The hall of the Pilsen Auditorium yesterday witnessed a powerful and unified protest against the insults which Dr. Dumba inflicted upon the Bohemian and Slavic people when he claimed that they are uneducated, read nothing, and may be enlisted for Austria's ends with mere promises, while the German people are intelligent, discuss all current events, and are therefore also friendly toward Austria's objectives. It is only natural that a protest had to be voiced against this insolence and that the representative of the Austrian government, which has been sending thousands and thousands of our finest men to slaughter on the battlefields, had to be put in his place. True enough, the Austrian government is not the only one whose manhood bleeds in this war, but the indisputable, historic truth is that the Austrian government, in obedience to orders from Berlin, is the one to inaugurate this world-wide slaughter of humanity whose end and 2effect are yet in the dim and distant future. It is, therefore, also responsible for all this bloodshed.

Yesterday's demonstration assembled once again the whole Slavic family and furnished the evidence of that Slavic co-operation, whose existence has been questioned by so many of our people until recently, and which can be of real value when used in practical politics in matters concerning the old country.

The days are past when Vienna could accuse the Slavs of disunity and petty bickering artificially produced and nurtured by our enemies, in order that others may take advantage of us and reap cheap benefits. This is not the first time when our unity became so clearly apparent, a unity which, while quite natural, is also quite indispensable when real results are to be achieved in these difficult, history-making times. But it would be a great mistake to relapse into idleness after a meeting of this sort, no matter how successful, and wait for somebody to insult us again and thus wake us from 3beautiful, but useless, dreams. What we need now is a continuous political education, an education free from all Utopian ideas, an education which will make our people capable of purposeful, and therefore valuable and fruitful political work.

After the opening of the meeting by the president of the Ceske Narodni Sdruzeni (Bohemian National Alliance), Dr. Jaroslav S. Vojan was introduced. He delivered a long and excellent speech in which he completely refuted the statements made by Dr. Dumba and stressed our gratitude to President Wilson for his prompt action in this case. He explained that the President, having made a rapid and thorough investigation of Dr. Dumba's activities, immediately cabled Vienna and requested the recall of Dr. Dumba from Washington. (A long applause.)

Just like Dumba, the Austrian consul in Cleveland, whose activities resemble those of Dumba, should be sent home (Bravo!) We know that there is plenty 4of money available, said Dr. Vojan, for those who will work for Austria's objectives in this country. This money is being used by the representatives of the dual Monarchy to sway public opinion, at least that part of it which is susceptible and gullible enough to accept lies for truth. Having outlined the political development of Bohemian lands since the year of 1848, Dr. Vojan proved that Dr. Dumba has not even the slightest conception of the cultural life of the Bohemian people, and it is therefore easy to refute his statements and return the insult to its source. Adhering to the opinion of Palacky [the first modern historian of the Bohemian nation] that Austria will exist as long as the Slavs tolerate its existence, we, as Slavs, solemnly proclaim that we do not want Austria any more, that we do not desire its further existence!

His speech was followed by an address by Dr. Osusky, who talked on behalf of the Slovaks. His spirited address left a deep impression on the whole audience. Its tone was calm but most effective, and therefore rewarded by 5many bursts of applause. In general, he talked about the oppression of the Slovaks in Hungary and of the lack of gratefulness on the part of the Austro-Hungarian government for the services rendered it by the Bohemians and Slovaks, as well as the other Slavic nations of the Monarchy, in times of distress and danger. Once the danger had been averted, the persecution of the Slavs became stronger and more unbearable. At the present time, however, the Slovaks have learned enough from history to know that only that government has the right to exist which takes care of the nation's supreme needs, that is, culture and education. It is only the Austrian and Hungarian governments that deny their nations the opportunity for education, for independent cultural development, a fact supported in their implication also by Dumba's claims, and therefore these governments have no right to rule these nations. (Bravo, applause). In reviewing what the Austro-Hungarian government has done for its nations we see that it was nothing more and nothing less than putting obstacles in the way of their development. Apponyi, who, during his tour through America, never failed to maintain that Hungary is an 6island of liberty, stated here in Chicago that any attempt at independence of non-Magyar nations of Hungary will--in that land of liberty--be suppressed by force. Under such conditions it is quite clear that the Slovaks cannot be enthusiastic for the Austrian cause. Those who do not help in the fight against men like Dumba, and by that token also against Austria, deserve nothing else, upon their possible return to the old country, but the gallows, many of which, according to Dr. Dumba, are being prepared in Austria just for that purpose. (Applause!)

Editor Paladic [the name is at times spelled "Palandech"] spoke on behalf of the Serbs, and Professor J. J. Zmrhal addressed the meeting in English. He was given the task of explaining the Bohemian and Slavic attitude toward the recent events in the language which all people, members of all nations in America, understand. This was of particular importance because the meeting was attended by reporters of the American newspapers in Chicago. Professor Zmrhal's speech was a most excellent one, and it was received with general 7approval.

Professor Zmrhal based his speech on two premises: First, that with the advent of the Slavs, the world will receive a new, more refined, healthier and more advanced culture than the one by which it is dominated at this time. The greatest writers of the twentieth century, the greatest artists, the greatest creative spirits in sciences, will come into the light in the era which now begins and which is being ushered in by Russia, the greatest representative of the Slavs. The second premise on which Professor Zmrhal based his lecture was opposition to militarism. This is quite natural, he said: The whole Slavic culture is founded on the true love of all humanity, therefore we must propagate antimilitaristic tendencies. Our purpose must be to abolish militarism both in the old countries and here in the Union. That will insure peace which is necessary to all creative work. Working in that direction, we must of necessity fight everything that promotes militarism and perpetuates its rule. The common people are already antimilitaristic, therefore their 8sympathies are with the Slavs.

Dr. Biankini spoke for the Croatians. He showed that he has not lost any of the punch which characterized his speeches in the Vienna parliament, of which he was a member prior to his settling in America. Speaking about the political struggles of the Croatians against absolutism, against the suspension of the Croatian constitutional rights, against the rule of absolutistic bans, against the Hungarians, who have been engaged for decades in the process of ruining Croatia, he found all the zeal and elan that distinguished his oratory in the Vienna parliament. His speech, permeated by an ardent love of his country, also contained words of scathing criticism of that part of the Croatian press which is subsidized by Austrian money and through which the Austrian government is trying to mislead the Croatian people in America.

The Slovene, Dr. Alois Truker, followed Dr. Biankini, and after his address the following resolution was adopted at the meeting:

"The participants of the meeting held in the Pilsen Auditorium September 12, 1915, agree upon the following protest:

"Whereas, The former subjects of Austria-Hungary as well as those who immigrated to this country from that unfortunate Empire, have been mercilessly attacked by the Austrian Ambassador Dumba on the occasion of his defense of his subversive activities, by calling them ignorant and uneducated and adding that they are unable to stand by themselves in this country, and

"Whereas, In talking about them in this unheard-of manner, he assaulted their character as citizens of these United States of America, implying that they are liable to become traitors to the best interests of this country, and

"Whereas, We consider it our very first duty to be loyal to this country which we have adopted and whose best citizens we endeavor to be; therefore 10be it

"Resolved, That we refute most energetically and emphatically the assaults and insults of the Austrian Ambassador Dr. Dumba, as based on lies and malice. Be it further

"Resolved, That we refute in bitterness the implication of Austrian Ambassador, Dr. Dumba, that we might become disloyal to the interests of the United States. This implication we denounce as the blackest malice of an Austrian ambassador against former subjects of his country. Be it further

"Resolved, That the nations represented at this meeting, former Austrian subjects, are quite able to take care of themselves and therefore reject most emphatically Dr. Dumba's attempt to hide behind them in the defence of his conspiracy. Be it further

"Resolved, That Dr. Dumba's claim that he is able to control and bribe the 11members of the nations represented at this meeting is based on complete ignorance, arrogance, and malice, which qualities have always been the characteristics of the Austrian bureacracy, which has never found it worth the while to learn the true character of the people whom it was to serve. Be it further

"Resolved, That Austrian Ambassador Dumba's presence in the United States is detrimental to the welfare of naturalized citizens who came to this country from Austria. His continued presence in this country is obnoxious to all United States citizens hailing from that Monarchy. Be it further

"Resolved, That we reject and condemn any sympathies with the warring nations which go so far as to endanger the best interests of the American people; we condemn them as treason against this country, to which we pledged absolute loyalty when we had the great pleasure and satisfaction of renouncing the allegiance to European monarchs. And be it further 12"Resolved, That we proclaim our loyalty to any and all duties we took upon ourselves when we became American citizens, and are always ready to perform them under any and all conditions."

This resolution was unanimously adopted and signed by the Ceske Narodni Sdruzeni (Bohemian National Alliance), the Srbska Jednota (Serbian Union), The Chorvatska Liga (Croatian League) and the Slovenska Straz (Slovak Guard). It carries an amendment approving of the steps taken by the United States Government leading to the removal of Dr. Dumba from the United States.

Local English-language newspapers deal with this meeting on their first pages. Although the Chicago Examiner is notoriously a black-yellow [Austrian colors] paper, it could not ignore the resolution of the Slavic population of our city. Its first page carries a detailed report of this meeting under the heading: "Austrians of Chicago Denounce Dr. Dumba," and the full text of the resolution adopted at the meeting.