shape when a considerable proportion of our prisoners of war expressed a wish to join the “Družina.”
In Italy there were no Czech colonies, merely a few individuals or groups in some cities. Nothing could be done to form a Czech Legion until the numbers of our prisoners grew. Successful efforts were then made, though somewhat later than elsewhere.
In London our colony was small, but at a very early stage it began to work efficiently for the admission of its members into the British army. With the help of Mr. Steed it was not long before Kopecký got permission for Czechs to enlist. In America, where our people were most numerous, it was impossible to form a military contingent as long as the United States remained neutral. Therefore many of our people joined the Canadian army and organized themselves as Czech volunteer companies—a difficult matter because the American Government enjoined strict neutrality upon its citizens. After the American declaration of war in April 1917, Štefánik recruited men for our Legion in France, with the assent of the Government, though I hardly expected much from his efforts because thousands of our young fellows went direct into the American army.
Even in December 1914 before leaving Prague I had sought to create the nucleus of an army abroad. Through Mr. Voska, who delivered the message in London, I asked Russia to welcome our prisoners and deserters from the Austrian army. Most of our prisoners were in Russia; and there, with infinite difficulty, we ended by creating a real army; and from Russia we sent a small contingent to France.
The growth of our Legions raised not only the question of the relationship of the Czechoslovak force to the army of the country on whose territory the Legions were formed but the further question of the relation of our troops, and of the troops of other States, to our National Council as the leading political organ of our struggle for freedom. These questions arose in Russia, France, Italy, America and England, since the British and American forces might, at any moment, find themselves alongside of our men on the field of battle in France—as actually happened. In the case of America, the problem was complicated by the circumstance that the Czechoslovak recruits from America, some of them naturalized American citizens, were serving in our ranks. Hence it had to be dealt with internationally in all Allied countries, and even in Japan and China, as early as the winter of 1917. It was only in Soviet
