RUTHENIA ALSO INDEPENDENT

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 146, 16 March 1939, Page 9

RUTHENIA ALSO INDEPENDENT

New Cabinet Flees To Rumania HUNGARIAN TROOPS ADVANCE (Received March 15, 10.30 p.m.) LONDON, March 15. Ruthenia yesterday declared her independence and the Government was reconstructed provisionally with M. Volosin as Premier and M. Julian Revay, who was dismissed from office by the Prague Government, as Foreign Minister. An official communique issued in Prague states that constitutional relations between Prague and Ruthenia have ceased to exist. Prague is no longer obliged to defend Ruthenia’s borders. Shortly after news of the formation of tiie Ruthenian Government, however, Reuters Prague correspondent reported that the whole of the new Cabinet had lied to Rumania. M. Volosin is reported to have been wounded during a clash between the population and his escort from Bratislava. Rumanian troops are reported to have occupied 20 villages in eastern Rutlienia inhabited chiefly by Rumanians. Messages received from Ruthenia via Budapest allege that many women and children were seriously injured when members of the National Guard tired on worshippers leaving a church. They also fired on mutineers at an internment camp, where four were killed and nine injured. Fighting extends along the entire Rutlienia frontier. Hungarians occupied many Ruthenian villages and towns and' hoisted flags. The Hungarian Legation in Warsaw stales that the troops have advanced across Ruthenia to wit hin t)£ miles of Ihe Polish frontier and are resuming the march tomorrow. Appeal to Germany. Before he fled to Rumania, Al. Volosin requested help from Germany and Italy ns guarantors of the Vienna award, explaining that Hungarian i troops had crossed the frontier. Budapest reports that Hungary has issued an ultimatum to Prague demanding tlie immediate release of all Hungarian prisoners in Czechoslovakia, that the Hungarian minority shall be allowed to organise in selfdefence and carry arms, also that: Czechoslovak troops must evacuate Ruthenia within 21 hours. A Prague report says that all the terms of this ultimatum have been accepted, and Czech troops have been withdrawn.