The Dominion TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 1919. A NEW REPUBLIC

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 160, 1 April 1919, Page 4

The Dominion TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 1919. A NEW REPUBLIC

In the rush of tremendous changes ( which arc taking place 111 Europe events of far-reaching importance which do not immediately affect us are liable to be overlooked. One of these relates to Bohemia and the new Czceho-Slovak Republic, to which the overthrow of the Central Powers has given birth. Shakespbarb, in his Winter's Talc, tells the tragic story of a ship sailing to the coasts of Bohemia, and the wild waves of the sea engulfing the ship and crcw. This story is the work of the creative imagination, for Bohemia in Shakespeahe's day, as in our day, had no sea coast. The nor:hern frontier of Bohemia is, as the ;row Hies, nearly two hundred miles from the Baltic, and her southern 'routier is' more than that distance :rom the Adriatic. The new and greater Bohemia which has risen to inity and independence in recent nonths, while it cannot have a. sea :oast, will probably have what is mxt best—outlets to the sea. A reent cablegram from the Peace Confess says that the Waterways Comnission recommends Hamburg and Stettin as outlets for Bohemia to alow her to develop a mercanile marine. This implies that the waterways to these ports_ will be inernationaliscd, and this internalionalisation will not only develop lommerce, but also guard peace, for ,hc transport of the soldiers and ;uns of ii peace-breaking nation could be prevented. It has been deinitely decided to internationalise he Kiel Canal, and as the Rhine uis been thus treated, a line of deence ugainst war runs along the )ennan western front from the Bal,ie to 'the Swiss frontier. The pronis'e of secure waterways, and the ise of sea ports to Bohemia, will nduce her to acquire ships and enible her to place her goods on the vorld's market. It is not generally mown that Bohemia takes the first •auk in industries among the peoiles of Central Europe. There is lardly a useful metal or mineral she iocs not possess. She has great vealth in coal and iron, and these ;ive her industrial power. Her siloutput was great for centuries, mt while it is reduccd, she is rich n copper,, lead, tin, nickel, and las numerous chemicals. She turns ler raw materials to good account, Hid the land is studded with manuactories. She makes machinery and nusical instruments; calico, cloth, ind chemicals; she produces tho inest glass in Europe, and also japer and pencils. The Elbe, one of Germany's great waterways, rises in Bohemia, and on its waters and on hose of the intersecting canals and •ivcrs the products of this possible live of industry could be carried to ■he ports of Stettin on the Baltic, md Hamburg on the North Sea, md to other places scattered hroughout the world. Bohemia, during tho war, was the irmcrtia of Central Europe as_ retards injustice and ' persecution, she declared her opposition to this icrman-made war at the outset, and ,be Potsdam war lords' took by orce possession of the land and ■ulod it with a rod of iron. Her ,ons, dragooned by Austria _to fight or the Central Powers, laid down heir arms more than once before he armies of the Entente and-sur-■endcred themselves as prisoners. The story of the 50,000 Czechs who 'ought their way from Moscow to Vladivostok is one of the romances >f the war. From Vladivostok these >0,000 former Russian prisoners of var, among whom were many Slovi.ks, were carried to the Western ront and were formed into an army 0 fight the Huns. This discipline if suffering has bound together Boleinia and Moravia, and the result s seen in this Greater .Bohemia, mown as the Czechoslovak Repubic, embracing over 10,000,000 Slavs. !n January, 1918, when the Kaiser vas still promising' victory to the luns, the representatives _ of Bolemia, Moravia, and Silesia met at s rague and declared that a peace hat did not bring independence to hem would mark the beginning of 1 new conflict. The Allies, when the • var was only half through, recoglised the Czech Army and War Council, but well on in 1918 a fur.her step was taken and they were ecognised a-s an naion. France made this recognition n June, and 'President Poincake hen reminded Europe that the Jzechs w'ere tho only people in Surope outside of France who made i protest in 1871 against the Gernans annexing Alsace-Lorraine, ireat Britain, the United States, Tapan, and Italy followed suit. In )ctoher, the Czechs took control of 'ra-gue and unfurled their national lag, and Austria and Germany, beng driven to death elsewhere, made 10 resistance. Pkofessob. Masabyk vas made Prime Minister, and jrcater Bohemia, under the name 'f the Czecho-Slovak Rmiblic, startid on its new career. It is this new lation whose commercial interests lave been made the subject of spe:ial consideration by the Waterways Commission of the Peace Congress. Che Bohemians occupy the premier )lace among the Slavs of the -world air culture and capacity for indusry and commerce. Centuries ago Bohemia .occupied a high placc imong the nations of Europe, but in inr age she was overmastered by he perfidy and power of Austria, tnd lived the life of a captive naion, but her future may yet be nore glorious than her past. Bohemia has been spoken of again md again during the war as the ampart against Pan-Germanism. 3he is the door to Austria for Gernany. That door is now shut by ler rise to Farther :outh there is for Prussia a more ■oundabout door to Austria by Ba'aria. But that door is now as rood as shut. Bavaria has recovered her old dislike of Prussian domnation in Germany. She lias now mnounced that she is disarming ler soldiers and will in future find 10 soldiers for tho German Confediration which was called the Emlire. These changes arc so many marantecs for the future peace of Europe, and may , ; be welcomed as iicli.