GREEN ARMY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 05, Issue 69, 24 June 1942, Page 2

GREEN ARMY

When Germany and Hungary entered the war against Russia, the resistance of the inhabitants of Subearpathian Russia against the Hungarian regime grew to open revolt. For 20 years this corner of Europe belonged to the Czechoslovak Republic, but it was taken over by Hungary as its share of the German booty. When war was declared against Russia, posters appeared in the villages, saying: "Who have enslaved our brother Russians and Ukrainians? The Russians are not our enemies, but those who took our freedom and mother tongue from us!'-' 1 The poster was signed by the three letters S.P.S, Wherever this poster appeared, the inhabitants of Subcarpathian Russia opposed the war effort. I'n Perecin tiie workers, down to a f man, did not turn up at the chemical factory; and when the gendarmes went from house to house, they found that the workers had gone off somewhere, and no one knew where. Thej' went into the mountains to join the "Green Army'' attacking German transports to Russia. in Valka Bockova, where there is a chemical factor}', rumour went round among the inhabitants that war gases were being manufactured there. in the morning the women took up a stand at the' factory gates and would not allow their menfolk to enter, crying thai lliey would not manufacture gassos against their brother Russians. On the same day posters appeared saying: "Do not manufacture Avar material against your blood-brothers. S.P.S." Just like the letter "V" in the rest of Europe, in Subcarpathian Russia S.P.S. symbolising the antiGerman altitude of the people. During the time of the Czechoslovak Republic the S.P.S. was the democratic union of agricultural workers and labourers in Subcarpathian Russia. The President of this union was Ivan Lokota, who lied from Russia before the Hungarian seizure, and who has from there organised the broadcast propaganda among the Ruthenians.