Bohemia would not assume the serious task of self-government as an inexperienced novice. Bohemia is one of the oldest states in Central Europe. As a kingdom she antedates the German kingdoms, not excepting Prussia, Saxony, Bavaria. Some of these were yet minor states when she already played a conspicuous rôle in the affairs of Europe. In point of population the United States of Bohemia--including Bohemia herself, Moravia, Silesia, and Slovakland--would have within her borders a population numbering about 12,000,000. The combined area of the three first-named states is almost twice the size of Switzerland. Prague, the capital, had in 1910 581,163 inhabitants. As a wealth-providing and revenue-yielding country Bohemia stands unrivalled among the Hapsburg States. T. Č. NEW YORK CONTENTS I. HAVE THE BOHEMIANS A PLACE IN THE SUN? 17 Thomas Čapek. II. THE SLOVAKS OF HUNGARY 113 Thomas Čapek. III. WHY BOHEMIA DESERVES FREEDOM 123 Professor Bohumil Šimek. IV. THE BOHEMIAN CHARACTER 130 Professor H. A. Miller. V. PLACE OF BOHEMIA IN THE CREATIVE ARTS 153 Professor Will S. Monroe. VI. THE BOHEMIANS AND THE SLAVIC REGENERATION 160 Professor Leo Wiener. Addenda. THE BOHEMIANS AS IMMIGRANTS 176 Professor Emily G. Balch. I HAVE THE BOHEMIANS A PLACE IN THE SUN? Bohemia (German Böhmen, Bohemian Čechy[1]) has an area of 20,223 square miles, and is bounded on the north by Saxony and Prussian Silesia; on the east by Prussia and Moravia; on the south by Lower Austria; on the west by Bavaria. According to the census of 1910, 4,241,918 inhabitants declared for Bohemian and 2,467,724 for the German language. Historians recognize two epochal events in the life of the nation. The first begins with the outbreak of the Hussite wars, following the death of King Václav IV. in 1419; the second, with the battle of White Mountain in 1620. The period intervening between the first two events is referred to as the Middle Age. That which preceded the Hussite wars is called the Old Age, and, that which followed the defeat at White Mountain, the New Age. THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE The Margravate of Moravia, a sister state of Bohemia, and one of her crown-lands, contains an area of 8,583 square miles. The population of Moravia is 1,868,971 Bohemians and 719,435 Germans. The third crown-land of Bohemia is the Duchy of Silesia, with an area of 1,987 square miles. The population is divided as follows: 180,348 Bohemians, 325,523 Germans, 235,224 Poles.[2]