U.S. To Vote For Complete Probe

Northern Advocate, 15 March 1948, Page 3

U.S. To Vote For Complete Probe

CHILE'S CHARGE

WASHINGTON, Sun. (11 a.m.).—The State Department today instructed the United States delegation to the Security Council to vote in faVour of placing on the agenda the Chilean charge that the Soviet had engineered the Communist coup in Czechoslovakia. This is reported by the United Press, quoting authoritative sources. The American decision virtually assures a complete hearing of the complaint.

Seven council members must approve placing the item on the agenda, and the United States decision should attract at least six votes. British officials have indicated that they are voting with the United States. Russia is considered certain to oppose the motion, but, as the veto normally does not apply to agenda ques- , tions, the Soviet will not succeed in stopping the move. Prague radio has accused Chile of a provocative gesture and an impertinent provocation, says the Associated Press. The Czech Government today noticed the United Nations that it had dismissed M. Papanek as its delegate. M. Papanek said today that until he , received a dismissal letter signed by President Benes he would consider i himself the delegate of the Czechoslo- J vak Republic’ that existed before the j Communist coup. ] The Ministry of the Interior demand- j ed that Parliamentary immunity be stripped from the secretary-general of the National Socialist Party (Dr j Vladimir Krajina) and two National Socialist deputies, Otto Hora and Alois Cizek, says a Prague message. The Ministry accused them of organising an “espionage centre” for operations against the security police and nationalised industries. The Ministry also issued a warrant for the arrest of a Government official, Vaclav Knotex, whom the Ministry alleged directed spaying operations. The Minister of Justice (Dr predicted in a speech today drastic’ . reform of the legal system, including a purge of the courts, renewal of trials 'of collaborators and “offenders against national honour,” and establishment of people’s courts of justice. He said: “Defending lawyers will no longer defend and hide criminals from the law, but defend only right and justice. “The elections in May will confirm and approve the February events. "v- “Statements that Gottwald’s Cabinet instituted a dictatorship are slanders.” Funeral j PRAGUE, Sun. —Policemen stood at! 100-yard intervals along almost the j whole of the 30-mile route of the j • funeral procession yesterday of the j former Czech Foreign Minister (M. i Jan Masaryk). j Crowds packed the streets as the cortege moved from the Pantheon in Prague to his grave dug at the right of his father’s in the village of Lany. ! Half an hour after the coffin left the j "'"Pantheon, marchers were still lined up waiting to join the procession. f .* The crowd in the streets easily reached 1,000,000. I The President (Dr Benes) attended j the ceremony at the Pantheon, his first j public appearance since the Government crisis. He maintained his composure, with head hunched down in the fur collar of his overcoat, - until when a children’s choir sang the favourite folk song of the first Czech President . (Tomas Masaryk) he broke into tears. After the ceremony the Prime Minister (M. Gottwald) hesitatingly exhis hand and Dr Benes took it in a brief handshake. Dr Benes then turned to the Speaker of Parliament (M. David) and gripped his hand firmly. The deputy-Foreign Minister (M. .dementis) said that M. Masaryk knew j how to combine service to the Fatherland with service to mankind. “He left us in times not exactly joyful for such heralds of international understanding,” he added. P.M.'s Claim i . M. Gottwald said: “I can prove it \ myself that from the first- days of the 1 Government crisis M. Masaryk kept) away from those who plotted the crisis.

I and without compromise agreed with the action programme of the new Government and had already begun to fulfil this programme within his sphere of influence. “I can prove that M. Masaryk, who decided to go with the people when he stood on the crossroad of our nation’s fate, meant what he said. “We, dear Honza (M. Masaryk’s nickname), shall always be with the people and go forward with the people. This is our promise to you.” In a letter to The Times, Mr E. G. Fletcher, a Labour M.P., who returned to London from Prague on Wednesday, says that several days before the event M. Masaryk intimated his decision to commit suicide.

“The Press of the West began an organised campaign against M. Masaryk.

“Whoever knew his character knew how sensitive he was toward personal attacks and must understand how difficult this concentrated attack on his deepest feelings must have been. These attacks, , together with M. Masaryk’s illness, provided circumstances that drove him to a tragic end. “I can prove that M. Masaryk clearly

Phone Threat SYDNEY, Mon. (11.30 a.m.).—Two anonymous telephone calls have been made to Dr Karol Tokoly, former acting-Consul-General for Czechoslovakia, who resigned after the death of Jan Masaryk. When he answered the telephone the first time a man’s voice screamed “traitor” in Czech.

Later, the same voice warned him to “becareful what you say.” According to Dr Tokoly, there are about 1000 Czechs in Australia, of whom the majority are not Communists, though “there are more Communists among them than I believed.” Dr Tokoly’s successor, appointed by the Communist Government in Prague is Karel Sakh, who is expected t 0 arrive in Sydney at the end of the month.