NEW CZECH REGIME

Grey River Argus, 8 September 1945, Page 5

NEW CZECH REGIME

RAIDS MONASTERY

LONDON, Sept u Security police raided the Czech monastery at Tepla, near Marienbad and arrested the Abbot, Petei’ Moehler. and 14 other monks. The authorities alleged that the monastery was a centre of Nazi activity tor many years. The police are reported to have found radio transmitters and munitions.

Josef Pfitzner, German Deputy Lord Mayor of Prague from 1939 to 1945, was sentenced to death by public hanging. He is the first war criminal tried by a People’s Court. Accused pleaded not guilty to charges of high treason .and claimed that he only carried out Frank’s orders. Pfitzner was hanged in the presence of a large orderly crowd wnich jammed the nrison square. He made 'a short apology ,the gist of was he was a helpless Nazi tool .The responsibility for everything tnat happened in Czechoslovakia rested on Frank.

There is some confusion over reports of mass expulsions of Sudeten Germans from Czechoslovakia, said Mr. Fierlinger, at a Press conference in London. He explained that they were mostly refugees who fled before the advancing Red Army and totalled about 1.000,000. The majority came trom Upper Silesia and' the others ware German colonists sent from the Baltic States to Poland. Fierlinger stated his Government was preparing a plan for submission to the United Nations for the evacuation of Sudetan Germans, of whom there were two categories. Firstly, the active Nazis in concentration camps, and secondly, those coming within the scope of the recent mobilisation of labour throughout Czechoslovakia. He added that the majority of 3 000,000 Sudetan Germans would eventually be evacuated ironi Czechoslovakia. Fierlinger said that the Czechs would probably ask for certain rectifications of the Czech border at the peace conference. These requests were reasonable. Czechoslovakia was eager to establish relations with democratic Austria, Hungary and Rumania. He thought the majority of his Government would support Jugoslavia’s claims to Trieste. Fierlinger revealed' that 50 per cent, of the Skoda Works had been repaired.