ULTIMATUM AND INVASION

Southland Times, Issue 23768, 16 March 1939, Page 5

ULTIMATUM AND INVASION

HUNGARIAN TROOPS IN RUTHENIA PRAGUE GRANTS DEMANDS IN FULL (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received March 15, 8.10 p.m.) LONDON, March 15. The Hungarian invasion of Ruthenia' was accompanied by an ultimatum to the Prague Government with a time limit of 12 hours from 2 p.m. yesterday. The ultimatum demanded that the Czechs must agree to the immediate release of all Hungarian prisoners and Czechoslovakia must allow the Hungarian minority to organize in self defence and to carry arms. Also, Czechslovakian troops must evacuate Ruthenia within 24 hours. The Note’s friendly reference to Slovakia was tantamount to a declaration of solidarity with that State. All the terms of the ultimatum were accepted by the Czechs, and the Czech troops were ordered to withdraw from Ruthenia. Later it was officially announced that Hungarian troops, marching into Car-patho-Ukraine (Ruthenia), on a front of 18 miles, were meeting with occasional resistance. The Hungarian Legation in London states that Hungarian troops advanced across Ruthenia to within nine and ahalf miles of the Polish frontier and will resume their advance today. The Independant Cable Service says that fighting has extended along the entire Ruthenian frontier. The Hungarians have occupied many Ruthenian villages and towns and have hoisted their flags. According to a message from Budapest the invasion was provoked by the Czechs. Czech troops fired on Hungarians across the border, and Hungarian troops advanced and occupied Oerhegyalja, taking a number of prisoners. Oerhegyalja is close to Munkacevo, which was conceded to Hungary after Munich.

RUTHENIAN CABINET FLEES RUMANIAN MILITARY MOVE REPORTED (Received March 15, 7.50 p.m.) LONDON, March 15. The Prague correspondent of Reuters says that the whole of Father Volosin’s new Ruthenian Cabinet has fled to Rumania. Father 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 Rumanians. It was semi-officially stated in Prague that 80 members of the Ruthenian National Guard and 30 Czech troops were injured during an abortive rising organized by the National Guard. The leaders fled to Rumania, destroying the Customs house with grenades and cutting the telephone lines. Czech troops are withdrawing from the Ruthenian-Hungarian frontier. Polish troop movements are reported on the northern Ruthenian frontier. Semi-official telegrams to Budapest from Ruthenia allege that many women and children were seriously injured when members of the National Guard fired on worshippers leaving a church and on mutineers at an internment camp, resulting in four persons being killed and nine injured.