Collection of three ALSs signed “T. G. Masaryk,” totaling 12 pages, all dated 1930. The first, in part: “I told you often, that our Catholic party & their press is rotten. The Austro Hung. Catholicism has been enslaved by the Viennese Court; Vienna ruled the Church & used it as a police. That’s all. They are used to that slavery & only the new generation may outgrow this deplorable education.” The second concerns the closing of a Czech newspaper, noting that “it may have some good effect on the remaining Catholic papers.” The final letter touches upon a number of issues, in part: “In any case there is no favorization of this Church; I concede, that there is an unclear mixing of Russophilism with the concomitant orthodoxy, perhaps even among officials. I myself often point out, to take care of the priests coming from Russia; they are not educated & may be poor outlaws only too prone to find a living. This part of our republic needs education & hygienic care, hospitals etc, & that is pretty well done. Didn’t I tell you, that we (soon after the war) sent there a good deal of chocolate—they sold it to the local Jews, believing that it comes from the devil, because it is so black. And such stories I could tell you more than one, indicating the primitiveness of the population.” In overall fine condition. Accompanied by four original mailing envelopes, three addressed in Masaryk’s own hand. Masaryk, a Protestant-turned-agnostic, was a severe critic of the Catholic Church and even less fond of the Russian Orthodox Church—both positions that are evident in these letters. A fabulous collection detailing these critical and controversial viewpoints. RR Auction COA.
