English Translation

660 - 36 - When these funds were not sufficient for our needs, the last resort was taken. At that time there was already an army in France, standing in Siberia and fighting an army of our brothers, decimated by battle and five years of alienation, there were women and children of our volunteers who we sent to France. Grosae help was needed. New York and Cleves began with the National Tax. New York raised it weekly as a regular contribution, but this idea found understanding only in a sufficiently small circle of souls, In Cleveland was advertised a national tax and it entered more than 2o,ooo dollars, this unusual success of the immediately begun and not generatively prepared action, which however spoke much, was collected and carried out in preparation for the day of a general national tax in l9l8, where on a single day and at the hands of the cashier Hajek 33.oo dollars. For our conditions and against the terrible beginnings, which were full of lack, this was a great success. At that time America had already waged war for one and a half years, many Ischechoslovaks - poor and rich - worked without distinction on the common plaice. I will not describe in my own words the spirit of our struggle and the soul of the honest Czech and Slo-Wak people, I will mention here the long, but beautiful letter of a simple man, a farmer from Denham Minn, from the same Denham, which is very poor and was destroyed by horrendous prairie fire, which demanded so much sacrifice even in human lives, so that it becomes clear where the flames of the most noble national enthusiasm hit during this time: "Elson, Minnesotta... Teacher Beneš! Accept my cordial greeting and once again I shake your right hand. There has been enough time since you spoke in our hall, in Denham, Minn. ... (note: Insignificant parts of the letter left out.) ... Most of all, when I met fellow countrymen about fourteen days after the Brande, who just collected the tax and I said to them, "Today for the first time, that I also give you nothing." They answered me: Karl, if everyone had done so much as you did, that touched me at that time and I intended that I at least = 37 -