SLOVAK CRISIS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 128, 13 March 1939, Page 5

SLOVAK CRISIS

NEW PREMIER APPOINTED. ALLEGATIONS AGAINST CZECHS. TROOPS REPORTED CONCENTRATING. (United Press Association —Copyright.) . PRAGUE, March 12. Dr. Emil Hacha (President of Czechoslovakia) has appointed a Slovak Cabinet under tlio Premiership of M. Karol Sidor (Deputy-Premier of Czechoslovakia and leader of the Hlinka Guards). A Slovak delegation went from Bratislava to Prague to discuss a new Cabi-*> net. M. Sidor had earlier declared that the crisis between the Czechs and the Slovaks would ibe settled in 24 hours, on a basis of autonomy for the Slovaks. Dr. Tisoand the Slovak parliamentary executive had submitted a list of a Slovak Cabinet to Dr. Hacha; M. Sidor appealed to the Hlinka Guards to accord him their loyalty. M. Sidor, who was arrested on his arrival in Bratislava, was later released. He announced that he was acting in the formation of a new Government, making possible a, compromise. • . The Bratislava radio 1 station announced on. Saturday the overthrow* of the first provisional government under M. iSirak, after an existence of 12 hours and also the retreat of Czech troops and gendarmes. It accused the Czechs of attempting to install an unconstitutional military dictatorship. Czech troops were reported to be concentrating in East Moravia, near the Slovak border. A later message from Bratislavia stated that the city was quiet this morning, and life was proceeding normally. Hlinka Guards seized a sniall ammunition depot. Martial law is being enforced in two communes. Hen* Kundt has issued a statement that Germany’s advice to Prague is to step carefully. Ten thousand persons gathered in Bratislavia to celebrate the anniversary of the Austrian anchluss with Germany. M. Karmasin (leader of the German minority) declared his solidarity with the Slovaks. The city is restless. Shots were fired and Jewish shops were raided. M. Sivak, who was first offered the Premiership, telegraphed from Rome,, refusing it, and demanding the withdrawal of Czech troops from Bohemia and Moravia. The Slovak extremists and the Germans stated that they regarded Dr. Tiso as the only possible Premier. German sources report that Czech soldiers occupied the Nazi headquarters at Kaesmark. M. Maestny, Czechoslovak Minister in Berlin, protested to Germany against the tone of the broadcast by M. Dureanski, a member of the dismissed Cabinet, who lias abandoned his intention of going to Berlin. A message from Vienna says that a radio broadcast abused the Czechoslovak Government, and demanded the release, of the Slovak separatist leaders, M. Tucha and M. Mach. DEMONSTRATIONS CONTINUE GERMAN NATIONAL AIMS. PRAGUE, March 12. Hlinka Guafrds occupied the Bratislava radio station, but later withdrew Four Hlinka Guards -were wounded in attempting to storm the former headquarters of the movement, wdiich tins, military had occupied. * From Budapest it is reported that demonstrations continue in Bratislava, where Hour Kamarsin, leader of the Germans in Slovakia, before leaving for Berlin, 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 Guard, issued a proclamation stating that the Slovaks bad been betrayed to Czech and Bolshevik terrorism. He appealed for unity with tlio German minority in order to turn out the Czech traitors and free Slovakia. FIRMNESS OF THE PRESIDENT. APPRECIATION IN BRITAIN. LONDON, March 11. v The situation in Czechoslovakia is being closely watched in London. ‘ ‘The Times’ ’ says: ‘ ‘The firm manner in which-the President of Czechoslovakia (Dr. Emil Hacha) dealt with the separatist- movements seems significantly to ’show that he is master in his own house, and capable of dealing with disaffection without any need of foreign assistance in his task." The “Daijy Telegraph” says: “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 beer, removed, it would have been thought by the grant of complete autonomy that 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 mteted out to her by her Czech elder brother. The Czechs have given unmistakable proof of their determination to keep order in the house left them by Munich.’’—British Official Wireless.