APPEAL FOR NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE OF CROATIA[1934, sent to the League of Nations,Geneva, Switzerland, followed by 43,000 signatures] WHEREAS, the Croatians, who constitute one of the smaller civilized nations of Europe, have been wrongfully and unjustly denied their national independence and their right of self-determination after the [First] World War; and WHEREAS, militaristic Serbia now rules Croatia through force and deceit and chicanery; and WHREREAS, the tyrannical, despotic and oppressive government of the Serbs is persistently subjugating and trodding over the Croatians, with a view of wiping them out and their motherland; and WHEREAS, the Croatians in Croatia (including Slavonia, Dalmatia, Bosnia, Herzegovina and Vojvodina), by reason of the Serbian military occupation of the Croatian provinces, are being wrongfully denied the privilege to freely express their honest convictions as to their right of self-determination as a nation, NOW THEREFORE, be it resolved, that we, the undersigned, either Americans of Croatian descent, or Croatians residing in the United States of America, or friends and advocates of justice and liberty for all nations, hereby appeal to you for the liberation of Croatia from the tyrannical and despotic rule and domination of the Serbs, and we further appeal to you for the national independence of subjugated and down trodden Croatia.
REV. J. A. Stipanovic, Secretary
THE CROATIAN NATIONAL COUNCIL
[Croatian version:]
HRVATSKI je NAROD jedan od civiliziranih malenih europskih
naroda, koji nije iza svjetskoga rata osjetio blagodati
samoodreddenja;
HRVATSKOMU NARODU danas vlada silom i prevarom
militaristiccka Srbija; Srpska nasilna vladavina tvrdokorno
nastoji izbrisati Hrvatsku i hrvatski narod;
Hrvatima u Hrvatskoj (tj. u Banovini, Slavoniji, Dalmaciji,
Bosni, Hercegovini i Vojvodini) radi srpske okupatorne sile
nije dopussteno izrechi njihovo slobodno uvjerenje s obzirom
na svoje samoodreddenje;
ZATO mi Hrvati u Sjedinjenim Drzzavama Amerike i Amerikanci
hrvatskoga podrijetla skupa s ljubiteljima slobode svakoga
naroda s potpisom svojim glasujemo zahtijevajuchi POTPUNU
NEOVISNOST HRVATSKE I HRVATA od srpske vladavine.
REV. J. A. STIPANOVICH, Tajnik
HRVATKO NARODNO VIJECHE
43,000 signatures[most of them stolen from the Archives of the League of Nations, Geneva, Switzerland]Back to Petition |