CZECHOSLOVAKIAN AFFAIRS

Evening Star, Issue 22718, 4 August 1937, Page 11

CZECHOSLOVAKIAN AFFAIRS

ONLY DEMOCRACY IN CENTRAL EUROPE DICTATORS OR BOLSHEVISTS NOT WANTED USEFUL HINTS FOR NEW ZEALAND “ All neighbours of Czechoslovakia have passed through convulsions, revolutions, putches. Communist menace, have' adopted authoritative constitutions, have abolished constitutional liberties. We’ only remained untouched. Present Europe is in a state of social, economic, and cultural ferment affecting all countries without exception, but we reject Fascist, totalitarian, or Communist principles. Our political philosophy is democracy, and our doctrines are S ractical. The class distinctions in zechoslovakia are not so great;' we have no titles, no aristocrats, industrial plutocrats, or financial magnates, nor big landlords (estates) dominating our policy, and we are among the most progressive of countries _in social and labour reforms legislation. There has been a co-operation lasting now foj many years between the Left and the Right /in' the Government, which will most certainly continue, and, therefore we repulsed the onslaught of Fascism and other dictatorships. In spite of grave international crises, Czechoslovakia has remained sound, firm, and resilient without any outside help. Our heavy outlay on army and defence we also bear ourselves, and help our friends into the bargain. No matter what may happen around us We will remain a democracy, prepared to defend it to the last breath so that a general conflict would hardly bring any benefit to the aggressor . . .” recently declared Dr E. Benes, the President of Czechoslovakia Republic. This was carefully interpreted to a reporter by Mr B. Pospisil in his excellent English. An international journalist and author of several books on travel, Mr Pospisil has written a well-reviewed volume on New Zealand, ‘ Wandering on the Islands of Wonders,’ and is preparing another one. As his wife is a Dunedin-born girl, the visitor feels rather awkward when some people confuse his country (situated in _ the heart of Europe) with Yugoslavia of tho Balkans, in which there is always a considerable political unrest.

“ In New Zealand is a- system of one-party government,” said Mr Pospisil. “ In Czechoslovakia the Cabinet is chosen from all parties in proportion to _ election results. Political blocs combine to form a Government coalition. Strictly speaking, New Zealand parties have no dailies of their own. In -Czechoslovakia parties have a complicated apparatus of organisa-

tion, own big newspapers, control strong trade unions, have powerfuli economic organisations like, buildings, production and consumption co-opera-tives (83 central co-operative societies own over 17,000 factories and stores), have their entertainments, theatres, dances, libraries, evening colleges (courses) ? and alsp control physical culture societies. The Social-Democrats-Workers’ Gymnastic Federation has 137,000 members, Catholic ' Orel ’ over 126,000, Communists 40,000, etc., and the non-politi-cal national ‘ Sohol ’ has nearly > a million members. The political parties give practical services and intimate touch to every member’s family, wife, and children. There could not be a domination of the republic by one_ party. Physiculture is intensive also in the schools and in the army. SOCIAL INSURANCE. “ Some New Zealanders are rather dubious about the proposed social insurance. I think your Labour is pretty saue. Czechoslovakia’s social insurance comprises (all compulsory) are:— 1. Workers’ accident insurance, through the provincial societies. 2. Sickness insurance (including family benefits in ease of maternity, funeral expenses, etc.). 3. Workers’ old-age and Invalidity, applying to some 2,600)000 persons. 4. Similar insurance for miners (140,000) through their societies. 5. Pension insurance of private employees of the higher categories (300,000) through the General Pension Institute. 6. Pension insurance for journalists with State aid. 7. Traders and farmers’ insurance (the latest reform). 8. Pension insurance for public employees (State and local government servants which existed before the war). “ There is little left in Czechoslovakia to be desired in the field of social reform. Besides, the factory councils of workers, supported by their trade unions, are negotiating directly with the employer, and prevent largely big social convulsions in Czechoslovakia’s extensive, _ highly-specialised industry, and intensive, rationalised, agriculture. WOMEN’S BIG ROLE. “ New Zealand was the first country in the world to give'women equal franchise, but your women are about tho most apathetic of all highly civilised nations,” said Mr Pospisil. “ In Czechoslovakia all parties nominate women, and many of them are in the Parliament and Senate. Women take leading parts in tho labour movement, and carry also a very useful activity in the specially created Ministry of Social Welfare, which has spent only on erection of houses over £35,000,000. “ There is an absolute religious freedom in Czechoslovakia. In tho west-

ern part before the war there were 95 per cent, of Roman Catholics. Today there is only about 70 per cent., the people changing to the Czechoslovak Church, having aii affinity to Protestantism, or remaining without denominations at all. “ There is, of course, the problem of minorities in Czechoslovakia. Tho German Nazis are making a lot of trouble, secretly forcing the Czechoslovak Germans to accept Nazism and to join forces. Many of our citizens were kidnapped into Hitler’s paradise. _ Yet‘ all the citizens, irrespective of nationality or language, have by our constitution absolutely equal rights. In Scotland and Ireland many have forgotten their own language, the school and official language being English. In Czechoslovakia every village with 40 children of a minority has a school teaching in its own tongue. Where there is 20 per cent, of the total in a minority business in public offices (if required) is conducted in both languages. The Czechoslovaks, numbering 70 per cent., have 208 members in tho Parliament; the Germans (22 per cent.) have 72, tho Magyars (less than 5 per cent.) have 10, the Poles (0.6 per cent.) have two members. Of the 16 universities and colleges the Czechoslovaks have 12, Germans three. Of tho 736 technical schools Germans have _ 187, Magyars five, Poles two. Russian-Ruthanians nine, and of bi-lingual there are 41. The Germans or Magyars do not inhabit a single connected language area. “ In Czechoslovakia tho Magyars possess 49 political journals. In Hungary three-quarters of a million of minorities have hardly anything,” said Mr Pospisil. “ German papers say that out of the half a million of Germans in Hungary only a quarter have schools, What about the minorities in Germany and Italy? They have nothing whatever, and if they protest off they go to prisons or concentration camps/’