TENSION IN SLOVAKIA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 March 1939, Page 5

TENSION IN SLOVAKIA

OCCUPATION BY CZECH TROOPS Prague Government Appeals to People FEARS OF GERMAN INTERVENTION STATEMENT BY SUDETEN LEADER By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright. LONDON, March 12. Tension continues throughout Slovakia following the dismissal of the Slovakian Premier, Dr Tiso, and two Ministers, byithe President, Dr Hacha, in order to foil a rising by Slovak autonomists with the object of seceding from the State. Czech troops moved into Slovakia over the weekend and occupied all public buildings and strategic position. Martial law was proclaimed in several districts. Bratislava (capital of Slovakia) is the main centre of unrest. The radio station yesterday announced the overthrow of the provisional Government set up after M. Tito’s dismissal. It is repoited from Prague that the President has appointed a new Cabinet under the premiership of M. Sidor, Deputy Premier of Czechoslovakia. M. Sivak, who, after the dismissal of Dr Tiso, was appointed by the President to act as Premier, has telegraphed from Rome, where he is representing Czechoslovakia at the coronation of the Pope, refusing the premiership and demanding the withdrawal of Czech troops from Bohemia and Moravia.

The Prague Government yesterday’ appealed to the Slovak people to remain loyal to the republic.

Meanwhile, fears expressed at the beginning of the crisis that th'e Slov-i aks would appeal to Germany for aid appear likely to be realised. Today a crowd of 10,000 gathered in Bratislava in order to celebrate the anniversary of the anschluss of Austria and Germany. M. Karmasin, leader of the German minority, declared his solidarity with the Slovaks. Shots were fired and Jewish shops raided. Slovak extremists and Germans regard Dr Tiso as the only possible Premier.

In another speech yesterday M. Karmasin said: "The German national group stands under the protection of Herr Hitler. It will have common cause with the Slovaks.”

M. Murgac, chief of the political section of' the Hlinka Guards, issued a proclamation stating that the Slovaks had been betrayed to Czech and Bolshevik terrorism. He appealed for unity with the German minority in order to turn out the Czech traitors and free Slovakia. In Berlin itself there is no official comment,on the situation, but the Press is openly sympathetic to the Slovaks. It declares that Prague has learned nothing from past experience and is resorting to terroristic methods as it did in the Sudetenland. Herr Kundt, Parliamentary leader of the Sudeten Germans, issued a statement that Germany’s advice to Prague is to step carefully. It is confirmed in semi-official quarters in Berlin that Dr Tiso’s Government protested to Germany.

HITLER GUARDS PASSAGE NEAR CZECH FRONTIER. (Independent Cable Service.) BERLIN, March 12. The German official news agency, in a message from Prague, says that five Slovaks were killed and 14 seriously injured during the disturbances. German newspapers report incidents of bloodshed throughout Slovakia. Motorists were delayed near Dresden, near the Czech frontier, by the passage of 5000 Hitler Guards going south-east. They were informed that the men were merely doing their normal night training.

NAZI ABUSE VIENNA, March 12. A radio broadcast today abused the Czechoslovakia Government and demanded the release of the arrested Slovak separatist leaders. COMMENT IN LONDON ATTITUDE OF SLOVAKS PERPLEXING. DANGERS OF ABSORPTION. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, March 11. The situation in Czechoslovakia is being closely watched in London. The “Daily Telegraph” says that for the onlooker it is not easy to understand what Slovakia can possibly hope to gain by separatism. Whatever grievances she may have had under the pre-Munich regime must have been removed, it would have been thought, by the gra,nt of complete autonomy which she now enjoys.

As a small country with 2,000,000 inhabitants she can have no prospect of standing alone. Complete independence would expose her to exploitation, if not absorption, by one or other of her powerful neighbours from whom she could expect none of the benevolence meted out to her by her Czech elder brother. The Czechs, says the paper, have given unmistakable proof of their determination to keep order in the house left them by Munich.

MOVE BY GERMANY APPROVAL OF NEW CABINET. PRAGUE, March 12. It is reliably stated that a plan to declare an independent Slovak State existed but was dropped when Germany approved of the new Government appointed today in which M. Sokol is Minister of Interior and M. Sivak, Minister of Education. RUMANIAN CONCERN. i (Independent Cable Service.) BUCHAREST, Match 12. Rumania is closely observing events in Czechoslovak ia. Despite strong sympathies for the Slovaks, Rumania does not want an indepepndent Slovakia which would be a source of unrest.