By the return of President Masaryk to Prague on December 21, 1918, our liberation movement abroad was, in my opinion, completed. The President returned, for the time being, alone. Our troops from France and England arrived home again slowly in batches during the following months, and helped to maintain order at home, besides providing protection against possible dangers from outside, particularly with regard to the events in Hungary. The Siberian troops had to make further sacrifices to our cause and to that of the Allies. They were unable to return mainly for technical difficulties, but also for political reasons, as the course of events made it imperative for them to remain in Siberia until further notice. In view of the peace negotiations, our Government agreed to this course, and thus our troops in Siberia contributed to our successes at the conference in Paris.
At the moment of victory on the Western front and at home, Štefánik was touring Siberia for the purpose of maintaining order among our volunteer troops, who by now were becoming impatient. Like Štefánik himself, they felt isolated, and were eager to see their homes again. It had long been Štefánik’s plan to return to Slovakia in an aeroplane, but he was unable to carry out his intention until May 4, 1919. This was to be his last journey. By a tragic irony of fate his aeroplane crashed when he was approaching the frontiers of his country, and he was thus not destined to enter Czechoslovakia alive.
After the President’s departure I was unable to leave Paris, although the members of the Government had summoned me to Prague. At this time I was overwhelmed with work arising from the situation in Slovakia, and the approaching Peace Conference also entailed a daily increasing amount of labour. This was the beginning of my new activities for securing peace and the post-war reconstruction of Central Europe. This period was no less exhausting and difficult than had been the war itself.
Thus I did not return home until a whole year later, on September 24, 1919, after four years of toil and struggle abroad, during which there had been no respite and no moments without anxiety.
