EXPELLED BY CZECHS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27039, 25 March 1949, Page 5

EXPELLED BY CZECHS

BRITISH CONSUL IN PRAGUE “ANTI-STATE ACTIVITY ” ALLEGED NZP A—Reuter—Copyright Rec. 11 p.m. PRAGUE, Mar. 24. Captain Philip Wildash, the British Consul and militai-y permit officer in Prague, left Czechoslovakia to-day under an expulsion order. Captain Wildash was detained yesterday by the Czechoslovak police while they searched his living quarters. It is believed that he was expelled on an accusation of anti-State activity. The Associated Press correspondent says it is known that one Czechoslovak employee of the permit office is under arrest and another—the 19-year-old secretary of Captain Wildash—did no* report for work to-day after she was seen entering what appeared to be a police car. The military permit office has been closed to normal business It is understood that Captain Wildash’s case is being discussed at Government levels. The Czech police “ grilled ” Captain Wildash for six hours before releasing him, says Reuter’s con’espondent. The questioning dealt with investigations into an alleged plot against the Republic. Police are guarding Captain Wildash’s fiat where his wife and six-year-old daughter are remaining to clear up private affairs. A British Embassy statement said the Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs told the Embassy that there were serious charges against Captain Wildash and he would probably be arrested if he did not leave within 24 hours.

A later message says that the police have arrested three Czech employees of the Western Powers’ military permit office. Two of them are girls one being Captain Wildash’s secretary. The other arrested Czech is Josef Dittrich, a cashier at the permit office. The police demanded entry into the permit office to arrest Dittrich. This was refused but Dittrich gave himself up after the office had been in a state of siege for most of yesterday.