Evening star., 1941-03-15
Czechs Will Survive
Ravages Of War,
Minister Declares
Hurbun Tells Press
OF German Atrocities
In Seizing Country

Two years ago today Czecho-Slo-
vakia lost its independence and the
prospect of war grew larger Vlad-
imir Hurban, the Czech Minister
who was here when his country died
and who is here now, still Minister,
held a press conference on the eve
Of the solemn anniversary yesterday
| stating:
THE Czecho-Slovak people do not
despair. They have experienced
similar dark periods in the past and
have had enough strength to sur
vive. Today they know that theirs
Is only part of the great struggle
being waged by the democracies to
ensure the inalienable rights of each
individual and of each nation.
Ten million Czecho-Slo fifth
columnists are at work in their own
country day and night undermining
the artificial structure of Hitler
new order
Even though we may not be able
to recognize the immediate results
of this work, a time will come when
it will be revealed. Baron Won Neu-
rath. the Nazi protector of Bo-
hemia and Moravia, recently de-
clared that he was profoundly dis
satisfied with the Czechs"
Resistance on Two Fronts.
Czech resistance is registered on
two fronts, said Mr.. Hurban. whom
the State Department recognizes as
the envoy of CZecho- -Slovakia
There is the resistance at home to
the regime of the Germans, who
the Minister said. keeps 500 900 Ger
man police in Bohemia and Moravia
There is resistance from overseas by
the Czech Army, allied with the
British. This army includes soc
Czech flyers, the Minister disclosed
Politically the CZechs are looking
at the future of Europe by CO.
operating with the Polish govern
ment-in-eXile in London, where the
Czech free provisional government
is established. in developing a post
war system of federation between
the two countries.
"Al grievances between Poland
and Czecho-Slovakia are forgotten, 4"
Mr.. Hurban said. The Poles. he
said, are sorry they took a piece
of ho-Slovakia when Germany
took the Sudeten through the
Munich settlement. 1--WE don't talk
about that. Bygones are bygones. u
Sees Federation of States.
Tho ~ "a
implications than the resolution of
difficulties between two Central
European states, Mr.. Hurban said.
He observed:
One thing is sure. From now
on absolute state sovereignty will
exist no more and that holds for
all over the world"
FederationS of states will arise
when the war is done, he said
The Czech pilots are. some of
them, flying to war in American
planes, Mr.. Hurban said. They have
been used to bomb important Ger
man manufacturing centers on Czech
soil Most of them escaped to Eng
land from France. after escaping
to France through Poland and across
the Baltic and North Seas. Some
Czechs are in the Middle East army,
having escaped southwark through
Rumania.
The Czechs who reached Britain
last summer after the fall OF France
were deeply impressed by the Brit
ish popular morale, Mr.. Hurban said
Germans Take Food.
The Germans take most of the
food, Mr.. Hurban said Protector
Won Neurath left Prague for Ger
many, December IA last, with 27
cases of food in his compartment,
he reported. The Germans measure
everything grown and watch every
hen. to pick up the eggs.
Sometimes, however" Mr.. Hur-
ban said, the hen manages to lay
an egg in secret"
Such an egg the Czech keeps for
himself.
Minister Hurban issued state
ment that during the last two years
'the Czechs and the Slovaks have
been subjected to the most inhuman
treatment that has ever been re-
corded in the history of civilized
nations" 1t continued:
The number of persons assassi-
mated by the Gestapo or tortoured
to death in its prisons runs into
the thousands. One hundred thou
camps and at least a half million
in Nazi labor camps. More than
200 students of the Charles Uni
versity in Prague were shot and
several thousand imprisoned All
the Czech universities were closed
and there is a complete blackout of
Czecho-Slovak cultural life"