SEPARATION OF RUTHENIA

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22661, 16 March 1939, Page 11

SEPARATION OF RUTHENIA

CZECHS SUBMIT TO HUNGARY SPORADIC FIGHTING DURING ADVANCE TERRIS OF ULTIMATUM CONCEDED IN FULL (UNITED PBESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.) (Received March 15, 9.30 p.m.) LONDON, March 14. A message states that Hungary has sent an ultimatum to Prague demanding an answer in 12 hours agreeing to the immediate release of all Hungarian prisoners in Czechoslovakia, and allowing the Hungarian minority to organise for selfdefence and carry arms. The ultimatum also demanded that Czechoslovakian troops must evacuate Ruthenia in 24 hours. The Note’s friendly reference to Slovakia is tantamount to a declaration of solidarity. Prague has accepted all the terms of the Hungarian ultimatum and the Czech troops have been ordered to withdraw. Ruthenia has declared her independence. The Government has been reconstructed provisionally. M. Volosin remains Premier, and M. Julian Revay, who was dismissed from office by Prague, becomes Foreign Minister. General Prchala, Minister for the Interior in Ruthenia, has been relieved of office. An official Czech communique states that constitutional relations between Prague and Ruthenia have ceased to exist. Prague is no longer obliged to defend Ruthenia’s borders. The Regent of Hungary (Admiral Horthy) conferred with the Italian and German Ministers this morning in the presence of the Foreign Minister and the Chief of Staff. Fighting on Frontier Alleging that Czech troops fired on them across the border, Hungarian troops advanced and occupied Oerhegyalja. They took a number of prisoners. Oerhegyalja is close to Mukacevo, which was ceded to Hungary after the Munich agreement. The fighting later extended to the entire Ruthenian frontier. The Hungarians occupied many Ruthenian villages and towns and hoisted flags. It is officially announced that Hungarian troops are marching into Carpatho-Ukraine (Rutiienia) on an 18-mile front. They are meeting with occasional resistance. It is semi-officially stated in Prague .that 80 Carpatho-Ukrainian (Ruthenian) National Guard members and 30 Czech soldiers were injured during an abortive rising at Chust, organised by the National Guard. The leaders fled to Rumania, destroying a Customs house with grenades and cutting the telephone lines. Hungarian Advance Polish troop movements are reported on the northern Ruthenian frontier, but it is officially stated that Poland has no claims on Slovakia or Ruthenia and that there is no possibility of troops moving in. The Hungarian Legation at Warsaw states that Hungarian troops advanced acrops Ruthenia within nine and a ha ft miles of the Polish frontier, and are resuming the advance to-morrow. It is officially stated in Chust that the Ruthenian Diet has been convened for to-morrow afternoon to decide Ruthenia’s future. The Carpatho-Ukrainian Premier (M. Volosin) Requesting help from Germany and Italy, explaining that Hungarian troops had crossed the frontier. RUMANIA TAKES PRECAUTIONS RUTHENIAN VILLAGES OCCUPIED (Received March 15, 10.10 p.m.) BUCHAREST, March, 15. Rumania is taking extensive military precautions on her Ruthenian frontier. Reuter’s Prague correspondent says that the whole of M. Volosin’s new Ruthenian Cabinet fled 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 Ruthenia, inhabited chiefly by Rumanians. SHOOTING BY GUARDS IN RUTHENIA CASUALTIES REPORTED 4 (Received March 15, 8.10 p.m.) BUDAPEST, March 15. ' Semi-official telegrams from Ruthenia allege that many women and children were seriously injured when members of the National Guard fired on worshippers leaving a church. The guards also fired on mutineers at .an internment camp, killing four and injuring nine.

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A New York message states that while Czechoslovak bonds ai;e breaking* up, financial circles here are of the opinion that the Nazis’ main object is to secure the Czechoslovak Central Bank’s 83,000,000 dollars in gold. The 46,000,000 dollars seized from Austria is believed to be exhausted. It did not appear ’in the statement setting out the condition of the Reichsbank, and bank,ers here state that it was withheld from Dr. Schacht, then Director of t,he Reichsbank, the Nazi Party using it to buy materials abroad. The “New York Times” comments: “It is understandable that Britain and France, having determined that it is beyond their power to resist the dismemberment, should look resolutely elsewhere. It is also understandable that many Americans, remembering the United States’ big part in the formation of Czechoslovakia, should feel that American aloofness from the work of postwar reconstruction was' one of the early influences in the series of events that have ended in this final act of degradation. “Hitler has been demanding colonies Germany had at first.” adds the “New York Times.” “Slovakia is as much a colony as Togoland. It is clear that the old German dream of a Mittel Europa dominated by Berlin is closer to realisation than ever be--fore. “This is the twilight of liberty in Central Europe,” the newspaper states. PROPOSED GUARANTEE TO CZECHS RELEVANCE DENIED BY MR CHAMBERLAIN (beitish OFFICIAL WIRELESS.) RUGBY, March 14. The Prime Minister (Mr Chamberlain), in the House of Commons, replying to a question by the Leader of the Opposition (Mr C. R. Attlee) about the proposed guarantee to Czechoslovakia, told him that it was to have been against unprovoked aggression, and that no such aggression had yet taken place. Mr Chamberlain described as alto-' gether unwarranted the assumption and the suggestion by Mr Attlee that the Government was now entirely uninterested in Czechoslovakia.

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—2 By special arrangement Renter’s World Service, in addition to other special sources of information, is used in the compilation of the overseas intelligence published in this issue, and all rights therein in Australia and New Zealand are reserved. •—2