English Translation

VV - 2 - Thanks to its extensive foreign policy information, the National Council was not surprised by the outbreak of the war in 1914, but was able to cause the necessary problems and calmly.The cessation of the association's activities was formally reported; the cash assets were transferred to the then head of the Landesbank in Prague, Dr. Mattuš, handed over with the authority to dissipate these funds for the ongoing expenses of active and passive resistance to be organized in Germany and abroad. Thus, the trip of the deputy of the agricultural party, J. Dürich, through Spain to Russia was financed by these funds. This fund did not decrease during the World War, but increased despite the extensive support of Enilien internees and detainees. In Russia, some former concept officials of the National Council worked for the Czech cause. The same fund became a brochure of Prof. Ernest Denis and the magazine "La nation cscheque", which has been published in Paris since January 1915. The 2nd section, which was founded in 1904, "to inform foreign countries and about the conditions abroad", prepared, under the constant chairmanship of Dr. Kramář, an organized resistance against the monarchy by Czechs living abroad. Contaminating archive material, especially correspondence with foreign countries, was removed in good time. A safe disposal of even the less important file material was all the more possible for the National Council, since the Austrian central offices showed a certain carelessness on this issue and it was not until May 1915 that it was considered necessary to carry out the first house search at the National Board, which was without success. 2- In view of the political fragmentation of the Czech people, the National Council had already undertaken in 1915 to seek a closer union not only of the leading figures of Czech political life, but also of Czech parties. On 29 September 1915, under the leadership of Dr. Mattuš, a committee met at which an Old Chechen (Dr. Mattuš); two young Czechs (Fiedler and Dr. Tobolka), an agrarian (Švehla) and for the Social Democrats participated as observer Dr. Smeral. Of these, among others - 3 -