Paris Peace Conf. 184.01102/61
Captain John Karmazin to Professor A. C. Coolidge46
Subject: Bolshevism in Bohemia.
About two months ago there returned from Russia to Bohemia many of the most dangerous Bolsheviks who came directly from Moscow and who were equipped for propaganda purposes with large sums of money. Under the auspices of Russian Bolsheviks, headquarters for furthering this movement were established at Cracow, Budapest, Vienna and Prague. The Bolshevist movement in the Czecho-Slovak Republic is lead by Muna who has a notorious reputation in Russia where he informed on the Czecho-Slovak troops and opposed them in every way possible, together with his assistants, Konichek, Knoflicek, Hulan and Hais. They are all former Austrian prisoners of war in Russia, of Bohemian nationality, and are fully experienced in methods of Bolshevist propaganda. The principal places of their activity have been in the coal mining districts of northern Bohemia, Kladno and Mäh-risch-Ostrau (especially in the Karvin coal district of northern Moravia). The social democratic daily newspaper, Pravo Lidu (People’s Rights) defended them against criticism and attack and aided in their propaganda until the attempt was made to assassinate Dr. Kramar, the Premier, when public opinion forced this newspaper to change its attitude. This attempted assassination seems also to have turned the people from Bolshevism and had a sobering effect upon the radicals generally as it came to be realized that this propaganda was leading them into chaos and destruction. On the occurrence of this mad act many social democrats destroyed their membership cards vowing openly that they could never again belong to a party whose official organ (The Pravo Lidu) espoused a cause which led to such eventualities. A strong counter-propaganda was undertaken in which Major Spacek of the Czecho-Slovak Army in Russia and Captain Voska, U.S.A., did effective work.
Another dangerous element that leans toward Bolshevism is composed of the demoralized soldiers of the old Austrian Army, which includes deserters, common thieves and escaped prisoners. They are too lazy to work and the government simply keeps them in barracks under close surveillance to prevent them from doing any mischief.
In a conversation which I had with President Masaryk, he informed me that the government cannot take any severe repressive measures until food and raw materials are received from the United States.
[Page 327]Some of the Bolshevist propagandists are under arrest, but Muna is still free though among the working men generally he is discredited.
- Transmitted to the Commission by Professor Coolidge under covering letter No. 60, February 5; received February 12.↩