Evening star., 1948-09-08
Police Tighten Guard
In Prague for Benes
Funeral Rites TODAY
BY the Associoied Press

PRAGUE, Czechoslovakia, Sept.
S.-State funeral services will be
held under close police surveillance
today for former President Eduard
Benes.
Possibly 100000 persons have
crowded into Prague from the coun-
tryside for the funeral During the
night police began turning back
trainloadS.
Mourners who had made the
trip in the hope Of witnessing the
procession were angry and police
appeared to fear reRercussions in
the countryside.
Bomb Story Unconfirmed.
There was no confirmation here
OF a story, originating in Com
munist circles, that a bomb was
thrown today into Communist Party
headquarters at Kladno, about %
miles north of Prague. A similar
incident was reported from Liberec,
originating from the same sources.
The Czechoslovak press bureau said
it had no such reports.
Strict security precautions have
been taken throughout Prague fol-
lowing Interior Ministry reports
that attempts would be made to
"desecrate" the funeral. Sokol-
conservative cultural and gymnastic
organization-was mentioned by
the ministry as likely to hold dem
onstrations. Indictment from
"abroad" was blamed.
DR.. Benes'~ body was removed this
morning from the Hall of Resist
ance, where his mourning country
men had marched past steadily for
two days, to the Hall of Fame in
Prague Museum.
Several thousand persons kept
vigil outside the hall to see the body
taken away.
Scores of police guarded the CEN
ter areas of the city. They kept
large groups from assembling in
the lower part of the square but let
spectators mass around the museum.
Armed police were seen patrolling
public buildings, including the post
office, which houses international
communications.
The capital has been filled for
two days with police brought in
from all parts of the country.
There were reports that police
were quietly pulling out of the
crowds of mourners all persons
wearing red and white carnations.
They are symbols of the now dis
banded Czech National Socialist
Party, of which DR.. Benes was a
member when he became president.
A number of Sokol uniforms
were seen in the mourners' line and
about Prague The government has
been purging the organization since
June when some units at a Sokol
congress saluted DR.. Benes but ig-
nored Communist Klement Gott-
valid, who succeeded him.
Archbishop Josef Beran visited
the catafalque in the Hall of Re-
sistance, but members of his staff
said they had no knowledge of any
solemn requiem to be sung for DR.,
Benes. who was listed as Roman
Catholic.
Services have been held in several
small churches by individual priests.
DR.. Benes' remains were to be
taken to Sezimovo Usti late today
for burial in vault near the
statesman's country home.
COrtege to Pass in Review.
Instead of taking DR.. Benes to
the kradcany Castle, where he
served since 1888 as president ex-
cept when he was in exile in Lon
don, it was arranged that the cortege
would pass in review before plat
form hastily constructed for the
cabinet. The platform is in front
of Pankrac Prison.
Such route avoided the narrow,
crowded, winding streets up the
mountain in Kradcany Castle, and
kept the public in plain. sight in
wide thoroughfares.
Guards questioned every one en-
tering business buildings in the
square ard even in outlying districts.
The premiers office said burial
rights for DR.. Benes at Sezimovo
Usti would be tomorrow instead of
tonight