Evening star., 1939-06-08
Czech Opposition
Rising, May Evoke
Drastic Nazi Steps
Conditions Growing Bad i,
Believed Approaching
Some Kind of Crisis
BY WALLAC r. DEUEL..

BERLIN, June CBy RadiO. -
Conditions in the Nazi protec-
torate" of Bohemia and Moravia are
going from bad to worse and the
Reich may soon adopt drastic meas
ures to deal with the situation there,
according to reports both here and
from the protectorate itself.
The state of affairs in Bohemia
and Moravia is shrouded in a good
deal of mystery, censorship and con-
fusion. Charges, countercharges
and denials obscure some of the
truths about what is going on. But
that conditions are bad and pos
sibly approaching some kind of
crisis seems to be clear.
There have been demonstrations
and rioting in the protectorate. OPP
position to Nazi rule' seems to be
growing in strength. Many arrests
are being made. There is good
deal of sabotage and passive re-
sistance.
Friction between German and
Czech officials is acute. Open dis
putes have broken out. German
orders are being fioyfted. At least
1000 Czechs have fled from the pro-
tectorate to Poland
Chain letters and leaflets hostile
to the German administration are
circulating in large numbers. Anti
Nazi whispering campaigns are
sweeping the country. Secret or
ganizations pledged to attack Reich
rule seem to be growing in numbers
and strength.
May End ProtectOrate.
Baron Constantin Won Neurath,
Reich protector" in Prague, has
discussed the situation at length
with Reichsfuehrer Adolf Hitler and
other leading Nazis here Frantisek
Chvalkovsky, Czech minister" in
Berlin, has had several conferences
with the German foreign Office on
the same subject.
So troubled have conditions in
the protectorate become that Nazis
here are considering changing the
form Of their rule and governing by
some more direct method. The pro
tectorate' may conceivably disap-
pear altogether.
At least this much seems to be
clear In attempting to go further
in describing the situation in Bo-
hemia and Moravia, however, so
much confusion is encountered that
some reserve is necessary in con-
sidering such reports as are avail
able.
1t is officially denied here, for ex-
ample, that Baron Won Neurath is
planning to resign his post, but it
seems definitely tosbe the case that
DR. ChvaKovsky has offered to re-
sign his.
1t seems further to be the case
that so many Czechs have been ar
rested that prisons previously in use
in the protectorate are badly over
crowded and old, disused prisons are
now being reopened. There are
many reports of brutality and tor
ture in the prisons and concentra-
ton camps where Czechs are being
detained.
Countercharges Made.
Grave charges are made in Czech
quarters of inefnciency, corruption.
confusion, internal rivalry and open
cynicism among Reich and Sudeten
German officials ruling the protecto-
rate. The Nazis deny these charges
and retort with counter charges that
the Czechs are guilty of these and
other offenses.
The civil administration in Bo-
hemia and Moravia, which was sup
posed to be turned over to the
Czechs themselves when German
military rule was ended, has in
stead remained under the complete
control of German officials, Czechs
claim Virtually none of the Nazi
''commissars' have been withdrawn
who were sent into the territory
when the NaZis seized it, according
to Czechs.
Many of these "commissars" are
Sudeten Germans with personal and
business purposes to serve in their
present positions of power, Czechs
claim.
Real political power in the pro-
tectorate is in the hands not of
Baron Won Neurath or the Czech
"autonomous" authorities, but in
those of the Nazi secret police and
Sudeten Germans thirsting for re-
venge against the Czechs, it is al
legged. German lord lieutenants of
of counties" WELD the real power in
Bohemia and Moravia, according to
the Czechs' charges, and Czech Off
cials who fail to satisfy the Ger
mans are removed from Office and in
many cases arrested.
Borders in Confusion.
Nazi officials have taken over the
administration of customs on the
Czech frontiers with Poland and
Slovakia. Prague reports claim, and
the Czechs themselves do not even
know where the frontiers now lie.
They accuse the Nazis of having
changed both borders to suit their
own convenience and interests.
Morale among the Czech popula-