The Czechoslovak Review/Volume 3/Conference of National Alliance

CONFERENCE OF NATIONAL ALLIANCE.

The Bohemian National Alliance of America held a conference in Chicago on November 15 and 16, at which the main problem was changing the activities of the organization from war to peace basis. There were 55 delegates present, representing all the district branches of the Alliance from New York to Oklahoma and Winnipeg, as well as delegates representing the important local branches and delegates for fraternal and gymnastic societies affiliated with the Bohemian National Alliance.

The committee on re-organization recast the constitution completely. The Alliance was established in 1914 for the purpose of supporting the movement for Czechoslovak independence and the original constitution was framed accordingly. For four years all activity was centered on collecting money to finance the campaign of Professor Masaryk, later emphasis was placed on recruiting members who were not naturalized in United States for service with the Czechoslovak army in France. During the last year the Alliance was engaged in relief work for the needy of the Czechoslovak Republic.

The new constitution, adopted unanimously by the Chicago conference , omits all reference to the country from which the members of the Alliance came, except for one paragraph which provides that one of the aims of the organization will be acquainting America with the life of the Czechoslovak people and the development of the free Czechoslovak Republic. The main object of the Alliance has now become the good of its own members and of Americans of Czechoslovak descent in general, and special emphasis is laid on educational and cultural work in the interest of sound Americanism; new arrivals from Bohemia will be looked after and introduced to the spirit of American institutions. As reconstructed, the organization will be the representative body of American citizens, including Canadians, of Czechoslovak blood and will take lead in all matters affecting them.

From the organization point of view an important change was the elimination of delegates from fraternal and gymnastic societies. When the Alliance was created in 1914, it was important that it should assume large proportions at once; there was no time for gradual, normal growth. Bohemian benefit organizations of men and women and Sokol organizations were therefore asked to join the Bohemian National Alliance in a body and assess dues on all their membership. That was done, and the Alliance rapidly grew to have more than 100,000 direct and indirect members; incidentally it was thus enabled to finance Dr. Masaryk’s campaign in Europe. The emergency being over, it was decided by the conference to release the older organizations from the duty to support the Alliance by assessments on their members, and to rely for the future on direct members of the Alliance solely. Annual dues are $2.00, but the main source of income are various national fetes, bazaars etc., held annually in each large Czechoslovak settlement.

The name of the organization was changed from Bohemian to Czechoslovak National Alliance; in 1914 the people of which the members sprang were known as Bohemians, today they are known as Czechoslovaks—thence the change.

On Saturday night a farewell party was given by the delegates to the departing secretary of the Alliance, Vojta Beneš. He has been the organizer and secretary for more than four years and much of the growth of the body is due to his work. He sails from New York on November 20 to return to his work of teaching in Bohemia; Dr. Edward Beneš, minister of foreign affairs of the Czechoslovak Republic, is his younger brother. At the farewell party many gifts were showered upon Vojta Beneš and his great work in the Bohemian National Alliance was justly appreciated.

One of the subjects which caused considerable discussion in the conference was the question of complete financial report covering the five years of activity for Czechoslovak independence. A full report was prepared by an expert accountant and presented to the conference, and the controversy turned on the point, whether all of it should be published or only that part referring to expenditures in this country. By a decisive majority it was voted to publish an itemized statement of all expenditures incurred by the Bohemian National Alliance in this country, but to say nothing of the sums sent to the Czechoslovak National Council of Paris for its activities in Europe during the war.

From the first days of the Alliance the central committee was located in Chicago. The Chicago workers asked that it be transferred to Cleveland or New York, but the conference insisted on maintaining headquarters in Chicago as the logical center. The meeting was closed late Sunday evening by an address of Karel Bernreiter of Cleveland, chairman of the conference.