HITLER ENTERS PRAGUE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 16 March 1939, Page 7

HITLER ENTERS PRAGUE

RESIDENCE TAKEN UP AT PALACE FILIN RA GUARDS ORDERED TO ASSIST GERMANS (Received 16th March, 12.20 p.m.l ! LONDON. 15th March. It is officially announced from Berlin j lliat Herr Hitler entered Prague at 7 45 ! pm. and took up residence in the j Hradzin Palace, accompanied by Herr ; von Ribbentrop, Foreign Secretary. | General Von Stuelfnagel, Herr Himm- j ler. press chief. Herr Dietrich. Chan- j ce’lerv Chief Dr Lammers. State Sec- | ret ary, and Herr Stuckart. Herr Hitler commissioned General Blaskowitz to exercise executive power in Bohemia, and General t/«t in MoraHerr Buerckel has been appointed civil administrator in Moravia. Members of the Slovak Government and military officials officially welcomed German and Bratislva troops. M. Mur gas. the political chief of the Hlinaa Guards, ordered the Hlinka Guards to submit rnd assist the Germans The Reichsbank must bo accepted and changed against Czech currency at the rate of one to ten Dr. Tiso. broadcasting, said that, the : remariants of the former Government j must be removed without bloodshed I Those Czechs no longer required would j be placed at the disposal of Prague He added that he would not tolerate hatred | and persecution either of Czechs or j Tews The Government had deal* with I the Jewish question in legislation not j vet submitted to the Diet., but the position would shortly be regularised j ALREADY INSIDE FRONTIER BEFORE BERLIN CONFERENCE COMMENCED SKODA WORKS TAKEN OVER MUCH EQUIPMENT ANNEXED j (Received 16th March. 10.45 a.m.) j LONDON. 15th March. | A message from Prague says it is stated that orders for the German march were given while President Ilarha was on his way to Berlin. Troops were already twelve miles inside the Czech frontiers when he began the conference with Herr Hitler. Germans have taken over the Skoda works. The Germans are examining foreign contracts and cancelling those which are undesirable. It is estimated that at least 2,000 modern military planes have been gained by Germany, including a number of Russian fighters and bombers and hundreds of tanks. The total equipment annexted will give the Reich a great advantage over other powers. SURRENDER OF RUTHENIA DEMANDED BY HUNGARY TROOPS REPORTED TO HAVE ENTERED CHUST CABINET FLEES TO RUMANIA (Received 16th March, 9.0 a.m.) LONDON. 14th March. Hungary Juts sent an ultimatum , to the Ruthenian Premier, M. Volosin, to surrender by 7 p.m. to-day. All newspapers urge the need to incorporate Ruthenia in Hungary for the sake of Hungary’s security. It is officially denied that troops have entered Ruthenia or that M. Volosin, Premier of Ruthenia, has gone to Rumania. Czech troops are evacuating Car-patho-Ukraine in deference to the Hungarian ultimatum. The Hungarian advance guard has almost reached the Polish frontier. Shortly after news of the formation of tlie Ruthenian Government, however, Reuters Prague correspondent reported that Ihe whole of the new Cabinet had fled to Rumania. M. Volosin is reported to have been wounded during a clash between the population and his escort from Bratislava. Rumanian troops are reported to have occupied 20 villages in eastern Ruthenia inhabited chiefly by RumanMessages received from Ruthenia via I Budapest allege that many women and children were seriously injured when members of the National Guard fired on worshippers leaving a church. They also fired on mutineers at an internment camp where four were killed and nine injured A Berlin message says that it is stated that the Vienna award is superseded. and therefore Germany has no objection to the incorporation of Ruthenia in Hungary. M. Volosin. the Premier. was told to surrender his authority in order “to avoid unnecessary bloodHungarian troops are reported to have occupied Ober Untermetzenseigen It is stated that Hungarian troops marched in Ruthenia in three columns as a reprisal for the border incidents last night, in which Czech terrorists attacked Hungarian troops. VILLAGES RECAPTURED The British United Press Bratislava correspondent says it is reported that 10 000 National Guards regulars opposing the Hungarians recaptured eighteen of thirty villages which the Hungarians occupied. Reuters Budapest correspondent says that Hungarians are reported to be twelve miles from the Polish frontier PLANE FROM PRAGUE ARRIVAL AT CROYDON IDENTITIES OF OCCUPANTS HUSHED UP (Received Kith March. 10.45 a.m.) LONDON. 15th March, j A special plane from Prague landed eleven Czechs at Croydon. Their identities were hushed up. leading lo the belief that (hey are prominent members of the Cabinet, but the Czech Legation r.t Prague stated that no members of the Government were in the party.

REQUEST FOR TIME REFUSED ! TROOPS TO CONTINUE TIIE ADVANCE (Received 16th March, 12.20 p.m.) I BUDAPEST. 15th March, j Hungarians reached the Polish bordI The Hungarian Commander-in-Chief j ! refused M. Prchala’s request for five i I days’ grace and demanded the Czech’s I ! surrender of arms immediately. M. j Volosin. Premier of Ruthenia, replied I 'to the ultimatum, announcing that he I was sending a delegation to Budapest! j and asked the military movement to i cease meanwhile, but M. Casky declined ' to stop the troops. IN RUMANIA KXTEN SI VE MI LIT AR Y PRECAUTIONS ' (Received 16th March. 9.0 a.m.) BUCHAREST. 15th March. Rumania is taking extensive military ! precautions on the Ruthenian frontier. INTERNAL DISPUTE | FRANCE’S VITAL INTERESTS NOT INVOLVED NOT BOUND BY MUNICH AGREE- j WENT (Received 16th March. 9.0 a m.) PARIS. 15th March. The Foreign Office spokesman emphasised that France’s vital interests were not involved. She did not consider that the Munich guarantees bound her to prevent the dismemberment of Czechoslovakia, when, as in the present case the dispute was internal. LONDON PRESS COMMENT AN AFFRONT TO CIVILISATION ! ACT OF UNPROVOKED AGGRESSION | RUTHLESS TREATMENT OF FRIENDLY NATION (Received 16th March, 9.0 a.m.) LONDON. 15th March. The “Daily Telegraph,” discussing editorially the German occupaj tion of part of Moravia, says: “By this act Germany has made herself guilty of the most fragrant and im- ! pudent act of unprovoked aggression that has been witnessed in Eur- j ; ope in modern times. j “Though no moral or legal obliga- \ lion rests on us to aid the victim of I this aggression, we can no longer have I I any doubt regarding the character of the Power confronting us in central’ Europe. “Germany has perpetrated an affront to the whole civilised world which will not readily be forgotten.” “The Times” says: “For the moment the British and French public can only register their disaprobation of the ruthless treatment of a small industrial | and friendly nation for the establish-, ment of whose independence their effor'j in war were jointly responsible. , “Herr Hitler’s influence is dominant in central Europe and is proving itself , consistently hostile to political freedom as the western democracies understand it. They, on their part, can only continue with increased energy to look to their own security. The “News Chronicle” says: “Poland and Hungary will shortly have a common frontier. Germany has advanced much nearer the Black Sea, and the question, now more urgent than ever, is when a halt is going to be called to this triumphant march of aggression.” FURTHER DRIVE EASTWARD UNTIL HITLER’S AIMS ARE SATISFIED - “TWILIGHT OF LIBERTY IN CENTRAL EUROPE” OPINION IN UNITED STATES (Received 16th March. 9.0 a.m.) WASHINGTON, 15th March Administration officials expect a further German drive eastward Painful dissatisfaction is expressed in some quarters with the silent and unprotesting acquiescence of Britain and Fiance. It is feared that the latest German success will dissipate the recent strengthening of the smaller European countries. Senator Pittman, chairman of the Scnat Foreign Affairs Committee predicted that Ilerr Hitler would advance eastward “till his ambition is satisfied,” adding that his threats have shattered any possible combination against him. Senator Pittman said that Japan was moving in the same way toi ward the southern Pacific, albeit slowly. Senator Borah placed on Britain and France the responsibility, through Munich, for empowering Herr Hiller to encroach on Central Europe. He predicted Hat there would be no general war “so long as there are enough small nations for the large ones to divide up.” CZECH BONDS BREAK UP | A New York message stales that, while Czechoslovak bonds are breaking up, financial circles there are of the opinion that the Nazis’ main object is to secure the Czechoslovak Central Bank’s 83.000.000 dollars of gold. The 4C.C00.000 dollars seized from Austria is believed to be exhausted. It did not appear in a statement setting out the condition of the Reichs- : bank an 1 bankers in. New York state that it was withheld from Dr. Schacht, the then director of the Reichsbank, and that the Nazi Party used it to buy materials abroad. The “New York Times” comments 1 that it is understandable that Britain and France, having determined that it is beyond their power to resist the dismemberment of Czechoslovakia, should j look resolutely elsewhere. | “It is also understandable that many ' Americans, remembering the United 1 States’ big part in the formation of 5 Czechoslovakia, should feel that American aloofness from the work of post- 1 war reconstruction was one of the early 1 influences i na series of events that • have ended in the final act of degrade- ( lion. i ! The paper adds: “Herr Hitler has i been demanding colonics, and Slovakia ‘ io as much a colony as Togoland. It is l clear that the old German dream of a > “MitleJ Europa” dominated by Berlin «■' is closer to realisation than ever be- i fore. This is the twilight of liberty in f central Europe.” 1