WEST POWERS CONDEMN RED COUP

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22572, 27 February 1948, Page 5

WEST POWERS CONDEMN RED COUP

“DISGUISED DICTATORSHIP” DISASTROUS FOR CZECH PEOPLE “CRISIS ARTIFICIALLY INSTIGATED” (N.Z.P.A.—Reut*r— Copyright.) (9.30 a.m.) LONDON, Feb. 26. Britain, America and France, in a joint declaration today, condemned as “disguised dictatorship” the Communist regime established in Czechoslovakia. The declaration stated: “The Government of the United States. France and Britain have attentively followed the course of events which have just taken place in Czechoslovakia and which place in jeopardy the very existence of the principles of liberty to which all democratic nations are attached.

PARLIAMENTARY RULE SUSPENDED

“They note that, by means of a crisis artificially and deliberately instigated, the use of certain methods already tested in other places, has permitted the suspension of the free exercise of Parliamentary institutions and the establishment of a disguised dictatorship of a single party under the cloak of a government of national mmon. “They can but condemn a development, the consequences of which can only be disastrous for the Czechoslovak people who had proved once more in the midst of sufferings of the Second World War, their attachment to the cause of liberty.” Earlier the British Foreign Office Spokesman said that Britain would have to reconsider recognition of the Czechoslovakian Government because it had been set up undemocratically. The spokesman added there had been no sign of normal Parliamentary procedure in the establishment of the new Government which was Communistdominated, although the Communist Party represented a very small minority of the population. The Ministry of Justice had come under Communist control as well as the Ministry of the Interior. The Ministry

of Justice had represented a brake on Communist control of the police in Czechoslovakia as long as it remained in non-Communist hands. The argument used in connection with Communist dictatorships in Eastern Europe—that these countries never had anything but dictatorship—could not be applied to Czechoslovakia’s ca3e. The British United Press correspondent in Prague reports that the spokesman for the President, Dr, E, Benes, said: “There will be no speech and no communique. There will be nothing today.” , , A high official who saw the President yesterday and said that Dr, Benes had accepted the Communist demands under duress because he wanted to avoid bloodshed. The official thought that Dr. Benes will probably say nothing for another day and then take some action to disprove to the world the idea that he gave his consent freely to M. Gottwald’s suggestions. The official mentioned the possibility that Dr. Benes might resign or flee the country. The correspondent commented that Dr. Benes is muzzled by the Communist control of the press and radio. Reuter’s correspondent in Prague reports that the Communist, Social Democratic and Slovak Democrat Parties, trade unions, youth and women’s movements and other national organisations have formed a central action committee for Slovakia to purge all branches of Slovak life on “reaction. ’

PURGE OF NON-COMMUNISTS LAUNCHED

The Czechoslovakian Ministry of information banned the publication of the joint, British-French-American communique deploring the events in Czechoslovakia, says Reuter’s correspondent in Prague.

Dr. Benes, meanwhile, continues his silence. The Prague radio announced that it is not known when of if Dr. Benes would speak. .Theradio refused the National Socialist Party, which has been excluded from the Cabinet, facilities to broadcast. Observer* have noted the start of the second phase in the country’s political transformation. The Commun--Ist Minister of Juctice, M. Cepicka, announced that the Communist-dominated action committees would take over all Government organisations. The provincial action committees are expected to have complete control of all affairs in towns and villages by March 2. They have already begun the work of eliminating political opponents. There also have been more dismissals of non-Communists from Government offices. Monsignor Jan Sramek, head of the People's Party, has resigned his seat in Parliament. The Government has urgently appealed tp members of the preliminary training organisation to surrender immediately all weapons and ammunition in their possesion. The Times correspondent in Prague, summing up the dismissals, says that a great purge, after making a complete sweep of “enemies of the people” at the top is being extended to similar elements lower down.

■The Ministry of information issued an order that every item which is to appear in any newspaper Or periodical is to be submitted for Government approval. The action committee in Prague announced that there would be an immediate and thorough purge of reactionaries in the Czech Foreign Office, including officials serving abroad, says the British United Press correspondent. Five executives of the Ministry of Education and 14 in the Ministry of Transport have already been dismissed. The Communist coup in Czechoslovakia has succeeded. Twelve of the 24 members of the new Government are Communists, holding key Ministries and mo3t of the remainder belong to parties amenable to Communist influence. Only M. Jan Masaryk remains as a tragic reminder of the tradition once embodied in his family name, says the Daily Telegraph’s correspondent in Prague. The Communists, he points out, have achieved a double purpose. They have obtained the co-operation of a handful Of obedient tools to maintain the facade of an all-party Government. They have also assured that the Right and Centre parties will be split henceforth between those who still adhere to their chosen leaders and those who prefer to follow the leaders arbitrarily selected by Communists.

tainty that the crisis is finally over, but it is difficult to see how anything he can say can, in any significant way, modify the issue, for the Communists are firmly in the saddle and in a position to prepare for the elections which will, presumably, be held according to the familiar ‘East European pattern.” The Times’ correspondent in Prague says it is clear that the President and M. Gottwald are not in agreement. It can be assumed that the gap between them is wide and that it has to do with their respective concepts of what constitutes democracy and Parliamentary Government. It should be emphasised, the correspondent adds, that no attempt is being made to conceal what is happening from the outside world. It is untrue that telephonic communications have been cut and there is still no censorship Of foreign correspondents’ messages, nor has there been any interference with their freedom of movement. The 8.8. C. correspondent in Prague says that the new Cabinet is a coalition in name only. The 12 Communists m the Cabinet hold key positions. The new Minister of Health. M. Josef Plojhar, is a Roman Catholic priest. The correspondent reports that demonstrators late last night filled the streets. Communists, soldiers and armed workers' guards marched through the city’s main square. ’ Action committees have token over in the Ministries and factories. Local bodies have been ordered to support them and employers have been cmcowered to dismiss workers opposing the Government.

The Czech students against whom the police fired last night were trying to see Dr. Bene; to protest against the way in which the Communists had provoked the crisis and carried it through, says Reuter’s correspondent in Prague. The police broke up columns which reformed and marched again towards the President's palace. Presidency officials agreed to receive a d-ffenation of .five. Other students began to chant “Benes! Benes! We want the Republic of Masaryk.” The police then attacked the columns and forcibly broke up the demonstration and arrested about 50. Czech students, after the incidents outside Uie President's Palace flocked fo the British and United Biases Embassies seeking-sanctuary, says the Brit!sh United Press eorrepnrdent in Prague. quoting a police report. Tim students claimed that five of their number Imd been shot. dead. A police official said the students frequently used small explosives. These nrobabl.v caused some people to believe that shooting was going on. Reuter’s correspondent, says that as a result of action bv the Czechoslovakian *ssocie'ion of Journalists, a number of tournalists have lost their positions T hev are mostlv from the Nationalist nsner Svobodne. The Times correspondent in Prague °nvs that all ci< il servants considered “non-progrescive” have been elim'nated from all Ministries. Newspapers not representing the Government view have been closed or put under new management. AP or-ans of public enlightenment, including schools and uru-ers-'Hes, The Moscow r-'dio, !n the first comment on the Czechoslovakian crisis, said that raact’'onaries clgerl'' did rot exnect. such unity and solidarity on the part of the m !»«<»<;«. The reactionary plotters ve~e petfip" ready to establish a Fascist dictatorship.

The correspondent adds that until Dr. Benes speaks one cannot say with cer-