BRITISH CONCERN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26704, 25 February 1948, Page 6

BRITISH CONCERN

INVESTIGATION ANNOUNCED ALLEGATIONS OF ANTI-STATE PLOT N.Z.P.A. — Copyright LONDON, Feb. 23. The allegations which hav’e been made in Prague that the Czech,-Gene-ral Lew Prehala, and the exiled Pole, General Anders, had “engineered a Czech anti-State plot in the interests of a certain foreign Power ” would be investigated. A British Foreign Office spokesman made this announcement at a press conference to-day. Asked whether Britain had any right to concern itself with happenings in Czechoslovakia, the spokesman said it was natural for any democratic country to concern itself with the fate of another democracy. The spokesman added that the presence in Prague at present of the Soviet Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr Zorin, had been noted with interest since another Soviet Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr Vyshinsky, had_ visited Bucharest in March, 1945, wnen Mr Groza’s Communist-controlled Government came into power in Rumania. Moscow radio said to-day that the Western European press in “publishing provocative , stories that Communists engineered the Czech crisis is attempting to justify the endeavours of reactionary Czech politicians to sabotage the nationalisation programme at the expense of splitting the Government. There is no crisis except in the reactionary camp,” added the r 3“ Czech reactionary elements chose to present a pre-election moment for provocation because the national front was gaining strength and becoming a really broad union of all the country s democratic forces, not merely a coalition of parties and leaders.” The Czech Ministry of the Interior announced that the State Security Office would prosecute Mr Jan Ursim, the former vice-Premier, on charges of helping “agents of a subversive organisation to obtain State and military secrets.” The Parliamentary Immunity Committee would be asked to hand over Ursini who is a deputy, to the authorities. Ursini, a leader of the Slovak Democratic Party, resigned the vice-Premiership in the Coalition Government in October. The British United Press correspondent in Prague says a warrant has been issued for Ursini’s arrest. Ursini’s resignation followed the arrest of his secretary in connection with an alleged plot against the Government. ■ . The correspondent says the Ministry of the Interior issued sub-machine guns and carbines to the Prague police. ~ ... . , The correspondent says the Ministry of the Interior has imposed a ban on foreign travel by Czech citizens. The only permits for travel would be those granted for urgent business journeys or journeys in the interest of the State. '