SHOT IN STREET

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 72, 22 September 1939, Page 7

SHOT IN STREET

SEVERAL ARRESTS MADE

Iron Guard Blamed

(Daventry Broadcast.) LONDON, Thursday Night. The Prime Minister of Bmnania, M. Armand Calinescu, has been assassinated. It is reported that he was shot this afternoon while drivingin a motor«rfr in Bucharest. Just before the shot was fired another motor-car drove alongside the car in which M. Calinescu was driving. According to a report, members of the Rumanian Iron Guard were responsible. This has been confirmed from another source. % The Kunianian Legation in Budapest states that the Bucharest radio station ceased its transmission shortly after 2 o 'clock this afternoon after some minutes of wild Tind confused shouting1 which listeners plainly heard. The Legation reports that it cannot make contact with the Foreign Ministry in Bucharest. M. Calinescu had been Prime Minister since March. His appointment by King Carol was regarded as indicating approval of M. Calinescu's uncompromising attitude to the pro-Nazi Iron Guard, i which, it was stated, had been responsible* for other political murders in Rumania. Later. . The Rumanian Government, which has now been re-formed after the assassination of _the Prime Minister, tonight issued a communique about the assassination, declaring that the Iron Guard was responsible. It named one of the men concerned. Eight men have been arrested in connection with the assassination, and two others are reported to have committed suicide. The communique states that M. Calinescu1 was driving in a car when a cart was pushed in front so that his car had to stop. A number of people fired, and 11 bullets struck the Prime Minister, four penetrating the heart. TUMULT IN BROADCASTING STATION. After the assassination men drove to the Bucharest broadcasting station and&forced their way into the studio. A tumult was heard, and an excited voice saying that M. Calinescu had been killed. "The Prime Minister has been executed by the Iron Guard," the announcer said. After that there was complete silence for a quarter of an hour. All communications were cut off after the broadcast had been interrupted. The Rumanian authorities at once commenced to round up the Iron Guard. King Carol summoned Cabinet at once, and appointed General Argeshahu Prime Minister. . Tonight all important buildings in Bucharest are reported to be heavily guarded, and motorists and pedestrians leaving the city are being watched for arms. A state of emergency has been declared in Rumania, and police are .arresting susp.ec.ted members of the Iron Guard. Yesterday and today Rumanian police have been taking action against Germans who are alleged to have been plotting a revolt after German troops had reached the Rumanian frontier. It is alleged that in a frontier town police found instructions setting out the attitude that was to be taken up when German troops arrived at the frontier.

There has been comment in London on the fact that the German news agency thought it necessary to say that the Prime Minister's death Was the work of Polish and British agents.