SOCIALISTS CLAIM PAPERS ‘PLANTED”

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22569, 24 February 1948, Page 5

SOCIALISTS CLAIM PAPERS ‘PLANTED”

He added that the police had arrested two Czechoslovak army officers and a number of civilians. The Nationalist Socialist Party headquarters denied knowledge of ’the alleged preparations and suggested that the Communist-controlled police had placed the alleged incriminatiing documents in the party’s files when they occupied the headquarters earlier today. The President, Dr. E. Benes, after conferring for two hours with the Ministers who resigned, announced that he was taking steps to have all parties seek an agreement in order to renew co-operation of the whole National Front. The Czech Socialist Party headquarters stated that the police arrested six party executives. The Catholic Peoples’ Party announced the arrest of its young leader. The Czechoslovak Parliament has

postponed indefinitely its session scheduled for tomorrow. The Communist-Prime Minister, Dr. Gottwald, announced that a new Government would be formed within the next few days or even within a f cw hours. He added that his and Dr. Benes’ viewpoints “had come closer’’ within the past 48 hours He believed that Dr. Benes would accept the Ministerial list that he would present. The Czech Social Democrat Party announced it had accepted a Communist invitation to form a new Government but insisted that the negotiations must respect the principles of Parliammtnry democracy. The party had also decided to permit members'to join “action committees’’ throughout the country which the Communists sponsored. Five thousand students marched to the Prague Castle where Dr. Benes .s living, shouting "down with the terror. Long live Dr. Zennel!" (The Nationalist Socialist Deputy Prime Minister.) Telephone and teleprinter commu nicalions between Prague and Bratislava have been cut.