THE CZECH CRISIS

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 234, 1 July 1939, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE CZECH CRISIS

An Unfamiliar Point Of View “Ride to Battle,” by Sylvia Stevenson (London: Geoffry Bles). “Ride to Battle” is a record of the author’s experiences with the Hungarian army, when, following . the Munich conference, they re-occupied some of the areas they had lost in 1918. She tells of the joyful welcoming of the Hungarians when they marched into towns and villages which bad been occupied by the Czechs till a few hours previously. Miss Stevenson appears to have been a sort of war correspondent, but the book fails to explain exactly how she obtained permission to proceed with the advance guard. However, her story is told in a straight-forward and sincere manner, and she brings out her points without any attempt at dramatic effect. She leaves little doubt of the hostility and bitterness that the Czechs had engendered in their subject races, the Slovaks, the Ruthenians and the Magyars.

As the author admits, she has only presented the Hungarian side of the argument, but she makes out a strong case on their behalf.

The taking away of the livelihood of the non-Czech peasants, the payment of imported Czech workmen three times the wages of Slovaks and Hungarians employed on the same work, the housing of Czechs in modern dwellings while others were forced to live in hovels, are but a few of, the pieces of evidence collected by Miss Stevenson, who also heard complaints of a similar nature from Slovak and Ruthenian deserters. Several stories are told of brutal treatment of hospital patients and others by the departing Czechs. Nevertheless, over the welcoming of the liberating troops looms the shadow of Germany, who dictates just how far the Hungarian armies shall advance. But, as the author says: "They held out their hands, like children, to the first Great Power who had so far showed any active interest in their plight.” Miss Stevenson meets all types of interesting and likeable characters, dashing Hungarian Hussars, hospitable and kindly peasants, fiery Ruthenian patriots, gipsies and battle-scarred soldiers of Central Europe. The book presents a side of the Czechoslovakian crisis not generally known in this part of the world, and gives an insight into some of the complications arising out of the Treaty of Versailles and the formation of the “mosaic” Republic of Czechoslovakia. The author is, perhaps at times, apt to dwell overmuch on her personal experiences, which are not of general interest to the reader, but on the whole the book is well written and interesting because of the facts given about the present situation tn Central Europe. “Ride to Battle” is illustrated with numerous photographs depicting scenes of the author’s travels with the advancing Hungarians.