Since the end of June 1918 Masaryk had been systematically furthering the anti-Austrian trend in the official policy of America. In the course of July he had negotiated with the United States chiefly on the subject of our Siberian army and the method of supplying it with help, in which respect Wilson identified himself with the Allied action in Siberia. It was at this moment that the National Council was granted recognition by Great Britain, and Masaryk naturally used this as an argument when negotiating with Mr. Lansing for a similar recognition on the part of the United States. Mr. Lansing accepted Masaryk’s point of view, and based his proclamation on the wording of the agreement which we had obtained from Mr. Balfour. He then submitted it for Masaryk’s approval before making it public on the date mentioned. The declaration recognizes the National Council as a de facto Government, and regards it as being in a state of war with the Central Powers. It declares, moreover, that the Government of the United States is prepared to establish relations with this de facto Government for the purpose of carrying on hostilities against the common enemy. This was the first time that the expression “actual Government” was unreservedly applied to the National Council in a solemn commitment by a State so important as America.
There can be no doubt that the step taken by Wilson reacted favourably upon the further action of the Governments in London and Paris. When, on September 3rd, I signed the British-Czechoslovak Agreement in London I was able to show Lord Robert Cecil the American declaration as a proof that the Government at London had acted wisely, and when I was negotiating in Paris for a Franco-Czechoslovak Agreement, the American declaration made it possible for me to demand various commitments which, after Wilson’s action, the French Government was willing to grant me.
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When I returned to Paris on September 5th, I found the situation there slightly changed. General Štefánik had arrived from Italy towards the end of August, and was now preparing for his journey to Siberia. On seeing my plans and also the proposal drawn up at the Quai d’Orsay, he expressed certain reservations. He did not consider that matters were sufficiently mature to make it possible to form an actual Government so early. Altogether, he entertained doubts as to the whole political
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