Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-06-09
Germany Threatens
Full Annexation Of
Czechs After Killing
Mass Arrests Planned
If Police Slayer Is
Not Found Today
BY the Associated Press.

PRAGUE, June 9.-Germans re-
ported today mass arrests would be
carried out if Czechs failed to pro-
duce the slayer of German police
sergeant in Kladno by Bpm. q pm,
E. S. to tonight.
They said the arrests would con-
tinue until the person or persons
responsible for the first German
fatality since Reichsfuehrer Hitler
absorbed Bohemia and Moravia into
Greater Germany were found.
Kladno already is under strict
regulations which may be widened
into martial law tonight if the dead
line passes without the ultimatum
being needed. The mayor, the chief
of police and many others already
are in custody.
The policeman. Wilhelm Kniest.
was killed late Wednesday night or
early Thursday morning in front of
the Technical School at Kladno, in
dustrial town IS miles from Prague.
May Abolish Protectorate.
Behind the stern measures, in
formed Nazis said, was threat to
abolish the last semblance of Czech
self-government. They said the
German action was intended to set
an example to discourage possible
further Sayings and perhaps to avoid
the necessity of abolishing the pro-
tectorate which responsible sources
predicted would follow IF the
Czechs cannot rule themselves.
The bulk of German troops sent
with the army of occupation last
March had been withdrawn and the
small garrisons remaining probably
will be sent to Kladno if martial law
is proclaimed
Police from Germany went into
Bohemia and Moravia in heavy
numbers as the army moved out
about two months ago.
Party Orders Probe.
The Czech Unity party, only polit-
ical body permitted in Bohemia
Moravia, met in Prague with Presi-
dent Emil Hacha and government
officials and ordered special COM
mission to go to Kladno to investi-
gate the killing.
At the same time the party called
upon all Czechs to cooperate in
bringing the slayer or slayers to
justice.
After first offering a reward of
10000 crowns Isl, 200) for any clue
leading to the arrest of the slayer
or slayers, the Czech district council
OF Kladno later increased it to 1OO,-
900 crowns $4,000.
The manifest deep concern of the
government party and the boosting
of the reward by Czech sources
raised the possibility the killing
might not have been of a political
nature.
There were unconfirmed reports in
Kladno that the German policeman
had been embroiled in an alterca-
ton in night club. These reports
said the fight had continued in the
street outside the cabaret and cul-
minated in the shooting.
Neurath Removed Mayor.
Baron Konstantin Won Neurath,
the Reich protector governor of
Bohemia and Moravia), after con-
sulting Chancellor Hitler removed
the Kladno mayor, appointed a new
official, disarmed the Czech state
police, closed public places and sew
eral schools, forbade outdoor as
semblies, and ordered windows and
doors locked at 10 pm. with the
warning guards would shoot into
open windows.
German police were reported to
have fired into some open windows
last night but both Czech and Ger
man sources described the situation
as quiet this morning. The tense
ness, however, had spread to the
nearby countryside.
Among those in custody were
Mayor Franz Pawel and Police
Chief Josef Bek.
Sample Of What May Come.
Germans said the restrictions on
the town were intended as a sample
of what would result if Czechs forego
the generally passive attitude which
has existed since the Nazis took
possession of the country in March.
Hitler declared then that Czecho-
Slovakia had ceased to exist. He
established a protectorate over the
(see -CzECHs, Page A-120