SLAV TERRITORY BACK TO UKRAINE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 153, 30 June 1945, Page 5

SLAV TERRITORY BACK TO UKRAINE

CZECH-SOVIET PACT Russia Hails Unity Of Entire People Rec. 1 p.m. LONDON, June 29. The Soviet and Czech Foreign Ministers, M. Molotov and M Fierlinger, to-day signed a treaty under which the sub-Carpathian Ukraine which is a part of Ruthenia, is by the mutual agreement and desire of its peoples to be returned to the Ukraine Soviet Socialist Republic. Moscow radio says that the pact will be submitted to the presidium of the Supreme Soviet and the Czech National Assembly for ratification.

Russia and Czechoslovakia, in a protocol associated with the pact, have agreed that a demarkation commission should settle frontier details. Slovak and Czech nationals in the Carpathian Ukraine may have the option of Czech nationality. M. Fierlinger, in a speech quoted by Moscow radio, emphasised that the treaty proved that there were no questions which were insoluble by mutual understanding.

Sub-Carpathian Ukraine after the last war was incorporated in Czechoslovakia because Russia was then in difficulties, he said.. Now, by the heroic efforts of the Red Army and Czechoslovakia's Allies, the enemy had been crushed, and a number of frontier changes were taking place. M. Molotov described the treaty as of great political value. Sub-Carpa-thian Ukraine had been torn from the Fatherland for 1000 years. The Hungarians, firstly, then the Germans, exploited it. After the last war the position improved when the area became part of Czechoslovakia, but the territory was still torn from the Fatherland. The entire Ukraine people were now united, and the treaty vividly demonstrated the friendship between the Slav peoples. The area affected is about 5000 square miles, with a population of 800,000.