present cordial relations to the Allies, especially France which has done so much for us, for reasons of continental European policies and our situation in central Europe. 2. To endeavor to construct correct and loyal relations to our neigbors. That does not mean weakness. Europe is still unsettled and our internal and foreign politics must be prepared for all eventualities. Our love of peace and our loyalty must not be come to us a handicap. Therefore our foreign and domestic politics must go hand in hand, so that we could defend ourselves, if anybody tried to bear down on us. Here also we must construct a clear and exact program resting on internal strength. That is the categorical imperative of all our political life. That will be possible, if we build up an army, good diplomatic service and co-operation of the various ministries in all foreign affairs, commercial and economic. . .
Dr. Kramář then made a report on the economic and financial side of the long negotiation in Paris:
As chief of the peace delegation I will touch upon those things which Dr. Beneš omitted. Our economic life has been profoundly changed by the erection of the Czechoslovak Republic. We are in the centre of Europe and lack altogether access to the sea. It was therefore one of our chief problems at the peace conference to obtain the best possible substitute for a sea coast. And we have been successful. . .
Courtesy of the Czechoslovak Information Bureau.
Sokols escorting Dr. Kramář passing the Museum.
For that I have to render thanks to some of our Allies. As usual France was on our side. What ever demand we made—and we made no unreasonable ones—France was with us. Faithful to her pledge to our foreign minister in the time of war she championed our interests with such success that we owe her the majority of our successes. In the commission on communications we found a warm friend in the English representative. Our problems were new to international law: to have ports without sea coast, to have our own ocean-going ships, to sail them under our own flag. We secured all that, and after many consultations the commission voted an unheard of thing namely, that Prague shall be a port of registration for our merchant marine.
To have our own ships, sailing under the Czechoslovak flag, was not a simple matter. The problem was to get to the ports without dependence on Germany. That was accomplished by the internationalization of the Elbe and the Oder. International control is a guarantee that our
