Germany Absorbs Czechs, Who Are Unable To Resist

Northern Advocate, 16 March 1939, Page 7

Germany Absorbs Czechs, Who Are Unable To Resist

Czech Government Submits to Germans, Who Overrun Country

(Received 10 a.m.l

PRAGUE, March 15.

pRAGUE WAS STUNNED BY THE NEWS OF THE IMPENDING OCCUPATION OF THE COUNTRY BY GERMAN FORCES, WHICH MANY HEARD BY WIRELESS EARLY IN THE MORNING, AND RESPONDED TO THE APPEAL TO GO QUIETLY TO WORK.

THE BROADCAST STATED THAT THE GERMANS, WITH POWERFUL MECHANISED FORCES, WE RE ENTERING BOHEMIA AND MORAVIA FROM ALL DIRECTIONS.

The Government had no alternativ e but to surrender. Resistance would only have involved the loss of nationhood The Germans must be well, not pr evocatively, received. The German troops entered the h eart of Prague at 9.20 a.m.

A scouting force, 100 strong, cross ed the border near Melnik, 20 miles from Prague, at 6 o’clock, in a blind ing snowstorm.

No Resistance There was no resistance. Military aeroplanes, believed to ba German, were over Prague at 7.30 a.m

Silent villagers watched the troops march to Prague, while women wept

openly,

One of the first moves of the trco ps was to force the traffic to the right side of the road as in Germany.

Troops Rush Into City

A company of military motor-cyclists, heading the German column, roared into Prague, the troops quickly following, while crowds rushed into the streets.

A crowd of 5000 people gathered i .1 Wenceslas Square, and fervently and tearfully sang the Czech national anthem.

They gave the clenched fist salute, and hissed and booed the German troops.

The police quickly suppressed fist fights among the crowd

Sudeten Germans with swastika armbands 'paraded the streets unchallenged.

German flags appeared on some pr ivate houses,

The business activities of the city were carried on normally, but crowds of people packed the banks and travel offices with the idea of migrating. There is, however, little hone of this,