The Czechoslovak Review/Volume 2/Bohemians most liberal givers

BOHEMIANS MOST LIBERAL GIVERS

 

Appeals to give and campaigns for war funds of many kinds follow so closely one another than the average citizen is hardly able to button his pocket for as long as a day. People of Bohemian descent have proved that they are second to none, both in lending money to the government and in giving to Red Cross and war chest funds. If it be remembered that for three years before America entered the war they had been financing the great campaign for Czechoslovak independence, one would expect to see a decline in the collections of the Bohemian National Alliance.

A year ago, after this country got into the war, the national officers of the Bohemian Alliance were greatly worried over the outlook. Calls made by this country would naturally come first, and it was easy to see that they would be heavy. At the same time the Czechoslovak National Council, originally a revolutionary organization, developed into the real revolutionary government of the Czechoslovak people and its needs were multiplied. There was, of course, always the alternative of calling upon the Allied governments to finance this anti-Austrian revolution and when it came as far as maintaining an army in the field, this course had to be pursued. But if the scattered Czechoslovaks were not strong enough to support an army, they had pride enough and money enough to support at least the revolutionary government of their native land.

It has been a pleasant surprise to the members of the Central Committee at Chicago to watch the rising tide of liberal giving among their member ship—and that membership includes today practically every man and woman born in Bohemia. The greatest source of revenue, exceeding in importance even membership dues, have been the big bazaars or rather national fetes. The Chicago bazaar this year brought in over $50,000 as against some $42,000 last year. Even better showing was made by the smaller settlements and the farmers. During the first years of the existence of the Bohemian National Alliance its chief financial support was drawn from the cities; today the farmers give the most. So the little Bohemian farming settlement of Schuyler Neb., held a fete which netted eight thousand. In Gregory, S. D., the few Bohemian farmers collected in one day $1,500 and in Tabor, S. D., one of the smaller farming communities of Bohemian-speaking people and practically unknown among the Bohemians of New York or Chicago, a bazaar actually crossed the ten thousand dollar line in one day.

The same spirit and the same incrcease in giving is manifested in the Slovak League. The bazaar of Chicago Slovaks netted over thirty thousand dollars, and the Slovak League is now taking its full share in the support of the Czechoslovak National Council.