Evening star., 1939-03-14
New Slovak State
Backed by Pledge
Of German Aid
Relation to Remnant
Section to East Is
Major Problem
BY the Associated Press.

BRAIlSLAVA, March 14.-The
Czecho-Slovak republic was torn
apart today by a Slovak parliament
action under the protection of Adolf
Hitler and with a pledge of Ger
man troops to aid in case of trouble.
A Republican form of govern
ment was decided upon by the Par
lament in its extraordinary session,
and DR.. Joseph Tiso was named first
Premier of independent Slovakia.
Our separation from the Czechs
is complete" Tiso told the Asso-
ciated Press correspondent a few
minutes after the historic session
of Parliament.
Vast problems remain, and our
next concern will be to draft con-
stitution.
Some of my colleagues are sug-
gesting that I lead the state, but
that is matter for the future"
No formal constitution has been
drawn up.
Met Behind Closed Doors.
The Parliament met behind closed
doors to decide the issue of cutting
Slovakia loose from the shrunken
Czecho-Slovak Republic and create
a new European nation under the
protection of Nazi Germany.
1t had been convoked at Ger
many's insistence. Tiso flew back
from Berlin conference with
Chancellor Hitler to preside.
TodayS decision between inde-
pendence and continued connection
with the Prague Government was
decided by a standing vote and was
a foregone conclusion even before
Parliament met.
The new Slovak nation has a
population of 100000, mostly
SlovakS.
An unanswered question imme-
diately confronting the new nation
was its relation to Carpatho-
Ukraine-the third and easternmost
political division of Czecho-Slovakia
after Munich.
Members of Cabinet.
Members of Tiso's first independ-
ent government included:
Foreign affairs minister-Dr. Fer
dinand Durcansky. who had been
communications minister in the
Tiso cabinet ousted by Prague Fri
day.
Vice premier-Prof. Bella Tuka.
War Minister-M. Csatlos.
Minister of education-Joseph
Sivak, who was premier for a day
last week.
The last premier under Czech
dominance, Karl Sidor, was dropped
from the picture.
Only some 40 Deputies were pres
ent and only they were allowed in
the building. Even foreign diplomats
were excluded from the square in
front of the government building.
Police, gendarmes and Hlinka
(Storm Troop guards with fixed
bayonets stood at strategic points.
There were demonstrations for in
dependence and bomb explosions
last night in which Germans re-
ported six persons were killed.
From windows of the four story
government building to which Par
lament was summoned one could
see plainly a 40-foot Nazi swastika
on the German side of the Danube,
whence might come German soldiers.
Bratislava was behagged. Ger
man-owned buildings displayed the
swastika. Slovak buildings few the
Slovak red, white and blue, upon
which is imposed a double cross.
The bomb explosions occurred
last night at the end of a celebra-
tion Of the release of Alexander
Mach, propaganda chief in the
cabinet of DR.. Tiso, who was de-
posed by Prague last Friday. Mach
had been held by the Czechs.
"Slovakia is now governed by
Slovaks. The Czechs have no more
to say" he told thousands of Slo-
vaks and Germans in the state
theater square.
To shouts of "hel sieg" (hail
victory and Hell Hitler" he de-
clared that ''the fate of Slovakia is
being decided in these moments"