Gottwald To Bones

Northern Advocate, 10 March 1948, Page 5

Gottwald To Bones

MUNICH, Tue. (1 p.m.)—“lt does not matter whether you sign or not,” Gottwald told Benes on February 28 when he visited him to demand his acceptance of the resignations of 12 Ministers, which precipitated the Czechoslovakian crisis.

This account is given by Pavel Tigrid, ex-editor of the Catholic People’s Party's newspaper, quoted bj* the British United Press Munich correspondent. According to Tigrid, Gottwald said to Bencs: "If you do not sign, I am going to lead 10,000 armed workers, who are now waiting in Wenceslas Square, to this castle and right up to this room.

“With all those men about, you will not be able to resist the people’s will.” Tigrid, who escaped to Munich after gathering his, facts from Czech political leaders, added that it had been established that the Soviet deputyForeign Minister (Va Zorin), on arrival at Prague on February 19, brought with him an order from Moscow to the Czech Communists to go ahead with the putsch. BENES’ BROTHER RESIGNS

Vojta Bencs, brother of President Benes, and Social Democratic member of Parliament, has resigned his Parliamentary 'post. The Czech Socialist Party action committee today expelled from the party the former Ministers, Dr Jaroslnv Stransky (Education), Dr Prokop Drtina (Justice), and Dr Hubert Ripka (Trade). They were among 12 Ministers whose resignations precipiated the crisis. Two other ex-Ministers, Frantisek Haya (Posts and Telegraphs) and Dr Adolf Prochapka. were expelled from the Catholic People’s Party on March 6.