LETTERS FROM OUR YOUNG FRIENDS.
Dear Mr. Harison:
I have taken great interest in The Great Round World. When I was away this summer I showed your paper to a great many people, and they thought it was very nice, and they thought they would subscribe for it.
I have taken great interest in the Klondike affair. I went away this summer to Lake Hopatcong and had a lovely time, but we came home a little while ago.
Hoping your paper the most possible success,
Yours truly,
South Orange, N.J. B.F.
Dear Little Friend:
We are very pleased to receive your kind letter.
Editor.
To the Editor:
I wish to call your attention to the article printed in last week's Great Round World about Austria. Your description about the Bohemians, properly called Czechs, is wrong. They are not wild, unruly, nor obstinate. In the United States there are five hundred thousand Czechs, and you never hear of them giving trouble to the Government nor any one else. Everywhere they are known as a quiet, industrious race, doing their business and offending no one. In Europe they have a great many obstacles to overcome. One of them is that the Germans are trying to crush them wherever they can. Every nation loves its tongue and wishes it to live, so do the Czechs. Because they oppose, are they to be called wild, obstinate, and ill-governed? The Czechs' language is not so difficult. I know Americans speaking the Czechs' language as well as Czechs themselves. I do not wish to discuss their rights, but I do feel that where a sad mistake has been made it ought to be rectified. Young readers must be informed correctly; and knowing it to be your aim to inform your readers so, I take the liberty of writing. I hope you will not think me prejudiced, nor that I merely write from a Czech's standpoint. An injustice has been done and ought to be righted if possible. If you wish to gain correct information, I refer you to Mr. Riis, author of "How the Other Half Lives." Also to Dr. Hall, minister of the Presbyterian Church. They have both been to Austria several times, and know a great deal about the Czechs. Hoping you will consider the matter, I remain yours, A.B. Bazata.
New York City, October 18th, 1897.
Dear Friend:
We were very pleased to receive your letter.
You have evidently misunderstood the article in question, and also misquoted it.
If you will look back at page 1,390 you will see that we do not say the Bohemians are an unruly people, but that they are wild and quickly irritated—information which you can easily verify for yourself. We had no intention of making any disparaging remarks about the race. We merely stated facts which are so well known in Europe that they have become proverbs.
In reference to the Czech language we must also differ with you. Your argument that you have friends who speak the language does not strike us as very sound. There are numbers of Europeans who have learned Chinese, but that does not alter the fact that Chinese is an abnormally difficult tongue.
If you will read our article through again you will see that your zeal for the Bohemians has made you defend them before they were accused.
We stated that the governing of Austria is a very difficult task in consequence of the three conflicting elements of which it is composed, and explained the nature and grievance of each element.
You must not let your sympathies cloud your judgment.