The Czechoslovak Review/Volume 3/Friendship Through Better Acquaintance

by Thomas Čapek, Jr.

Friendship Through Better Acquaintance

By THOMAS ČAPEK, Jr.

A man well known as publicity worker for the cause of the Allies and deeply interested ip the welfare of the Czechoslovaks once made the statement that public speaking was the best medium of education, The truth of this assertion may be illustrated by the activities of the Czechoslovak representative in the United States.

Charles Pergler, commissioner of the Czechoslovak Republic, does not believe that a diplomat should remain hidden in the rooms of his legation and emerge therefrom merely to attend social functions. He proceeds from the theory that his business is primarily to strengthen the bonds of friendship between the country which he represents and the country to which he is accredited. In following out this theory Mr. Pergler has been devoting himself to the task of telling the American public of and aspirations of the Czechoslovak nation.

This is a work requiring more than ordinary qualifications; the speaker must have an insight into the character of both the peoples. As it happens, Mr. Pergler possesses this qualification in an unusual degree, and his audiences as a consequence enjoy his talks with keen intellectual pleasure.

Recently the Czecholovak commissioner made two long trips to the South and West for the purpose of talking to interested groups of American citizens about the new country represented by him. On February 17th he left Washington for Richmond, accompanied by Major Jan Šípek, secretary of the Czechoslovak legation, and by Thomas Čapek, Jr. At Richmond they were met by Colonel LeRoy Hodges, representing the Governor of Virginia, and by a committee of the local residents of Czechoslovak origin. They were taken to Hotel Jefferson over which hung a large white and red flag in honor of the official representatives of Czechoslovakia. The first day of their stay was devoted to visiting the farming settlements of their people around Richmond and Petersburg. In Prince George county there exists a large colony of these people who began coming there nearly thirty years ago and now number some three thousand souls. When they first settled on the abandoned sandy soil of tidewater Virginia, they could buy the best land for five dollars an acre, whereas now, chiefly as a result of their labors, land costs fifty dollars an acre. It is the universal testimony of their Virginian neighbors that Czechoslovak settler brought prosperity to the entire district.

The visitors were greeted at Petersburg by the mayor and a military band from Camp Lee. Mayor Robert Gilliam in his address of welcome gave full credit to the Czechoslovak farmers for their industry and intelligence. Later at a luncheon given by the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce Senator Drewry welcomed the visitors from Washington on behalf of the businessmen of the city. In their honor the Czechoslovak flag was flying together with the American flag over the Court House.

On the morning of the following day Mr. Pergler entertained at breakfast a number of the influential citizens of Richmond and told them of the splendid commercial opportunities presented to American business men in the new state. The principal event of the day and of the entire visit to the old capital of the Confederacy was the presentation of a Czechcoslovak flag to the State of Virginia by its citizens of Czechoslovak birth or descent; the leaders of this group were Frank J. Tuma and John Kolar. The presentation took place at noon on the plaza in front of the state capitol. Governor Westmoreland Davis accepted the flag on behalf of the state, to be preserved in the Executive Chamber; members of his staff stood rigidly at salute during the ceremony, while hundreds of pretty girls in folk costumes surrounding the group added color to the scene. The governor then entertained Commissioner Pergler and his party at luncheon in the gubernatorial mansion; the table was strewn with white and red carnations and the Czechoslovak flag was draped above the fireplace as a pretty compliment to the guests.

The impression made upon the people of Virginia by this visit was best expressed by the following editorial in one of the leading Riehmond journals:

 

“Those responsible for the visit to Virginia of Commissioner Pergler and his staff deserve public thanks not merely for bringing hither a company of singularly gifted gentlemen, but likewise for giving this commonwealth opportunities to express some measure of Virginia’s admiration for this new republic. Honor to the flag of Czechoslovakia, white with the justice of the cause of liberty and red with the blood of deathless patriots.”

 

From Richmond the party proceeded to Atlanta, the center of the great cotton-growing South. More than anything else the new republic will want to buy its cotton in the United States, and Georgia expects to furnish much of it. Then again Georgia understands the worth of Czechoslovak farmers and is ready to welcome all who would wish to settle on its rich lands. So at Atlanta emphasis was placed on the promising business relations of the two countries. A dinner was given to Mr. Pergler’s party at the Kimball House; addresses were made by Mr. Pergler and Governor Hugh M. Dorsey. During the dinner lights were turned out, as the gathering rose, when the orchestra struck up the national anthem, portraits of Washington, Lincoln and Wilson were flashed on the wall and finally the Czechoslovak flag dropped from the middle of the room.

On their way back to Washington Mr. Pergler and Major Šípek visited the busy city of Winston-Salem in North Carolina. It has a special significance for Czechoslovaks, for it was founded in the 18th
CHARLES PERGLER
Commisioner of the Czechoslovak Republic in the United States. century by Moravian settlers. One still finds traditions of Bohemian Brethren here in abundance, and in the old cemetery tombstones bear names with Czech sound. Under the auspices of the local Rotary Club and Salem College a hearty reception was tendered to Mr. Pergler. He was fortunate in making the acquaintance of Bishop Edward Ronthaler who has been in charge of the Moravian church institutions at Salem since 1877. The bishop takes a keen interest in the welfare of the Bohemian people, to whom he traces the spiritual ancestry of his church, and was very cordial to his visitors who in their turn were pleased to find that exiles from Bohemia made their influence felt in the Colonial days of North Carolina.

Mr. Pergler’s second lecture trip covered the Central West, states and cities which unlike the South know something of Bohemia through Bohemian immigrants who live in hundreds of thousands in this section of the United States; but even to the educated people of Chicago and Cleveland conditions and events in the Czechoslovak republic are a sealed book. Addresses made by the official representatives of the new state were received everywhere with much interest. In Chicago addresses were made before the Women’s Club and the University Club, in Cleveland before the Western Reserve University. From there Mr. Pergler, accompanied by Thomas Capek, proceeded to the capital of Nebraska and made his first speech to a convocation of the University of Nebraska; many of his hearers were children of pioneers who came to the western prairies directly from Bohemia. At a luncheon given to the Czechoslovak commissioner by the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce the address dwelt on the possibility of establishing flourishing commercial relations between the great American republic and its young sister in Europe. Later in the day Mr. Pergler had the honor of addressing the Nebraska House of Representatives.

The following day in Omaha, a great Bohemian center, about twenty state senators heard an address delivered by the Czechoslovak representative at a luncheon given in his honor by the Omaha Chamber of Commerce. In the afternoon Mr. Pergler spoke in the Hotel Fontenelle to the Fine Arts Society, his audience being composed mostly of women. At night a mass meeting for the Czechoslovaks of Omaha was held at the South Side Sokol Hall at which Mr. Pergler spoke in Bohemian. The interest which his finished speeches aroused may best be appreciated by the following incident: An elderly gentleman followed the Commissioner about in Lincoln, apparently never tiring of hearing him speak. He appeared at the Omaha luncheon the following day and again at the Bohemian meeting at night accompanied by several ladies. None of them could understand a word of what was spoken at the mass meeting, until Mr. Pergler’s attention was called to this party with the result that he made a few remarks in English for their benefit.

In Iowa the Czechoslovak representative was in his home state. Two years ago he had been practicing law in Cresco, Ia., and now his former law partner, Mr. Reed, elected state senator, had the pleasure of introducing him to the Iowa Senate. An incident was witnessed there by the writer which is rather amusing. When the announcement was made that the Senate would now have the pleasure of listening to a distinguished son of Iowa, etc., etc. one of the senators was heard to complain to his neighbor: “Oh, h——, some more speeches; we will never leave this place before May.” In a few minutes this statesman was listening intently and applauding the speaker at every period. Afterward he was the first to step forward and congratulate him. Previously to this an address was made before the local Bar Association and judges of the state supreme court before whom the guest of honor used to argue his appeal cases generously applauded the lawyer turned into diplomat. In the evening Mr. Pergler spoke once more at a dinner tendered to him by the University Club. From Des Moines he returned directly to Washington.

Audiences addressed by Mr. Pergler consisted of representative men of each community, men hard to reach and not easy to convince; but once convinced these men become zealous supporters of the cause. Friendship between America and Czechoslovakia has been greatly strengthened by the tireless work of the Czechoslovak representative.

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