Jan Šinágl angažovaný občan, nezávislý publicista

Jan Bata wrote a letter to the Jefferson Caffrey, Ambassador of the United States of America to Brazil in 1942 with his offer to produce as much rubber as the Allied governments needed for the war effort. In return, all that J.A.Bata asked was that his name be removed from the black list.  Declassified documents released through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) show that the Czechoslovakian government-in-exile's position regarding Jan Bata as described by the Brazilian Charge d'Affairs, Vladimir Nosek; that he was "under orders from his government not to render any services to Bata or his companies," Secretary of State, Airgram A-685, November 27, 1942.  This clearly shows that the Czechoslovakian government-in-exile's decisions had less to do with winning the war, and more to do with abusing their power by denying assistance to an important Czechoslovak citizen who was attempting to make an important contribution to the Allied war effort. It is also clear from other declassified documents that Charge d'Affairs, Nosek had "no documentary or other definite evidence establishing the undesirability of Bata, and indicated that he had thought our files [those of the United States government] would contain a case against him [Jan Bata]," Secretary of State, Airgram A-48, April 15, 1946.  It is clear that the Czechoslovakian government-in-exile had a different agenda than winning the war by keeping Jan Bata on the black list and the eventual confiscation of his property in Czechoslovakia (today Czech Republic and Slovakia).

A detailed report from the United States, Department of Justice definitively concludes on February, 16, 1950, "the voluminous material gathered by the Treasury Department and this Office relating to Jan Bata and the Bata Corporations fails to disclose any evidence of enemy taint." It is irrefutably clear that the post-war investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice found that neither Jan Bata, nor any Bata company collaborated with the enemy during the war.

It is unfortunate that Jan Antonin Bata, the Czechoslovak Shoe King was prevented from supplying rubber for the Allied cause.  But, now we know what was in the heart and mind of this Czechoslovak Patriot.

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Mr. Jan Antonín Baťa to Mr. Jefferson Caffery, Ambasador of the USA in Rio de Janeiro, September 15, 1942

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Jan Šinágl, 10.7.2014

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