CZECH NATIONAL DAY

Dominion, Volume 39, Issue 29, 29 October 1945, Page 8

CZECH NATIONAL DAY

Freedom After Six Years’ Oppression After six years of occupation and oppression, Czechoslovakia yesterday could celebrate its national day as a free country. Twice in a generation Czechoslovakia has won its independence from foreign domination—'the first time in 1918 after centuries of cultural and political oppression by the Ilapsburgs, and now again after the comparatively short period of six years under the heel of the German tyrant. However, the scientific nrtdhods, such as decimation of the country’s intelligentsia, employed by the Germans with the aim of breaking tne national spirit of the people, combined with the ravages of a war fought on Czechoslovak soil, even many days alter the unconditional surrender had been signed, may have caused more damage in those six years than Ute hundreds M years before the first liberation. “From the scant news available as yet, it seems that the task of reconstruction is being tackled energetically,’ says >'i stateinent issued on behalf of the Association of Czechoslovaks in New Zealand. “There is no doubt that conditions m Czechoslovakia are different from what they were before the war, and they will probably never be the same again. The minority problem Ims had to be dealt with drastically because of the danger it proved to be to the safety of the State. Also. State ownership will now play a big part in the country's economy. Many questions of extreme importance are aoi. settled yet. such as territorial and.financial indemnities from Germany, which 'are to be left over, till the peace conference. From first reports about the elections to the National Assembly it appears that democracy is again going to have its way in Czechoslovakia. A lie seats appear to be distributed among the four main political parties almost equal.v. with n small lead for tho Communist | Party.” _