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On entering the Reichsrat on May 30, 1917, all the Czech deputies, united in a single "Bohemian Union," made a unanimous declaration that it was their aim to work for the union of all Czechs and Slovaks in an independent, democratic state. To-day Dr. Kramar is in complete agreement with the Radicals who formerly were his most bitter opponents.
At a meeting arranged in honour of the Slav guests, Dr. Kramar declared that "the Czech nation is stronger to-day than ever before. There is no worse policy than that which gives in before danger. I am sure that our people will not give way. We have suffered so much that there is no horror which could divert us from the path we follow.
The president of its executive is the former Young Czech leader Dr. Kramar, who was sentenced to death in 1916, but released in July, 1917. The executive committee of the new party included all the leaders of the four former parties, namely, Dr. Stransky, Dr. Herben, M. Dyk, Professor Drtina, and others.
Kramar openly declared that "at the moment of the outbreak of the war it became quite clear that, despite all tactics of opportunism, our party remained true to the programme of Czech independence. It became at once evident to all of us that the chapter of our former policy was forever closed for us.
We felt with our whole soul that the Czech nation would not go through the sufferings of the world war only to renew the pre-war tactics of a slow progress towards that position to which we have full historical rights as well as the natural rights of a living and strong nation...." And again, in an article in the Narodni Listy of December 25, 1917, Kramar wrote under the heading "By Order of the Nation": "We have sought with utmost sacrifice to find a compromise between our just claims and the international situation which was unfavourable to us.
Among the reasons for which they were imprisoned and sentenced to death were the following, as given in the official announcement, published in the Austrian press on January 4, 1917: Dr. Kramar before the war was "the leader of Pan-Slav propaganda and of the Russophil movement in Bohemia."
Kramar and the Agrarian ex-minister Prasek, now at last became convinced that all hopes of an anti-German Austria were futile, that Austria was doomed, as she was a blind tool in the hands of Germany, and that the only way to prevent the ten million Czecho-Slovaks from being again exploited in the interests of German imperialism was to secure their complete independence.
This roused popular indignation throughout Bohemia and brought about the complete collapse of the Old Czech Party. At the same time the so-called "Realist" movement originated in Bohemia, led by Professor Masaryk, Professor Kaizl and Dr. Kramar. It was not a separate party movement, but a philosophic effort for a regenerated democratic national policy.
The main celebrations took place in the Bohemian Museum on May 16. Since the speeches delivered on that occasion were of such significance and are sure to prove of great international importance in the near future, we propose to quote at least the chief passages from them. The first speaker was Dr. Kramar who declared: "You know that they are in vain trying to crush us.
"The persecutions against our nation were very cruel indeed. "In the first place, Dr. Kramar was attacked as the veritable leader of the Czech nation.
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