CZECH TEAM FLEES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22620, 24 April 1948, Page 5

CZECH TEAM FLEES

TENNIS PLAYERS “WILL NOT RETURN” OPPRESSIVE CONDITIONS (N.Z.P.A.— Reuter— Copyright.) (10.45 a.m.) LONDON April 23. Under the headline Szec.i Tennis Players Missing” the Prague newspaper Mlada Fronta reports that Jaroslav IDrobny, Vladimer Cernik, Milan Matous and Miss H. Straubeova “do not let us know about themselves.” The newspaper says, the players were due to meet a Hungarian team in Budapest today and the necessary air travel tickets were sent to them in Rome. “Still they don’t answer, says the newspaper. „ . , It is understood, says Reuter s cordespondent in Prague, that the Czech team was due to return to Prague two days ago before going on to Budapest. The local tennis association says the match has been cancelled for “technical reasons.” The Mlada Fronta adds that the missing team was last heard of four days ago in Palermo. The British United Press correspondent in Rome says the Italian tennis authorities have lost trace of the Czech quartet. The Czechs were to have played a series of matches in Palermo, but, according to the Palermo club, they have not appeared. The directors of the Circolo Tennis Club. Palermo, said tonight that the four'missing Czech players arrived in Palermo late today from Naples. The directors, after talking with the players, said the Czechs did not intend to return to Prague “because of the present oppressive system there.” They are expected to remain in Italy indefinitely and hope eventually to go to America.