greeted. Friday has always been for me a special day of destiny. I do not know whether other men have such days but, in my case, the weightiest and happiest events have often happened on Fridays. I escaped from Austria in December 1914 on a Friday; President Wilson’s final answer to Austria and our national Declaration of Independence were issued on a Friday; and on a Friday I set my foot once again on Czech earth after four years’ labour abroad.
We stayed that night at Budějovice, or Budweis, so as not to reach Prague at night. Next day we went on through Veselý, Tábor—full of Hussite memories—Benešov and, at last, reached Prague.
What were my feelings as the people of Prague gave me so splendid a reception, and as I drove through the streets in a democratic motor-car instead of the gilded carriage that would have been too reminiscent of times that were past? Was I glad, was I joyous? Seeing the rejoicings, the wealth of costumes, colours, banners, decorations and flowers, answering the warmth of the greetings, what were my thoughts? The heavy work awaiting me, the work of building up our restored State decently and well, constantly weighed on my mind; nor did this train of thought cease when, in the afternoon, I pledged myself solemnly “In honour and conscience to act for the weal of the Republic and of the people, and to respect the laws.”
Then, having visited my wife in a nursing home, I slept for the first time in the Castle, that is to say, I spent a sleepless night. Next day, Sunday, December 22, I delivered my first message in the Castle, reviewing briefly what we had done abroad. It had been submitted to and technically revised by the Council of Ministers. The Castle, not the Parliament, was chosen as the scene of this ceremony, although the choice raised the question whether the gathering in the Castle was or was not a National Assembly. The question was solved by incorporating the Message in the report of the Parliamentary Committee appointed to draft the reply to it, and by including it also in the verbatim report of the Assembly’s proceedings.
