"The ultimate aim of the Czecho-Slovak National Council in Prague is postulated by the demand of these times: _to enlist for systematic work, to organise and lead the great spiritual, moral and national resources of the nation_ to that end which is the most sacred and inalienable right of every nation and which cannot and will not be denied also to our nation: "_The right of self-determination in a fully independent Czecho-Slovak State with its own administration within its own borders and under its own sovereignty_. "The Czecho-Slovak National Council wish to interpret this will of the nation and to be the executive organ of all the common declarations of its delegates which culminated in the solemn oath of April 13, 1918. "Our work will not be easy. We shall have to suffer much more opposition and _we shall have to undergo another great test._ But no obstacles are able to arrest our nation's progress. In full mutual agreement with our delegates and with the whole cultural and economic Czech world, the Czecho-Slovak National Council will faithfully fulfil its difficult and responsible task, so that it may be truly said before the conscience of the nation that we did everything that was in our human power. "_We know that our whole nation stands behind the Czecho-Slovak National Council_ as one united rampart. Full of joy at the great political act which the constitution of the National Council represents, and full of confidence in the victory of our common cause, we address to-day to the whole Czecho-Slovak nation an urgent appeal to support our work with all its strength, to obey all orders of common discipline and to follow firmly our common national aim." It is significant that the presidency of this council is composed of four of the most eminent leaders of the four greatest parties in Bohemia: Dr. Kramar, Klofac, Svehla and Soukup. All of these have been in prison during this war, as well as the following members of the council: Dr. Rasin and Cervinka, friends of Kramar; Cyril Dusek, former editor of Masaryk's organ _The Times_; Dr. Scheiner, president of the "Sokol" Gymnastic Association; and Machar, the eminent Czech poet. Besides these the members of the council include: the Socialist leaders Bechyne, Habermann, Krejci, Nemec, Stivin, Meissner, Tusar and Vanek; the Clerical leaders Hruban, Sramek and Kordac; the author Jirasek; Agrarians Stanek (president of the Czech Union), Udrzal and Zahradnik, Dr. Herben, of Professor Masaryk's party, and others. _All Czech parties are represented on the council without exception,_ from the Socialists on the extreme Left to the Clericals on the extreme Right.