Relations Broken

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 183, 20 August 1937, Page 5

Relations Broken

i— Pvess A«»n.-

PORTUGUESE AND CZECHS Refusal to Supply Arms is Renson Given MINISTER QUITS PRAGUE

(By Telegrapli

-CoDyricht.1

(Received 20, 10.40 a.m.) LONDON, Aug. 19. Tlie Portuguese Government has severed diplomatio relations with CzechoSlovakia, according to tlie Exchango Telegraph Company' s correspondent. Tlie reason for the break is the Czech Government's alleged failure to fulfil contracts to supply arms to l'ortugal. A Prague message reports that an official statement issued concerning tho diplomatic rupture says: ''Portugal recently negotiated with a Czechoslovak ammunition works for the supply of arms. After finding that, owing to previous engagements to supply the Czechoslovakian army, the firm concerned' was unable to deliver the type of arms spceified, Portugal was offored arms of a different type. Portugal regarded the new offer as refusal of the previous order and instructed her Minister to leave Prague, "We want to make it cletr that no political er diplomatic conflict existed or exists between Czeehoslovakia and Portugal. It is regarded as unprececjented in the history of international relations that the failure of commercialncgotiationst sboidd lead to a formal onersided rupture of diplomatic relations,'' A Lisbon message reports that an official commqnique oxplaining the diplomatic severance says: ''Czechoslovakia first claimed1 that the arnis refusal was due to Portugal's attitude to Spaxn and later claimed that it was due to her own rearmament requirenxents. Czechoslovaliia also oxpTCssed a desire to ' msult other Powers. ''Portugal iinmediately saw that the CzcGh attitude was due to third-party pressure from tliose interostod in stopping Portuguese rearmament. In view of Czechoslovakia's unfairness, Portugal regretfully instructed her MifiisVienna yesterday after handing to the ter to leave Prague. He went to Italian Minister the duties of safeguard.ing Portuguese interests.' '