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
421 Covington St., Youngstown, Ohio

THE CROATIAN NATIONAL COUNCIL
K. KUHARIC, president


[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
K. KUHARICH


43,000 signatures

[most of them stolen from the Archives of the League of Nations, Geneva, Switzerland]

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