is able to quote Trotsky: "Mastery of the art of the past is ... a necessary precondition not only for the creation of new art but also for the building of a new society . . . If we were groundlessly to repudiate the art of the past, we should at once become poorer spiritually." Cultural backwardness is not required for political advance. And yet, what is meant by "backwardness"? In order to be fully moral man must one be a professor, or at minimum a college graduate? Is it necessary to have read many books? "Man is not saved by dialectics," a Christian aphorism insists. The simple, too, have their own precious wisdom and the learned their patent foolishness. It is not necessary to romanticize either side in order to recognize that there are analogies between the life stories of the uneducated and those of the college trained. A democracy needs an early discernment system, to spot young persons of talent in every social condition. But it also needs a way to encourage young persons of talent to remain (if they so wish) in living contact with their own roots. They should encouraged not to be parochial, and yet to be rooted. Neither our egalitarians nor our meritocrats, it seems, have a sufficiently cultural perspective; both proceed somewhat atomically, somewhat mechanically. According to egalitarian sentimentality, any student admitted to college through "open admissions" has within him the makings of a student. According to meritocratic arrogance, each student should be judged according to his own performance. The egalitarian forgets that a university is an institution not all citizens are graced with the talent to appreciate; perhaps not one person in ten ought to be admitted to a genuine university. The meritocrat forgets that persons are not individuals merely but also creatures of culture, and that the institutions of high culture in the United States are inequitably and inhumanely ethnocentric. When as a young Slovak-American I read ( with eagerness and delight) "English literature," I learned as well �110 SLOVAKIA a latent message: "These are the kinds of people literature is about; not about families like yours, feeling like yours, dilemmas like yours." Literature was not (except by analogy) about myself; it was about those fascinating, foreign "others." In our part of town, when I was very young, we called them "the Americans." (With less than accurate perception, we included the Irish among "the Americans." We seldom dealt directly with Anglo-Americans.) The heart of the matter comes down to this. There are three main locations of culture. The actual ways of life of ordinary people, in their diverse, loose and permeable communities are one location. The humanities are, in this sense, not primarily what is written down in books, or celebrated in works of art, but what is lived. Those relatively few artists, scholars and critical persons in whom a genuinely high culture is alive are a second location. The swarming army of professionals, highly educated but not necessarily in tune with the high traditions of the past, are a third location. Among these new professionals are many who call themselves humanists . Each of these groups is to be taken seriously. Each enhances our own identity. We need, in America, a public and popular humanities - a pluralism of stories, myths, accurate histories, detailed studies that touch our various peopl8 in all their variety. As a boy, I wish I had learned of the exploits of Janosik as well as of Robin Hood, and had been taught in public and parochial school of the democratic traditions of the early Slovak tribes. I wish I had learned that, after the origins of feudalism, my ancestors endured a thousand-year struggle against oppression that is not yet complete. I wish I had learned officially and fully of the bitter deaths of so many of my countrymen in the mills and mines and strikes of Pennsylvania. (The murder of the Jablonski.s of the United Mine Workers is a recent episode in a hundredyear war.) My sense of injustice and untruth in America would have come earlier than it did. I would have learned earlier both a tragic sense of life and fierce desire to remedy injustice. I would have had a way to discern what made me culturally different, and what my peculiar contribution might have been. I would have had personal parallels by which to judge more accurately what America had done to the Indians, blacks and others in Amei:ica. (What was �SLOVAKIA 111 I doing, cheering for Custer in They Died with Their Boots On?) We also need, of course, a high culture. We need continuity with the visions and sources of judgment upon us that derive from the great spiritual achievements of our past. In many American towns, counties and cities, one family or a small number of families controls the politics, economics and media of communication. Against their vulgar power, the arts and critical skills of the high culture are as powerful a threat as human beings have. Indeed even our highest national elites, our best and our brightest, suffer embarrassment compared to the best our race has seen before. I recognize that our elites sometimes use "taste" and "culture" as weapon of intimidation, which only proves their own vulgarity. The proof that a person has attained a genuine high culture in his unselfconscious respect for the moral analogies between his life and those of others. Portrayed in myth and narrative as the nobleman at home with peasants, the saint with sinners, the learned doctor with children and the ignorant, the political leader sharing his people's crusts of bread, this is the excellence by which our culture measures us. It is not exactly an egalitarian standard, for differences of station and talent are not blurred, but it is, at least, a standard of fraternity, and of the human spirit's radical equality in the eyes of God. Finally, we need the professionals. It is true that concerning the large and important issues, they are almost always wrong. But this is exactly what we should expect; it is their profession to attend scrupulously to a part of the whole; they almost necessarily distort. Yet specialization is no cause for excommunication. Professionals are our brothers, too. We need their powerful skills. One could wish that more of them would turn their skills toward many neglected problems. To mention but one: toward the history and culture of each of the diverse peoples of the United States. Toward an accurate history of our actual pluralism. '' From 1896 to 1908, 508 Slovaks were arrested and convicted for using the Slovak language in public. (Reprinted from The American Scholar, Volume 43, Number 1, Winter, 1973-74. Copyright 1973 by the United Chapters of Phi Beta Kappa. By permission of the publishers.) � 96 SLOVAKIA One Species, Many Cultures Michael N ov ak Bounded by the slow Danube River on the south and by the rugged Carpathian Mountains on the north, the ancestral land of the Slovak people lies at the axis of Westem lcivilization. For centuries, the vast armies of Attila, Genghis Khan, the Turks, the Germans and the Russians have risen like a tide toward Europe and in due course have been broken in or near the mountains of Slovakia. In the ninth century, Saints Cyril and Methodius established there the Byzantine influence of the Cyrillic alphabet and the Old Slavonic liturgy; but ambitious German rulers later imposed the Latin language, in order to draw Slovakia back toward the West. The rivers of Slovakia run southward and the cultivation of grapes makes Slovakia a wine-drinking nation; the sensibility pf the Slovaks is partly Mediterranean and partly Nordic. For two thousand years, the Slovak people, often to their woe, have abhorred large governmental units and preferred local rule. For a thousand years they have endured almost unbroken political oppression. Just before the Johnstown flood of 1889, one of my grandfathers came from Slovakia to the United States; within a few years, all three of my other grandparents had done the same. During the thirty-nine years from 1875 to 1914, nearly a third of the population of Slovakia emigrated. They left from sheer hunger, to escape military conscription in the h~ted Hungarian army, to find some was to break the political oppression of Hungarian "magyarization," "" and to 'fulfill the ancient Slovak legends and myths of freedom. The Slovaks, like many other Slavs, tend to be suspicious of governments, activism and politicians. "Every official has a tail, to sweep in goods," runs a Slovak proverb. Better to concentrate on home, family and work. No other Slavic people is so inventive in song; over fifteen thousand folk songs Qf the Slovaks have been catalogued, and a Slavic saying goes: "See. a Slovak, hear a song." Nearly all the arts of the Slovaks focus on the home. �SLOVAKIA 97 The great Slovak names Svatopluk, Janosik, Benovsky and Stefanik mean little to most Americans. But this is only to say that an ordinary American education is remarkably ethnocentric. About one-third of our population is of Anglo-Saxon ancestry. Yet so far is our nation from fulfilling its own pluralistic destiny that our education is almost entirely Anglo-American. (Indeed, not even all social classes, religious traditions, or regions of Anglo-Americans are equally represented in our educational cultures-"rednecks," evangelicals, Appalachians, for example.) Perhaps the dominance of Anglo-Saxon ethnocentrism in the past necessitates its continued dominance; it has shaped our history. Every American should learn about and, to some extent, assimilate English political history and literature. But is a virtually total concentration on the upper-class culture based in the northeastern section of the nation a sufficient intellectual guide to actual American life, or to the character of the other cultures on this planet? Not long ago, "the humanities" meant, not humanity, but "Western civilization." More than that, it meant "Western civilization as seen through English, Protestant, upperclass eyes." Not many of the graduates of Harvard, Princeton and Yale now in their fifties learned very much in their college days about the other cultures of the world - about Buddhism, or Slavic history, or Jewish family life, or Chinese civilization, or Latin America, or the history of slavery. What they were instructed in as "liberal arts" was not quite fully liberating; what passed before their eyes as "the humanities" was, rather astonishingly, a mirror image of their own ethnicity. The phrase "our common culture" has in recent years been used with more glibness than hard reflection. A culture is not put on like a suit of clothes. One can mimic a culture, absorb it, even use it as a vehicle of one's own self-expression. If, however, the culture does not flow out of one's own tutored instincts and aspirations, it is not yet one's own and does not yet exhaust one's own intelligence, perceptions or dreams. So for many millions of immigrants and their descendants-for a majority of Americans-what is currently available as "mainstream culture" does not spring from the heart. Hundreds of thousands of freshmen tapping their feet in classrooms in Providence, Buffalo, �98 SLOVAKIA Pittsburgh, Detroit, Miami, Houston and Los Angeles do not hear, in the voice of their professors, their own voices - and this is not only because of television, or a generation gap, or the collapsing of "the great tradition." The great tradition itself has been in America too narrowly, too ethnocentrically, perceived. I concur, there is a great tradition. There is a "common" Western culture, distinct from other cultures. But ever since Kant, scholars have sought this tradition in a premature and inaccurately projected "universality." They have tried to emphasize what is common in all men, what is universal, those qualities in which we all share and are alike, those characteristics that do not divide, but rather unite us. A laudable but grievously mistaken impulse. A profound irony is involved in our common identity as members of the human species. The species to which we belong in a historical species; it possesses consciousness, and this consciousness is at once symbolic and concrete. That is, our species lives not only within the physical atmosphere surrounding this blue green planet but also within a variety of concrete, historical cultures. We are the species that lives within cultures - within spheres of meaning, sensibility, selective perception and patterned action. What we have in common is that we are diverse. Our diversity is proof that we are human. We are not so many ants crawling on a soundless orb, nor so many apes obeying laws of natural selection. We generate distinctive cultures. Within cultures, we develop endlessly complex, distinctive individuals. We live within symbolic worlds all our own, both as individuals and as cultures. In the twentieth century (which is itself, a friend reminds me, a somewhat "culture-bound" concept), the relativity of each of our identities is borne in upon us because we inescapably encounter so many who differ from us. In this relativity we meet a second and novel kind of common identity. What we have in common are our finitude and interdependence. Our diversity does not mean we are intrinsically divided from each other, only that we are intrinsically different from each other. Our future unity lies not in "overcoming our differences" but in seeing how they are analogous: in learning to see that my struggle to become a moral human being is rather like (not the same �SLOVAKIA 99 as, only analogous to) your struggle to become a moral human being. In a word, the way to become moral is not to become universal, but to become concrete. I need not become the same as you. But my struggle to realize my own moral identity - solely my own, concrete, unique - has many parallels to your struggle to realize your own identity. We face, for example, many similar obstacles: social inequities, ill fortune, self-deception, aging, death. How you face these obstacles in your life illuminates possibilities by which I may, allowing for our differences, conduct my life as well. A nun may define her life around her chastity, as a chosen symbol of God's transcendent love; whereas I, a sensual man, may see in her struggles to protect virginity (of spirit and of flesh) illumination for the perplexities surrounding the central value by which I define my life. The world's literature opens up for me a world of analogy, where flashes of illumination ricochet in unpredictable patterns off a thousand mirrors. The critic of literature who reads Nietzsche after having learned Goethe may catch different reflections from one who reads him after studying Russell, Hare and Austin. What "the great tradition" concerns is wisdom, the voyages individuals take toward moral maturity and moral growth, and the analogous "stages on the way," the analogous "moves," the analogous "dilemmas," "ironies" and "tragedies" they encounter. These words, of course, are already heavy with cultural specificity; they conjure up Aeschylus, Kierkegaard, Hesse and a hundred German scholars. Still, every human life is a structuring of time; each begins with birth, each ends. "Voyage," therefore, is a universal motif. It is the kind of motif that allows for infinite variation, for concrete diversity, for cultural and personal uniqueness. Cultures structure time quite differently. Cultures imagine the model of human fulfillment differently. Yet in every culture individuals voyage from birth to death, and from moral beginnings to moral development. Many of our present perplexities arise from two confusions: one is a misperception of class, the other a misperception of culture. Some young blacks from Hough may not be literate, but that does not mean that the basic human voyage is closed to them. Both the Autobiography �100 SLOVAKIA of Malcolm X and Sou l on Ice are classically Greek and Christian in the metanoia they narrate, and in the structure of decision and liberation they exhibit. (Note even their chapter headings.) It is a mistake to hold that the fundamental moral struggle is restricted to upper-class AngloSaxons - or to the "oppressed." Whatever one's social class, the struggle against self-deception (never decisively won), the struggle for clear vision, and the struggle to respect concrete human persons different from oneself is always present. Bourgeois morality, the morality of appearances and proprieties, must be distinguished from fundamental human morality. "The habit doth not make the monk." One may be an attorney general of the United States without becoming a moral hero to whom others look for illumination on how to become a moral man. It is not easy to be moral simply because one is wellborn, nor simply because one is born in a slum. The voyage toward moral development in either case is analogous to the others - essentially different, yet sufficiently parallel to cast mutual illumination. No human life is so different from all others that it cannot shed morally profitable light; thus the fascination of stories even about moral monsters. When a culture is highly articulated, a "cultivated" person is skilled both in discerning movements of the soul and in giving names to them. He will have a full range of references and allusions with which to speak of what he feels. It is not enough, for example, to be "an atheist." Like Sartre? Or like Merleau-Ponty? Or like Malraux? Or like Camus? Like John Dewey? Or like Corliss Lamont? Or like some churchgoer going through empty motions? The state of soul is remarkably various in every case. Nevertheless, a lack of words does not necessarily indicate an incapacity of soul. It is true (it certainly seems true) that many persons are indeed shallow of soul and contemptuous of introspection. It does not necessarily follow that an abundance of words indicates greatness of soul, or poverty of words powerty of spirit. There are some professors, disdainful of the "cultural deprivation" of those they are obliged to instruct, who are sterile of soul; and in some of their students there are depths untongued. Among some of the Indian chiefs of American history, �SLOVAKIA 101 for example, there is an eloquence, dignity and precision of speech worthy of the ancient Greeks. Or, to state the matter differently, some of the heroes of Homer utter sentiments worthy of the Indian nations. Want of reading does not disbar human beings from profound moral insight or from classical eloquence. One does not have to read Greek to encounter ancient wisdom. (The American Indians produced no Aristotle; neither has New York.) On the other hand, a university education in the humanities today is not aimed at profound moral insight or classical eloquence. They are lucky indeed whose insight and eloquence are not destroyed by a university education today. For the culture of the universities today is not the culture of "the great tradition," not the culture of Western civilization, not even the culture of upper-class Anglo-Americans. In some few persons, it may be these things. In most administrators, professors, teaching assistants and students a university education exhibits a different culture altogether. Let me call it "the culture of the professionals" and attempt to draw attention to its pervasiveness. Not long ago, a major corporation took an ad in the Wall Street Journal to honor one of its employees. Above his picture was a single word, "Professionalism ... " and below it a definition: "More than education ... More than experience . . . More than training ... it's a state of mind." Who today are proud to call themselves professionals? Football players, stockbrockers, doctors, lawyers, journal• ists, gangsters and professors of literature, philosophy and other fields. "Professionalism. " "State of Mind." These are terms of considerable power. Implied are choices, special• izations, narrowings down for purposes of efficiency and effect. Implied, indeed, is the disciplining of an entire life, a concentration upon a limited field of expertise. "A state of mind." "A way of life." A major, driving, powerful culture in our midst is the culture of professionals. Football is its major public liturgy, its dramatic expression, its mirror-image festival. In the daily world of politics, the word "professional" is used in fascinating ways. Of some lifelong politicians, an informed opinion of their performance is "hack" or "fake." By contrast, the most sober and comforting praise �102 SLOVAKIA for a public figure or for this or that person on his staff is, "He's a real pro." An intermediate word of praise, spoken with a faintly baffled sort of affection, is the phrase, "an old pro." The meaning is that the person in question - Senator Sam Ervin, let us say - lacks some of the technical sophistication and scientific art of modern professionalism, but is, so to speak, an artist of an older style, in a different sort of way, and by God, admirable nevertheless. He "knows his way around," "knows what he's doing," and so one "shouldn't be fooled" by his apparent naivete or folksy style. There are some jobs, among some constituencies, that maybe "the old pro" tackles with a surer grasp that "the real pro." It's a very good feeling to be called by one's peers "a pro." Certification (college degrees, a tough job assignment) confers the objective status. But not all who have the certification are truly considered by their peers to be "the real pros." Such hints suggest that an accurate discussion of culture must move on several levels. The first meaning of culture applies to the "state of mind," or the "way of life," of our professional classes. This is the class that manages our institutions of certification the schools, the universities, the media and the new institutes of research, development and consultantship. This same class also manages many of our traditional institutions - business corporations, government, foundations, churches and national organizations. By no means a majority of Americans experiences the culture of professionalizatio n. But most of the high-salaried and/or organizing, articulating, managing and "influential" people do. "Above" the level of the professional culture lies the "high culture" of family tradition, and/or money, and/ or dedication to the classical, recognized arts. Nurture in a certain kind of family tradition - children of Cabots or Lodges, or of concert violinists or professors of the clasics - sometimes provides the requisite sensibility. Money that can buy a new generation the education denied its parents may provide it. (There are many "middle-brow" participants in high culture who enjoy its fruits without being creators.) Finally, sheer talent and desire, an "innate" capacity for the flowering of one's spirit, and the good �SLOVAKIA 103 fortune of schooling of some sort may provide it. Thus, not a few of our ablest artists and scholars today, like Abraham Lincoln and William Shakespeare, although not "wellborn," have advanced the reaches of the human spirit. It is true that the "high culture," once it has been achieved, is in some respects more accessible to the wealthy than to the poor. The wealthy can travel. They have leisure. They are provided with instruction. They finance artists and scholars. They buy the materials, the time spent and the fruits of artistic endeavor; they are the patrons of art and learning. Yet by their nature the achievements of high culture speak to - and belong to - the human spirit, not to wealth. Instrumentally both a society and individuals require sufficient wealth to gain that freedom from necessity without which there are no liberal arts. Such wealth can be very modest. Even in the caves, humans began to draw, and already by the fireside the spirit of Lincoln was being forged. High culture, nonetheless, requires a culture in which leisure is available; it requires wealth. This instrumental tie between wealth and high culture occasions a certain embarrassment in a ruthlessly egalitarian society. Common speech, we recall, distinguishes several kinds of professional performance. The main force of the word "professional" points toward a specialized commitment: one professes one line of work rather than another. A "hack" is a fellow who has not really mastered all the skills he needs, or else does not really commit the whole of himself to the skills does possess. A "slick professional," or "operator," or apparatchik is a fellow who has the skills but no larger commitment to the whole reality of the world within which he operates, he is "a gun for hire." We respect his skills, but not the spirit of their use. When we say "real pro," however, we mean that the person has not been distorted by his specialized techniques. We mean that his intelligence and instincts reach out for all the complex, ambiguous, even mysterious elements of the social realities within which he operates. We mean that, both regarding himself and regarding the world of his activities, he maintains a certain realism. He is "in touch." His professionalism is an instrument of his commitment to reality, not a defense against that reality. He is neither an operator, nor a hack, nor a mere specialist. �104 SLOVAKIA Hacks are easy to understand but what is the culture of the operator? We are afflicted with operators in America. As testimony to their "cultivation," they may take homemovies, or become amateur photographers, or be buffs of considerable artistic skill in one field or another. They may attend concerts or go to all the arty flicks. They may be articulate and even, in some sense, well and broadly educated. Yet there is a sense in which, used in this context, the word "culture" gives off a tinny ring. No doubt anthropologists should study their "culture," too; in a perfectly neutral scene, they represent a "state of mind," a "way of life," as surely as do primitive tribes in New Guinea. But in some way they are rootless, rudderless, without depth. They have made themselves rather into instruments than into ends. The phrase "new barbarians" points to their shallowness. It suggests that smooth, civil persons, persons of considerable education and articulateness, are somehow empty and lacking. Empty of what? Lacking what? No tradition, it seems, lives in them; no long-range, virtually unchangeable, perennial values guide them; their moral universe is without a center; no passionate inwardness directs them. They are, in a sense, larger than David Riesman intended, "other-directed." Success, power, expertise - their guides are extrinsic, changeable, consulted for the short term. The social realities of our "temporary society" do not discourage the flexibility such men exemplify. The state, as Plato says, is man writ large; so men are often their society writ small. Operators, then, are quintessentially American; their role has been mythically established in Huck Finn and in Melville's The Confidence Man. They are outsiders, from the city (or the university), traveling salesmen, "experts." But what about the local cultures, those millions who admire and understand "the old pros" but dislike operators? When Senator Sam Ervin quotes the Bible and Shakespeare, he makes reverberate a network of trustworthy and illuminating traditions. He plays on symbolic strings that have shaped the consciousness of perhaps eightly million Americans. Many, indeed, find the language of a "country lawyer" a good deal more persuasive than the language of the new professionals. Many, indeed, can scarcely discriminate among the several languages of the new professionals. To �SLOVAKIA 105 them, they are all the same: the smooth articulateness of John Dean and Gary Hart, of David Brinkley and Professor Galbraith, of Doctor Kildare and Doctor Spock, of Jeb Stuart Magruder and William Coffin. Often today ideology does not divide people (liberal versus conservative) so much as cultural style does. The old pros remain connected to the symbolic worlds of this nation's many diverse cultures; the operators leave and "do not go home again." Region, ethnicity, religion, race and other cultural factors shape symbolic consciousness in different ways. The Irish of Boston are not exactly like those of Minnesota or Texas; contrasts among John Kennedy, Eugene McCarthy, Joseph McCarthy, Richard Daley and John Connally suggest several of the most significant Irish traditions in the nation. Both George McGovern and George Wallace spring from fundamentalist Scotch-Irish traditions, but in regions whose history has been profoundly different. The symbolic worlds within which they speak set off intense but opposite vibrations. Of the French-Canadians of New Hampshire and Maine; the Appalachians of West Virginia and Kentucky, the poor whites of Alabama and the Florida Panhandle; the AngloAmericans of Wyoming and Idaho; the Oregonians; the Mormons of Utah; the Slavic farmers of Illinois and Nebraska, contrasted with the Slavic miners and millworkers of Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan; the Italians contrasted with the upper-class and the lower-class Jews of New York City; the Anglo-American Protestants who supported George Wallace in the 1968 Indiana primary in proportions far heavier than did German-American Protestants of similar economic class - of such diverse and crisscross variety is this nation composed. Among blacks, there are differences depending on origins in Africa: on the generations of colonial experience whether in the West Indies, or rural Mississippi, or the cities of the South; and on length of time in the urban North. The Spanish-speaking population of Miami, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Antonio and Albuquerque are significantly different. The experiences of Oriental Americans - including, without benefit of "Protestant ethic," their astonishing capacity for work and for success - are better admitted into consciousness if one approaches �106 SLOVAKIA American pluralism from Hawaii and California, than from Boston and New York. The variety of cultural worlds in the United States is a powerful, subterranean influence in our national life. It remains subterranean because it is often repressed, as thought it were something "dirty," disfunctional, and doomed to disappear. In its place, a "national" ideology has been created, divided into three parts. First, there is the ideology of "the American way of life," popular, patriotic, capitalistic, chauvinistic. Second, there is the ideology of the mobile, educated, "committed," professional classes what one writer has called "the ideocracy." Third, there is the ideology of the neutral, meritocratic, incommitted, objective professional classes, neither conservative nor liberal, but comfortably in charge. All three of these ideologies, for their own various purposes, try to eliminate cultural diversity. Each carries with it its own ethnic and regional biases. Some, for example, make provision for black, Hispanic and Indian diversity - and, pressed a little, perhaps, they might expand the list. But the terms of their analyses do not give cultural diversity the prominence reality demands. It is true, we have seen, that there is a "common culture" in the West, a set of achievements that represents the most profound insights, wrested from suffering, that Western peoples for some five millennia have attained. But it is not true that even highly educated people in any part of the West are well versed in all the subtraditions of this "common culture." A young Italian from New Jersey who attends the University of Notre Dame will have as part of the furniture of his mind and sensibility materials that the young Jew from Brooklyn who attends City College of New York will not share, and vice versa. When I compare, for example, my years of reading in St. Augustine, St. Bernard, Thomas Aquinas, Cardinal Newman and others, my virtual neglect of Marx, and my dislike of Enlightenment writers like Kant and Mill, with the reading patterns exhibited by, say, Irving Howe, it is vividly clear to me that American intellectual life is profoundly diverse. So it is also with Protestant colleagues of mine in philosophy and religious studies who respond in significantly different ways to materials we jointly consider. Other colleagues have �SLOVAKIA 107 interests and training in the sciences or social sciences; their symbolic world is, again, quite different from mine. "Where did you grow up? Where did you go to school? What is your religious and ethnic background? What do these mean to you?" These are important questions, not for purpose of stereotyping, but for intelligent and sensitive perception. In order to come to learn and to appreciate the cultural background within which the words of others gain their full and familiar meaning, we must be able to answer such questions. What we have most to gain from each other is generated by our mutual differences. The different horizon, standpoint and way of perceiving we each bring to our common world are instruments of spiritual wealth. Consider the following propositions: 1. There is a common Western culture of high intellectual and humanizing potency, instructing all who journey into it in inexhaustible wisdom, insight and spiritual depth. 2. This common culture is composed of many related but divergent traditions, and no one can master all of them. 3. Beyond the boundaries of Western culture, there are also other "common cultures" of great complexity and diversity. In some of these non-Western riches, westerners are also beginning to share in ways both superficial and serious. 4. In higher education and in museums and other instrumentalities of culture in the United States, Protestant traditions within the common culture have been favored over Catholic and Jewish traditions. English literature and philosophy have been favored over Continental literatures and philosophies. Post-Enlightenment materials have virtually driven pre-Enlightenment materials from the field. Agnostic or atheistic materials are favored over religious materials. A rather positivistic ideology of the modern, the progressive and the "factual" has dominated our dictionaries and encyclopedias, as well as our schools, our journalism and our business world. (Dictionaries do not list under "rose" one of its most important cultural meanings: that it is the flower of love, fate and war.) 5. Education is commonly regarded, not as a device for strengthening and benefiting by local, regional, ethnic and religious differences but for "overcoming" them, �108 SLOVAKIA for replacing them with a more or less universal culture. The underlying model for this "universal" ideological outlook is not perfectly neutral as regards those who enter into it. Even if they are of equal talent, some will find cultural models, heroes, texts and materials related to their own cultural background, and others will not. 6. The preferred and most prestigious model for the "high culture" in the United States coincides with the background of our most wealthy and powerful citizens. This model illustrates the history of some, at least, of our major institutions, and partially grounds the dominant language of the land. Hence even though it is biased, it cannot be ignored. Let us attend, first, to proposition 6. Andover, Groton, Milton, Choate and the other prestigious private schools nurture a good part of one major wing of the nation's financial and governmental elites. Yet with every year that passes, in order to understand American reality, students have to go further beyond the limits of Anglo-American traditions. How can one understand Mailer, Malamud, Trilling, Chomsky or Howe without understanding the Jewish traditions of Eastern Europe and America? How can one understand Kennedy, McCarthy or Daley without learning about the Irish experience in America? Will anyone comprehend Detroit without learning about black history in America and Polish history in America - two out of every three citizens of that city being either black or Polish, while virtually all the wealth and power of the city's elites remain Anglo-American and Jewish? Power in America is essentially Anglo-American, hence it is a condition of survival (and of eventual justice) that all the others penetrate the intricacies of the Anglo-American mind. The Yankee pride in "candor," fo example, has generated unique deceptions, especially self-deceptions, whose routes must be painfully traced and plainly marked Yankee appeals to "morality" and leadership" and "integrity" require most careful scrutiny; these are the banners of the most powerful elites. Thus those whose heritage is not Anglo-American, have every right (and duty) both to assimilate all that is good in Anglo-American culture, and to be clear-eyed about what assimilation entails. Two years ago, Irving Howe quoted in these pages �SLOVAKIA 109 the argument of Louis Kampf that "initiating the 'underpriviledged' to the cultural treasures of the West could be a form of oppression - a weapon in the hands of those who rule . .. High culture itself ... tends to reinforce the given alignments of powers within the society." Against Kampf, Howe is able to quote Trotsky: "Mastery of the art of the past is ... a necessary precondition not only for the creation of new art but also for the building of a new society . . . If we were groundlessly to repudiate the art of the past, we should at once become poorer spiritually." Cultural backwardness is not required for political advance. And yet, what is meant by "backwardness"? In order to be fully moral man must one be a professor, or at minimum a college graduate? Is it necessary to have read many books? "Man is not saved by dialectics," a Christian aphorism insists. The simple, too, have their own precious wisdom and the learned their patent foolishness. It is not necessary to romanticize either side in order to recognize that there are analogies between the life stories of the uneducated and those of the college trained. A democracy needs an early discernment system, to spot young persons of talent in every social condition. But it also needs a way to encourage young persons of talent to remain (if they so wish) in living contact with their own roots. They should encouraged not to be parochial, and yet to be rooted. Neither our egalitarians nor our meritocrats, it seems, have a sufficiently cultural perspective; both proceed somewhat atomically, somewhat mechanically. According to egalitarian sentimentality, any student admitted to college through "open admissions" has within him the makings of a student. According to meritocratic arrogance, each student should be judged according to his own performance. The egalitarian forgets that a university is an institution not all citizens are graced with the talent to appreciate; perhaps not one person in ten ought to be admitted to a genuine university. The meritocrat forgets that persons are not individuals merely but also creatures of culture, and that the institutions of high culture in the United States are inequitably and inhumanely ethnocentric. When as a young Slovak-American I read ( with eagerness and delight) "English literature," I learned as well �110 SLOVAKIA a latent message: "These are the kinds of people literature is about; not about families like yours, feeling like yours, dilemmas like yours." Literature was not (except by analogy) about myself; it was about those fascinating, foreign "others." In our part of town, when I was very young, we called them "the Americans." (With less than accurate perception, we included the Irish among "the Americans." We seldom dealt directly with Anglo-Americans.) The heart of the matter comes down to this. There are three main locations of culture. The actual ways of life of ordinary people, in their diverse, loose and permeable communities are one location. The humanities are, in this sense, not primarily what is written down in books, or celebrated in works of art, but what is lived. Those relatively few artists, scholars and critical persons in whom a genuinely high culture is alive are a second location. The swarming army of professionals, highly educated but not necessarily in tune with the high traditions of the past, are a third location. Among these new professionals are many who call themselves humanists . Each of these groups is to be taken seriously. Each enhances our own identity. We need, in America, a public and popular humanities - a pluralism of stories, myths, accurate histories, detailed studies that touch our various peopl8 in all their variety. As a boy, I wish I had learned of the exploits of Janosik as well as of Robin Hood, and had been taught in public and parochial school of the democratic traditions of the early Slovak tribes. I wish I had learned that, after the origins of feudalism, my ancestors endured a thousand-year struggle against oppression that is not yet complete. I wish I had learned officially and fully of the bitter deaths of so many of my countrymen in the mills and mines and strikes of Pennsylvania. (The murder of the Jablonski.s of the United Mine Workers is a recent episode in a hundredyear war.) My sense of injustice and untruth in America would have come earlier than it did. I would have learned earlier both a tragic sense of life and fierce desire to remedy injustice. I would have had a way to discern what made me culturally different, and what my peculiar contribution might have been. I would have had personal parallels by which to judge more accurately what America had done to the Indians, blacks and others in Amei:ica. (What was �SLOVAKIA 111 I doing, cheering for Custer in They Died with Their Boots On?) We also need, of course, a high culture. We need continuity with the visions and sources of judgment upon us that derive from the great spiritual achievements of our past. In many American towns, counties and cities, one family or a small number of families controls the politics, economics and media of communication. Against their vulgar power, the arts and critical skills of the high culture are as powerful a threat as human beings have. Indeed even our highest national elites, our best and our brightest, suffer embarrassment compared to the best our race has seen before. I recognize that our elites sometimes use "taste" and "culture" as weapon of intimidation, which only proves their own vulgarity. The proof that a person has attained a genuine high culture in his unselfconscious respect for the moral analogies between his life and those of others. Portrayed in myth and narrative as the nobleman at home with peasants, the saint with sinners, the learned doctor with children and the ignorant, the political leader sharing his people's crusts of bread, this is the excellence by which our culture measures us. It is not exactly an egalitarian standard, for differences of station and talent are not blurred, but it is, at least, a standard of fraternity, and of the human spirit's radical equality in the eyes of God. Finally, we need the professionals. It is true that concerning the large and important issues, they are almost always wrong. But this is exactly what we should expect; it is their profession to attend scrupulously to a part of the whole; they almost necessarily distort. Yet specialization is no cause for excommunication. Professionals are our brothers, too. We need their powerful skills. One could wish that more of them would turn their skills toward many neglected problems. To mention but one: toward the history and culture of each of the diverse peoples of the United States. Toward an accurate history of our actual pluralism. '' From 1896 to 1908, 508 Slovaks were arrested and convicted for using the Slovak language in public. (Reprinted from The American Scholar, Volume 43, Number 1, Winter, 1973-74. Copyright 1973 by the United Chapters of Phi Beta Kappa. By permission of the publishers.) � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1974, Vol. 24 Description An account of the resource Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document 96 SLOVAKIA One Species, Many Cultures Michael N ov ak Bounded by the slow Danube River on the south and by the rugged Carpathian Mountains on the north, the ancestral land of the Slovak people lies at the axis of Westem lcivilization. For centuries, the vast armies of Attila, Genghis Khan, the Turks, the Germans and the Russians have risen like a tide toward Europe and in due course have been broken in or near the mountains of Slovakia. In the ninth century, Saints Cyril and Methodius established there the Byzantine influence of the Cyrillic alphabet and the Old Slavonic liturgy; but ambitious German rulers later imposed the Latin language, in order to draw Slovakia back toward the West. The rivers of Slovakia run southward and the cultivation of grapes makes Slovakia a wine-drinking nation; the sensibility pf the Slovaks is partly Mediterranean and partly Nordic. For two thousand years, the Slovak people, often to their woe, have abhorred large governmental units and preferred local rule. For a thousand years they have endured almost unbroken political oppression. Just before the Johnstown flood of 1889, one of my grandfathers came from Slovakia to the United States; within a few years, all three of my other grandparents had done the same. During the thirty-nine years from 1875 to 1914, nearly a third of the population of Slovakia emigrated. They left from sheer hunger, to escape military conscription in the h~ted Hungarian army, to find some was to break the political oppression of Hungarian "magyarization," "" and to 'fulfill the ancient Slovak legends and myths of freedom. The Slovaks, like many other Slavs, tend to be suspicious of governments, activism and politicians. "Every official has a tail, to sweep in goods," runs a Slovak proverb. Better to concentrate on home, family and work. No other Slavic people is so inventive in song; over fifteen thousand folk songs Qf the Slovaks have been catalogued, and a Slavic saying goes: "See. a Slovak, hear a song." Nearly all the arts of the Slovaks focus on the home. SLOVAKIA 97 The great Slovak names Svatopluk, Janosik, Benovsky and Stefanik mean little to most Americans. But this is only to say that an ordinary American education is remarkably ethnocentric. About one-third of our population is of Anglo-Saxon ancestry. Yet so far is our nation from fulfilling its own pluralistic destiny that our education is almost entirely Anglo-American. (Indeed, not even all social classes, religious traditions, or regions of Anglo-Americans are equally represented in our educational cultures-"rednecks," evangelicals, Appalachians, for example.) Perhaps the dominance of Anglo-Saxon ethnocentrism in the past necessitates its continued dominance; it has shaped our history. Every American should learn about and, to some extent, assimilate English political history and literature. But is a virtually total concentration on the upper-class culture based in the northeastern section of the nation a sufficient intellectual guide to actual American life, or to the character of the other cultures on this planet? Not long ago, "the humanities" meant, not humanity, but "Western civilization." More than that, it meant "Western civilization as seen through English, Protestant, upperclass eyes." Not many of the graduates of Harvard, Princeton and Yale now in their fifties learned very much in their college days about the other cultures of the world - about Buddhism, or Slavic history, or Jewish family life, or Chinese civilization, or Latin America, or the history of slavery. What they were instructed in as "liberal arts" was not quite fully liberating; what passed before their eyes as "the humanities" was, rather astonishingly, a mirror image of their own ethnicity. The phrase "our common culture" has in recent years been used with more glibness than hard reflection. A culture is not put on like a suit of clothes. One can mimic a culture, absorb it, even use it as a vehicle of one's own self-expression. If, however, the culture does not flow out of one's own tutored instincts and aspirations, it is not yet one's own and does not yet exhaust one's own intelligence, perceptions or dreams. So for many millions of immigrants and their descendants-for a majority of Americans-what is currently available as "mainstream culture" does not spring from the heart. Hundreds of thousands of freshmen tapping their feet in classrooms in Providence, Buffalo, 98 SLOVAKIA Pittsburgh, Detroit, Miami, Houston and Los Angeles do not hear, in the voice of their professors, their own voices - and this is not only because of television, or a generation gap, or the collapsing of "the great tradition." The great tradition itself has been in America too narrowly, too ethnocentrically, perceived. I concur, there is a great tradition. There is a "common" Western culture, distinct from other cultures. But ever since Kant, scholars have sought this tradition in a premature and inaccurately projected "universality." They have tried to emphasize what is common in all men, what is universal, those qualities in which we all share and are alike, those characteristics that do not divide, but rather unite us. A laudable but grievously mistaken impulse. A profound irony is involved in our common identity as members of the human species. The species to which we belong in a historical species; it possesses consciousness, and this consciousness is at once symbolic and concrete. That is, our species lives not only within the physical atmosphere surrounding this blue green planet but also within a variety of concrete, historical cultures. We are the species that lives within cultures - within spheres of meaning, sensibility, selective perception and patterned action. What we have in common is that we are diverse. Our diversity is proof that we are human. We are not so many ants crawling on a soundless orb, nor so many apes obeying laws of natural selection. We generate distinctive cultures. Within cultures, we develop endlessly complex, distinctive individuals. We live within symbolic worlds all our own, both as individuals and as cultures. In the twentieth century (which is itself, a friend reminds me, a somewhat "culture-bound" concept), the relativity of each of our identities is borne in upon us because we inescapably encounter so many who differ from us. In this relativity we meet a second and novel kind of common identity. What we have in common are our finitude and interdependence. Our diversity does not mean we are intrinsically divided from each other, only that we are intrinsically different from each other. Our future unity lies not in "overcoming our differences" but in seeing how they are analogous: in learning to see that my struggle to become a moral human being is rather like (not the same SLOVAKIA 99 as, only analogous to) your struggle to become a moral human being. In a word, the way to become moral is not to become universal, but to become concrete. I need not become the same as you. But my struggle to realize my own moral identity - solely my own, concrete, unique - has many parallels to your struggle to realize your own identity. We face, for example, many similar obstacles: social inequities, ill fortune, self-deception, aging, death. How you face these obstacles in your life illuminates possibilities by which I may, allowing for our differences, conduct my life as well. A nun may define her life around her chastity, as a chosen symbol of God's transcendent love; whereas I, a sensual man, may see in her struggles to protect virginity (of spirit and of flesh) illumination for the perplexities surrounding the central value by which I define my life. The world's literature opens up for me a world of analogy, where flashes of illumination ricochet in unpredictable patterns off a thousand mirrors. The critic of literature who reads Nietzsche after having learned Goethe may catch different reflections from one who reads him after studying Russell, Hare and Austin. What "the great tradition" concerns is wisdom, the voyages individuals take toward moral maturity and moral growth, and the analogous "stages on the way," the analogous "moves," the analogous "dilemmas," "ironies" and "tragedies" they encounter. These words, of course, are already heavy with cultural specificity; they conjure up Aeschylus, Kierkegaard, Hesse and a hundred German scholars. Still, every human life is a structuring of time; each begins with birth, each ends. "Voyage," therefore, is a universal motif. It is the kind of motif that allows for infinite variation, for concrete diversity, for cultural and personal uniqueness. Cultures structure time quite differently. Cultures imagine the model of human fulfillment differently. Yet in every culture individuals voyage from birth to death, and from moral beginnings to moral development. Many of our present perplexities arise from two confusions: one is a misperception of class, the other a misperception of culture. Some young blacks from Hough may not be literate, but that does not mean that the basic human voyage is closed to them. Both the Autobiography 100 SLOVAKIA of Malcolm X and Sou l on Ice are classically Greek and Christian in the metanoia they narrate, and in the structure of decision and liberation they exhibit. (Note even their chapter headings.) It is a mistake to hold that the fundamental moral struggle is restricted to upper-class AngloSaxons - or to the "oppressed." Whatever one's social class, the struggle against self-deception (never decisively won), the struggle for clear vision, and the struggle to respect concrete human persons different from oneself is always present. Bourgeois morality, the morality of appearances and proprieties, must be distinguished from fundamental human morality. "The habit doth not make the monk." One may be an attorney general of the United States without becoming a moral hero to whom others look for illumination on how to become a moral man. It is not easy to be moral simply because one is wellborn, nor simply because one is born in a slum. The voyage toward moral development in either case is analogous to the others - essentially different, yet sufficiently parallel to cast mutual illumination. No human life is so different from all others that it cannot shed morally profitable light; thus the fascination of stories even about moral monsters. When a culture is highly articulated, a "cultivated" person is skilled both in discerning movements of the soul and in giving names to them. He will have a full range of references and allusions with which to speak of what he feels. It is not enough, for example, to be "an atheist." Like Sartre? Or like Merleau-Ponty? Or like Malraux? Or like Camus? Like John Dewey? Or like Corliss Lamont? Or like some churchgoer going through empty motions? The state of soul is remarkably various in every case. Nevertheless, a lack of words does not necessarily indicate an incapacity of soul. It is true (it certainly seems true) that many persons are indeed shallow of soul and contemptuous of introspection. It does not necessarily follow that an abundance of words indicates greatness of soul, or poverty of words powerty of spirit. There are some professors, disdainful of the "cultural deprivation" of those they are obliged to instruct, who are sterile of soul; and in some of their students there are depths untongued. Among some of the Indian chiefs of American history, SLOVAKIA 101 for example, there is an eloquence, dignity and precision of speech worthy of the ancient Greeks. Or, to state the matter differently, some of the heroes of Homer utter sentiments worthy of the Indian nations. Want of reading does not disbar human beings from profound moral insight or from classical eloquence. One does not have to read Greek to encounter ancient wisdom. (The American Indians produced no Aristotle; neither has New York.) On the other hand, a university education in the humanities today is not aimed at profound moral insight or classical eloquence. They are lucky indeed whose insight and eloquence are not destroyed by a university education today. For the culture of the universities today is not the culture of "the great tradition," not the culture of Western civilization, not even the culture of upper-class Anglo-Americans. In some few persons, it may be these things. In most administrators, professors, teaching assistants and students a university education exhibits a different culture altogether. Let me call it "the culture of the professionals" and attempt to draw attention to its pervasiveness. Not long ago, a major corporation took an ad in the Wall Street Journal to honor one of its employees. Above his picture was a single word, "Professionalism ... " and below it a definition: "More than education ... More than experience . . . More than training ... it's a state of mind." Who today are proud to call themselves professionals? Football players, stockbrockers, doctors, lawyers, journal• ists, gangsters and professors of literature, philosophy and other fields. "Professionalism. " "State of Mind." These are terms of considerable power. Implied are choices, special• izations, narrowings down for purposes of efficiency and effect. Implied, indeed, is the disciplining of an entire life, a concentration upon a limited field of expertise. "A state of mind." "A way of life." A major, driving, powerful culture in our midst is the culture of professionals. Football is its major public liturgy, its dramatic expression, its mirror-image festival. In the daily world of politics, the word "professional" is used in fascinating ways. Of some lifelong politicians, an informed opinion of their performance is "hack" or "fake." By contrast, the most sober and comforting praise 102 SLOVAKIA for a public figure or for this or that person on his staff is, "He's a real pro." An intermediate word of praise, spoken with a faintly baffled sort of affection, is the phrase, "an old pro." The meaning is that the person in question - Senator Sam Ervin, let us say - lacks some of the technical sophistication and scientific art of modern professionalism, but is, so to speak, an artist of an older style, in a different sort of way, and by God, admirable nevertheless. He "knows his way around," "knows what he's doing," and so one "shouldn't be fooled" by his apparent naivete or folksy style. There are some jobs, among some constituencies, that maybe "the old pro" tackles with a surer grasp that "the real pro." It's a very good feeling to be called by one's peers "a pro." Certification (college degrees, a tough job assignment) confers the objective status. But not all who have the certification are truly considered by their peers to be "the real pros." Such hints suggest that an accurate discussion of culture must move on several levels. The first meaning of culture applies to the "state of mind," or the "way of life," of our professional classes. This is the class that manages our institutions of certification the schools, the universities, the media and the new institutes of research, development and consultantship. This same class also manages many of our traditional institutions - business corporations, government, foundations, churches and national organizations. By no means a majority of Americans experiences the culture of professionalizatio n. But most of the high-salaried and/or organizing, articulating, managing and "influential" people do. "Above" the level of the professional culture lies the "high culture" of family tradition, and/or money, and/ or dedication to the classical, recognized arts. Nurture in a certain kind of family tradition - children of Cabots or Lodges, or of concert violinists or professors of the clasics - sometimes provides the requisite sensibility. Money that can buy a new generation the education denied its parents may provide it. (There are many "middle-brow" participants in high culture who enjoy its fruits without being creators.) Finally, sheer talent and desire, an "innate" capacity for the flowering of one's spirit, and the good SLOVAKIA 103 fortune of schooling of some sort may provide it. Thus, not a few of our ablest artists and scholars today, like Abraham Lincoln and William Shakespeare, although not "wellborn," have advanced the reaches of the human spirit. It is true that the "high culture," once it has been achieved, is in some respects more accessible to the wealthy than to the poor. The wealthy can travel. They have leisure. They are provided with instruction. They finance artists and scholars. They buy the materials, the time spent and the fruits of artistic endeavor; they are the patrons of art and learning. Yet by their nature the achievements of high culture speak to - and belong to - the human spirit, not to wealth. Instrumentally both a society and individuals require sufficient wealth to gain that freedom from necessity without which there are no liberal arts. Such wealth can be very modest. Even in the caves, humans began to draw, and already by the fireside the spirit of Lincoln was being forged. High culture, nonetheless, requires a culture in which leisure is available; it requires wealth. This instrumental tie between wealth and high culture occasions a certain embarrassment in a ruthlessly egalitarian society. Common speech, we recall, distinguishes several kinds of professional performance. The main force of the word "professional" points toward a specialized commitment: one professes one line of work rather than another. A "hack" is a fellow who has not really mastered all the skills he needs, or else does not really commit the whole of himself to the skills does possess. A "slick professional," or "operator," or apparatchik is a fellow who has the skills but no larger commitment to the whole reality of the world within which he operates, he is "a gun for hire." We respect his skills, but not the spirit of their use. When we say "real pro," however, we mean that the person has not been distorted by his specialized techniques. We mean that his intelligence and instincts reach out for all the complex, ambiguous, even mysterious elements of the social realities within which he operates. We mean that, both regarding himself and regarding the world of his activities, he maintains a certain realism. He is "in touch." His professionalism is an instrument of his commitment to reality, not a defense against that reality. He is neither an operator, nor a hack, nor a mere specialist. 104 SLOVAKIA Hacks are easy to understand but what is the culture of the operator? We are afflicted with operators in America. As testimony to their "cultivation," they may take homemovies, or become amateur photographers, or be buffs of considerable artistic skill in one field or another. They may attend concerts or go to all the arty flicks. They may be articulate and even, in some sense, well and broadly educated. Yet there is a sense in which, used in this context, the word "culture" gives off a tinny ring. No doubt anthropologists should study their "culture," too; in a perfectly neutral scene, they represent a "state of mind," a "way of life," as surely as do primitive tribes in New Guinea. But in some way they are rootless, rudderless, without depth. They have made themselves rather into instruments than into ends. The phrase "new barbarians" points to their shallowness. It suggests that smooth, civil persons, persons of considerable education and articulateness, are somehow empty and lacking. Empty of what? Lacking what? No tradition, it seems, lives in them; no long-range, virtually unchangeable, perennial values guide them; their moral universe is without a center; no passionate inwardness directs them. They are, in a sense, larger than David Riesman intended, "other-directed." Success, power, expertise - their guides are extrinsic, changeable, consulted for the short term. The social realities of our "temporary society" do not discourage the flexibility such men exemplify. The state, as Plato says, is man writ large; so men are often their society writ small. Operators, then, are quintessentially American; their role has been mythically established in Huck Finn and in Melville's The Confidence Man. They are outsiders, from the city (or the university), traveling salesmen, "experts." But what about the local cultures, those millions who admire and understand "the old pros" but dislike operators? When Senator Sam Ervin quotes the Bible and Shakespeare, he makes reverberate a network of trustworthy and illuminating traditions. He plays on symbolic strings that have shaped the consciousness of perhaps eightly million Americans. Many, indeed, find the language of a "country lawyer" a good deal more persuasive than the language of the new professionals. Many, indeed, can scarcely discriminate among the several languages of the new professionals. To SLOVAKIA 105 them, they are all the same: the smooth articulateness of John Dean and Gary Hart, of David Brinkley and Professor Galbraith, of Doctor Kildare and Doctor Spock, of Jeb Stuart Magruder and William Coffin. Often today ideology does not divide people (liberal versus conservative) so much as cultural style does. The old pros remain connected to the symbolic worlds of this nation's many diverse cultures; the operators leave and "do not go home again." Region, ethnicity, religion, race and other cultural factors shape symbolic consciousness in different ways. The Irish of Boston are not exactly like those of Minnesota or Texas; contrasts among John Kennedy, Eugene McCarthy, Joseph McCarthy, Richard Daley and John Connally suggest several of the most significant Irish traditions in the nation. Both George McGovern and George Wallace spring from fundamentalist Scotch-Irish traditions, but in regions whose history has been profoundly different. The symbolic worlds within which they speak set off intense but opposite vibrations. Of the French-Canadians of New Hampshire and Maine; the Appalachians of West Virginia and Kentucky, the poor whites of Alabama and the Florida Panhandle; the AngloAmericans of Wyoming and Idaho; the Oregonians; the Mormons of Utah; the Slavic farmers of Illinois and Nebraska, contrasted with the Slavic miners and millworkers of Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan; the Italians contrasted with the upper-class and the lower-class Jews of New York City; the Anglo-American Protestants who supported George Wallace in the 1968 Indiana primary in proportions far heavier than did German-American Protestants of similar economic class - of such diverse and crisscross variety is this nation composed. Among blacks, there are differences depending on origins in Africa: on the generations of colonial experience whether in the West Indies, or rural Mississippi, or the cities of the South; and on length of time in the urban North. The Spanish-speaking population of Miami, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Antonio and Albuquerque are significantly different. The experiences of Oriental Americans - including, without benefit of "Protestant ethic," their astonishing capacity for work and for success - are better admitted into consciousness if one approaches 106 SLOVAKIA American pluralism from Hawaii and California, than from Boston and New York. The variety of cultural worlds in the United States is a powerful, subterranean influence in our national life. It remains subterranean because it is often repressed, as thought it were something "dirty," disfunctional, and doomed to disappear. In its place, a "national" ideology has been created, divided into three parts. First, there is the ideology of "the American way of life," popular, patriotic, capitalistic, chauvinistic. Second, there is the ideology of the mobile, educated, "committed," professional classes what one writer has called "the ideocracy." Third, there is the ideology of the neutral, meritocratic, incommitted, objective professional classes, neither conservative nor liberal, but comfortably in charge. All three of these ideologies, for their own various purposes, try to eliminate cultural diversity. Each carries with it its own ethnic and regional biases. Some, for example, make provision for black, Hispanic and Indian diversity - and, pressed a little, perhaps, they might expand the list. But the terms of their analyses do not give cultural diversity the prominence reality demands. It is true, we have seen, that there is a "common culture" in the West, a set of achievements that represents the most profound insights, wrested from suffering, that Western peoples for some five millennia have attained. But it is not true that even highly educated people in any part of the West are well versed in all the subtraditions of this "common culture." A young Italian from New Jersey who attends the University of Notre Dame will have as part of the furniture of his mind and sensibility materials that the young Jew from Brooklyn who attends City College of New York will not share, and vice versa. When I compare, for example, my years of reading in St. Augustine, St. Bernard, Thomas Aquinas, Cardinal Newman and others, my virtual neglect of Marx, and my dislike of Enlightenment writers like Kant and Mill, with the reading patterns exhibited by, say, Irving Howe, it is vividly clear to me that American intellectual life is profoundly diverse. So it is also with Protestant colleagues of mine in philosophy and religious studies who respond in significantly different ways to materials we jointly consider. Other colleagues have SLOVAKIA 107 interests and training in the sciences or social sciences; their symbolic world is, again, quite different from mine. "Where did you grow up? Where did you go to school? What is your religious and ethnic background? What do these mean to you?" These are important questions, not for purpose of stereotyping, but for intelligent and sensitive perception. In order to come to learn and to appreciate the cultural background within which the words of others gain their full and familiar meaning, we must be able to answer such questions. What we have most to gain from each other is generated by our mutual differences. The different horizon, standpoint and way of perceiving we each bring to our common world are instruments of spiritual wealth. Consider the following propositions: 1. There is a common Western culture of high intellectual and humanizing potency, instructing all who journey into it in inexhaustible wisdom, insight and spiritual depth. 2. This common culture is composed of many related but divergent traditions, and no one can master all of them. 3. Beyond the boundaries of Western culture, there are also other "common cultures" of great complexity and diversity. In some of these non-Western riches, westerners are also beginning to share in ways both superficial and serious. 4. In higher education and in museums and other instrumentalities of culture in the United States, Protestant traditions within the common culture have been favored over Catholic and Jewish traditions. English literature and philosophy have been favored over Continental literatures and philosophies. Post-Enlightenment materials have virtually driven pre-Enlightenment materials from the field. Agnostic or atheistic materials are favored over religious materials. A rather positivistic ideology of the modern, the progressive and the "factual" has dominated our dictionaries and encyclopedias, as well as our schools, our journalism and our business world. (Dictionaries do not list under "rose" one of its most important cultural meanings: that it is the flower of love, fate and war.) 5. Education is commonly regarded, not as a device for strengthening and benefiting by local, regional, ethnic and religious differences but for "overcoming" them, 108 SLOVAKIA for replacing them with a more or less universal culture. The underlying model for this "universal" ideological outlook is not perfectly neutral as regards those who enter into it. Even if they are of equal talent, some will find cultural models, heroes, texts and materials related to their own cultural background, and others will not. 6. The preferred and most prestigious model for the "high culture" in the United States coincides with the background of our most wealthy and powerful citizens. This model illustrates the history of some, at least, of our major institutions, and partially grounds the dominant language of the land. Hence even though it is biased, it cannot be ignored. Let us attend, first, to proposition 6. Andover, Groton, Milton, Choate and the other prestigious private schools nurture a good part of one major wing of the nation's financial and governmental elites. Yet with every year that passes, in order to understand American reality, students have to go further beyond the limits of Anglo-American traditions. How can one understand Mailer, Malamud, Trilling, Chomsky or Howe without understanding the Jewish traditions of Eastern Europe and America? How can one understand Kennedy, McCarthy or Daley without learning about the Irish experience in America? Will anyone comprehend Detroit without learning about black history in America and Polish history in America - two out of every three citizens of that city being either black or Polish, while virtually all the wealth and power of the city's elites remain Anglo-American and Jewish? Power in America is essentially Anglo-American, hence it is a condition of survival (and of eventual justice) that all the others penetrate the intricacies of the Anglo-American mind. The Yankee pride in "candor," fo example, has generated unique deceptions, especially self-deceptions, whose routes must be painfully traced and plainly marked Yankee appeals to "morality" and leadership" and "integrity" require most careful scrutiny; these are the banners of the most powerful elites. Thus those whose heritage is not Anglo-American, have every right (and duty) both to assimilate all that is good in Anglo-American culture, and to be clear-eyed about what assimilation entails. Two years ago, Irving Howe quoted in these pages SLOVAKIA 109 the argument of Louis Kampf that "initiating the 'underpriviledged' to the cultural treasures of the West could be a form of oppression - a weapon in the hands of those who rule . .. High culture itself ... tends to reinforce the given alignments of powers within the society." Against Kampf, Howe is able to quote Trotsky: "Mastery of the art of the past is ... a necessary precondition not only for the creation of new art but also for the building of a new society . . . If we were groundlessly to repudiate the art of the past, we should at once become poorer spiritually." Cultural backwardness is not required for political advance. And yet, what is meant by "backwardness"? In order to be fully moral man must one be a professor, or at minimum a college graduate? Is it necessary to have read many books? "Man is not saved by dialectics," a Christian aphorism insists. The simple, too, have their own precious wisdom and the learned their patent foolishness. It is not necessary to romanticize either side in order to recognize that there are analogies between the life stories of the uneducated and those of the college trained. A democracy needs an early discernment system, to spot young persons of talent in every social condition. But it also needs a way to encourage young persons of talent to remain (if they so wish) in living contact with their own roots. They should encouraged not to be parochial, and yet to be rooted. Neither our egalitarians nor our meritocrats, it seems, have a sufficiently cultural perspective; both proceed somewhat atomically, somewhat mechanically. According to egalitarian sentimentality, any student admitted to college through "open admissions" has within him the makings of a student. According to meritocratic arrogance, each student should be judged according to his own performance. The egalitarian forgets that a university is an institution not all citizens are graced with the talent to appreciate; perhaps not one person in ten ought to be admitted to a genuine university. The meritocrat forgets that persons are not individuals merely but also creatures of culture, and that the institutions of high culture in the United States are inequitably and inhumanely ethnocentric. When as a young Slovak-American I read ( with eagerness and delight) "English literature," I learned as well 110 SLOVAKIA a latent message: "These are the kinds of people literature is about; not about families like yours, feeling like yours, dilemmas like yours." Literature was not (except by analogy) about myself; it was about those fascinating, foreign "others." In our part of town, when I was very young, we called them "the Americans." (With less than accurate perception, we included the Irish among "the Americans." We seldom dealt directly with Anglo-Americans.) The heart of the matter comes down to this. There are three main locations of culture. The actual ways of life of ordinary people, in their diverse, loose and permeable communities are one location. The humanities are, in this sense, not primarily what is written down in books, or celebrated in works of art, but what is lived. Those relatively few artists, scholars and critical persons in whom a genuinely high culture is alive are a second location. The swarming army of professionals, highly educated but not necessarily in tune with the high traditions of the past, are a third location. Among these new professionals are many who call themselves humanists . Each of these groups is to be taken seriously. Each enhances our own identity. We need, in America, a public and popular humanities - a pluralism of stories, myths, accurate histories, detailed studies that touch our various peopl8 in all their variety. As a boy, I wish I had learned of the exploits of Janosik as well as of Robin Hood, and had been taught in public and parochial school of the democratic traditions of the early Slovak tribes. I wish I had learned that, after the origins of feudalism, my ancestors endured a thousand-year struggle against oppression that is not yet complete. I wish I had learned officially and fully of the bitter deaths of so many of my countrymen in the mills and mines and strikes of Pennsylvania. (The murder of the Jablonski.s of the United Mine Workers is a recent episode in a hundredyear war.) My sense of injustice and untruth in America would have come earlier than it did. I would have learned earlier both a tragic sense of life and fierce desire to remedy injustice. I would have had a way to discern what made me culturally different, and what my peculiar contribution might have been. I would have had personal parallels by which to judge more accurately what America had done to the Indians, blacks and others in Amei:ica. (What was SLOVAKIA 111 I doing, cheering for Custer in They Died with Their Boots On?) We also need, of course, a high culture. We need continuity with the visions and sources of judgment upon us that derive from the great spiritual achievements of our past. In many American towns, counties and cities, one family or a small number of families controls the politics, economics and media of communication. Against their vulgar power, the arts and critical skills of the high culture are as powerful a threat as human beings have. Indeed even our highest national elites, our best and our brightest, suffer embarrassment compared to the best our race has seen before. I recognize that our elites sometimes use "taste" and "culture" as weapon of intimidation, which only proves their own vulgarity. The proof that a person has attained a genuine high culture in his unselfconscious respect for the moral analogies between his life and those of others. Portrayed in myth and narrative as the nobleman at home with peasants, the saint with sinners, the learned doctor with children and the ignorant, the political leader sharing his people's crusts of bread, this is the excellence by which our culture measures us. It is not exactly an egalitarian standard, for differences of station and talent are not blurred, but it is, at least, a standard of fraternity, and of the human spirit's radical equality in the eyes of God. Finally, we need the professionals. It is true that concerning the large and important issues, they are almost always wrong. But this is exactly what we should expect; it is their profession to attend scrupulously to a part of the whole; they almost necessarily distort. Yet specialization is no cause for excommunication. Professionals are our brothers, too. We need their powerful skills. One could wish that more of them would turn their skills toward many neglected problems. To mention but one: toward the history and culture of each of the diverse peoples of the United States. Toward an accurate history of our actual pluralism. '' From 1896 to 1908, 508 Slovaks were arrested and convicted for using the Slovak language in public. (Reprinted from The American Scholar, Volume 43, Number 1, Winter, 1973-74. Copyright 1973 by the United Chapters of Phi Beta Kappa. By permission of the publishers.)  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource One Species, Many Cultures Description An account of the resource Michael Novak Slovakia, Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974 pp. 96-111 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Novak, Michael, 1933-2017 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 LCNAF+dates https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/94e009273995fadc75925b7f68a42081.pdf fdb6871601db10592fbe17f31f33f364 PDF Text Text 92 SLOVAKIA Some Personal Observations on the 1973 Slovak League of America Conference By Susan Po j er, B .A. In March of 1973 I was asked to participate in the Slovak League of America Conference held on May 19, 1973, as a youth panel member, but was hesitant at first to accept because I felt that I had nothing of any value to contribute to such a gathering. Although I am a young Slovak-American and have a B.A. degree in European history, I must confess that I knew very little about the history and political development of Slovakia. My knowledge of the language and my ability to speak and understand Slovak had dwindled to a few words and phrases over the years. Fortunately for me, I still belong to a predominantly Slovak parish and my parents have maintained many of the Slovak customs and traditions so that I was not totally out of touch with my Slovak heritage. As I researched my own topic for discussion ( Slovak Folk Art) I began to get a glimpse into the nature of the Slovak people - their longing for beauty in the midst of poverty and hardship, their toughness and practicality in their everyday dealings with life and their piety and reverence for God and his creations. I started to experience a new-found pride in my ethnic background and in my ancestors which was strengthened at the Conference where I saw young and old come together to share their own feelings as to what means to be a Slovak-American. During the morning session, we were all separated into two panel groups (the youth and the older members) . During the youth session many areas were discussed covering a wide range of topics - the new Ethnic Heritage Studies Programs Act (Sen. Schweiker's Ethnic Studies Act), fraternal societies, a trip to Slovakia, Slovakia in �SLOVAKIA 93 history, and my own on Slovak folk art. After these talks were over, a general discussion ensued in which three major points were emphasized. The role of Slovak youth in educating the public and even re-educating their own parents as well as themselves was a topic heatedly discussed. Groups from many states elaborated on what they, as Slovak-Americans, were doing in their areas to help perpetuate the Slovak heritage and inform the public. Some had formed social clubs, others held language classes, while still others tried to get articles in their local papers on what the Slovaks in the community were doing. Another point discussed was the question of why there exists today so many different fraternal organizations. The concensus was that the unification of all fraternals into one large body with a substantial financial power could be a great new force in Slovak circles. We felt that the days of the dues-paying fraternals were numbered and that only one giant organization could keep the youth involved and interested in the ideals on which those many fraternals were originally founded. The third and most important point stressed throughout those morning discussions was the new Ethnic Heritage Studies Programs Act which had been passed by Congress in 1972. To date, however, no governmental funds have as yet been appropriated. Everyone agreed that the establishment of a Slovak ethnic studies center and the further government funding of existing academic, library, and Slovak language facilities was the most constructive way of educating the public and more important of providing our own youth with the educational opportunities (language courses, majors in Slovak studies for college students, a possible central publishing house and extensive monthly magazine or Slovak newspaper on events happening in Slovakia, etc.) to thoroughly investigate all aspects of the Slovak heritage and identity. The youth members present also requested the entire conference and heads of fraternals to support this Act by publishing in their journals, newspapers, and magazines a letter to encourage all readers to write to their legislators �94 SLOVAKIA to put pressure on the executive branch to fund these centers. During lunch, we heard a distinguished guest speaker, State Senator Michael A. O'Pake, of Pennsylvania. He encouraged us all to be proud of our Slovak heritage. Himself half Slovak, he pointed out the qualities in the Slovak people which we should be most proud of and pleaded to the assembly and to all Slovaks to become involved in the governmental system. He stated that, unlike other ethnic groups, the Slovaks never really took an interest in politics and it is high time that they did, as a group and as individuals. He also requested that we support local Slovak candidates for office. After lunch was over, we all assembled for a general meeting in which the youth and the older members informed one another of what had been discussed during their morning session. At the close of business, the Conference adjourned until next year. As I left the Statler Hilton Hotel, where the Conference had taken place, I had a feeling of rejuvenation, as if something inside of me had been reborn. I was also quite ashamed of my lack of knowledge of many aspects of Slovak culture as well as my almost total uncomprehension of the talks given in Slovak in which I could only catch a glimpse of a word here and there. I resolved to rectify both situations immediately. While riding home on the train, many ideas and thoughts for next year's Conference began to form in my mind and I would like to share them here. The major problem among the youth that I found when discussing a topic was the large age difference of the participants. Young people from 15 to 35 years of age were there and many discussions were beyond some. I feel that a Conference should be held for those ranging in age from 14 to 18 (high school level) and supervised by the young adult group. Or, at least next year, there should be separation into three age groups rather than two. As a college student and an M.A. candidate, I would hope to see in the near future a more scholarly symposium lasting perhaps a weekend with guest lecturers and speakers �SLOVAKIA 95 (university professors, Slovak political leaders, from here and from abroad, if possible, authors of books on Slovakia, etc.) in which students, teachers, and other interested parties could meet to discuss problems and topics on Slovak history, politics, language, literature and art. I would also like to see a weekend cultural fair as part of the Conference. It could include displays on all aspects of Slovak art, crafts, costumes, dancing, music as well as many others so that the non-Slovak public could also come and learn. Finally, I would like to see a quarterly or, if possible, monthly newsleter published for the young adult age group of 19 to 35. In it could be articles on what groups throughout the country were doing. This newsletter might also serve as a directory, constantly being up-dated, of, for example, where Slovak could be learned, what universities and colleges give courses in aspects of Slovak culture and ethnic studies, the availability of guest lecturers for groups, any news of trips to Slovakia, news of Slovak arts and crafts exhibits at local museums, etc., as well as language lessons, news items on what is happening in Slovakia from the press, and a listing of the latest books and articles published on Slovakia. I have tried to relate my own experiences at the 1973 Slovak League of America Conference. I have also made suggestions for future Conferences, proposed some new ideas. I would welcome any criticisms or further suggestions regarding the proposals I have presented. In summation I can say that this Conference has only wet my appetite to learn more about my Slovak heritage and my role as a Slovak-American. I look forward to the 1974 Conference with great anticipation and would encourage more youth to attend and voice their opinions. THE NOV .A SCENA dramatic company premiered Ivan Stodola's original ''Diogenes" version on the stage in Bratislava last May to celebrate the Slovak playwright's 85th birthday. � 92 SLOVAKIA Some Personal Observations on the 1973 Slovak League of America Conference By Susan Po j er, B .A. In March of 1973 I was asked to participate in the Slovak League of America Conference held on May 19, 1973, as a youth panel member, but was hesitant at first to accept because I felt that I had nothing of any value to contribute to such a gathering. Although I am a young Slovak-American and have a B.A. degree in European history, I must confess that I knew very little about the history and political development of Slovakia. My knowledge of the language and my ability to speak and understand Slovak had dwindled to a few words and phrases over the years. Fortunately for me, I still belong to a predominantly Slovak parish and my parents have maintained many of the Slovak customs and traditions so that I was not totally out of touch with my Slovak heritage. As I researched my own topic for discussion ( Slovak Folk Art) I began to get a glimpse into the nature of the Slovak people - their longing for beauty in the midst of poverty and hardship, their toughness and practicality in their everyday dealings with life and their piety and reverence for God and his creations. I started to experience a new-found pride in my ethnic background and in my ancestors which was strengthened at the Conference where I saw young and old come together to share their own feelings as to what means to be a Slovak-American. During the morning session, we were all separated into two panel groups (the youth and the older members) . During the youth session many areas were discussed covering a wide range of topics - the new Ethnic Heritage Studies Programs Act (Sen. Schweiker's Ethnic Studies Act), fraternal societies, a trip to Slovakia, Slovakia in �SLOVAKIA 93 history, and my own on Slovak folk art. After these talks were over, a general discussion ensued in which three major points were emphasized. The role of Slovak youth in educating the public and even re-educating their own parents as well as themselves was a topic heatedly discussed. Groups from many states elaborated on what they, as Slovak-Americans, were doing in their areas to help perpetuate the Slovak heritage and inform the public. Some had formed social clubs, others held language classes, while still others tried to get articles in their local papers on what the Slovaks in the community were doing. Another point discussed was the question of why there exists today so many different fraternal organizations. The concensus was that the unification of all fraternals into one large body with a substantial financial power could be a great new force in Slovak circles. We felt that the days of the dues-paying fraternals were numbered and that only one giant organization could keep the youth involved and interested in the ideals on which those many fraternals were originally founded. The third and most important point stressed throughout those morning discussions was the new Ethnic Heritage Studies Programs Act which had been passed by Congress in 1972. To date, however, no governmental funds have as yet been appropriated. Everyone agreed that the establishment of a Slovak ethnic studies center and the further government funding of existing academic, library, and Slovak language facilities was the most constructive way of educating the public and more important of providing our own youth with the educational opportunities (language courses, majors in Slovak studies for college students, a possible central publishing house and extensive monthly magazine or Slovak newspaper on events happening in Slovakia, etc.) to thoroughly investigate all aspects of the Slovak heritage and identity. The youth members present also requested the entire conference and heads of fraternals to support this Act by publishing in their journals, newspapers, and magazines a letter to encourage all readers to write to their legislators �94 SLOVAKIA to put pressure on the executive branch to fund these centers. During lunch, we heard a distinguished guest speaker, State Senator Michael A. O'Pake, of Pennsylvania. He encouraged us all to be proud of our Slovak heritage. Himself half Slovak, he pointed out the qualities in the Slovak people which we should be most proud of and pleaded to the assembly and to all Slovaks to become involved in the governmental system. He stated that, unlike other ethnic groups, the Slovaks never really took an interest in politics and it is high time that they did, as a group and as individuals. He also requested that we support local Slovak candidates for office. After lunch was over, we all assembled for a general meeting in which the youth and the older members informed one another of what had been discussed during their morning session. At the close of business, the Conference adjourned until next year. As I left the Statler Hilton Hotel, where the Conference had taken place, I had a feeling of rejuvenation, as if something inside of me had been reborn. I was also quite ashamed of my lack of knowledge of many aspects of Slovak culture as well as my almost total uncomprehension of the talks given in Slovak in which I could only catch a glimpse of a word here and there. I resolved to rectify both situations immediately. While riding home on the train, many ideas and thoughts for next year's Conference began to form in my mind and I would like to share them here. The major problem among the youth that I found when discussing a topic was the large age difference of the participants. Young people from 15 to 35 years of age were there and many discussions were beyond some. I feel that a Conference should be held for those ranging in age from 14 to 18 (high school level) and supervised by the young adult group. Or, at least next year, there should be separation into three age groups rather than two. As a college student and an M.A. candidate, I would hope to see in the near future a more scholarly symposium lasting perhaps a weekend with guest lecturers and speakers �SLOVAKIA 95 (university professors, Slovak political leaders, from here and from abroad, if possible, authors of books on Slovakia, etc.) in which students, teachers, and other interested parties could meet to discuss problems and topics on Slovak history, politics, language, literature and art. I would also like to see a weekend cultural fair as part of the Conference. It could include displays on all aspects of Slovak art, crafts, costumes, dancing, music as well as many others so that the non-Slovak public could also come and learn. Finally, I would like to see a quarterly or, if possible, monthly newsleter published for the young adult age group of 19 to 35. In it could be articles on what groups throughout the country were doing. This newsletter might also serve as a directory, constantly being up-dated, of, for example, where Slovak could be learned, what universities and colleges give courses in aspects of Slovak culture and ethnic studies, the availability of guest lecturers for groups, any news of trips to Slovakia, news of Slovak arts and crafts exhibits at local museums, etc., as well as language lessons, news items on what is happening in Slovakia from the press, and a listing of the latest books and articles published on Slovakia. I have tried to relate my own experiences at the 1973 Slovak League of America Conference. I have also made suggestions for future Conferences, proposed some new ideas. I would welcome any criticisms or further suggestions regarding the proposals I have presented. In summation I can say that this Conference has only wet my appetite to learn more about my Slovak heritage and my role as a Slovak-American. I look forward to the 1974 Conference with great anticipation and would encourage more youth to attend and voice their opinions. THE NOV .A SCENA dramatic company premiered Ivan Stodola's original ''Diogenes" version on the stage in Bratislava last May to celebrate the Slovak playwright's 85th birthday. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1974, Vol. 24 Description An account of the resource Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document 92 SLOVAKIA Some Personal Observations on the 1973 Slovak League of America Conference By Susan Po j er, B .A. In March of 1973 I was asked to participate in the Slovak League of America Conference held on May 19, 1973, as a youth panel member, but was hesitant at first to accept because I felt that I had nothing of any value to contribute to such a gathering. Although I am a young Slovak-American and have a B.A. degree in European history, I must confess that I knew very little about the history and political development of Slovakia. My knowledge of the language and my ability to speak and understand Slovak had dwindled to a few words and phrases over the years. Fortunately for me, I still belong to a predominantly Slovak parish and my parents have maintained many of the Slovak customs and traditions so that I was not totally out of touch with my Slovak heritage. As I researched my own topic for discussion ( Slovak Folk Art) I began to get a glimpse into the nature of the Slovak people - their longing for beauty in the midst of poverty and hardship, their toughness and practicality in their everyday dealings with life and their piety and reverence for God and his creations. I started to experience a new-found pride in my ethnic background and in my ancestors which was strengthened at the Conference where I saw young and old come together to share their own feelings as to what means to be a Slovak-American. During the morning session, we were all separated into two panel groups (the youth and the older members) . During the youth session many areas were discussed covering a wide range of topics - the new Ethnic Heritage Studies Programs Act (Sen. Schweiker's Ethnic Studies Act), fraternal societies, a trip to Slovakia, Slovakia in SLOVAKIA 93 history, and my own on Slovak folk art. After these talks were over, a general discussion ensued in which three major points were emphasized. The role of Slovak youth in educating the public and even re-educating their own parents as well as themselves was a topic heatedly discussed. Groups from many states elaborated on what they, as Slovak-Americans, were doing in their areas to help perpetuate the Slovak heritage and inform the public. Some had formed social clubs, others held language classes, while still others tried to get articles in their local papers on what the Slovaks in the community were doing. Another point discussed was the question of why there exists today so many different fraternal organizations. The concensus was that the unification of all fraternals into one large body with a substantial financial power could be a great new force in Slovak circles. We felt that the days of the dues-paying fraternals were numbered and that only one giant organization could keep the youth involved and interested in the ideals on which those many fraternals were originally founded. The third and most important point stressed throughout those morning discussions was the new Ethnic Heritage Studies Programs Act which had been passed by Congress in 1972. To date, however, no governmental funds have as yet been appropriated. Everyone agreed that the establishment of a Slovak ethnic studies center and the further government funding of existing academic, library, and Slovak language facilities was the most constructive way of educating the public and more important of providing our own youth with the educational opportunities (language courses, majors in Slovak studies for college students, a possible central publishing house and extensive monthly magazine or Slovak newspaper on events happening in Slovakia, etc.) to thoroughly investigate all aspects of the Slovak heritage and identity. The youth members present also requested the entire conference and heads of fraternals to support this Act by publishing in their journals, newspapers, and magazines a letter to encourage all readers to write to their legislators 94 SLOVAKIA to put pressure on the executive branch to fund these centers. During lunch, we heard a distinguished guest speaker, State Senator Michael A. O'Pake, of Pennsylvania. He encouraged us all to be proud of our Slovak heritage. Himself half Slovak, he pointed out the qualities in the Slovak people which we should be most proud of and pleaded to the assembly and to all Slovaks to become involved in the governmental system. He stated that, unlike other ethnic groups, the Slovaks never really took an interest in politics and it is high time that they did, as a group and as individuals. He also requested that we support local Slovak candidates for office. After lunch was over, we all assembled for a general meeting in which the youth and the older members informed one another of what had been discussed during their morning session. At the close of business, the Conference adjourned until next year. As I left the Statler Hilton Hotel, where the Conference had taken place, I had a feeling of rejuvenation, as if something inside of me had been reborn. I was also quite ashamed of my lack of knowledge of many aspects of Slovak culture as well as my almost total uncomprehension of the talks given in Slovak in which I could only catch a glimpse of a word here and there. I resolved to rectify both situations immediately. While riding home on the train, many ideas and thoughts for next year's Conference began to form in my mind and I would like to share them here. The major problem among the youth that I found when discussing a topic was the large age difference of the participants. Young people from 15 to 35 years of age were there and many discussions were beyond some. I feel that a Conference should be held for those ranging in age from 14 to 18 (high school level) and supervised by the young adult group. Or, at least next year, there should be separation into three age groups rather than two. As a college student and an M.A. candidate, I would hope to see in the near future a more scholarly symposium lasting perhaps a weekend with guest lecturers and speakers SLOVAKIA 95 (university professors, Slovak political leaders, from here and from abroad, if possible, authors of books on Slovakia, etc.) in which students, teachers, and other interested parties could meet to discuss problems and topics on Slovak history, politics, language, literature and art. I would also like to see a weekend cultural fair as part of the Conference. It could include displays on all aspects of Slovak art, crafts, costumes, dancing, music as well as many others so that the non-Slovak public could also come and learn. Finally, I would like to see a quarterly or, if possible, monthly newsleter published for the young adult age group of 19 to 35. In it could be articles on what groups throughout the country were doing. This newsletter might also serve as a directory, constantly being up-dated, of, for example, where Slovak could be learned, what universities and colleges give courses in aspects of Slovak culture and ethnic studies, the availability of guest lecturers for groups, any news of trips to Slovakia, news of Slovak arts and crafts exhibits at local museums, etc., as well as language lessons, news items on what is happening in Slovakia from the press, and a listing of the latest books and articles published on Slovakia. I have tried to relate my own experiences at the 1973 Slovak League of America Conference. I have also made suggestions for future Conferences, proposed some new ideas. I would welcome any criticisms or further suggestions regarding the proposals I have presented. In summation I can say that this Conference has only wet my appetite to learn more about my Slovak heritage and my role as a Slovak-American. I look forward to the 1974 Conference with great anticipation and would encourage more youth to attend and voice their opinions. THE NOV .A SCENA dramatic company premiered Ivan Stodola's original ''Diogenes" version on the stage in Bratislava last May to celebrate the Slovak playwright's 85th birthday.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Some Personal Observations on the 1973 Slovak League of America Conference Description An account of the resource Susan Pojer, B.A. Slovakia, Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974 pp. 92-95 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Pojer, Susan Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 name https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/baa86b620a0ddcc8f8f978c58ea65751.pdf eeee6049adb987da89aae71e4b5ae408 PDF Text Text 88 SLOVAKIA The Youth Conference Slovak League of America SATURDAY, MAY 19, 1973, STATLER HILTON HOTEL, NEW YORK, N. Y. The Youth Conference of the Slovak League of America was held on Saturday, May 19, 1973 at the Statler Hilton Hotel in New York City. The panel was opened by Mr. Daniel F. Tanzone of Yonkers, N. Y. who served in the capacity of chairman of the panel and welcomed the delegates and introduced the members of the panel. Mr. Tanzone gave the opening address of the panel whose theme was 'Cultural Pluralism in contemporary American Society.' Each member of the panel read a brief address of a particular aspect relevant to the general theme of the conference. Members of the panel included: Miss Marilyn Blazek of Yonkers, N. Y. who spoke on the upcoming bill in copgress to establish ethnic centers in various parts of the U:nited States; Miss Susan Pojer of Yonkers, N. Y. who developed a talk within the aspect of Slovak culture and the ~rts; Miss Donna Sromovsky of Edison, N. J. who represented the First Catholic Slovak Ladies Association and gave talk on the contribution made by her society to Slovak culture and heritage through its resent national youth . congress held in Cleveland, Ohio; Miss Luby Holy qf West Paterson, N. J. who spoke on her recent visit to Slovakia and developed the idea of the rich natural beauties offered by the land of our ancestors; Mr. Joseph J . Krajsa of Middletown, Pa., who represented the First Catholic Slovak Union, gave a talk on the role played by his society in the past, present and some ideas for the future of Slovak life in America; and finally Mr. John Kovalovsky of Passaic, N. J . who represented the Slovak Catholic Sokol and spoke of the outstanding program offered members of his society in the area of gymnastics and athletics. Various topics were discussed and several weighty �SLOVAKIA 89 questions and observations were made by the participating delegates and panelists. The recommendations and observations were aimed at solving some of the pressing problems facing Slovak organizations and the preservation of the Slovak heritage in general. A general observation made was the evident lack of unity of Slovak fraternal societies in America today. The potential strength both in membership and achievement of one large Slovak fraternal society was discussed. Various programs both educational and cultural were suggested on a mass scale, possible if there were one Slovak fraternal with a membership of some one half million and assets of over one hundred million dollars with twenty or thirty millions of dollars in unassigned funds. The current losses were noted in all existing Slovak fraternals and membership loss is the greatest single factor which will usher the total demise of Slovak fraternalism if something is not done to alter the current trend. The youth present detected the very negative trait of jealousy among the leadership of our societies and advised that unless we can rid our ranks of this hazardous trait very little progress will be made. However a sharp warning was given Slovak fraternals who wish to become mere insurance companies - for then they serve no purpose in the cultural, social and fraternal lives of their memberships . The delegates seriously recommended that the Slovak fraternal societies within the framework of the Slovak League give serious consideration to merging by the end of this decade. The delegates wholeheartedly approved the bill now in congress aimed at establishing ethnic centers in various parts of the United States. The delegates recommended that the Slovak League of America, as the representative of organized Americans of Slovak descent, continue its interest and support for this program. Of major consequence to many delegates was the lack of sufficient research material in English on Slovak topics . The delegates encourage the Slovak League of America and the member societies to establish literary funds to aid in the translating of works from Slovak into English and other Western languages and to encourage young American students of Slovak descent to choose topics from Slovak �90 SLOVAKIA history, culture, and the arts for academic dissertations and to• publish such works as permanent contributions to American Slovakiana. There is a need for a Slovak encyclopedia written in English and also a Slovak Who's Who Unless we of Slovak origin can educate and if necessary re-educate the American public through literature in West• em languages, the Slovak nation will continue to · be misunderstood in historical and political science circles in America and other Western nations. Slovak organizations must not remain provincial in their outlook but must be willing to be innovative and tactful if we are to prove to American historians and political scientists that we are descended from a distinct nation with its own history culture, language and free from any appendage or colonial philosophy which exists in many academic circles in the West. Of paramount importance is to see that the present generations and those of the future born of Slovak parentage know their roots in order to be a contributing segment of American society. The delegates were in agreement that the Slovak nation at home be free of all outside intervention whether it be Prague or Moscow. Political, economic and ideological threats from outside sources must cease and the Slovak nation, like all nations under the sun, must be master of its own destiny and be free to choose the form of government best suited to its culture and traditions. The Slovak nation, like all other nations, is endowed with certain God-given rights of freedom, justice and self-deter• mination to stand among the great family of nations as master of its own destiny. The Slovaks should not be considered as an appendage or colony of any other nation but should stand on its own integrity as a civilized nation with a culture and tradition of over eleven centuries. The people of Slovakia should be afforded the right to choose their future path among the family of nations. A plebiscite should be the vehicle for the Slovak people to choose whether to stay within the federalized Central Europe or rather work for the re-establishment of a completely independent Slovakia free to choose its own destiny and capable to speak for the Slovak nation among the nations of the world. Always to �SLOVAKIA 91 be condemned is chauvinism of the Czech or Russian school as diametrically oposed to true Slovak political expression. The delegates recommend that the Holy Father Pope Paul VI establish Metropolitan provinces for both the Roman and Byzantine Rites in Slovakia and to settle the long overdue question of ecclesiastical jurisdiction in Slovakia. The Slovak nation must not stand for any ecclesiastical chauvinism on the part of Czech or Magyar ecclesiastics. A Cardinal should be appointed for Slovakia, a staunchy Catholic country for over eleven centuries. In conclusion the Slovak League of America is to be commended for sponsoring a very productive conference of youth and encourages future conferences in various cities of the United States. Daniel F. T a n z o n e, Chairman, Youth Panel THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA is an AMERICAN INSTITUTION; it was organized May 26, 1907, at Cleveland, 0 ., by the Rev. Stephen Furdek. THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA is dedicated to American Democracy, the American way of life, and encourages Americans of Slovak descent to be loyal and alert citizens of America; it urges and aids Slovak emigrants to become U. S. citizens by publishing appropriate manuals and brochures in Slovak and English. THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA firmly believes in the American principle of self-determination of all nations, the inherent and God-given right of every nation, whether large or small, to freedom and independence, the right of every nation to freely choose its own form of government and freely elect persons of its own choice by v1hom it shall be governed. THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA is interested primarily in promoting the welfare and security of the United States of America. � 88 SLOVAKIA The Youth Conference Slovak League of America SATURDAY, MAY 19, 1973, STATLER HILTON HOTEL, NEW YORK, N. Y. The Youth Conference of the Slovak League of America was held on Saturday, May 19, 1973 at the Statler Hilton Hotel in New York City. The panel was opened by Mr. Daniel F. Tanzone of Yonkers, N. Y. who served in the capacity of chairman of the panel and welcomed the delegates and introduced the members of the panel. Mr. Tanzone gave the opening address of the panel whose theme was 'Cultural Pluralism in contemporary American Society.' Each member of the panel read a brief address of a particular aspect relevant to the general theme of the conference. Members of the panel included: Miss Marilyn Blazek of Yonkers, N. Y. who spoke on the upcoming bill in copgress to establish ethnic centers in various parts of the U:nited States; Miss Susan Pojer of Yonkers, N. Y. who developed a talk within the aspect of Slovak culture and the ~rts; Miss Donna Sromovsky of Edison, N. J. who represented the First Catholic Slovak Ladies Association and gave talk on the contribution made by her society to Slovak culture and heritage through its resent national youth . congress held in Cleveland, Ohio; Miss Luby Holy qf West Paterson, N. J. who spoke on her recent visit to Slovakia and developed the idea of the rich natural beauties offered by the land of our ancestors; Mr. Joseph J . Krajsa of Middletown, Pa., who represented the First Catholic Slovak Union, gave a talk on the role played by his society in the past, present and some ideas for the future of Slovak life in America; and finally Mr. John Kovalovsky of Passaic, N. J . who represented the Slovak Catholic Sokol and spoke of the outstanding program offered members of his society in the area of gymnastics and athletics. Various topics were discussed and several weighty �SLOVAKIA 89 questions and observations were made by the participating delegates and panelists. The recommendations and observations were aimed at solving some of the pressing problems facing Slovak organizations and the preservation of the Slovak heritage in general. A general observation made was the evident lack of unity of Slovak fraternal societies in America today. The potential strength both in membership and achievement of one large Slovak fraternal society was discussed. Various programs both educational and cultural were suggested on a mass scale, possible if there were one Slovak fraternal with a membership of some one half million and assets of over one hundred million dollars with twenty or thirty millions of dollars in unassigned funds. The current losses were noted in all existing Slovak fraternals and membership loss is the greatest single factor which will usher the total demise of Slovak fraternalism if something is not done to alter the current trend. The youth present detected the very negative trait of jealousy among the leadership of our societies and advised that unless we can rid our ranks of this hazardous trait very little progress will be made. However a sharp warning was given Slovak fraternals who wish to become mere insurance companies - for then they serve no purpose in the cultural, social and fraternal lives of their memberships . The delegates seriously recommended that the Slovak fraternal societies within the framework of the Slovak League give serious consideration to merging by the end of this decade. The delegates wholeheartedly approved the bill now in congress aimed at establishing ethnic centers in various parts of the United States. The delegates recommended that the Slovak League of America, as the representative of organized Americans of Slovak descent, continue its interest and support for this program. Of major consequence to many delegates was the lack of sufficient research material in English on Slovak topics . The delegates encourage the Slovak League of America and the member societies to establish literary funds to aid in the translating of works from Slovak into English and other Western languages and to encourage young American students of Slovak descent to choose topics from Slovak �90 SLOVAKIA history, culture, and the arts for academic dissertations and to• publish such works as permanent contributions to American Slovakiana. There is a need for a Slovak encyclopedia written in English and also a Slovak Who's Who Unless we of Slovak origin can educate and if necessary re-educate the American public through literature in West• em languages, the Slovak nation will continue to · be misunderstood in historical and political science circles in America and other Western nations. Slovak organizations must not remain provincial in their outlook but must be willing to be innovative and tactful if we are to prove to American historians and political scientists that we are descended from a distinct nation with its own history culture, language and free from any appendage or colonial philosophy which exists in many academic circles in the West. Of paramount importance is to see that the present generations and those of the future born of Slovak parentage know their roots in order to be a contributing segment of American society. The delegates were in agreement that the Slovak nation at home be free of all outside intervention whether it be Prague or Moscow. Political, economic and ideological threats from outside sources must cease and the Slovak nation, like all nations under the sun, must be master of its own destiny and be free to choose the form of government best suited to its culture and traditions. The Slovak nation, like all other nations, is endowed with certain God-given rights of freedom, justice and self-deter• mination to stand among the great family of nations as master of its own destiny. The Slovaks should not be considered as an appendage or colony of any other nation but should stand on its own integrity as a civilized nation with a culture and tradition of over eleven centuries. The people of Slovakia should be afforded the right to choose their future path among the family of nations. A plebiscite should be the vehicle for the Slovak people to choose whether to stay within the federalized Central Europe or rather work for the re-establishment of a completely independent Slovakia free to choose its own destiny and capable to speak for the Slovak nation among the nations of the world. Always to �SLOVAKIA 91 be condemned is chauvinism of the Czech or Russian school as diametrically oposed to true Slovak political expression. The delegates recommend that the Holy Father Pope Paul VI establish Metropolitan provinces for both the Roman and Byzantine Rites in Slovakia and to settle the long overdue question of ecclesiastical jurisdiction in Slovakia. The Slovak nation must not stand for any ecclesiastical chauvinism on the part of Czech or Magyar ecclesiastics. A Cardinal should be appointed for Slovakia, a staunchy Catholic country for over eleven centuries. In conclusion the Slovak League of America is to be commended for sponsoring a very productive conference of youth and encourages future conferences in various cities of the United States. Daniel F. T a n z o n e, Chairman, Youth Panel THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA is an AMERICAN INSTITUTION; it was organized May 26, 1907, at Cleveland, 0 ., by the Rev. Stephen Furdek. THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA is dedicated to American Democracy, the American way of life, and encourages Americans of Slovak descent to be loyal and alert citizens of America; it urges and aids Slovak emigrants to become U. S. citizens by publishing appropriate manuals and brochures in Slovak and English. THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA firmly believes in the American principle of self-determination of all nations, the inherent and God-given right of every nation, whether large or small, to freedom and independence, the right of every nation to freely choose its own form of government and freely elect persons of its own choice by v1hom it shall be governed. THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA is interested primarily in promoting the welfare and security of the United States of America. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1974, Vol. 24 Description An account of the resource Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document 88 SLOVAKIA The Youth Conference Slovak League of America SATURDAY, MAY 19, 1973, STATLER HILTON HOTEL, NEW YORK, N. Y. The Youth Conference of the Slovak League of America was held on Saturday, May 19, 1973 at the Statler Hilton Hotel in New York City. The panel was opened by Mr. Daniel F. Tanzone of Yonkers, N. Y. who served in the capacity of chairman of the panel and welcomed the delegates and introduced the members of the panel. Mr. Tanzone gave the opening address of the panel whose theme was 'Cultural Pluralism in contemporary American Society.' Each member of the panel read a brief address of a particular aspect relevant to the general theme of the conference. Members of the panel included: Miss Marilyn Blazek of Yonkers, N. Y. who spoke on the upcoming bill in copgress to establish ethnic centers in various parts of the U:nited States; Miss Susan Pojer of Yonkers, N. Y. who developed a talk within the aspect of Slovak culture and the ~rts; Miss Donna Sromovsky of Edison, N. J. who represented the First Catholic Slovak Ladies Association and gave talk on the contribution made by her society to Slovak culture and heritage through its resent national youth . congress held in Cleveland, Ohio; Miss Luby Holy qf West Paterson, N. J. who spoke on her recent visit to Slovakia and developed the idea of the rich natural beauties offered by the land of our ancestors; Mr. Joseph J . Krajsa of Middletown, Pa., who represented the First Catholic Slovak Union, gave a talk on the role played by his society in the past, present and some ideas for the future of Slovak life in America; and finally Mr. John Kovalovsky of Passaic, N. J . who represented the Slovak Catholic Sokol and spoke of the outstanding program offered members of his society in the area of gymnastics and athletics. Various topics were discussed and several weighty SLOVAKIA 89 questions and observations were made by the participating delegates and panelists. The recommendations and observations were aimed at solving some of the pressing problems facing Slovak organizations and the preservation of the Slovak heritage in general. A general observation made was the evident lack of unity of Slovak fraternal societies in America today. The potential strength both in membership and achievement of one large Slovak fraternal society was discussed. Various programs both educational and cultural were suggested on a mass scale, possible if there were one Slovak fraternal with a membership of some one half million and assets of over one hundred million dollars with twenty or thirty millions of dollars in unassigned funds. The current losses were noted in all existing Slovak fraternals and membership loss is the greatest single factor which will usher the total demise of Slovak fraternalism if something is not done to alter the current trend. The youth present detected the very negative trait of jealousy among the leadership of our societies and advised that unless we can rid our ranks of this hazardous trait very little progress will be made. However a sharp warning was given Slovak fraternals who wish to become mere insurance companies - for then they serve no purpose in the cultural, social and fraternal lives of their memberships . The delegates seriously recommended that the Slovak fraternal societies within the framework of the Slovak League give serious consideration to merging by the end of this decade. The delegates wholeheartedly approved the bill now in congress aimed at establishing ethnic centers in various parts of the United States. The delegates recommended that the Slovak League of America, as the representative of organized Americans of Slovak descent, continue its interest and support for this program. Of major consequence to many delegates was the lack of sufficient research material in English on Slovak topics . The delegates encourage the Slovak League of America and the member societies to establish literary funds to aid in the translating of works from Slovak into English and other Western languages and to encourage young American students of Slovak descent to choose topics from Slovak 90 SLOVAKIA history, culture, and the arts for academic dissertations and to• publish such works as permanent contributions to American Slovakiana. There is a need for a Slovak encyclopedia written in English and also a Slovak Who's Who Unless we of Slovak origin can educate and if necessary re-educate the American public through literature in West• em languages, the Slovak nation will continue to · be misunderstood in historical and political science circles in America and other Western nations. Slovak organizations must not remain provincial in their outlook but must be willing to be innovative and tactful if we are to prove to American historians and political scientists that we are descended from a distinct nation with its own history culture, language and free from any appendage or colonial philosophy which exists in many academic circles in the West. Of paramount importance is to see that the present generations and those of the future born of Slovak parentage know their roots in order to be a contributing segment of American society. The delegates were in agreement that the Slovak nation at home be free of all outside intervention whether it be Prague or Moscow. Political, economic and ideological threats from outside sources must cease and the Slovak nation, like all nations under the sun, must be master of its own destiny and be free to choose the form of government best suited to its culture and traditions. The Slovak nation, like all other nations, is endowed with certain God-given rights of freedom, justice and self-deter• mination to stand among the great family of nations as master of its own destiny. The Slovaks should not be considered as an appendage or colony of any other nation but should stand on its own integrity as a civilized nation with a culture and tradition of over eleven centuries. The people of Slovakia should be afforded the right to choose their future path among the family of nations. A plebiscite should be the vehicle for the Slovak people to choose whether to stay within the federalized Central Europe or rather work for the re-establishment of a completely independent Slovakia free to choose its own destiny and capable to speak for the Slovak nation among the nations of the world. Always to SLOVAKIA 91 be condemned is chauvinism of the Czech or Russian school as diametrically oposed to true Slovak political expression. The delegates recommend that the Holy Father Pope Paul VI establish Metropolitan provinces for both the Roman and Byzantine Rites in Slovakia and to settle the long overdue question of ecclesiastical jurisdiction in Slovakia. The Slovak nation must not stand for any ecclesiastical chauvinism on the part of Czech or Magyar ecclesiastics. A Cardinal should be appointed for Slovakia, a staunchy Catholic country for over eleven centuries. In conclusion the Slovak League of America is to be commended for sponsoring a very productive conference of youth and encourages future conferences in various cities of the United States. Daniel F. T a n z o n e, Chairman, Youth Panel THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA is an AMERICAN INSTITUTION; it was organized May 26, 1907, at Cleveland, 0 ., by the Rev. Stephen Furdek. THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA is dedicated to American Democracy, the American way of life, and encourages Americans of Slovak descent to be loyal and alert citizens of America; it urges and aids Slovak emigrants to become U. S. citizens by publishing appropriate manuals and brochures in Slovak and English. THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA firmly believes in the American principle of self-determination of all nations, the inherent and God-given right of every nation, whether large or small, to freedom and independence, the right of every nation to freely choose its own form of government and freely elect persons of its own choice by v1hom it shall be governed. THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA is interested primarily in promoting the welfare and security of the United States of America.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Youth Conference - Slovak League of America Description An account of the resource Daniel F. Tanzone Slovakia, Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974 pp. 88-91 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tanzone, Daniel F. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 name https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/efdd0fb781b17d3de5567c2e9c360e4f.pdf 2b61d04f355f3bfeebd984321c4e80f0 PDF Text Text 84 SLOVAKIA Slovak Heritage By Michael O'P a k e, Esq. There were only three of us on deck that cold, foggy morning-Joseph, Stephen and I. On the distant horizon we could percive the faint outline of a women, standing like a sentinel in the middle of New York harbor. As we drew closer, her haunting voice seemed to penetrate the very depths of our souls and even brought tears to the eyes of my Slovak friends: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free; the wretched refuse of your teeming shore; send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me." I watched Joseph who had been hungry and persecuted, brainwashed and forced by the party to sell his soul for the "glorious revolution of the proletariat." I followed Stephen who, untouched by freedom, had not been able to voice his own opinion or never able to worship his God. I thought of the other millions of enslaved human-beings, drifting helplessly on the sea of uncertainty, brutality, and prejudice-starvin g for a taste of freedom. I wondered what the Statue of Liberty thought when Joseph, in a voice choked up joy, said to her: "I wonder what it's like to be free." Yes, I learned a lesson that morning. We, the youth of America, as well as you . . . and you . . . and you-take freedom for granted. Little do we realize that it was bought with and protected by a precious coin-the blood spilled by the Joes and Jims at Bunker Hill, Gettysburg, at the Marne and on Heartbreak Ridge. Because these men died, we are free to live-to talk, laugh, and pray freedom. Freedom is a process-it must be handled and practiced in order to be known and loved. If freedom were taken away from American, then would we truly appreciate what a precious heritage that freedom is. Perhaps, then, fathers would be thankful that every man's home is his castle where he reigns king. Maybe mothers would appreciate being free to pray and equally important, to teach little Johnny or Susie the Our Father, the Hail Mary or a Psalm. Perhaps then and only then would 167 million Americans wake up! Then would they realize that their God- �SLOVAKIA 85 given rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness could be snatched away and buried on the other side of the Iron Curtain. Perhaps then would all of the grumblers and ·groaners; who praise every century but their own, every country but this, realize that America is a synonym for freedom. , But what are you doing to prevent that dreadful daythe day when America could become freedomless? Oh, you_ celebrate every 4th of July with a picnic and fireworks-you pay your taxes because it's getting harder and harder to cheat -you skip casting your ballot on election day because "it's such a bother" -you separate the black-skinned from the, white in your segregated schools. Is this the way to safeguard our most precious heritage? Is this the way the people of America are answering the little boy's question? The Statue of Liberty, in all her pomp and glory, couldn't answer but we Americans can. What would you say to Joseph if he should. ask you: "I wonder what it's like to be free?" That story, or speech, was written by me in 1956--while still in high school. The thoughts are as valid today as they were 17 years ago but today in 1973-all of us as free proud Slovaks here in America- should be asking ourselves some · additional questions. The freedom and independence and religious liberty which we cherish and about which our ancestors in the old country dreamed-what are we doing to make it a realityin an independent Slovakia? A peaceful and independent Slovakia should be the goal of each and every one of us. One enemy of that goal is Communism. The raucous rumble of the Russian tanks and the screams of the innocent victims of Communist tyranny sinking into pools of their own blood were heard not too long ago in Eastern Europe. The presence and fear are still there. Communism lays its eggs in poverty, feeds on filth, grows in hatred and ignorance and then rears its ugly head for all the world to see. Communism is no idle economic theory for intellectuals to debate. It is a real scourge that saps the lifeblood of a people and subjugates them. It is godless, but it is a powerful religion. It makes machines out of men but they carry out their orders. Communism has threatened to bury us. What is your answer? �86 SLOVAKIA Communism, be it Russian, Chinese or Nationalistic, has always feared religion. That's why it's so important that your efforts to establish Slovakia as an independent religious province be successful. And now is the time. I urge you, Catholics as well as Lutheran and Greek Catholic leaders-to implore the Vatican to recognize now that Slovakia deserves its own cardinal, arehbishops and independent r,eligious ex,istence. I commend you for your efforts in this direction and ask you-are you doing enough? A letter once a year may not convey the sense of urgency and support that thousands of frequent letters from individuals and organizations and maybe even a personal audience. The second question I would like you to ponder-are you satisfied with the moral and political and social climate here in America? Look around you. What do you see? Materialism? This is a more subtle, more insidious growth. Like a cancer, it eats from within to weaken the body of our society. The moral fiber of our nation is slowly taking on the texture of the shiny synthetic creation called pleasure. "Enjoy yourself, it's later than you think." "What counts is a good time." These are the slogans being peddled by today's hucksters of materialism as they count their 30 pieces of silver. Our sense of values is being warped and we're too busy enjoying ourselves to care. Is it any wonder that youth seeks its thrills on the streets when parents are never home either? It is a surprise that marriages don't work when the concept of love has been stripped of its dignity and transformed into lust? Is the business world bribe or political pay-off unusual when a "full day's work for a full day's pay" is a thing of the past? Materialism takes many forms as it gradually weakens our spiritual values. One of the bulwarks against that erosion of values is the unity of the family-a trait so characteristic of the Slovak heritage. Love and closeness of family. We have much to give to America. What else do you see? A third dangerous enemy closely linked to materialism is complacency. "Why bother?" This is the tranquilizer that soothes our minds when a difficult task or problem presents itself. You've heard it many times''Why work harder than you have to, nobody else does?" �SLOVAKIA 87 "Why get involved in politics, it's a crooked game?" And so it goes. The most powerful and most comfortable nation in the world is content to grow fat and soft. The industriousness, the willingness, the pride in work of the Slovak is well-known and respected. But how about the political involvement? Are you satisfied? Are you satisfied that there is no Slovak governor in the entire United States? Are you satisfied that there are so few Slovak Congressmen and Senators? While the Slovaks were busy building churches, the Irish were building political organizations. We can learn a lesson. What else do you see? Another dangerous enemy is lawlessness. People get shook and disgusted ever so often when a national tragedy strikes. As though seared with a burning iron, our minds react and we feel sorry for ourselves-for awhile. But why does it take an assassins bullet to pierce our consciences. The disrespect for law which causes national tragedy starts with small things-with you and me- cheating at school, in the car, at parties, then it's robberies, assaults, drugs, rapes, murders. Draft cards are burned, the American Flag is desecreated, students riot and abuse lawful authority, and then withdraw from all this ugly reality with LSD, the pot party, the trip. God and country have given us law-for the good of us all. Let us respect it and be constructive in changing man's law when needed. No problems are solved by merely being against. Ask not, "Can I get away with it?" ask, "Is this right or wrong?" One way to combat this tide of lawnessness is to channel your energy into active involvement in organizing Slovak organizations, societies and clubs. Are you satisfied with the activities of all of our organizations? Could they be strengthened-by merger, by more youth involvement? These are some of the challenges facing all of us who are interested in freedom for all peoples everywhere. I urge you to do your part right now in achieving that goal. Together we can take the first step that will lead to the goals that all of us hold so dear. (Address given at the Conference of the Slovak League of America, May 19, 1973.) � 84 SLOVAKIA Slovak Heritage By Michael O'P a k e, Esq. There were only three of us on deck that cold, foggy morning-Joseph, Stephen and I. On the distant horizon we could percive the faint outline of a women, standing like a sentinel in the middle of New York harbor. As we drew closer, her haunting voice seemed to penetrate the very depths of our souls and even brought tears to the eyes of my Slovak friends: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free; the wretched refuse of your teeming shore; send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me." I watched Joseph who had been hungry and persecuted, brainwashed and forced by the party to sell his soul for the "glorious revolution of the proletariat." I followed Stephen who, untouched by freedom, had not been able to voice his own opinion or never able to worship his God. I thought of the other millions of enslaved human-beings, drifting helplessly on the sea of uncertainty, brutality, and prejudice-starvin g for a taste of freedom. I wondered what the Statue of Liberty thought when Joseph, in a voice choked up joy, said to her: "I wonder what it's like to be free." Yes, I learned a lesson that morning. We, the youth of America, as well as you . . . and you . . . and you-take freedom for granted. Little do we realize that it was bought with and protected by a precious coin-the blood spilled by the Joes and Jims at Bunker Hill, Gettysburg, at the Marne and on Heartbreak Ridge. Because these men died, we are free to live-to talk, laugh, and pray freedom. Freedom is a process-it must be handled and practiced in order to be known and loved. If freedom were taken away from American, then would we truly appreciate what a precious heritage that freedom is. Perhaps, then, fathers would be thankful that every man's home is his castle where he reigns king. Maybe mothers would appreciate being free to pray and equally important, to teach little Johnny or Susie the Our Father, the Hail Mary or a Psalm. Perhaps then and only then would 167 million Americans wake up! Then would they realize that their God- �SLOVAKIA 85 given rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness could be snatched away and buried on the other side of the Iron Curtain. Perhaps then would all of the grumblers and ·groaners; who praise every century but their own, every country but this, realize that America is a synonym for freedom. , But what are you doing to prevent that dreadful daythe day when America could become freedomless? Oh, you_ celebrate every 4th of July with a picnic and fireworks-you pay your taxes because it's getting harder and harder to cheat -you skip casting your ballot on election day because "it's such a bother" -you separate the black-skinned from the, white in your segregated schools. Is this the way to safeguard our most precious heritage? Is this the way the people of America are answering the little boy's question? The Statue of Liberty, in all her pomp and glory, couldn't answer but we Americans can. What would you say to Joseph if he should. ask you: "I wonder what it's like to be free?" That story, or speech, was written by me in 1956--while still in high school. The thoughts are as valid today as they were 17 years ago but today in 1973-all of us as free proud Slovaks here in America- should be asking ourselves some · additional questions. The freedom and independence and religious liberty which we cherish and about which our ancestors in the old country dreamed-what are we doing to make it a realityin an independent Slovakia? A peaceful and independent Slovakia should be the goal of each and every one of us. One enemy of that goal is Communism. The raucous rumble of the Russian tanks and the screams of the innocent victims of Communist tyranny sinking into pools of their own blood were heard not too long ago in Eastern Europe. The presence and fear are still there. Communism lays its eggs in poverty, feeds on filth, grows in hatred and ignorance and then rears its ugly head for all the world to see. Communism is no idle economic theory for intellectuals to debate. It is a real scourge that saps the lifeblood of a people and subjugates them. It is godless, but it is a powerful religion. It makes machines out of men but they carry out their orders. Communism has threatened to bury us. What is your answer? �86 SLOVAKIA Communism, be it Russian, Chinese or Nationalistic, has always feared religion. That's why it's so important that your efforts to establish Slovakia as an independent religious province be successful. And now is the time. I urge you, Catholics as well as Lutheran and Greek Catholic leaders-to implore the Vatican to recognize now that Slovakia deserves its own cardinal, arehbishops and independent r,eligious ex,istence. I commend you for your efforts in this direction and ask you-are you doing enough? A letter once a year may not convey the sense of urgency and support that thousands of frequent letters from individuals and organizations and maybe even a personal audience. The second question I would like you to ponder-are you satisfied with the moral and political and social climate here in America? Look around you. What do you see? Materialism? This is a more subtle, more insidious growth. Like a cancer, it eats from within to weaken the body of our society. The moral fiber of our nation is slowly taking on the texture of the shiny synthetic creation called pleasure. "Enjoy yourself, it's later than you think." "What counts is a good time." These are the slogans being peddled by today's hucksters of materialism as they count their 30 pieces of silver. Our sense of values is being warped and we're too busy enjoying ourselves to care. Is it any wonder that youth seeks its thrills on the streets when parents are never home either? It is a surprise that marriages don't work when the concept of love has been stripped of its dignity and transformed into lust? Is the business world bribe or political pay-off unusual when a "full day's work for a full day's pay" is a thing of the past? Materialism takes many forms as it gradually weakens our spiritual values. One of the bulwarks against that erosion of values is the unity of the family-a trait so characteristic of the Slovak heritage. Love and closeness of family. We have much to give to America. What else do you see? A third dangerous enemy closely linked to materialism is complacency. "Why bother?" This is the tranquilizer that soothes our minds when a difficult task or problem presents itself. You've heard it many times''Why work harder than you have to, nobody else does?" �SLOVAKIA 87 "Why get involved in politics, it's a crooked game?" And so it goes. The most powerful and most comfortable nation in the world is content to grow fat and soft. The industriousness, the willingness, the pride in work of the Slovak is well-known and respected. But how about the political involvement? Are you satisfied? Are you satisfied that there is no Slovak governor in the entire United States? Are you satisfied that there are so few Slovak Congressmen and Senators? While the Slovaks were busy building churches, the Irish were building political organizations. We can learn a lesson. What else do you see? Another dangerous enemy is lawlessness. People get shook and disgusted ever so often when a national tragedy strikes. As though seared with a burning iron, our minds react and we feel sorry for ourselves-for awhile. But why does it take an assassins bullet to pierce our consciences. The disrespect for law which causes national tragedy starts with small things-with you and me- cheating at school, in the car, at parties, then it's robberies, assaults, drugs, rapes, murders. Draft cards are burned, the American Flag is desecreated, students riot and abuse lawful authority, and then withdraw from all this ugly reality with LSD, the pot party, the trip. God and country have given us law-for the good of us all. Let us respect it and be constructive in changing man's law when needed. No problems are solved by merely being against. Ask not, "Can I get away with it?" ask, "Is this right or wrong?" One way to combat this tide of lawnessness is to channel your energy into active involvement in organizing Slovak organizations, societies and clubs. Are you satisfied with the activities of all of our organizations? Could they be strengthened-by merger, by more youth involvement? These are some of the challenges facing all of us who are interested in freedom for all peoples everywhere. I urge you to do your part right now in achieving that goal. Together we can take the first step that will lead to the goals that all of us hold so dear. (Address given at the Conference of the Slovak League of America, May 19, 1973.) � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1974, Vol. 24 Description An account of the resource Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document 84 SLOVAKIA Slovak Heritage By Michael O'P a k e, Esq. There were only three of us on deck that cold, foggy morning-Joseph, Stephen and I. On the distant horizon we could percive the faint outline of a women, standing like a sentinel in the middle of New York harbor. As we drew closer, her haunting voice seemed to penetrate the very depths of our souls and even brought tears to the eyes of my Slovak friends: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free; the wretched refuse of your teeming shore; send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me." I watched Joseph who had been hungry and persecuted, brainwashed and forced by the party to sell his soul for the "glorious revolution of the proletariat." I followed Stephen who, untouched by freedom, had not been able to voice his own opinion or never able to worship his God. I thought of the other millions of enslaved human-beings, drifting helplessly on the sea of uncertainty, brutality, and prejudice-starvin g for a taste of freedom. I wondered what the Statue of Liberty thought when Joseph, in a voice choked up joy, said to her: "I wonder what it's like to be free." Yes, I learned a lesson that morning. We, the youth of America, as well as you . . . and you . . . and you-take freedom for granted. Little do we realize that it was bought with and protected by a precious coin-the blood spilled by the Joes and Jims at Bunker Hill, Gettysburg, at the Marne and on Heartbreak Ridge. Because these men died, we are free to live-to talk, laugh, and pray freedom. Freedom is a process-it must be handled and practiced in order to be known and loved. If freedom were taken away from American, then would we truly appreciate what a precious heritage that freedom is. Perhaps, then, fathers would be thankful that every man's home is his castle where he reigns king. Maybe mothers would appreciate being free to pray and equally important, to teach little Johnny or Susie the Our Father, the Hail Mary or a Psalm. Perhaps then and only then would 167 million Americans wake up! Then would they realize that their God- SLOVAKIA 85 given rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness could be snatched away and buried on the other side of the Iron Curtain. Perhaps then would all of the grumblers and ·groaners; who praise every century but their own, every country but this, realize that America is a synonym for freedom. , But what are you doing to prevent that dreadful daythe day when America could become freedomless? Oh, you_ celebrate every 4th of July with a picnic and fireworks-you pay your taxes because it's getting harder and harder to cheat -you skip casting your ballot on election day because "it's such a bother" -you separate the black-skinned from the, white in your segregated schools. Is this the way to safeguard our most precious heritage? Is this the way the people of America are answering the little boy's question? The Statue of Liberty, in all her pomp and glory, couldn't answer but we Americans can. What would you say to Joseph if he should. ask you: "I wonder what it's like to be free?" That story, or speech, was written by me in 1956--while still in high school. The thoughts are as valid today as they were 17 years ago but today in 1973-all of us as free proud Slovaks here in America- should be asking ourselves some · additional questions. The freedom and independence and religious liberty which we cherish and about which our ancestors in the old country dreamed-what are we doing to make it a realityin an independent Slovakia? A peaceful and independent Slovakia should be the goal of each and every one of us. One enemy of that goal is Communism. The raucous rumble of the Russian tanks and the screams of the innocent victims of Communist tyranny sinking into pools of their own blood were heard not too long ago in Eastern Europe. The presence and fear are still there. Communism lays its eggs in poverty, feeds on filth, grows in hatred and ignorance and then rears its ugly head for all the world to see. Communism is no idle economic theory for intellectuals to debate. It is a real scourge that saps the lifeblood of a people and subjugates them. It is godless, but it is a powerful religion. It makes machines out of men but they carry out their orders. Communism has threatened to bury us. What is your answer? 86 SLOVAKIA Communism, be it Russian, Chinese or Nationalistic, has always feared religion. That's why it's so important that your efforts to establish Slovakia as an independent religious province be successful. And now is the time. I urge you, Catholics as well as Lutheran and Greek Catholic leaders-to implore the Vatican to recognize now that Slovakia deserves its own cardinal, arehbishops and independent r,eligious ex,istence. I commend you for your efforts in this direction and ask you-are you doing enough? A letter once a year may not convey the sense of urgency and support that thousands of frequent letters from individuals and organizations and maybe even a personal audience. The second question I would like you to ponder-are you satisfied with the moral and political and social climate here in America? Look around you. What do you see? Materialism? This is a more subtle, more insidious growth. Like a cancer, it eats from within to weaken the body of our society. The moral fiber of our nation is slowly taking on the texture of the shiny synthetic creation called pleasure. "Enjoy yourself, it's later than you think." "What counts is a good time." These are the slogans being peddled by today's hucksters of materialism as they count their 30 pieces of silver. Our sense of values is being warped and we're too busy enjoying ourselves to care. Is it any wonder that youth seeks its thrills on the streets when parents are never home either? It is a surprise that marriages don't work when the concept of love has been stripped of its dignity and transformed into lust? Is the business world bribe or political pay-off unusual when a "full day's work for a full day's pay" is a thing of the past? Materialism takes many forms as it gradually weakens our spiritual values. One of the bulwarks against that erosion of values is the unity of the family-a trait so characteristic of the Slovak heritage. Love and closeness of family. We have much to give to America. What else do you see? A third dangerous enemy closely linked to materialism is complacency. "Why bother?" This is the tranquilizer that soothes our minds when a difficult task or problem presents itself. You've heard it many times''Why work harder than you have to, nobody else does?" SLOVAKIA 87 "Why get involved in politics, it's a crooked game?" And so it goes. The most powerful and most comfortable nation in the world is content to grow fat and soft. The industriousness, the willingness, the pride in work of the Slovak is well-known and respected. But how about the political involvement? Are you satisfied? Are you satisfied that there is no Slovak governor in the entire United States? Are you satisfied that there are so few Slovak Congressmen and Senators? While the Slovaks were busy building churches, the Irish were building political organizations. We can learn a lesson. What else do you see? Another dangerous enemy is lawlessness. People get shook and disgusted ever so often when a national tragedy strikes. As though seared with a burning iron, our minds react and we feel sorry for ourselves-for awhile. But why does it take an assassins bullet to pierce our consciences. The disrespect for law which causes national tragedy starts with small things-with you and me- cheating at school, in the car, at parties, then it's robberies, assaults, drugs, rapes, murders. Draft cards are burned, the American Flag is desecreated, students riot and abuse lawful authority, and then withdraw from all this ugly reality with LSD, the pot party, the trip. God and country have given us law-for the good of us all. Let us respect it and be constructive in changing man's law when needed. No problems are solved by merely being against. Ask not, "Can I get away with it?" ask, "Is this right or wrong?" One way to combat this tide of lawnessness is to channel your energy into active involvement in organizing Slovak organizations, societies and clubs. Are you satisfied with the activities of all of our organizations? Could they be strengthened-by merger, by more youth involvement? These are some of the challenges facing all of us who are interested in freedom for all peoples everywhere. I urge you to do your part right now in achieving that goal. Together we can take the first step that will lead to the goals that all of us hold so dear. (Address given at the Conference of the Slovak League of America, May 19, 1973.)  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Slovak Heritage Description An account of the resource Michael O'Pake, Esq. Slovakia, Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974 pp. 84-87 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource O'Pake, Michael A., 1940-2010 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 LCNAF https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/143749d0b4a4e1092a7042332c0bed89.pdf 75ec6b697d890207561ba49f26581f1a PDF Text Text 80 SLOVAKIA Andrew Pi er, O.S.B.: Slovaks Ln Blandburg AN AMERICAN HOLIDAY About a month after school vacations began, we looked forward to the Fourth of July with impatient anticipation of a great and exciting holiday. We were never disappointed, for American Independence Day was traditionally celebrated with great fanfare, noise and fun from early morning to late at night. At first it all seemed strange to us, but it did not take us long to get into the spirit of the day long before we learned the historical significance of the great day in mid-summer. The fervor of patriotism ran high from dawn to mid-night. Explosives of black-powder, gun-fire and dynamite routed everyone out of bed at the first light of day, the sound of fire-crackers continued all day long and a bright display of sparklers and rockets after dark finally climaxed a day of unexcelled excitement. The day's festivities were highlighted by a parade iR which participants of all ages escorted or rode prancing horses and sedate mules that were drafted from the mines or farms to add color and life to the happy event. An added feature was a troop of ex-soldiers and dragoons from the Austro•Hungarian armed forces (mostly Slovaks who had served in the imperial army) who rode on mules borrowed from the mine-owners of the district for the occasion. Gaily attired in their colorful uniforms ( which they had brought with them to this country as souvenirs) they gave a kind of 'foreign legion' picture and atmosphere to the American Fourth of July parade, the like of which will never be seen again. Baseball attracted large crowds before and after lunch as our town's heroes played for glory and victory in a pair of traditional contests against a visiting team. At intermission an abbreviated game between rival teams picked from the mines' department and the brick-yard division of Harbi- �SLOVAKIA 81 -------------------------- son Walker Refractorie s provided no end of entertainm ent as these 'amateurs' never failed to provide hilarious plays in what turned out to be a comedy of errors. The winners were rewarded with great applause and free beer. The children were not neglected, nor were the youthful athletes in their early teens. There were many prizes for them in a series of contests that included running, jumping, throwing the ball, potato-sack races, the three-legged race, the spoon-egg race, etc. Twilight was greeted by an awesome array of rockets and sparklers that lighted up the sky. But this was merely the prelude to a final breath-taki ng outburst of rockets that exploded into beautiful pictorial designs that were greeted exciting 'oh's and ah's' from one end of town to the other. Finally, as if by common agreement when the last sparkler and rocket were reduced to ashes, a sudden silence filled the town. Not even a dog barked as the townspeop le returned to their homes to put their children to sleep before retiring at the end of a perfect day .. . at least for the children who went off to sleep and dream of the happy· days ahead before the school bell would again summon them to resume the perennial struggle in the endless pursuit of learning and knowledge . But for them, at least, that day was far distant as they dozed off into sweet dream after a truly happy and unforgetta ble holiday. A PARADE FOR THE SLOVAK NATION Approxima tely a half century has passed by since the Slovak nation awaited its liberation from political bondage and the American Slovaks gave a helping hand generously in the movement to free their native homeland from foreign rule. I was only a boy but I remember the spirit of the times. July 4, 1917, stands out in my memory as a memorabl e day because it is an American national holiday and because it is so near to the feastday of SS. Cyril and Methodius (it was celebrated on July 5 or July 7 in those days). At any rate a patriotic-m inded group of Slovaks planned to observe a double holiday on July 4 that year. They decided to hold �82 SLOVAKIA a parade throught the main street of our small town of about 2,000 in population. This was, in fact, the only real street we had, and it was a dirt road at that. When it rained it was a muddy thorofare ... and when it was dry it was rather dusty. But we preferred dust to mud and therefore we prayed fervently for a sunny day. Our prayers were answered. July the Fourth was ushered in by a beautiful sunrise and sunny skies prevailed throughout the historic day. Our priest was of Irish descent and he sympathized with the Slovaks, for he knew at firsthand that English oppression was no better than Magyar rule. He agreed to offer up a Mass commemorating the feast of SS. Cyril and Methodius, the ninth century missionary-Apostles who converted the Slovaks to Christianity, approved the singing of Slovak hyms, and promised to read both the Epistle and Gospel in the Slovak language personally ... after all it was like reading Latin. Long before the parade got underway the Slovaks gathered in front of our home on a side-street (if we must give the roadway a dignified name) and the small band of musicians (three amateur accordionists) and a trumpetplayer soon attracted an increasing number of admirers ... even without benefit of modern stereo the music was loud and clear . . . the band performed with great spirit because its members knew they were playing for a cause and the ever-growing appreciative audience encouraged their efforts. Finally, the parade started for the church which was about a mile at the each end of our town. The American Flag and the Slovak Flag (the same colors: White-Blue-Red) were proudly carried at the head of the parade and the marchers waved smaller flags as they followed the major Flag-bearers and the musicians. We all sang both the Star Spangled Banner and My Country Tis of Thee (the youngsters with gusto and their elders, recent arrivals from across the seas, with a muted foreign accent but with more reverence) and the 'Hej, Slovaci' when the elders came into their own ... they sang their heart out. Too bad this scene was not recorded on film and an a sound track. Perhaps �SLOVAKIA 83 it may be re-created as a colorful chapter in American Slovak folklorama that has great historic significance. Half-way to the Church the parade was swelled by groups of youngsters who joined in the march. There were the 'native' Americans, as well as representatives of the Polish, Moravian, Russian, Croatian, Irish, Scotch and English communities ... a veritable United Nations parade on the march for Slovak national freedom. Needless to observe that the Church ceremonies were impressive and the good pastor read the Slovak portions of the Liturgy with unique Latin-Irish pronunciation that was quite understandable and inspiring. And the special Slovak choir that led the Congregational Singing was at its best. Even the regular choir members who were veterans of the Sunday Latin Mass were impressed both by the beautiful Slovak melodies and the singers, too. It was truly a great day for the Slovaks. From that day on the townspeople looked upon the Slovaks with new interest and respect, for they recognized in them a hitherto quality that had been hidden beneath a shy exterior, namely, a vigorous spirit of proud identity as free men who marched and sang in public manifestation of their profound devotion to the ideals of faith and freedom under God in a free country ... and at the same time of fierce pride in their Slovak ancestry and love of their ancient Christian heritage. (A translation from the Slovak book, Nad nami hory - pod nami bane . . . (Woodlands above us-Mines below), by Andrew Pier, 0 .S.B. , 1972.) DR. MARIA KOSOV .A of the Slovak Academy of Science and Art in Bratislava, Slovakia, was the guest speaker last September at the Cleveland Public Library. More than three hundred attended the illustrated slide-lecture on the subject of Slovak folklore and art. � 80 SLOVAKIA Andrew Pi er, O.S.B.: Slovaks Ln Blandburg AN AMERICAN HOLIDAY About a month after school vacations began, we looked forward to the Fourth of July with impatient anticipation of a great and exciting holiday. We were never disappointed, for American Independence Day was traditionally celebrated with great fanfare, noise and fun from early morning to late at night. At first it all seemed strange to us, but it did not take us long to get into the spirit of the day long before we learned the historical significance of the great day in mid-summer. The fervor of patriotism ran high from dawn to mid-night. Explosives of black-powder, gun-fire and dynamite routed everyone out of bed at the first light of day, the sound of fire-crackers continued all day long and a bright display of sparklers and rockets after dark finally climaxed a day of unexcelled excitement. The day's festivities were highlighted by a parade iR which participants of all ages escorted or rode prancing horses and sedate mules that were drafted from the mines or farms to add color and life to the happy event. An added feature was a troop of ex-soldiers and dragoons from the Austro•Hungarian armed forces (mostly Slovaks who had served in the imperial army) who rode on mules borrowed from the mine-owners of the district for the occasion. Gaily attired in their colorful uniforms ( which they had brought with them to this country as souvenirs) they gave a kind of 'foreign legion' picture and atmosphere to the American Fourth of July parade, the like of which will never be seen again. Baseball attracted large crowds before and after lunch as our town's heroes played for glory and victory in a pair of traditional contests against a visiting team. At intermission an abbreviated game between rival teams picked from the mines' department and the brick-yard division of Harbi- �SLOVAKIA 81 -------------------------- son Walker Refractorie s provided no end of entertainm ent as these 'amateurs' never failed to provide hilarious plays in what turned out to be a comedy of errors. The winners were rewarded with great applause and free beer. The children were not neglected, nor were the youthful athletes in their early teens. There were many prizes for them in a series of contests that included running, jumping, throwing the ball, potato-sack races, the three-legged race, the spoon-egg race, etc. Twilight was greeted by an awesome array of rockets and sparklers that lighted up the sky. But this was merely the prelude to a final breath-taki ng outburst of rockets that exploded into beautiful pictorial designs that were greeted exciting 'oh's and ah's' from one end of town to the other. Finally, as if by common agreement when the last sparkler and rocket were reduced to ashes, a sudden silence filled the town. Not even a dog barked as the townspeop le returned to their homes to put their children to sleep before retiring at the end of a perfect day .. . at least for the children who went off to sleep and dream of the happy· days ahead before the school bell would again summon them to resume the perennial struggle in the endless pursuit of learning and knowledge . But for them, at least, that day was far distant as they dozed off into sweet dream after a truly happy and unforgetta ble holiday. A PARADE FOR THE SLOVAK NATION Approxima tely a half century has passed by since the Slovak nation awaited its liberation from political bondage and the American Slovaks gave a helping hand generously in the movement to free their native homeland from foreign rule. I was only a boy but I remember the spirit of the times. July 4, 1917, stands out in my memory as a memorabl e day because it is an American national holiday and because it is so near to the feastday of SS. Cyril and Methodius (it was celebrated on July 5 or July 7 in those days). At any rate a patriotic-m inded group of Slovaks planned to observe a double holiday on July 4 that year. They decided to hold �82 SLOVAKIA a parade throught the main street of our small town of about 2,000 in population. This was, in fact, the only real street we had, and it was a dirt road at that. When it rained it was a muddy thorofare ... and when it was dry it was rather dusty. But we preferred dust to mud and therefore we prayed fervently for a sunny day. Our prayers were answered. July the Fourth was ushered in by a beautiful sunrise and sunny skies prevailed throughout the historic day. Our priest was of Irish descent and he sympathized with the Slovaks, for he knew at firsthand that English oppression was no better than Magyar rule. He agreed to offer up a Mass commemorating the feast of SS. Cyril and Methodius, the ninth century missionary-Apostles who converted the Slovaks to Christianity, approved the singing of Slovak hyms, and promised to read both the Epistle and Gospel in the Slovak language personally ... after all it was like reading Latin. Long before the parade got underway the Slovaks gathered in front of our home on a side-street (if we must give the roadway a dignified name) and the small band of musicians (three amateur accordionists) and a trumpetplayer soon attracted an increasing number of admirers ... even without benefit of modern stereo the music was loud and clear . . . the band performed with great spirit because its members knew they were playing for a cause and the ever-growing appreciative audience encouraged their efforts. Finally, the parade started for the church which was about a mile at the each end of our town. The American Flag and the Slovak Flag (the same colors: White-Blue-Red) were proudly carried at the head of the parade and the marchers waved smaller flags as they followed the major Flag-bearers and the musicians. We all sang both the Star Spangled Banner and My Country Tis of Thee (the youngsters with gusto and their elders, recent arrivals from across the seas, with a muted foreign accent but with more reverence) and the 'Hej, Slovaci' when the elders came into their own ... they sang their heart out. Too bad this scene was not recorded on film and an a sound track. Perhaps �SLOVAKIA 83 it may be re-created as a colorful chapter in American Slovak folklorama that has great historic significance. Half-way to the Church the parade was swelled by groups of youngsters who joined in the march. There were the 'native' Americans, as well as representatives of the Polish, Moravian, Russian, Croatian, Irish, Scotch and English communities ... a veritable United Nations parade on the march for Slovak national freedom. Needless to observe that the Church ceremonies were impressive and the good pastor read the Slovak portions of the Liturgy with unique Latin-Irish pronunciation that was quite understandable and inspiring. And the special Slovak choir that led the Congregational Singing was at its best. Even the regular choir members who were veterans of the Sunday Latin Mass were impressed both by the beautiful Slovak melodies and the singers, too. It was truly a great day for the Slovaks. From that day on the townspeople looked upon the Slovaks with new interest and respect, for they recognized in them a hitherto quality that had been hidden beneath a shy exterior, namely, a vigorous spirit of proud identity as free men who marched and sang in public manifestation of their profound devotion to the ideals of faith and freedom under God in a free country ... and at the same time of fierce pride in their Slovak ancestry and love of their ancient Christian heritage. (A translation from the Slovak book, Nad nami hory - pod nami bane . . . (Woodlands above us-Mines below), by Andrew Pier, 0 .S.B. , 1972.) DR. MARIA KOSOV .A of the Slovak Academy of Science and Art in Bratislava, Slovakia, was the guest speaker last September at the Cleveland Public Library. More than three hundred attended the illustrated slide-lecture on the subject of Slovak folklore and art. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1974, Vol. 24 Description An account of the resource Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document 80 SLOVAKIA Andrew Pi er, O.S.B.: Slovaks Ln Blandburg AN AMERICAN HOLIDAY About a month after school vacations began, we looked forward to the Fourth of July with impatient anticipation of a great and exciting holiday. We were never disappointed, for American Independence Day was traditionally celebrated with great fanfare, noise and fun from early morning to late at night. At first it all seemed strange to us, but it did not take us long to get into the spirit of the day long before we learned the historical significance of the great day in mid-summer. The fervor of patriotism ran high from dawn to mid-night. Explosives of black-powder, gun-fire and dynamite routed everyone out of bed at the first light of day, the sound of fire-crackers continued all day long and a bright display of sparklers and rockets after dark finally climaxed a day of unexcelled excitement. The day's festivities were highlighted by a parade iR which participants of all ages escorted or rode prancing horses and sedate mules that were drafted from the mines or farms to add color and life to the happy event. An added feature was a troop of ex-soldiers and dragoons from the Austro•Hungarian armed forces (mostly Slovaks who had served in the imperial army) who rode on mules borrowed from the mine-owners of the district for the occasion. Gaily attired in their colorful uniforms ( which they had brought with them to this country as souvenirs) they gave a kind of 'foreign legion' picture and atmosphere to the American Fourth of July parade, the like of which will never be seen again. Baseball attracted large crowds before and after lunch as our town's heroes played for glory and victory in a pair of traditional contests against a visiting team. At intermission an abbreviated game between rival teams picked from the mines' department and the brick-yard division of Harbi- SLOVAKIA 81 -------------------------- son Walker Refractorie s provided no end of entertainm ent as these 'amateurs' never failed to provide hilarious plays in what turned out to be a comedy of errors. The winners were rewarded with great applause and free beer. The children were not neglected, nor were the youthful athletes in their early teens. There were many prizes for them in a series of contests that included running, jumping, throwing the ball, potato-sack races, the three-legged race, the spoon-egg race, etc. Twilight was greeted by an awesome array of rockets and sparklers that lighted up the sky. But this was merely the prelude to a final breath-taki ng outburst of rockets that exploded into beautiful pictorial designs that were greeted exciting 'oh's and ah's' from one end of town to the other. Finally, as if by common agreement when the last sparkler and rocket were reduced to ashes, a sudden silence filled the town. Not even a dog barked as the townspeop le returned to their homes to put their children to sleep before retiring at the end of a perfect day .. . at least for the children who went off to sleep and dream of the happy· days ahead before the school bell would again summon them to resume the perennial struggle in the endless pursuit of learning and knowledge . But for them, at least, that day was far distant as they dozed off into sweet dream after a truly happy and unforgetta ble holiday. A PARADE FOR THE SLOVAK NATION Approxima tely a half century has passed by since the Slovak nation awaited its liberation from political bondage and the American Slovaks gave a helping hand generously in the movement to free their native homeland from foreign rule. I was only a boy but I remember the spirit of the times. July 4, 1917, stands out in my memory as a memorabl e day because it is an American national holiday and because it is so near to the feastday of SS. Cyril and Methodius (it was celebrated on July 5 or July 7 in those days). At any rate a patriotic-m inded group of Slovaks planned to observe a double holiday on July 4 that year. They decided to hold 82 SLOVAKIA a parade throught the main street of our small town of about 2,000 in population. This was, in fact, the only real street we had, and it was a dirt road at that. When it rained it was a muddy thorofare ... and when it was dry it was rather dusty. But we preferred dust to mud and therefore we prayed fervently for a sunny day. Our prayers were answered. July the Fourth was ushered in by a beautiful sunrise and sunny skies prevailed throughout the historic day. Our priest was of Irish descent and he sympathized with the Slovaks, for he knew at firsthand that English oppression was no better than Magyar rule. He agreed to offer up a Mass commemorating the feast of SS. Cyril and Methodius, the ninth century missionary-Apostles who converted the Slovaks to Christianity, approved the singing of Slovak hyms, and promised to read both the Epistle and Gospel in the Slovak language personally ... after all it was like reading Latin. Long before the parade got underway the Slovaks gathered in front of our home on a side-street (if we must give the roadway a dignified name) and the small band of musicians (three amateur accordionists) and a trumpetplayer soon attracted an increasing number of admirers ... even without benefit of modern stereo the music was loud and clear . . . the band performed with great spirit because its members knew they were playing for a cause and the ever-growing appreciative audience encouraged their efforts. Finally, the parade started for the church which was about a mile at the each end of our town. The American Flag and the Slovak Flag (the same colors: White-Blue-Red) were proudly carried at the head of the parade and the marchers waved smaller flags as they followed the major Flag-bearers and the musicians. We all sang both the Star Spangled Banner and My Country Tis of Thee (the youngsters with gusto and their elders, recent arrivals from across the seas, with a muted foreign accent but with more reverence) and the 'Hej, Slovaci' when the elders came into their own ... they sang their heart out. Too bad this scene was not recorded on film and an a sound track. Perhaps SLOVAKIA 83 it may be re-created as a colorful chapter in American Slovak folklorama that has great historic significance. Half-way to the Church the parade was swelled by groups of youngsters who joined in the march. There were the 'native' Americans, as well as representatives of the Polish, Moravian, Russian, Croatian, Irish, Scotch and English communities ... a veritable United Nations parade on the march for Slovak national freedom. Needless to observe that the Church ceremonies were impressive and the good pastor read the Slovak portions of the Liturgy with unique Latin-Irish pronunciation that was quite understandable and inspiring. And the special Slovak choir that led the Congregational Singing was at its best. Even the regular choir members who were veterans of the Sunday Latin Mass were impressed both by the beautiful Slovak melodies and the singers, too. It was truly a great day for the Slovaks. From that day on the townspeople looked upon the Slovaks with new interest and respect, for they recognized in them a hitherto quality that had been hidden beneath a shy exterior, namely, a vigorous spirit of proud identity as free men who marched and sang in public manifestation of their profound devotion to the ideals of faith and freedom under God in a free country ... and at the same time of fierce pride in their Slovak ancestry and love of their ancient Christian heritage. (A translation from the Slovak book, Nad nami hory - pod nami bane . . . (Woodlands above us-Mines below), by Andrew Pier, 0 .S.B. , 1972.) DR. MARIA KOSOV .A of the Slovak Academy of Science and Art in Bratislava, Slovakia, was the guest speaker last September at the Cleveland Public Library. More than three hundred attended the illustrated slide-lecture on the subject of Slovak folklore and art.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Slovaks in Blandburg: An American Holiday Description An account of the resource Andrew Pier, O.S.B. Slovakia, Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974 pp. 80-83 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Pier, Andrew W., 1910-2003 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 name https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/f94875fc8f747e7995fc4eecf1cdeba6.pdf 1b7642a3332fca6d163ffb00092d6b6d PDF Text Text SLOVAKIA 67 Jozef Pa u co, Ph.D.: Slovak Pioneers Ln America REVEREND GREGORY VANISCAK, O.S.B. (JULY 24, 1884-JANUARY 15, 1938) Father Furdek's accomplishments in behalf of the Slovak people by organizing the two Jednotas and the Slovak League of America and Father Jankola's achievement of being the founder of the Religious Order of the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius in Danville, Pa. were supplemented by Father Vaniscak's founding of the Slovak abbey of the Order of St. Benedict in Cleveland, Ohio. These three men constitute the most glorious trio of Slovak Catholic leaders in America. The future founder of the Slovak Benedictine Abbey of St. Andrew Svorad in Cleveland, Ohio, namely, Jan Vaniscak, came to the United States as a 16-year old youth from the village of Lemesany, saris district, Slovakia, to join his brother, Andrew, in the city of Johnstown, Pa. Three years later through the efforts of Rev. Jan Martvo:n, pastor of St. Stephen's Slovak parish there, and Father Matus Jankola, Jan Vaniscak was enrolled at St. Procopius Benedictine College in Lisle, Illinois. As a zealous student and a pious, warm-hearted youth he became a leader among the Slovak students at Lisle. Under his guidance and inspiration several of his colleagues became attracted to the Benedictine way of life and soon shared his vision of establishing a Slovak Benedictine monastery. Foremost among these were the following: Francis Gmuca, destined to become the first abbot of the future St. Andrew's Abbey, his name in the Benedictine Order was Stanislaus; Father George (Stephen) Luba, who became the first principal of the new Benedictine High School in 1927 at St. Andrew's Priory, East 51st Street and Superior Avenue; Father Celestine Drexler, who did pioneer pastoral work for the new community; Father Leo Rehak, pastor of St. Benedict's parish in Cleveland for many years; Father Ivan Kramoris, principal at Benedictine High School and editor of the zenska Jednota semi-monthly publication �68 SLOVAKIA for a number of years; Father Charles Florek, who succeeded Father Gregory as pastor of St. Michael's in Chicago. These were the charter members of the Abbey. Father Gregory (his name in the Religious Order of St. Benedict) Vaniscak was ordained on June 6, 1914, and offered up his first solemn Mass in St. Stephen's Church, Johnstown, Pa. on June 14, 1914. He was immediately appointed pastor of the large flourishing Slovak parish of St. Michael's in Chicago. During his pastorate of approximately 15 years Father Gregory built a new school, a convent for the school sisters and a parsonage. The parish soon became a leading Slovak religious, cultural and national center in the heart of South Chicago. While at St. Procopius College and Seminary Father Gregory established life-long friendship with the following future priests: Father Malinak, Msgr. Hrtanek, Msgr. Kocis, Father Krispinsky, Msgr. Begalla, Msgr. Hamrak, Father Barlok, Father Banik, Father Fecko, also with outstanding lay leaders, among them Adam Podkrivacky, Julius Badzik and Philip Hrobak. Father Gregory's dream of having a Slovak Benedictine monastery was realized when he was elected conventual prior of St. Andrew's Priory in Cleveland, Ohio in the fall of 1929. The ground had been laid for the new foundation in February of 1922 when a dependent priory was established at St. Andrew's parish, East 51st Street and Superior Avenue by Abbot Valentine Kohlbeck, 0. S. B. and the monastic Chapter at St. Procopius Abbey in Lisle, Illinois. Father Stanislaus Gmuca, O.S.B., assistant to Father Gregory at St. Michael's parish in Chicago, was appointed prior of the fledging community in Cleveland at St. Andrew's dependent priory. Moreover, in the fall of 1927 Father George Luba, the newly-appointed principal of the Benedictine High School, welcomed a Freshman class of 27 boys to the new school at the priory. Two years later both the priory and school were moved to the new site at 10510 Buckeye Road and East Boulevard. Rev. Paschal Kavulic, O.S.B. transferred to St. Andrew's Abbey from St. Vincent's Archabbey in the late 1920's. The new monastic nucleus added the following clerical candidates : Frs. Wendelin Kravec, Michael Jasko, Gilbert Stopko, Sylvester Prise and John Zeman, O.S.B. At this time, too, �SLOVAKIA 69 the monastic community was increased by Brothers Method Tokarcik, Nicholas Pekar, Martin Seckar, Florian Halcin and Victor Repon, as well as by clerics at the beginning of the 1930's: Fratres Theodore Kojis, Daniel Novak, Joseph Bue, Stephen Sramek, Andrew Pier, Anthony Bachleda, Benedict Dobrancin, Paul Taracko. This was only the beginning of the fulfillment of Father Gregory's life-long dream, for he envisioned a college, a seminary and eventually a university. Although this rather grandiose dream was not to become a reality, nevertheless, the priory was elevated to the status of an abbey by the Holy See in 1934 and the 13-member chapter of St. Andrew's Priory (now with abbatial rank) was entitled to vote for its first abbot. Accordingly, on August 8, 1934, Father Stanislaus Gmuca, O.S.B. was elected. The many activities of Father Gregory exacted their toll and, as an inevitable consequence, his health began to fail noticeably after the election of the first abbot. Nevertheless, he accepted the position of pastor at St. Andrew's parish where he continued to fulfill his pastoral duties faithfully until he succumbed to a fatal heart attack on January 15, 1938. Thus at the age of 53 the life of an inspiring Slovak Benedictine monk came to a sudden end. Father Gregory's writings remain as an immortal legacy of his cultural and religious endeavors, namely, the many articles in the Ave Maria magazine which he edited for several years, his translation of the Holy Rule of St. Benedict and a brief life history of the Patriarch of the West, his Holy Name Manuel, the Way of the Cross, a Catechism and his Slovak grammar, and many articles that appeared in Slovak periodicals throughout the country. During World War I Father Gregory was in the forefront of the struggle for the liberation of the Slovak nation from Magyar rule. When the Slovaks joined the Czechs in forming Czecho-Slovakia, he refused to accept a medal from the new state because the government in Prague failed to live up to the promise of self-government in Slovakia. Michael Bosak, Sr., a leading American Slovak banker and patriot and intimate friend of Father Gregory's, also refused the proffered honor for meritorious service in behalf of the liberation of the Slovaks from foreign rule. �70 SLOVAKIA Slovaks everywhere mourned the death of Father Gregory Vaniscak, a foremost Slovak Benedictine in America, the founder of St. Andrew Svorad Abbey in Cleveland, an indefatigable worker, a zealous priest, a great Slovak patriot and a faithful servant of the Lord in His wineyard who labored perseveringly until the end for God, our Country and the Slovak nation under God. SOURCES Slovenske relwle v Amerike (Slovak Religious Orders in America), Fr. Hrusovsky, Ph.D., Slovak Institute, Cleveland, Ohio, 1955. Dve sviite hodiny (Two Holy Hours ), Jednota, February 2, 1938 by Rev. Paschal Kavulic, O.S.B. Slovensky samostatny priorcit (The Slovak Independent Priory), Jednota kalendar, 1931, by Rev. Gregor K.Vaniscak, O.S.B. Rehor K. Vanisccik, O.S.B. (Tribute in the Jednota kalendar, 1931). Several eye-witnesses of the events recorded, also first-hand account of all Benedictine personalities mentioned from persons who knew them personally. FATHER JOSEPH J. DUL1K (SEPTEMBER 10, 1884-AUGUST 26, 1936) As I look over the list of accomplishments of our Slovak pioneer priests, I invariably say to myself: "All deserved to be honored highly for innumerable religious and cultural contributions. But not one of them received due recognition for a lifetime of devoted service and noble endeavor in behalf of our Slovak people." Father f>ulik was one of the most deserving leaders among our Slovak clergy. In a comparatively brief span of life, Father :t.>ulik as a priest accomplished extraordinary services for the Slovak immigrants. An ideal priest, he labored indefatigably with true apostolic zeal for the cause of Christ. He was a veritable lighthouse of faith. His widespread influence among Slovak Catholic organizations inspired them to foster the highest ideals of our national, religious and cultural traditions and yet he vanished from the scene of American Slovak life virtually unknown, except among his own compatriots. A SERVANT OF GOD Father Joseph :t.>ulik was born in Rovne, Trencin district, Slovakia, on September 10, 1884. His parents were Jan and Katarina f>ulik (nee Podkrivacky). After completing his �SLOVAKIA 71 college education in Bratislava, zilina and Nitra he emigrated to the United States in 1904. He was enrolled in the diocesan seminary in Brooklyn, N. Y. where he was ordained five years later, on May 9, 1909. The new priest's first appointment was in an Irish parish, but he was soon given the assignment of organizing the Slovak parish of the Holy Family. In a short while he built a church and a rectory. Here he remained until November 12, 1912, when he was called to St. Michael's parish in Jessup, Pa. Before being transferred on March 1, 1916, to the Holy Ghost Slovak parish in Olyphant, Pa. he built a new school. Father t.>ulik was destined to remain in Olyphant until his untimely death twenty years later. Father !:>ulik's pastorate in Olyphant was marked by the building of a new church, a rectory and a Slovak cultural center-the latter in the renovated old church edifice. The parish under his inspiring leadership became the focal point of Slovak national and cultural activity in the entire area. Olyphant's Slovak community had complete confidence in Father f>ulik who devoted himself wholeheartedly to the spiritual, social and cultural welfare of his people. But his influence soon extended far beyond the confines of his parish, for he became involved in an extensive Slovak Catholic program that affected the destiny of the Slovak nation in America and in its native homeland. Moreover, he promoted a healthy ecumenical spirit in his personal intimate relationship with the Slovaks of the Lutheran faith. 1 A PILLAR IN THE SLOVAK CATHOLIC FEDERATION OF AMERICA At a critical time when it was necessary to maintain a proper perspective of the situation, it was Father t.>ulik's prudent leadership, honest convictions and genuine love for his people that brought him into national focus as a truly great leader in American Slovak life. After the first World War it was his role to win the Slovak Catholics to a pro-Hlinka outlook. In order to mitivate them in this direction Father t.>ulik made a decisive break with a number of organizations that did not share his views. As president of the Slovak Catholic Federation �72 SLOVAKIA he wrote a distinct chapter in the history of the Slovak nation, particularly as it affected his co-religionists. Even before his election as president of the federation, Father t'.>ulik had made his mark in Slovak national life. Had it not been for his initiative and the cooperation of Father Jan Kubasek (Yonkers, N. Y.) in 1919 the American Slovaks might have become sorely disunited. Under the auspices of the Slovak Catholic Federation, Father Anton Gracik was sent to Slovakia to invite a delegation of the Slovak People's Party (led by Andrej Hlinka) for a visit to America. The need for an exchange of views and united action in behalf of Slovak autonomy was a vital necessity because at a decisive stage of the Slovak nation's struggle for freedom the Slovak League of America, for lack of proper leadership, had lost its course and the mass of the American Slovaks was in a quandary. Soon after the coming of the Slovak delegation from overseas the matter was cleared up and the American Slovaks were again marching in the right direction. Father Joseph Rudinsky, a delegate of the Slovak People's Party, convinced the officers of the Slovak Catholic Federation to call a meeting of Slovak clergy and officers of all the Slovak societies in Pittsburgh, Pa. on November 19 and 20, 1919. Father t'.>ulik presided at the priests' meeting on November 19 and it was unanimously decided to support the program for Slovakia's autonomy in the frame-work of the newly-established Republic of CzechoSlovakia.2 The Slovak press throughout America hailed the announcement that was approved the following day by representatives of the various Slovak societies. At the above conference a proposal by Father i'.>ulik that a demand for the immediate release of Father Andrej Hlinka from prison be addressed to President Masaryk and that autonomy be put into effect in Slovakia ( an official paragraph in the Paris Peace Treaty) was adopted unanimously. 3 These measures were adopted at the convention of the Sdruzenie Slovenskych Katolikov ( Slovak Catholic Federation) on December 18, 1919, in Scranton, Pa. and Father t'.>ulik was elected president.4 On January 14, 1920, Father i'.>ulik called an executive meeting of the federation which voted 100,000 crowns to Andrej Hlinka, decided to issue a commemorative stamp �SLOVAKIA 73 in his honor and added a sum of $5,000 for Catholic action in Slovakia. Father Joseph Rudinsky, and Joseph Kubala, the two delegates from Slovakia, were assured that the federation was completely in accord with the Hlinka movement for autonomy, and, as if to confirm this policy, they were named to the positions of organizer and assistant secretary of the Slovak Catholic Federation.5 Under Father !>ulik's leadership a nationwide newspaper campaign was inaugurated to demand the acceptance and ratification of the Pittsburgh Pact in Czecho-Slovakia. The Memorandum adopted by the central executive committee of the federation on April 7, 1920, was sent to the Slovak leaders in Slovakia. An outline of the reasons for insisting that the Pittsburgh Pact be adopted officially by the new government of Czecho-Slovakia was attached to the Memorandum that called attention to the fact that President Masaryk had personally signed the document guaranteeing Slovak autonomy. Moreover, a supplementary denial of any agreement with irridentist Magyar elements accompanied the Memorandum. Father !>ulik's signature to the document proved beyond a doubt that he was a dedicated patriot of the Slovak nation.6 Twenty thousand members in 189 assemblies throughout the United States were enrolled as members in less than a year before the Slovak Catholic Federation held its convention on October 13 and 14 in Chicago in 1920.7 Demands for Slovakia's autonomy were reiterated at t his convention in Chicago.8 Father f>ulik, spokesman for t he delegates representing the majority of the Slovaks in America, declared that failure to grant autonomy to the Slovak nation would make President Masaryk and his cohorts a laughing-stock before the whole world. 9 SUPREME CHAPLAIN OF THE FIRST CATHOLIC SLOVAK UNION (JEDNOTA) Outstanding personalities in the early pioneer days built First Catholic Slovak Union on strong foundations . Father !>ulik was one of the foremost leaders of the era, closely behind in influence to Fathers Furdek and Jankola. As the last of the remarkable trio in the first quarter of �74 SLOVAKIA the 20th century, his was a highly influential career in both our national and fraternal life as one of our greatest Jednota leaders who served the society and our common cause with distinction and honor until the end of his life. Jednota's 22nd national convention in Scranton, Pa. in 1926 saw the emergence of a new set of leaders, among them John Sabol who was destined to serve as supreme secretary for four decades. Andrej Hlinka was the guest of honor at this convention that elected him as Jednota's honorary supreme chaplain for life. It was a great moment for the Slovaks in America, and for Slovaks everywhere. The great champion of Slovak liberty was given a standing ovation after a special proclamation, expressing gratitude to him for his sacrifices in behalf of the Slovak nation, was read, and assurances were given that the Jednota stood behind him 100 % in the struggle to win Slovak national freedom and self-governing statehood according to the Pittsburgh Pact. At the same convention the Jednota delegates elected Father t:>ulik as the supreme chaplain, as if to place him alongside Hlinka upon whom they had conferred the honorary title of chaplain for life. 10 Recognized as a veritable golden link between the old and young, Father Dulik was re-elected at the New York convention in 1928 11 and again at the Detroit convention in 1931.12 Much more can be said of Father Dulik than merely to note that he had been elected and re-elected as supreme chaplain several times. His influence in both the Jednota and the Slovak Catholic Federation left an indelible mark on both organizations in which his official priestly office and dignity, moral power and love of the Slovak nation and American patriotism proved to be unmistakably great assets for unquestioned leadership in his time. At a critical stage in the history of the Slovaks in America whose influence was felt in their native homeland across the Atlantic, when it was somewhat popular to downgrade the Church and religion in general, the Jednota was the bulwark of the Faith of our Fathers. When Magyar chauvinists stopped at nothing to destroy the Slovak national spirit, it was the Jednota that provided the resources and the power to withstand the assaults of these foes of �SLOVAKIA 75 Slovak freedom, foes who unfortunately sometimes found recruits for their ranks among ambitious or naive Slovaks themselves! Jednota leaders were not content to merely maintam a defensive position. They launched an effective offensive to rout the enemy and establish the natural right of the Slovak nation to its own democratic self-government in line with the Wilsonian principle of 'self-determinatio n for all nations.' Historically, it must be registered that the Jednota, from the highest officer to the last member, met the challenge of both the ancient and modern foes of Slovak freedom and helped immeasurably to liberate the Slovaks from Magyar rule in Hungary.13 Moral values for Father nulik rated an A-1 priority. Thus, the Jednota for him was a vital factor in Catholic action, and, thank God, under the truly Christian-inspired leadership of such leaders as Father Dulik the Jednota can rightfully and proudly claim that its policies have been guided by spiritual motives rather than material interests that are too often motivated by mere expediency. "Unique is the proper world to describe the total achievements of the Jednota, for it is undoubtedly great to have an organization with many thousands of members, to have a rich treasury, to have order and discipline, all of which have to a greater or less extent, as a matter of fact, but it is a far greater asset to cherish and foster our ancient Christian faith and traditions and to excel in moral virtue that contributed far more to our society in America than mere material wealth. I re-affirm unequivocally that the millions we have given out in benefits and that we shall distribute in the future cannot equal in value the spiritual benefits that have accrued to our members, Slovak nation and America directly as fruits of Jednota leadership in the past decades." 14 Father Dulik was fully aware of the vita! role of the Jednota, but he realized, too, that its work ultimately depended upon human beings. He always gave his full support, therefore, to his colleagues. His friendship with Joseph Husek, a noted journalist, was particularly strong and effective among the American Slovaks. These two complemented each other in the struggle for unity among �76 SLOVAKIA American Slovaks. This was an important and decisive factor when a number of Slovak priests organized opposition to Rusek. Father Dulik did not hesitate to side with his friend against a number of clerical opponents who attacked Rusek on the question of Slovak national freedom. 15 Husek's talents as editor Father nulik rightfully assessed and appreciated. Moreover, he did not doubt his sincerity, for he regarded Rusek as a true successor of Stefan Furdek in whose footsteps he followed to work in the true interests of the Jednota and the Slovak people. 16 Father nulik, unfortunately, became a victim of circumstances that seem to have plagued all of our great Slovak figures of the time. He suddenly lost his popularity at the very height of his brilliant career. A background to this ironical development is found in the minutes of the First Catholic Slovak Union. There we find a long list of intrigues and prejudices levelled against his person, as he himself outlined before his resignation at the annual executive meeting in 1933.17 Suddenly and unexpectedly a forceful personality was removed from the ranks of the Jednota. Father nulik's vision and dynamic energy were lost with his departure from the office of supreme chaplain. IN RETROSPECT: THE 1928 CONVENTION One of Father Dulik's proposals at the executive meeting in 1928, namely, to have a junior membership convention was immediately endorsed and the first such meeting was held at the Jednota Home in Middletown, Pa. in the summer of that very same year. A total of 170 delegates and more than 2,000 guests convened for this general assembly of our junior membership. As might be expected, the Man of the Hour was Father nulik. In his keynote address he called upon the entire assembly to foster the Slovak language, to cherish the ideals of the Slovak nation and to preserve our ancient national heritage of faith and freedom under God. 18 Hailed throughout the country in Slovak circles and publicized by the Slovak press, Father nulik's program stimulated such interest that the supreme chaplain was invited to speak at a series of programs in various parts of the country. He travelled extensively and created interest �SLOVAKIA 77 everywhere in the common cause of our fraternal and national destiny as true sons of the land of our Slovak forefathers. 19 TREASURER OF THE SLOVAK CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE Slovak priests and laity, as a general rule, from the very beginning worked together in harmony in this country, and that included cooperation in cultural and national affairs. In the Slovak Catholic Educational Institute, for example, under the presidency of the genial Michael Bosak, Sr. the office of secretary was ably filled by the aggressive Joseph Husek, and the treasurer's post was entrusted to the highly respected Father i'.>ulik. This unusual trio did an excellent job of collecting a substantial sum of several hundred thousand dollars despite adverse economic conditions in the country. A nationwide appeal by Father f>ulik aroused the interest of his fellow Slovaks who contributed generously to the project of higher education. A number of American bishops not only endorsed the campaign in their dioceses but contributed financially, too.20 Michael Bosak's generosity and Father f>ulik's personality were a happy combination that won generous support among the clergy and laity. The Slovak press supported the campaign that enabled the Slovak Sisters of St. Cyril and Methodius to build a beautiful new Academy for girls in Danville, Pa. and the Slovak Benedictines to purchase a suitable site for their boys' Benedictine High School in Cleveland, Ohio. Father f>ulik in a brief span of time between two World Wars was a dynamic force in stimulating an active and vigorous interest in the preservation of the Slovak spirit and the enrichment of Slovak culture in America, as well as a tremendous growth of our Slovak fraternal organizations. A TRAGIC ENDING Father Joseph i'.>ulik's life came to a tragic end when he was drawned accidentally while on a routine fishing trip on the Delaware River on August 26, 1936. Although Father f>ulik's life was comparatively brief, �78 SLOVAKIA his highly concentrated energies were instrumental in successfully promoting the highest traditions of Slovak freedom, culture and faith that became intimately interwoven into a beautiful fabric of American Slovak life that bears the unique imprint of his indomitable character and skillful workmanship. Perhaps more than any single individual in the history of the Slovaks in America Father Dulik's influence brought out the primeval elements of our national Slovak Christian heritage, namely, an indestructible faith in God and His Church, an all consuming love of his Slovak brethren and a passionate aspiration for Slovak national freedom, as well as profound appreciation of the richness of our Slovak language, literature and culture. Translated by Andrew Pier, O.S.B. FOOTNOTES 1) "Rev. J. J. 1'.>ulik 20 rokov knazom" (Rev J . J. Dulik 20 years a priest). Slovak v Amerike, June 6, 1929, p. 2. 2) "Za krest'anske a autonomne Slovensko" (For a Christian and autonomous Slovakia). Jednota, November 26, 1919, p. 4. 3) "Uradna zprava schodze katolickych duchovnych a zastupcov kat. organizacil odbyvana dna 19. a 20. novembra 19-19 v Pittsburgh, Pa." ( Official report of the meeting of Catholic clergy and representatives of Catholic organizations on November 19 and 20, 1919 in Pittsburgh, Pa.), Jednota, December 3, 1919, p. 5. Signed by Father !>ullk and A. Pirhalla. 4) "Podrobnosti z konvencie Sdruzenia Slov. Katolikov" (From the report of the Convention of the Slovak Catholic Federation ), Jednota, November 24, 1919, p. 1. 5) "Vaznejsie uznesenia Sdruz. SI. Katolikov (More important proceedings of the Slovak Catholic Federation), Jednota, January 28, 1920, p. 1. 6) The complete text of the Memorandum in the Jednota of May 26, 1920, p. 5. Signatures of Fr. Jozef !>ulik, president, Fr. Stefan Kocis, secretary and Jozef Husek, member of the executive committee. 7) "Konvencia Sdruzenia Slovenskych Katolikov" (Convention of the Slovak Catholic Federation), Jednota, October 20, 1920, p. 1. Reports from the convention confirmed Fr. !>ulik's principle expressed when he was elected president: "I am not a friend of programmed speeches, or articles. I prefer to do more than I promise." "Sdruzenie Katolikov," Jednota, January 7, 1920, p. 1. Father Klemo Hrtanek was elected president in Chicago. 8) Quote: "The Slovak Catholic Federation today is in favor of autonomous Slovakia and it will continue to support Slovak autonomy �SLOVAKIA 79 until the flag of Slovak autonomy waves above the Tatras in the framework of the Czecho-Slovak Republic." ... Rev. G. K. Vaniscak, O.S.B., "Po konvencii Sdruzenia Slovenskych Katolikov" (After the Convention of the Slovak Catholic Federation), Jednota, October 20, 1920, p. 4. 9) "Rev. Moysovi, " Jednota, March 13, 1920, p. 4. 10) Report of his election in the Minutes of the 22nd Convention of the Jednota (First Catholic Slovak Union), p. 254. Data in the minutes about the presence and election of Msgr. Andrej ffiinka. 11 ) Minutes from the 23rd Convention of the First Catholic Slovak Union, p. 288. 12) Minutes from the 24th Convention of the Jednota, p . 540. 13) "40 rokov" (40 Years) , Jednota, May 20, 1931, p. 1. 14) Minutes from the 24th Convention of the First Catholic Slovak Union, p. 17. 15) Matter pertaining to a pro-Magyar Slovak priest, Rev. Dr. Jehli~ka, and his comrades in America. See Minutes from the 24th Conv ention of the First Catholic Slovak Union, pp. 20-21. 16) "40 rokov" (40 Years), Jednota, May 20, 1931, p. 1. 17) Compare the Minutes from the annual meeting of the executive committee of the F.C.S.U. (Jednota), 1932, p. 3 pertaining to Fr. f>ulik's complaints with Husek's editorial "S Bohom . .. do videnia" (Goodbye, until we meet again) in the February 3, 1932, issue of the Jednota weekly. 18) Sermon on July 16, 1928, in St. Patrick's Cathedral, Harrisburg, Pa. Compare the report on the first convention of the young membership (Junior Branch) in the July 18, 1928, p. 1 issue of the Jednota. Details are given in this report. 19) "Rev. Joseph J . Dulik," Jednota issue of May 23, 1934. Contemporary critics agreed that Fr. f>ulik was a good preacher and an eloquent speaker. 20) Bishops Philip McDevitt of Harrisburg, Pa., Joseph Schrembs of Cleveland, Ohio, and T. C. O'Reilly of Scranton, Pa. endorsed the campaign of the Slovak Catholic Educational Institute for their Slovak priests. Bishop O'Reilly donated $1,000 and Bishop Thomas Walsh of Trenton gave $250 to the campaign. At a meeting of the Slovaks in T11enton Bishop Walsh recommended that the young Slovaks ought to learn the Slovak language, a language that has been spoken and written for hundreds of years. See Jednota issue of April 11, 1928, p. 4. Bishop Schrembs wrote an official letter in behalf of the Slovak Catholic Educational Institute. See the Jednota issue of April 24, 1929, p.1. SOURCES Minutes of the 22nd, 23rd and 24th Convention of the Jednota, and Minutes of the annual meeting of the executive committee of the First Catholic Slovak Union for the following years: 1928 through 1932. Kalendar Jednota, Middletown, Pa., 1937, p. 91. � SLOVAKIA 67 Jozef Pa u co, Ph.D.: Slovak Pioneers Ln America REVEREND GREGORY VANISCAK, O.S.B. (JULY 24, 1884-JANUARY 15, 1938) Father Furdek's accomplishments in behalf of the Slovak people by organizing the two Jednotas and the Slovak League of America and Father Jankola's achievement of being the founder of the Religious Order of the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius in Danville, Pa. were supplemented by Father Vaniscak's founding of the Slovak abbey of the Order of St. Benedict in Cleveland, Ohio. These three men constitute the most glorious trio of Slovak Catholic leaders in America. The future founder of the Slovak Benedictine Abbey of St. Andrew Svorad in Cleveland, Ohio, namely, Jan Vaniscak, came to the United States as a 16-year old youth from the village of Lemesany, saris district, Slovakia, to join his brother, Andrew, in the city of Johnstown, Pa. Three years later through the efforts of Rev. Jan Martvo:n, pastor of St. Stephen's Slovak parish there, and Father Matus Jankola, Jan Vaniscak was enrolled at St. Procopius Benedictine College in Lisle, Illinois. As a zealous student and a pious, warm-hearted youth he became a leader among the Slovak students at Lisle. Under his guidance and inspiration several of his colleagues became attracted to the Benedictine way of life and soon shared his vision of establishing a Slovak Benedictine monastery. Foremost among these were the following: Francis Gmuca, destined to become the first abbot of the future St. Andrew's Abbey, his name in the Benedictine Order was Stanislaus; Father George (Stephen) Luba, who became the first principal of the new Benedictine High School in 1927 at St. Andrew's Priory, East 51st Street and Superior Avenue; Father Celestine Drexler, who did pioneer pastoral work for the new community; Father Leo Rehak, pastor of St. Benedict's parish in Cleveland for many years; Father Ivan Kramoris, principal at Benedictine High School and editor of the zenska Jednota semi-monthly publication �68 SLOVAKIA for a number of years; Father Charles Florek, who succeeded Father Gregory as pastor of St. Michael's in Chicago. These were the charter members of the Abbey. Father Gregory (his name in the Religious Order of St. Benedict) Vaniscak was ordained on June 6, 1914, and offered up his first solemn Mass in St. Stephen's Church, Johnstown, Pa. on June 14, 1914. He was immediately appointed pastor of the large flourishing Slovak parish of St. Michael's in Chicago. During his pastorate of approximately 15 years Father Gregory built a new school, a convent for the school sisters and a parsonage. The parish soon became a leading Slovak religious, cultural and national center in the heart of South Chicago. While at St. Procopius College and Seminary Father Gregory established life-long friendship with the following future priests: Father Malinak, Msgr. Hrtanek, Msgr. Kocis, Father Krispinsky, Msgr. Begalla, Msgr. Hamrak, Father Barlok, Father Banik, Father Fecko, also with outstanding lay leaders, among them Adam Podkrivacky, Julius Badzik and Philip Hrobak. Father Gregory's dream of having a Slovak Benedictine monastery was realized when he was elected conventual prior of St. Andrew's Priory in Cleveland, Ohio in the fall of 1929. The ground had been laid for the new foundation in February of 1922 when a dependent priory was established at St. Andrew's parish, East 51st Street and Superior Avenue by Abbot Valentine Kohlbeck, 0. S. B. and the monastic Chapter at St. Procopius Abbey in Lisle, Illinois. Father Stanislaus Gmuca, O.S.B., assistant to Father Gregory at St. Michael's parish in Chicago, was appointed prior of the fledging community in Cleveland at St. Andrew's dependent priory. Moreover, in the fall of 1927 Father George Luba, the newly-appointed principal of the Benedictine High School, welcomed a Freshman class of 27 boys to the new school at the priory. Two years later both the priory and school were moved to the new site at 10510 Buckeye Road and East Boulevard. Rev. Paschal Kavulic, O.S.B. transferred to St. Andrew's Abbey from St. Vincent's Archabbey in the late 1920's. The new monastic nucleus added the following clerical candidates : Frs. Wendelin Kravec, Michael Jasko, Gilbert Stopko, Sylvester Prise and John Zeman, O.S.B. At this time, too, �SLOVAKIA 69 the monastic community was increased by Brothers Method Tokarcik, Nicholas Pekar, Martin Seckar, Florian Halcin and Victor Repon, as well as by clerics at the beginning of the 1930's: Fratres Theodore Kojis, Daniel Novak, Joseph Bue, Stephen Sramek, Andrew Pier, Anthony Bachleda, Benedict Dobrancin, Paul Taracko. This was only the beginning of the fulfillment of Father Gregory's life-long dream, for he envisioned a college, a seminary and eventually a university. Although this rather grandiose dream was not to become a reality, nevertheless, the priory was elevated to the status of an abbey by the Holy See in 1934 and the 13-member chapter of St. Andrew's Priory (now with abbatial rank) was entitled to vote for its first abbot. Accordingly, on August 8, 1934, Father Stanislaus Gmuca, O.S.B. was elected. The many activities of Father Gregory exacted their toll and, as an inevitable consequence, his health began to fail noticeably after the election of the first abbot. Nevertheless, he accepted the position of pastor at St. Andrew's parish where he continued to fulfill his pastoral duties faithfully until he succumbed to a fatal heart attack on January 15, 1938. Thus at the age of 53 the life of an inspiring Slovak Benedictine monk came to a sudden end. Father Gregory's writings remain as an immortal legacy of his cultural and religious endeavors, namely, the many articles in the Ave Maria magazine which he edited for several years, his translation of the Holy Rule of St. Benedict and a brief life history of the Patriarch of the West, his Holy Name Manuel, the Way of the Cross, a Catechism and his Slovak grammar, and many articles that appeared in Slovak periodicals throughout the country. During World War I Father Gregory was in the forefront of the struggle for the liberation of the Slovak nation from Magyar rule. When the Slovaks joined the Czechs in forming Czecho-Slovakia, he refused to accept a medal from the new state because the government in Prague failed to live up to the promise of self-government in Slovakia. Michael Bosak, Sr., a leading American Slovak banker and patriot and intimate friend of Father Gregory's, also refused the proffered honor for meritorious service in behalf of the liberation of the Slovaks from foreign rule. �70 SLOVAKIA Slovaks everywhere mourned the death of Father Gregory Vaniscak, a foremost Slovak Benedictine in America, the founder of St. Andrew Svorad Abbey in Cleveland, an indefatigable worker, a zealous priest, a great Slovak patriot and a faithful servant of the Lord in His wineyard who labored perseveringly until the end for God, our Country and the Slovak nation under God. SOURCES Slovenske relwle v Amerike (Slovak Religious Orders in America), Fr. Hrusovsky, Ph.D., Slovak Institute, Cleveland, Ohio, 1955. Dve sviite hodiny (Two Holy Hours ), Jednota, February 2, 1938 by Rev. Paschal Kavulic, O.S.B. Slovensky samostatny priorcit (The Slovak Independent Priory), Jednota kalendar, 1931, by Rev. Gregor K.Vaniscak, O.S.B. Rehor K. Vanisccik, O.S.B. (Tribute in the Jednota kalendar, 1931). Several eye-witnesses of the events recorded, also first-hand account of all Benedictine personalities mentioned from persons who knew them personally. FATHER JOSEPH J. DUL1K (SEPTEMBER 10, 1884-AUGUST 26, 1936) As I look over the list of accomplishments of our Slovak pioneer priests, I invariably say to myself: "All deserved to be honored highly for innumerable religious and cultural contributions. But not one of them received due recognition for a lifetime of devoted service and noble endeavor in behalf of our Slovak people." Father f>ulik was one of the most deserving leaders among our Slovak clergy. In a comparatively brief span of life, Father :t.>ulik as a priest accomplished extraordinary services for the Slovak immigrants. An ideal priest, he labored indefatigably with true apostolic zeal for the cause of Christ. He was a veritable lighthouse of faith. His widespread influence among Slovak Catholic organizations inspired them to foster the highest ideals of our national, religious and cultural traditions and yet he vanished from the scene of American Slovak life virtually unknown, except among his own compatriots. A SERVANT OF GOD Father Joseph :t.>ulik was born in Rovne, Trencin district, Slovakia, on September 10, 1884. His parents were Jan and Katarina f>ulik (nee Podkrivacky). After completing his �SLOVAKIA 71 college education in Bratislava, zilina and Nitra he emigrated to the United States in 1904. He was enrolled in the diocesan seminary in Brooklyn, N. Y. where he was ordained five years later, on May 9, 1909. The new priest's first appointment was in an Irish parish, but he was soon given the assignment of organizing the Slovak parish of the Holy Family. In a short while he built a church and a rectory. Here he remained until November 12, 1912, when he was called to St. Michael's parish in Jessup, Pa. Before being transferred on March 1, 1916, to the Holy Ghost Slovak parish in Olyphant, Pa. he built a new school. Father t.>ulik was destined to remain in Olyphant until his untimely death twenty years later. Father !:>ulik's pastorate in Olyphant was marked by the building of a new church, a rectory and a Slovak cultural center-the latter in the renovated old church edifice. The parish under his inspiring leadership became the focal point of Slovak national and cultural activity in the entire area. Olyphant's Slovak community had complete confidence in Father f>ulik who devoted himself wholeheartedly to the spiritual, social and cultural welfare of his people. But his influence soon extended far beyond the confines of his parish, for he became involved in an extensive Slovak Catholic program that affected the destiny of the Slovak nation in America and in its native homeland. Moreover, he promoted a healthy ecumenical spirit in his personal intimate relationship with the Slovaks of the Lutheran faith. 1 A PILLAR IN THE SLOVAK CATHOLIC FEDERATION OF AMERICA At a critical time when it was necessary to maintain a proper perspective of the situation, it was Father t.>ulik's prudent leadership, honest convictions and genuine love for his people that brought him into national focus as a truly great leader in American Slovak life. After the first World War it was his role to win the Slovak Catholics to a pro-Hlinka outlook. In order to mitivate them in this direction Father t.>ulik made a decisive break with a number of organizations that did not share his views. As president of the Slovak Catholic Federation �72 SLOVAKIA he wrote a distinct chapter in the history of the Slovak nation, particularly as it affected his co-religionists. Even before his election as president of the federation, Father t'.>ulik had made his mark in Slovak national life. Had it not been for his initiative and the cooperation of Father Jan Kubasek (Yonkers, N. Y.) in 1919 the American Slovaks might have become sorely disunited. Under the auspices of the Slovak Catholic Federation, Father Anton Gracik was sent to Slovakia to invite a delegation of the Slovak People's Party (led by Andrej Hlinka) for a visit to America. The need for an exchange of views and united action in behalf of Slovak autonomy was a vital necessity because at a decisive stage of the Slovak nation's struggle for freedom the Slovak League of America, for lack of proper leadership, had lost its course and the mass of the American Slovaks was in a quandary. Soon after the coming of the Slovak delegation from overseas the matter was cleared up and the American Slovaks were again marching in the right direction. Father Joseph Rudinsky, a delegate of the Slovak People's Party, convinced the officers of the Slovak Catholic Federation to call a meeting of Slovak clergy and officers of all the Slovak societies in Pittsburgh, Pa. on November 19 and 20, 1919. Father t'.>ulik presided at the priests' meeting on November 19 and it was unanimously decided to support the program for Slovakia's autonomy in the frame-work of the newly-established Republic of CzechoSlovakia.2 The Slovak press throughout America hailed the announcement that was approved the following day by representatives of the various Slovak societies. At the above conference a proposal by Father i'.>ulik that a demand for the immediate release of Father Andrej Hlinka from prison be addressed to President Masaryk and that autonomy be put into effect in Slovakia ( an official paragraph in the Paris Peace Treaty) was adopted unanimously. 3 These measures were adopted at the convention of the Sdruzenie Slovenskych Katolikov ( Slovak Catholic Federation) on December 18, 1919, in Scranton, Pa. and Father t'.>ulik was elected president.4 On January 14, 1920, Father i'.>ulik called an executive meeting of the federation which voted 100,000 crowns to Andrej Hlinka, decided to issue a commemorative stamp �SLOVAKIA 73 in his honor and added a sum of $5,000 for Catholic action in Slovakia. Father Joseph Rudinsky, and Joseph Kubala, the two delegates from Slovakia, were assured that the federation was completely in accord with the Hlinka movement for autonomy, and, as if to confirm this policy, they were named to the positions of organizer and assistant secretary of the Slovak Catholic Federation.5 Under Father !>ulik's leadership a nationwide newspaper campaign was inaugurated to demand the acceptance and ratification of the Pittsburgh Pact in Czecho-Slovakia. The Memorandum adopted by the central executive committee of the federation on April 7, 1920, was sent to the Slovak leaders in Slovakia. An outline of the reasons for insisting that the Pittsburgh Pact be adopted officially by the new government of Czecho-Slovakia was attached to the Memorandum that called attention to the fact that President Masaryk had personally signed the document guaranteeing Slovak autonomy. Moreover, a supplementary denial of any agreement with irridentist Magyar elements accompanied the Memorandum. Father !>ulik's signature to the document proved beyond a doubt that he was a dedicated patriot of the Slovak nation.6 Twenty thousand members in 189 assemblies throughout the United States were enrolled as members in less than a year before the Slovak Catholic Federation held its convention on October 13 and 14 in Chicago in 1920.7 Demands for Slovakia's autonomy were reiterated at t his convention in Chicago.8 Father f>ulik, spokesman for t he delegates representing the majority of the Slovaks in America, declared that failure to grant autonomy to the Slovak nation would make President Masaryk and his cohorts a laughing-stock before the whole world. 9 SUPREME CHAPLAIN OF THE FIRST CATHOLIC SLOVAK UNION (JEDNOTA) Outstanding personalities in the early pioneer days built First Catholic Slovak Union on strong foundations . Father !>ulik was one of the foremost leaders of the era, closely behind in influence to Fathers Furdek and Jankola. As the last of the remarkable trio in the first quarter of �74 SLOVAKIA the 20th century, his was a highly influential career in both our national and fraternal life as one of our greatest Jednota leaders who served the society and our common cause with distinction and honor until the end of his life. Jednota's 22nd national convention in Scranton, Pa. in 1926 saw the emergence of a new set of leaders, among them John Sabol who was destined to serve as supreme secretary for four decades. Andrej Hlinka was the guest of honor at this convention that elected him as Jednota's honorary supreme chaplain for life. It was a great moment for the Slovaks in America, and for Slovaks everywhere. The great champion of Slovak liberty was given a standing ovation after a special proclamation, expressing gratitude to him for his sacrifices in behalf of the Slovak nation, was read, and assurances were given that the Jednota stood behind him 100 % in the struggle to win Slovak national freedom and self-governing statehood according to the Pittsburgh Pact. At the same convention the Jednota delegates elected Father t:>ulik as the supreme chaplain, as if to place him alongside Hlinka upon whom they had conferred the honorary title of chaplain for life. 10 Recognized as a veritable golden link between the old and young, Father Dulik was re-elected at the New York convention in 1928 11 and again at the Detroit convention in 1931.12 Much more can be said of Father Dulik than merely to note that he had been elected and re-elected as supreme chaplain several times. His influence in both the Jednota and the Slovak Catholic Federation left an indelible mark on both organizations in which his official priestly office and dignity, moral power and love of the Slovak nation and American patriotism proved to be unmistakably great assets for unquestioned leadership in his time. At a critical stage in the history of the Slovaks in America whose influence was felt in their native homeland across the Atlantic, when it was somewhat popular to downgrade the Church and religion in general, the Jednota was the bulwark of the Faith of our Fathers. When Magyar chauvinists stopped at nothing to destroy the Slovak national spirit, it was the Jednota that provided the resources and the power to withstand the assaults of these foes of �SLOVAKIA 75 Slovak freedom, foes who unfortunately sometimes found recruits for their ranks among ambitious or naive Slovaks themselves! Jednota leaders were not content to merely maintam a defensive position. They launched an effective offensive to rout the enemy and establish the natural right of the Slovak nation to its own democratic self-government in line with the Wilsonian principle of 'self-determinatio n for all nations.' Historically, it must be registered that the Jednota, from the highest officer to the last member, met the challenge of both the ancient and modern foes of Slovak freedom and helped immeasurably to liberate the Slovaks from Magyar rule in Hungary.13 Moral values for Father nulik rated an A-1 priority. Thus, the Jednota for him was a vital factor in Catholic action, and, thank God, under the truly Christian-inspired leadership of such leaders as Father Dulik the Jednota can rightfully and proudly claim that its policies have been guided by spiritual motives rather than material interests that are too often motivated by mere expediency. "Unique is the proper world to describe the total achievements of the Jednota, for it is undoubtedly great to have an organization with many thousands of members, to have a rich treasury, to have order and discipline, all of which have to a greater or less extent, as a matter of fact, but it is a far greater asset to cherish and foster our ancient Christian faith and traditions and to excel in moral virtue that contributed far more to our society in America than mere material wealth. I re-affirm unequivocally that the millions we have given out in benefits and that we shall distribute in the future cannot equal in value the spiritual benefits that have accrued to our members, Slovak nation and America directly as fruits of Jednota leadership in the past decades." 14 Father Dulik was fully aware of the vita! role of the Jednota, but he realized, too, that its work ultimately depended upon human beings. He always gave his full support, therefore, to his colleagues. His friendship with Joseph Husek, a noted journalist, was particularly strong and effective among the American Slovaks. These two complemented each other in the struggle for unity among �76 SLOVAKIA American Slovaks. This was an important and decisive factor when a number of Slovak priests organized opposition to Rusek. Father Dulik did not hesitate to side with his friend against a number of clerical opponents who attacked Rusek on the question of Slovak national freedom. 15 Husek's talents as editor Father nulik rightfully assessed and appreciated. Moreover, he did not doubt his sincerity, for he regarded Rusek as a true successor of Stefan Furdek in whose footsteps he followed to work in the true interests of the Jednota and the Slovak people. 16 Father nulik, unfortunately, became a victim of circumstances that seem to have plagued all of our great Slovak figures of the time. He suddenly lost his popularity at the very height of his brilliant career. A background to this ironical development is found in the minutes of the First Catholic Slovak Union. There we find a long list of intrigues and prejudices levelled against his person, as he himself outlined before his resignation at the annual executive meeting in 1933.17 Suddenly and unexpectedly a forceful personality was removed from the ranks of the Jednota. Father nulik's vision and dynamic energy were lost with his departure from the office of supreme chaplain. IN RETROSPECT: THE 1928 CONVENTION One of Father Dulik's proposals at the executive meeting in 1928, namely, to have a junior membership convention was immediately endorsed and the first such meeting was held at the Jednota Home in Middletown, Pa. in the summer of that very same year. A total of 170 delegates and more than 2,000 guests convened for this general assembly of our junior membership. As might be expected, the Man of the Hour was Father nulik. In his keynote address he called upon the entire assembly to foster the Slovak language, to cherish the ideals of the Slovak nation and to preserve our ancient national heritage of faith and freedom under God. 18 Hailed throughout the country in Slovak circles and publicized by the Slovak press, Father nulik's program stimulated such interest that the supreme chaplain was invited to speak at a series of programs in various parts of the country. He travelled extensively and created interest �SLOVAKIA 77 everywhere in the common cause of our fraternal and national destiny as true sons of the land of our Slovak forefathers. 19 TREASURER OF THE SLOVAK CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE Slovak priests and laity, as a general rule, from the very beginning worked together in harmony in this country, and that included cooperation in cultural and national affairs. In the Slovak Catholic Educational Institute, for example, under the presidency of the genial Michael Bosak, Sr. the office of secretary was ably filled by the aggressive Joseph Husek, and the treasurer's post was entrusted to the highly respected Father i'.>ulik. This unusual trio did an excellent job of collecting a substantial sum of several hundred thousand dollars despite adverse economic conditions in the country. A nationwide appeal by Father f>ulik aroused the interest of his fellow Slovaks who contributed generously to the project of higher education. A number of American bishops not only endorsed the campaign in their dioceses but contributed financially, too.20 Michael Bosak's generosity and Father f>ulik's personality were a happy combination that won generous support among the clergy and laity. The Slovak press supported the campaign that enabled the Slovak Sisters of St. Cyril and Methodius to build a beautiful new Academy for girls in Danville, Pa. and the Slovak Benedictines to purchase a suitable site for their boys' Benedictine High School in Cleveland, Ohio. Father f>ulik in a brief span of time between two World Wars was a dynamic force in stimulating an active and vigorous interest in the preservation of the Slovak spirit and the enrichment of Slovak culture in America, as well as a tremendous growth of our Slovak fraternal organizations. A TRAGIC ENDING Father Joseph i'.>ulik's life came to a tragic end when he was drawned accidentally while on a routine fishing trip on the Delaware River on August 26, 1936. Although Father f>ulik's life was comparatively brief, �78 SLOVAKIA his highly concentrated energies were instrumental in successfully promoting the highest traditions of Slovak freedom, culture and faith that became intimately interwoven into a beautiful fabric of American Slovak life that bears the unique imprint of his indomitable character and skillful workmanship. Perhaps more than any single individual in the history of the Slovaks in America Father Dulik's influence brought out the primeval elements of our national Slovak Christian heritage, namely, an indestructible faith in God and His Church, an all consuming love of his Slovak brethren and a passionate aspiration for Slovak national freedom, as well as profound appreciation of the richness of our Slovak language, literature and culture. Translated by Andrew Pier, O.S.B. FOOTNOTES 1) "Rev. J. J. 1'.>ulik 20 rokov knazom" (Rev J . J. Dulik 20 years a priest). Slovak v Amerike, June 6, 1929, p. 2. 2) "Za krest'anske a autonomne Slovensko" (For a Christian and autonomous Slovakia). Jednota, November 26, 1919, p. 4. 3) "Uradna zprava schodze katolickych duchovnych a zastupcov kat. organizacil odbyvana dna 19. a 20. novembra 19-19 v Pittsburgh, Pa." ( Official report of the meeting of Catholic clergy and representatives of Catholic organizations on November 19 and 20, 1919 in Pittsburgh, Pa.), Jednota, December 3, 1919, p. 5. Signed by Father !>ullk and A. Pirhalla. 4) "Podrobnosti z konvencie Sdruzenia Slov. Katolikov" (From the report of the Convention of the Slovak Catholic Federation ), Jednota, November 24, 1919, p. 1. 5) "Vaznejsie uznesenia Sdruz. SI. Katolikov (More important proceedings of the Slovak Catholic Federation), Jednota, January 28, 1920, p. 1. 6) The complete text of the Memorandum in the Jednota of May 26, 1920, p. 5. Signatures of Fr. Jozef !>ulik, president, Fr. Stefan Kocis, secretary and Jozef Husek, member of the executive committee. 7) "Konvencia Sdruzenia Slovenskych Katolikov" (Convention of the Slovak Catholic Federation), Jednota, October 20, 1920, p. 1. Reports from the convention confirmed Fr. !>ulik's principle expressed when he was elected president: "I am not a friend of programmed speeches, or articles. I prefer to do more than I promise." "Sdruzenie Katolikov," Jednota, January 7, 1920, p. 1. Father Klemo Hrtanek was elected president in Chicago. 8) Quote: "The Slovak Catholic Federation today is in favor of autonomous Slovakia and it will continue to support Slovak autonomy �SLOVAKIA 79 until the flag of Slovak autonomy waves above the Tatras in the framework of the Czecho-Slovak Republic." ... Rev. G. K. Vaniscak, O.S.B., "Po konvencii Sdruzenia Slovenskych Katolikov" (After the Convention of the Slovak Catholic Federation), Jednota, October 20, 1920, p. 4. 9) "Rev. Moysovi, " Jednota, March 13, 1920, p. 4. 10) Report of his election in the Minutes of the 22nd Convention of the Jednota (First Catholic Slovak Union), p. 254. Data in the minutes about the presence and election of Msgr. Andrej ffiinka. 11 ) Minutes from the 23rd Convention of the First Catholic Slovak Union, p. 288. 12) Minutes from the 24th Convention of the Jednota, p . 540. 13) "40 rokov" (40 Years) , Jednota, May 20, 1931, p. 1. 14) Minutes from the 24th Convention of the First Catholic Slovak Union, p. 17. 15) Matter pertaining to a pro-Magyar Slovak priest, Rev. Dr. Jehli~ka, and his comrades in America. See Minutes from the 24th Conv ention of the First Catholic Slovak Union, pp. 20-21. 16) "40 rokov" (40 Years), Jednota, May 20, 1931, p. 1. 17) Compare the Minutes from the annual meeting of the executive committee of the F.C.S.U. (Jednota), 1932, p. 3 pertaining to Fr. f>ulik's complaints with Husek's editorial "S Bohom . .. do videnia" (Goodbye, until we meet again) in the February 3, 1932, issue of the Jednota weekly. 18) Sermon on July 16, 1928, in St. Patrick's Cathedral, Harrisburg, Pa. Compare the report on the first convention of the young membership (Junior Branch) in the July 18, 1928, p. 1 issue of the Jednota. Details are given in this report. 19) "Rev. Joseph J . Dulik," Jednota issue of May 23, 1934. Contemporary critics agreed that Fr. f>ulik was a good preacher and an eloquent speaker. 20) Bishops Philip McDevitt of Harrisburg, Pa., Joseph Schrembs of Cleveland, Ohio, and T. C. O'Reilly of Scranton, Pa. endorsed the campaign of the Slovak Catholic Educational Institute for their Slovak priests. Bishop O'Reilly donated $1,000 and Bishop Thomas Walsh of Trenton gave $250 to the campaign. At a meeting of the Slovaks in T11enton Bishop Walsh recommended that the young Slovaks ought to learn the Slovak language, a language that has been spoken and written for hundreds of years. See Jednota issue of April 11, 1928, p. 4. Bishop Schrembs wrote an official letter in behalf of the Slovak Catholic Educational Institute. See the Jednota issue of April 24, 1929, p.1. SOURCES Minutes of the 22nd, 23rd and 24th Convention of the Jednota, and Minutes of the annual meeting of the executive committee of the First Catholic Slovak Union for the following years: 1928 through 1932. Kalendar Jednota, Middletown, Pa., 1937, p. 91. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1974, Vol. 24 Description An account of the resource Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document SLOVAKIA 67 Jozef Pa u co, Ph.D.: Slovak Pioneers Ln America REVEREND GREGORY VANISCAK, O.S.B. (JULY 24, 1884-JANUARY 15, 1938) Father Furdek's accomplishments in behalf of the Slovak people by organizing the two Jednotas and the Slovak League of America and Father Jankola's achievement of being the founder of the Religious Order of the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius in Danville, Pa. were supplemented by Father Vaniscak's founding of the Slovak abbey of the Order of St. Benedict in Cleveland, Ohio. These three men constitute the most glorious trio of Slovak Catholic leaders in America. The future founder of the Slovak Benedictine Abbey of St. Andrew Svorad in Cleveland, Ohio, namely, Jan Vaniscak, came to the United States as a 16-year old youth from the village of Lemesany, saris district, Slovakia, to join his brother, Andrew, in the city of Johnstown, Pa. Three years later through the efforts of Rev. Jan Martvo:n, pastor of St. Stephen's Slovak parish there, and Father Matus Jankola, Jan Vaniscak was enrolled at St. Procopius Benedictine College in Lisle, Illinois. As a zealous student and a pious, warm-hearted youth he became a leader among the Slovak students at Lisle. Under his guidance and inspiration several of his colleagues became attracted to the Benedictine way of life and soon shared his vision of establishing a Slovak Benedictine monastery. Foremost among these were the following: Francis Gmuca, destined to become the first abbot of the future St. Andrew's Abbey, his name in the Benedictine Order was Stanislaus; Father George (Stephen) Luba, who became the first principal of the new Benedictine High School in 1927 at St. Andrew's Priory, East 51st Street and Superior Avenue; Father Celestine Drexler, who did pioneer pastoral work for the new community; Father Leo Rehak, pastor of St. Benedict's parish in Cleveland for many years; Father Ivan Kramoris, principal at Benedictine High School and editor of the zenska Jednota semi-monthly publication 68 SLOVAKIA for a number of years; Father Charles Florek, who succeeded Father Gregory as pastor of St. Michael's in Chicago. These were the charter members of the Abbey. Father Gregory (his name in the Religious Order of St. Benedict) Vaniscak was ordained on June 6, 1914, and offered up his first solemn Mass in St. Stephen's Church, Johnstown, Pa. on June 14, 1914. He was immediately appointed pastor of the large flourishing Slovak parish of St. Michael's in Chicago. During his pastorate of approximately 15 years Father Gregory built a new school, a convent for the school sisters and a parsonage. The parish soon became a leading Slovak religious, cultural and national center in the heart of South Chicago. While at St. Procopius College and Seminary Father Gregory established life-long friendship with the following future priests: Father Malinak, Msgr. Hrtanek, Msgr. Kocis, Father Krispinsky, Msgr. Begalla, Msgr. Hamrak, Father Barlok, Father Banik, Father Fecko, also with outstanding lay leaders, among them Adam Podkrivacky, Julius Badzik and Philip Hrobak. Father Gregory's dream of having a Slovak Benedictine monastery was realized when he was elected conventual prior of St. Andrew's Priory in Cleveland, Ohio in the fall of 1929. The ground had been laid for the new foundation in February of 1922 when a dependent priory was established at St. Andrew's parish, East 51st Street and Superior Avenue by Abbot Valentine Kohlbeck, 0. S. B. and the monastic Chapter at St. Procopius Abbey in Lisle, Illinois. Father Stanislaus Gmuca, O.S.B., assistant to Father Gregory at St. Michael's parish in Chicago, was appointed prior of the fledging community in Cleveland at St. Andrew's dependent priory. Moreover, in the fall of 1927 Father George Luba, the newly-appointed principal of the Benedictine High School, welcomed a Freshman class of 27 boys to the new school at the priory. Two years later both the priory and school were moved to the new site at 10510 Buckeye Road and East Boulevard. Rev. Paschal Kavulic, O.S.B. transferred to St. Andrew's Abbey from St. Vincent's Archabbey in the late 1920's. The new monastic nucleus added the following clerical candidates : Frs. Wendelin Kravec, Michael Jasko, Gilbert Stopko, Sylvester Prise and John Zeman, O.S.B. At this time, too, SLOVAKIA 69 the monastic community was increased by Brothers Method Tokarcik, Nicholas Pekar, Martin Seckar, Florian Halcin and Victor Repon, as well as by clerics at the beginning of the 1930's: Fratres Theodore Kojis, Daniel Novak, Joseph Bue, Stephen Sramek, Andrew Pier, Anthony Bachleda, Benedict Dobrancin, Paul Taracko. This was only the beginning of the fulfillment of Father Gregory's life-long dream, for he envisioned a college, a seminary and eventually a university. Although this rather grandiose dream was not to become a reality, nevertheless, the priory was elevated to the status of an abbey by the Holy See in 1934 and the 13-member chapter of St. Andrew's Priory (now with abbatial rank) was entitled to vote for its first abbot. Accordingly, on August 8, 1934, Father Stanislaus Gmuca, O.S.B. was elected. The many activities of Father Gregory exacted their toll and, as an inevitable consequence, his health began to fail noticeably after the election of the first abbot. Nevertheless, he accepted the position of pastor at St. Andrew's parish where he continued to fulfill his pastoral duties faithfully until he succumbed to a fatal heart attack on January 15, 1938. Thus at the age of 53 the life of an inspiring Slovak Benedictine monk came to a sudden end. Father Gregory's writings remain as an immortal legacy of his cultural and religious endeavors, namely, the many articles in the Ave Maria magazine which he edited for several years, his translation of the Holy Rule of St. Benedict and a brief life history of the Patriarch of the West, his Holy Name Manuel, the Way of the Cross, a Catechism and his Slovak grammar, and many articles that appeared in Slovak periodicals throughout the country. During World War I Father Gregory was in the forefront of the struggle for the liberation of the Slovak nation from Magyar rule. When the Slovaks joined the Czechs in forming Czecho-Slovakia, he refused to accept a medal from the new state because the government in Prague failed to live up to the promise of self-government in Slovakia. Michael Bosak, Sr., a leading American Slovak banker and patriot and intimate friend of Father Gregory's, also refused the proffered honor for meritorious service in behalf of the liberation of the Slovaks from foreign rule. 70 SLOVAKIA Slovaks everywhere mourned the death of Father Gregory Vaniscak, a foremost Slovak Benedictine in America, the founder of St. Andrew Svorad Abbey in Cleveland, an indefatigable worker, a zealous priest, a great Slovak patriot and a faithful servant of the Lord in His wineyard who labored perseveringly until the end for God, our Country and the Slovak nation under God. SOURCES Slovenske relwle v Amerike (Slovak Religious Orders in America), Fr. Hrusovsky, Ph.D., Slovak Institute, Cleveland, Ohio, 1955. Dve sviite hodiny (Two Holy Hours ), Jednota, February 2, 1938 by Rev. Paschal Kavulic, O.S.B. Slovensky samostatny priorcit (The Slovak Independent Priory), Jednota kalendar, 1931, by Rev. Gregor K.Vaniscak, O.S.B. Rehor K. Vanisccik, O.S.B. (Tribute in the Jednota kalendar, 1931). Several eye-witnesses of the events recorded, also first-hand account of all Benedictine personalities mentioned from persons who knew them personally. FATHER JOSEPH J. DUL1K (SEPTEMBER 10, 1884-AUGUST 26, 1936) As I look over the list of accomplishments of our Slovak pioneer priests, I invariably say to myself: "All deserved to be honored highly for innumerable religious and cultural contributions. But not one of them received due recognition for a lifetime of devoted service and noble endeavor in behalf of our Slovak people." Father f>ulik was one of the most deserving leaders among our Slovak clergy. In a comparatively brief span of life, Father :t.>ulik as a priest accomplished extraordinary services for the Slovak immigrants. An ideal priest, he labored indefatigably with true apostolic zeal for the cause of Christ. He was a veritable lighthouse of faith. His widespread influence among Slovak Catholic organizations inspired them to foster the highest ideals of our national, religious and cultural traditions and yet he vanished from the scene of American Slovak life virtually unknown, except among his own compatriots. A SERVANT OF GOD Father Joseph :t.>ulik was born in Rovne, Trencin district, Slovakia, on September 10, 1884. His parents were Jan and Katarina f>ulik (nee Podkrivacky). After completing his SLOVAKIA 71 college education in Bratislava, zilina and Nitra he emigrated to the United States in 1904. He was enrolled in the diocesan seminary in Brooklyn, N. Y. where he was ordained five years later, on May 9, 1909. The new priest's first appointment was in an Irish parish, but he was soon given the assignment of organizing the Slovak parish of the Holy Family. In a short while he built a church and a rectory. Here he remained until November 12, 1912, when he was called to St. Michael's parish in Jessup, Pa. Before being transferred on March 1, 1916, to the Holy Ghost Slovak parish in Olyphant, Pa. he built a new school. Father t.>ulik was destined to remain in Olyphant until his untimely death twenty years later. Father !:>ulik's pastorate in Olyphant was marked by the building of a new church, a rectory and a Slovak cultural center-the latter in the renovated old church edifice. The parish under his inspiring leadership became the focal point of Slovak national and cultural activity in the entire area. Olyphant's Slovak community had complete confidence in Father f>ulik who devoted himself wholeheartedly to the spiritual, social and cultural welfare of his people. But his influence soon extended far beyond the confines of his parish, for he became involved in an extensive Slovak Catholic program that affected the destiny of the Slovak nation in America and in its native homeland. Moreover, he promoted a healthy ecumenical spirit in his personal intimate relationship with the Slovaks of the Lutheran faith. 1 A PILLAR IN THE SLOVAK CATHOLIC FEDERATION OF AMERICA At a critical time when it was necessary to maintain a proper perspective of the situation, it was Father t.>ulik's prudent leadership, honest convictions and genuine love for his people that brought him into national focus as a truly great leader in American Slovak life. After the first World War it was his role to win the Slovak Catholics to a pro-Hlinka outlook. In order to mitivate them in this direction Father t.>ulik made a decisive break with a number of organizations that did not share his views. As president of the Slovak Catholic Federation 72 SLOVAKIA he wrote a distinct chapter in the history of the Slovak nation, particularly as it affected his co-religionists. Even before his election as president of the federation, Father t'.>ulik had made his mark in Slovak national life. Had it not been for his initiative and the cooperation of Father Jan Kubasek (Yonkers, N. Y.) in 1919 the American Slovaks might have become sorely disunited. Under the auspices of the Slovak Catholic Federation, Father Anton Gracik was sent to Slovakia to invite a delegation of the Slovak People's Party (led by Andrej Hlinka) for a visit to America. The need for an exchange of views and united action in behalf of Slovak autonomy was a vital necessity because at a decisive stage of the Slovak nation's struggle for freedom the Slovak League of America, for lack of proper leadership, had lost its course and the mass of the American Slovaks was in a quandary. Soon after the coming of the Slovak delegation from overseas the matter was cleared up and the American Slovaks were again marching in the right direction. Father Joseph Rudinsky, a delegate of the Slovak People's Party, convinced the officers of the Slovak Catholic Federation to call a meeting of Slovak clergy and officers of all the Slovak societies in Pittsburgh, Pa. on November 19 and 20, 1919. Father t'.>ulik presided at the priests' meeting on November 19 and it was unanimously decided to support the program for Slovakia's autonomy in the frame-work of the newly-established Republic of CzechoSlovakia.2 The Slovak press throughout America hailed the announcement that was approved the following day by representatives of the various Slovak societies. At the above conference a proposal by Father i'.>ulik that a demand for the immediate release of Father Andrej Hlinka from prison be addressed to President Masaryk and that autonomy be put into effect in Slovakia ( an official paragraph in the Paris Peace Treaty) was adopted unanimously. 3 These measures were adopted at the convention of the Sdruzenie Slovenskych Katolikov ( Slovak Catholic Federation) on December 18, 1919, in Scranton, Pa. and Father t'.>ulik was elected president.4 On January 14, 1920, Father i'.>ulik called an executive meeting of the federation which voted 100,000 crowns to Andrej Hlinka, decided to issue a commemorative stamp SLOVAKIA 73 in his honor and added a sum of $5,000 for Catholic action in Slovakia. Father Joseph Rudinsky, and Joseph Kubala, the two delegates from Slovakia, were assured that the federation was completely in accord with the Hlinka movement for autonomy, and, as if to confirm this policy, they were named to the positions of organizer and assistant secretary of the Slovak Catholic Federation.5 Under Father !>ulik's leadership a nationwide newspaper campaign was inaugurated to demand the acceptance and ratification of the Pittsburgh Pact in Czecho-Slovakia. The Memorandum adopted by the central executive committee of the federation on April 7, 1920, was sent to the Slovak leaders in Slovakia. An outline of the reasons for insisting that the Pittsburgh Pact be adopted officially by the new government of Czecho-Slovakia was attached to the Memorandum that called attention to the fact that President Masaryk had personally signed the document guaranteeing Slovak autonomy. Moreover, a supplementary denial of any agreement with irridentist Magyar elements accompanied the Memorandum. Father !>ulik's signature to the document proved beyond a doubt that he was a dedicated patriot of the Slovak nation.6 Twenty thousand members in 189 assemblies throughout the United States were enrolled as members in less than a year before the Slovak Catholic Federation held its convention on October 13 and 14 in Chicago in 1920.7 Demands for Slovakia's autonomy were reiterated at t his convention in Chicago.8 Father f>ulik, spokesman for t he delegates representing the majority of the Slovaks in America, declared that failure to grant autonomy to the Slovak nation would make President Masaryk and his cohorts a laughing-stock before the whole world. 9 SUPREME CHAPLAIN OF THE FIRST CATHOLIC SLOVAK UNION (JEDNOTA) Outstanding personalities in the early pioneer days built First Catholic Slovak Union on strong foundations . Father !>ulik was one of the foremost leaders of the era, closely behind in influence to Fathers Furdek and Jankola. As the last of the remarkable trio in the first quarter of 74 SLOVAKIA the 20th century, his was a highly influential career in both our national and fraternal life as one of our greatest Jednota leaders who served the society and our common cause with distinction and honor until the end of his life. Jednota's 22nd national convention in Scranton, Pa. in 1926 saw the emergence of a new set of leaders, among them John Sabol who was destined to serve as supreme secretary for four decades. Andrej Hlinka was the guest of honor at this convention that elected him as Jednota's honorary supreme chaplain for life. It was a great moment for the Slovaks in America, and for Slovaks everywhere. The great champion of Slovak liberty was given a standing ovation after a special proclamation, expressing gratitude to him for his sacrifices in behalf of the Slovak nation, was read, and assurances were given that the Jednota stood behind him 100 % in the struggle to win Slovak national freedom and self-governing statehood according to the Pittsburgh Pact. At the same convention the Jednota delegates elected Father t:>ulik as the supreme chaplain, as if to place him alongside Hlinka upon whom they had conferred the honorary title of chaplain for life. 10 Recognized as a veritable golden link between the old and young, Father Dulik was re-elected at the New York convention in 1928 11 and again at the Detroit convention in 1931.12 Much more can be said of Father Dulik than merely to note that he had been elected and re-elected as supreme chaplain several times. His influence in both the Jednota and the Slovak Catholic Federation left an indelible mark on both organizations in which his official priestly office and dignity, moral power and love of the Slovak nation and American patriotism proved to be unmistakably great assets for unquestioned leadership in his time. At a critical stage in the history of the Slovaks in America whose influence was felt in their native homeland across the Atlantic, when it was somewhat popular to downgrade the Church and religion in general, the Jednota was the bulwark of the Faith of our Fathers. When Magyar chauvinists stopped at nothing to destroy the Slovak national spirit, it was the Jednota that provided the resources and the power to withstand the assaults of these foes of SLOVAKIA 75 Slovak freedom, foes who unfortunately sometimes found recruits for their ranks among ambitious or naive Slovaks themselves! Jednota leaders were not content to merely maintam a defensive position. They launched an effective offensive to rout the enemy and establish the natural right of the Slovak nation to its own democratic self-government in line with the Wilsonian principle of 'self-determinatio n for all nations.' Historically, it must be registered that the Jednota, from the highest officer to the last member, met the challenge of both the ancient and modern foes of Slovak freedom and helped immeasurably to liberate the Slovaks from Magyar rule in Hungary.13 Moral values for Father nulik rated an A-1 priority. Thus, the Jednota for him was a vital factor in Catholic action, and, thank God, under the truly Christian-inspired leadership of such leaders as Father Dulik the Jednota can rightfully and proudly claim that its policies have been guided by spiritual motives rather than material interests that are too often motivated by mere expediency. "Unique is the proper world to describe the total achievements of the Jednota, for it is undoubtedly great to have an organization with many thousands of members, to have a rich treasury, to have order and discipline, all of which have to a greater or less extent, as a matter of fact, but it is a far greater asset to cherish and foster our ancient Christian faith and traditions and to excel in moral virtue that contributed far more to our society in America than mere material wealth. I re-affirm unequivocally that the millions we have given out in benefits and that we shall distribute in the future cannot equal in value the spiritual benefits that have accrued to our members, Slovak nation and America directly as fruits of Jednota leadership in the past decades." 14 Father Dulik was fully aware of the vita! role of the Jednota, but he realized, too, that its work ultimately depended upon human beings. He always gave his full support, therefore, to his colleagues. His friendship with Joseph Husek, a noted journalist, was particularly strong and effective among the American Slovaks. These two complemented each other in the struggle for unity among 76 SLOVAKIA American Slovaks. This was an important and decisive factor when a number of Slovak priests organized opposition to Rusek. Father Dulik did not hesitate to side with his friend against a number of clerical opponents who attacked Rusek on the question of Slovak national freedom. 15 Husek's talents as editor Father nulik rightfully assessed and appreciated. Moreover, he did not doubt his sincerity, for he regarded Rusek as a true successor of Stefan Furdek in whose footsteps he followed to work in the true interests of the Jednota and the Slovak people. 16 Father nulik, unfortunately, became a victim of circumstances that seem to have plagued all of our great Slovak figures of the time. He suddenly lost his popularity at the very height of his brilliant career. A background to this ironical development is found in the minutes of the First Catholic Slovak Union. There we find a long list of intrigues and prejudices levelled against his person, as he himself outlined before his resignation at the annual executive meeting in 1933.17 Suddenly and unexpectedly a forceful personality was removed from the ranks of the Jednota. Father nulik's vision and dynamic energy were lost with his departure from the office of supreme chaplain. IN RETROSPECT: THE 1928 CONVENTION One of Father Dulik's proposals at the executive meeting in 1928, namely, to have a junior membership convention was immediately endorsed and the first such meeting was held at the Jednota Home in Middletown, Pa. in the summer of that very same year. A total of 170 delegates and more than 2,000 guests convened for this general assembly of our junior membership. As might be expected, the Man of the Hour was Father nulik. In his keynote address he called upon the entire assembly to foster the Slovak language, to cherish the ideals of the Slovak nation and to preserve our ancient national heritage of faith and freedom under God. 18 Hailed throughout the country in Slovak circles and publicized by the Slovak press, Father nulik's program stimulated such interest that the supreme chaplain was invited to speak at a series of programs in various parts of the country. He travelled extensively and created interest SLOVAKIA 77 everywhere in the common cause of our fraternal and national destiny as true sons of the land of our Slovak forefathers. 19 TREASURER OF THE SLOVAK CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE Slovak priests and laity, as a general rule, from the very beginning worked together in harmony in this country, and that included cooperation in cultural and national affairs. In the Slovak Catholic Educational Institute, for example, under the presidency of the genial Michael Bosak, Sr. the office of secretary was ably filled by the aggressive Joseph Husek, and the treasurer's post was entrusted to the highly respected Father i'.>ulik. This unusual trio did an excellent job of collecting a substantial sum of several hundred thousand dollars despite adverse economic conditions in the country. A nationwide appeal by Father f>ulik aroused the interest of his fellow Slovaks who contributed generously to the project of higher education. A number of American bishops not only endorsed the campaign in their dioceses but contributed financially, too.20 Michael Bosak's generosity and Father f>ulik's personality were a happy combination that won generous support among the clergy and laity. The Slovak press supported the campaign that enabled the Slovak Sisters of St. Cyril and Methodius to build a beautiful new Academy for girls in Danville, Pa. and the Slovak Benedictines to purchase a suitable site for their boys' Benedictine High School in Cleveland, Ohio. Father f>ulik in a brief span of time between two World Wars was a dynamic force in stimulating an active and vigorous interest in the preservation of the Slovak spirit and the enrichment of Slovak culture in America, as well as a tremendous growth of our Slovak fraternal organizations. A TRAGIC ENDING Father Joseph i'.>ulik's life came to a tragic end when he was drawned accidentally while on a routine fishing trip on the Delaware River on August 26, 1936. Although Father f>ulik's life was comparatively brief, 78 SLOVAKIA his highly concentrated energies were instrumental in successfully promoting the highest traditions of Slovak freedom, culture and faith that became intimately interwoven into a beautiful fabric of American Slovak life that bears the unique imprint of his indomitable character and skillful workmanship. Perhaps more than any single individual in the history of the Slovaks in America Father Dulik's influence brought out the primeval elements of our national Slovak Christian heritage, namely, an indestructible faith in God and His Church, an all consuming love of his Slovak brethren and a passionate aspiration for Slovak national freedom, as well as profound appreciation of the richness of our Slovak language, literature and culture. Translated by Andrew Pier, O.S.B. FOOTNOTES 1) "Rev. J. J. 1'.>ulik 20 rokov knazom" (Rev J . J. Dulik 20 years a priest). Slovak v Amerike, June 6, 1929, p. 2. 2) "Za krest'anske a autonomne Slovensko" (For a Christian and autonomous Slovakia). Jednota, November 26, 1919, p. 4. 3) "Uradna zprava schodze katolickych duchovnych a zastupcov kat. organizacil odbyvana dna 19. a 20. novembra 19-19 v Pittsburgh, Pa." ( Official report of the meeting of Catholic clergy and representatives of Catholic organizations on November 19 and 20, 1919 in Pittsburgh, Pa.), Jednota, December 3, 1919, p. 5. Signed by Father !>ullk and A. Pirhalla. 4) "Podrobnosti z konvencie Sdruzenia Slov. Katolikov" (From the report of the Convention of the Slovak Catholic Federation ), Jednota, November 24, 1919, p. 1. 5) "Vaznejsie uznesenia Sdruz. SI. Katolikov (More important proceedings of the Slovak Catholic Federation), Jednota, January 28, 1920, p. 1. 6) The complete text of the Memorandum in the Jednota of May 26, 1920, p. 5. Signatures of Fr. Jozef !>ulik, president, Fr. Stefan Kocis, secretary and Jozef Husek, member of the executive committee. 7) "Konvencia Sdruzenia Slovenskych Katolikov" (Convention of the Slovak Catholic Federation), Jednota, October 20, 1920, p. 1. Reports from the convention confirmed Fr. !>ulik's principle expressed when he was elected president: "I am not a friend of programmed speeches, or articles. I prefer to do more than I promise." "Sdruzenie Katolikov," Jednota, January 7, 1920, p. 1. Father Klemo Hrtanek was elected president in Chicago. 8) Quote: "The Slovak Catholic Federation today is in favor of autonomous Slovakia and it will continue to support Slovak autonomy SLOVAKIA 79 until the flag of Slovak autonomy waves above the Tatras in the framework of the Czecho-Slovak Republic." ... Rev. G. K. Vaniscak, O.S.B., "Po konvencii Sdruzenia Slovenskych Katolikov" (After the Convention of the Slovak Catholic Federation), Jednota, October 20, 1920, p. 4. 9) "Rev. Moysovi, " Jednota, March 13, 1920, p. 4. 10) Report of his election in the Minutes of the 22nd Convention of the Jednota (First Catholic Slovak Union), p. 254. Data in the minutes about the presence and election of Msgr. Andrej ffiinka. 11 ) Minutes from the 23rd Convention of the First Catholic Slovak Union, p. 288. 12) Minutes from the 24th Convention of the Jednota, p . 540. 13) "40 rokov" (40 Years) , Jednota, May 20, 1931, p. 1. 14) Minutes from the 24th Convention of the First Catholic Slovak Union, p. 17. 15) Matter pertaining to a pro-Magyar Slovak priest, Rev. Dr. Jehli~ka, and his comrades in America. See Minutes from the 24th Conv ention of the First Catholic Slovak Union, pp. 20-21. 16) "40 rokov" (40 Years), Jednota, May 20, 1931, p. 1. 17) Compare the Minutes from the annual meeting of the executive committee of the F.C.S.U. (Jednota), 1932, p. 3 pertaining to Fr. f>ulik's complaints with Husek's editorial "S Bohom . .. do videnia" (Goodbye, until we meet again) in the February 3, 1932, issue of the Jednota weekly. 18) Sermon on July 16, 1928, in St. Patrick's Cathedral, Harrisburg, Pa. Compare the report on the first convention of the young membership (Junior Branch) in the July 18, 1928, p. 1 issue of the Jednota. Details are given in this report. 19) "Rev. Joseph J . Dulik," Jednota issue of May 23, 1934. Contemporary critics agreed that Fr. f>ulik was a good preacher and an eloquent speaker. 20) Bishops Philip McDevitt of Harrisburg, Pa., Joseph Schrembs of Cleveland, Ohio, and T. C. O'Reilly of Scranton, Pa. endorsed the campaign of the Slovak Catholic Educational Institute for their Slovak priests. Bishop O'Reilly donated $1,000 and Bishop Thomas Walsh of Trenton gave $250 to the campaign. At a meeting of the Slovaks in T11enton Bishop Walsh recommended that the young Slovaks ought to learn the Slovak language, a language that has been spoken and written for hundreds of years. See Jednota issue of April 11, 1928, p. 4. Bishop Schrembs wrote an official letter in behalf of the Slovak Catholic Educational Institute. See the Jednota issue of April 24, 1929, p.1. SOURCES Minutes of the 22nd, 23rd and 24th Convention of the Jednota, and Minutes of the annual meeting of the executive committee of the First Catholic Slovak Union for the following years: 1928 through 1932. Kalendar Jednota, Middletown, Pa., 1937, p. 91.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Slovak Pioneers in America: Reverend Gregory Vaniščák, O.S.B. Description An account of the resource Jozef Paučo, Ph.D. Slovakia, Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974 pp. 67-79 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Paučo, Jozef, 1914-1975 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 SNK https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/10aed17015a5abecf03124d945932fa2.pdf 13ba17b6c0a62ac1bcb8fadc80beabd4 PDF Text Text SLOVAKIA 63 Slovaks Abroad and Their Role in Slovakia's Struggle /or Freed om J. M. Ki rs ch b au m, Ph.D. National struggles for emancipation from foreign rule were fought in East Central Europe for more than a century on two fronts: at home, and by emigres abroad. During the first World War and again during the Second World War, leading Western Powers gave to various emigre groups formal recognition to become the official representatives of their native countries. In so doing, they helped to establish a tradition which, in time of political oppression, assigns to emigres the role of interpreters of the national aspirations of the people in their country of origin. Slovakia is one of the Central European countries in which this tradition has played an important role. At the end of the First World War, Slovakia was freed from Hungarian rule above all by the efforts of Slovaks who settled in the United States and by Slovak legionaries fighting on the side of the victorious powers. This gave American Slovaks and all Slovaks abroad not only recognition and a new sense of patriotism but also a consciousness of their mission to speak on behalf of the Slovak people when they are silenced. Political developments in Slovakia after the Second World War brought disappointment even to those who desired the restoration of Czecho-Slovakia and favored Soviet expansion in Central Europe. The introduction of a rigid centralism instead of the promised autonomy, the ruthless replacement of parliamentary democracy by the Stalinist system, political and religious persecution, economic discrimination and prohibition of contacts with Western countries, could not leave Slovaks abroad indifferent to the fate of the Slovak people. American Slovaks together with Slovaks in other Western countries, strengthened by thousands of political emigres as well as by those who were deceived in their attempts at co-operation with the Communists, resumed the role of interpreters of the �64 SLOVAKIA aspirations of the Slovak people for freedom, democracy and independence . In 1968 when the attempts to reform the political and economic system imposed on Slovakia by Moscow and Prague failed and "socialism with human face" was crushed under the tanks of the Warsaw Pact military forces, a new wave of Slovak emigrants found refuge in Western countries. This new situation prompted Slovaks abroad to rally their forces for intensified political and cultural activities within the framework of the Slovak World Congress, founded in the City of New York in June 1970. The aims and goals of the Congress were defined as follows: "Slovaks living throughout the entire world, many of whom were born in the United States and elsewhere, accept as a moral duty the necessity to unite in the struggle for the natural rights of the Slovak nation and for the complete freedom in the determinatio n of its destinies. We consider it our obligation to present to the world a true picture of the life and aspirations of the Slovak nation for a free and democratic way of life. Today we are more acutely aware of this duty in view of the fact that the regime which has been forced upon the Slovak nation is opposed to the national traditions of Slovakia and the country is occupied by the military forces of a foreign Great Power. Therefore, in view of the foregoing: We subscribe to the traditional values of Slovak history which have promoted the re-birth of our nation, its growth and its acceptance in western civilization among cultured nations; We contend that the Slovak question is an international problem and therefore we request that international justice be done Slovakia, justice that would be expressed in full democratic statehood; We take a positive attitude towards the process of integration in Europe and we demand that the Slovak nation be given the right to participate freely and directly in this process. �SLOVAKIA 65 We desire and hope that the situation in Central and Eastern Europe will change so that there will no longer be any obstacle towards establishing and maintaining cultural exchanges between the Slovaks at home and abroad which present conditions in Slovakia either make completely impossible, or allow only in a restricted sense." Among the main tasks of the Slovak World Congress are the activities aiming at acquainting the Western world with the history, culture and the present political situation in Slovakia. The Congress fulfills this task through the activities of its individual and constitutional members and their press. Some of the best known authors of books on Slovakia and political scientists and historians are leading figures of the Congress. The institutional members, mostly large Slovak organizations, help to fulfill this role in their press and, publishing activities, by memoranda and so on. Three publications by the Congress are destined to achieve the same aim. Before the Second General Meeting of the Congress in Toronto in 1971, the Slovak World Congress published its first publication: Slovakia - Historical and Cultural Background (Toronto, 1971). Two authors, Prof. J. A. Mikus and Prof. J. M. Kirschbaum, outlined in concise chapters the historical and cultural developments in Slovakia since the appearance of Slovaks in Central Europe in order to correct many misconceptions about the Slovak political and cultural history. The book gives, however, only basic information and, therefore, to fill the gap in presenting Slovakia to the West, the Congress organized a Conference on Slovakia, and the papers which were delivered at the Conference by more than 20 scholars were published in the volume: Slovakia in the 19th and 20th Centuries (Toronto, 1973).1 The aim of this book - as expressed in the Preface by S. B. Roman - is "to contribute to the search for historical truth about Slovaks and thereby to help better understanding and co-operation among the nations of Central Europe. It is our firm belief that peoples of that vital area can regain their political freedom and build their future only in close co-operation and only if each recognize the equal rights to independence that each has." 1) For evaluation of the book see Book reviews. �66 SLOVAKIA The book is divided into four parts which deal with Slovak national philosophy; Slovak politics in the 19th and 20th centuries; the relations of Slovakia with her neighbors, and with the attitude of Slovaks abroad towards Slovakia. All the authors, of whom four are of non-Slovak origin, examined in a scholarly manner Slovak political and cultural developments. The book presents at the same time "a confrontation of views on the Slovak past and present, as there are among the Slovak contributors two generations and two schools of thought," as the editor of the book stressed. The Slovak World Congress published also a German publication: Der Weltkongress der Slowaken - Seine Ziele und sein Program (Koln, 1973) 2 for informing political and cultural circles in Western Europe about the aims and goals of Slovaks abroad in their struggle for freedom and independence of Slovakia. In view of the fact that the fate of the peoples of Central Europe was decided in modern history by the Great Powers, it is by means of informing Western political and cultural circles about the national aspirations of the Slovak people that Slovaks abroad could help their native country to regain freedom and democracy. The above publications are destined to serve this aim, but they are hopefully only the beginning of a series of books by Slovak intellectuals in the democratic countries of the Western hemisphere. At the Third General Meeting of the Slovak World Congress, a survey of Slovaks active in various scientific fields, prepared by this writer, would indicate that at the present time there is a considerable number of scientists whose writings and activities have not yet been absorbed in this struggle for international recognition of political and cultural identity of the Slovak people. When this intellectual force will also be integrated into the activities for recognition of equal political and cultural rights of the Slovak people with other civilized nations, Slovaks abroad will remedy to a great degree the lack of communication between Slovakia and the Western countries, which has been caused by the policy of the regimes imposed on the Slovak people since 1945 by foreign powers. 2) For details see Book reviews. � SLOVAKIA 63 Slovaks Abroad and Their Role in Slovakia's Struggle /or Freed om J. M. Ki rs ch b au m, Ph.D. National struggles for emancipation from foreign rule were fought in East Central Europe for more than a century on two fronts: at home, and by emigres abroad. During the first World War and again during the Second World War, leading Western Powers gave to various emigre groups formal recognition to become the official representatives of their native countries. In so doing, they helped to establish a tradition which, in time of political oppression, assigns to emigres the role of interpreters of the national aspirations of the people in their country of origin. Slovakia is one of the Central European countries in which this tradition has played an important role. At the end of the First World War, Slovakia was freed from Hungarian rule above all by the efforts of Slovaks who settled in the United States and by Slovak legionaries fighting on the side of the victorious powers. This gave American Slovaks and all Slovaks abroad not only recognition and a new sense of patriotism but also a consciousness of their mission to speak on behalf of the Slovak people when they are silenced. Political developments in Slovakia after the Second World War brought disappointment even to those who desired the restoration of Czecho-Slovakia and favored Soviet expansion in Central Europe. The introduction of a rigid centralism instead of the promised autonomy, the ruthless replacement of parliamentary democracy by the Stalinist system, political and religious persecution, economic discrimination and prohibition of contacts with Western countries, could not leave Slovaks abroad indifferent to the fate of the Slovak people. American Slovaks together with Slovaks in other Western countries, strengthened by thousands of political emigres as well as by those who were deceived in their attempts at co-operation with the Communists, resumed the role of interpreters of the �64 SLOVAKIA aspirations of the Slovak people for freedom, democracy and independence . In 1968 when the attempts to reform the political and economic system imposed on Slovakia by Moscow and Prague failed and "socialism with human face" was crushed under the tanks of the Warsaw Pact military forces, a new wave of Slovak emigrants found refuge in Western countries. This new situation prompted Slovaks abroad to rally their forces for intensified political and cultural activities within the framework of the Slovak World Congress, founded in the City of New York in June 1970. The aims and goals of the Congress were defined as follows: "Slovaks living throughout the entire world, many of whom were born in the United States and elsewhere, accept as a moral duty the necessity to unite in the struggle for the natural rights of the Slovak nation and for the complete freedom in the determinatio n of its destinies. We consider it our obligation to present to the world a true picture of the life and aspirations of the Slovak nation for a free and democratic way of life. Today we are more acutely aware of this duty in view of the fact that the regime which has been forced upon the Slovak nation is opposed to the national traditions of Slovakia and the country is occupied by the military forces of a foreign Great Power. Therefore, in view of the foregoing: We subscribe to the traditional values of Slovak history which have promoted the re-birth of our nation, its growth and its acceptance in western civilization among cultured nations; We contend that the Slovak question is an international problem and therefore we request that international justice be done Slovakia, justice that would be expressed in full democratic statehood; We take a positive attitude towards the process of integration in Europe and we demand that the Slovak nation be given the right to participate freely and directly in this process. �SLOVAKIA 65 We desire and hope that the situation in Central and Eastern Europe will change so that there will no longer be any obstacle towards establishing and maintaining cultural exchanges between the Slovaks at home and abroad which present conditions in Slovakia either make completely impossible, or allow only in a restricted sense." Among the main tasks of the Slovak World Congress are the activities aiming at acquainting the Western world with the history, culture and the present political situation in Slovakia. The Congress fulfills this task through the activities of its individual and constitutional members and their press. Some of the best known authors of books on Slovakia and political scientists and historians are leading figures of the Congress. The institutional members, mostly large Slovak organizations, help to fulfill this role in their press and, publishing activities, by memoranda and so on. Three publications by the Congress are destined to achieve the same aim. Before the Second General Meeting of the Congress in Toronto in 1971, the Slovak World Congress published its first publication: Slovakia - Historical and Cultural Background (Toronto, 1971). Two authors, Prof. J. A. Mikus and Prof. J. M. Kirschbaum, outlined in concise chapters the historical and cultural developments in Slovakia since the appearance of Slovaks in Central Europe in order to correct many misconceptions about the Slovak political and cultural history. The book gives, however, only basic information and, therefore, to fill the gap in presenting Slovakia to the West, the Congress organized a Conference on Slovakia, and the papers which were delivered at the Conference by more than 20 scholars were published in the volume: Slovakia in the 19th and 20th Centuries (Toronto, 1973).1 The aim of this book - as expressed in the Preface by S. B. Roman - is "to contribute to the search for historical truth about Slovaks and thereby to help better understanding and co-operation among the nations of Central Europe. It is our firm belief that peoples of that vital area can regain their political freedom and build their future only in close co-operation and only if each recognize the equal rights to independence that each has." 1) For evaluation of the book see Book reviews. �66 SLOVAKIA The book is divided into four parts which deal with Slovak national philosophy; Slovak politics in the 19th and 20th centuries; the relations of Slovakia with her neighbors, and with the attitude of Slovaks abroad towards Slovakia. All the authors, of whom four are of non-Slovak origin, examined in a scholarly manner Slovak political and cultural developments. The book presents at the same time "a confrontation of views on the Slovak past and present, as there are among the Slovak contributors two generations and two schools of thought," as the editor of the book stressed. The Slovak World Congress published also a German publication: Der Weltkongress der Slowaken - Seine Ziele und sein Program (Koln, 1973) 2 for informing political and cultural circles in Western Europe about the aims and goals of Slovaks abroad in their struggle for freedom and independence of Slovakia. In view of the fact that the fate of the peoples of Central Europe was decided in modern history by the Great Powers, it is by means of informing Western political and cultural circles about the national aspirations of the Slovak people that Slovaks abroad could help their native country to regain freedom and democracy. The above publications are destined to serve this aim, but they are hopefully only the beginning of a series of books by Slovak intellectuals in the democratic countries of the Western hemisphere. At the Third General Meeting of the Slovak World Congress, a survey of Slovaks active in various scientific fields, prepared by this writer, would indicate that at the present time there is a considerable number of scientists whose writings and activities have not yet been absorbed in this struggle for international recognition of political and cultural identity of the Slovak people. When this intellectual force will also be integrated into the activities for recognition of equal political and cultural rights of the Slovak people with other civilized nations, Slovaks abroad will remedy to a great degree the lack of communication between Slovakia and the Western countries, which has been caused by the policy of the regimes imposed on the Slovak people since 1945 by foreign powers. 2) For details see Book reviews. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1974, Vol. 24 Description An account of the resource Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document SLOVAKIA 63 Slovaks Abroad and Their Role in Slovakia's Struggle /or Freed om J. M. Ki rs ch b au m, Ph.D. National struggles for emancipation from foreign rule were fought in East Central Europe for more than a century on two fronts: at home, and by emigres abroad. During the first World War and again during the Second World War, leading Western Powers gave to various emigre groups formal recognition to become the official representatives of their native countries. In so doing, they helped to establish a tradition which, in time of political oppression, assigns to emigres the role of interpreters of the national aspirations of the people in their country of origin. Slovakia is one of the Central European countries in which this tradition has played an important role. At the end of the First World War, Slovakia was freed from Hungarian rule above all by the efforts of Slovaks who settled in the United States and by Slovak legionaries fighting on the side of the victorious powers. This gave American Slovaks and all Slovaks abroad not only recognition and a new sense of patriotism but also a consciousness of their mission to speak on behalf of the Slovak people when they are silenced. Political developments in Slovakia after the Second World War brought disappointment even to those who desired the restoration of Czecho-Slovakia and favored Soviet expansion in Central Europe. The introduction of a rigid centralism instead of the promised autonomy, the ruthless replacement of parliamentary democracy by the Stalinist system, political and religious persecution, economic discrimination and prohibition of contacts with Western countries, could not leave Slovaks abroad indifferent to the fate of the Slovak people. American Slovaks together with Slovaks in other Western countries, strengthened by thousands of political emigres as well as by those who were deceived in their attempts at co-operation with the Communists, resumed the role of interpreters of the 64 SLOVAKIA aspirations of the Slovak people for freedom, democracy and independence . In 1968 when the attempts to reform the political and economic system imposed on Slovakia by Moscow and Prague failed and "socialism with human face" was crushed under the tanks of the Warsaw Pact military forces, a new wave of Slovak emigrants found refuge in Western countries. This new situation prompted Slovaks abroad to rally their forces for intensified political and cultural activities within the framework of the Slovak World Congress, founded in the City of New York in June 1970. The aims and goals of the Congress were defined as follows: "Slovaks living throughout the entire world, many of whom were born in the United States and elsewhere, accept as a moral duty the necessity to unite in the struggle for the natural rights of the Slovak nation and for the complete freedom in the determinatio n of its destinies. We consider it our obligation to present to the world a true picture of the life and aspirations of the Slovak nation for a free and democratic way of life. Today we are more acutely aware of this duty in view of the fact that the regime which has been forced upon the Slovak nation is opposed to the national traditions of Slovakia and the country is occupied by the military forces of a foreign Great Power. Therefore, in view of the foregoing: We subscribe to the traditional values of Slovak history which have promoted the re-birth of our nation, its growth and its acceptance in western civilization among cultured nations; We contend that the Slovak question is an international problem and therefore we request that international justice be done Slovakia, justice that would be expressed in full democratic statehood; We take a positive attitude towards the process of integration in Europe and we demand that the Slovak nation be given the right to participate freely and directly in this process. SLOVAKIA 65 We desire and hope that the situation in Central and Eastern Europe will change so that there will no longer be any obstacle towards establishing and maintaining cultural exchanges between the Slovaks at home and abroad which present conditions in Slovakia either make completely impossible, or allow only in a restricted sense." Among the main tasks of the Slovak World Congress are the activities aiming at acquainting the Western world with the history, culture and the present political situation in Slovakia. The Congress fulfills this task through the activities of its individual and constitutional members and their press. Some of the best known authors of books on Slovakia and political scientists and historians are leading figures of the Congress. The institutional members, mostly large Slovak organizations, help to fulfill this role in their press and, publishing activities, by memoranda and so on. Three publications by the Congress are destined to achieve the same aim. Before the Second General Meeting of the Congress in Toronto in 1971, the Slovak World Congress published its first publication: Slovakia - Historical and Cultural Background (Toronto, 1971). Two authors, Prof. J. A. Mikus and Prof. J. M. Kirschbaum, outlined in concise chapters the historical and cultural developments in Slovakia since the appearance of Slovaks in Central Europe in order to correct many misconceptions about the Slovak political and cultural history. The book gives, however, only basic information and, therefore, to fill the gap in presenting Slovakia to the West, the Congress organized a Conference on Slovakia, and the papers which were delivered at the Conference by more than 20 scholars were published in the volume: Slovakia in the 19th and 20th Centuries (Toronto, 1973).1 The aim of this book - as expressed in the Preface by S. B. Roman - is "to contribute to the search for historical truth about Slovaks and thereby to help better understanding and co-operation among the nations of Central Europe. It is our firm belief that peoples of that vital area can regain their political freedom and build their future only in close co-operation and only if each recognize the equal rights to independence that each has." 1) For evaluation of the book see Book reviews. 66 SLOVAKIA The book is divided into four parts which deal with Slovak national philosophy; Slovak politics in the 19th and 20th centuries; the relations of Slovakia with her neighbors, and with the attitude of Slovaks abroad towards Slovakia. All the authors, of whom four are of non-Slovak origin, examined in a scholarly manner Slovak political and cultural developments. The book presents at the same time "a confrontation of views on the Slovak past and present, as there are among the Slovak contributors two generations and two schools of thought," as the editor of the book stressed. The Slovak World Congress published also a German publication: Der Weltkongress der Slowaken - Seine Ziele und sein Program (Koln, 1973) 2 for informing political and cultural circles in Western Europe about the aims and goals of Slovaks abroad in their struggle for freedom and independence of Slovakia. In view of the fact that the fate of the peoples of Central Europe was decided in modern history by the Great Powers, it is by means of informing Western political and cultural circles about the national aspirations of the Slovak people that Slovaks abroad could help their native country to regain freedom and democracy. The above publications are destined to serve this aim, but they are hopefully only the beginning of a series of books by Slovak intellectuals in the democratic countries of the Western hemisphere. At the Third General Meeting of the Slovak World Congress, a survey of Slovaks active in various scientific fields, prepared by this writer, would indicate that at the present time there is a considerable number of scientists whose writings and activities have not yet been absorbed in this struggle for international recognition of political and cultural identity of the Slovak people. When this intellectual force will also be integrated into the activities for recognition of equal political and cultural rights of the Slovak people with other civilized nations, Slovaks abroad will remedy to a great degree the lack of communication between Slovakia and the Western countries, which has been caused by the policy of the regimes imposed on the Slovak people since 1945 by foreign powers. 2) For details see Book reviews.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Slovaks Abroad and Their Role in Slovakia's Struggle for Freedom Description An account of the resource J. M. Kirschbaum, Ph.D. Slovakia, Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974 pp. 63-66 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kirschbaum, Jozef M., 1913-2001 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 SNK https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/df353948399f5034df14401db3114502.pdf ad9b12e7af62c4acb9b45cf9bc721e8e PDF Text Text 60 SLOVAKIA Slovak League of America and Slovak World Congress Edward J . B e h u n c i k President of the Slovak League of America Remarks at the closing banque t - Slovak World Congress Saturday, June 30, 1973, Pick-Congress Hotel, Chicago, Illinois Tonight, as you did two years ago at Toronto, you do me the honor of having me as President of the Slovak League of America speak on behalf of the Slovak American organizations and societies. It is a great pleasure to join this assemblage where we find a greater amount of Slovak cultivation of mind, of natural genius, of everything which constitutes the development of Slovak intelligence than undoubtedly ever has assembled within the same space anywhere else except perhaps at another Slovak World Congress. Three years ago, week before last, we free men of Slovak origin made a great decision. With an unanimity so complete that it absolutely silenced opposition, we took our place formally against the schemes and purposes of the temporary oppressors of our brethren in subjugated Slovakia. We have a peculiar satisfaction today in the reflection that when we made the decision we made no reservation. We cast in all we had; we asked nothing for ourselves for, even if we had, our oppressed brethren could not, however they might wish, give us anything. But, we made no terms with anyone but ourselves. Our newly formed organization was to be, and is, open to all men af good will, freedom loving and God fearing, whether they be Protestant or Catholic, Gentile or Jew, irrespective of color or creed - only so long as they be Slovak, by origin or marriage. Immediately after that great decision, and largely as a result of that great decision, we soon became the target of the Communist dominated governments in the subjugated �SLOVAKIA 61 states of Eastern Europe, especially that of Prague. This action, however, merely proved that we had become a recognizable enemy, worthy of the attention of, and of interest to, the Prague stooges of Moscow. Today, I venture to say, that deep in the heart of every Slovak everywhere throughout the globe, - and even for a brief time on the moon when Slovak Astronaut Ceman was aloft - there is a feeling of pride, pride about which we grow more certain everyday; pride over something we did that we believe will be endorsed absolutely by history, and vrill be the richest heritage we can leave to our children; pride not merely because we were able, at this time of crisis in Slovak history, to strike a giant blow in the interests of humanity but pride primarily because we struck that blow unselfishly. Your very presence at this Chicago Congress reinvigorates and revives all the impulses which earlier gripped and drove us on and made us worthy morally and with dedication to undertake to germinate the noble idea of a Slovak World Congress. We are now in a time of progress - that means advancement not retrogression, improvement not decay; it means accomplishment not failure, it means onward and forward. And so we must go or we will merely be making the Congress a factor only inside our small parochial circles. This we must not do! For if we regress instead of progress, if our drift is away from and not toward its highest ideals and traditions, slowly but surely the vitality which sustains the Slovak World Congress will slip away, and I say, without hesitation, that our Congress and the Slovak cause will cease to appeal to intelligent men. It will become nothing but an empty shell, a jargon of titles and platitudes - for we will be following the shadow and not the substance. That we must not permit it to become. And I am confident that we will not. No matter what previous opinions we have entertained, �62 SLOVAKIA no matter what we may charge to the past lack of cooperation between our various groups, no matter what our own ideas of the future relations of these groups - our paramount duty for the present and future is, as I said at Toronto, and again here repeat - to rise above all selfish contributions , all jealousies, all prejudices and give the Slovak people the true Slovak ideals - the best there is in us. This is the day of test for free Slovaks everywhere, but it is also the day of priceless opportunity. And those who today spend their treasure and give of their blood and energy in this sacred cause will have their memory perpetuated for all time. First, as the true defenders of freedom, then as the true children of our institutions those who learned from our fathers and retained the simple lessons of trust. This trust is the sincere trust in Almighty God and in the principles of justice that He has put in the hearts of men. Let us then look and move forward and onward as we fight and struggle not only for ourselves and our brethren in Slovakia but for future generations as well. Because if we do, then those who come after us will enjoy the freedom which will have been bought by our contributions of time, energy, money and dedicated devotion. Thus, we will be fully carrying out our duties as energetic and inspired members of our Slovak World Congress. Thus, I am fully confident, we will move forward in peace and harmony. And thus, we will help our subjugated brothers and sisters in oppressed Slovakia to approach the dream of Milton, where he says: Methinks I see in my mind a noble and puissant nation rousing herself like a strong man after sleep, and shaking her invincible locks; Methinks I see her as an eagle mewing her mighty youU and kindling her un<lazzled eyes at the full midday beam . . . � 60 SLOVAKIA Slovak League of America and Slovak World Congress Edward J . B e h u n c i k President of the Slovak League of America Remarks at the closing banque t - Slovak World Congress Saturday, June 30, 1973, Pick-Congress Hotel, Chicago, Illinois Tonight, as you did two years ago at Toronto, you do me the honor of having me as President of the Slovak League of America speak on behalf of the Slovak American organizations and societies. It is a great pleasure to join this assemblage where we find a greater amount of Slovak cultivation of mind, of natural genius, of everything which constitutes the development of Slovak intelligence than undoubtedly ever has assembled within the same space anywhere else except perhaps at another Slovak World Congress. Three years ago, week before last, we free men of Slovak origin made a great decision. With an unanimity so complete that it absolutely silenced opposition, we took our place formally against the schemes and purposes of the temporary oppressors of our brethren in subjugated Slovakia. We have a peculiar satisfaction today in the reflection that when we made the decision we made no reservation. We cast in all we had; we asked nothing for ourselves for, even if we had, our oppressed brethren could not, however they might wish, give us anything. But, we made no terms with anyone but ourselves. Our newly formed organization was to be, and is, open to all men af good will, freedom loving and God fearing, whether they be Protestant or Catholic, Gentile or Jew, irrespective of color or creed - only so long as they be Slovak, by origin or marriage. Immediately after that great decision, and largely as a result of that great decision, we soon became the target of the Communist dominated governments in the subjugated �SLOVAKIA 61 states of Eastern Europe, especially that of Prague. This action, however, merely proved that we had become a recognizable enemy, worthy of the attention of, and of interest to, the Prague stooges of Moscow. Today, I venture to say, that deep in the heart of every Slovak everywhere throughout the globe, - and even for a brief time on the moon when Slovak Astronaut Ceman was aloft - there is a feeling of pride, pride about which we grow more certain everyday; pride over something we did that we believe will be endorsed absolutely by history, and vrill be the richest heritage we can leave to our children; pride not merely because we were able, at this time of crisis in Slovak history, to strike a giant blow in the interests of humanity but pride primarily because we struck that blow unselfishly. Your very presence at this Chicago Congress reinvigorates and revives all the impulses which earlier gripped and drove us on and made us worthy morally and with dedication to undertake to germinate the noble idea of a Slovak World Congress. We are now in a time of progress - that means advancement not retrogression, improvement not decay; it means accomplishment not failure, it means onward and forward. And so we must go or we will merely be making the Congress a factor only inside our small parochial circles. This we must not do! For if we regress instead of progress, if our drift is away from and not toward its highest ideals and traditions, slowly but surely the vitality which sustains the Slovak World Congress will slip away, and I say, without hesitation, that our Congress and the Slovak cause will cease to appeal to intelligent men. It will become nothing but an empty shell, a jargon of titles and platitudes - for we will be following the shadow and not the substance. That we must not permit it to become. And I am confident that we will not. No matter what previous opinions we have entertained, �62 SLOVAKIA no matter what we may charge to the past lack of cooperation between our various groups, no matter what our own ideas of the future relations of these groups - our paramount duty for the present and future is, as I said at Toronto, and again here repeat - to rise above all selfish contributions , all jealousies, all prejudices and give the Slovak people the true Slovak ideals - the best there is in us. This is the day of test for free Slovaks everywhere, but it is also the day of priceless opportunity. And those who today spend their treasure and give of their blood and energy in this sacred cause will have their memory perpetuated for all time. First, as the true defenders of freedom, then as the true children of our institutions those who learned from our fathers and retained the simple lessons of trust. This trust is the sincere trust in Almighty God and in the principles of justice that He has put in the hearts of men. Let us then look and move forward and onward as we fight and struggle not only for ourselves and our brethren in Slovakia but for future generations as well. Because if we do, then those who come after us will enjoy the freedom which will have been bought by our contributions of time, energy, money and dedicated devotion. Thus, we will be fully carrying out our duties as energetic and inspired members of our Slovak World Congress. Thus, I am fully confident, we will move forward in peace and harmony. And thus, we will help our subjugated brothers and sisters in oppressed Slovakia to approach the dream of Milton, where he says: Methinks I see in my mind a noble and puissant nation rousing herself like a strong man after sleep, and shaking her invincible locks; Methinks I see her as an eagle mewing her mighty youU and kindling her un<lazzled eyes at the full midday beam . . . � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1974, Vol. 24 Description An account of the resource Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document 60 SLOVAKIA Slovak League of America and Slovak World Congress Edward J . B e h u n c i k President of the Slovak League of America Remarks at the closing banque t - Slovak World Congress Saturday, June 30, 1973, Pick-Congress Hotel, Chicago, Illinois Tonight, as you did two years ago at Toronto, you do me the honor of having me as President of the Slovak League of America speak on behalf of the Slovak American organizations and societies. It is a great pleasure to join this assemblage where we find a greater amount of Slovak cultivation of mind, of natural genius, of everything which constitutes the development of Slovak intelligence than undoubtedly ever has assembled within the same space anywhere else except perhaps at another Slovak World Congress. Three years ago, week before last, we free men of Slovak origin made a great decision. With an unanimity so complete that it absolutely silenced opposition, we took our place formally against the schemes and purposes of the temporary oppressors of our brethren in subjugated Slovakia. We have a peculiar satisfaction today in the reflection that when we made the decision we made no reservation. We cast in all we had; we asked nothing for ourselves for, even if we had, our oppressed brethren could not, however they might wish, give us anything. But, we made no terms with anyone but ourselves. Our newly formed organization was to be, and is, open to all men af good will, freedom loving and God fearing, whether they be Protestant or Catholic, Gentile or Jew, irrespective of color or creed - only so long as they be Slovak, by origin or marriage. Immediately after that great decision, and largely as a result of that great decision, we soon became the target of the Communist dominated governments in the subjugated SLOVAKIA 61 states of Eastern Europe, especially that of Prague. This action, however, merely proved that we had become a recognizable enemy, worthy of the attention of, and of interest to, the Prague stooges of Moscow. Today, I venture to say, that deep in the heart of every Slovak everywhere throughout the globe, - and even for a brief time on the moon when Slovak Astronaut Ceman was aloft - there is a feeling of pride, pride about which we grow more certain everyday; pride over something we did that we believe will be endorsed absolutely by history, and vrill be the richest heritage we can leave to our children; pride not merely because we were able, at this time of crisis in Slovak history, to strike a giant blow in the interests of humanity but pride primarily because we struck that blow unselfishly. Your very presence at this Chicago Congress reinvigorates and revives all the impulses which earlier gripped and drove us on and made us worthy morally and with dedication to undertake to germinate the noble idea of a Slovak World Congress. We are now in a time of progress - that means advancement not retrogression, improvement not decay; it means accomplishment not failure, it means onward and forward. And so we must go or we will merely be making the Congress a factor only inside our small parochial circles. This we must not do! For if we regress instead of progress, if our drift is away from and not toward its highest ideals and traditions, slowly but surely the vitality which sustains the Slovak World Congress will slip away, and I say, without hesitation, that our Congress and the Slovak cause will cease to appeal to intelligent men. It will become nothing but an empty shell, a jargon of titles and platitudes - for we will be following the shadow and not the substance. That we must not permit it to become. And I am confident that we will not. No matter what previous opinions we have entertained, 62 SLOVAKIA no matter what we may charge to the past lack of cooperation between our various groups, no matter what our own ideas of the future relations of these groups - our paramount duty for the present and future is, as I said at Toronto, and again here repeat - to rise above all selfish contributions , all jealousies, all prejudices and give the Slovak people the true Slovak ideals - the best there is in us. This is the day of test for free Slovaks everywhere, but it is also the day of priceless opportunity. And those who today spend their treasure and give of their blood and energy in this sacred cause will have their memory perpetuated for all time. First, as the true defenders of freedom, then as the true children of our institutions those who learned from our fathers and retained the simple lessons of trust. This trust is the sincere trust in Almighty God and in the principles of justice that He has put in the hearts of men. Let us then look and move forward and onward as we fight and struggle not only for ourselves and our brethren in Slovakia but for future generations as well. Because if we do, then those who come after us will enjoy the freedom which will have been bought by our contributions of time, energy, money and dedicated devotion. Thus, we will be fully carrying out our duties as energetic and inspired members of our Slovak World Congress. Thus, I am fully confident, we will move forward in peace and harmony. And thus, we will help our subjugated brothers and sisters in oppressed Slovakia to approach the dream of Milton, where he says: Methinks I see in my mind a noble and puissant nation rousing herself like a strong man after sleep, and shaking her invincible locks; Methinks I see her as an eagle mewing her mighty youU and kindling her un<lazzled eyes at the full midday beam . . .  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Slovak League of America and Slovak World Congress Description An account of the resource Edward J. Behuncik, President of the Slovak League of America Slovakia, Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974 pp. 60-62 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Behuncik, Edward J. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 name https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/b69dc446e19c457b5bc9d36fefbc52d5.pdf b3d7f3bfb36c1c412f2a2ee3116fa9e3 PDF Text Text SLOVAKIA 57 Slovak Destiny Stephen B . R o m a n, President SLOVAK WORLD CONGRESS There are moments in the lives of Slovaks when we are very clearly and sometimes very painfully aware of who we are, where we came from, and where we should be going. These intimate perceptions are not frequent. Usually they come when the volume and tempo of persistent cares diminish, or just before the making of a critical decision. At such times we intuitively understand our relationship and responsibility to ourselves, to our immediate and distant relatives and friends, to our nation, to mankind, and to God. Over a long period of time we developed a collective consciousness, a set of intrinsic values which blend together to create a common bond among us. We are products of a nation that has cherished and developed its distinct character over millennia, and which has absorbed a full range of human talents and achievements in that process. Every page of our history bears the imprint of pain and suffering-pain and suffering from which have emerged great values. We are descendants of a nation which was not large in numbers. A nation, which, over a period of time, had to confront wave after wave of stronger and more aggressive neighbors. These attackers conquered our fortresses and burnt down our settlements; but, they never broke our spirit. No wonder then that, in our nation, courage and tenacity have always triumphed over oppression and hardship. What we went through marked our national personality-deepened, and strengthened it. Our earliest forefathers found strength in the soil. This close tie with the land gave our nation its typical characteristics: industry, endurance, faith in ourselves, and faith in God. From a natural reconciliation with nature grew other virtues: the virtues of hospitality, of justice, of judgment, �58 SLOVAKIA and of creativity. The feeling of togetherness brought brotherhood. From oppression and want, we crystalized a sense of fair play. The reality of mortal life brought judgement; and, a growing quality in day-to-day life gave time for the enrichment of the soul. Who are we today? We are no more, and no less. than one generation in the development of this patricular spirit. We have inherited the gift of our history. We are to advance the tradition of our forefathers and, walk a few steps further along the road towards our human destiny, which they marched on over the centuries. We are the custodians of their virtues. We are the ones who were left to aggrandize their tradition; and, this makes us responsible for further progress both as members of our nation, and as part of the commonwealth of mankind. A talent has been passed on to us for which we are responsible, and which we have to return, with interest, in the spirit of the best tradition and trust in Divine Providence. Where do we go? We continue in the footsteps of our fathers, perhaps with greater strides, perhaps with a stronger will, hopefully with an ever higher goal: confident because of the firm steps behind us; responsible for so many steps ahead. Our successes will not be ours alone; they will be shared by the nation; they should penetrate into the consciousness of mankind. Each one of us adds in his own way; each one of us takes credit towards the overall account of this process. Our people have seen many a crisis. The last one seems to have no equal; the strong have seized our nation and our nation is, again, praying and suffering. Yet, though the enemy may take its comforts from it, for a time - silence it - they cannot obliterate our souls. Our nation will survive this current evil. Our task is to surmount this trial; to achieve new successes in the shape and execution of democracy and freedom. We must grow in our humanity, in our unshakeable self-confidence, in our will to enrich what we are. Only then will we have grown under the test-will w-e feel needed-will we have pride that we are judged by �SLOVAKIA 59 measures applicable to all mankind, and that we come out well in the balance. I believe that every nation has a Divine destiny to fulfill. Slovak destiny, although at times obscure, is to improve and enhance that part of the world where its influence can be a positive factor for genuine advancement of humanity. The solid value of the word of a Slovak and the uniquely spiritual warmth of the sons and daughters of Slovakia can be a radiant source of edification to others as they exemplify what can be accomplished by work and good will, for God and country. May the name SLOVAK soon begin to ring out melodiously in the steeples of the Family of Nations and strike a responsive chord of recognition in the hearts of all peoples. DR. STEPHEN LUCAS, associate professor of Elementary Education at Edinboro State College, has been elected President of the Pennsylvania Science Teachers Association. A member of the Board of Directors for the past two years, Dr. Lucas has contributed articles and papers to "The Pennsylvania Science Teacher and the Voice of P .S.T .A." The recipient of a Bachelor of Science degree from Clarion State College, Dr. Lucas received his Master of Education in Biology and his Doctor of Education Degree in science education from Pennsylvania State University. He did additional graduate work at Cornell University, University of Vermont, North Caroline State College and Bloomsburg State College. He is an American Slovak. � SLOVAKIA 57 Slovak Destiny Stephen B . R o m a n, President SLOVAK WORLD CONGRESS There are moments in the lives of Slovaks when we are very clearly and sometimes very painfully aware of who we are, where we came from, and where we should be going. These intimate perceptions are not frequent. Usually they come when the volume and tempo of persistent cares diminish, or just before the making of a critical decision. At such times we intuitively understand our relationship and responsibility to ourselves, to our immediate and distant relatives and friends, to our nation, to mankind, and to God. Over a long period of time we developed a collective consciousness, a set of intrinsic values which blend together to create a common bond among us. We are products of a nation that has cherished and developed its distinct character over millennia, and which has absorbed a full range of human talents and achievements in that process. Every page of our history bears the imprint of pain and suffering-pain and suffering from which have emerged great values. We are descendants of a nation which was not large in numbers. A nation, which, over a period of time, had to confront wave after wave of stronger and more aggressive neighbors. These attackers conquered our fortresses and burnt down our settlements; but, they never broke our spirit. No wonder then that, in our nation, courage and tenacity have always triumphed over oppression and hardship. What we went through marked our national personality-deepened, and strengthened it. Our earliest forefathers found strength in the soil. This close tie with the land gave our nation its typical characteristics: industry, endurance, faith in ourselves, and faith in God. From a natural reconciliation with nature grew other virtues: the virtues of hospitality, of justice, of judgment, �58 SLOVAKIA and of creativity. The feeling of togetherness brought brotherhood. From oppression and want, we crystalized a sense of fair play. The reality of mortal life brought judgement; and, a growing quality in day-to-day life gave time for the enrichment of the soul. Who are we today? We are no more, and no less. than one generation in the development of this patricular spirit. We have inherited the gift of our history. We are to advance the tradition of our forefathers and, walk a few steps further along the road towards our human destiny, which they marched on over the centuries. We are the custodians of their virtues. We are the ones who were left to aggrandize their tradition; and, this makes us responsible for further progress both as members of our nation, and as part of the commonwealth of mankind. A talent has been passed on to us for which we are responsible, and which we have to return, with interest, in the spirit of the best tradition and trust in Divine Providence. Where do we go? We continue in the footsteps of our fathers, perhaps with greater strides, perhaps with a stronger will, hopefully with an ever higher goal: confident because of the firm steps behind us; responsible for so many steps ahead. Our successes will not be ours alone; they will be shared by the nation; they should penetrate into the consciousness of mankind. Each one of us adds in his own way; each one of us takes credit towards the overall account of this process. Our people have seen many a crisis. The last one seems to have no equal; the strong have seized our nation and our nation is, again, praying and suffering. Yet, though the enemy may take its comforts from it, for a time - silence it - they cannot obliterate our souls. Our nation will survive this current evil. Our task is to surmount this trial; to achieve new successes in the shape and execution of democracy and freedom. We must grow in our humanity, in our unshakeable self-confidence, in our will to enrich what we are. Only then will we have grown under the test-will w-e feel needed-will we have pride that we are judged by �SLOVAKIA 59 measures applicable to all mankind, and that we come out well in the balance. I believe that every nation has a Divine destiny to fulfill. Slovak destiny, although at times obscure, is to improve and enhance that part of the world where its influence can be a positive factor for genuine advancement of humanity. The solid value of the word of a Slovak and the uniquely spiritual warmth of the sons and daughters of Slovakia can be a radiant source of edification to others as they exemplify what can be accomplished by work and good will, for God and country. May the name SLOVAK soon begin to ring out melodiously in the steeples of the Family of Nations and strike a responsive chord of recognition in the hearts of all peoples. DR. STEPHEN LUCAS, associate professor of Elementary Education at Edinboro State College, has been elected President of the Pennsylvania Science Teachers Association. A member of the Board of Directors for the past two years, Dr. Lucas has contributed articles and papers to "The Pennsylvania Science Teacher and the Voice of P .S.T .A." The recipient of a Bachelor of Science degree from Clarion State College, Dr. Lucas received his Master of Education in Biology and his Doctor of Education Degree in science education from Pennsylvania State University. He did additional graduate work at Cornell University, University of Vermont, North Caroline State College and Bloomsburg State College. He is an American Slovak. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1974, Vol. 24 Description An account of the resource Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document SLOVAKIA 57 Slovak Destiny Stephen B . R o m a n, President SLOVAK WORLD CONGRESS There are moments in the lives of Slovaks when we are very clearly and sometimes very painfully aware of who we are, where we came from, and where we should be going. These intimate perceptions are not frequent. Usually they come when the volume and tempo of persistent cares diminish, or just before the making of a critical decision. At such times we intuitively understand our relationship and responsibility to ourselves, to our immediate and distant relatives and friends, to our nation, to mankind, and to God. Over a long period of time we developed a collective consciousness, a set of intrinsic values which blend together to create a common bond among us. We are products of a nation that has cherished and developed its distinct character over millennia, and which has absorbed a full range of human talents and achievements in that process. Every page of our history bears the imprint of pain and suffering-pain and suffering from which have emerged great values. We are descendants of a nation which was not large in numbers. A nation, which, over a period of time, had to confront wave after wave of stronger and more aggressive neighbors. These attackers conquered our fortresses and burnt down our settlements; but, they never broke our spirit. No wonder then that, in our nation, courage and tenacity have always triumphed over oppression and hardship. What we went through marked our national personality-deepened, and strengthened it. Our earliest forefathers found strength in the soil. This close tie with the land gave our nation its typical characteristics: industry, endurance, faith in ourselves, and faith in God. From a natural reconciliation with nature grew other virtues: the virtues of hospitality, of justice, of judgment, 58 SLOVAKIA and of creativity. The feeling of togetherness brought brotherhood. From oppression and want, we crystalized a sense of fair play. The reality of mortal life brought judgement; and, a growing quality in day-to-day life gave time for the enrichment of the soul. Who are we today? We are no more, and no less. than one generation in the development of this patricular spirit. We have inherited the gift of our history. We are to advance the tradition of our forefathers and, walk a few steps further along the road towards our human destiny, which they marched on over the centuries. We are the custodians of their virtues. We are the ones who were left to aggrandize their tradition; and, this makes us responsible for further progress both as members of our nation, and as part of the commonwealth of mankind. A talent has been passed on to us for which we are responsible, and which we have to return, with interest, in the spirit of the best tradition and trust in Divine Providence. Where do we go? We continue in the footsteps of our fathers, perhaps with greater strides, perhaps with a stronger will, hopefully with an ever higher goal: confident because of the firm steps behind us; responsible for so many steps ahead. Our successes will not be ours alone; they will be shared by the nation; they should penetrate into the consciousness of mankind. Each one of us adds in his own way; each one of us takes credit towards the overall account of this process. Our people have seen many a crisis. The last one seems to have no equal; the strong have seized our nation and our nation is, again, praying and suffering. Yet, though the enemy may take its comforts from it, for a time - silence it - they cannot obliterate our souls. Our nation will survive this current evil. Our task is to surmount this trial; to achieve new successes in the shape and execution of democracy and freedom. We must grow in our humanity, in our unshakeable self-confidence, in our will to enrich what we are. Only then will we have grown under the test-will w-e feel needed-will we have pride that we are judged by SLOVAKIA 59 measures applicable to all mankind, and that we come out well in the balance. I believe that every nation has a Divine destiny to fulfill. Slovak destiny, although at times obscure, is to improve and enhance that part of the world where its influence can be a positive factor for genuine advancement of humanity. The solid value of the word of a Slovak and the uniquely spiritual warmth of the sons and daughters of Slovakia can be a radiant source of edification to others as they exemplify what can be accomplished by work and good will, for God and country. May the name SLOVAK soon begin to ring out melodiously in the steeples of the Family of Nations and strike a responsive chord of recognition in the hearts of all peoples. DR. STEPHEN LUCAS, associate professor of Elementary Education at Edinboro State College, has been elected President of the Pennsylvania Science Teachers Association. A member of the Board of Directors for the past two years, Dr. Lucas has contributed articles and papers to "The Pennsylvania Science Teacher and the Voice of P .S.T .A." The recipient of a Bachelor of Science degree from Clarion State College, Dr. Lucas received his Master of Education in Biology and his Doctor of Education Degree in science education from Pennsylvania State University. He did additional graduate work at Cornell University, University of Vermont, North Caroline State College and Bloomsburg State College. He is an American Slovak.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Slovak Destiny Description An account of the resource Stephen B. Roman, President, Slovak World Congress Slovakia, Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974 pp. 57-59 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Roman, Stephen, 1921-1988 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 LCNAF https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/05830a9f7b1891136ed86a28d6d1e32e.pdf b647e20e2ea1ed7c42b8774a34b61939 PDF Text Text 54 SLOVAKIA DR. PETER P. HLETKO American Slovaks Lost a Great Man With the passing of Dr. Peter P. Hletko on November 4, 1973 in the City of Chicago, the American Slovaks and all freedom loving Slovaks in the world lost one of their most illustrious sons. Exceptionally talented and devoted, he contributed his efforts in helping his beloved Slovak people here and behind the Iron Curtain. Deserving tribute was paid to him by the hierarchy, clergy, civic and business leaders, the Slovak World Congress, the Slovak League of America, the Slovak Catholic Federation of America and all the Slovak fraternal societies that he served so well in various capacities. OUTSTANDING CAREER In the course of the history of a people or a nation come individual man, who by the force of their personalities and their endeavors shape and determine the form and direction of the church, their people and their country. These men who are dreamers and who are doers . But the great ones are those who are both-dreamers and doers. They are the ones who set alight their hope and hearts upon the heights they seek to scale. They are the ones who light bright fires of their aspirations and give heart and direction to those who follow. Dr. Peter P. Hletko was such a man! Peter Paul Hletko, M. D., physician-surgeon, was born June 26, 1902 in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Martin and Catherine Hargas Hletko. His home was in Warrenville, Illinois and his office was at 2740 W. 55th Street, Chicago. In 1938 he married Anne E. Remijas. EDUCATION Hletko received his elementary education at St. Michael's School (1908-1915), Chicago. He attended St. Procopius �SLOVAKIA 55 Academy (1915-1919), Lisle, Illinois, and St. Procopius College (1919-1921). He attended De Paul University in Chicago from 1921 to 1923 and received his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. In 1927 he received his Medical Degree (M.D.) from Loyola University, Chicago. PROFESSIONAL Dr. Hletko served on the resident staff of Cook County Hospital, Chicago, from 1927 to 1928. Besides his private practice, he was an instructor in clinical neurology at Loyola University Medical School from 1931 to 1935. He served as medical examiner of many insurance companies. From 1934 to 1939 he served as Supreme Medical Examiner for the National Slovak Society. From 1927 to 1964 he served as Supreme Medical Examiner of the Slovak Catholic Sokol and was Honorary Medical Examiner for the Society. Dr. Hletko was a member of the American Medical Association; Illinois Medical Association; Chicago Medical Association; and Medical Examiner of Municipal Court and Law Department Benefit and Pension Fund, Chicago, ( 19361961) . CIVIC AND CULTURAL In 1938 Dr. Hletko led a Slovak League of America delegation to Czecho-Slovakia in behalf of gaining recognition of the Pittsburgh Pact. Over 100,000 Slovaks gathered in Bratislava, the capitol of Slovakia as he and Msgr. Andrew Hlinka unveiled the original of the Pittsburgh Pact - an agreement that was to guarantee autonomy for the Slovak nation. The vast crowd roared: "Hlinka, Hletko daju vsetko" (Hlinka and Hletko will give everything!). The rest of his services for the Slovak people in a span of more than four decades reads like a special "Who's Who": President of the Slovak League of America (1935-1939 and 1962-64); Honorary President and Member of the Executive Committee of the Slovak League of America (1938-1973); Vice President of the Slovak Catholic Federation of America (1934); Supreme Officer of the Slovak Catholic Sokol and the National Slovak Society; a Member of the Executive �SLOVAKIA 56 Committee of the Slovak Catholic Sokol; organizer and first President of "Club Furdek"-(a Catholic Cultural Society, Chicago, 1929); and President of the Gage Park Savings and Loan Association, Chicago. AUTHOR-JOURN ALIST Dr. Hletko had a vast collection of manuscripts, documentary materials, books, complete volumes of publications, newspapers, and annuals. He made a contribution of his materials to the Jednota Museum in Middletown, Pa. To many of the publications he was a contributor, a columnist, editor, or author. The following is a list of Dr. Hletko's literary efforts: Author: The Slovaks and the Pittsburgh Pact (1934); wrote Iskry-a reprint of satirocomic column in the Osadne Hlasy (Slovak Parish News, 1931); edited the Slovak Catholic Sokol Cook Book, 1964; was a contributing editor of Osadne Hlasy (Chicago Parish News, 19271963); editor of Jara (Spring), English supplement to Jednota, official publication of the First Catholic Slovak Union, 1927-1936; editor of Chicagsky Dennik (Chicago Daily News, 1926-1927); served as the Chairman of the Literary Committee of the National Slovak Society, and was President of the Slovak Newspapermen's Association in America. In honor of his 70th birthday the Slovak League of America labeled 1972 "Dr. Peter Hletko Year" and designated a special award to him at the Slovak League of America Congress in Chicago. Joseph C. Kr a j s a REFERENCES Slovakia 1965-Published by the Slovak League of America, Middletown, Pennsylvania. Slovakia 1972-Published by the Slovak League of America, Middletown, Pennsylvania. "Slovaci a ich zivot," Jednota, March 17, 1971, p. 11, by Dr. Joseph Pauco. � 54 SLOVAKIA DR. PETER P. HLETKO American Slovaks Lost a Great Man With the passing of Dr. Peter P. Hletko on November 4, 1973 in the City of Chicago, the American Slovaks and all freedom loving Slovaks in the world lost one of their most illustrious sons. Exceptionally talented and devoted, he contributed his efforts in helping his beloved Slovak people here and behind the Iron Curtain. Deserving tribute was paid to him by the hierarchy, clergy, civic and business leaders, the Slovak World Congress, the Slovak League of America, the Slovak Catholic Federation of America and all the Slovak fraternal societies that he served so well in various capacities. OUTSTANDING CAREER In the course of the history of a people or a nation come individual man, who by the force of their personalities and their endeavors shape and determine the form and direction of the church, their people and their country. These men who are dreamers and who are doers . But the great ones are those who are both-dreamers and doers. They are the ones who set alight their hope and hearts upon the heights they seek to scale. They are the ones who light bright fires of their aspirations and give heart and direction to those who follow. Dr. Peter P. Hletko was such a man! Peter Paul Hletko, M. D., physician-surgeon, was born June 26, 1902 in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Martin and Catherine Hargas Hletko. His home was in Warrenville, Illinois and his office was at 2740 W. 55th Street, Chicago. In 1938 he married Anne E. Remijas. EDUCATION Hletko received his elementary education at St. Michael's School (1908-1915), Chicago. He attended St. Procopius �SLOVAKIA 55 Academy (1915-1919), Lisle, Illinois, and St. Procopius College (1919-1921). He attended De Paul University in Chicago from 1921 to 1923 and received his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. In 1927 he received his Medical Degree (M.D.) from Loyola University, Chicago. PROFESSIONAL Dr. Hletko served on the resident staff of Cook County Hospital, Chicago, from 1927 to 1928. Besides his private practice, he was an instructor in clinical neurology at Loyola University Medical School from 1931 to 1935. He served as medical examiner of many insurance companies. From 1934 to 1939 he served as Supreme Medical Examiner for the National Slovak Society. From 1927 to 1964 he served as Supreme Medical Examiner of the Slovak Catholic Sokol and was Honorary Medical Examiner for the Society. Dr. Hletko was a member of the American Medical Association; Illinois Medical Association; Chicago Medical Association; and Medical Examiner of Municipal Court and Law Department Benefit and Pension Fund, Chicago, ( 19361961) . CIVIC AND CULTURAL In 1938 Dr. Hletko led a Slovak League of America delegation to Czecho-Slovakia in behalf of gaining recognition of the Pittsburgh Pact. Over 100,000 Slovaks gathered in Bratislava, the capitol of Slovakia as he and Msgr. Andrew Hlinka unveiled the original of the Pittsburgh Pact - an agreement that was to guarantee autonomy for the Slovak nation. The vast crowd roared: "Hlinka, Hletko daju vsetko" (Hlinka and Hletko will give everything!). The rest of his services for the Slovak people in a span of more than four decades reads like a special "Who's Who": President of the Slovak League of America (1935-1939 and 1962-64); Honorary President and Member of the Executive Committee of the Slovak League of America (1938-1973); Vice President of the Slovak Catholic Federation of America (1934); Supreme Officer of the Slovak Catholic Sokol and the National Slovak Society; a Member of the Executive �SLOVAKIA 56 Committee of the Slovak Catholic Sokol; organizer and first President of "Club Furdek"-(a Catholic Cultural Society, Chicago, 1929); and President of the Gage Park Savings and Loan Association, Chicago. AUTHOR-JOURN ALIST Dr. Hletko had a vast collection of manuscripts, documentary materials, books, complete volumes of publications, newspapers, and annuals. He made a contribution of his materials to the Jednota Museum in Middletown, Pa. To many of the publications he was a contributor, a columnist, editor, or author. The following is a list of Dr. Hletko's literary efforts: Author: The Slovaks and the Pittsburgh Pact (1934); wrote Iskry-a reprint of satirocomic column in the Osadne Hlasy (Slovak Parish News, 1931); edited the Slovak Catholic Sokol Cook Book, 1964; was a contributing editor of Osadne Hlasy (Chicago Parish News, 19271963); editor of Jara (Spring), English supplement to Jednota, official publication of the First Catholic Slovak Union, 1927-1936; editor of Chicagsky Dennik (Chicago Daily News, 1926-1927); served as the Chairman of the Literary Committee of the National Slovak Society, and was President of the Slovak Newspapermen's Association in America. In honor of his 70th birthday the Slovak League of America labeled 1972 "Dr. Peter Hletko Year" and designated a special award to him at the Slovak League of America Congress in Chicago. Joseph C. Kr a j s a REFERENCES Slovakia 1965-Published by the Slovak League of America, Middletown, Pennsylvania. Slovakia 1972-Published by the Slovak League of America, Middletown, Pennsylvania. "Slovaci a ich zivot," Jednota, March 17, 1971, p. 11, by Dr. Joseph Pauco. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1974, Vol. 24 Description An account of the resource Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document 54 SLOVAKIA DR. PETER P. HLETKO American Slovaks Lost a Great Man With the passing of Dr. Peter P. Hletko on November 4, 1973 in the City of Chicago, the American Slovaks and all freedom loving Slovaks in the world lost one of their most illustrious sons. Exceptionally talented and devoted, he contributed his efforts in helping his beloved Slovak people here and behind the Iron Curtain. Deserving tribute was paid to him by the hierarchy, clergy, civic and business leaders, the Slovak World Congress, the Slovak League of America, the Slovak Catholic Federation of America and all the Slovak fraternal societies that he served so well in various capacities. OUTSTANDING CAREER In the course of the history of a people or a nation come individual man, who by the force of their personalities and their endeavors shape and determine the form and direction of the church, their people and their country. These men who are dreamers and who are doers . But the great ones are those who are both-dreamers and doers. They are the ones who set alight their hope and hearts upon the heights they seek to scale. They are the ones who light bright fires of their aspirations and give heart and direction to those who follow. Dr. Peter P. Hletko was such a man! Peter Paul Hletko, M. D., physician-surgeon, was born June 26, 1902 in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Martin and Catherine Hargas Hletko. His home was in Warrenville, Illinois and his office was at 2740 W. 55th Street, Chicago. In 1938 he married Anne E. Remijas. EDUCATION Hletko received his elementary education at St. Michael's School (1908-1915), Chicago. He attended St. Procopius SLOVAKIA 55 Academy (1915-1919), Lisle, Illinois, and St. Procopius College (1919-1921). He attended De Paul University in Chicago from 1921 to 1923 and received his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. In 1927 he received his Medical Degree (M.D.) from Loyola University, Chicago. PROFESSIONAL Dr. Hletko served on the resident staff of Cook County Hospital, Chicago, from 1927 to 1928. Besides his private practice, he was an instructor in clinical neurology at Loyola University Medical School from 1931 to 1935. He served as medical examiner of many insurance companies. From 1934 to 1939 he served as Supreme Medical Examiner for the National Slovak Society. From 1927 to 1964 he served as Supreme Medical Examiner of the Slovak Catholic Sokol and was Honorary Medical Examiner for the Society. Dr. Hletko was a member of the American Medical Association; Illinois Medical Association; Chicago Medical Association; and Medical Examiner of Municipal Court and Law Department Benefit and Pension Fund, Chicago, ( 19361961) . CIVIC AND CULTURAL In 1938 Dr. Hletko led a Slovak League of America delegation to Czecho-Slovakia in behalf of gaining recognition of the Pittsburgh Pact. Over 100,000 Slovaks gathered in Bratislava, the capitol of Slovakia as he and Msgr. Andrew Hlinka unveiled the original of the Pittsburgh Pact - an agreement that was to guarantee autonomy for the Slovak nation. The vast crowd roared: "Hlinka, Hletko daju vsetko" (Hlinka and Hletko will give everything!). The rest of his services for the Slovak people in a span of more than four decades reads like a special "Who's Who": President of the Slovak League of America (1935-1939 and 1962-64); Honorary President and Member of the Executive Committee of the Slovak League of America (1938-1973); Vice President of the Slovak Catholic Federation of America (1934); Supreme Officer of the Slovak Catholic Sokol and the National Slovak Society; a Member of the Executive SLOVAKIA 56 Committee of the Slovak Catholic Sokol; organizer and first President of "Club Furdek"-(a Catholic Cultural Society, Chicago, 1929); and President of the Gage Park Savings and Loan Association, Chicago. AUTHOR-JOURN ALIST Dr. Hletko had a vast collection of manuscripts, documentary materials, books, complete volumes of publications, newspapers, and annuals. He made a contribution of his materials to the Jednota Museum in Middletown, Pa. To many of the publications he was a contributor, a columnist, editor, or author. The following is a list of Dr. Hletko's literary efforts: Author: The Slovaks and the Pittsburgh Pact (1934); wrote Iskry-a reprint of satirocomic column in the Osadne Hlasy (Slovak Parish News, 1931); edited the Slovak Catholic Sokol Cook Book, 1964; was a contributing editor of Osadne Hlasy (Chicago Parish News, 19271963); editor of Jara (Spring), English supplement to Jednota, official publication of the First Catholic Slovak Union, 1927-1936; editor of Chicagsky Dennik (Chicago Daily News, 1926-1927); served as the Chairman of the Literary Committee of the National Slovak Society, and was President of the Slovak Newspapermen's Association in America. In honor of his 70th birthday the Slovak League of America labeled 1972 "Dr. Peter Hletko Year" and designated a special award to him at the Slovak League of America Congress in Chicago. Joseph C. Kr a j s a REFERENCES Slovakia 1965-Published by the Slovak League of America, Middletown, Pennsylvania. Slovakia 1972-Published by the Slovak League of America, Middletown, Pennsylvania. "Slovaci a ich zivot," Jednota, March 17, 1971, p. 11, by Dr. Joseph Pauco.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Dr. Peter P. Hletko: American Slovaks Lost a Great Man Description An account of the resource Joseph C. Krajsa Slovakia, Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974 pp. 54-56 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Krajsa, Joseph C. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 LCNAF https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/1490e3af0ce4f4bf4e4f464ec8e3e75a.pdf 131c2b78141c60a2a6af799da0952b80 PDF Text Text SLOVAKIA 51 MARCH 14, 1974: The 35th Anniversary of Slovak Independence Day By Andrew Pie r, O.S.B. Personal liberty is a God-given natural right to all men because the Creator bestowed intelligence and a conscience upon every man to whom he gave the power to make his own decisions freely. Every infringement on human freedom, therefore, is contrary to the will of God and a violation of God's natural law. When individuals are deprived of their freedom the inevitable result is oppression, and when the rights of any nation to free development are denied the consequence is tyranny. In 1976 the second centennial of American independence will be commemorated in celebration of the overthrow of British imperial tyranny two hundred years ago. The War of Independence was waged by the thirteen American colonies to establish political freedom in the new world. Their successful revolt marked a historic milestone in the struggle of modern man for human freedom, and the founding of the American republic served as a precedent and pattern for countries around the world. Aspiration to national freedom, democracy, self-government and statehood in regions inhabited by people speaking the same language, having the same or a similar culture, sharing the same religion, having developed a literature of its own, and cherishing a common tradition, are a natural outgrowth of the inner most desires of a kindred people to be free . The path to national sovereignity is not always a rosy one, for it is often bathed with the blood, sweat and tears �52 SLOVAEIA of men forced to wage a constant struggle to win freedom, and having won it, they must be eternally vigilant to maintain it. Untold sacrifices are the price of freedom in every age. At the end of World War I the Slovaks, after a thousand years of virtual serfdom, emerged victoriously on the brink of national freedom that was denied them until they declared their independence on March 14, 1939. For a brief span of six years they enjoyed national freedom in their own free Slovak Republic only to fall victims of the Yalta agreement by which freedom was wrested from them by force and they were incorporated once again in the CzechoSlovak state that was destined to become a satellite in the Soviet sphere of influence in central Europe. Self-appointe d champions of Czecho-Slovakia in which the Slovaks have invariably been treated as colonials, or at best as second-rate citizens, by the Czech politicians in Prague at first hailed the "liberation" of the country in World War II by the Russians, but they were disillusioned quickly when a communist regime was imposed upon what was marked at Teheran and Yalta as a Soviet satellite state in the heart of Europe. More than that, under unrelenting pressure from Moscow postwar Czecho-Slovakia became a communist country in which the citizen as a subject of the state lost his freedom . Six years ago in mid-August the Soviet invasion by five armies (forces of the USSR, East Germany, Poland, Bulgaria and Hungary) of an allied state reduced CzechoSlovakia virtually to a conquered country in which enemy military forces of occupation continue to enforce the will of Moscow. Liberation, so called, in 1945 led to a communist take over in 1948; and twenty years later (1968) the enslavement of a freedom-lovin g peoples, the Slovaks and Czechs, was completed by the unprovoked invasion of their lands by the self-styled champions of "a people's democracy" from the steppes of Eurasia. Despite the loss of their national freedom to the victorious conquerors of World War II, the Slovaks in their homeland have not ceased to aspire to their God-given �SLOVAKIA 53 right to freedom. Although their passive resistance to the communist system appears futile at the moment, they continue to hope for true liberation from the godless forces of communist tyranny, while their fellow countrymen in the free world keep alive their hope of ultimate liberation from the yoke of tyranny. Probably the most abused and misunderstood word in the English language is the simple word, "independence." And perhaps the least understood by many. All of us are interdependent ... we depend upon each other in so many ways: from infancy, through youth, adulthood and old age ... from the cradle to the grave. That's reality! How can we, therefore, speak of independence at all? In the sense that we have freedom of action, provided it does not encroach upon the freedom of others. Independence rules out subservience to an alien power, and it is exercised by free people who live in a prescribed area within which they rule themselves according to the principles of justice, freedom, truth and self-preservation, as well as under the inspiration of a spirit of esprit-decorps and the ideals of a well-ordered society under the authority of the law. Although in this form of society it is majority rule that dominates, there are provisions for the minority to voice their will-which on occasion has been known to predominate, for better or worse. Nevertheless, independence works in this way, too ... as we know it. Control of their national destiny was long denied the Slovaks, but for a brief period in their history of more than a dozen centuries in central Europe in their own free, Slovak Republic (1939-1945) they proved to themselves and to the whole world they are capable of self-rule if given the opportunity ... which they seized before the outbreak of the second World War and managed rather well in their self-governing state despite the handicaps imposed upon them, namely, the pressure of a powerful neighbor at war, as well as the hardship of a wartime economy since Slovakia was surrounded by nations engaged in a titanic struggle. While there are those who continue to downgrade the aspirations of the freedom-loving Slovaks and their desire for a self-governing state of their own, no true champion of liberty will deny them the right to be free. � SLOVAKIA 51 MARCH 14, 1974: The 35th Anniversary of Slovak Independence Day By Andrew Pie r, O.S.B. Personal liberty is a God-given natural right to all men because the Creator bestowed intelligence and a conscience upon every man to whom he gave the power to make his own decisions freely. Every infringement on human freedom, therefore, is contrary to the will of God and a violation of God's natural law. When individuals are deprived of their freedom the inevitable result is oppression, and when the rights of any nation to free development are denied the consequence is tyranny. In 1976 the second centennial of American independence will be commemorated in celebration of the overthrow of British imperial tyranny two hundred years ago. The War of Independence was waged by the thirteen American colonies to establish political freedom in the new world. Their successful revolt marked a historic milestone in the struggle of modern man for human freedom, and the founding of the American republic served as a precedent and pattern for countries around the world. Aspiration to national freedom, democracy, self-government and statehood in regions inhabited by people speaking the same language, having the same or a similar culture, sharing the same religion, having developed a literature of its own, and cherishing a common tradition, are a natural outgrowth of the inner most desires of a kindred people to be free . The path to national sovereignity is not always a rosy one, for it is often bathed with the blood, sweat and tears �52 SLOVAEIA of men forced to wage a constant struggle to win freedom, and having won it, they must be eternally vigilant to maintain it. Untold sacrifices are the price of freedom in every age. At the end of World War I the Slovaks, after a thousand years of virtual serfdom, emerged victoriously on the brink of national freedom that was denied them until they declared their independence on March 14, 1939. For a brief span of six years they enjoyed national freedom in their own free Slovak Republic only to fall victims of the Yalta agreement by which freedom was wrested from them by force and they were incorporated once again in the CzechoSlovak state that was destined to become a satellite in the Soviet sphere of influence in central Europe. Self-appointe d champions of Czecho-Slovakia in which the Slovaks have invariably been treated as colonials, or at best as second-rate citizens, by the Czech politicians in Prague at first hailed the "liberation" of the country in World War II by the Russians, but they were disillusioned quickly when a communist regime was imposed upon what was marked at Teheran and Yalta as a Soviet satellite state in the heart of Europe. More than that, under unrelenting pressure from Moscow postwar Czecho-Slovakia became a communist country in which the citizen as a subject of the state lost his freedom . Six years ago in mid-August the Soviet invasion by five armies (forces of the USSR, East Germany, Poland, Bulgaria and Hungary) of an allied state reduced CzechoSlovakia virtually to a conquered country in which enemy military forces of occupation continue to enforce the will of Moscow. Liberation, so called, in 1945 led to a communist take over in 1948; and twenty years later (1968) the enslavement of a freedom-lovin g peoples, the Slovaks and Czechs, was completed by the unprovoked invasion of their lands by the self-styled champions of "a people's democracy" from the steppes of Eurasia. Despite the loss of their national freedom to the victorious conquerors of World War II, the Slovaks in their homeland have not ceased to aspire to their God-given �SLOVAKIA 53 right to freedom. Although their passive resistance to the communist system appears futile at the moment, they continue to hope for true liberation from the godless forces of communist tyranny, while their fellow countrymen in the free world keep alive their hope of ultimate liberation from the yoke of tyranny. Probably the most abused and misunderstood word in the English language is the simple word, "independence." And perhaps the least understood by many. All of us are interdependent ... we depend upon each other in so many ways: from infancy, through youth, adulthood and old age ... from the cradle to the grave. That's reality! How can we, therefore, speak of independence at all? In the sense that we have freedom of action, provided it does not encroach upon the freedom of others. Independence rules out subservience to an alien power, and it is exercised by free people who live in a prescribed area within which they rule themselves according to the principles of justice, freedom, truth and self-preservation, as well as under the inspiration of a spirit of esprit-decorps and the ideals of a well-ordered society under the authority of the law. Although in this form of society it is majority rule that dominates, there are provisions for the minority to voice their will-which on occasion has been known to predominate, for better or worse. Nevertheless, independence works in this way, too ... as we know it. Control of their national destiny was long denied the Slovaks, but for a brief period in their history of more than a dozen centuries in central Europe in their own free, Slovak Republic (1939-1945) they proved to themselves and to the whole world they are capable of self-rule if given the opportunity ... which they seized before the outbreak of the second World War and managed rather well in their self-governing state despite the handicaps imposed upon them, namely, the pressure of a powerful neighbor at war, as well as the hardship of a wartime economy since Slovakia was surrounded by nations engaged in a titanic struggle. While there are those who continue to downgrade the aspirations of the freedom-loving Slovaks and their desire for a self-governing state of their own, no true champion of liberty will deny them the right to be free. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1974, Vol. 24 Description An account of the resource Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document SLOVAKIA 51 MARCH 14, 1974: The 35th Anniversary of Slovak Independence Day By Andrew Pie r, O.S.B. Personal liberty is a God-given natural right to all men because the Creator bestowed intelligence and a conscience upon every man to whom he gave the power to make his own decisions freely. Every infringement on human freedom, therefore, is contrary to the will of God and a violation of God's natural law. When individuals are deprived of their freedom the inevitable result is oppression, and when the rights of any nation to free development are denied the consequence is tyranny. In 1976 the second centennial of American independence will be commemorated in celebration of the overthrow of British imperial tyranny two hundred years ago. The War of Independence was waged by the thirteen American colonies to establish political freedom in the new world. Their successful revolt marked a historic milestone in the struggle of modern man for human freedom, and the founding of the American republic served as a precedent and pattern for countries around the world. Aspiration to national freedom, democracy, self-government and statehood in regions inhabited by people speaking the same language, having the same or a similar culture, sharing the same religion, having developed a literature of its own, and cherishing a common tradition, are a natural outgrowth of the inner most desires of a kindred people to be free . The path to national sovereignity is not always a rosy one, for it is often bathed with the blood, sweat and tears 52 SLOVAEIA of men forced to wage a constant struggle to win freedom, and having won it, they must be eternally vigilant to maintain it. Untold sacrifices are the price of freedom in every age. At the end of World War I the Slovaks, after a thousand years of virtual serfdom, emerged victoriously on the brink of national freedom that was denied them until they declared their independence on March 14, 1939. For a brief span of six years they enjoyed national freedom in their own free Slovak Republic only to fall victims of the Yalta agreement by which freedom was wrested from them by force and they were incorporated once again in the CzechoSlovak state that was destined to become a satellite in the Soviet sphere of influence in central Europe. Self-appointe d champions of Czecho-Slovakia in which the Slovaks have invariably been treated as colonials, or at best as second-rate citizens, by the Czech politicians in Prague at first hailed the "liberation" of the country in World War II by the Russians, but they were disillusioned quickly when a communist regime was imposed upon what was marked at Teheran and Yalta as a Soviet satellite state in the heart of Europe. More than that, under unrelenting pressure from Moscow postwar Czecho-Slovakia became a communist country in which the citizen as a subject of the state lost his freedom . Six years ago in mid-August the Soviet invasion by five armies (forces of the USSR, East Germany, Poland, Bulgaria and Hungary) of an allied state reduced CzechoSlovakia virtually to a conquered country in which enemy military forces of occupation continue to enforce the will of Moscow. Liberation, so called, in 1945 led to a communist take over in 1948; and twenty years later (1968) the enslavement of a freedom-lovin g peoples, the Slovaks and Czechs, was completed by the unprovoked invasion of their lands by the self-styled champions of "a people's democracy" from the steppes of Eurasia. Despite the loss of their national freedom to the victorious conquerors of World War II, the Slovaks in their homeland have not ceased to aspire to their God-given SLOVAKIA 53 right to freedom. Although their passive resistance to the communist system appears futile at the moment, they continue to hope for true liberation from the godless forces of communist tyranny, while their fellow countrymen in the free world keep alive their hope of ultimate liberation from the yoke of tyranny. Probably the most abused and misunderstood word in the English language is the simple word, "independence." And perhaps the least understood by many. All of us are interdependent ... we depend upon each other in so many ways: from infancy, through youth, adulthood and old age ... from the cradle to the grave. That's reality! How can we, therefore, speak of independence at all? In the sense that we have freedom of action, provided it does not encroach upon the freedom of others. Independence rules out subservience to an alien power, and it is exercised by free people who live in a prescribed area within which they rule themselves according to the principles of justice, freedom, truth and self-preservation, as well as under the inspiration of a spirit of esprit-decorps and the ideals of a well-ordered society under the authority of the law. Although in this form of society it is majority rule that dominates, there are provisions for the minority to voice their will-which on occasion has been known to predominate, for better or worse. Nevertheless, independence works in this way, too ... as we know it. Control of their national destiny was long denied the Slovaks, but for a brief period in their history of more than a dozen centuries in central Europe in their own free, Slovak Republic (1939-1945) they proved to themselves and to the whole world they are capable of self-rule if given the opportunity ... which they seized before the outbreak of the second World War and managed rather well in their self-governing state despite the handicaps imposed upon them, namely, the pressure of a powerful neighbor at war, as well as the hardship of a wartime economy since Slovakia was surrounded by nations engaged in a titanic struggle. While there are those who continue to downgrade the aspirations of the freedom-loving Slovaks and their desire for a self-governing state of their own, no true champion of liberty will deny them the right to be free.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The 35th Anniversary of Slovak Independence Day Description An account of the resource Andrew Pier, O.S.B. Slovakia, Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974 pp. 51-53 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Pier, Andrew W., 1910-2003 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 name https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/17b7ca1d231920a27cc633036a53e854.pdf 299806ede12f42cac45ebfcebe34b2b3 PDF Text Text 36 SLOVAKIA Phiiip A. Hrobak (1904-1964) Generally the biographical facts of a man's life can be assembled without great difficulty. Cold facts of this kind, however, do not give us the complete or satisfying image of an individual. They lack the true lineaments of his character, the appreciable measure of his stature and the contributions of his lifetime of striving and achieving. Simplistically we can gather the key dates that marked the life span of Philip A. Hrobak, one of our American Slovak "greats" who would have reached his seventieth birthday in 1974 had not death cut him down in his life's prime. The bare data would include these statistics: Philip Anthony Hrobak was born in Cleveland, Ohio on May 1, 1904. Michael and Mary Hrobak, his parents, were Slovak immigrants from the Spis region who had sought and found a kindlier way of life in the American mid-West. On May 6, 1914, just a few days after Philip's tenth birthday, his widowed mother brought Philip and his four year old sister Mary to the Immaculate Conception Home in Middletown, Pa. They were the first children received into the newly established home for children which the Jednota organization founded under the guiding spirit of Father Furdek. The children had lost their father in February of that year and their mother was concerned about providing for their care, for she too was in poor health. When a merciless blood malady ended her life a few months later, the Hrobak children had no one to look after them but the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius to whose care the Jednota had entrusted this home. Philip continued the studies that he had begun in St. Wendelin's parochial school in Cleveland and as soon as she was ready for school, Mary also attended classes. On completing his elementary education at Jednota Home, Philip went on to high school and college at St. �SLOVAKIA 37 Procopius in Lisle, Ill. From 1924 to 1927 he taught at St. Procopius and then accepted an assistantship as he pursued advanced studies in the department of chemistry at New York University. By the fall of 1929 he was again in his native city Cleveland where he taught a varied program of classes and coached the football team at the flourishing Benedictine High. For nine years he was a very successful teacher here, distinguishing himself especially in his chemistry, history and language classes as well as in his relationship with high school students. From all appearances, he seemed to be destined for a brilliant carrer as an educator. In August 1931 he married Rose Jasko and they became the devoted parents of nine children. His school work and parental cares could have absorbed all his time and talent yet his eager mind together with his vital interest in life and in his fellow man prompted him to cultivate an active concern in the issues and problems of those around him as well as the world at large. From time to time he gave expression to some of his thinking through contributions to various publications. Problems of youth and education as well as Slovak history ranked among his prime interests. In the matter of Slovak history he found not merely a static record of the past but also an on-going chain of direction and a development of history in his own day. He could not look upon man's interaction with man or nation with nation and remain a detached spectator. He was both an observer and a maker of history. Out of his experiences as a teacher, Philip Hrobak came to the realization that he could do more than just use books as tools of learning; he authored a practical and comprehensive Slovak grammar for the use of English speaking persons. He also compiled a sizable English-Slovak dictionary. Both served as important adjuncts in learning the Slovak language. Even today there are many who value his revised dictionary as a very useful reference. In 1937 when Joseph Husek yielded his Jednota editorship in order to seek the presidency of the Jednota organization, Philip Hrobak was elected editor of the weekly organ. No better replacement could have been made. From �38 SLOVAKIA this time on, Hrobak became a formidable force in Slovak and Slovak-American public life. His position was further strengthened when he became vice president of the Slovak League of America in 1949, and it was additionally confirmed when he assumed the presidency of Slovak League of America in 1950. For twelve years he gave this office distinctively dynamic force and singular meaningfulness. Hrobak's role in public life as well as the magnetism of his gifts and personality brought him into close contact and association with distinguished expatriated Slovak leaders and intellectuals. One of his closest co-workers was Dr. Joseph Pauco who continues to work in the same editorial office that he once shared with Philip Hrobak. Among other notable associates from abroad were Constantine Culen, Francis Hrusovsky, Joseph Kirschbaum, Joseph Mikus and Karol Sidor. An outstanding achievement of Hrobak's career in the Slovak League of America was the establishment of a highly desirable and eminently successful Office of Information functioning in Washington, D. C. under the distinguished chairmanship of the Slovak diplomat Dr. Joseph Mikus. This professional department became a vital public relations center as well as a liason agency in American-Slovak life. The journalistic genius of Philip Hrobak expressed itself not only through the Jednota weekly and the Jednota annual almanac which are the official publications of the Jednota organization and which even then served the need for both information and inspiration on behalf of its membership but he further initiated and sponsored other valuable publications as well. In 1949, for example, he began the Slovak Newsletter, a bulletin for public information. In 1951 he undertook a Slovak politico-cultural quarterly Slovakia, the voice of the Slovak League of America. In 1961 he launched another project, Furdek, an annual which became an English counterpart to the long established Jednota Kalendar. He gave this new work a content and style of its own, directing its appeal largely to readers who were not able to read the Slovak Kalendar. When Father Lach entrusted in 1959 the newspaper Slovak v Amerike to Philip Hrobak, the new publisher �39 SLOVAKIA collaborated on this weekly with Dr. Joseph Pauco and expanded his publishing scope to include the annual Literdrny Almanach Slovdka v Amerike as well as an affiliated series of book publications through which he often provided a public to well seasoned writers as well as to capable aspiring novices in journalism. With unbounded vigor and zeal Philip Hrobak worked from his Middletown office, serving the cause of God and man to his dying day. When illness struck him down it was hard to accept the fact that this was a mortal ailment. Although those who were close to him hoped against hope that he would recover, he ended his life on January 10, 1964 in Harrisburg, Pa. and was buried in Cleveland, Ohio. These are some of the essential facts in the life story of Philip Hrobak. * * When one undertakes the task of evaluating the stature of this leader Philip Hrobak and his literary output, the impressive factor becomes not only the quantity of his excellent published writings but also the quality of the man that shows through his works and the temper of his thought. Hrobak was above all a writer with a message. He was purposeful and dedicated, for he had a cause that was rooted in conscience. His personal integrity and Christian philosophy of life inspired him with a profound sense of honesty and justice which could not be confined to private life but clamored for redress even in the market place and public forum. With him morality and the full impact of the Ten Commandments had a place before God and man. For this reason he was intolerant of oppression and he championed the rights of man. This included basic justice and freedom in private life, within all levels of the social structure and within national and international relationships. Hrobak was gifted with a clarity of inner vision that penetrated surface appearances and subtle diplomatic maneuverings. He had an inborn alertness that was adroit and discriminating in dealing with political smooth talk, long standing inequities that tried to stay covered up, and outward niceties. He was not one to be easily deceived. And he had the courage of his convictions as well as the �40 SLOVAKIA ability to deal incisively with critical issues and difficult problems. He not only propagated the slogan Za Boha a ndrod! he lived the ideal, for all his life and energy, all his purpose and dedication was to translate into real life the spirit of devotion to God and abiding patriotism to the United States as well as to Slovakia, the ancestral homeland of American Slovaks. And as he set himself to these tasks, he was fully conscious of the duty that, as an officer and a leader in American Slovak fraternalism, he was to inspire others with a zeal for truth and right action. Circumscribi ng this study to a close review of the first fourteen volumes of Slovakia (1951-1964) which Philip Hrobak compiled and edited, we find even within this representativ e range of his work enough tangibles to assess the caliber of Hrobak's journalism, Christian philosophy and leadership. Like much of his journalistic output, these volumes of Hrobak's Slovakia were devoted largely to political content. We see in them Philip Hrobak the American patriot, the champion of Slovak statehood and a first class editor. His objective is truth and justice. For this reason he is a persistent and merciless fact-finder and incidentally he becomes an ideal publicist. He does not avoid issues or pretend that he does not see them and he does not feel that he can afford to be an overly fastidious respecter of persons. He was not an unfeeling individual and he knew how to cherish and express profound deference for constituted authority and public office but when he sensed that "Something is rotten in the state ... " he was relentless in uncovering the festering realities that were lurking under misleading outward appearances. His Christian uprightness, his idealism and sense of fairness bound him to flay inequity and to denounce oppression of every kind. Hrobak did not produce his 35 issues of Slovakia singlehandedl y. He opened his colums to Slovak diplomats, statesmen, historians and leaders as well as to thinking Americans who also championed the cause of freedom, justice and truth, especially the concept of historical truth. His formal objective was openly published in a number of issues of Slovakia: �SLOVAKIA 41 The chief purpose of Slovakia is to promote a better under standing and appreciation of the Slovak nation and its long struggle for freedom and independence. As Americans, members of the Slovak League of America believe that the Slovak nation, like all nations, has an interest and God-given right to freedom and independence. They are dedicated to the cause of the American way of life, Slovak freedom and world peace, and are determined to oppose the plague of communism and all other totalitarian political systems. Because this periodical was a vehicle of information to both a Slovak and a non-Slovak readership of serious intent, especially to American scholars, public officials, diplomats and university people, Hrobak made every effort to give it the widest possible dissemination into the homes and offices of American and foreign diplomats, politicians and public leaders as well as the libraries and departments of history and political science in many American colleges and universities. Of course, many average readers who sought to be well-informed also subscribed to it. Under Hrobak's gifted editorship and management, the circulation of Slovakia increased steadily. To provide the information and understanding that he had in mind, Hrobak attracted the most highly qualified of contributors to bring their works to Slovakia. Some of them were expatriated Slovak leaders and makers of Slovak history; some of them were scholars and historians of Slovak as well as non-Slovak origin; some were critics and analysts of political thought and nationalism; some were American legislators. Dr. Joseph M. Kirschbaum, a Slavistic scholar who taught and lectured at the University of Montreal in Canada produced a substantial article for practically every issue (30 articles in 37 issues, to be precise) . In the main, he examines the historical theses that warrant the existence of an autonomous Slovak state, basic principles and circumstances on which federation could be structured in central Europe, the subject of Slovakia and international relationships, the underlying causes of incompatability with Czech pretensions, the matter of Czech duplicity and oppressive arrogance, and Slovak politics past and present. His gifts, however, are multifaceted and out of the diversity of his �42 SLOVAKIA broad interests he also prepared papers on cultural topics such as: Slovak literature under the Soviet impact (VI, 2/ 19, pp. 34-51) , Mickiewicz in Slovak poetry and translations (VII, 1/22, pp. 32-41) , Universi ty traditions in Slovakia (VIII, 2/ 27, pp. 18-30), Contemporary tendencies in Slovak philology (X, 7/ 32, pp. 25-32) , The Canadian translator of Slovak poetry: Professor Watson Kirkconnell (XIV, 37, pp. 9-18). Dr. Kirschbaum consistently provided book reviews as well. Dr. Joseph Pauco has always been a faithful contributor also. He is a professional writer with a rich background in publishing and journalism. For a number of years he was editor-in-chief of the daily Slovak published in Bratislava. He lived through many a promising and too many a tragic experience in Slovak national life. He has tasted prosperity and good fortune as well as much disappointment at home and abroad. He is a journalist with the conviction that the editor, the reporter, the columnist is called to serve the people by illuminating facts, defending truth, and inspiring to action. These principles are embodied throughout his articles in Slovakia, most of which are devoted to political analysis and historical report; e.g. The practical aspect of federation (III, 2, pp. 26-36), The failures of communist politics in Slovakia (V, 4/ 17, pp. 3-20), The 1944 communist rebellion in Slovakia (VII, 3-4, 24/ 25, pp. 28-34) , and Slovakia under communism--which was serialized in three issues (IX, 30; X, 31 ; XI, 33 ). Among other significant contributors who brought enrichment to the early issues of Slovakia these must be mentioned: culen, Hrusovsky, Vnuk, Mikus, Sidor, Grebert, Cieker, t>urcansky, Murin, Rekem and Kruzliak. Their works are marked with the authority of those who had witnessed this history of Slovakia in the making and with the conviction of those who knew only too well what absolutes and what cause they were defending. Contributions on the scholarly level are thoroughly researched and documented; they are singularly important for their cultural value. With the aid of national figures like these, Philip Hrobak made of Slovakia a unique journal that analyzed �SLOVAKIA 43 Slovak and Czech politics and exposed the truth and the falsity behind the facade of the Czecho-Slovak state. Still other contributors also expressed themselves in Slovakia. We meet on its pages, for example, a critical examination which Kurt Glaser made of Radio Free Europe: How free is Radio Free Europe-The Voice of Doubletalk? (II, 2, pp. 25-28) and The " Russia First" Boys in Radio Free Europe. (III, I, pp. 31-38) as well as several of his other articles. Edward L. Delaney also wrote incisively and perceptively on The Betrayal of Slovakia (I, 2, pp. 1-7), on Tiso, Horthy and Benes as well as his personal experiences I was in Slovakia (II, 1, pp. 25-45). Hrobak further drew upon American public officials to express their views in Slovakia also. He published their patriotic addresses and expressions of concern and sympathy for minority groups as well as related matters from diplomatic circles for the interest of readers of Slovakia. As one reviews back issues, one cannot help noting the contributions of congressmen and persons like Michael A. Feighan, Edward J. Bonin, Charles J. Kersten, B. Carroll Reece, Lieut. Col. F. 0. Miksche, Ray J. Madden. In volume one, no. two, we find some thoughts of Prince Adolf zu Schwarzenberg, head of one of the oldest families of Bohemia. Interestingly, his contribution is on Czech Double Dealing. By way of balancing this heavy concentration on political fare, Hrobak took pains to offer other reading matter too. Occasionally he would publish something as different as the English translation of a treasured Slovak folk tale. He also ran a series on castles in Slovakia as well as occasional articles on other cultural topics like Slovak museums, the natural beauty of the Slovak countryside, the national folk hero Janosik, a study in contrasting ~vejk vs. Janosik, the natural springs and the spas of Slovakia, considerations on semantics and philology, Slovak university life and traditions, insights into Slovak church music, various types of Slovak customs, historical essays, thumbnail biographies. He also presented a serialization of Slovak history that he himself wrote and a serious study Slovak Nationalism which was researched by B. S. Bue. Applicable excerpts from American journalism were �SLOVAKIA 44 intended to provoke thought or reaction, and for this kind of prodding Hrobak quoted from The Washington Post, New York Times, the Cleveland Press, The Chicago Sun, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, The Slavonic Monthly. He also culled from the Osservatore Romano, the Eudovy dennik of Chicago, cas (the official organ of Lettrich's Democratic Party and the Benes mouthpiece) as well as from other likely and unlikely sources. The personal trademark of Hrobak in these earlier issues of Slovakia was the filler feature titled Who Said It? Invariably these items were either ironic or revealing or they were couched in the full glow of patriotic ardor, depending on their portent. Hrobak felt that as a journalist he could not afford to be blandly genteel. He was dealing with subject matter that made demands on him to be ruthless rather that ineffectively mild. He knew that he had to be uncompromising rather than deferential. He was committed to the consideration of callous inequities and rank duplicity, and he needed the keenest of scalpels directed to the root of the issue. The Who Said It? feature was especially effective in quoting from Masaryk and Benes, Stransky and Lettrich, Peroutka and Ripka, Sramek and Gottwald. It held a full beam of light up to their pronouncements and exposed their ideas to re-evaluation. On the other hand, Hrobak also featured positive thinking from persons like Senator Robert A. Taft, Edward R. Murrow, H. W. Kaltenborn as well as from Dean Acheson, R. W. Seton-Watson, Congressman Daniel Flood and Alvin E. O'Konski. Readers found the material quoted in these fillers very apt, rather questionable, witty, thought-provoking or bitter. It was meant to be entertaining although an element of entertainment might sometimes develop out of it as a kind of byproduct. We present some samplings: "Some pussy-footing ostriches criticize the treaty between Soviet Russia and Czechoslovakia. Our close collaboration with the Soviet Union needs no explanation. We do not want anything from the Russians except protection from the Germans, and the Russians want nothing whatsoever from us." - Jan Masaryk in Business Week, May 13, 1944. (Slovakia vn, 2, p. 64). "The Slovak nation, one of the oldest Christian nations in �SLOVAKIA 45 central Europe is distinct ethnic unit. Just as the Czechs are and want to remain Czechs, just so the Slovaks are and want to remain Slovaks. The history, culture and national traditions of the Slovak nation are distinct from the history, culture and national traditions of the Czechs. The Slovaks never were, nor are they now, a part of the Czech nation. Slovaks here and abroad resent being called Czechoslovaks." - P.A. Hrobak, Detroit, Mich., November 18, 1951 ( Slovakia IV, 3-4, p. 58) . RED GEOGRAPHY: The news service of the Central Slovak Catholic Bureau in Rome recently published a story about a certain school inspector of the Trnava district in Slovakia who gave directives to teachers on how to teach. Among other things he said that if nuns we:re able to interest children in a non-existe nt being, God, then the teachers certainly should be able to interest children in Stalin who actually exists. "The Marx-Lenin doctrines of our Stalin," he continued, "must be applied in all classes. For example, in geog:raphy you teach the children about the East and the West. Now you could say: The sun rises in the East; there is our g:reat Stalin, the sun of all the nations which enlightens all nations with his knowledge. The sun sets in the West; thel'le you find decayed capitalism, the treacherous bourgeoisie and murderous imperialism." -But most of the Slovak teachers and pupils prefer the advice of Horace Gre eley: Go West, young man! (Slovakia II, 2, p. 19) . No assignment that came to Philip Hrobak was too demanding or time consuming. As a journalist and as an American Slovak leader, Philip Hrobak was a fully committed person. After the University of California Press released a new printing of a 504 page book Czechoslovakia, edited by Robert J . Kerner, which was represented as "an honest, unprejudiced, and frank appraisal of the important contribution which the Czechoslovak nation made to the history of our time in its two decades of independence between two world wars," Philip Hrobak took the book under close scrutiny in order to examine its merits. Characteristically, he read it with balanced judgment and undertook a detailed search into the allegations that were made in the volume by the twenty collaborators who wrote their ideas into it. He made pertinent notes, comments and a record of his explanations and refutations. Subsequently, every issue of Slovakia from v. V., 2-3 (15-16) June-Sept. 1955 to v. VII, 3-4 (24-25) Sept.-Dec 1957 carried part of Hrobak's chapter by chapter analysis (through all 23 chapters) under the heading: "Professor �46 SLOVAKIA Kerner's CZECHOSLOVAKIA: History or Propaganda?" He granted, in all fairness, that the twenty writers who had contributed to the composite work were not necessarily dishonest or prejudiced but he did not yield the point that they had become Czech propagandists exporting established Masaryk-Benes theories at the expense of the Slovaks and their national history. In pointing out the errors and misconceptions of these writers and in refuting their specious theses, Hrobak could hardly help becoming occasionally vehement. It was in his very nature to be less than tolerant of that long standing tendency to relegate the Slovaks to second place or to no place at all, and this bias had again appeared through the pages of Kerner's work. It was part of Hrobak's scholarly conditioning that made him at least impatient with inept history that distorted authentic records and shaped a narrative fashioned to its own devising. In his refutations of error, both in this case and on other occasions, Hrobak set the record right by controverting claims that were all too easily made for an easy and ready acceptance. He did this by tracing his facts to prime sources for reference and documentation: He was especially skillful in drawing upon arguments and statements from Czech sources and authorities and he was often able to use this matter in order to substantiate his arguments and to confound some contemporary writers of history who had a way of misrepresentating facts. Nor was he above ridicule when the conditions were patently offered to invite ridicule. He had an instinct for examining promises made and conditions underscoring events that transpired in order to contrast them with promises honored and promises forgotten as well as with the aftermath of events that were shaped by the hard realities of circumstances. Summing it all up, he was a fearless and formidable adversary in the arena of fact vs. fiction, truth vs. deception. And in this encounter he did not shrink from handling the rhetoric and the claims of an entire collective force of writers not merely a single author. This was his consistent line of action. When it came to dealing with a denial of truth or with historic distortions, he did not stop to assess the odds. With him there were no �SLOVAKIA 47 prohibitive odds when truth and justice were to be vindicated. There was only a matter of conscience and professional ethics to be heeded. Fired with this spirit and singlemindedness of purpose, Hrobak worked on tirelessly. From his editorial office in Middletown he steadfastly waged his crusade in the press. One can see why he indefatigably set out to flay injustice and denounce "the synthetic Czechoslovak state," why he castigated the execution of President Tiso as political murder and judicial murder, why he was preoccupied with the cause "history or propaganda?" as well as with the futility of efforts to fuse the Slovak and the Czech nations into one impossible amalgam, why he was concerned with matters of Church and state. Very often the choice of expression that appears either in his own work or in the writing of his contributors reflects the depth of his own feeling and betrays its real measure of intensity. Note these phrases by way of example: Benes "King of political cheats;" the " Russia first" boys in RFE; how the Czechs deceived us; intrigues and t he entrapment of individuals; Czechoslovak pseudo-democracy; the machinations of Czech Socialists . . . But Hrobak was by no means a hidden away recluse of some kind bound to his editorial desk. Besides being a gifted journalist and editor, he was also a dynamic fraternalist and a forceful lecturer. Through outstanding personal participation he became the soul of many a significant national movement especially through the Slovak League of America, the Matica Skolskd (Foundation to promote schooling and education) and the Priatelia slovenskej slobody (Friends of Slovak freedom). He distinguished himself as the motivating force in the Slovak League and, if figures are telling indicators of any kind, it is worth noting that within two years after he accepted the presidency of this organization, its membership increased by two thousand. After the guiding leadership of Hrobak had succeeded in establishing the Washington Office of Information, Dr. Joseph Mikus, the talented diplomat who headed this agency, made of it an invaluable department for public relations. Further, a notable program of sixty film showings �48 SLOVAKIA was received with widespread appreciation. More importantly still, various committees of the U.S. Congress charged with investigating the denial of rights under totalitarian aggression heard the testimony and an exposition of Slovak history from Philip Hrobak and gave attentive hearing to the testimony.of a number of Slovak witnesses who appealed against the situation behind the iron curtain. This series of sessions gave American officials in Washington a realistic representation of the sufferings to which a number of countries were being subjected in central Europe. It also provided a formal documentation of tactics that were enslaving the Slovak people. There was a special American subcommittee before which depositions were made about conditions in Slovakia and after these hearings, the full reports were printed in a publication titled Investigation of Communist Takeover and Occupation of Poland, Lithuania and Slovakia. Through the Washington Office of Information and the dynamism of Philip Hrobak excellent rapport was established with a number of American congressmen and statesmen who came to understand and feel for the plight of the Slovak people in their homeland. In 1954 Congressmen Kersten and Bentley openly manifested their interest in the Slovak cause. In 1955 Vice President Nixon expressed the sympathetic feeling of the administration in a written message that was addressed to the 34th congress of the Slovak League of America. In 1956 Secretary of State Dulles received an eight-member delegation of the Slovak League led by Philip Hrobak and engaged in animated discussion of vital topics with them. Philip Hrobak worked on and on with boundless devotion. It was very fitting then, that this dedication and wholehearted service was recognized when a public presentation of honor was made to him in 1957 in the course of the golden jubilee of the founding of the League. A special committee of Slovak leaders singled him out for the award designated as the Hlinka Cup. This was an unusually high honor, for the Hlinka Cup was a trophy which had never before been bestowed upon American soil. The address of presentation was made by Dr. Joseph M. Kirschbaum in recognition of Hrobak's merits as president �SLOVAKIA 49 of the Slovak League of America, as an eminent and intrepid editor of Jednota and Slovakia, as an outstanding champion in American Slovak life, as the compiler of a grammar and a dictionary and "because with his aggressive elan, his perseverance and fearlessness both as a journalist and as an organizer, he personifies the finest qualities that had endowed not only :Cudovit stur (a leading patriot), but also the first recipient of the cup, Andrew Hlinka." In 1961 another public honor was conferred on Philip Hrobak. This was the Charles IV Award or Karl's Prize that was presented to him by the Sudeten German Council of West Germany. It is a recognition that is awarded annually to a political leader, scientist or publicist who has made an outstanding contribution to the concept of a United Europe. The ceremonies were held in Cologne on Sudeten German Day, May 20, with over 200,000 Sudeten German expellees participating. Mr. Hrobak responded to the honor with a glowing address titled "Self Determination for All." His words bespoke the aspirations and the innermost feelings of Sudeten Germans as well as of the Slovak people and other victims of self-rule denied under the crushing force of communism. Among other Americans who participated in this observance were U.S. Congressmen Morgan D. Moulder, Gordon H. Scherer, Roy A. Taylor, and Henry C. Schadeberg. Willy Brandt, the mayor of Berlin, and several other Sudeten German leaders also delivered addresses. In these numberless events and situations we cannot fail to see the greatness of Philip Hrobak as an American and Slovak patriot, as a man of ideals and of forceful action, as a fraternalist and an organizer but we must not overlook his stature as a man of God also. It must never be forgotten that Hrobak served God at least as well as he served his nation and his fellow man. Religious principles and obligations had first place in his life and his life style. All his zeal and purpose was rooted in the law and the love of God; his spending of self on behalf of others was within the Christian concept. He was as ready to promote and defend Christian virtue and idealism as he was to crusade for national honor and welfare. Although his days were incredibly crowded with constant activity, �50 SLOVAKIA he did not put God in second place in his personal life. As a teacher and educator, he was aware of the importance of Catholic schools. As a parent, he was solicitous about a genuinely Christian atmosphere in the home and true religious training in the family. As a journalist, he faithfully promoted the interests of the Church and ethical principles. That was the reason why he combated the atheistic and the Away-from-Rome! attitude that was being sponsored by some leaders in Czecho-Slovakia. As 1963 was moving in on the calendar, Philip Hrobak prepared copy for a special issue of Slovakia and for the Jednota publications that he managed and edited. Out of regard for the Christian heritage of the Slovak people, he began to prepare to honor the 1100th anniversary of the mission of SS. Cyril and Methodius to Great Moravia and the Christianization of the Slovak nation. The annuals that he prepared for this occasion became a kind of crown of excellence that climaxed his literary and scholarly output and gave singular expression to his religious devotion as well. Truly, as we review the life and the accomplishments of Philip Hrobak who would have been seventy years old this year, we have reason to thank God for his idealism and example, and we are impressed and inspired by this great man's patriotism, his scholarship, his leadership and his personal dynamism. Sr. Martina Tybor, SS.C.M. THE FAMOUS Slovak folk-dance group, "Lucnica," from Bratislava returned from a 6-weeks' tour of several South American. countries. The 47-member company represented the current silver jubilee ensemble. Lucnica was organized in 1948. THE HIGH TATRAS in Slovakia last year attracted 2 and ½ million tourists. An even larger number was expected in 1974. � 36 SLOVAKIA Phiiip A. Hrobak (1904-1964) Generally the biographical facts of a man's life can be assembled without great difficulty. Cold facts of this kind, however, do not give us the complete or satisfying image of an individual. They lack the true lineaments of his character, the appreciable measure of his stature and the contributions of his lifetime of striving and achieving. Simplistically we can gather the key dates that marked the life span of Philip A. Hrobak, one of our American Slovak "greats" who would have reached his seventieth birthday in 1974 had not death cut him down in his life's prime. The bare data would include these statistics: Philip Anthony Hrobak was born in Cleveland, Ohio on May 1, 1904. Michael and Mary Hrobak, his parents, were Slovak immigrants from the Spis region who had sought and found a kindlier way of life in the American mid-West. On May 6, 1914, just a few days after Philip's tenth birthday, his widowed mother brought Philip and his four year old sister Mary to the Immaculate Conception Home in Middletown, Pa. They were the first children received into the newly established home for children which the Jednota organization founded under the guiding spirit of Father Furdek. The children had lost their father in February of that year and their mother was concerned about providing for their care, for she too was in poor health. When a merciless blood malady ended her life a few months later, the Hrobak children had no one to look after them but the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius to whose care the Jednota had entrusted this home. Philip continued the studies that he had begun in St. Wendelin's parochial school in Cleveland and as soon as she was ready for school, Mary also attended classes. On completing his elementary education at Jednota Home, Philip went on to high school and college at St. �SLOVAKIA 37 Procopius in Lisle, Ill. From 1924 to 1927 he taught at St. Procopius and then accepted an assistantship as he pursued advanced studies in the department of chemistry at New York University. By the fall of 1929 he was again in his native city Cleveland where he taught a varied program of classes and coached the football team at the flourishing Benedictine High. For nine years he was a very successful teacher here, distinguishing himself especially in his chemistry, history and language classes as well as in his relationship with high school students. From all appearances, he seemed to be destined for a brilliant carrer as an educator. In August 1931 he married Rose Jasko and they became the devoted parents of nine children. His school work and parental cares could have absorbed all his time and talent yet his eager mind together with his vital interest in life and in his fellow man prompted him to cultivate an active concern in the issues and problems of those around him as well as the world at large. From time to time he gave expression to some of his thinking through contributions to various publications. Problems of youth and education as well as Slovak history ranked among his prime interests. In the matter of Slovak history he found not merely a static record of the past but also an on-going chain of direction and a development of history in his own day. He could not look upon man's interaction with man or nation with nation and remain a detached spectator. He was both an observer and a maker of history. Out of his experiences as a teacher, Philip Hrobak came to the realization that he could do more than just use books as tools of learning; he authored a practical and comprehensive Slovak grammar for the use of English speaking persons. He also compiled a sizable English-Slovak dictionary. Both served as important adjuncts in learning the Slovak language. Even today there are many who value his revised dictionary as a very useful reference. In 1937 when Joseph Husek yielded his Jednota editorship in order to seek the presidency of the Jednota organization, Philip Hrobak was elected editor of the weekly organ. No better replacement could have been made. From �38 SLOVAKIA this time on, Hrobak became a formidable force in Slovak and Slovak-American public life. His position was further strengthened when he became vice president of the Slovak League of America in 1949, and it was additionally confirmed when he assumed the presidency of Slovak League of America in 1950. For twelve years he gave this office distinctively dynamic force and singular meaningfulness. Hrobak's role in public life as well as the magnetism of his gifts and personality brought him into close contact and association with distinguished expatriated Slovak leaders and intellectuals. One of his closest co-workers was Dr. Joseph Pauco who continues to work in the same editorial office that he once shared with Philip Hrobak. Among other notable associates from abroad were Constantine Culen, Francis Hrusovsky, Joseph Kirschbaum, Joseph Mikus and Karol Sidor. An outstanding achievement of Hrobak's career in the Slovak League of America was the establishment of a highly desirable and eminently successful Office of Information functioning in Washington, D. C. under the distinguished chairmanship of the Slovak diplomat Dr. Joseph Mikus. This professional department became a vital public relations center as well as a liason agency in American-Slovak life. The journalistic genius of Philip Hrobak expressed itself not only through the Jednota weekly and the Jednota annual almanac which are the official publications of the Jednota organization and which even then served the need for both information and inspiration on behalf of its membership but he further initiated and sponsored other valuable publications as well. In 1949, for example, he began the Slovak Newsletter, a bulletin for public information. In 1951 he undertook a Slovak politico-cultural quarterly Slovakia, the voice of the Slovak League of America. In 1961 he launched another project, Furdek, an annual which became an English counterpart to the long established Jednota Kalendar. He gave this new work a content and style of its own, directing its appeal largely to readers who were not able to read the Slovak Kalendar. When Father Lach entrusted in 1959 the newspaper Slovak v Amerike to Philip Hrobak, the new publisher �39 SLOVAKIA collaborated on this weekly with Dr. Joseph Pauco and expanded his publishing scope to include the annual Literdrny Almanach Slovdka v Amerike as well as an affiliated series of book publications through which he often provided a public to well seasoned writers as well as to capable aspiring novices in journalism. With unbounded vigor and zeal Philip Hrobak worked from his Middletown office, serving the cause of God and man to his dying day. When illness struck him down it was hard to accept the fact that this was a mortal ailment. Although those who were close to him hoped against hope that he would recover, he ended his life on January 10, 1964 in Harrisburg, Pa. and was buried in Cleveland, Ohio. These are some of the essential facts in the life story of Philip Hrobak. * * When one undertakes the task of evaluating the stature of this leader Philip Hrobak and his literary output, the impressive factor becomes not only the quantity of his excellent published writings but also the quality of the man that shows through his works and the temper of his thought. Hrobak was above all a writer with a message. He was purposeful and dedicated, for he had a cause that was rooted in conscience. His personal integrity and Christian philosophy of life inspired him with a profound sense of honesty and justice which could not be confined to private life but clamored for redress even in the market place and public forum. With him morality and the full impact of the Ten Commandments had a place before God and man. For this reason he was intolerant of oppression and he championed the rights of man. This included basic justice and freedom in private life, within all levels of the social structure and within national and international relationships. Hrobak was gifted with a clarity of inner vision that penetrated surface appearances and subtle diplomatic maneuverings. He had an inborn alertness that was adroit and discriminating in dealing with political smooth talk, long standing inequities that tried to stay covered up, and outward niceties. He was not one to be easily deceived. And he had the courage of his convictions as well as the �40 SLOVAKIA ability to deal incisively with critical issues and difficult problems. He not only propagated the slogan Za Boha a ndrod! he lived the ideal, for all his life and energy, all his purpose and dedication was to translate into real life the spirit of devotion to God and abiding patriotism to the United States as well as to Slovakia, the ancestral homeland of American Slovaks. And as he set himself to these tasks, he was fully conscious of the duty that, as an officer and a leader in American Slovak fraternalism, he was to inspire others with a zeal for truth and right action. Circumscribi ng this study to a close review of the first fourteen volumes of Slovakia (1951-1964) which Philip Hrobak compiled and edited, we find even within this representativ e range of his work enough tangibles to assess the caliber of Hrobak's journalism, Christian philosophy and leadership. Like much of his journalistic output, these volumes of Hrobak's Slovakia were devoted largely to political content. We see in them Philip Hrobak the American patriot, the champion of Slovak statehood and a first class editor. His objective is truth and justice. For this reason he is a persistent and merciless fact-finder and incidentally he becomes an ideal publicist. He does not avoid issues or pretend that he does not see them and he does not feel that he can afford to be an overly fastidious respecter of persons. He was not an unfeeling individual and he knew how to cherish and express profound deference for constituted authority and public office but when he sensed that "Something is rotten in the state ... " he was relentless in uncovering the festering realities that were lurking under misleading outward appearances. His Christian uprightness, his idealism and sense of fairness bound him to flay inequity and to denounce oppression of every kind. Hrobak did not produce his 35 issues of Slovakia singlehandedl y. He opened his colums to Slovak diplomats, statesmen, historians and leaders as well as to thinking Americans who also championed the cause of freedom, justice and truth, especially the concept of historical truth. His formal objective was openly published in a number of issues of Slovakia: �SLOVAKIA 41 The chief purpose of Slovakia is to promote a better under standing and appreciation of the Slovak nation and its long struggle for freedom and independence. As Americans, members of the Slovak League of America believe that the Slovak nation, like all nations, has an interest and God-given right to freedom and independence. They are dedicated to the cause of the American way of life, Slovak freedom and world peace, and are determined to oppose the plague of communism and all other totalitarian political systems. Because this periodical was a vehicle of information to both a Slovak and a non-Slovak readership of serious intent, especially to American scholars, public officials, diplomats and university people, Hrobak made every effort to give it the widest possible dissemination into the homes and offices of American and foreign diplomats, politicians and public leaders as well as the libraries and departments of history and political science in many American colleges and universities. Of course, many average readers who sought to be well-informed also subscribed to it. Under Hrobak's gifted editorship and management, the circulation of Slovakia increased steadily. To provide the information and understanding that he had in mind, Hrobak attracted the most highly qualified of contributors to bring their works to Slovakia. Some of them were expatriated Slovak leaders and makers of Slovak history; some of them were scholars and historians of Slovak as well as non-Slovak origin; some were critics and analysts of political thought and nationalism; some were American legislators. Dr. Joseph M. Kirschbaum, a Slavistic scholar who taught and lectured at the University of Montreal in Canada produced a substantial article for practically every issue (30 articles in 37 issues, to be precise) . In the main, he examines the historical theses that warrant the existence of an autonomous Slovak state, basic principles and circumstances on which federation could be structured in central Europe, the subject of Slovakia and international relationships, the underlying causes of incompatability with Czech pretensions, the matter of Czech duplicity and oppressive arrogance, and Slovak politics past and present. His gifts, however, are multifaceted and out of the diversity of his �42 SLOVAKIA broad interests he also prepared papers on cultural topics such as: Slovak literature under the Soviet impact (VI, 2/ 19, pp. 34-51) , Mickiewicz in Slovak poetry and translations (VII, 1/22, pp. 32-41) , Universi ty traditions in Slovakia (VIII, 2/ 27, pp. 18-30), Contemporary tendencies in Slovak philology (X, 7/ 32, pp. 25-32) , The Canadian translator of Slovak poetry: Professor Watson Kirkconnell (XIV, 37, pp. 9-18). Dr. Kirschbaum consistently provided book reviews as well. Dr. Joseph Pauco has always been a faithful contributor also. He is a professional writer with a rich background in publishing and journalism. For a number of years he was editor-in-chief of the daily Slovak published in Bratislava. He lived through many a promising and too many a tragic experience in Slovak national life. He has tasted prosperity and good fortune as well as much disappointment at home and abroad. He is a journalist with the conviction that the editor, the reporter, the columnist is called to serve the people by illuminating facts, defending truth, and inspiring to action. These principles are embodied throughout his articles in Slovakia, most of which are devoted to political analysis and historical report; e.g. The practical aspect of federation (III, 2, pp. 26-36), The failures of communist politics in Slovakia (V, 4/ 17, pp. 3-20), The 1944 communist rebellion in Slovakia (VII, 3-4, 24/ 25, pp. 28-34) , and Slovakia under communism--which was serialized in three issues (IX, 30; X, 31 ; XI, 33 ). Among other significant contributors who brought enrichment to the early issues of Slovakia these must be mentioned: culen, Hrusovsky, Vnuk, Mikus, Sidor, Grebert, Cieker, t>urcansky, Murin, Rekem and Kruzliak. Their works are marked with the authority of those who had witnessed this history of Slovakia in the making and with the conviction of those who knew only too well what absolutes and what cause they were defending. Contributions on the scholarly level are thoroughly researched and documented; they are singularly important for their cultural value. With the aid of national figures like these, Philip Hrobak made of Slovakia a unique journal that analyzed �SLOVAKIA 43 Slovak and Czech politics and exposed the truth and the falsity behind the facade of the Czecho-Slovak state. Still other contributors also expressed themselves in Slovakia. We meet on its pages, for example, a critical examination which Kurt Glaser made of Radio Free Europe: How free is Radio Free Europe-The Voice of Doubletalk? (II, 2, pp. 25-28) and The " Russia First" Boys in Radio Free Europe. (III, I, pp. 31-38) as well as several of his other articles. Edward L. Delaney also wrote incisively and perceptively on The Betrayal of Slovakia (I, 2, pp. 1-7), on Tiso, Horthy and Benes as well as his personal experiences I was in Slovakia (II, 1, pp. 25-45). Hrobak further drew upon American public officials to express their views in Slovakia also. He published their patriotic addresses and expressions of concern and sympathy for minority groups as well as related matters from diplomatic circles for the interest of readers of Slovakia. As one reviews back issues, one cannot help noting the contributions of congressmen and persons like Michael A. Feighan, Edward J. Bonin, Charles J. Kersten, B. Carroll Reece, Lieut. Col. F. 0. Miksche, Ray J. Madden. In volume one, no. two, we find some thoughts of Prince Adolf zu Schwarzenberg, head of one of the oldest families of Bohemia. Interestingly, his contribution is on Czech Double Dealing. By way of balancing this heavy concentration on political fare, Hrobak took pains to offer other reading matter too. Occasionally he would publish something as different as the English translation of a treasured Slovak folk tale. He also ran a series on castles in Slovakia as well as occasional articles on other cultural topics like Slovak museums, the natural beauty of the Slovak countryside, the national folk hero Janosik, a study in contrasting ~vejk vs. Janosik, the natural springs and the spas of Slovakia, considerations on semantics and philology, Slovak university life and traditions, insights into Slovak church music, various types of Slovak customs, historical essays, thumbnail biographies. He also presented a serialization of Slovak history that he himself wrote and a serious study Slovak Nationalism which was researched by B. S. Bue. Applicable excerpts from American journalism were �SLOVAKIA 44 intended to provoke thought or reaction, and for this kind of prodding Hrobak quoted from The Washington Post, New York Times, the Cleveland Press, The Chicago Sun, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, The Slavonic Monthly. He also culled from the Osservatore Romano, the Eudovy dennik of Chicago, cas (the official organ of Lettrich's Democratic Party and the Benes mouthpiece) as well as from other likely and unlikely sources. The personal trademark of Hrobak in these earlier issues of Slovakia was the filler feature titled Who Said It? Invariably these items were either ironic or revealing or they were couched in the full glow of patriotic ardor, depending on their portent. Hrobak felt that as a journalist he could not afford to be blandly genteel. He was dealing with subject matter that made demands on him to be ruthless rather that ineffectively mild. He knew that he had to be uncompromising rather than deferential. He was committed to the consideration of callous inequities and rank duplicity, and he needed the keenest of scalpels directed to the root of the issue. The Who Said It? feature was especially effective in quoting from Masaryk and Benes, Stransky and Lettrich, Peroutka and Ripka, Sramek and Gottwald. It held a full beam of light up to their pronouncements and exposed their ideas to re-evaluation. On the other hand, Hrobak also featured positive thinking from persons like Senator Robert A. Taft, Edward R. Murrow, H. W. Kaltenborn as well as from Dean Acheson, R. W. Seton-Watson, Congressman Daniel Flood and Alvin E. O'Konski. Readers found the material quoted in these fillers very apt, rather questionable, witty, thought-provoking or bitter. It was meant to be entertaining although an element of entertainment might sometimes develop out of it as a kind of byproduct. We present some samplings: "Some pussy-footing ostriches criticize the treaty between Soviet Russia and Czechoslovakia. Our close collaboration with the Soviet Union needs no explanation. We do not want anything from the Russians except protection from the Germans, and the Russians want nothing whatsoever from us." - Jan Masaryk in Business Week, May 13, 1944. (Slovakia vn, 2, p. 64). "The Slovak nation, one of the oldest Christian nations in �SLOVAKIA 45 central Europe is distinct ethnic unit. Just as the Czechs are and want to remain Czechs, just so the Slovaks are and want to remain Slovaks. The history, culture and national traditions of the Slovak nation are distinct from the history, culture and national traditions of the Czechs. The Slovaks never were, nor are they now, a part of the Czech nation. Slovaks here and abroad resent being called Czechoslovaks." - P.A. Hrobak, Detroit, Mich., November 18, 1951 ( Slovakia IV, 3-4, p. 58) . RED GEOGRAPHY: The news service of the Central Slovak Catholic Bureau in Rome recently published a story about a certain school inspector of the Trnava district in Slovakia who gave directives to teachers on how to teach. Among other things he said that if nuns we:re able to interest children in a non-existe nt being, God, then the teachers certainly should be able to interest children in Stalin who actually exists. "The Marx-Lenin doctrines of our Stalin," he continued, "must be applied in all classes. For example, in geog:raphy you teach the children about the East and the West. Now you could say: The sun rises in the East; there is our g:reat Stalin, the sun of all the nations which enlightens all nations with his knowledge. The sun sets in the West; thel'le you find decayed capitalism, the treacherous bourgeoisie and murderous imperialism." -But most of the Slovak teachers and pupils prefer the advice of Horace Gre eley: Go West, young man! (Slovakia II, 2, p. 19) . No assignment that came to Philip Hrobak was too demanding or time consuming. As a journalist and as an American Slovak leader, Philip Hrobak was a fully committed person. After the University of California Press released a new printing of a 504 page book Czechoslovakia, edited by Robert J . Kerner, which was represented as "an honest, unprejudiced, and frank appraisal of the important contribution which the Czechoslovak nation made to the history of our time in its two decades of independence between two world wars," Philip Hrobak took the book under close scrutiny in order to examine its merits. Characteristically, he read it with balanced judgment and undertook a detailed search into the allegations that were made in the volume by the twenty collaborators who wrote their ideas into it. He made pertinent notes, comments and a record of his explanations and refutations. Subsequently, every issue of Slovakia from v. V., 2-3 (15-16) June-Sept. 1955 to v. VII, 3-4 (24-25) Sept.-Dec 1957 carried part of Hrobak's chapter by chapter analysis (through all 23 chapters) under the heading: "Professor �46 SLOVAKIA Kerner's CZECHOSLOVAKIA: History or Propaganda?" He granted, in all fairness, that the twenty writers who had contributed to the composite work were not necessarily dishonest or prejudiced but he did not yield the point that they had become Czech propagandists exporting established Masaryk-Benes theories at the expense of the Slovaks and their national history. In pointing out the errors and misconceptions of these writers and in refuting their specious theses, Hrobak could hardly help becoming occasionally vehement. It was in his very nature to be less than tolerant of that long standing tendency to relegate the Slovaks to second place or to no place at all, and this bias had again appeared through the pages of Kerner's work. It was part of Hrobak's scholarly conditioning that made him at least impatient with inept history that distorted authentic records and shaped a narrative fashioned to its own devising. In his refutations of error, both in this case and on other occasions, Hrobak set the record right by controverting claims that were all too easily made for an easy and ready acceptance. He did this by tracing his facts to prime sources for reference and documentation: He was especially skillful in drawing upon arguments and statements from Czech sources and authorities and he was often able to use this matter in order to substantiate his arguments and to confound some contemporary writers of history who had a way of misrepresentating facts. Nor was he above ridicule when the conditions were patently offered to invite ridicule. He had an instinct for examining promises made and conditions underscoring events that transpired in order to contrast them with promises honored and promises forgotten as well as with the aftermath of events that were shaped by the hard realities of circumstances. Summing it all up, he was a fearless and formidable adversary in the arena of fact vs. fiction, truth vs. deception. And in this encounter he did not shrink from handling the rhetoric and the claims of an entire collective force of writers not merely a single author. This was his consistent line of action. When it came to dealing with a denial of truth or with historic distortions, he did not stop to assess the odds. With him there were no �SLOVAKIA 47 prohibitive odds when truth and justice were to be vindicated. There was only a matter of conscience and professional ethics to be heeded. Fired with this spirit and singlemindedness of purpose, Hrobak worked on tirelessly. From his editorial office in Middletown he steadfastly waged his crusade in the press. One can see why he indefatigably set out to flay injustice and denounce "the synthetic Czechoslovak state," why he castigated the execution of President Tiso as political murder and judicial murder, why he was preoccupied with the cause "history or propaganda?" as well as with the futility of efforts to fuse the Slovak and the Czech nations into one impossible amalgam, why he was concerned with matters of Church and state. Very often the choice of expression that appears either in his own work or in the writing of his contributors reflects the depth of his own feeling and betrays its real measure of intensity. Note these phrases by way of example: Benes "King of political cheats;" the " Russia first" boys in RFE; how the Czechs deceived us; intrigues and t he entrapment of individuals; Czechoslovak pseudo-democracy; the machinations of Czech Socialists . . . But Hrobak was by no means a hidden away recluse of some kind bound to his editorial desk. Besides being a gifted journalist and editor, he was also a dynamic fraternalist and a forceful lecturer. Through outstanding personal participation he became the soul of many a significant national movement especially through the Slovak League of America, the Matica Skolskd (Foundation to promote schooling and education) and the Priatelia slovenskej slobody (Friends of Slovak freedom). He distinguished himself as the motivating force in the Slovak League and, if figures are telling indicators of any kind, it is worth noting that within two years after he accepted the presidency of this organization, its membership increased by two thousand. After the guiding leadership of Hrobak had succeeded in establishing the Washington Office of Information, Dr. Joseph Mikus, the talented diplomat who headed this agency, made of it an invaluable department for public relations. Further, a notable program of sixty film showings �48 SLOVAKIA was received with widespread appreciation. More importantly still, various committees of the U.S. Congress charged with investigating the denial of rights under totalitarian aggression heard the testimony and an exposition of Slovak history from Philip Hrobak and gave attentive hearing to the testimony.of a number of Slovak witnesses who appealed against the situation behind the iron curtain. This series of sessions gave American officials in Washington a realistic representation of the sufferings to which a number of countries were being subjected in central Europe. It also provided a formal documentation of tactics that were enslaving the Slovak people. There was a special American subcommittee before which depositions were made about conditions in Slovakia and after these hearings, the full reports were printed in a publication titled Investigation of Communist Takeover and Occupation of Poland, Lithuania and Slovakia. Through the Washington Office of Information and the dynamism of Philip Hrobak excellent rapport was established with a number of American congressmen and statesmen who came to understand and feel for the plight of the Slovak people in their homeland. In 1954 Congressmen Kersten and Bentley openly manifested their interest in the Slovak cause. In 1955 Vice President Nixon expressed the sympathetic feeling of the administration in a written message that was addressed to the 34th congress of the Slovak League of America. In 1956 Secretary of State Dulles received an eight-member delegation of the Slovak League led by Philip Hrobak and engaged in animated discussion of vital topics with them. Philip Hrobak worked on and on with boundless devotion. It was very fitting then, that this dedication and wholehearted service was recognized when a public presentation of honor was made to him in 1957 in the course of the golden jubilee of the founding of the League. A special committee of Slovak leaders singled him out for the award designated as the Hlinka Cup. This was an unusually high honor, for the Hlinka Cup was a trophy which had never before been bestowed upon American soil. The address of presentation was made by Dr. Joseph M. Kirschbaum in recognition of Hrobak's merits as president �SLOVAKIA 49 of the Slovak League of America, as an eminent and intrepid editor of Jednota and Slovakia, as an outstanding champion in American Slovak life, as the compiler of a grammar and a dictionary and "because with his aggressive elan, his perseverance and fearlessness both as a journalist and as an organizer, he personifies the finest qualities that had endowed not only :Cudovit stur (a leading patriot), but also the first recipient of the cup, Andrew Hlinka." In 1961 another public honor was conferred on Philip Hrobak. This was the Charles IV Award or Karl's Prize that was presented to him by the Sudeten German Council of West Germany. It is a recognition that is awarded annually to a political leader, scientist or publicist who has made an outstanding contribution to the concept of a United Europe. The ceremonies were held in Cologne on Sudeten German Day, May 20, with over 200,000 Sudeten German expellees participating. Mr. Hrobak responded to the honor with a glowing address titled "Self Determination for All." His words bespoke the aspirations and the innermost feelings of Sudeten Germans as well as of the Slovak people and other victims of self-rule denied under the crushing force of communism. Among other Americans who participated in this observance were U.S. Congressmen Morgan D. Moulder, Gordon H. Scherer, Roy A. Taylor, and Henry C. Schadeberg. Willy Brandt, the mayor of Berlin, and several other Sudeten German leaders also delivered addresses. In these numberless events and situations we cannot fail to see the greatness of Philip Hrobak as an American and Slovak patriot, as a man of ideals and of forceful action, as a fraternalist and an organizer but we must not overlook his stature as a man of God also. It must never be forgotten that Hrobak served God at least as well as he served his nation and his fellow man. Religious principles and obligations had first place in his life and his life style. All his zeal and purpose was rooted in the law and the love of God; his spending of self on behalf of others was within the Christian concept. He was as ready to promote and defend Christian virtue and idealism as he was to crusade for national honor and welfare. Although his days were incredibly crowded with constant activity, �50 SLOVAKIA he did not put God in second place in his personal life. As a teacher and educator, he was aware of the importance of Catholic schools. As a parent, he was solicitous about a genuinely Christian atmosphere in the home and true religious training in the family. As a journalist, he faithfully promoted the interests of the Church and ethical principles. That was the reason why he combated the atheistic and the Away-from-Rome! attitude that was being sponsored by some leaders in Czecho-Slovakia. As 1963 was moving in on the calendar, Philip Hrobak prepared copy for a special issue of Slovakia and for the Jednota publications that he managed and edited. Out of regard for the Christian heritage of the Slovak people, he began to prepare to honor the 1100th anniversary of the mission of SS. Cyril and Methodius to Great Moravia and the Christianization of the Slovak nation. The annuals that he prepared for this occasion became a kind of crown of excellence that climaxed his literary and scholarly output and gave singular expression to his religious devotion as well. Truly, as we review the life and the accomplishments of Philip Hrobak who would have been seventy years old this year, we have reason to thank God for his idealism and example, and we are impressed and inspired by this great man's patriotism, his scholarship, his leadership and his personal dynamism. Sr. Martina Tybor, SS.C.M. THE FAMOUS Slovak folk-dance group, "Lucnica," from Bratislava returned from a 6-weeks' tour of several South American. countries. The 47-member company represented the current silver jubilee ensemble. Lucnica was organized in 1948. THE HIGH TATRAS in Slovakia last year attracted 2 and ½ million tourists. An even larger number was expected in 1974. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1974, Vol. 24 Description An account of the resource Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document 36 SLOVAKIA Phiiip A. Hrobak (1904-1964) Generally the biographical facts of a man's life can be assembled without great difficulty. Cold facts of this kind, however, do not give us the complete or satisfying image of an individual. They lack the true lineaments of his character, the appreciable measure of his stature and the contributions of his lifetime of striving and achieving. Simplistically we can gather the key dates that marked the life span of Philip A. Hrobak, one of our American Slovak "greats" who would have reached his seventieth birthday in 1974 had not death cut him down in his life's prime. The bare data would include these statistics: Philip Anthony Hrobak was born in Cleveland, Ohio on May 1, 1904. Michael and Mary Hrobak, his parents, were Slovak immigrants from the Spis region who had sought and found a kindlier way of life in the American mid-West. On May 6, 1914, just a few days after Philip's tenth birthday, his widowed mother brought Philip and his four year old sister Mary to the Immaculate Conception Home in Middletown, Pa. They were the first children received into the newly established home for children which the Jednota organization founded under the guiding spirit of Father Furdek. The children had lost their father in February of that year and their mother was concerned about providing for their care, for she too was in poor health. When a merciless blood malady ended her life a few months later, the Hrobak children had no one to look after them but the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius to whose care the Jednota had entrusted this home. Philip continued the studies that he had begun in St. Wendelin's parochial school in Cleveland and as soon as she was ready for school, Mary also attended classes. On completing his elementary education at Jednota Home, Philip went on to high school and college at St. SLOVAKIA 37 Procopius in Lisle, Ill. From 1924 to 1927 he taught at St. Procopius and then accepted an assistantship as he pursued advanced studies in the department of chemistry at New York University. By the fall of 1929 he was again in his native city Cleveland where he taught a varied program of classes and coached the football team at the flourishing Benedictine High. For nine years he was a very successful teacher here, distinguishing himself especially in his chemistry, history and language classes as well as in his relationship with high school students. From all appearances, he seemed to be destined for a brilliant carrer as an educator. In August 1931 he married Rose Jasko and they became the devoted parents of nine children. His school work and parental cares could have absorbed all his time and talent yet his eager mind together with his vital interest in life and in his fellow man prompted him to cultivate an active concern in the issues and problems of those around him as well as the world at large. From time to time he gave expression to some of his thinking through contributions to various publications. Problems of youth and education as well as Slovak history ranked among his prime interests. In the matter of Slovak history he found not merely a static record of the past but also an on-going chain of direction and a development of history in his own day. He could not look upon man's interaction with man or nation with nation and remain a detached spectator. He was both an observer and a maker of history. Out of his experiences as a teacher, Philip Hrobak came to the realization that he could do more than just use books as tools of learning; he authored a practical and comprehensive Slovak grammar for the use of English speaking persons. He also compiled a sizable English-Slovak dictionary. Both served as important adjuncts in learning the Slovak language. Even today there are many who value his revised dictionary as a very useful reference. In 1937 when Joseph Husek yielded his Jednota editorship in order to seek the presidency of the Jednota organization, Philip Hrobak was elected editor of the weekly organ. No better replacement could have been made. From 38 SLOVAKIA this time on, Hrobak became a formidable force in Slovak and Slovak-American public life. His position was further strengthened when he became vice president of the Slovak League of America in 1949, and it was additionally confirmed when he assumed the presidency of Slovak League of America in 1950. For twelve years he gave this office distinctively dynamic force and singular meaningfulness. Hrobak's role in public life as well as the magnetism of his gifts and personality brought him into close contact and association with distinguished expatriated Slovak leaders and intellectuals. One of his closest co-workers was Dr. Joseph Pauco who continues to work in the same editorial office that he once shared with Philip Hrobak. Among other notable associates from abroad were Constantine Culen, Francis Hrusovsky, Joseph Kirschbaum, Joseph Mikus and Karol Sidor. An outstanding achievement of Hrobak's career in the Slovak League of America was the establishment of a highly desirable and eminently successful Office of Information functioning in Washington, D. C. under the distinguished chairmanship of the Slovak diplomat Dr. Joseph Mikus. This professional department became a vital public relations center as well as a liason agency in American-Slovak life. The journalistic genius of Philip Hrobak expressed itself not only through the Jednota weekly and the Jednota annual almanac which are the official publications of the Jednota organization and which even then served the need for both information and inspiration on behalf of its membership but he further initiated and sponsored other valuable publications as well. In 1949, for example, he began the Slovak Newsletter, a bulletin for public information. In 1951 he undertook a Slovak politico-cultural quarterly Slovakia, the voice of the Slovak League of America. In 1961 he launched another project, Furdek, an annual which became an English counterpart to the long established Jednota Kalendar. He gave this new work a content and style of its own, directing its appeal largely to readers who were not able to read the Slovak Kalendar. When Father Lach entrusted in 1959 the newspaper Slovak v Amerike to Philip Hrobak, the new publisher 39 SLOVAKIA collaborated on this weekly with Dr. Joseph Pauco and expanded his publishing scope to include the annual Literdrny Almanach Slovdka v Amerike as well as an affiliated series of book publications through which he often provided a public to well seasoned writers as well as to capable aspiring novices in journalism. With unbounded vigor and zeal Philip Hrobak worked from his Middletown office, serving the cause of God and man to his dying day. When illness struck him down it was hard to accept the fact that this was a mortal ailment. Although those who were close to him hoped against hope that he would recover, he ended his life on January 10, 1964 in Harrisburg, Pa. and was buried in Cleveland, Ohio. These are some of the essential facts in the life story of Philip Hrobak. * * When one undertakes the task of evaluating the stature of this leader Philip Hrobak and his literary output, the impressive factor becomes not only the quantity of his excellent published writings but also the quality of the man that shows through his works and the temper of his thought. Hrobak was above all a writer with a message. He was purposeful and dedicated, for he had a cause that was rooted in conscience. His personal integrity and Christian philosophy of life inspired him with a profound sense of honesty and justice which could not be confined to private life but clamored for redress even in the market place and public forum. With him morality and the full impact of the Ten Commandments had a place before God and man. For this reason he was intolerant of oppression and he championed the rights of man. This included basic justice and freedom in private life, within all levels of the social structure and within national and international relationships. Hrobak was gifted with a clarity of inner vision that penetrated surface appearances and subtle diplomatic maneuverings. He had an inborn alertness that was adroit and discriminating in dealing with political smooth talk, long standing inequities that tried to stay covered up, and outward niceties. He was not one to be easily deceived. And he had the courage of his convictions as well as the 40 SLOVAKIA ability to deal incisively with critical issues and difficult problems. He not only propagated the slogan Za Boha a ndrod! he lived the ideal, for all his life and energy, all his purpose and dedication was to translate into real life the spirit of devotion to God and abiding patriotism to the United States as well as to Slovakia, the ancestral homeland of American Slovaks. And as he set himself to these tasks, he was fully conscious of the duty that, as an officer and a leader in American Slovak fraternalism, he was to inspire others with a zeal for truth and right action. Circumscribi ng this study to a close review of the first fourteen volumes of Slovakia (1951-1964) which Philip Hrobak compiled and edited, we find even within this representativ e range of his work enough tangibles to assess the caliber of Hrobak's journalism, Christian philosophy and leadership. Like much of his journalistic output, these volumes of Hrobak's Slovakia were devoted largely to political content. We see in them Philip Hrobak the American patriot, the champion of Slovak statehood and a first class editor. His objective is truth and justice. For this reason he is a persistent and merciless fact-finder and incidentally he becomes an ideal publicist. He does not avoid issues or pretend that he does not see them and he does not feel that he can afford to be an overly fastidious respecter of persons. He was not an unfeeling individual and he knew how to cherish and express profound deference for constituted authority and public office but when he sensed that "Something is rotten in the state ... " he was relentless in uncovering the festering realities that were lurking under misleading outward appearances. His Christian uprightness, his idealism and sense of fairness bound him to flay inequity and to denounce oppression of every kind. Hrobak did not produce his 35 issues of Slovakia singlehandedl y. He opened his colums to Slovak diplomats, statesmen, historians and leaders as well as to thinking Americans who also championed the cause of freedom, justice and truth, especially the concept of historical truth. His formal objective was openly published in a number of issues of Slovakia: SLOVAKIA 41 The chief purpose of Slovakia is to promote a better under standing and appreciation of the Slovak nation and its long struggle for freedom and independence. As Americans, members of the Slovak League of America believe that the Slovak nation, like all nations, has an interest and God-given right to freedom and independence. They are dedicated to the cause of the American way of life, Slovak freedom and world peace, and are determined to oppose the plague of communism and all other totalitarian political systems. Because this periodical was a vehicle of information to both a Slovak and a non-Slovak readership of serious intent, especially to American scholars, public officials, diplomats and university people, Hrobak made every effort to give it the widest possible dissemination into the homes and offices of American and foreign diplomats, politicians and public leaders as well as the libraries and departments of history and political science in many American colleges and universities. Of course, many average readers who sought to be well-informed also subscribed to it. Under Hrobak's gifted editorship and management, the circulation of Slovakia increased steadily. To provide the information and understanding that he had in mind, Hrobak attracted the most highly qualified of contributors to bring their works to Slovakia. Some of them were expatriated Slovak leaders and makers of Slovak history; some of them were scholars and historians of Slovak as well as non-Slovak origin; some were critics and analysts of political thought and nationalism; some were American legislators. Dr. Joseph M. Kirschbaum, a Slavistic scholar who taught and lectured at the University of Montreal in Canada produced a substantial article for practically every issue (30 articles in 37 issues, to be precise) . In the main, he examines the historical theses that warrant the existence of an autonomous Slovak state, basic principles and circumstances on which federation could be structured in central Europe, the subject of Slovakia and international relationships, the underlying causes of incompatability with Czech pretensions, the matter of Czech duplicity and oppressive arrogance, and Slovak politics past and present. His gifts, however, are multifaceted and out of the diversity of his 42 SLOVAKIA broad interests he also prepared papers on cultural topics such as: Slovak literature under the Soviet impact (VI, 2/ 19, pp. 34-51) , Mickiewicz in Slovak poetry and translations (VII, 1/22, pp. 32-41) , Universi ty traditions in Slovakia (VIII, 2/ 27, pp. 18-30), Contemporary tendencies in Slovak philology (X, 7/ 32, pp. 25-32) , The Canadian translator of Slovak poetry: Professor Watson Kirkconnell (XIV, 37, pp. 9-18). Dr. Kirschbaum consistently provided book reviews as well. Dr. Joseph Pauco has always been a faithful contributor also. He is a professional writer with a rich background in publishing and journalism. For a number of years he was editor-in-chief of the daily Slovak published in Bratislava. He lived through many a promising and too many a tragic experience in Slovak national life. He has tasted prosperity and good fortune as well as much disappointment at home and abroad. He is a journalist with the conviction that the editor, the reporter, the columnist is called to serve the people by illuminating facts, defending truth, and inspiring to action. These principles are embodied throughout his articles in Slovakia, most of which are devoted to political analysis and historical report; e.g. The practical aspect of federation (III, 2, pp. 26-36), The failures of communist politics in Slovakia (V, 4/ 17, pp. 3-20), The 1944 communist rebellion in Slovakia (VII, 3-4, 24/ 25, pp. 28-34) , and Slovakia under communism--which was serialized in three issues (IX, 30; X, 31 ; XI, 33 ). Among other significant contributors who brought enrichment to the early issues of Slovakia these must be mentioned: culen, Hrusovsky, Vnuk, Mikus, Sidor, Grebert, Cieker, t>urcansky, Murin, Rekem and Kruzliak. Their works are marked with the authority of those who had witnessed this history of Slovakia in the making and with the conviction of those who knew only too well what absolutes and what cause they were defending. Contributions on the scholarly level are thoroughly researched and documented; they are singularly important for their cultural value. With the aid of national figures like these, Philip Hrobak made of Slovakia a unique journal that analyzed SLOVAKIA 43 Slovak and Czech politics and exposed the truth and the falsity behind the facade of the Czecho-Slovak state. Still other contributors also expressed themselves in Slovakia. We meet on its pages, for example, a critical examination which Kurt Glaser made of Radio Free Europe: How free is Radio Free Europe-The Voice of Doubletalk? (II, 2, pp. 25-28) and The " Russia First" Boys in Radio Free Europe. (III, I, pp. 31-38) as well as several of his other articles. Edward L. Delaney also wrote incisively and perceptively on The Betrayal of Slovakia (I, 2, pp. 1-7), on Tiso, Horthy and Benes as well as his personal experiences I was in Slovakia (II, 1, pp. 25-45). Hrobak further drew upon American public officials to express their views in Slovakia also. He published their patriotic addresses and expressions of concern and sympathy for minority groups as well as related matters from diplomatic circles for the interest of readers of Slovakia. As one reviews back issues, one cannot help noting the contributions of congressmen and persons like Michael A. Feighan, Edward J. Bonin, Charles J. Kersten, B. Carroll Reece, Lieut. Col. F. 0. Miksche, Ray J. Madden. In volume one, no. two, we find some thoughts of Prince Adolf zu Schwarzenberg, head of one of the oldest families of Bohemia. Interestingly, his contribution is on Czech Double Dealing. By way of balancing this heavy concentration on political fare, Hrobak took pains to offer other reading matter too. Occasionally he would publish something as different as the English translation of a treasured Slovak folk tale. He also ran a series on castles in Slovakia as well as occasional articles on other cultural topics like Slovak museums, the natural beauty of the Slovak countryside, the national folk hero Janosik, a study in contrasting ~vejk vs. Janosik, the natural springs and the spas of Slovakia, considerations on semantics and philology, Slovak university life and traditions, insights into Slovak church music, various types of Slovak customs, historical essays, thumbnail biographies. He also presented a serialization of Slovak history that he himself wrote and a serious study Slovak Nationalism which was researched by B. S. Bue. Applicable excerpts from American journalism were SLOVAKIA 44 intended to provoke thought or reaction, and for this kind of prodding Hrobak quoted from The Washington Post, New York Times, the Cleveland Press, The Chicago Sun, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, The Slavonic Monthly. He also culled from the Osservatore Romano, the Eudovy dennik of Chicago, cas (the official organ of Lettrich's Democratic Party and the Benes mouthpiece) as well as from other likely and unlikely sources. The personal trademark of Hrobak in these earlier issues of Slovakia was the filler feature titled Who Said It? Invariably these items were either ironic or revealing or they were couched in the full glow of patriotic ardor, depending on their portent. Hrobak felt that as a journalist he could not afford to be blandly genteel. He was dealing with subject matter that made demands on him to be ruthless rather that ineffectively mild. He knew that he had to be uncompromising rather than deferential. He was committed to the consideration of callous inequities and rank duplicity, and he needed the keenest of scalpels directed to the root of the issue. The Who Said It? feature was especially effective in quoting from Masaryk and Benes, Stransky and Lettrich, Peroutka and Ripka, Sramek and Gottwald. It held a full beam of light up to their pronouncements and exposed their ideas to re-evaluation. On the other hand, Hrobak also featured positive thinking from persons like Senator Robert A. Taft, Edward R. Murrow, H. W. Kaltenborn as well as from Dean Acheson, R. W. Seton-Watson, Congressman Daniel Flood and Alvin E. O'Konski. Readers found the material quoted in these fillers very apt, rather questionable, witty, thought-provoking or bitter. It was meant to be entertaining although an element of entertainment might sometimes develop out of it as a kind of byproduct. We present some samplings: "Some pussy-footing ostriches criticize the treaty between Soviet Russia and Czechoslovakia. Our close collaboration with the Soviet Union needs no explanation. We do not want anything from the Russians except protection from the Germans, and the Russians want nothing whatsoever from us." - Jan Masaryk in Business Week, May 13, 1944. (Slovakia vn, 2, p. 64). "The Slovak nation, one of the oldest Christian nations in SLOVAKIA 45 central Europe is distinct ethnic unit. Just as the Czechs are and want to remain Czechs, just so the Slovaks are and want to remain Slovaks. The history, culture and national traditions of the Slovak nation are distinct from the history, culture and national traditions of the Czechs. The Slovaks never were, nor are they now, a part of the Czech nation. Slovaks here and abroad resent being called Czechoslovaks." - P.A. Hrobak, Detroit, Mich., November 18, 1951 ( Slovakia IV, 3-4, p. 58) . RED GEOGRAPHY: The news service of the Central Slovak Catholic Bureau in Rome recently published a story about a certain school inspector of the Trnava district in Slovakia who gave directives to teachers on how to teach. Among other things he said that if nuns we:re able to interest children in a non-existe nt being, God, then the teachers certainly should be able to interest children in Stalin who actually exists. "The Marx-Lenin doctrines of our Stalin," he continued, "must be applied in all classes. For example, in geog:raphy you teach the children about the East and the West. Now you could say: The sun rises in the East; there is our g:reat Stalin, the sun of all the nations which enlightens all nations with his knowledge. The sun sets in the West; thel'le you find decayed capitalism, the treacherous bourgeoisie and murderous imperialism." -But most of the Slovak teachers and pupils prefer the advice of Horace Gre eley: Go West, young man! (Slovakia II, 2, p. 19) . No assignment that came to Philip Hrobak was too demanding or time consuming. As a journalist and as an American Slovak leader, Philip Hrobak was a fully committed person. After the University of California Press released a new printing of a 504 page book Czechoslovakia, edited by Robert J . Kerner, which was represented as "an honest, unprejudiced, and frank appraisal of the important contribution which the Czechoslovak nation made to the history of our time in its two decades of independence between two world wars," Philip Hrobak took the book under close scrutiny in order to examine its merits. Characteristically, he read it with balanced judgment and undertook a detailed search into the allegations that were made in the volume by the twenty collaborators who wrote their ideas into it. He made pertinent notes, comments and a record of his explanations and refutations. Subsequently, every issue of Slovakia from v. V., 2-3 (15-16) June-Sept. 1955 to v. VII, 3-4 (24-25) Sept.-Dec 1957 carried part of Hrobak's chapter by chapter analysis (through all 23 chapters) under the heading: "Professor 46 SLOVAKIA Kerner's CZECHOSLOVAKIA: History or Propaganda?" He granted, in all fairness, that the twenty writers who had contributed to the composite work were not necessarily dishonest or prejudiced but he did not yield the point that they had become Czech propagandists exporting established Masaryk-Benes theories at the expense of the Slovaks and their national history. In pointing out the errors and misconceptions of these writers and in refuting their specious theses, Hrobak could hardly help becoming occasionally vehement. It was in his very nature to be less than tolerant of that long standing tendency to relegate the Slovaks to second place or to no place at all, and this bias had again appeared through the pages of Kerner's work. It was part of Hrobak's scholarly conditioning that made him at least impatient with inept history that distorted authentic records and shaped a narrative fashioned to its own devising. In his refutations of error, both in this case and on other occasions, Hrobak set the record right by controverting claims that were all too easily made for an easy and ready acceptance. He did this by tracing his facts to prime sources for reference and documentation: He was especially skillful in drawing upon arguments and statements from Czech sources and authorities and he was often able to use this matter in order to substantiate his arguments and to confound some contemporary writers of history who had a way of misrepresentating facts. Nor was he above ridicule when the conditions were patently offered to invite ridicule. He had an instinct for examining promises made and conditions underscoring events that transpired in order to contrast them with promises honored and promises forgotten as well as with the aftermath of events that were shaped by the hard realities of circumstances. Summing it all up, he was a fearless and formidable adversary in the arena of fact vs. fiction, truth vs. deception. And in this encounter he did not shrink from handling the rhetoric and the claims of an entire collective force of writers not merely a single author. This was his consistent line of action. When it came to dealing with a denial of truth or with historic distortions, he did not stop to assess the odds. With him there were no SLOVAKIA 47 prohibitive odds when truth and justice were to be vindicated. There was only a matter of conscience and professional ethics to be heeded. Fired with this spirit and singlemindedness of purpose, Hrobak worked on tirelessly. From his editorial office in Middletown he steadfastly waged his crusade in the press. One can see why he indefatigably set out to flay injustice and denounce "the synthetic Czechoslovak state," why he castigated the execution of President Tiso as political murder and judicial murder, why he was preoccupied with the cause "history or propaganda?" as well as with the futility of efforts to fuse the Slovak and the Czech nations into one impossible amalgam, why he was concerned with matters of Church and state. Very often the choice of expression that appears either in his own work or in the writing of his contributors reflects the depth of his own feeling and betrays its real measure of intensity. Note these phrases by way of example: Benes "King of political cheats;" the " Russia first" boys in RFE; how the Czechs deceived us; intrigues and t he entrapment of individuals; Czechoslovak pseudo-democracy; the machinations of Czech Socialists . . . But Hrobak was by no means a hidden away recluse of some kind bound to his editorial desk. Besides being a gifted journalist and editor, he was also a dynamic fraternalist and a forceful lecturer. Through outstanding personal participation he became the soul of many a significant national movement especially through the Slovak League of America, the Matica Skolskd (Foundation to promote schooling and education) and the Priatelia slovenskej slobody (Friends of Slovak freedom). He distinguished himself as the motivating force in the Slovak League and, if figures are telling indicators of any kind, it is worth noting that within two years after he accepted the presidency of this organization, its membership increased by two thousand. After the guiding leadership of Hrobak had succeeded in establishing the Washington Office of Information, Dr. Joseph Mikus, the talented diplomat who headed this agency, made of it an invaluable department for public relations. Further, a notable program of sixty film showings 48 SLOVAKIA was received with widespread appreciation. More importantly still, various committees of the U.S. Congress charged with investigating the denial of rights under totalitarian aggression heard the testimony and an exposition of Slovak history from Philip Hrobak and gave attentive hearing to the testimony.of a number of Slovak witnesses who appealed against the situation behind the iron curtain. This series of sessions gave American officials in Washington a realistic representation of the sufferings to which a number of countries were being subjected in central Europe. It also provided a formal documentation of tactics that were enslaving the Slovak people. There was a special American subcommittee before which depositions were made about conditions in Slovakia and after these hearings, the full reports were printed in a publication titled Investigation of Communist Takeover and Occupation of Poland, Lithuania and Slovakia. Through the Washington Office of Information and the dynamism of Philip Hrobak excellent rapport was established with a number of American congressmen and statesmen who came to understand and feel for the plight of the Slovak people in their homeland. In 1954 Congressmen Kersten and Bentley openly manifested their interest in the Slovak cause. In 1955 Vice President Nixon expressed the sympathetic feeling of the administration in a written message that was addressed to the 34th congress of the Slovak League of America. In 1956 Secretary of State Dulles received an eight-member delegation of the Slovak League led by Philip Hrobak and engaged in animated discussion of vital topics with them. Philip Hrobak worked on and on with boundless devotion. It was very fitting then, that this dedication and wholehearted service was recognized when a public presentation of honor was made to him in 1957 in the course of the golden jubilee of the founding of the League. A special committee of Slovak leaders singled him out for the award designated as the Hlinka Cup. This was an unusually high honor, for the Hlinka Cup was a trophy which had never before been bestowed upon American soil. The address of presentation was made by Dr. Joseph M. Kirschbaum in recognition of Hrobak's merits as president SLOVAKIA 49 of the Slovak League of America, as an eminent and intrepid editor of Jednota and Slovakia, as an outstanding champion in American Slovak life, as the compiler of a grammar and a dictionary and "because with his aggressive elan, his perseverance and fearlessness both as a journalist and as an organizer, he personifies the finest qualities that had endowed not only :Cudovit stur (a leading patriot), but also the first recipient of the cup, Andrew Hlinka." In 1961 another public honor was conferred on Philip Hrobak. This was the Charles IV Award or Karl's Prize that was presented to him by the Sudeten German Council of West Germany. It is a recognition that is awarded annually to a political leader, scientist or publicist who has made an outstanding contribution to the concept of a United Europe. The ceremonies were held in Cologne on Sudeten German Day, May 20, with over 200,000 Sudeten German expellees participating. Mr. Hrobak responded to the honor with a glowing address titled "Self Determination for All." His words bespoke the aspirations and the innermost feelings of Sudeten Germans as well as of the Slovak people and other victims of self-rule denied under the crushing force of communism. Among other Americans who participated in this observance were U.S. Congressmen Morgan D. Moulder, Gordon H. Scherer, Roy A. Taylor, and Henry C. Schadeberg. Willy Brandt, the mayor of Berlin, and several other Sudeten German leaders also delivered addresses. In these numberless events and situations we cannot fail to see the greatness of Philip Hrobak as an American and Slovak patriot, as a man of ideals and of forceful action, as a fraternalist and an organizer but we must not overlook his stature as a man of God also. It must never be forgotten that Hrobak served God at least as well as he served his nation and his fellow man. Religious principles and obligations had first place in his life and his life style. All his zeal and purpose was rooted in the law and the love of God; his spending of self on behalf of others was within the Christian concept. He was as ready to promote and defend Christian virtue and idealism as he was to crusade for national honor and welfare. Although his days were incredibly crowded with constant activity, 50 SLOVAKIA he did not put God in second place in his personal life. As a teacher and educator, he was aware of the importance of Catholic schools. As a parent, he was solicitous about a genuinely Christian atmosphere in the home and true religious training in the family. As a journalist, he faithfully promoted the interests of the Church and ethical principles. That was the reason why he combated the atheistic and the Away-from-Rome! attitude that was being sponsored by some leaders in Czecho-Slovakia. As 1963 was moving in on the calendar, Philip Hrobak prepared copy for a special issue of Slovakia and for the Jednota publications that he managed and edited. Out of regard for the Christian heritage of the Slovak people, he began to prepare to honor the 1100th anniversary of the mission of SS. Cyril and Methodius to Great Moravia and the Christianization of the Slovak nation. The annuals that he prepared for this occasion became a kind of crown of excellence that climaxed his literary and scholarly output and gave singular expression to his religious devotion as well. Truly, as we review the life and the accomplishments of Philip Hrobak who would have been seventy years old this year, we have reason to thank God for his idealism and example, and we are impressed and inspired by this great man's patriotism, his scholarship, his leadership and his personal dynamism. Sr. Martina Tybor, SS.C.M. THE FAMOUS Slovak folk-dance group, "Lucnica," from Bratislava returned from a 6-weeks' tour of several South American. countries. The 47-member company represented the current silver jubilee ensemble. Lucnica was organized in 1948. THE HIGH TATRAS in Slovakia last year attracted 2 and ½ million tourists. An even larger number was expected in 1974.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Philip A. Hrobak (1907-1964) Description An account of the resource Sr. Martina Tybor, SS.C.M. Slovakia, Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974 pp. 36-50 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tybor, Sister M. Martina, SS.C.M. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 name https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/436cfdbe28d3ca6197b94353de0d98d1.pdf bab154704793155f65b6031dabfeeee9 PDF Text Text 24 SLOVAKIA --- -------- Tiso' s Formative Years and Early Political Career Anthony X. Sutherland, Ph.D. Dr. Jozef Tiso, like most Slovaks who attained national prominence, had very simple, humble beginnings. Tiso was born on October 13, 1887 of peasant stock in the small Slovak town of Vel'ka Bytca. Two days later he was christened a Roman Catholic with the name Jozef Gaspar. With regard to the origin of the name Tiso there is no agreement, but most likely it was derived from the Slavic word, tis, meaning yew tree. The name Tiso in Vel'ka Bytca has been traced back to 1525. Several individuals of that name achieved some distinction in Slovak history. One of them, a priest, Mikulas Tiso, was active in the Slovak national movement during the 19th century. 1 Most of Jozef Tiso's ancestors, however, were simple peasants or tradesmen. His grandfather, Jozef Tiso, also of Vel'ka Bytca, was born on August 11, 1838. In 1860 he married Veronica Fundarek, who bore him a son in 1862; he was Gaspar Tiso, father of the future leader of Slovakia. Gaspar Tiso during most of his adult life operated a butcher business in Vel'ka Bytca. He was a nationally conscious Slovak and active during most of his adult life in Slovak national and political organizations. In 1894 he founded a Catholic Circle in Vel'ka Bytca, which was dissolved by the Hungarian government in 1901 but later revived. Even after 1918 Gaspar Tiso represented the Slovak People's Party in his town. 2 On September 2, 1882 Gaspar married Terezia Budiska, a member of a well-known family of potters from Vel'ka Bytca. From this union seven children were born: Pavol, Jozef, Maria, Jan, Hanna, Jozefka, and Terezia. Gaspar and Terezia Tiso were simple people who instilled in their children the simple peasant virtues: the value of hard work and a firm belief in God. Their family mottos were: "Pray and work," and "Fellow strive and God will bless you." 3 �SLOVAKIA 25 Dr. Jozef Tiso spent most of his formative years in the town of Vel'ka Bytca. Situated in the northwest corner of Slovakia, it was that area which was a traditional stronghold of Slovak nationalism. Vel'ka Bytca had withstood the onslaught of Magyarization and survived as a nationally conscious town. Reminiscing many years later Tiso said of Bytca: I am a Bytcan. If tinkers have a kingdom, well now Bytca would certainly be the chief city of this kingdom. Well, if you will, I am also a descendant of tinkers. Among us there are no differences between artisans and farmers and workers. A tinker is an artisan, but also a worker and the poorest salaried, working on a patch of land which is more rock than soil-in a word also ·a farmer.4 Tiso's family was not especially poor nor was it a rich one: it can be classified as a middle peasant family. Regarding his family's situation Tiso said: We had a decent roof over our heads, we had a clean, nice village home and always a loaf of bread on a table covered with a cloth. Thus we had what a man needs for a decent life. This was our wealth. And what we had was from work.5 Tiso began his formal education in the lower school in Bytca in 1894. At that time the Bytca school was a three language one. During the first year Slovak and Magyar were taught; in the second year, German; and in the third year all three languages were alternated. Subjects included in the curriculum were the natural scie?ces, Hungarian history, and geography. Although the purpose of the curriculum was to Magyarize, there were several nationally conscious Slovak instructors in the Bytca school: one of these, Pavel Trusina, taught Tiso the Slovak language.6 Jozef Tiso during these years of study in Bytca proved to be a good student; therefore in 1898 after the completion of his fourth year he was sent to the middle school in nearby Zilina. Gaspar and Terezia Tiso had originally planned to educate their eldest son, Pavel, but he dropped out after one year at the Zilina school to take up the family butcher trade in Bytca. Jozef Tiso soon proved to be a much better student than his brother. He won the admiration of all his professors. He did well in all his subjects and showed a special talent in mastering foreign languages. Magyar and German were mere playthings to him according to the recollections of one of his classmates.7 One professor named Bicovsky referring to Tiso allegedly told the class, �26 SLOVAKIA "You will see this boy one day will be a great man." 8 Jozef Tiso was also well liked by his fellow classmates. He was remembered as being humble, pleasant, and easygoing, always demonstrating an uncommon interest in helping his classmates with their work. 9 While in zilina Tiso lived with Anton Sturm, a friend of the family, who remembered him as a conscientious student who never had to be forced to prepare his school assignments.10 It was in zilina that Tiso made the decision to enter the priesthood. This was not an uncommon choice for Slovaks peasants. Many Slovak peasant families had a son or daughter in the Church. A clerical career was one of the few ways a Slovak peasant could raise his social status or acquire an education. Having made the decision, Tiso set off in 1902 after the completion of his fourth year at zilina for the Nitra Gymnasium. The Nitra school was much more a Magyar institution than the zilina one had been. The Nitra faculty, moreover, had a low opinion of the zilina school, regarding its curriculum in Magyar subjects particularly inferior to its ow~. Young students there were frequently ridiculed, but Tiso was not for he proved to be an exceptional student. He mastered with little difficulty the most difficult assignments in Latin and German, and remained there four years. 11 The outstanding theological students of the time were sent to Vienna to the Pazmaneum, the leading Catholic seminary in the Habsburg Empire. Tiso in 1906 was one of those chosen to complete his theological studies there. Once at the Pazmaneum, he continued his good scholastic record and came into contact with some of the leading clerics of the Empire. He received lectures from Franz Martin Schindler12 and Ignaz Seipel, leaders of the Austrian Christian Social movement. During Tiso's years of study at the Pazmaneum Pope Leo's social encyclical, Rerum Novarum was receiving wide attention. Many seminars were devoted to it and came to form an important part of Tiso's social philosophy. Tiso's training was otherwise in traditional Catholic theology and Thomistic philosophy. According to the confidential files of the Pazmaneum Tiso was an exemplary seminarian. Concerning Tiso the psychological-moral profile stated: "Natural behavior: serious; morals : exemplary; mode of conversation with superiors: �SLOVAKIA 27 humble, with equals: affable; character: oustanding; application: indefatigable . Observations : behaves with a mature character." 13 The intellectual atmosphere of Vienna was very dif. ferent from what Tiso was accustomed to in Nitra and zilina. There were Socialists, Christian Socials, liberals, and others, some of them hostile to the Catholic world view that Tiso espoused. It was in Vienna in fact that Tiso had his first contact with the progressive wing of the Slovak intelligentsia, the Hlasists. Tiso opposed Hlasists thought even then; he regarded it a threat to the conservative Catholic view. Friction between Tiso and a Hlasist even took place in Tiso's home town of Bytca where he spent the holidays. The medical doctor in Bytca, Minarik, a Hlasist, accused Tiso of not being a real Slovak, when Tiso supported the parish priest, Teselsky, a member of the Hungarian People's Party and a known Magyarone. There were differences between Tiso and Teselsky, but Tiso preferred the Magyarone to the progressive minded Minarik. 14 Dr. Jozef Tiso was ordained a priest on July 14, 1910 by Bishop August Fischer-Colbr ie, and shortly thereafter said his first mass in his home parish church in Vel'ka Bytca. A year later he was awarded a doctorate in theology. Tiso's first assignment as a priest was to the small remote village of Oscadnica, a poor Slovak village. Tiso was not only concerned with the spiritual welfare of the people of Oscadnica, but also became very interested in their economic standard, their health, sanitation, and dietary habits. He organized self-help associations and tackled the problem of alcoholism which was so widespread in Slovak villages. Tiso referred to his experience in Oscadnica as his second university. 15 After about a year in Oscadnica, Tiso was transferred to another village, Rajec, where he continued his work. In Rajec he founded a Slovak peasant bank designed to strengthen the financial resources of the village and free the peasant from debts.16 Dr. Tiso was not in Rajec long before he was again transferred, this time to a larger town, Banovce nad Bebravou, located about 70 miles northwest of Bratislava. He was appointed chaplain there and in 1924 promoted to pastor, a post he held until 1945. Tiso, during the many years of his pastorate in Banovce did much for the improve- �28 SLOVAKIA ment of the town. He undertook the pavement of the town's streets and the regulation of the Bebrava River and Radisla Creek which ran near Banovce. To further the interests of the town's noted cabinet makers he organized a cooperative. He worked, too, with the city council and founded a bank to finance a sewer system and water supply. Tiso formu• lated other plans for the modernization of Banovce, such as electrification and pavement of roads to every village in the district, but these remained only in the planning stage. His primary goal remained the industrialization of Banovce. 17 Alarmed by the spread of secularism and progressive thought, Tiso also set out to strengthen Catholic education in Banovce. He revived the Catholic educational society Orol and he founded both a Catholic teachers' college and a Catholic cultural house. 18 All Tiso's work did much to make him popular in the Banovce area and to make it the center of his political strength. In 1914 Tiso was called up by the government to serve as chaplain in the Austrian army. Toward the end of 1914 he was sent to Maribor in Styria. There he became acquainted with Slovene priests and their work in organizing peasant cooperatives. He later applied some of their ideas in his work for the economic development of Banovce.19 After a year in the military service, Tiso contracted nephritis and had to be recalled from the front. Following his recovery he was appointed spiritual director at the Nitra seminary, later professor of theology, and personal secretary to the Bishop of Nitra. Tiso maintained these posts throughout the reminder of the war. Tiso was later attacked for his activity during the war and during the Slovak National Revolution, when Slovakia seceded from Hungary to join with the Czechs in the new Czecho-Slovakia (1918-19 ). His political opponents charged him with having had pro-Magyar sympathies at the time. These charges resulted from the fact that Tiso contributed to Nytramegyei Szemle, a Magyar journal in Nitra, articles glorifying Hungary's war efforts. Ivan Derer, Social Democratic Minister of Education in Czecho-Slovakia in the 1920's, largely responsible for such charges, also maintained that Tiso before 1918 spelled his Name, Tiszo, in the Magyar fashion, and that Tiso had supported the integrity of the Hungarian state. Derer wrote that Tiso, moreover, was �SLOVAKIA 29 opposed to the Martin Declaration and had even served on the Magyar Nitra Council. 20 Tiso came naturally under suspicion since he served during the war as personal secretary to the Bishop, Viliam Batthanyi, of Nitra, a notorious advocate of Magyarization. Labeling a Populist a Magyarone was a favorite device of Czech and Slovak centralists used to discredit the idea of Slovak autonomy. It was done repeatedly in the twenty years of the Czecho-Slovak Republic. Sometimes the charges were appropriate while at other times, as with Tiso, they had little basis in fact. Whatever pro-Magyar feelings Tiso may have had before 1918 were gone by the time the Czecho-Slovak army approached Nitra. Before 1918 Tiso belonged to the politically passive Slovak majority. He was active before October, 1918 but mainly with welfare and town improvement projects. Prior to 1918 he had neither planned to enter politics nor was he trained for such a career. 21 Tiso's rather sudden involvement in politics is difficult to explain, but very likely, much like Hlinka, Tiso was drawn into the Populist movement by the revolutionary anti-clerical character of the new state. Indeed soon after the National Revolution Tiso joined the Slovak People's Party and began to work for it in Nitra. He was largely responsible for making the whole south Nitra district a party stronghold.22 Nitra in 1918 was very much a Magyar town with only two educated Slovak leaders, Dr. Eugen Filkorn and Dr. Jozef Tiso. Both worked hard in Nitra to obliterate its Magyar character and make it Slovak once wore. They published a Slovak newspaper entitled, Nitra and organized a Slovak National Council. Meanwhile Slovak Populists under Hlinka's direction prepared themselves for the first legislative election scheduled for April, 1920. In this election Hlinka formed a common front with the Czech Populists, led by Msgr. Jan Sramek; it was known as the "Czechoslovak People's Party." The election was a great disappointment to the Slovak Populists who secured only twelve seats out of fifty-seven assigned to Slovakia in the Prague Parliament.23 The Social Democrats were the big winners there with twenty-three mandates. The revolutionary wave that swept Slovakia after the war was mainly responsible for the Social Democratic victory, though the fact that there was little in the Populist platform to attract the peasant masses of Slovakia also �30 SLOVAKIA partly explains the vote. Hlinka's main concern at the time was the progressive, anti-clerical character of the new government, not the social and economic condition of peasants. This is clear from Hlinka's decision to present a common front with Czech Catholics. Tiso in a newspaper editorial of the time attributed the success of the Social Democrats to the fact that some 200,000 Czech soldiers and officials had voted for the Social Democrats and other Czecho-Slovak parties. This gave the world a false picture of true political feelings of the Slovaks. 24 In that election Tiso won in the Trnava district but turned his post over to another candidate. Tiso remained in Nitra dividing his time between teaching and his work for the Populists. He delivered speeches, organized party activities, and contributed articles to the party's leading organ, Slovak. In 1921 he was appointed personal secretary to the new bishop in Nitra, Karol Kmet'ko, a former member of the Czecho-Slovak Revolutionary Council. For the next few years both worked together in building up the party strength in Nitra. But while Kmet'ko preferred peaceful discussion, Tiso felt the Slovak cause benefited more by demonstrations. As a result, a certain coolness developed between the two men. Even worse, Tiso's inflammatory speeches soon got him into trouble with the authorities. In 1923 Tiso was sentenced to six weeks imprisonment; of which he served two, because he delivered a fiery speech in Nitra, which was said to have incited the people. Following this episode Tiso felt it best to resign his post as secretary to Kmet'ko, knowing the bishop's feeling with regard to such activity. Tiso then in 1924 left Nitra to become pastor of the Catholic Church in Banovce.25 Meanwhile the Slovak Populists were making their recovery from the election disappointment of 1920. The fruitless union with the Czech Lidaks 26 was ended in 1921. A year later the Slovak People's Party name was changed to the Hlinka's Slovak People's Party (HSUS). The Centralistic policies of Prague and the economic problems in Slovakia contributed to the growth of the HSUS. Within three or four years it became a broad-based mass party. By 1923 the party could claim 876 city organiza- �SLOVAKIA 31 tions, 1065 village organizations and nine newspapers. 27 But not all were content with the party's leadership. Many of the radical members in the party were displeased with what they considered Hlinka's conciliatory position toward the government. The party had approved the Constitution of 1920 and supported Masaryk in the first presidential election. But on the other hand Hlinka did keep the party in opposition throughout the first legislature, and in 1922 presented to the Prague Parliament the first proposal for Slovak autonomy. Accordingly, Czecho-Slovakia would be divided into three parts: Bohemia-Moravia-Silesia, Slovakia, and Ruthe• nia, each with its own diet having authority over local administration, school, churches, justice, public welfare, and finances. 28 The proposal was rejected. In the next election in 1925 the HS~S scored its greatest success receiving 489,111 votes 29 and 23 seats in Prague. Tiso was elected deputy again and took up his seat in Parliament. At this time Tiso was not yet a leading member of the Populist party, but nevertheless one of the party's rising young stars. Much of the leadership still belonged to the predprevratovd group, those from the pre-1918 era which included besides Hlinka, Ferdis Juriga, Jozef Buday,3° Florian Tomanek to name a few. Tiso belonged to the younger group of party deputies, those between 30 and 40 years of age. Tiso was young and inexperienced when he walked into the Prague Parliament, yet within a few years had gained the reputation of being one of the most skillful representatives in the Slovak Club. Hlinka soon came to appreciate his parliamentary ability and his capacity for long, tedious work. There were considerable differences though between Tiso and Hlinka. Tiso was not as impulsive nor romantically oriented toward politics as was Hlinka; he was more a hard, cold realist when it came to appraising political situations.31 Though Tiso became frequently impassioned while speaking, his ideas always conformed to a logical pattern and were argued from a philosophical or historical point of view. In 1925-1926 the new central government of Anton �32 SLOVAKIA Svehla, in face of a renewed campaign of Hungarian revisionists, set out to broaden the government coalition by bringing in German and Slovak opposition parties. Tiso favored participating in the government. He felt something could be gained by it for Slovakia. At this critical time Hlinka departed for the United States to attend an Eucharistic Congress in Chicago. In his absence a directory of five, including Tiso, ran the party. Also, before Hlinka left he designated Tiso president of the Slovak Club in Prague to manage party affairs in the parliament. Soon after Hlinka was gone a struggle developed between the old predprevratovi Populists and the younger generation. Juriga and Tomanek were offended by Hlinka's passing over them in favor of the younger Tiso to head the Slovak Club.32 The friction, however, was mild since Hlinka's authority was strong enough to prevent such inter-party squabbles from becoming serious. In Hlinka's absence it was left to Tiso to take up the whole question of HSES position with regard to the government coalition. Tiso led the negotiations with Svehla, but felt unqualified to make a final decision alone. In July, 1926 Tiso sent a letter to Hlinka urging him to return quickly from the United States so that a decision could be made.33 Hlinka at first opposed the idea of entering a coalition, but during the course of his visit to the United States he was urged by American Slovaks to try cooperation with the government. Hlinka arrived in Slovakia in October, negotiations were immediately accelerated and an agreement concluded for HSES participation in the coalition. Tiso had hoped to obtain some concessions for Slovakia as a condition for the party's participation in the government, but the party was disappointed, especially the radicals. The hated zupa law of 1923 which had centralized government administration was removed and the country was divided into three administrative units: Bohemia-Moravia-Silesia, Slovakia, and Ruthenia, each with krajinsky (regional) president and a council with powers to handle cultural, educational, and humanitarian affairs. The powers of the council were, however, limited, since the krajinsky president, who was nominated by the central government, had power to veto any resolution passed by the council. Furthermore, the �SLOVAKIA 33 central government had powers in the selection of the council's members. 34 Tiso at first spoke out against the law, but after its passage defended it to a degree. At least, he said, with the new law there was recognition of a Slovak krajina and from this, autonomy could be built.35 The People's Party officially entered the government in January, 1927, with Tiso as Minister of Health and Marko Gazik as Minister of Unification. Tiso in his capacity accomplished much. His greatest efforts were turned toward the modernization of the health spas of Polianka, strbske Pleso, Tatranska Lomnica, Cerveny Klastor and Sliac in Slovakia. Due to Tiso's work, Sliac became the most wellknown and most frequented of all Slovak spas.36 Tiso's support of the government during these years was regarded by the radical Populists as a betrayal of party principles. These extremists, moreover, disliked the new administration law of 1928 which had replaced the 1923 one. Tiso at this time together with Jozef Buday belonged to the moderate wing of the party, while the radicals gathered around their leader, Vojtech Tuka. On January 1, 1928 Tuka published a sensational article which claimed that the declaration signed in Martin in 1918 contained a secret clause, (Vacuum Juris) stating that after ten years the Slovaks could reconsider their union with the Czechs. Tuka was subsequently put on trial and sentenced to fifteen years in prison. The whole Tuka affair caused great turmoil in the country. To the opponents of Slovak autonomy Tuka was proof that the Slovak People's Party had dangerous Magyarone elements in it. Many Populists, on the other hand, made the Tuka trial into a cause celebre, regarding Tuka a martyr for the Slovak cause. Hlinka refused to condemn Tuka, and, in a gesture of disapproval at Tuka's imprisonment, pulled the party out of the government and once again put it into opposition. It lost some 85,000 votes and five seats in the Parliament in the 1929 elections.37 With the removal of Tuka from the scene, Tiso's importance and influence in the party in the next few years climbed steadily. At a Populist meeting in Ruzomberok in January, 1930, Tiso was chosen, along with Karol Mederly,38 �34 SLOVAKIA one of the party's vice-presidents.39 By this time, too, Tiso had established himself as the leading ideologist in the party and one of the most articulate spokesmen for the Slovak cause. Tiso was well on his way to becoming successor to Andrej Hlinka as leader of the Slovak Populist movement. FOOTNOTES 1) Most of the biographical information on Tiso's family and early life is taken from Konstantin l:ulen Po Sviitoplukovi druha nasa hlava (Cleveland: Prva Katolicka Slovenska Jednota, 1947) and "Z bohateho zivota nasho prveho prezidenta": Slovak, XX:1/248 (Bratislava), October 27, 1939. 2) "Smutok pana prezidenta," Katolicke noviny (Bratislava), February 14, 1943. 3) Jozef K. Hrabovsky, "U Tisovcov vo Vel'kej Bytci," Slovak, XXXI/24, January 29, 1939. 4) Quoted in l:ulen, Po Sviitoplukovi • . . , p. 24. 5) Quoted in Ibid. , p. 29. 6) "Z bohateho zivota . . . " Slovak, October 27, 1939. 7) J., "Za Boha a narod: Spomienky na skolske roky prezidenta Jozefa Tisu," Slovak, XX:1/248, October 27, 1939. 8) Quoted in Ibid. 9) Tido Gaspar, Der Praesident der Slowakischen Repubiik (Pressburg: Johann 0. Petreas, 1943), p. 6. 10) "Z bohateho zivota . . . " Slovak, October 27, 1939. 11) "Za Boha a narod .. ." Slovak, October 27, 1939. 12) Franz Martin Schindler ( 1847-1922) was professor of moral theology in Vienna. He was one of the ideologists of the Christian Social movement. 13) Quoted in Milan S. f:lurica, Die slowakische Politik 1938/39 im Lichte der Staatslehre Tisos (Bonn: Emil Semmel Verlag, 1967), p. 21. 14) l:ulen, Po Svatoplukovi ... , pp. 33-34. 15) Ibid., p. 36. 16) Ibid- , pp. 37-38. 17) Albert Mistina, "Tiso-clovek," Slovenska otcina, Vol. III (Hamilton, Ontario: Franti§ek Fuga, 1967), pp. 9-12. 18) Ibid., Dr. Jan Gleiman, "Tisovo mesto," Slovenska otcina, Vol. III, pp. 20-25. 19) Jozef Tiso, Tiso o sebe, ed. Jozef Pauco (Passaic, New Jersey: Slovensky Katolicky Sokol, 1952), pp. 101-102. 20) Dr. Ivan Derer, Slovensky vyvoj a l'udacka zrada (Praha: Kvasnicka a Hampl, 1946), pp. 347-348. Imrich Stanek, Zrada a pad, Hlinkovsti separatiste a tak zvan11 siovensky stat (Praha, 1956) pp. 387-388. �SLOVAKIA 35 21) Tiso o sebe, p. 122. 22) Gaspar, p. 11. Culen, Po Sviitoplukovi ••. , pp. 63-66. 23) Joseph Mikus, Slovakia: A Political History, 1918-1950 (Milwaukee: The Marquette University Press, 1963), p. 16. 24) Karol Sidor, Andrej Hlinka (1864-1926) (Bratislava, 1934), p. 438. 25) Culen, Po Sviitoplukovi ... , pp. 66-67. "Z bohateho zivota . . . ," Slovak, October 27, 1939. 26) Lida.ks were the members of Sramek's "Czechoslovak People's Party." 27 ) Juraj Kramer, Slovenske autonomisticke hnutie v rokoch 1918-1929 (Bratislava: Slovenska akademia vied, 1962), pp. 263-266. 28) See Karol Sidor, Slovenska politika na pode prazskeho snemu (19181938), Vol. I (Bratislava: 1943), p. 87. 29) C. A. Macar,tney, Hungary and her Successors (London: Oxford University Press, 1965), p. 118. 30) Jozef Buday was born in 1877 in Trencin and ordained a priest in 1899. During Hlinka's imprisonment 1919-1920 he served as acting president of the party. He was deputy and senator in 1920's and 1930's. He was a leader of the Society of St. Adalbert and author of several Catholic books. He died in 1939. Jan Mest'ancik, "Jozef Buday v sluzbach cirkvi a naroda," Literarny Almanach (1970), pp. 89-106. 31) Frantisek Vnuk, Dr. Jozef Tiso (Sidney: The Association of Australian Slovaks, 1967), p. 12. 32) Sidor, Andrej Hlinka, p. 550. 33) Ibid-, pp. 550-551. 34) Sidor, Slovenska politika, I, pp. 303-304. 35) Ibid., p. 314. 36) "Z bohateho zivota .. ." Slovak, October 27, 1929. 37) Macartney, p. 118. Juriga and Tomanek left the party in protest to Hlinka's defense of Tuka and formed their own party, Juriga's People's Party. It got about 5,000 votes in the 1929 election. 38) Karol Mederly (b. 1887) - was the party's legal expert and was responsible for drawing up proposals for autonomy. He was also director of Populist press works. From 1929 he served as a party deputy and senator, and after November, 1938 vice-president of the Slovak Parliament. He was a member of the party Paesidium and the party's central court. On October 18, 1947 he was sentenced by the pro-Communist National Tribunal to six years imprisonment. Jozef Chreno, Maly slovnik slovenskeho st<itu, 1918-1945 (Bratislava, 1965), pp. 122-123. 39) L. G. Fagul'a, Andrej Hlinka (Bratislava : Generalny sekretariat HSUS, 1943) , p. 120. SLOVAKIA'S best known thermal spa (natural mineral springs), Piest'any, dedicated a new summer swimmingpooL � 24 SLOVAKIA --- -------- Tiso' s Formative Years and Early Political Career Anthony X. Sutherland, Ph.D. Dr. Jozef Tiso, like most Slovaks who attained national prominence, had very simple, humble beginnings. Tiso was born on October 13, 1887 of peasant stock in the small Slovak town of Vel'ka Bytca. Two days later he was christened a Roman Catholic with the name Jozef Gaspar. With regard to the origin of the name Tiso there is no agreement, but most likely it was derived from the Slavic word, tis, meaning yew tree. The name Tiso in Vel'ka Bytca has been traced back to 1525. Several individuals of that name achieved some distinction in Slovak history. One of them, a priest, Mikulas Tiso, was active in the Slovak national movement during the 19th century. 1 Most of Jozef Tiso's ancestors, however, were simple peasants or tradesmen. His grandfather, Jozef Tiso, also of Vel'ka Bytca, was born on August 11, 1838. In 1860 he married Veronica Fundarek, who bore him a son in 1862; he was Gaspar Tiso, father of the future leader of Slovakia. Gaspar Tiso during most of his adult life operated a butcher business in Vel'ka Bytca. He was a nationally conscious Slovak and active during most of his adult life in Slovak national and political organizations. In 1894 he founded a Catholic Circle in Vel'ka Bytca, which was dissolved by the Hungarian government in 1901 but later revived. Even after 1918 Gaspar Tiso represented the Slovak People's Party in his town. 2 On September 2, 1882 Gaspar married Terezia Budiska, a member of a well-known family of potters from Vel'ka Bytca. From this union seven children were born: Pavol, Jozef, Maria, Jan, Hanna, Jozefka, and Terezia. Gaspar and Terezia Tiso were simple people who instilled in their children the simple peasant virtues: the value of hard work and a firm belief in God. Their family mottos were: "Pray and work," and "Fellow strive and God will bless you." 3 �SLOVAKIA 25 Dr. Jozef Tiso spent most of his formative years in the town of Vel'ka Bytca. Situated in the northwest corner of Slovakia, it was that area which was a traditional stronghold of Slovak nationalism. Vel'ka Bytca had withstood the onslaught of Magyarization and survived as a nationally conscious town. Reminiscing many years later Tiso said of Bytca: I am a Bytcan. If tinkers have a kingdom, well now Bytca would certainly be the chief city of this kingdom. Well, if you will, I am also a descendant of tinkers. Among us there are no differences between artisans and farmers and workers. A tinker is an artisan, but also a worker and the poorest salaried, working on a patch of land which is more rock than soil-in a word also ·a farmer.4 Tiso's family was not especially poor nor was it a rich one: it can be classified as a middle peasant family. Regarding his family's situation Tiso said: We had a decent roof over our heads, we had a clean, nice village home and always a loaf of bread on a table covered with a cloth. Thus we had what a man needs for a decent life. This was our wealth. And what we had was from work.5 Tiso began his formal education in the lower school in Bytca in 1894. At that time the Bytca school was a three language one. During the first year Slovak and Magyar were taught; in the second year, German; and in the third year all three languages were alternated. Subjects included in the curriculum were the natural scie?ces, Hungarian history, and geography. Although the purpose of the curriculum was to Magyarize, there were several nationally conscious Slovak instructors in the Bytca school: one of these, Pavel Trusina, taught Tiso the Slovak language.6 Jozef Tiso during these years of study in Bytca proved to be a good student; therefore in 1898 after the completion of his fourth year he was sent to the middle school in nearby Zilina. Gaspar and Terezia Tiso had originally planned to educate their eldest son, Pavel, but he dropped out after one year at the Zilina school to take up the family butcher trade in Bytca. Jozef Tiso soon proved to be a much better student than his brother. He won the admiration of all his professors. He did well in all his subjects and showed a special talent in mastering foreign languages. Magyar and German were mere playthings to him according to the recollections of one of his classmates.7 One professor named Bicovsky referring to Tiso allegedly told the class, �26 SLOVAKIA "You will see this boy one day will be a great man." 8 Jozef Tiso was also well liked by his fellow classmates. He was remembered as being humble, pleasant, and easygoing, always demonstrating an uncommon interest in helping his classmates with their work. 9 While in zilina Tiso lived with Anton Sturm, a friend of the family, who remembered him as a conscientious student who never had to be forced to prepare his school assignments.10 It was in zilina that Tiso made the decision to enter the priesthood. This was not an uncommon choice for Slovaks peasants. Many Slovak peasant families had a son or daughter in the Church. A clerical career was one of the few ways a Slovak peasant could raise his social status or acquire an education. Having made the decision, Tiso set off in 1902 after the completion of his fourth year at zilina for the Nitra Gymnasium. The Nitra school was much more a Magyar institution than the zilina one had been. The Nitra faculty, moreover, had a low opinion of the zilina school, regarding its curriculum in Magyar subjects particularly inferior to its ow~. Young students there were frequently ridiculed, but Tiso was not for he proved to be an exceptional student. He mastered with little difficulty the most difficult assignments in Latin and German, and remained there four years. 11 The outstanding theological students of the time were sent to Vienna to the Pazmaneum, the leading Catholic seminary in the Habsburg Empire. Tiso in 1906 was one of those chosen to complete his theological studies there. Once at the Pazmaneum, he continued his good scholastic record and came into contact with some of the leading clerics of the Empire. He received lectures from Franz Martin Schindler12 and Ignaz Seipel, leaders of the Austrian Christian Social movement. During Tiso's years of study at the Pazmaneum Pope Leo's social encyclical, Rerum Novarum was receiving wide attention. Many seminars were devoted to it and came to form an important part of Tiso's social philosophy. Tiso's training was otherwise in traditional Catholic theology and Thomistic philosophy. According to the confidential files of the Pazmaneum Tiso was an exemplary seminarian. Concerning Tiso the psychological-moral profile stated: "Natural behavior: serious; morals : exemplary; mode of conversation with superiors: �SLOVAKIA 27 humble, with equals: affable; character: oustanding; application: indefatigable . Observations : behaves with a mature character." 13 The intellectual atmosphere of Vienna was very dif. ferent from what Tiso was accustomed to in Nitra and zilina. There were Socialists, Christian Socials, liberals, and others, some of them hostile to the Catholic world view that Tiso espoused. It was in Vienna in fact that Tiso had his first contact with the progressive wing of the Slovak intelligentsia, the Hlasists. Tiso opposed Hlasists thought even then; he regarded it a threat to the conservative Catholic view. Friction between Tiso and a Hlasist even took place in Tiso's home town of Bytca where he spent the holidays. The medical doctor in Bytca, Minarik, a Hlasist, accused Tiso of not being a real Slovak, when Tiso supported the parish priest, Teselsky, a member of the Hungarian People's Party and a known Magyarone. There were differences between Tiso and Teselsky, but Tiso preferred the Magyarone to the progressive minded Minarik. 14 Dr. Jozef Tiso was ordained a priest on July 14, 1910 by Bishop August Fischer-Colbr ie, and shortly thereafter said his first mass in his home parish church in Vel'ka Bytca. A year later he was awarded a doctorate in theology. Tiso's first assignment as a priest was to the small remote village of Oscadnica, a poor Slovak village. Tiso was not only concerned with the spiritual welfare of the people of Oscadnica, but also became very interested in their economic standard, their health, sanitation, and dietary habits. He organized self-help associations and tackled the problem of alcoholism which was so widespread in Slovak villages. Tiso referred to his experience in Oscadnica as his second university. 15 After about a year in Oscadnica, Tiso was transferred to another village, Rajec, where he continued his work. In Rajec he founded a Slovak peasant bank designed to strengthen the financial resources of the village and free the peasant from debts.16 Dr. Tiso was not in Rajec long before he was again transferred, this time to a larger town, Banovce nad Bebravou, located about 70 miles northwest of Bratislava. He was appointed chaplain there and in 1924 promoted to pastor, a post he held until 1945. Tiso, during the many years of his pastorate in Banovce did much for the improve- �28 SLOVAKIA ment of the town. He undertook the pavement of the town's streets and the regulation of the Bebrava River and Radisla Creek which ran near Banovce. To further the interests of the town's noted cabinet makers he organized a cooperative. He worked, too, with the city council and founded a bank to finance a sewer system and water supply. Tiso formu• lated other plans for the modernization of Banovce, such as electrification and pavement of roads to every village in the district, but these remained only in the planning stage. His primary goal remained the industrialization of Banovce. 17 Alarmed by the spread of secularism and progressive thought, Tiso also set out to strengthen Catholic education in Banovce. He revived the Catholic educational society Orol and he founded both a Catholic teachers' college and a Catholic cultural house. 18 All Tiso's work did much to make him popular in the Banovce area and to make it the center of his political strength. In 1914 Tiso was called up by the government to serve as chaplain in the Austrian army. Toward the end of 1914 he was sent to Maribor in Styria. There he became acquainted with Slovene priests and their work in organizing peasant cooperatives. He later applied some of their ideas in his work for the economic development of Banovce.19 After a year in the military service, Tiso contracted nephritis and had to be recalled from the front. Following his recovery he was appointed spiritual director at the Nitra seminary, later professor of theology, and personal secretary to the Bishop of Nitra. Tiso maintained these posts throughout the reminder of the war. Tiso was later attacked for his activity during the war and during the Slovak National Revolution, when Slovakia seceded from Hungary to join with the Czechs in the new Czecho-Slovakia (1918-19 ). His political opponents charged him with having had pro-Magyar sympathies at the time. These charges resulted from the fact that Tiso contributed to Nytramegyei Szemle, a Magyar journal in Nitra, articles glorifying Hungary's war efforts. Ivan Derer, Social Democratic Minister of Education in Czecho-Slovakia in the 1920's, largely responsible for such charges, also maintained that Tiso before 1918 spelled his Name, Tiszo, in the Magyar fashion, and that Tiso had supported the integrity of the Hungarian state. Derer wrote that Tiso, moreover, was �SLOVAKIA 29 opposed to the Martin Declaration and had even served on the Magyar Nitra Council. 20 Tiso came naturally under suspicion since he served during the war as personal secretary to the Bishop, Viliam Batthanyi, of Nitra, a notorious advocate of Magyarization. Labeling a Populist a Magyarone was a favorite device of Czech and Slovak centralists used to discredit the idea of Slovak autonomy. It was done repeatedly in the twenty years of the Czecho-Slovak Republic. Sometimes the charges were appropriate while at other times, as with Tiso, they had little basis in fact. Whatever pro-Magyar feelings Tiso may have had before 1918 were gone by the time the Czecho-Slovak army approached Nitra. Before 1918 Tiso belonged to the politically passive Slovak majority. He was active before October, 1918 but mainly with welfare and town improvement projects. Prior to 1918 he had neither planned to enter politics nor was he trained for such a career. 21 Tiso's rather sudden involvement in politics is difficult to explain, but very likely, much like Hlinka, Tiso was drawn into the Populist movement by the revolutionary anti-clerical character of the new state. Indeed soon after the National Revolution Tiso joined the Slovak People's Party and began to work for it in Nitra. He was largely responsible for making the whole south Nitra district a party stronghold.22 Nitra in 1918 was very much a Magyar town with only two educated Slovak leaders, Dr. Eugen Filkorn and Dr. Jozef Tiso. Both worked hard in Nitra to obliterate its Magyar character and make it Slovak once wore. They published a Slovak newspaper entitled, Nitra and organized a Slovak National Council. Meanwhile Slovak Populists under Hlinka's direction prepared themselves for the first legislative election scheduled for April, 1920. In this election Hlinka formed a common front with the Czech Populists, led by Msgr. Jan Sramek; it was known as the "Czechoslovak People's Party." The election was a great disappointment to the Slovak Populists who secured only twelve seats out of fifty-seven assigned to Slovakia in the Prague Parliament.23 The Social Democrats were the big winners there with twenty-three mandates. The revolutionary wave that swept Slovakia after the war was mainly responsible for the Social Democratic victory, though the fact that there was little in the Populist platform to attract the peasant masses of Slovakia also �30 SLOVAKIA partly explains the vote. Hlinka's main concern at the time was the progressive, anti-clerical character of the new government, not the social and economic condition of peasants. This is clear from Hlinka's decision to present a common front with Czech Catholics. Tiso in a newspaper editorial of the time attributed the success of the Social Democrats to the fact that some 200,000 Czech soldiers and officials had voted for the Social Democrats and other Czecho-Slovak parties. This gave the world a false picture of true political feelings of the Slovaks. 24 In that election Tiso won in the Trnava district but turned his post over to another candidate. Tiso remained in Nitra dividing his time between teaching and his work for the Populists. He delivered speeches, organized party activities, and contributed articles to the party's leading organ, Slovak. In 1921 he was appointed personal secretary to the new bishop in Nitra, Karol Kmet'ko, a former member of the Czecho-Slovak Revolutionary Council. For the next few years both worked together in building up the party strength in Nitra. But while Kmet'ko preferred peaceful discussion, Tiso felt the Slovak cause benefited more by demonstrations. As a result, a certain coolness developed between the two men. Even worse, Tiso's inflammatory speeches soon got him into trouble with the authorities. In 1923 Tiso was sentenced to six weeks imprisonment; of which he served two, because he delivered a fiery speech in Nitra, which was said to have incited the people. Following this episode Tiso felt it best to resign his post as secretary to Kmet'ko, knowing the bishop's feeling with regard to such activity. Tiso then in 1924 left Nitra to become pastor of the Catholic Church in Banovce.25 Meanwhile the Slovak Populists were making their recovery from the election disappointment of 1920. The fruitless union with the Czech Lidaks 26 was ended in 1921. A year later the Slovak People's Party name was changed to the Hlinka's Slovak People's Party (HSUS). The Centralistic policies of Prague and the economic problems in Slovakia contributed to the growth of the HSUS. Within three or four years it became a broad-based mass party. By 1923 the party could claim 876 city organiza- �SLOVAKIA 31 tions, 1065 village organizations and nine newspapers. 27 But not all were content with the party's leadership. Many of the radical members in the party were displeased with what they considered Hlinka's conciliatory position toward the government. The party had approved the Constitution of 1920 and supported Masaryk in the first presidential election. But on the other hand Hlinka did keep the party in opposition throughout the first legislature, and in 1922 presented to the Prague Parliament the first proposal for Slovak autonomy. Accordingly, Czecho-Slovakia would be divided into three parts: Bohemia-Moravia-Silesia, Slovakia, and Ruthe• nia, each with its own diet having authority over local administration, school, churches, justice, public welfare, and finances. 28 The proposal was rejected. In the next election in 1925 the HS~S scored its greatest success receiving 489,111 votes 29 and 23 seats in Prague. Tiso was elected deputy again and took up his seat in Parliament. At this time Tiso was not yet a leading member of the Populist party, but nevertheless one of the party's rising young stars. Much of the leadership still belonged to the predprevratovd group, those from the pre-1918 era which included besides Hlinka, Ferdis Juriga, Jozef Buday,3° Florian Tomanek to name a few. Tiso belonged to the younger group of party deputies, those between 30 and 40 years of age. Tiso was young and inexperienced when he walked into the Prague Parliament, yet within a few years had gained the reputation of being one of the most skillful representatives in the Slovak Club. Hlinka soon came to appreciate his parliamentary ability and his capacity for long, tedious work. There were considerable differences though between Tiso and Hlinka. Tiso was not as impulsive nor romantically oriented toward politics as was Hlinka; he was more a hard, cold realist when it came to appraising political situations.31 Though Tiso became frequently impassioned while speaking, his ideas always conformed to a logical pattern and were argued from a philosophical or historical point of view. In 1925-1926 the new central government of Anton �32 SLOVAKIA Svehla, in face of a renewed campaign of Hungarian revisionists, set out to broaden the government coalition by bringing in German and Slovak opposition parties. Tiso favored participating in the government. He felt something could be gained by it for Slovakia. At this critical time Hlinka departed for the United States to attend an Eucharistic Congress in Chicago. In his absence a directory of five, including Tiso, ran the party. Also, before Hlinka left he designated Tiso president of the Slovak Club in Prague to manage party affairs in the parliament. Soon after Hlinka was gone a struggle developed between the old predprevratovi Populists and the younger generation. Juriga and Tomanek were offended by Hlinka's passing over them in favor of the younger Tiso to head the Slovak Club.32 The friction, however, was mild since Hlinka's authority was strong enough to prevent such inter-party squabbles from becoming serious. In Hlinka's absence it was left to Tiso to take up the whole question of HSES position with regard to the government coalition. Tiso led the negotiations with Svehla, but felt unqualified to make a final decision alone. In July, 1926 Tiso sent a letter to Hlinka urging him to return quickly from the United States so that a decision could be made.33 Hlinka at first opposed the idea of entering a coalition, but during the course of his visit to the United States he was urged by American Slovaks to try cooperation with the government. Hlinka arrived in Slovakia in October, negotiations were immediately accelerated and an agreement concluded for HSES participation in the coalition. Tiso had hoped to obtain some concessions for Slovakia as a condition for the party's participation in the government, but the party was disappointed, especially the radicals. The hated zupa law of 1923 which had centralized government administration was removed and the country was divided into three administrative units: Bohemia-Moravia-Silesia, Slovakia, and Ruthenia, each with krajinsky (regional) president and a council with powers to handle cultural, educational, and humanitarian affairs. The powers of the council were, however, limited, since the krajinsky president, who was nominated by the central government, had power to veto any resolution passed by the council. Furthermore, the �SLOVAKIA 33 central government had powers in the selection of the council's members. 34 Tiso at first spoke out against the law, but after its passage defended it to a degree. At least, he said, with the new law there was recognition of a Slovak krajina and from this, autonomy could be built.35 The People's Party officially entered the government in January, 1927, with Tiso as Minister of Health and Marko Gazik as Minister of Unification. Tiso in his capacity accomplished much. His greatest efforts were turned toward the modernization of the health spas of Polianka, strbske Pleso, Tatranska Lomnica, Cerveny Klastor and Sliac in Slovakia. Due to Tiso's work, Sliac became the most wellknown and most frequented of all Slovak spas.36 Tiso's support of the government during these years was regarded by the radical Populists as a betrayal of party principles. These extremists, moreover, disliked the new administration law of 1928 which had replaced the 1923 one. Tiso at this time together with Jozef Buday belonged to the moderate wing of the party, while the radicals gathered around their leader, Vojtech Tuka. On January 1, 1928 Tuka published a sensational article which claimed that the declaration signed in Martin in 1918 contained a secret clause, (Vacuum Juris) stating that after ten years the Slovaks could reconsider their union with the Czechs. Tuka was subsequently put on trial and sentenced to fifteen years in prison. The whole Tuka affair caused great turmoil in the country. To the opponents of Slovak autonomy Tuka was proof that the Slovak People's Party had dangerous Magyarone elements in it. Many Populists, on the other hand, made the Tuka trial into a cause celebre, regarding Tuka a martyr for the Slovak cause. Hlinka refused to condemn Tuka, and, in a gesture of disapproval at Tuka's imprisonment, pulled the party out of the government and once again put it into opposition. It lost some 85,000 votes and five seats in the Parliament in the 1929 elections.37 With the removal of Tuka from the scene, Tiso's importance and influence in the party in the next few years climbed steadily. At a Populist meeting in Ruzomberok in January, 1930, Tiso was chosen, along with Karol Mederly,38 �34 SLOVAKIA one of the party's vice-presidents.39 By this time, too, Tiso had established himself as the leading ideologist in the party and one of the most articulate spokesmen for the Slovak cause. Tiso was well on his way to becoming successor to Andrej Hlinka as leader of the Slovak Populist movement. FOOTNOTES 1) Most of the biographical information on Tiso's family and early life is taken from Konstantin l:ulen Po Sviitoplukovi druha nasa hlava (Cleveland: Prva Katolicka Slovenska Jednota, 1947) and "Z bohateho zivota nasho prveho prezidenta": Slovak, XX:1/248 (Bratislava), October 27, 1939. 2) "Smutok pana prezidenta," Katolicke noviny (Bratislava), February 14, 1943. 3) Jozef K. Hrabovsky, "U Tisovcov vo Vel'kej Bytci," Slovak, XXXI/24, January 29, 1939. 4) Quoted in l:ulen, Po Sviitoplukovi • . . , p. 24. 5) Quoted in Ibid. , p. 29. 6) "Z bohateho zivota . . . " Slovak, October 27, 1939. 7) J., "Za Boha a narod: Spomienky na skolske roky prezidenta Jozefa Tisu," Slovak, XX:1/248, October 27, 1939. 8) Quoted in Ibid. 9) Tido Gaspar, Der Praesident der Slowakischen Repubiik (Pressburg: Johann 0. Petreas, 1943), p. 6. 10) "Z bohateho zivota . . . " Slovak, October 27, 1939. 11) "Za Boha a narod .. ." Slovak, October 27, 1939. 12) Franz Martin Schindler ( 1847-1922) was professor of moral theology in Vienna. He was one of the ideologists of the Christian Social movement. 13) Quoted in Milan S. f:lurica, Die slowakische Politik 1938/39 im Lichte der Staatslehre Tisos (Bonn: Emil Semmel Verlag, 1967), p. 21. 14) l:ulen, Po Svatoplukovi ... , pp. 33-34. 15) Ibid., p. 36. 16) Ibid- , pp. 37-38. 17) Albert Mistina, "Tiso-clovek," Slovenska otcina, Vol. III (Hamilton, Ontario: Franti§ek Fuga, 1967), pp. 9-12. 18) Ibid., Dr. Jan Gleiman, "Tisovo mesto," Slovenska otcina, Vol. III, pp. 20-25. 19) Jozef Tiso, Tiso o sebe, ed. Jozef Pauco (Passaic, New Jersey: Slovensky Katolicky Sokol, 1952), pp. 101-102. 20) Dr. Ivan Derer, Slovensky vyvoj a l'udacka zrada (Praha: Kvasnicka a Hampl, 1946), pp. 347-348. Imrich Stanek, Zrada a pad, Hlinkovsti separatiste a tak zvan11 siovensky stat (Praha, 1956) pp. 387-388. �SLOVAKIA 35 21) Tiso o sebe, p. 122. 22) Gaspar, p. 11. Culen, Po Sviitoplukovi ••. , pp. 63-66. 23) Joseph Mikus, Slovakia: A Political History, 1918-1950 (Milwaukee: The Marquette University Press, 1963), p. 16. 24) Karol Sidor, Andrej Hlinka (1864-1926) (Bratislava, 1934), p. 438. 25) Culen, Po Sviitoplukovi ... , pp. 66-67. "Z bohateho zivota . . . ," Slovak, October 27, 1939. 26) Lida.ks were the members of Sramek's "Czechoslovak People's Party." 27 ) Juraj Kramer, Slovenske autonomisticke hnutie v rokoch 1918-1929 (Bratislava: Slovenska akademia vied, 1962), pp. 263-266. 28) See Karol Sidor, Slovenska politika na pode prazskeho snemu (19181938), Vol. I (Bratislava: 1943), p. 87. 29) C. A. Macar,tney, Hungary and her Successors (London: Oxford University Press, 1965), p. 118. 30) Jozef Buday was born in 1877 in Trencin and ordained a priest in 1899. During Hlinka's imprisonment 1919-1920 he served as acting president of the party. He was deputy and senator in 1920's and 1930's. He was a leader of the Society of St. Adalbert and author of several Catholic books. He died in 1939. Jan Mest'ancik, "Jozef Buday v sluzbach cirkvi a naroda," Literarny Almanach (1970), pp. 89-106. 31) Frantisek Vnuk, Dr. Jozef Tiso (Sidney: The Association of Australian Slovaks, 1967), p. 12. 32) Sidor, Andrej Hlinka, p. 550. 33) Ibid-, pp. 550-551. 34) Sidor, Slovenska politika, I, pp. 303-304. 35) Ibid., p. 314. 36) "Z bohateho zivota .. ." Slovak, October 27, 1929. 37) Macartney, p. 118. Juriga and Tomanek left the party in protest to Hlinka's defense of Tuka and formed their own party, Juriga's People's Party. It got about 5,000 votes in the 1929 election. 38) Karol Mederly (b. 1887) - was the party's legal expert and was responsible for drawing up proposals for autonomy. He was also director of Populist press works. From 1929 he served as a party deputy and senator, and after November, 1938 vice-president of the Slovak Parliament. He was a member of the party Paesidium and the party's central court. On October 18, 1947 he was sentenced by the pro-Communist National Tribunal to six years imprisonment. Jozef Chreno, Maly slovnik slovenskeho st<itu, 1918-1945 (Bratislava, 1965), pp. 122-123. 39) L. G. Fagul'a, Andrej Hlinka (Bratislava : Generalny sekretariat HSUS, 1943) , p. 120. SLOVAKIA'S best known thermal spa (natural mineral springs), Piest'any, dedicated a new summer swimmingpooL � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1974, Vol. 24 Description An account of the resource Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document 24 SLOVAKIA --- -------- Tiso' s Formative Years and Early Political Career Anthony X. Sutherland, Ph.D. Dr. Jozef Tiso, like most Slovaks who attained national prominence, had very simple, humble beginnings. Tiso was born on October 13, 1887 of peasant stock in the small Slovak town of Vel'ka Bytca. Two days later he was christened a Roman Catholic with the name Jozef Gaspar. With regard to the origin of the name Tiso there is no agreement, but most likely it was derived from the Slavic word, tis, meaning yew tree. The name Tiso in Vel'ka Bytca has been traced back to 1525. Several individuals of that name achieved some distinction in Slovak history. One of them, a priest, Mikulas Tiso, was active in the Slovak national movement during the 19th century. 1 Most of Jozef Tiso's ancestors, however, were simple peasants or tradesmen. His grandfather, Jozef Tiso, also of Vel'ka Bytca, was born on August 11, 1838. In 1860 he married Veronica Fundarek, who bore him a son in 1862; he was Gaspar Tiso, father of the future leader of Slovakia. Gaspar Tiso during most of his adult life operated a butcher business in Vel'ka Bytca. He was a nationally conscious Slovak and active during most of his adult life in Slovak national and political organizations. In 1894 he founded a Catholic Circle in Vel'ka Bytca, which was dissolved by the Hungarian government in 1901 but later revived. Even after 1918 Gaspar Tiso represented the Slovak People's Party in his town. 2 On September 2, 1882 Gaspar married Terezia Budiska, a member of a well-known family of potters from Vel'ka Bytca. From this union seven children were born: Pavol, Jozef, Maria, Jan, Hanna, Jozefka, and Terezia. Gaspar and Terezia Tiso were simple people who instilled in their children the simple peasant virtues: the value of hard work and a firm belief in God. Their family mottos were: "Pray and work," and "Fellow strive and God will bless you." 3 SLOVAKIA 25 Dr. Jozef Tiso spent most of his formative years in the town of Vel'ka Bytca. Situated in the northwest corner of Slovakia, it was that area which was a traditional stronghold of Slovak nationalism. Vel'ka Bytca had withstood the onslaught of Magyarization and survived as a nationally conscious town. Reminiscing many years later Tiso said of Bytca: I am a Bytcan. If tinkers have a kingdom, well now Bytca would certainly be the chief city of this kingdom. Well, if you will, I am also a descendant of tinkers. Among us there are no differences between artisans and farmers and workers. A tinker is an artisan, but also a worker and the poorest salaried, working on a patch of land which is more rock than soil-in a word also ·a farmer.4 Tiso's family was not especially poor nor was it a rich one: it can be classified as a middle peasant family. Regarding his family's situation Tiso said: We had a decent roof over our heads, we had a clean, nice village home and always a loaf of bread on a table covered with a cloth. Thus we had what a man needs for a decent life. This was our wealth. And what we had was from work.5 Tiso began his formal education in the lower school in Bytca in 1894. At that time the Bytca school was a three language one. During the first year Slovak and Magyar were taught; in the second year, German; and in the third year all three languages were alternated. Subjects included in the curriculum were the natural scie?ces, Hungarian history, and geography. Although the purpose of the curriculum was to Magyarize, there were several nationally conscious Slovak instructors in the Bytca school: one of these, Pavel Trusina, taught Tiso the Slovak language.6 Jozef Tiso during these years of study in Bytca proved to be a good student; therefore in 1898 after the completion of his fourth year he was sent to the middle school in nearby Zilina. Gaspar and Terezia Tiso had originally planned to educate their eldest son, Pavel, but he dropped out after one year at the Zilina school to take up the family butcher trade in Bytca. Jozef Tiso soon proved to be a much better student than his brother. He won the admiration of all his professors. He did well in all his subjects and showed a special talent in mastering foreign languages. Magyar and German were mere playthings to him according to the recollections of one of his classmates.7 One professor named Bicovsky referring to Tiso allegedly told the class, 26 SLOVAKIA "You will see this boy one day will be a great man." 8 Jozef Tiso was also well liked by his fellow classmates. He was remembered as being humble, pleasant, and easygoing, always demonstrating an uncommon interest in helping his classmates with their work. 9 While in zilina Tiso lived with Anton Sturm, a friend of the family, who remembered him as a conscientious student who never had to be forced to prepare his school assignments.10 It was in zilina that Tiso made the decision to enter the priesthood. This was not an uncommon choice for Slovaks peasants. Many Slovak peasant families had a son or daughter in the Church. A clerical career was one of the few ways a Slovak peasant could raise his social status or acquire an education. Having made the decision, Tiso set off in 1902 after the completion of his fourth year at zilina for the Nitra Gymnasium. The Nitra school was much more a Magyar institution than the zilina one had been. The Nitra faculty, moreover, had a low opinion of the zilina school, regarding its curriculum in Magyar subjects particularly inferior to its ow~. Young students there were frequently ridiculed, but Tiso was not for he proved to be an exceptional student. He mastered with little difficulty the most difficult assignments in Latin and German, and remained there four years. 11 The outstanding theological students of the time were sent to Vienna to the Pazmaneum, the leading Catholic seminary in the Habsburg Empire. Tiso in 1906 was one of those chosen to complete his theological studies there. Once at the Pazmaneum, he continued his good scholastic record and came into contact with some of the leading clerics of the Empire. He received lectures from Franz Martin Schindler12 and Ignaz Seipel, leaders of the Austrian Christian Social movement. During Tiso's years of study at the Pazmaneum Pope Leo's social encyclical, Rerum Novarum was receiving wide attention. Many seminars were devoted to it and came to form an important part of Tiso's social philosophy. Tiso's training was otherwise in traditional Catholic theology and Thomistic philosophy. According to the confidential files of the Pazmaneum Tiso was an exemplary seminarian. Concerning Tiso the psychological-moral profile stated: "Natural behavior: serious; morals : exemplary; mode of conversation with superiors: SLOVAKIA 27 humble, with equals: affable; character: oustanding; application: indefatigable . Observations : behaves with a mature character." 13 The intellectual atmosphere of Vienna was very dif. ferent from what Tiso was accustomed to in Nitra and zilina. There were Socialists, Christian Socials, liberals, and others, some of them hostile to the Catholic world view that Tiso espoused. It was in Vienna in fact that Tiso had his first contact with the progressive wing of the Slovak intelligentsia, the Hlasists. Tiso opposed Hlasists thought even then; he regarded it a threat to the conservative Catholic view. Friction between Tiso and a Hlasist even took place in Tiso's home town of Bytca where he spent the holidays. The medical doctor in Bytca, Minarik, a Hlasist, accused Tiso of not being a real Slovak, when Tiso supported the parish priest, Teselsky, a member of the Hungarian People's Party and a known Magyarone. There were differences between Tiso and Teselsky, but Tiso preferred the Magyarone to the progressive minded Minarik. 14 Dr. Jozef Tiso was ordained a priest on July 14, 1910 by Bishop August Fischer-Colbr ie, and shortly thereafter said his first mass in his home parish church in Vel'ka Bytca. A year later he was awarded a doctorate in theology. Tiso's first assignment as a priest was to the small remote village of Oscadnica, a poor Slovak village. Tiso was not only concerned with the spiritual welfare of the people of Oscadnica, but also became very interested in their economic standard, their health, sanitation, and dietary habits. He organized self-help associations and tackled the problem of alcoholism which was so widespread in Slovak villages. Tiso referred to his experience in Oscadnica as his second university. 15 After about a year in Oscadnica, Tiso was transferred to another village, Rajec, where he continued his work. In Rajec he founded a Slovak peasant bank designed to strengthen the financial resources of the village and free the peasant from debts.16 Dr. Tiso was not in Rajec long before he was again transferred, this time to a larger town, Banovce nad Bebravou, located about 70 miles northwest of Bratislava. He was appointed chaplain there and in 1924 promoted to pastor, a post he held until 1945. Tiso, during the many years of his pastorate in Banovce did much for the improve- 28 SLOVAKIA ment of the town. He undertook the pavement of the town's streets and the regulation of the Bebrava River and Radisla Creek which ran near Banovce. To further the interests of the town's noted cabinet makers he organized a cooperative. He worked, too, with the city council and founded a bank to finance a sewer system and water supply. Tiso formu• lated other plans for the modernization of Banovce, such as electrification and pavement of roads to every village in the district, but these remained only in the planning stage. His primary goal remained the industrialization of Banovce. 17 Alarmed by the spread of secularism and progressive thought, Tiso also set out to strengthen Catholic education in Banovce. He revived the Catholic educational society Orol and he founded both a Catholic teachers' college and a Catholic cultural house. 18 All Tiso's work did much to make him popular in the Banovce area and to make it the center of his political strength. In 1914 Tiso was called up by the government to serve as chaplain in the Austrian army. Toward the end of 1914 he was sent to Maribor in Styria. There he became acquainted with Slovene priests and their work in organizing peasant cooperatives. He later applied some of their ideas in his work for the economic development of Banovce.19 After a year in the military service, Tiso contracted nephritis and had to be recalled from the front. Following his recovery he was appointed spiritual director at the Nitra seminary, later professor of theology, and personal secretary to the Bishop of Nitra. Tiso maintained these posts throughout the reminder of the war. Tiso was later attacked for his activity during the war and during the Slovak National Revolution, when Slovakia seceded from Hungary to join with the Czechs in the new Czecho-Slovakia (1918-19 ). His political opponents charged him with having had pro-Magyar sympathies at the time. These charges resulted from the fact that Tiso contributed to Nytramegyei Szemle, a Magyar journal in Nitra, articles glorifying Hungary's war efforts. Ivan Derer, Social Democratic Minister of Education in Czecho-Slovakia in the 1920's, largely responsible for such charges, also maintained that Tiso before 1918 spelled his Name, Tiszo, in the Magyar fashion, and that Tiso had supported the integrity of the Hungarian state. Derer wrote that Tiso, moreover, was SLOVAKIA 29 opposed to the Martin Declaration and had even served on the Magyar Nitra Council. 20 Tiso came naturally under suspicion since he served during the war as personal secretary to the Bishop, Viliam Batthanyi, of Nitra, a notorious advocate of Magyarization. Labeling a Populist a Magyarone was a favorite device of Czech and Slovak centralists used to discredit the idea of Slovak autonomy. It was done repeatedly in the twenty years of the Czecho-Slovak Republic. Sometimes the charges were appropriate while at other times, as with Tiso, they had little basis in fact. Whatever pro-Magyar feelings Tiso may have had before 1918 were gone by the time the Czecho-Slovak army approached Nitra. Before 1918 Tiso belonged to the politically passive Slovak majority. He was active before October, 1918 but mainly with welfare and town improvement projects. Prior to 1918 he had neither planned to enter politics nor was he trained for such a career. 21 Tiso's rather sudden involvement in politics is difficult to explain, but very likely, much like Hlinka, Tiso was drawn into the Populist movement by the revolutionary anti-clerical character of the new state. Indeed soon after the National Revolution Tiso joined the Slovak People's Party and began to work for it in Nitra. He was largely responsible for making the whole south Nitra district a party stronghold.22 Nitra in 1918 was very much a Magyar town with only two educated Slovak leaders, Dr. Eugen Filkorn and Dr. Jozef Tiso. Both worked hard in Nitra to obliterate its Magyar character and make it Slovak once wore. They published a Slovak newspaper entitled, Nitra and organized a Slovak National Council. Meanwhile Slovak Populists under Hlinka's direction prepared themselves for the first legislative election scheduled for April, 1920. In this election Hlinka formed a common front with the Czech Populists, led by Msgr. Jan Sramek; it was known as the "Czechoslovak People's Party." The election was a great disappointment to the Slovak Populists who secured only twelve seats out of fifty-seven assigned to Slovakia in the Prague Parliament.23 The Social Democrats were the big winners there with twenty-three mandates. The revolutionary wave that swept Slovakia after the war was mainly responsible for the Social Democratic victory, though the fact that there was little in the Populist platform to attract the peasant masses of Slovakia also 30 SLOVAKIA partly explains the vote. Hlinka's main concern at the time was the progressive, anti-clerical character of the new government, not the social and economic condition of peasants. This is clear from Hlinka's decision to present a common front with Czech Catholics. Tiso in a newspaper editorial of the time attributed the success of the Social Democrats to the fact that some 200,000 Czech soldiers and officials had voted for the Social Democrats and other Czecho-Slovak parties. This gave the world a false picture of true political feelings of the Slovaks. 24 In that election Tiso won in the Trnava district but turned his post over to another candidate. Tiso remained in Nitra dividing his time between teaching and his work for the Populists. He delivered speeches, organized party activities, and contributed articles to the party's leading organ, Slovak. In 1921 he was appointed personal secretary to the new bishop in Nitra, Karol Kmet'ko, a former member of the Czecho-Slovak Revolutionary Council. For the next few years both worked together in building up the party strength in Nitra. But while Kmet'ko preferred peaceful discussion, Tiso felt the Slovak cause benefited more by demonstrations. As a result, a certain coolness developed between the two men. Even worse, Tiso's inflammatory speeches soon got him into trouble with the authorities. In 1923 Tiso was sentenced to six weeks imprisonment; of which he served two, because he delivered a fiery speech in Nitra, which was said to have incited the people. Following this episode Tiso felt it best to resign his post as secretary to Kmet'ko, knowing the bishop's feeling with regard to such activity. Tiso then in 1924 left Nitra to become pastor of the Catholic Church in Banovce.25 Meanwhile the Slovak Populists were making their recovery from the election disappointment of 1920. The fruitless union with the Czech Lidaks 26 was ended in 1921. A year later the Slovak People's Party name was changed to the Hlinka's Slovak People's Party (HSUS). The Centralistic policies of Prague and the economic problems in Slovakia contributed to the growth of the HSUS. Within three or four years it became a broad-based mass party. By 1923 the party could claim 876 city organiza- SLOVAKIA 31 tions, 1065 village organizations and nine newspapers. 27 But not all were content with the party's leadership. Many of the radical members in the party were displeased with what they considered Hlinka's conciliatory position toward the government. The party had approved the Constitution of 1920 and supported Masaryk in the first presidential election. But on the other hand Hlinka did keep the party in opposition throughout the first legislature, and in 1922 presented to the Prague Parliament the first proposal for Slovak autonomy. Accordingly, Czecho-Slovakia would be divided into three parts: Bohemia-Moravia-Silesia, Slovakia, and Ruthe• nia, each with its own diet having authority over local administration, school, churches, justice, public welfare, and finances. 28 The proposal was rejected. In the next election in 1925 the HS~S scored its greatest success receiving 489,111 votes 29 and 23 seats in Prague. Tiso was elected deputy again and took up his seat in Parliament. At this time Tiso was not yet a leading member of the Populist party, but nevertheless one of the party's rising young stars. Much of the leadership still belonged to the predprevratovd group, those from the pre-1918 era which included besides Hlinka, Ferdis Juriga, Jozef Buday,3° Florian Tomanek to name a few. Tiso belonged to the younger group of party deputies, those between 30 and 40 years of age. Tiso was young and inexperienced when he walked into the Prague Parliament, yet within a few years had gained the reputation of being one of the most skillful representatives in the Slovak Club. Hlinka soon came to appreciate his parliamentary ability and his capacity for long, tedious work. There were considerable differences though between Tiso and Hlinka. Tiso was not as impulsive nor romantically oriented toward politics as was Hlinka; he was more a hard, cold realist when it came to appraising political situations.31 Though Tiso became frequently impassioned while speaking, his ideas always conformed to a logical pattern and were argued from a philosophical or historical point of view. In 1925-1926 the new central government of Anton 32 SLOVAKIA Svehla, in face of a renewed campaign of Hungarian revisionists, set out to broaden the government coalition by bringing in German and Slovak opposition parties. Tiso favored participating in the government. He felt something could be gained by it for Slovakia. At this critical time Hlinka departed for the United States to attend an Eucharistic Congress in Chicago. In his absence a directory of five, including Tiso, ran the party. Also, before Hlinka left he designated Tiso president of the Slovak Club in Prague to manage party affairs in the parliament. Soon after Hlinka was gone a struggle developed between the old predprevratovi Populists and the younger generation. Juriga and Tomanek were offended by Hlinka's passing over them in favor of the younger Tiso to head the Slovak Club.32 The friction, however, was mild since Hlinka's authority was strong enough to prevent such inter-party squabbles from becoming serious. In Hlinka's absence it was left to Tiso to take up the whole question of HSES position with regard to the government coalition. Tiso led the negotiations with Svehla, but felt unqualified to make a final decision alone. In July, 1926 Tiso sent a letter to Hlinka urging him to return quickly from the United States so that a decision could be made.33 Hlinka at first opposed the idea of entering a coalition, but during the course of his visit to the United States he was urged by American Slovaks to try cooperation with the government. Hlinka arrived in Slovakia in October, negotiations were immediately accelerated and an agreement concluded for HSES participation in the coalition. Tiso had hoped to obtain some concessions for Slovakia as a condition for the party's participation in the government, but the party was disappointed, especially the radicals. The hated zupa law of 1923 which had centralized government administration was removed and the country was divided into three administrative units: Bohemia-Moravia-Silesia, Slovakia, and Ruthenia, each with krajinsky (regional) president and a council with powers to handle cultural, educational, and humanitarian affairs. The powers of the council were, however, limited, since the krajinsky president, who was nominated by the central government, had power to veto any resolution passed by the council. Furthermore, the SLOVAKIA 33 central government had powers in the selection of the council's members. 34 Tiso at first spoke out against the law, but after its passage defended it to a degree. At least, he said, with the new law there was recognition of a Slovak krajina and from this, autonomy could be built.35 The People's Party officially entered the government in January, 1927, with Tiso as Minister of Health and Marko Gazik as Minister of Unification. Tiso in his capacity accomplished much. His greatest efforts were turned toward the modernization of the health spas of Polianka, strbske Pleso, Tatranska Lomnica, Cerveny Klastor and Sliac in Slovakia. Due to Tiso's work, Sliac became the most wellknown and most frequented of all Slovak spas.36 Tiso's support of the government during these years was regarded by the radical Populists as a betrayal of party principles. These extremists, moreover, disliked the new administration law of 1928 which had replaced the 1923 one. Tiso at this time together with Jozef Buday belonged to the moderate wing of the party, while the radicals gathered around their leader, Vojtech Tuka. On January 1, 1928 Tuka published a sensational article which claimed that the declaration signed in Martin in 1918 contained a secret clause, (Vacuum Juris) stating that after ten years the Slovaks could reconsider their union with the Czechs. Tuka was subsequently put on trial and sentenced to fifteen years in prison. The whole Tuka affair caused great turmoil in the country. To the opponents of Slovak autonomy Tuka was proof that the Slovak People's Party had dangerous Magyarone elements in it. Many Populists, on the other hand, made the Tuka trial into a cause celebre, regarding Tuka a martyr for the Slovak cause. Hlinka refused to condemn Tuka, and, in a gesture of disapproval at Tuka's imprisonment, pulled the party out of the government and once again put it into opposition. It lost some 85,000 votes and five seats in the Parliament in the 1929 elections.37 With the removal of Tuka from the scene, Tiso's importance and influence in the party in the next few years climbed steadily. At a Populist meeting in Ruzomberok in January, 1930, Tiso was chosen, along with Karol Mederly,38 34 SLOVAKIA one of the party's vice-presidents.39 By this time, too, Tiso had established himself as the leading ideologist in the party and one of the most articulate spokesmen for the Slovak cause. Tiso was well on his way to becoming successor to Andrej Hlinka as leader of the Slovak Populist movement. FOOTNOTES 1) Most of the biographical information on Tiso's family and early life is taken from Konstantin l:ulen Po Sviitoplukovi druha nasa hlava (Cleveland: Prva Katolicka Slovenska Jednota, 1947) and "Z bohateho zivota nasho prveho prezidenta": Slovak, XX:1/248 (Bratislava), October 27, 1939. 2) "Smutok pana prezidenta," Katolicke noviny (Bratislava), February 14, 1943. 3) Jozef K. Hrabovsky, "U Tisovcov vo Vel'kej Bytci," Slovak, XXXI/24, January 29, 1939. 4) Quoted in l:ulen, Po Sviitoplukovi • . . , p. 24. 5) Quoted in Ibid. , p. 29. 6) "Z bohateho zivota . . . " Slovak, October 27, 1939. 7) J., "Za Boha a narod: Spomienky na skolske roky prezidenta Jozefa Tisu," Slovak, XX:1/248, October 27, 1939. 8) Quoted in Ibid. 9) Tido Gaspar, Der Praesident der Slowakischen Repubiik (Pressburg: Johann 0. Petreas, 1943), p. 6. 10) "Z bohateho zivota . . . " Slovak, October 27, 1939. 11) "Za Boha a narod .. ." Slovak, October 27, 1939. 12) Franz Martin Schindler ( 1847-1922) was professor of moral theology in Vienna. He was one of the ideologists of the Christian Social movement. 13) Quoted in Milan S. f:lurica, Die slowakische Politik 1938/39 im Lichte der Staatslehre Tisos (Bonn: Emil Semmel Verlag, 1967), p. 21. 14) l:ulen, Po Svatoplukovi ... , pp. 33-34. 15) Ibid., p. 36. 16) Ibid- , pp. 37-38. 17) Albert Mistina, "Tiso-clovek," Slovenska otcina, Vol. III (Hamilton, Ontario: Franti§ek Fuga, 1967), pp. 9-12. 18) Ibid., Dr. Jan Gleiman, "Tisovo mesto," Slovenska otcina, Vol. III, pp. 20-25. 19) Jozef Tiso, Tiso o sebe, ed. Jozef Pauco (Passaic, New Jersey: Slovensky Katolicky Sokol, 1952), pp. 101-102. 20) Dr. Ivan Derer, Slovensky vyvoj a l'udacka zrada (Praha: Kvasnicka a Hampl, 1946), pp. 347-348. Imrich Stanek, Zrada a pad, Hlinkovsti separatiste a tak zvan11 siovensky stat (Praha, 1956) pp. 387-388. SLOVAKIA 35 21) Tiso o sebe, p. 122. 22) Gaspar, p. 11. Culen, Po Sviitoplukovi ••. , pp. 63-66. 23) Joseph Mikus, Slovakia: A Political History, 1918-1950 (Milwaukee: The Marquette University Press, 1963), p. 16. 24) Karol Sidor, Andrej Hlinka (1864-1926) (Bratislava, 1934), p. 438. 25) Culen, Po Sviitoplukovi ... , pp. 66-67. "Z bohateho zivota . . . ," Slovak, October 27, 1939. 26) Lida.ks were the members of Sramek's "Czechoslovak People's Party." 27 ) Juraj Kramer, Slovenske autonomisticke hnutie v rokoch 1918-1929 (Bratislava: Slovenska akademia vied, 1962), pp. 263-266. 28) See Karol Sidor, Slovenska politika na pode prazskeho snemu (19181938), Vol. I (Bratislava: 1943), p. 87. 29) C. A. Macar,tney, Hungary and her Successors (London: Oxford University Press, 1965), p. 118. 30) Jozef Buday was born in 1877 in Trencin and ordained a priest in 1899. During Hlinka's imprisonment 1919-1920 he served as acting president of the party. He was deputy and senator in 1920's and 1930's. He was a leader of the Society of St. Adalbert and author of several Catholic books. He died in 1939. Jan Mest'ancik, "Jozef Buday v sluzbach cirkvi a naroda," Literarny Almanach (1970), pp. 89-106. 31) Frantisek Vnuk, Dr. Jozef Tiso (Sidney: The Association of Australian Slovaks, 1967), p. 12. 32) Sidor, Andrej Hlinka, p. 550. 33) Ibid-, pp. 550-551. 34) Sidor, Slovenska politika, I, pp. 303-304. 35) Ibid., p. 314. 36) "Z bohateho zivota .. ." Slovak, October 27, 1929. 37) Macartney, p. 118. Juriga and Tomanek left the party in protest to Hlinka's defense of Tuka and formed their own party, Juriga's People's Party. It got about 5,000 votes in the 1929 election. 38) Karol Mederly (b. 1887) - was the party's legal expert and was responsible for drawing up proposals for autonomy. He was also director of Populist press works. From 1929 he served as a party deputy and senator, and after November, 1938 vice-president of the Slovak Parliament. He was a member of the party Paesidium and the party's central court. On October 18, 1947 he was sentenced by the pro-Communist National Tribunal to six years imprisonment. Jozef Chreno, Maly slovnik slovenskeho st<itu, 1918-1945 (Bratislava, 1965), pp. 122-123. 39) L. G. Fagul'a, Andrej Hlinka (Bratislava : Generalny sekretariat HSUS, 1943) , p. 120. SLOVAKIA'S best known thermal spa (natural mineral springs), Piest'any, dedicated a new summer swimmingpooL  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Tiso's Formative Years and Early Political Career Description An account of the resource Anthony X. Sutherland, Ph.D. Slovakia, Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974 pp. 24-35 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sutherland, Anthony X. (Anthony Xavier) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 LCNAF https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/a28a545fdb27eebc30f45d742ea38300.pdf 07206094eaf8fe13e0a91ee9ffad8b4b PDF Text Text SLOVAKIA Stephen S e n t 5 f k , S. J. Maximilian Hell, S.J. SLOVAK SCIENTIST OF WORLD RENOWN 1720-1792 On the occasion of a world-wide commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the birth of the Jesuit Maximilian Hell, which was sponsored by the international organization UNESCO, the Slovak Museum of Mining in Banska Stiavnica, Slovakia, published a worthy volume of lectures selected from a learned conference that was convoked in honor of the achievements of this distinguished scientist and remarkable teacher. The fact that a Slovak scholar was rightfully among those who were considered and assigned a place on the calendar of world-wide celebrations and that he was, in fact, universally recognized and honored-even with the liistinction of a commemorative UNESCO postal stampnaturally reflects honor not only on the man but also on his homeland, Slovakia. It likewise brings a degree of prestige of Slovak scholars who are devoted to scientific pursuit and it provides even the average layman with an opportunity to turn attention to the Slovak past and perhaps to catch in it at least a glimpse of some significant features that have long been indistinct or wholly unknown until now. In the thoughtful study titled "Banska Stiavnica-the Natural Environment of Maximilian Hell," (one of the papers published in the above-mentioned volume, cf. pp. 40 ff.) Dr. Jozef Vlachovic writes: "A thoughtful study of that period in the history of Banska Stiavnica brings one many a surprise and prompts frank admiration for the inhabitants of that town in its early days of economic growth. Largely because of their unmitigated effort, which appears to have been almost superhuman at times, and by reason of their remarkable intellectual gifts and physical stamina, they developed their community to an exceptional �6 SLOVAKIA degree of prosperity and progress." Dr. Vlachovic also notes that many aspects of the city's history and its. uniquely flourishing mining industry have not yet been adequately researched and should become the object of proper scholarly investigation. Encouraged by this observation, this writer has undertaken at least a bri~f exploration of the life and times of Maximilian Hell. The main objective · is to examine the highlights of his life and to survey the general environment in which the scientist was shaped, noting the influences that had contributed to the molding of his character and the bent of his scientific activities. FAMILY INFLUENCES The axiomatic principle that the earliest and strongest influences in life come from the home was borne out in the early shaping of the personality of Maximilian Hell who came of a family that was extraordinary in some respects. His father was Matthias Cornelius Hell, born c. 1650. It is very likely that he was of German background although his birthplace was Horny Slavkov near Pribram. He.began his working career in the Czech mining industry. It is generally agreed that he must have been gifted and industrious; this surmise is substantiated by the fact that he rapidly advanced in his working position so that although he was still a very young man, he was soon ranked as a highly qualified mining technician. He was, however, the kind of technician who not only mastered the intricacies of the industrial equipment readily and was able to increase production significantly, but he could also turn his keen perception and deep concern to the welfare and safety of the men who worked in the mines. His sense of responsibility reached out to men as well as to machines. In 1694, when Matthias Hell was in the prime of his manhood and had already enjoyed some recognition for his achievements, Count :Cudovit Thavonath, the chairman of a mining commission and recruiter of highly qualified experts for the mining industry, offered him a position in Banska stiavnica. The offer was attractive to Hell and he decided to accept it. This was the circumstance that brought the Heil family to the stiavnica mining region; Matthias Hell adjusted to the new surroundings easily. �SLOVAKIA 7 His characteristic devotion to duty and scrupulous sense of' responsibility, his competence and skill as well as his f:r1endly and understanding attitude toward his fellow workers and his subordinates soon won him many friends and admirers. These traits also recommended him for early promotion, and before long he was named chief industrial engineer of the stiavnica mining enterprise. In this position he became the promoter of remarkably improved technical prbcedtires. He also won great acciaim for the construction of water works in the vicinity of Banska stiavnica. On three separate occasions it was Hell who saved the stiavnica mines from utter ruin or from closing. Around 1700, the entire stiavnica mining operation was imperiled because the underground water level had risen to a critical high. In the face of this danger, the mines were all but abandoned until Matthias Hell master-minded a practical plan to save them. Harnessing water power drawn from the dikes built in the mine area, he put machinery to work-for pumpirtg out the excess underground water accumulation. In 1703, the revolutionary forces of George Rakoczy II seized central Slovakia and dispossessed Count Thavonath. In these troubled time mine production declined appreciably · and Rakoczy ordered General Berceny to halt all mining operations and to level the entire facility. Matthias Hell knew how very unwise and irresponsible such a procedure would be and he prevailed upon General Berceny not to carry out this order. Later, after the suppression of the Rakoczy uprising and a ret:urn to normalcy, the mines were again threatened because there were insufficient funds for reconstruction and .the proper updating of the plant in order to insure effective and profitable production. An executive order brought work to a standstill and it appeared that the industry was doomed. In this predicament, Hell intervened with a personal appeal made in the course of an interview with Emperor Joseph I of Vienna. He succeeded in prevailing upon the sovereign to realize that the reconstruction and restoration of the mines would bring public benefit and economic prosperity to this part of his realm. After the death of his wife, Matthias Hell lived as a widower for some time, doing his best to bring up his �8 SLOVAKIA children satisfactorily. On September 22, 1707, however, he married Julia Victoria Steindel who came of a GermanSlovak family in $tiavnica. This marriage was blest with four sons, each of whom distinguished himself in some way of life. The eldest, Ignatius Cornelius, became an outstanding engineer engaged in analyzing and assaying the various types of ore that were extracted in the $tiavnica mines. Joseph Charles, the second eldest, earned recognition and a degree of fame for a number of discoveries and inventions related to the mining industry. Some of the scientific and technical principles underlying these devices are still used to advantage throughout the world, even to our day. On May 15, 1720, when Matthias Cornelius Hell was already seventy years old, his third son was born. At his baptism in the Jesuit church in Banska $tiavnica he was given the name Maximilian. The occasion was solemn and significant, and a special aura was added to the ceremonies because the godparents were Count Tavonath and his wife. The fourth son in the family was Michael who distinguished himself in the local community as a chief inspector of the pumping operation in the mines. The Hell family had special regard for religious and intellectual training. The parents were solicitous about providing for their children a solid and wholesome preparation for life, and the children were intellectually gifted and responsive, all of them showing a special aptitude for mathematical and natural sciences. The fact that the mining school center was located at Vindsachta where the Hell family lived, made drawing boards and mapping materials, charts and model of mine working equipment, libraries and many learning aids accessible to the children, and they readily became very familiar with all these resources, deriving an excellent general and broadening education out of this circumstance. The scientific genius of Maximilian Hell found much opportunity for expression in this milieu of central-Slovak mining towns where socio-economic development was at a peak. This factor makes it advisable to pause a bit in order to survey the background with at least cursory interest. HANSKA $TIAVNICA was a leading city in Slovakia. As a matter of fact, it �SLOVAKIA 9 was second in rank, coming right after Bratislava, the capital city, and by actual count it had three hundred buildings more than Bratislava. Very early references to goldsmiths and to metal mining in the area can be traced back to at least the year 1075. In the sixteenth century events so shaped themselves that the city had every assurance of securely laid foundations for its cultural growth and for long-range prosperity of a high order. A large number of outstanding leaders in the field of technology and scientists of established repute came to reside in Banska stiavnica. The success and prosperity of the city were conditioned primarily on the natural underground richness of its mineral deposits and secondarily on other significant factors. In 1587 Banska stiavnica became the seat of the municipal treasury or finance department and the recognized head of seven mining cities in central Slovakia that had formed a partnership for mutual defense in the face of the Turkish menace and for united resistance to John Zapol'sky. Later most of the city's mining interests passed into the hands of affluent citizens so that the industry was not controlled by foreign investors but it developed and thrived on the capital of its own citizens who were characteristically energetic, hard-working and well educated individuals. The increase of mining output and the expansion of the mining industry as a whole were commensurate with the rising level of scholastic standards and academic opportunities, with the remarkable development of the educational system and with the rapidly advancing cultural status of the townspeople in stiavnica. In 1725 Banska stiavnica opened a technical school of mining which later evolved into a school of advanced learning and by 1770 became the Mining Academy for specialized study. It was the first advanced school of its kind in all Europe, attracting widespread attention for its departments of chemistry and physics. It had the unique distinction of being the first school in the history of education to introduce the laboratory method of instruction in chemistry. European technical schools were greatly interested in the outcomes of scientific experiments that were conducted in the innovated laboratory classes at the school. The Polytechnic Institute of Paris adopted the laboratory �10 SLOVAKIA method of instruction in chemistry as it had been introduced in the Academy of Mining in Banska stiavnica. Before long, other European polytechnic schools and universities also did so. Excellently equipped laboratories, an eminently qualified staff of teachers and research scholars as well as an environment and atmosphere conducive to pursuits of learning and research attracted scientists and inventors of established name to come to Banska stiavnica. For example: Volta, Tandi, Lippi, Savarezi, Melograni and a number of experts associated with the Spanish mining endeavors in America had devoted some time to specialized study in the laboratories at Banska stiavnica. The great demand for young engineers who had finished their studies at Banska stiavnica testifies to the high quality of schooling that was offered here. Early in the nineteenth century the sultan Mohammed invited into his service twelve graduates of this school, one of whom-John Knechtel-became the supervisor of mines in the Turkish empire. It was mainly because of the stimulus provided by the Mining Academy that the first world congress of natural scientists, attended largely by metallurgists and chemists, was held in Sklene Teplice in 1786. The International Society of Mining Science was established at this congress. Among its charter members were Anton Ruprecht and the Jesuit Nicholas Poda, both of whom were members of the faculty at the Mining Academy. Banska stiavnica reached the peak of its glory and prosperity in the first half of the eighteenth century. At that time its mining enterprises employed at least eight thousand workers and specialized technicians. The population of the city was always predominantly Slovak. In 1715, for example, its leading families registered these national origins or backgrounds: 424 Slovak, 360 German, and only 20 Magyar. Practically everyone who lived in the city was fluent in three languages: Slovak, German and Magyar. By the close of the eighteenth century, however, the city began to decline because it was no longer able to provide adequate job opportunities in the local mines and foundries. In the nineteenth century mining and �SLOVAKIA 11 metal works were superseded by other industrial interests that were introduced into Banska stiavnica. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF MAXIMILIAN HELL Early in his life Maximilian Hell gave every indication of precocious gifts and talents, and the home and family in which he was nurtured greatly contributed to the full development of his natural endowments. Although his health began to fail, the aged father still continued to discharge his responsibilities as chief mining engineer and at the same time, he conscientiously saw to the consistently thorough and sound training of his sons. All four boys acquired their earliest acquaintance with scientific lore and some basic in the study of science from their father right at home. Later they were able to build on these fundamentals when they attended the already famed Mining Academy. Even in his boyhood, Maximilian was strongly influenced by the Jesuit professors in Banska stiavnica who were remarkably dedicated priests and were now involved in vital movement to restore Catholicism in this town which was recovering after the defeat of Rakoczy. These Jesuits had a well established mission in the village Vindsachta where the Hell family lived. One of their principal concerns was the education and proper training of the younger generation. As one measure toward this end they had founded a junior high school in Banska stiavnica and the boys of their school won many accolades for their dramatic presentations and declamations as well as for their performances in public examinations. Later a number of Jesuits also taught at the Mining Academy, especially in the departments of Latin, rhetoric and poetry. Father Nicholas Poda and Father Charles Tierenberger were heads of mathematics, mechanics and physics. They were famed experts in their specialized fields and they were excellent educators as well. Father Poda produced a textbook on mechanical engineering with special reference to the mining industry. It was the first textbook of its kind. For many decades the hand written lecture notes of Father Tierenberger were valued as a kind of mathematics handbook. Much of their substance and method still �12 SLOVAKIA had some value in practical application as late as the beginning of our century. There is no question about the lasting influence of the Jesuits upon the formative years of Maximilian Hell's life. Even from early boyhood he cultivated a strong inclination to develop his talents in their Society. He knew with what devotion the Jesuits promoted science and learning together with profound spirituality, for he had living examples of this kind of life in action and in its full reality as often as he looked about at the inspiration of Jesuit teachers in his midst, men who were effectively combined intensive religious life with specialized skills and scholarship in the natural sciences. On the recommendation of local teachers, the father sent his growing son to schools in Banska Bystrica where he could enroll in humanities courses at the Jesuit senior high school. In 1738 Maximilian Hell entered the Jesuit novitiate in Trencin. He was then a promising young man of eighteen. He devoted two years to the exclusive study of the fundamentals of religious life as it is lived in the Society of Jesus. Marginally, he continued his interest in the natural sciences, principally in mathematics. After his novitiate training was completed in 1740, his superiors sent him to Vienna for further study. This was the first time that he left his native Slovakia but he knew that his absence would be only temporary, that he would return one day with a rich store of enlarged knowledge and new experiences that could be shared with his countrymen. His life and accomplishments prove that this aspiration was no empty dream. Hell began his studies in Vienna by enrolling in the department of philosophy. In his day, this department also offered courses in what was catalogued as natural philoso phy and included the study of mathematics, physics and astronomy. These were the courses that interested Maximilian Hell the most. During the time that he was absorbed in mastering these natural sciences at Vienna, he also published his first book Elementa algebrae. The university at Vienna opened a new phase of life for the aspiring Jesuit. Two outstanding Jesuit educators who took note of this brilliant student were Erasmus Frolich, professor of mathematics, applied science in mechanics and history; and Joseph Franz, lecturer in philosophy, who �SLOVAKIA 13 was also devoted to exploring problems in mmmg and astronomy-subjects from the dark pits in the deep earth to the distant vaults in the skies. Franz already enjoyed an established reputation in the world of science, for he was the founder and the director of the Oriental Institute in Vienna. Both his diplomatic and his study tours in Turkey and in Asia Minor had yielded him a great deal of interesting and useful information, especially in matters of Oriental astronomy, mathematics and physics. He became very fond of Maximilian Hell whom he esteemed mainly because of his grasp in mining technology and his practical understanding of mining machines and equipment. Aware of these qualifications in Hell, Franz chose him to be the recipient of a special fellowship and to serve as an assistant in his department. Later he introduced him to the wonders of astronomy and in time he made him an assistant in the Jesuit observatory. Maximilian became enchanted by this science of the heavens and he discovered that here at least was his greatest prospect for the direct application of his attractions and his natural capacities for natural science and mathematics. It is standard Jesuit practice that after two years of study in philosophy, a candidate devotes a year or two to actual teaching and work in the apostolate in order to benefit from such realistic experience and to test innate capacities. On his personal initiative Maximilian Hell petitioned his superiors to assign him to some work of this nature in his native Slovakia. This reasonable request was honored and he was sent to teach Latin, Greek, history and geography at the high school in Levoca. Later he himself added mathematics to the courses that he taught and in his free time he continued the study of astronomy which fascinated him thoroughly. He proved to be very effective in his work with Slovak high school students as well as in his activities among the local people. They admired him greatly and were impressed by his personality and his intellectual gifts. From Levoca Hell often visited his friend Adam Kollar who taught in Liptovsky Sv. Mikulas. He, too, had had Jesuit training in the background but he decided to leave the Society before ordination. After two years of teaching at the high school in Levoca, Hell returned to Vienna for theological studies which lasted �14 SLOVAKIA four years, and finally in 1751 he achieved the most ardent hope of his lifetime when he was ordained priest. In this same year he was also awarded the academic degree Doctor of Philosophy. After ordination he taught for some time at the humanities school in Banska Bystrica which was quite close to his native Banska stiavnica. This made it possible for him to keep in close touch with his brother Joseph who was employed as a mechanical engineer. Pooling his talents with Samuel Makovini he was busily engaged in constructing a new pumping device to control the water level in the mines. The unusual feature of this pumping machine lay in the fact that it was not dependent on motor power or on levers, on pressure valves or pistons, but its operational force was pressurized water power alone. Maximilian was of great help to Joseph in this undertaking, for he worked out sensitive mathematical calculations that were involved in the planning. At the same time he was broadening and deepening his own mastery of physics. Interestingly, 110 years later this ingenious concept of the Hell brothers of using the force of pressurized air to pump liquids was put to practical use for the first time when the United States undertook operations to extract crude oil out of Pennsylvania oil fields. The discovery of the Hell brothers became the common property of all men. While he was in Banska Bystrica, Maximilian successfully completed what is termed the third probationary period in the Jesuit formation program and he became a full-fledged member, dedicated to a lifetime career in the Society. At the request of Count Konigseck, who was very influential in the mining industry and who was well acquainted with the Hell family, and with the sanction of his immediate -superiors, the young Jesuit tutored the Count's son in mathematics and physics for some time, helping to prepare him for a lifetime office in mining supervision. It should be kept in mind that at this time the Mining Academy was not yet founded in Banska stiavnica. The tutorial service that Hell performed for Count Konigseck's son really made of him a pioneer in mining instruction on the secondary level. It was ten years later-specifically on April 3, 1770-that Empress Maria Theresa, Queen of �SLOVAKIA 15 Hungary and Bohemia, granted approbation to the proposal presented by Count Novohradsky after mature deliberation with Professor Hell, for the founding of the Mining Academy which was to be an advanced technical institute of mining in Banska stiavnica. Hell was also commissioned to translate the mining statutes of Hungary (the old multinational state) from German into Latin. This event too indicates what respect Maximilian Hell commanded in scientific circles, for a task of this kind could be entrusted only to one with proven abilities not only in fluent Latin expression but also with a command of clear and precise mining terminology. Though Hell was greatly preoccupied with these activities, his study of astronomy did not suffer in any way. As a matter of fact, he made steady progress in this science and his prestige among astronomers continued to grow. In 1752 Dean Borgias Keri of the University of Trnava approached him about the founding of a university observatory. Hell welcomed the proposition, for if he had a particular ambition, it was to see his native Slovakia advance significantly in scientific scholarship as well as in all branches of learning. After an all-too-brief stay of one year in Trnava, Hell was assigned to Kluz in present-day Rumania where he was to establish a new college and build an observatory. He devoted three years of intensive work to this task. In the course of this time, however, he not only supervised the construction of the college and its observatory but he also taught mathematics and found time for the apostolic work of pastoral service among the Slovaks and Germans who were beginning to settle in Kluz and its vicinity and were in need of priestly ministry. By way of a marginal professional undertaking, he also compiled and published some handbooks in mathematics. In formal professional circles Hell earned not only recognition but even evident regard and esteem for his scholarly proficiency and his achievements in mathematics, physics and astronomy. After the eminent natural scientist and mathematician John Marinoni died in Vienna, Hell was invited to that city and was named director of the new observatory at the University of Vienna. In the discharge of this office he created extraordinary and needful pressure �16 SLOVAKIA in order to provide for the observatory the newest kind of equipment that was available in that day. In line of duty, he devoted meticulous attention to the movement of heavenly bodies, conducted guided tours of the observatory on behalf of noteworthy visitors, collaborated with projects of scientific institutes outside the country, supervised the publication of calendars of astronomic interest and information, and conducted sessions in the practical study of astronomy and observation of heavenly bodies. From 1755 on, Hell undertook very serious efforts to correlate and coordinate the theoretic and the practical aspects of science. He was gratifyingly successful in the endeavor. With a sense of elation he accepted an offer to teach mechanics and to conduct lectures for aspiring builders, construction engineers and artists. In time, Hell found himself constrained to resign his teaching commitments because of the burdens of office. He had become court astronomer and mathematician as well as editor of the learned astronomy annual Ephemerides Astronomicae. The greatest of demands were made on him by this journal which he compiled and edited for 37 years, except for some brief and intermittent periods. It brought its readers pertinent mathematical tables and calculations and almanac-styled articles on heavenly phenomena, primarily the movement of the principal heavenly bodies: the sun, the moon and the stars. Hell also made of this annual the publications vehicle for reports on astronomic observations from many European observatories. His prestigious position as well as his deservedly respected reputation as a remarkable scholar and an accomplished scientist together with his winning disposition and gracious manner all worked to the good in attracting the cooperation of significant men of science and learning in other countries. This editing of a scientific journal of this nature was a pioneering venture. England launched a similar publication only ten years later. The Berlin Academy did not initiate such a publication until two decades later. THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF MAXIMILIAN HELL Writing in the periodical The Slovak Jesuits in Canada �SLOVAKIA 17 <1970, p. 48) Dr. Robert Bajcar observes that "It is a challenging and complex task to evaluate the achievements of Maximilian Hell. This is due largely to the fact that the man himself is an impressive personality of uncommon stature and his is a broad spectrum of interests with a markedly varied field of activity. Nor is it a simple matter to do this uniquely versatile scientist justice by appropriate placement in proper historic and generic classifications." Dr. Bajcar feels that Maximilian Hell is first and foremost an astronomer. In this appreciation of Hell, however, we choose to review his contributions to his native land and to speak of his scientific expedition to the polar regions m the company of John ~ajnovic, another Slovak Jesuit scholar. It is an interesting detail of research findings that the first efforts to organize scientific activities and interests in the multinational and polyglot country of Hungary were begun in Slovak lands. In 1763 Adam Kollar, honored by his colleagues with the epithet "The Slovak Socrates," addressed to Hungarian scholars and learned citizens his proposal for founding a Hungarian learned society whose members would concern themselves with active participation in or the support of research into the history, natural science, economics and political science of Hungary. Two years later, Kollar published a Latin document justifying the taxation of properties owned by the Church and the nobility. This offended many sensibilities and the aristocracy retaliated with an official proclamation in parliament by which Kollar was denounced as a traitor and his paper was publicly burned at an open demonstration in the courtyard of the Bratislava townhall. Maria Theresa exonerated Kollar, her official director at the imperial library, but she tabled his proposal for the founding of a learned society. A second endeavor to establish a Hungarian learned society was made in 1771. This one, too, was initiated in Slovakia. This time the proposition was presented to Maria Theresa anonymously although it is generally surmised that is was formulated by Kollar, Trstiansky and Count Teleki. The proposed body was to be called Academia Augusta and was to consist of four departments: philosophy, history, political economy and education. In May, 1774, �18 SLOVAKIA the court counselor authorized Adam Kollar and Maximilian Hell to draft the charter and the by-laws of the projected association. For a long time Hell had given much thought to the prospects of organizing scientific thought and activities. He had his own preconceptions about the nature and objectives of a learned body, and unhappily his ideas did not square with Kalla.r's. Hell envisioned niceties of distinction between the university as a pedagogical institution and the learned academy as a scientific institute. He believed that: It is the function of a lecturer or a professor in a given discipline to present the subject matter of a course within its current context and degree of development together with all available findings that are related to it at that time and in such a manner that it will be readily comprehended and assimilated by the average student in attendance ... An active member of the learned society, on the other hand, is responsible not only for demonstrating professional mastery in his specialized field, but he likewise bears the responsibility of bring,i ng the fruits and findings of personal study, eocperimentation and research, the responsibility of making new contribution to the general store of data already available in that field. Members of a learned institute bring discovery and enrichment to science and learning; professors, by contrast, present to their classes and audiences facts and explanations bearing on the findings made by learned societies in order to enlarge and expand knowledge that is already available. By Hell's definition then, the essential scientist is intrinsically a discoverer of new facts or new ideas. For this reason, Hell was convinced that this unique aspect of science scholarship had to be a characteristic and integral feature of the authentic academy of sciences. There is fundamental truth in the perceptive thinking of Hell but this was thoroughly radical thinking in his day. It was also truly radical, for example, to consider Hell's exclusion of the hwnanities from the academy. His philosophy of thinking out the structure of the academy ruled out history, law, linguistics, the fine arts and related disciplines. It is not surprising then that Hell's plan was vigorously opposed by the humanists. As a matter of fact, Kollar himself came to take a stand against Hell and his unrelenting position. Hell also had ideas of his own concerning the financial �SLOVAKIA 19 security of the proposed academy. He proposed that it be supported by the publication of scientific almanacs that would be promoted throughout all the countries of the Habsburg empire. Officialdom in Hungary did not endorse this plan but offered the counter-proposal that the academy be established with headquarters in Trnava, where the University of Trnava would see to its functioning. This time it was Hell's proposal that was relegated ad acta. But his hopes and his efforts to organize scientific thought and activities in home reasonable way were not entirely in vain. The international science institute which was founded in Sklene Teplice in 1786 never would have been established in Slovakia had its establishment not been proceded by the hopeful plans and efforts of scientists like Hell and Kollar. A significant contribution of Maximilian Hell to the Slovak world of science was his construction of an observatory at the University of Trnava. At this time in the history of learning and education, an observatory had more than scientific value exclusively; it also satisfied academic and practical roles. Hell's peculiar genius lay in his ability to combine scientific theory with practical application. His scientific almanacs were sought not only by specialists in astronomy but by geographers, mariners, travelers and military strategists as well. He was proficient in using scientific knowledge to good purpose for many practical uses. Danish astronomers and sailors were especially eager to have his publications. One year after his accession to the throne, the young King Christian officially invited Hell to come to Denmark and offered him a commission to take charge of astronomic observation on Warde Island in the icy North Sea during the eclipse of the sun on June 3, 1769. With the consent of Maria Theresa, Hell accepted the King's offer and made necessary preparations for the journey and for the observation study. He chose for his companion a fellow-Jesuit John sajnowho was his junior by thirteen years. Sajnovic had experience as an assistant at the Trnava University observatory which Hell had founded. Both men were natives of the same region, they were of compatible disposition and vic �20 SLOVAKIA had many interests in common. The younger man was entrusted with all the details of the journey by land and by sea, and he was to prepare the physical features of the observation station on Warde Island. Hell was to look after the essentially scientific details connected with the task of observation and with the keeping of a scientific diary and official records. A secondary assignment for sajnovic was to study the flora and fauna of Lapland as well as the native Laplanders, the Eskimos and the Finns; their language, customs and culture-truly a formidable and responsible task. Hell added to his main objectives a study of the aurora borealis, the magnetic needle and the Gulf Stream-its influence on storms, etc. On April 28, 1768 Hell and sajnovic set out on the long expedition from Vienna to the Arctic Circle. The journey was long and taxing, requiring all of five months. On October 1, they finally reached their destination, Warde Island in the frozen North Sea. The work to which they set themselves there was even more strenuous than their journey had been. Their new surroundings were utterly strange, strange beyond all expectations. The polar summer was chilling, the sky was usually overcast, and the entire landscape and seascape were shrouded in fog. They set to work energetically building their research station and made eager preparation for June 3, the date of the eclipse when Venus was to pass between the sun and the earth, blotting out the sun's light. Hell's scientific log, his astute observations together with his scientific notations and calculations made in connection with this phenomenon became a substantial contribution to the composite fund of world facts in astronomy. On returning from this expedition, Hell presented himself before a session convoked by the Academy of Sciences at Copenhagen and delivered a thorough report on his journey, his observations and his conclusions. He promised to send a copy of this report to the Danish king. As a token of gratitude, Christian II granted Hell an annual pension of a thousand gulden but Hell graciously declined the bounty of the King. �SLOVAKIA 21 When Hell reached Vienna, he worked out some of his notes in greater detail and an account of his research and observation was published in a 1771 annual devoted to astronomy. Shortly afterwards he prepared another work on this subject. It was published as a French study in Journal des savants in 1776. Hell had set himself the further task of preparing a meticulously detailed account which was to be published in three comprehensive volumes but this scholarly work was never completed because the suppression of the Society of Jesus brought it to a halt. This unfortunate dissolution of the Jesuits also caused Hell to lose all his faithful associates and co-workers of long standing. Besides, he was burdened with an overwhelming multiplicity of pressing duties that prevented his application to the projected volumes. Another obstacle was the lack of financial resources to defray the expenses that would be entailed by such a publication. John sajnovic, Hell's companion and associate on the expedition to the Arctic for the solar eclipse observations, also produced a valuable work. It was published under the sponsorship of the University of Trnava. One feature of it was the linguistic study in which sajnovic pointed out various elements that the Lapp, the Finnish and the Chinese languages have in common with Magyar. Because Hell's long promised three-volume account of the Arctic project with all its scientific implications never went to print, differences of opinion on the merits of Hell's contribution began to appear among some groups of interested scientists. De la Lande and Encke were among the astronomers who cast doubts on Hell's time and date calculations in the researching of the solar eclipse as well as in his data relevant to general observations from this expedition. Much later, however, the American astronomer Newcomb made an exhaustive study of Hell's records in Vienna and he confirmed the findings of the polar expedition as Hell had reported them. Closer to our day the Danish astronomer Nielsen painstakingly reviewed Hell's calculations and reaffirmed their correctness and reliability in the light of modern scientific methods and theories. �22 SLOVAKIA CONCLUDING SUMMARY Maximilian Hell was an outstanding scholar and scientist whom Slovakia gave to the world. His major interest was in astronomy but he was also an authority in related branches of science, mainly in mathematics, physics, meteorology, physical geography, and mining geodesy and geodynamics. As a young man in his prime, he established and conducted astronomic observatories in Trnava, Kluz, Jager and Budapest. When we realize that in Hell's day astronomical observatories were the foremost of scientific institutes, and that physics and natural science laboratories came into being at a later time, we begin to appreciate more fully the fact that Hell's achievements were of prime significance not only within the borders of his own country but in all Europe as well. Hell himself was not-and he did not attempt to be-the kind of scientific research scholar who opens new fields of study on the basis of revolutionary or daring hypothetic premises; he was the characteristically patient, painstaking, persistant scholar whose whole life and achievement was grounded in diligent and unmitigated devotion to work and in dogged perseverance in a task. Too great a portion of Hell's scientific endeavor still remains unexamined and inadequately appraised. Much of his correspondence which deals with scientific interests is practically untouched. Pinzger published a monograph on Hell in which he included some samplings of this correspondence but his sources were not truly representative, for he limited himself to Austrian and Hungarian sources exclusively. The bulk of Hell's corr~spondence is reserved in the Academy of Sciences and in the archives of the observatory at the University of Vienna which is also official guardian of a special fund or trust in Hell's memory. Besides meriting recognition as a research scholar in various branches of science, Hell also deserves to be remembered as an educator of note. He was a renowned teacher and a distinguished lecturer at the University of Vienna. It is generally agreed that in the entire realm there was not at that time a scholar who was his equal, much less any one who could have performed or continued Hell's commit- �SLOVAKIA 23 ments more creditably or more satisfactorily. Because he was always a leader who was greatly involved in the scientific movements and activities of all Europe, he was offered membership in many notable scientific societies and associations. A further achievement of Maximilian Hell was his detailed mapping of the surface of the moon. The International Union of Astronomers recognized the value of this project and honored it by naming one of the moon's craters in honor of Hell. The life and achievements of this Jesuit scholar testify to the fact that Slovakia has much in her past that reflects glory upon the Slovaks as a nation. This should inspire a sense of wholesome pride and ambition in today's generation of descendants of Slovak families at home and .abroad. Translated by Barbara F t ci c n i k and Sister Martina T y b o r THE EASTERN SLOVAK CITY of Presov, historic market-town for centuries, is expanding its industrial facilities . Last year a modern super chicken-farm was established and put into operation. Moreover, a special auto-service with a daily capacity for approximately 500 autos was inaugurated. The center covering an area of 30,000 sq. meters was built at a cost of almost 50 million crowns (about $10,000,000.00). ALTHOUGH EACH YEAR the Slovak shipbuilders in Koma.mo, Slovakia, make scores of vessels for the Soviet Union which employs them on the Danube, Slovak shipping is limited to a pair of ships, the Slavin and Trnava, and three small craft. � SLOVAKIA Stephen S e n t 5 f k , S. J. Maximilian Hell, S.J. SLOVAK SCIENTIST OF WORLD RENOWN 1720-1792 On the occasion of a world-wide commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the birth of the Jesuit Maximilian Hell, which was sponsored by the international organization UNESCO, the Slovak Museum of Mining in Banska Stiavnica, Slovakia, published a worthy volume of lectures selected from a learned conference that was convoked in honor of the achievements of this distinguished scientist and remarkable teacher. The fact that a Slovak scholar was rightfully among those who were considered and assigned a place on the calendar of world-wide celebrations and that he was, in fact, universally recognized and honored-even with the liistinction of a commemorative UNESCO postal stampnaturally reflects honor not only on the man but also on his homeland, Slovakia. It likewise brings a degree of prestige of Slovak scholars who are devoted to scientific pursuit and it provides even the average layman with an opportunity to turn attention to the Slovak past and perhaps to catch in it at least a glimpse of some significant features that have long been indistinct or wholly unknown until now. In the thoughtful study titled "Banska Stiavnica-the Natural Environment of Maximilian Hell," (one of the papers published in the above-mentioned volume, cf. pp. 40 ff.) Dr. Jozef Vlachovic writes: "A thoughtful study of that period in the history of Banska Stiavnica brings one many a surprise and prompts frank admiration for the inhabitants of that town in its early days of economic growth. Largely because of their unmitigated effort, which appears to have been almost superhuman at times, and by reason of their remarkable intellectual gifts and physical stamina, they developed their community to an exceptional �6 SLOVAKIA degree of prosperity and progress." Dr. Vlachovic also notes that many aspects of the city's history and its. uniquely flourishing mining industry have not yet been adequately researched and should become the object of proper scholarly investigation. Encouraged by this observation, this writer has undertaken at least a bri~f exploration of the life and times of Maximilian Hell. The main objective · is to examine the highlights of his life and to survey the general environment in which the scientist was shaped, noting the influences that had contributed to the molding of his character and the bent of his scientific activities. FAMILY INFLUENCES The axiomatic principle that the earliest and strongest influences in life come from the home was borne out in the early shaping of the personality of Maximilian Hell who came of a family that was extraordinary in some respects. His father was Matthias Cornelius Hell, born c. 1650. It is very likely that he was of German background although his birthplace was Horny Slavkov near Pribram. He.began his working career in the Czech mining industry. It is generally agreed that he must have been gifted and industrious; this surmise is substantiated by the fact that he rapidly advanced in his working position so that although he was still a very young man, he was soon ranked as a highly qualified mining technician. He was, however, the kind of technician who not only mastered the intricacies of the industrial equipment readily and was able to increase production significantly, but he could also turn his keen perception and deep concern to the welfare and safety of the men who worked in the mines. His sense of responsibility reached out to men as well as to machines. In 1694, when Matthias Hell was in the prime of his manhood and had already enjoyed some recognition for his achievements, Count :Cudovit Thavonath, the chairman of a mining commission and recruiter of highly qualified experts for the mining industry, offered him a position in Banska stiavnica. The offer was attractive to Hell and he decided to accept it. This was the circumstance that brought the Heil family to the stiavnica mining region; Matthias Hell adjusted to the new surroundings easily. �SLOVAKIA 7 His characteristic devotion to duty and scrupulous sense of' responsibility, his competence and skill as well as his f:r1endly and understanding attitude toward his fellow workers and his subordinates soon won him many friends and admirers. These traits also recommended him for early promotion, and before long he was named chief industrial engineer of the stiavnica mining enterprise. In this position he became the promoter of remarkably improved technical prbcedtires. He also won great acciaim for the construction of water works in the vicinity of Banska stiavnica. On three separate occasions it was Hell who saved the stiavnica mines from utter ruin or from closing. Around 1700, the entire stiavnica mining operation was imperiled because the underground water level had risen to a critical high. In the face of this danger, the mines were all but abandoned until Matthias Hell master-minded a practical plan to save them. Harnessing water power drawn from the dikes built in the mine area, he put machinery to work-for pumpirtg out the excess underground water accumulation. In 1703, the revolutionary forces of George Rakoczy II seized central Slovakia and dispossessed Count Thavonath. In these troubled time mine production declined appreciably · and Rakoczy ordered General Berceny to halt all mining operations and to level the entire facility. Matthias Hell knew how very unwise and irresponsible such a procedure would be and he prevailed upon General Berceny not to carry out this order. Later, after the suppression of the Rakoczy uprising and a ret:urn to normalcy, the mines were again threatened because there were insufficient funds for reconstruction and .the proper updating of the plant in order to insure effective and profitable production. An executive order brought work to a standstill and it appeared that the industry was doomed. In this predicament, Hell intervened with a personal appeal made in the course of an interview with Emperor Joseph I of Vienna. He succeeded in prevailing upon the sovereign to realize that the reconstruction and restoration of the mines would bring public benefit and economic prosperity to this part of his realm. After the death of his wife, Matthias Hell lived as a widower for some time, doing his best to bring up his �8 SLOVAKIA children satisfactorily. On September 22, 1707, however, he married Julia Victoria Steindel who came of a GermanSlovak family in $tiavnica. This marriage was blest with four sons, each of whom distinguished himself in some way of life. The eldest, Ignatius Cornelius, became an outstanding engineer engaged in analyzing and assaying the various types of ore that were extracted in the $tiavnica mines. Joseph Charles, the second eldest, earned recognition and a degree of fame for a number of discoveries and inventions related to the mining industry. Some of the scientific and technical principles underlying these devices are still used to advantage throughout the world, even to our day. On May 15, 1720, when Matthias Cornelius Hell was already seventy years old, his third son was born. At his baptism in the Jesuit church in Banska $tiavnica he was given the name Maximilian. The occasion was solemn and significant, and a special aura was added to the ceremonies because the godparents were Count Tavonath and his wife. The fourth son in the family was Michael who distinguished himself in the local community as a chief inspector of the pumping operation in the mines. The Hell family had special regard for religious and intellectual training. The parents were solicitous about providing for their children a solid and wholesome preparation for life, and the children were intellectually gifted and responsive, all of them showing a special aptitude for mathematical and natural sciences. The fact that the mining school center was located at Vindsachta where the Hell family lived, made drawing boards and mapping materials, charts and model of mine working equipment, libraries and many learning aids accessible to the children, and they readily became very familiar with all these resources, deriving an excellent general and broadening education out of this circumstance. The scientific genius of Maximilian Hell found much opportunity for expression in this milieu of central-Slovak mining towns where socio-economic development was at a peak. This factor makes it advisable to pause a bit in order to survey the background with at least cursory interest. HANSKA $TIAVNICA was a leading city in Slovakia. As a matter of fact, it �SLOVAKIA 9 was second in rank, coming right after Bratislava, the capital city, and by actual count it had three hundred buildings more than Bratislava. Very early references to goldsmiths and to metal mining in the area can be traced back to at least the year 1075. In the sixteenth century events so shaped themselves that the city had every assurance of securely laid foundations for its cultural growth and for long-range prosperity of a high order. A large number of outstanding leaders in the field of technology and scientists of established repute came to reside in Banska stiavnica. The success and prosperity of the city were conditioned primarily on the natural underground richness of its mineral deposits and secondarily on other significant factors. In 1587 Banska stiavnica became the seat of the municipal treasury or finance department and the recognized head of seven mining cities in central Slovakia that had formed a partnership for mutual defense in the face of the Turkish menace and for united resistance to John Zapol'sky. Later most of the city's mining interests passed into the hands of affluent citizens so that the industry was not controlled by foreign investors but it developed and thrived on the capital of its own citizens who were characteristically energetic, hard-working and well educated individuals. The increase of mining output and the expansion of the mining industry as a whole were commensurate with the rising level of scholastic standards and academic opportunities, with the remarkable development of the educational system and with the rapidly advancing cultural status of the townspeople in stiavnica. In 1725 Banska stiavnica opened a technical school of mining which later evolved into a school of advanced learning and by 1770 became the Mining Academy for specialized study. It was the first advanced school of its kind in all Europe, attracting widespread attention for its departments of chemistry and physics. It had the unique distinction of being the first school in the history of education to introduce the laboratory method of instruction in chemistry. European technical schools were greatly interested in the outcomes of scientific experiments that were conducted in the innovated laboratory classes at the school. The Polytechnic Institute of Paris adopted the laboratory �10 SLOVAKIA method of instruction in chemistry as it had been introduced in the Academy of Mining in Banska stiavnica. Before long, other European polytechnic schools and universities also did so. Excellently equipped laboratories, an eminently qualified staff of teachers and research scholars as well as an environment and atmosphere conducive to pursuits of learning and research attracted scientists and inventors of established name to come to Banska stiavnica. For example: Volta, Tandi, Lippi, Savarezi, Melograni and a number of experts associated with the Spanish mining endeavors in America had devoted some time to specialized study in the laboratories at Banska stiavnica. The great demand for young engineers who had finished their studies at Banska stiavnica testifies to the high quality of schooling that was offered here. Early in the nineteenth century the sultan Mohammed invited into his service twelve graduates of this school, one of whom-John Knechtel-became the supervisor of mines in the Turkish empire. It was mainly because of the stimulus provided by the Mining Academy that the first world congress of natural scientists, attended largely by metallurgists and chemists, was held in Sklene Teplice in 1786. The International Society of Mining Science was established at this congress. Among its charter members were Anton Ruprecht and the Jesuit Nicholas Poda, both of whom were members of the faculty at the Mining Academy. Banska stiavnica reached the peak of its glory and prosperity in the first half of the eighteenth century. At that time its mining enterprises employed at least eight thousand workers and specialized technicians. The population of the city was always predominantly Slovak. In 1715, for example, its leading families registered these national origins or backgrounds: 424 Slovak, 360 German, and only 20 Magyar. Practically everyone who lived in the city was fluent in three languages: Slovak, German and Magyar. By the close of the eighteenth century, however, the city began to decline because it was no longer able to provide adequate job opportunities in the local mines and foundries. In the nineteenth century mining and �SLOVAKIA 11 metal works were superseded by other industrial interests that were introduced into Banska stiavnica. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF MAXIMILIAN HELL Early in his life Maximilian Hell gave every indication of precocious gifts and talents, and the home and family in which he was nurtured greatly contributed to the full development of his natural endowments. Although his health began to fail, the aged father still continued to discharge his responsibilities as chief mining engineer and at the same time, he conscientiously saw to the consistently thorough and sound training of his sons. All four boys acquired their earliest acquaintance with scientific lore and some basic in the study of science from their father right at home. Later they were able to build on these fundamentals when they attended the already famed Mining Academy. Even in his boyhood, Maximilian was strongly influenced by the Jesuit professors in Banska stiavnica who were remarkably dedicated priests and were now involved in vital movement to restore Catholicism in this town which was recovering after the defeat of Rakoczy. These Jesuits had a well established mission in the village Vindsachta where the Hell family lived. One of their principal concerns was the education and proper training of the younger generation. As one measure toward this end they had founded a junior high school in Banska stiavnica and the boys of their school won many accolades for their dramatic presentations and declamations as well as for their performances in public examinations. Later a number of Jesuits also taught at the Mining Academy, especially in the departments of Latin, rhetoric and poetry. Father Nicholas Poda and Father Charles Tierenberger were heads of mathematics, mechanics and physics. They were famed experts in their specialized fields and they were excellent educators as well. Father Poda produced a textbook on mechanical engineering with special reference to the mining industry. It was the first textbook of its kind. For many decades the hand written lecture notes of Father Tierenberger were valued as a kind of mathematics handbook. Much of their substance and method still �12 SLOVAKIA had some value in practical application as late as the beginning of our century. There is no question about the lasting influence of the Jesuits upon the formative years of Maximilian Hell's life. Even from early boyhood he cultivated a strong inclination to develop his talents in their Society. He knew with what devotion the Jesuits promoted science and learning together with profound spirituality, for he had living examples of this kind of life in action and in its full reality as often as he looked about at the inspiration of Jesuit teachers in his midst, men who were effectively combined intensive religious life with specialized skills and scholarship in the natural sciences. On the recommendation of local teachers, the father sent his growing son to schools in Banska Bystrica where he could enroll in humanities courses at the Jesuit senior high school. In 1738 Maximilian Hell entered the Jesuit novitiate in Trencin. He was then a promising young man of eighteen. He devoted two years to the exclusive study of the fundamentals of religious life as it is lived in the Society of Jesus. Marginally, he continued his interest in the natural sciences, principally in mathematics. After his novitiate training was completed in 1740, his superiors sent him to Vienna for further study. This was the first time that he left his native Slovakia but he knew that his absence would be only temporary, that he would return one day with a rich store of enlarged knowledge and new experiences that could be shared with his countrymen. His life and accomplishments prove that this aspiration was no empty dream. Hell began his studies in Vienna by enrolling in the department of philosophy. In his day, this department also offered courses in what was catalogued as natural philoso phy and included the study of mathematics, physics and astronomy. These were the courses that interested Maximilian Hell the most. During the time that he was absorbed in mastering these natural sciences at Vienna, he also published his first book Elementa algebrae. The university at Vienna opened a new phase of life for the aspiring Jesuit. Two outstanding Jesuit educators who took note of this brilliant student were Erasmus Frolich, professor of mathematics, applied science in mechanics and history; and Joseph Franz, lecturer in philosophy, who �SLOVAKIA 13 was also devoted to exploring problems in mmmg and astronomy-subjects from the dark pits in the deep earth to the distant vaults in the skies. Franz already enjoyed an established reputation in the world of science, for he was the founder and the director of the Oriental Institute in Vienna. Both his diplomatic and his study tours in Turkey and in Asia Minor had yielded him a great deal of interesting and useful information, especially in matters of Oriental astronomy, mathematics and physics. He became very fond of Maximilian Hell whom he esteemed mainly because of his grasp in mining technology and his practical understanding of mining machines and equipment. Aware of these qualifications in Hell, Franz chose him to be the recipient of a special fellowship and to serve as an assistant in his department. Later he introduced him to the wonders of astronomy and in time he made him an assistant in the Jesuit observatory. Maximilian became enchanted by this science of the heavens and he discovered that here at least was his greatest prospect for the direct application of his attractions and his natural capacities for natural science and mathematics. It is standard Jesuit practice that after two years of study in philosophy, a candidate devotes a year or two to actual teaching and work in the apostolate in order to benefit from such realistic experience and to test innate capacities. On his personal initiative Maximilian Hell petitioned his superiors to assign him to some work of this nature in his native Slovakia. This reasonable request was honored and he was sent to teach Latin, Greek, history and geography at the high school in Levoca. Later he himself added mathematics to the courses that he taught and in his free time he continued the study of astronomy which fascinated him thoroughly. He proved to be very effective in his work with Slovak high school students as well as in his activities among the local people. They admired him greatly and were impressed by his personality and his intellectual gifts. From Levoca Hell often visited his friend Adam Kollar who taught in Liptovsky Sv. Mikulas. He, too, had had Jesuit training in the background but he decided to leave the Society before ordination. After two years of teaching at the high school in Levoca, Hell returned to Vienna for theological studies which lasted �14 SLOVAKIA four years, and finally in 1751 he achieved the most ardent hope of his lifetime when he was ordained priest. In this same year he was also awarded the academic degree Doctor of Philosophy. After ordination he taught for some time at the humanities school in Banska Bystrica which was quite close to his native Banska stiavnica. This made it possible for him to keep in close touch with his brother Joseph who was employed as a mechanical engineer. Pooling his talents with Samuel Makovini he was busily engaged in constructing a new pumping device to control the water level in the mines. The unusual feature of this pumping machine lay in the fact that it was not dependent on motor power or on levers, on pressure valves or pistons, but its operational force was pressurized water power alone. Maximilian was of great help to Joseph in this undertaking, for he worked out sensitive mathematical calculations that were involved in the planning. At the same time he was broadening and deepening his own mastery of physics. Interestingly, 110 years later this ingenious concept of the Hell brothers of using the force of pressurized air to pump liquids was put to practical use for the first time when the United States undertook operations to extract crude oil out of Pennsylvania oil fields. The discovery of the Hell brothers became the common property of all men. While he was in Banska Bystrica, Maximilian successfully completed what is termed the third probationary period in the Jesuit formation program and he became a full-fledged member, dedicated to a lifetime career in the Society. At the request of Count Konigseck, who was very influential in the mining industry and who was well acquainted with the Hell family, and with the sanction of his immediate -superiors, the young Jesuit tutored the Count's son in mathematics and physics for some time, helping to prepare him for a lifetime office in mining supervision. It should be kept in mind that at this time the Mining Academy was not yet founded in Banska stiavnica. The tutorial service that Hell performed for Count Konigseck's son really made of him a pioneer in mining instruction on the secondary level. It was ten years later-specifically on April 3, 1770-that Empress Maria Theresa, Queen of �SLOVAKIA 15 Hungary and Bohemia, granted approbation to the proposal presented by Count Novohradsky after mature deliberation with Professor Hell, for the founding of the Mining Academy which was to be an advanced technical institute of mining in Banska stiavnica. Hell was also commissioned to translate the mining statutes of Hungary (the old multinational state) from German into Latin. This event too indicates what respect Maximilian Hell commanded in scientific circles, for a task of this kind could be entrusted only to one with proven abilities not only in fluent Latin expression but also with a command of clear and precise mining terminology. Though Hell was greatly preoccupied with these activities, his study of astronomy did not suffer in any way. As a matter of fact, he made steady progress in this science and his prestige among astronomers continued to grow. In 1752 Dean Borgias Keri of the University of Trnava approached him about the founding of a university observatory. Hell welcomed the proposition, for if he had a particular ambition, it was to see his native Slovakia advance significantly in scientific scholarship as well as in all branches of learning. After an all-too-brief stay of one year in Trnava, Hell was assigned to Kluz in present-day Rumania where he was to establish a new college and build an observatory. He devoted three years of intensive work to this task. In the course of this time, however, he not only supervised the construction of the college and its observatory but he also taught mathematics and found time for the apostolic work of pastoral service among the Slovaks and Germans who were beginning to settle in Kluz and its vicinity and were in need of priestly ministry. By way of a marginal professional undertaking, he also compiled and published some handbooks in mathematics. In formal professional circles Hell earned not only recognition but even evident regard and esteem for his scholarly proficiency and his achievements in mathematics, physics and astronomy. After the eminent natural scientist and mathematician John Marinoni died in Vienna, Hell was invited to that city and was named director of the new observatory at the University of Vienna. In the discharge of this office he created extraordinary and needful pressure �16 SLOVAKIA in order to provide for the observatory the newest kind of equipment that was available in that day. In line of duty, he devoted meticulous attention to the movement of heavenly bodies, conducted guided tours of the observatory on behalf of noteworthy visitors, collaborated with projects of scientific institutes outside the country, supervised the publication of calendars of astronomic interest and information, and conducted sessions in the practical study of astronomy and observation of heavenly bodies. From 1755 on, Hell undertook very serious efforts to correlate and coordinate the theoretic and the practical aspects of science. He was gratifyingly successful in the endeavor. With a sense of elation he accepted an offer to teach mechanics and to conduct lectures for aspiring builders, construction engineers and artists. In time, Hell found himself constrained to resign his teaching commitments because of the burdens of office. He had become court astronomer and mathematician as well as editor of the learned astronomy annual Ephemerides Astronomicae. The greatest of demands were made on him by this journal which he compiled and edited for 37 years, except for some brief and intermittent periods. It brought its readers pertinent mathematical tables and calculations and almanac-styled articles on heavenly phenomena, primarily the movement of the principal heavenly bodies: the sun, the moon and the stars. Hell also made of this annual the publications vehicle for reports on astronomic observations from many European observatories. His prestigious position as well as his deservedly respected reputation as a remarkable scholar and an accomplished scientist together with his winning disposition and gracious manner all worked to the good in attracting the cooperation of significant men of science and learning in other countries. This editing of a scientific journal of this nature was a pioneering venture. England launched a similar publication only ten years later. The Berlin Academy did not initiate such a publication until two decades later. THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF MAXIMILIAN HELL Writing in the periodical The Slovak Jesuits in Canada �SLOVAKIA 17 <1970, p. 48) Dr. Robert Bajcar observes that "It is a challenging and complex task to evaluate the achievements of Maximilian Hell. This is due largely to the fact that the man himself is an impressive personality of uncommon stature and his is a broad spectrum of interests with a markedly varied field of activity. Nor is it a simple matter to do this uniquely versatile scientist justice by appropriate placement in proper historic and generic classifications." Dr. Bajcar feels that Maximilian Hell is first and foremost an astronomer. In this appreciation of Hell, however, we choose to review his contributions to his native land and to speak of his scientific expedition to the polar regions m the company of John ~ajnovic, another Slovak Jesuit scholar. It is an interesting detail of research findings that the first efforts to organize scientific activities and interests in the multinational and polyglot country of Hungary were begun in Slovak lands. In 1763 Adam Kollar, honored by his colleagues with the epithet "The Slovak Socrates," addressed to Hungarian scholars and learned citizens his proposal for founding a Hungarian learned society whose members would concern themselves with active participation in or the support of research into the history, natural science, economics and political science of Hungary. Two years later, Kollar published a Latin document justifying the taxation of properties owned by the Church and the nobility. This offended many sensibilities and the aristocracy retaliated with an official proclamation in parliament by which Kollar was denounced as a traitor and his paper was publicly burned at an open demonstration in the courtyard of the Bratislava townhall. Maria Theresa exonerated Kollar, her official director at the imperial library, but she tabled his proposal for the founding of a learned society. A second endeavor to establish a Hungarian learned society was made in 1771. This one, too, was initiated in Slovakia. This time the proposition was presented to Maria Theresa anonymously although it is generally surmised that is was formulated by Kollar, Trstiansky and Count Teleki. The proposed body was to be called Academia Augusta and was to consist of four departments: philosophy, history, political economy and education. In May, 1774, �18 SLOVAKIA the court counselor authorized Adam Kollar and Maximilian Hell to draft the charter and the by-laws of the projected association. For a long time Hell had given much thought to the prospects of organizing scientific thought and activities. He had his own preconceptions about the nature and objectives of a learned body, and unhappily his ideas did not square with Kalla.r's. Hell envisioned niceties of distinction between the university as a pedagogical institution and the learned academy as a scientific institute. He believed that: It is the function of a lecturer or a professor in a given discipline to present the subject matter of a course within its current context and degree of development together with all available findings that are related to it at that time and in such a manner that it will be readily comprehended and assimilated by the average student in attendance ... An active member of the learned society, on the other hand, is responsible not only for demonstrating professional mastery in his specialized field, but he likewise bears the responsibility of bring,i ng the fruits and findings of personal study, eocperimentation and research, the responsibility of making new contribution to the general store of data already available in that field. Members of a learned institute bring discovery and enrichment to science and learning; professors, by contrast, present to their classes and audiences facts and explanations bearing on the findings made by learned societies in order to enlarge and expand knowledge that is already available. By Hell's definition then, the essential scientist is intrinsically a discoverer of new facts or new ideas. For this reason, Hell was convinced that this unique aspect of science scholarship had to be a characteristic and integral feature of the authentic academy of sciences. There is fundamental truth in the perceptive thinking of Hell but this was thoroughly radical thinking in his day. It was also truly radical, for example, to consider Hell's exclusion of the hwnanities from the academy. His philosophy of thinking out the structure of the academy ruled out history, law, linguistics, the fine arts and related disciplines. It is not surprising then that Hell's plan was vigorously opposed by the humanists. As a matter of fact, Kollar himself came to take a stand against Hell and his unrelenting position. Hell also had ideas of his own concerning the financial �SLOVAKIA 19 security of the proposed academy. He proposed that it be supported by the publication of scientific almanacs that would be promoted throughout all the countries of the Habsburg empire. Officialdom in Hungary did not endorse this plan but offered the counter-proposal that the academy be established with headquarters in Trnava, where the University of Trnava would see to its functioning. This time it was Hell's proposal that was relegated ad acta. But his hopes and his efforts to organize scientific thought and activities in home reasonable way were not entirely in vain. The international science institute which was founded in Sklene Teplice in 1786 never would have been established in Slovakia had its establishment not been proceded by the hopeful plans and efforts of scientists like Hell and Kollar. A significant contribution of Maximilian Hell to the Slovak world of science was his construction of an observatory at the University of Trnava. At this time in the history of learning and education, an observatory had more than scientific value exclusively; it also satisfied academic and practical roles. Hell's peculiar genius lay in his ability to combine scientific theory with practical application. His scientific almanacs were sought not only by specialists in astronomy but by geographers, mariners, travelers and military strategists as well. He was proficient in using scientific knowledge to good purpose for many practical uses. Danish astronomers and sailors were especially eager to have his publications. One year after his accession to the throne, the young King Christian officially invited Hell to come to Denmark and offered him a commission to take charge of astronomic observation on Warde Island in the icy North Sea during the eclipse of the sun on June 3, 1769. With the consent of Maria Theresa, Hell accepted the King's offer and made necessary preparations for the journey and for the observation study. He chose for his companion a fellow-Jesuit John sajnowho was his junior by thirteen years. Sajnovic had experience as an assistant at the Trnava University observatory which Hell had founded. Both men were natives of the same region, they were of compatible disposition and vic �20 SLOVAKIA had many interests in common. The younger man was entrusted with all the details of the journey by land and by sea, and he was to prepare the physical features of the observation station on Warde Island. Hell was to look after the essentially scientific details connected with the task of observation and with the keeping of a scientific diary and official records. A secondary assignment for sajnovic was to study the flora and fauna of Lapland as well as the native Laplanders, the Eskimos and the Finns; their language, customs and culture-truly a formidable and responsible task. Hell added to his main objectives a study of the aurora borealis, the magnetic needle and the Gulf Stream-its influence on storms, etc. On April 28, 1768 Hell and sajnovic set out on the long expedition from Vienna to the Arctic Circle. The journey was long and taxing, requiring all of five months. On October 1, they finally reached their destination, Warde Island in the frozen North Sea. The work to which they set themselves there was even more strenuous than their journey had been. Their new surroundings were utterly strange, strange beyond all expectations. The polar summer was chilling, the sky was usually overcast, and the entire landscape and seascape were shrouded in fog. They set to work energetically building their research station and made eager preparation for June 3, the date of the eclipse when Venus was to pass between the sun and the earth, blotting out the sun's light. Hell's scientific log, his astute observations together with his scientific notations and calculations made in connection with this phenomenon became a substantial contribution to the composite fund of world facts in astronomy. On returning from this expedition, Hell presented himself before a session convoked by the Academy of Sciences at Copenhagen and delivered a thorough report on his journey, his observations and his conclusions. He promised to send a copy of this report to the Danish king. As a token of gratitude, Christian II granted Hell an annual pension of a thousand gulden but Hell graciously declined the bounty of the King. �SLOVAKIA 21 When Hell reached Vienna, he worked out some of his notes in greater detail and an account of his research and observation was published in a 1771 annual devoted to astronomy. Shortly afterwards he prepared another work on this subject. It was published as a French study in Journal des savants in 1776. Hell had set himself the further task of preparing a meticulously detailed account which was to be published in three comprehensive volumes but this scholarly work was never completed because the suppression of the Society of Jesus brought it to a halt. This unfortunate dissolution of the Jesuits also caused Hell to lose all his faithful associates and co-workers of long standing. Besides, he was burdened with an overwhelming multiplicity of pressing duties that prevented his application to the projected volumes. Another obstacle was the lack of financial resources to defray the expenses that would be entailed by such a publication. John sajnovic, Hell's companion and associate on the expedition to the Arctic for the solar eclipse observations, also produced a valuable work. It was published under the sponsorship of the University of Trnava. One feature of it was the linguistic study in which sajnovic pointed out various elements that the Lapp, the Finnish and the Chinese languages have in common with Magyar. Because Hell's long promised three-volume account of the Arctic project with all its scientific implications never went to print, differences of opinion on the merits of Hell's contribution began to appear among some groups of interested scientists. De la Lande and Encke were among the astronomers who cast doubts on Hell's time and date calculations in the researching of the solar eclipse as well as in his data relevant to general observations from this expedition. Much later, however, the American astronomer Newcomb made an exhaustive study of Hell's records in Vienna and he confirmed the findings of the polar expedition as Hell had reported them. Closer to our day the Danish astronomer Nielsen painstakingly reviewed Hell's calculations and reaffirmed their correctness and reliability in the light of modern scientific methods and theories. �22 SLOVAKIA CONCLUDING SUMMARY Maximilian Hell was an outstanding scholar and scientist whom Slovakia gave to the world. His major interest was in astronomy but he was also an authority in related branches of science, mainly in mathematics, physics, meteorology, physical geography, and mining geodesy and geodynamics. As a young man in his prime, he established and conducted astronomic observatories in Trnava, Kluz, Jager and Budapest. When we realize that in Hell's day astronomical observatories were the foremost of scientific institutes, and that physics and natural science laboratories came into being at a later time, we begin to appreciate more fully the fact that Hell's achievements were of prime significance not only within the borders of his own country but in all Europe as well. Hell himself was not-and he did not attempt to be-the kind of scientific research scholar who opens new fields of study on the basis of revolutionary or daring hypothetic premises; he was the characteristically patient, painstaking, persistant scholar whose whole life and achievement was grounded in diligent and unmitigated devotion to work and in dogged perseverance in a task. Too great a portion of Hell's scientific endeavor still remains unexamined and inadequately appraised. Much of his correspondence which deals with scientific interests is practically untouched. Pinzger published a monograph on Hell in which he included some samplings of this correspondence but his sources were not truly representative, for he limited himself to Austrian and Hungarian sources exclusively. The bulk of Hell's corr~spondence is reserved in the Academy of Sciences and in the archives of the observatory at the University of Vienna which is also official guardian of a special fund or trust in Hell's memory. Besides meriting recognition as a research scholar in various branches of science, Hell also deserves to be remembered as an educator of note. He was a renowned teacher and a distinguished lecturer at the University of Vienna. It is generally agreed that in the entire realm there was not at that time a scholar who was his equal, much less any one who could have performed or continued Hell's commit- �SLOVAKIA 23 ments more creditably or more satisfactorily. Because he was always a leader who was greatly involved in the scientific movements and activities of all Europe, he was offered membership in many notable scientific societies and associations. A further achievement of Maximilian Hell was his detailed mapping of the surface of the moon. The International Union of Astronomers recognized the value of this project and honored it by naming one of the moon's craters in honor of Hell. The life and achievements of this Jesuit scholar testify to the fact that Slovakia has much in her past that reflects glory upon the Slovaks as a nation. This should inspire a sense of wholesome pride and ambition in today's generation of descendants of Slovak families at home and .abroad. Translated by Barbara F t ci c n i k and Sister Martina T y b o r THE EASTERN SLOVAK CITY of Presov, historic market-town for centuries, is expanding its industrial facilities . Last year a modern super chicken-farm was established and put into operation. Moreover, a special auto-service with a daily capacity for approximately 500 autos was inaugurated. The center covering an area of 30,000 sq. meters was built at a cost of almost 50 million crowns (about $10,000,000.00). ALTHOUGH EACH YEAR the Slovak shipbuilders in Koma.mo, Slovakia, make scores of vessels for the Soviet Union which employs them on the Danube, Slovak shipping is limited to a pair of ships, the Slavin and Trnava, and three small craft. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1974, Vol. 24 Description An account of the resource Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document SLOVAKIA Stephen S e n t 5 f k , S. J. Maximilian Hell, S.J. SLOVAK SCIENTIST OF WORLD RENOWN 1720-1792 On the occasion of a world-wide commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the birth of the Jesuit Maximilian Hell, which was sponsored by the international organization UNESCO, the Slovak Museum of Mining in Banska Stiavnica, Slovakia, published a worthy volume of lectures selected from a learned conference that was convoked in honor of the achievements of this distinguished scientist and remarkable teacher. The fact that a Slovak scholar was rightfully among those who were considered and assigned a place on the calendar of world-wide celebrations and that he was, in fact, universally recognized and honored-even with the liistinction of a commemorative UNESCO postal stampnaturally reflects honor not only on the man but also on his homeland, Slovakia. It likewise brings a degree of prestige of Slovak scholars who are devoted to scientific pursuit and it provides even the average layman with an opportunity to turn attention to the Slovak past and perhaps to catch in it at least a glimpse of some significant features that have long been indistinct or wholly unknown until now. In the thoughtful study titled "Banska Stiavnica-the Natural Environment of Maximilian Hell," (one of the papers published in the above-mentioned volume, cf. pp. 40 ff.) Dr. Jozef Vlachovic writes: "A thoughtful study of that period in the history of Banska Stiavnica brings one many a surprise and prompts frank admiration for the inhabitants of that town in its early days of economic growth. Largely because of their unmitigated effort, which appears to have been almost superhuman at times, and by reason of their remarkable intellectual gifts and physical stamina, they developed their community to an exceptional 6 SLOVAKIA degree of prosperity and progress." Dr. Vlachovic also notes that many aspects of the city's history and its. uniquely flourishing mining industry have not yet been adequately researched and should become the object of proper scholarly investigation. Encouraged by this observation, this writer has undertaken at least a bri~f exploration of the life and times of Maximilian Hell. The main objective · is to examine the highlights of his life and to survey the general environment in which the scientist was shaped, noting the influences that had contributed to the molding of his character and the bent of his scientific activities. FAMILY INFLUENCES The axiomatic principle that the earliest and strongest influences in life come from the home was borne out in the early shaping of the personality of Maximilian Hell who came of a family that was extraordinary in some respects. His father was Matthias Cornelius Hell, born c. 1650. It is very likely that he was of German background although his birthplace was Horny Slavkov near Pribram. He.began his working career in the Czech mining industry. It is generally agreed that he must have been gifted and industrious; this surmise is substantiated by the fact that he rapidly advanced in his working position so that although he was still a very young man, he was soon ranked as a highly qualified mining technician. He was, however, the kind of technician who not only mastered the intricacies of the industrial equipment readily and was able to increase production significantly, but he could also turn his keen perception and deep concern to the welfare and safety of the men who worked in the mines. His sense of responsibility reached out to men as well as to machines. In 1694, when Matthias Hell was in the prime of his manhood and had already enjoyed some recognition for his achievements, Count :Cudovit Thavonath, the chairman of a mining commission and recruiter of highly qualified experts for the mining industry, offered him a position in Banska stiavnica. The offer was attractive to Hell and he decided to accept it. This was the circumstance that brought the Heil family to the stiavnica mining region; Matthias Hell adjusted to the new surroundings easily. SLOVAKIA 7 His characteristic devotion to duty and scrupulous sense of' responsibility, his competence and skill as well as his f:r1endly and understanding attitude toward his fellow workers and his subordinates soon won him many friends and admirers. These traits also recommended him for early promotion, and before long he was named chief industrial engineer of the stiavnica mining enterprise. In this position he became the promoter of remarkably improved technical prbcedtires. He also won great acciaim for the construction of water works in the vicinity of Banska stiavnica. On three separate occasions it was Hell who saved the stiavnica mines from utter ruin or from closing. Around 1700, the entire stiavnica mining operation was imperiled because the underground water level had risen to a critical high. In the face of this danger, the mines were all but abandoned until Matthias Hell master-minded a practical plan to save them. Harnessing water power drawn from the dikes built in the mine area, he put machinery to work-for pumpirtg out the excess underground water accumulation. In 1703, the revolutionary forces of George Rakoczy II seized central Slovakia and dispossessed Count Thavonath. In these troubled time mine production declined appreciably · and Rakoczy ordered General Berceny to halt all mining operations and to level the entire facility. Matthias Hell knew how very unwise and irresponsible such a procedure would be and he prevailed upon General Berceny not to carry out this order. Later, after the suppression of the Rakoczy uprising and a ret:urn to normalcy, the mines were again threatened because there were insufficient funds for reconstruction and .the proper updating of the plant in order to insure effective and profitable production. An executive order brought work to a standstill and it appeared that the industry was doomed. In this predicament, Hell intervened with a personal appeal made in the course of an interview with Emperor Joseph I of Vienna. He succeeded in prevailing upon the sovereign to realize that the reconstruction and restoration of the mines would bring public benefit and economic prosperity to this part of his realm. After the death of his wife, Matthias Hell lived as a widower for some time, doing his best to bring up his 8 SLOVAKIA children satisfactorily. On September 22, 1707, however, he married Julia Victoria Steindel who came of a GermanSlovak family in $tiavnica. This marriage was blest with four sons, each of whom distinguished himself in some way of life. The eldest, Ignatius Cornelius, became an outstanding engineer engaged in analyzing and assaying the various types of ore that were extracted in the $tiavnica mines. Joseph Charles, the second eldest, earned recognition and a degree of fame for a number of discoveries and inventions related to the mining industry. Some of the scientific and technical principles underlying these devices are still used to advantage throughout the world, even to our day. On May 15, 1720, when Matthias Cornelius Hell was already seventy years old, his third son was born. At his baptism in the Jesuit church in Banska $tiavnica he was given the name Maximilian. The occasion was solemn and significant, and a special aura was added to the ceremonies because the godparents were Count Tavonath and his wife. The fourth son in the family was Michael who distinguished himself in the local community as a chief inspector of the pumping operation in the mines. The Hell family had special regard for religious and intellectual training. The parents were solicitous about providing for their children a solid and wholesome preparation for life, and the children were intellectually gifted and responsive, all of them showing a special aptitude for mathematical and natural sciences. The fact that the mining school center was located at Vindsachta where the Hell family lived, made drawing boards and mapping materials, charts and model of mine working equipment, libraries and many learning aids accessible to the children, and they readily became very familiar with all these resources, deriving an excellent general and broadening education out of this circumstance. The scientific genius of Maximilian Hell found much opportunity for expression in this milieu of central-Slovak mining towns where socio-economic development was at a peak. This factor makes it advisable to pause a bit in order to survey the background with at least cursory interest. HANSKA $TIAVNICA was a leading city in Slovakia. As a matter of fact, it SLOVAKIA 9 was second in rank, coming right after Bratislava, the capital city, and by actual count it had three hundred buildings more than Bratislava. Very early references to goldsmiths and to metal mining in the area can be traced back to at least the year 1075. In the sixteenth century events so shaped themselves that the city had every assurance of securely laid foundations for its cultural growth and for long-range prosperity of a high order. A large number of outstanding leaders in the field of technology and scientists of established repute came to reside in Banska stiavnica. The success and prosperity of the city were conditioned primarily on the natural underground richness of its mineral deposits and secondarily on other significant factors. In 1587 Banska stiavnica became the seat of the municipal treasury or finance department and the recognized head of seven mining cities in central Slovakia that had formed a partnership for mutual defense in the face of the Turkish menace and for united resistance to John Zapol'sky. Later most of the city's mining interests passed into the hands of affluent citizens so that the industry was not controlled by foreign investors but it developed and thrived on the capital of its own citizens who were characteristically energetic, hard-working and well educated individuals. The increase of mining output and the expansion of the mining industry as a whole were commensurate with the rising level of scholastic standards and academic opportunities, with the remarkable development of the educational system and with the rapidly advancing cultural status of the townspeople in stiavnica. In 1725 Banska stiavnica opened a technical school of mining which later evolved into a school of advanced learning and by 1770 became the Mining Academy for specialized study. It was the first advanced school of its kind in all Europe, attracting widespread attention for its departments of chemistry and physics. It had the unique distinction of being the first school in the history of education to introduce the laboratory method of instruction in chemistry. European technical schools were greatly interested in the outcomes of scientific experiments that were conducted in the innovated laboratory classes at the school. The Polytechnic Institute of Paris adopted the laboratory 10 SLOVAKIA method of instruction in chemistry as it had been introduced in the Academy of Mining in Banska stiavnica. Before long, other European polytechnic schools and universities also did so. Excellently equipped laboratories, an eminently qualified staff of teachers and research scholars as well as an environment and atmosphere conducive to pursuits of learning and research attracted scientists and inventors of established name to come to Banska stiavnica. For example: Volta, Tandi, Lippi, Savarezi, Melograni and a number of experts associated with the Spanish mining endeavors in America had devoted some time to specialized study in the laboratories at Banska stiavnica. The great demand for young engineers who had finished their studies at Banska stiavnica testifies to the high quality of schooling that was offered here. Early in the nineteenth century the sultan Mohammed invited into his service twelve graduates of this school, one of whom-John Knechtel-became the supervisor of mines in the Turkish empire. It was mainly because of the stimulus provided by the Mining Academy that the first world congress of natural scientists, attended largely by metallurgists and chemists, was held in Sklene Teplice in 1786. The International Society of Mining Science was established at this congress. Among its charter members were Anton Ruprecht and the Jesuit Nicholas Poda, both of whom were members of the faculty at the Mining Academy. Banska stiavnica reached the peak of its glory and prosperity in the first half of the eighteenth century. At that time its mining enterprises employed at least eight thousand workers and specialized technicians. The population of the city was always predominantly Slovak. In 1715, for example, its leading families registered these national origins or backgrounds: 424 Slovak, 360 German, and only 20 Magyar. Practically everyone who lived in the city was fluent in three languages: Slovak, German and Magyar. By the close of the eighteenth century, however, the city began to decline because it was no longer able to provide adequate job opportunities in the local mines and foundries. In the nineteenth century mining and SLOVAKIA 11 metal works were superseded by other industrial interests that were introduced into Banska stiavnica. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF MAXIMILIAN HELL Early in his life Maximilian Hell gave every indication of precocious gifts and talents, and the home and family in which he was nurtured greatly contributed to the full development of his natural endowments. Although his health began to fail, the aged father still continued to discharge his responsibilities as chief mining engineer and at the same time, he conscientiously saw to the consistently thorough and sound training of his sons. All four boys acquired their earliest acquaintance with scientific lore and some basic in the study of science from their father right at home. Later they were able to build on these fundamentals when they attended the already famed Mining Academy. Even in his boyhood, Maximilian was strongly influenced by the Jesuit professors in Banska stiavnica who were remarkably dedicated priests and were now involved in vital movement to restore Catholicism in this town which was recovering after the defeat of Rakoczy. These Jesuits had a well established mission in the village Vindsachta where the Hell family lived. One of their principal concerns was the education and proper training of the younger generation. As one measure toward this end they had founded a junior high school in Banska stiavnica and the boys of their school won many accolades for their dramatic presentations and declamations as well as for their performances in public examinations. Later a number of Jesuits also taught at the Mining Academy, especially in the departments of Latin, rhetoric and poetry. Father Nicholas Poda and Father Charles Tierenberger were heads of mathematics, mechanics and physics. They were famed experts in their specialized fields and they were excellent educators as well. Father Poda produced a textbook on mechanical engineering with special reference to the mining industry. It was the first textbook of its kind. For many decades the hand written lecture notes of Father Tierenberger were valued as a kind of mathematics handbook. Much of their substance and method still 12 SLOVAKIA had some value in practical application as late as the beginning of our century. There is no question about the lasting influence of the Jesuits upon the formative years of Maximilian Hell's life. Even from early boyhood he cultivated a strong inclination to develop his talents in their Society. He knew with what devotion the Jesuits promoted science and learning together with profound spirituality, for he had living examples of this kind of life in action and in its full reality as often as he looked about at the inspiration of Jesuit teachers in his midst, men who were effectively combined intensive religious life with specialized skills and scholarship in the natural sciences. On the recommendation of local teachers, the father sent his growing son to schools in Banska Bystrica where he could enroll in humanities courses at the Jesuit senior high school. In 1738 Maximilian Hell entered the Jesuit novitiate in Trencin. He was then a promising young man of eighteen. He devoted two years to the exclusive study of the fundamentals of religious life as it is lived in the Society of Jesus. Marginally, he continued his interest in the natural sciences, principally in mathematics. After his novitiate training was completed in 1740, his superiors sent him to Vienna for further study. This was the first time that he left his native Slovakia but he knew that his absence would be only temporary, that he would return one day with a rich store of enlarged knowledge and new experiences that could be shared with his countrymen. His life and accomplishments prove that this aspiration was no empty dream. Hell began his studies in Vienna by enrolling in the department of philosophy. In his day, this department also offered courses in what was catalogued as natural philoso phy and included the study of mathematics, physics and astronomy. These were the courses that interested Maximilian Hell the most. During the time that he was absorbed in mastering these natural sciences at Vienna, he also published his first book Elementa algebrae. The university at Vienna opened a new phase of life for the aspiring Jesuit. Two outstanding Jesuit educators who took note of this brilliant student were Erasmus Frolich, professor of mathematics, applied science in mechanics and history; and Joseph Franz, lecturer in philosophy, who SLOVAKIA 13 was also devoted to exploring problems in mmmg and astronomy-subjects from the dark pits in the deep earth to the distant vaults in the skies. Franz already enjoyed an established reputation in the world of science, for he was the founder and the director of the Oriental Institute in Vienna. Both his diplomatic and his study tours in Turkey and in Asia Minor had yielded him a great deal of interesting and useful information, especially in matters of Oriental astronomy, mathematics and physics. He became very fond of Maximilian Hell whom he esteemed mainly because of his grasp in mining technology and his practical understanding of mining machines and equipment. Aware of these qualifications in Hell, Franz chose him to be the recipient of a special fellowship and to serve as an assistant in his department. Later he introduced him to the wonders of astronomy and in time he made him an assistant in the Jesuit observatory. Maximilian became enchanted by this science of the heavens and he discovered that here at least was his greatest prospect for the direct application of his attractions and his natural capacities for natural science and mathematics. It is standard Jesuit practice that after two years of study in philosophy, a candidate devotes a year or two to actual teaching and work in the apostolate in order to benefit from such realistic experience and to test innate capacities. On his personal initiative Maximilian Hell petitioned his superiors to assign him to some work of this nature in his native Slovakia. This reasonable request was honored and he was sent to teach Latin, Greek, history and geography at the high school in Levoca. Later he himself added mathematics to the courses that he taught and in his free time he continued the study of astronomy which fascinated him thoroughly. He proved to be very effective in his work with Slovak high school students as well as in his activities among the local people. They admired him greatly and were impressed by his personality and his intellectual gifts. From Levoca Hell often visited his friend Adam Kollar who taught in Liptovsky Sv. Mikulas. He, too, had had Jesuit training in the background but he decided to leave the Society before ordination. After two years of teaching at the high school in Levoca, Hell returned to Vienna for theological studies which lasted 14 SLOVAKIA four years, and finally in 1751 he achieved the most ardent hope of his lifetime when he was ordained priest. In this same year he was also awarded the academic degree Doctor of Philosophy. After ordination he taught for some time at the humanities school in Banska Bystrica which was quite close to his native Banska stiavnica. This made it possible for him to keep in close touch with his brother Joseph who was employed as a mechanical engineer. Pooling his talents with Samuel Makovini he was busily engaged in constructing a new pumping device to control the water level in the mines. The unusual feature of this pumping machine lay in the fact that it was not dependent on motor power or on levers, on pressure valves or pistons, but its operational force was pressurized water power alone. Maximilian was of great help to Joseph in this undertaking, for he worked out sensitive mathematical calculations that were involved in the planning. At the same time he was broadening and deepening his own mastery of physics. Interestingly, 110 years later this ingenious concept of the Hell brothers of using the force of pressurized air to pump liquids was put to practical use for the first time when the United States undertook operations to extract crude oil out of Pennsylvania oil fields. The discovery of the Hell brothers became the common property of all men. While he was in Banska Bystrica, Maximilian successfully completed what is termed the third probationary period in the Jesuit formation program and he became a full-fledged member, dedicated to a lifetime career in the Society. At the request of Count Konigseck, who was very influential in the mining industry and who was well acquainted with the Hell family, and with the sanction of his immediate -superiors, the young Jesuit tutored the Count's son in mathematics and physics for some time, helping to prepare him for a lifetime office in mining supervision. It should be kept in mind that at this time the Mining Academy was not yet founded in Banska stiavnica. The tutorial service that Hell performed for Count Konigseck's son really made of him a pioneer in mining instruction on the secondary level. It was ten years later-specifically on April 3, 1770-that Empress Maria Theresa, Queen of SLOVAKIA 15 Hungary and Bohemia, granted approbation to the proposal presented by Count Novohradsky after mature deliberation with Professor Hell, for the founding of the Mining Academy which was to be an advanced technical institute of mining in Banska stiavnica. Hell was also commissioned to translate the mining statutes of Hungary (the old multinational state) from German into Latin. This event too indicates what respect Maximilian Hell commanded in scientific circles, for a task of this kind could be entrusted only to one with proven abilities not only in fluent Latin expression but also with a command of clear and precise mining terminology. Though Hell was greatly preoccupied with these activities, his study of astronomy did not suffer in any way. As a matter of fact, he made steady progress in this science and his prestige among astronomers continued to grow. In 1752 Dean Borgias Keri of the University of Trnava approached him about the founding of a university observatory. Hell welcomed the proposition, for if he had a particular ambition, it was to see his native Slovakia advance significantly in scientific scholarship as well as in all branches of learning. After an all-too-brief stay of one year in Trnava, Hell was assigned to Kluz in present-day Rumania where he was to establish a new college and build an observatory. He devoted three years of intensive work to this task. In the course of this time, however, he not only supervised the construction of the college and its observatory but he also taught mathematics and found time for the apostolic work of pastoral service among the Slovaks and Germans who were beginning to settle in Kluz and its vicinity and were in need of priestly ministry. By way of a marginal professional undertaking, he also compiled and published some handbooks in mathematics. In formal professional circles Hell earned not only recognition but even evident regard and esteem for his scholarly proficiency and his achievements in mathematics, physics and astronomy. After the eminent natural scientist and mathematician John Marinoni died in Vienna, Hell was invited to that city and was named director of the new observatory at the University of Vienna. In the discharge of this office he created extraordinary and needful pressure 16 SLOVAKIA in order to provide for the observatory the newest kind of equipment that was available in that day. In line of duty, he devoted meticulous attention to the movement of heavenly bodies, conducted guided tours of the observatory on behalf of noteworthy visitors, collaborated with projects of scientific institutes outside the country, supervised the publication of calendars of astronomic interest and information, and conducted sessions in the practical study of astronomy and observation of heavenly bodies. From 1755 on, Hell undertook very serious efforts to correlate and coordinate the theoretic and the practical aspects of science. He was gratifyingly successful in the endeavor. With a sense of elation he accepted an offer to teach mechanics and to conduct lectures for aspiring builders, construction engineers and artists. In time, Hell found himself constrained to resign his teaching commitments because of the burdens of office. He had become court astronomer and mathematician as well as editor of the learned astronomy annual Ephemerides Astronomicae. The greatest of demands were made on him by this journal which he compiled and edited for 37 years, except for some brief and intermittent periods. It brought its readers pertinent mathematical tables and calculations and almanac-styled articles on heavenly phenomena, primarily the movement of the principal heavenly bodies: the sun, the moon and the stars. Hell also made of this annual the publications vehicle for reports on astronomic observations from many European observatories. His prestigious position as well as his deservedly respected reputation as a remarkable scholar and an accomplished scientist together with his winning disposition and gracious manner all worked to the good in attracting the cooperation of significant men of science and learning in other countries. This editing of a scientific journal of this nature was a pioneering venture. England launched a similar publication only ten years later. The Berlin Academy did not initiate such a publication until two decades later. THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF MAXIMILIAN HELL Writing in the periodical The Slovak Jesuits in Canada SLOVAKIA 17 <1970, p. 48) Dr. Robert Bajcar observes that "It is a challenging and complex task to evaluate the achievements of Maximilian Hell. This is due largely to the fact that the man himself is an impressive personality of uncommon stature and his is a broad spectrum of interests with a markedly varied field of activity. Nor is it a simple matter to do this uniquely versatile scientist justice by appropriate placement in proper historic and generic classifications." Dr. Bajcar feels that Maximilian Hell is first and foremost an astronomer. In this appreciation of Hell, however, we choose to review his contributions to his native land and to speak of his scientific expedition to the polar regions m the company of John ~ajnovic, another Slovak Jesuit scholar. It is an interesting detail of research findings that the first efforts to organize scientific activities and interests in the multinational and polyglot country of Hungary were begun in Slovak lands. In 1763 Adam Kollar, honored by his colleagues with the epithet "The Slovak Socrates," addressed to Hungarian scholars and learned citizens his proposal for founding a Hungarian learned society whose members would concern themselves with active participation in or the support of research into the history, natural science, economics and political science of Hungary. Two years later, Kollar published a Latin document justifying the taxation of properties owned by the Church and the nobility. This offended many sensibilities and the aristocracy retaliated with an official proclamation in parliament by which Kollar was denounced as a traitor and his paper was publicly burned at an open demonstration in the courtyard of the Bratislava townhall. Maria Theresa exonerated Kollar, her official director at the imperial library, but she tabled his proposal for the founding of a learned society. A second endeavor to establish a Hungarian learned society was made in 1771. This one, too, was initiated in Slovakia. This time the proposition was presented to Maria Theresa anonymously although it is generally surmised that is was formulated by Kollar, Trstiansky and Count Teleki. The proposed body was to be called Academia Augusta and was to consist of four departments: philosophy, history, political economy and education. In May, 1774, 18 SLOVAKIA the court counselor authorized Adam Kollar and Maximilian Hell to draft the charter and the by-laws of the projected association. For a long time Hell had given much thought to the prospects of organizing scientific thought and activities. He had his own preconceptions about the nature and objectives of a learned body, and unhappily his ideas did not square with Kalla.r's. Hell envisioned niceties of distinction between the university as a pedagogical institution and the learned academy as a scientific institute. He believed that: It is the function of a lecturer or a professor in a given discipline to present the subject matter of a course within its current context and degree of development together with all available findings that are related to it at that time and in such a manner that it will be readily comprehended and assimilated by the average student in attendance ... An active member of the learned society, on the other hand, is responsible not only for demonstrating professional mastery in his specialized field, but he likewise bears the responsibility of bring,i ng the fruits and findings of personal study, eocperimentation and research, the responsibility of making new contribution to the general store of data already available in that field. Members of a learned institute bring discovery and enrichment to science and learning; professors, by contrast, present to their classes and audiences facts and explanations bearing on the findings made by learned societies in order to enlarge and expand knowledge that is already available. By Hell's definition then, the essential scientist is intrinsically a discoverer of new facts or new ideas. For this reason, Hell was convinced that this unique aspect of science scholarship had to be a characteristic and integral feature of the authentic academy of sciences. There is fundamental truth in the perceptive thinking of Hell but this was thoroughly radical thinking in his day. It was also truly radical, for example, to consider Hell's exclusion of the hwnanities from the academy. His philosophy of thinking out the structure of the academy ruled out history, law, linguistics, the fine arts and related disciplines. It is not surprising then that Hell's plan was vigorously opposed by the humanists. As a matter of fact, Kollar himself came to take a stand against Hell and his unrelenting position. Hell also had ideas of his own concerning the financial SLOVAKIA 19 security of the proposed academy. He proposed that it be supported by the publication of scientific almanacs that would be promoted throughout all the countries of the Habsburg empire. Officialdom in Hungary did not endorse this plan but offered the counter-proposal that the academy be established with headquarters in Trnava, where the University of Trnava would see to its functioning. This time it was Hell's proposal that was relegated ad acta. But his hopes and his efforts to organize scientific thought and activities in home reasonable way were not entirely in vain. The international science institute which was founded in Sklene Teplice in 1786 never would have been established in Slovakia had its establishment not been proceded by the hopeful plans and efforts of scientists like Hell and Kollar. A significant contribution of Maximilian Hell to the Slovak world of science was his construction of an observatory at the University of Trnava. At this time in the history of learning and education, an observatory had more than scientific value exclusively; it also satisfied academic and practical roles. Hell's peculiar genius lay in his ability to combine scientific theory with practical application. His scientific almanacs were sought not only by specialists in astronomy but by geographers, mariners, travelers and military strategists as well. He was proficient in using scientific knowledge to good purpose for many practical uses. Danish astronomers and sailors were especially eager to have his publications. One year after his accession to the throne, the young King Christian officially invited Hell to come to Denmark and offered him a commission to take charge of astronomic observation on Warde Island in the icy North Sea during the eclipse of the sun on June 3, 1769. With the consent of Maria Theresa, Hell accepted the King's offer and made necessary preparations for the journey and for the observation study. He chose for his companion a fellow-Jesuit John sajnowho was his junior by thirteen years. Sajnovic had experience as an assistant at the Trnava University observatory which Hell had founded. Both men were natives of the same region, they were of compatible disposition and vic 20 SLOVAKIA had many interests in common. The younger man was entrusted with all the details of the journey by land and by sea, and he was to prepare the physical features of the observation station on Warde Island. Hell was to look after the essentially scientific details connected with the task of observation and with the keeping of a scientific diary and official records. A secondary assignment for sajnovic was to study the flora and fauna of Lapland as well as the native Laplanders, the Eskimos and the Finns; their language, customs and culture-truly a formidable and responsible task. Hell added to his main objectives a study of the aurora borealis, the magnetic needle and the Gulf Stream-its influence on storms, etc. On April 28, 1768 Hell and sajnovic set out on the long expedition from Vienna to the Arctic Circle. The journey was long and taxing, requiring all of five months. On October 1, they finally reached their destination, Warde Island in the frozen North Sea. The work to which they set themselves there was even more strenuous than their journey had been. Their new surroundings were utterly strange, strange beyond all expectations. The polar summer was chilling, the sky was usually overcast, and the entire landscape and seascape were shrouded in fog. They set to work energetically building their research station and made eager preparation for June 3, the date of the eclipse when Venus was to pass between the sun and the earth, blotting out the sun's light. Hell's scientific log, his astute observations together with his scientific notations and calculations made in connection with this phenomenon became a substantial contribution to the composite fund of world facts in astronomy. On returning from this expedition, Hell presented himself before a session convoked by the Academy of Sciences at Copenhagen and delivered a thorough report on his journey, his observations and his conclusions. He promised to send a copy of this report to the Danish king. As a token of gratitude, Christian II granted Hell an annual pension of a thousand gulden but Hell graciously declined the bounty of the King. SLOVAKIA 21 When Hell reached Vienna, he worked out some of his notes in greater detail and an account of his research and observation was published in a 1771 annual devoted to astronomy. Shortly afterwards he prepared another work on this subject. It was published as a French study in Journal des savants in 1776. Hell had set himself the further task of preparing a meticulously detailed account which was to be published in three comprehensive volumes but this scholarly work was never completed because the suppression of the Society of Jesus brought it to a halt. This unfortunate dissolution of the Jesuits also caused Hell to lose all his faithful associates and co-workers of long standing. Besides, he was burdened with an overwhelming multiplicity of pressing duties that prevented his application to the projected volumes. Another obstacle was the lack of financial resources to defray the expenses that would be entailed by such a publication. John sajnovic, Hell's companion and associate on the expedition to the Arctic for the solar eclipse observations, also produced a valuable work. It was published under the sponsorship of the University of Trnava. One feature of it was the linguistic study in which sajnovic pointed out various elements that the Lapp, the Finnish and the Chinese languages have in common with Magyar. Because Hell's long promised three-volume account of the Arctic project with all its scientific implications never went to print, differences of opinion on the merits of Hell's contribution began to appear among some groups of interested scientists. De la Lande and Encke were among the astronomers who cast doubts on Hell's time and date calculations in the researching of the solar eclipse as well as in his data relevant to general observations from this expedition. Much later, however, the American astronomer Newcomb made an exhaustive study of Hell's records in Vienna and he confirmed the findings of the polar expedition as Hell had reported them. Closer to our day the Danish astronomer Nielsen painstakingly reviewed Hell's calculations and reaffirmed their correctness and reliability in the light of modern scientific methods and theories. 22 SLOVAKIA CONCLUDING SUMMARY Maximilian Hell was an outstanding scholar and scientist whom Slovakia gave to the world. His major interest was in astronomy but he was also an authority in related branches of science, mainly in mathematics, physics, meteorology, physical geography, and mining geodesy and geodynamics. As a young man in his prime, he established and conducted astronomic observatories in Trnava, Kluz, Jager and Budapest. When we realize that in Hell's day astronomical observatories were the foremost of scientific institutes, and that physics and natural science laboratories came into being at a later time, we begin to appreciate more fully the fact that Hell's achievements were of prime significance not only within the borders of his own country but in all Europe as well. Hell himself was not-and he did not attempt to be-the kind of scientific research scholar who opens new fields of study on the basis of revolutionary or daring hypothetic premises; he was the characteristically patient, painstaking, persistant scholar whose whole life and achievement was grounded in diligent and unmitigated devotion to work and in dogged perseverance in a task. Too great a portion of Hell's scientific endeavor still remains unexamined and inadequately appraised. Much of his correspondence which deals with scientific interests is practically untouched. Pinzger published a monograph on Hell in which he included some samplings of this correspondence but his sources were not truly representative, for he limited himself to Austrian and Hungarian sources exclusively. The bulk of Hell's corr~spondence is reserved in the Academy of Sciences and in the archives of the observatory at the University of Vienna which is also official guardian of a special fund or trust in Hell's memory. Besides meriting recognition as a research scholar in various branches of science, Hell also deserves to be remembered as an educator of note. He was a renowned teacher and a distinguished lecturer at the University of Vienna. It is generally agreed that in the entire realm there was not at that time a scholar who was his equal, much less any one who could have performed or continued Hell's commit- SLOVAKIA 23 ments more creditably or more satisfactorily. Because he was always a leader who was greatly involved in the scientific movements and activities of all Europe, he was offered membership in many notable scientific societies and associations. A further achievement of Maximilian Hell was his detailed mapping of the surface of the moon. The International Union of Astronomers recognized the value of this project and honored it by naming one of the moon's craters in honor of Hell. The life and achievements of this Jesuit scholar testify to the fact that Slovakia has much in her past that reflects glory upon the Slovaks as a nation. This should inspire a sense of wholesome pride and ambition in today's generation of descendants of Slovak families at home and .abroad. Translated by Barbara F t ci c n i k and Sister Martina T y b o r THE EASTERN SLOVAK CITY of Presov, historic market-town for centuries, is expanding its industrial facilities . Last year a modern super chicken-farm was established and put into operation. Moreover, a special auto-service with a daily capacity for approximately 500 autos was inaugurated. The center covering an area of 30,000 sq. meters was built at a cost of almost 50 million crowns (about $10,000,000.00). ALTHOUGH EACH YEAR the Slovak shipbuilders in Koma.mo, Slovakia, make scores of vessels for the Soviet Union which employs them on the Danube, Slovak shipping is limited to a pair of ships, the Slavin and Trnava, and three small craft.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Maximilian Hell, S.J.: Slovak Scientest of World Renown, 1720-1792 Description An account of the resource Stephen Šenčík, S.J. Slovakia, Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974 pp. 5-23 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Senčík, Štefan, 1920-2001 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 SNK https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/files/original/c30f945dcf2daf44efdb7612fa4a4bf6.pdf bdd1e80a5e2b6d03615aa8421a4c8c36 PDF Text Text Editor JOSEPH PAU C 0, Ph.D. Published by: THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA 313 Ridge Avenue Middletown, Pennsylvania 17057 Volume XXIV Number 47 �SLOVAKIA • VOLUME XXIV 1974 • NO. 47 Editor JOSEPH PAUCO, Ph.D. . Published by THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA 313 Ridge Avenue • Middletown, Pennsylvania 17057 �Printed by JEDNOTA PRINTERY, Middletown, Pennsylvania, U.S. A. �s SLOVAKIA Contents Ma:i:imilian Hell, S. J. - Stephen Sencik, S. J. - 5 Anthony X. Suther- Tiso's Formative Years and Early Political Career - land, Ph.D. - 24 Sr. Martina Tybor, SS.C.M. - Philip A . Hrobak - 36 Andrew Pier, The 35th Anniversary of Slovak Independence Day - O.S.B. - 51 American Sl.ovaks Lost a Great Man - Stephen B. Roman - Slovak Destiny - Joseph C. Krajsa - 54 57 Slovak League of America and Slovak World Congress - Behuncik - Edward J. 60 Slovaks Abr,oad and Their Role in Slovakia's Struggle for Freedom - J. M. Kirschbaum, Ph.D. Slovak Pioneers in America Slovaks in Blandburg - 63 Joseph Pauco, Ph.D. - Andrew Pier, O.S.B. - · 80 . . • Michael O'Pake, Esq. - Slovak Heritage - The Youth Conference - Tanzone - 67 84 Slovak League of America - Daniel F. 88 Some Personal Observations • on the 1973 Slovak League of America Conference - Susan Pojer, B.A. 92 One Species, Many Cultures - Michael Novak - 96 The Artful Dodgers: Directors of Ethnic Studies Programs Fenchak - Paul 112 Survey Research and Ethnic Studies Great Slovak Talent - Steven I. Miller, Ph.D. 120 130 The Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius and the Preservation of Slovak Culture in America - William Wagner 132 156 Famous Slovak Inve'ntors - Slovak Background of Events Through the Soviet Takeover in 1968 Jane Noonan - 162 The Slovak Arts in Perspective Slovak som ja - Marlene Bartos - Stephen John Knoblock - Noted Slovak Jubilarians - J. M. Kirschbaum - 210 Current Issues - As the Others See It - 213 Who's Who Among American Slovaks Book Reviews - 217 Our Contributors - 232 169 177 215 Francis Vnuk - 181 �SLOVAKIA Annual S L O V A K I A is published by the Slovak League of America, 313 Ridge Avenue, Middletown, Pa. 17057. Subscription $4.00. Editor: Joseph Pa u co, Ph .D. Editorial Board: Draga Divinska, Louis Kandra , Joseph M. Kirschbaum, Ph.D., Susan Mikula, M.A., Joseph A. Mikus, Ph .D., Fr. Andrew Pier, O.S.B., M.A. , Daniel F. Tanzone, M.A., Sister Martina Tybor, SS.C.M., M.A. � Editor JOSEPH PAU C 0, Ph.D. Published by: THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA 313 Ridge Avenue Middletown, Pennsylvania 17057 Volume XXIV Number 47 �SLOVAKIA • VOLUME XXIV 1974 • NO. 47 Editor JOSEPH PAUCO, Ph.D. . Published by THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA 313 Ridge Avenue • Middletown, Pennsylvania 17057 �Printed by JEDNOTA PRINTERY, Middletown, Pennsylvania, U.S. A. �s SLOVAKIA Contents Ma:i:imilian Hell, S. J. - Stephen Sencik, S. J. - 5 Anthony X. Suther- Tiso's Formative Years and Early Political Career - land, Ph.D. - 24 Sr. Martina Tybor, SS.C.M. - Philip A . Hrobak - 36 Andrew Pier, The 35th Anniversary of Slovak Independence Day - O.S.B. - 51 American Sl.ovaks Lost a Great Man - Stephen B. Roman - Slovak Destiny - Joseph C. Krajsa - 54 57 Slovak League of America and Slovak World Congress - Behuncik - Edward J. 60 Slovaks Abr,oad and Their Role in Slovakia's Struggle for Freedom - J. M. Kirschbaum, Ph.D. Slovak Pioneers in America Slovaks in Blandburg - 63 Joseph Pauco, Ph.D. - Andrew Pier, O.S.B. - · 80 . . • Michael O'Pake, Esq. - Slovak Heritage - The Youth Conference - Tanzone - 67 84 Slovak League of America - Daniel F. 88 Some Personal Observations • on the 1973 Slovak League of America Conference - Susan Pojer, B.A. 92 One Species, Many Cultures - Michael Novak - 96 The Artful Dodgers: Directors of Ethnic Studies Programs Fenchak - Paul 112 Survey Research and Ethnic Studies Great Slovak Talent - Steven I. Miller, Ph.D. 120 130 The Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius and the Preservation of Slovak Culture in America - William Wagner 132 156 Famous Slovak Inve'ntors - Slovak Background of Events Through the Soviet Takeover in 1968 Jane Noonan - 162 The Slovak Arts in Perspective Slovak som ja - Marlene Bartos - Stephen John Knoblock - Noted Slovak Jubilarians - J. M. Kirschbaum - 210 Current Issues - As the Others See It - 213 Who's Who Among American Slovaks Book Reviews - 217 Our Contributors - 232 169 177 215 Francis Vnuk - 181 �SLOVAKIA Annual S L O V A K I A is published by the Slovak League of America, 313 Ridge Avenue, Middletown, Pa. 17057. Subscription $4.00. Editor: Joseph Pa u co, Ph .D. Editorial Board: Draga Divinska, Louis Kandra , Joseph M. Kirschbaum, Ph.D., Susan Mikula, M.A., Joseph A. Mikus, Ph .D., Fr. Andrew Pier, O.S.B., M.A. , Daniel F. Tanzone, M.A., Sister Martina Tybor, SS.C.M., M.A. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1974, Vol. 24 Description An account of the resource Vol. 24 (No. 47), 1974. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Slovak League of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Editor JOSEPH PAU C 0, Ph.D. Published by: THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA 313 Ridge Avenue Middletown, Pennsylvania 17057 Volume XXIV Number 47 SLOVAKIA • VOLUME XXIV 1974 • NO. 47 Editor JOSEPH PAUCO, Ph.D. . Published by THE SLOVAK LEAGUE OF AMERICA 313 Ridge Avenue • Middletown, Pennsylvania 17057 Printed by JEDNOTA PRINTERY, Middletown, Pennsylvania, U.S. A. s SLOVAKIA Contents Ma:i:imilian Hell, S. J. - Stephen Sencik, S. J. - 5 Anthony X. Suther- Tiso's Formative Years and Early Political Career - land, Ph.D. - 24 Sr. Martina Tybor, SS.C.M. - Philip A . Hrobak - 36 Andrew Pier, The 35th Anniversary of Slovak Independence Day - O.S.B. - 51 American Sl.ovaks Lost a Great Man - Stephen B. Roman - Slovak Destiny - Joseph C. Krajsa - 54 57 Slovak League of America and Slovak World Congress - Behuncik - Edward J. 60 Slovaks Abr,oad and Their Role in Slovakia's Struggle for Freedom - J. M. Kirschbaum, Ph.D. Slovak Pioneers in America Slovaks in Blandburg - 63 Joseph Pauco, Ph.D. - Andrew Pier, O.S.B. - · 80 . . • Michael O'Pake, Esq. - Slovak Heritage - The Youth Conference - Tanzone - 67 84 Slovak League of America - Daniel F. 88 Some Personal Observations • on the 1973 Slovak League of America Conference - Susan Pojer, B.A. 92 One Species, Many Cultures - Michael Novak - 96 The Artful Dodgers: Directors of Ethnic Studies Programs Fenchak - Paul 112 Survey Research and Ethnic Studies Great Slovak Talent - Steven I. Miller, Ph.D. 120 130 The Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius and the Preservation of Slovak Culture in America - William Wagner 132 156 Famous Slovak Inve'ntors - Slovak Background of Events Through the Soviet Takeover in 1968 Jane Noonan - 162 The Slovak Arts in Perspective Slovak som ja - Marlene Bartos - Stephen John Knoblock - Noted Slovak Jubilarians - J. M. Kirschbaum - 210 Current Issues - As the Others See It - 213 Who's Who Among American Slovaks Book Reviews - 217 Our Contributors - 232 169 177 215 Francis Vnuk - 181 SLOVAKIA Annual S L O V A K I A is published by the Slovak League of America, 313 Ridge Avenue, Middletown, Pa. 17057. Subscription $4.00. Editor: Joseph Pa u co, Ph .D. Editorial Board: Draga Divinska, Louis Kandra , Joseph M. Kirschbaum, Ph.D., Susan Mikula, M.A., Joseph A. Mikus, Ph .D., Fr. Andrew Pier, O.S.B., M.A. , Daniel F. Tanzone, M.A., Sister Martina Tybor, SS.C.M., M.A.  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Front Matter, Slovakia, Vol. 24 (No. 47) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1974