Russia Gets Control Of Czech Uranium

Chronicle (Levin), 10 June 1948, Page 9

Russia Gets Control Of Czech Uranium

Received Wednesdav, 7 p.m. LONDON, June 9. Aecording to the European edition of the New York Herald-Tribune which published information disclosed by Ivo Duchacek, former chairnian of the Gzech foreign relations committee, the Czeclioslovakian Governnient, under pressure from its Left Wing eleinents 111 1945, signed a secret treaty handing over full control of tlie Czech uranium uiines at Jaehymov in Bohemia, to the Soviet Union. Ever since then, aecord ing to Duchacek, tlie Jaehymov mines, which are tlie sole source of uranium in Europe, have been working for the Russians under conditions of strictest secrecy. The Russians removed all Czech officials and workers from the mines and inunediately installed their own executives and technicians. They also dismissed all Czech labourers and marched in a large number of German war prisoners who are working the mines under close guard. The Czech press was forbidden to mention the mines and when Duchacek 's own newspaper, Obzory, de=. Jied the ban, he was promptly arrested. Duchacek said the news of the secret treaty was kept from him and he discovered it only by accident not long before the recent Connnunist eoup. immediately the Gottwald Govern-' ment came to power, he sent liis wife out of the country and later escaped himself by travelling on foot tlirough tlie Bavarian forests. The Jaehymov mines, which are situated near the fainous spa of Carlsbad, have been worked for 600 years, tirst as silver niines and later as a source of uranium. It was with ore from these mines that the Curies produced their first radium in 1898.