COMMUNIST ULTIMATUM DENIED

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

COMMUNIST ULTIMATUM DENIED

The Social Democrat Party denied that the Communists had issued an ultimatum to them to join Dr. Gottwald’s Cabinet or face the consequences. The trade unions told civil servants to participate in a one-hour token strike tomorrow and the-Social Democrat Party decided to allow its members to take part. The nationalised newsprint factories refused to supply the Czech Socialist newspaper with paper. Dr. Benes will broadcast to the nation tomorrow. The Communist authorities in Czechovakia made two swift moves today against the non-Communist political parties. From Midday armed police occupied the headquarters of the Socialist Party for two hours, says the British United Press correspondent. Armed police guards were later posted outside Parliament House, foreign embassies and radio stations in Prague. Police were also posted in Bratislava, the principal city of Slovakia, outside the offices of the Slovak Democratic Party and Communist Party, the Post Office and radio station. The second move came when the State Security Office launched a prosecution against the former vice-Premier Jan Ursini on charges of having helped

the agents of a subversive organisation to obtain State and military secrets. When the police lifted Ihe occupa tion of the National Socialist Party headquarters, party officials re-entered the ouilding and. from the balcony, led the crowd in cheers and calls of “long live Benes”. The Ministry of the Interior issued no explanation for the seizure of the headquarters. The seizure followed 'he arrest of Dr Zdenek Mnrjanko, an cm ployee of (lie Ministry of Justice which is headed by M Drtina, a Nationalist Socialist and one of Ihe anti Communis! Ministers who resigned. M. Marjanko had charge of the Ministry’s investigation of the September bomb plot against M. Dritna and hvo other Ministers for which five Commu nisi Party members are now awaiting trial. It is reported that M. Ludwig Ra|mann, member of the Socialist Party and M. Ransdorf president of the sUxdents’ bodv of Charles University ! ave also been arrested. The Peoples’ Party reported that several of their provincial offices were sea-ched. The President, Dr. E. Benes, received the leaders of the three Right wing parties, the resignation of whose mini sters precipitated Czechoslovakia's po litical crisis.