Exit Democracy

For the first time since the beginning of the Sudeten Crisis, Czechoslovakia's Parliament met last week. Although the legislators were substantially those who sat in Parliament before its adjournment, their party line-up was drastically changed. Pressed by Germany to remold" Czechoslovakia along totalitarian lines, the Government, five days before the session met. ordered all parties supporting it to dissolve, join one big State Party for National Unity. The Czech Agrarian and Czech National Socialist groups, the Fascist National League and part of the Czech People's Catholic Party complied. The minority Socialists, Communists and dissident Catholic deputies did not. Pending punishment for or forgiveness of their recalcitrance, they were allowed to sit as a Labor Opposition.

First act of the National Unity group was to introduce a bill which, when passed, will permit the President to do away with Parliament, rule by Cabinet decrees. Thus the last trace of Czechoslovak democracy will be wiped out and the nation will become a semi-dictatorial State.

A Presidential election to replace Dr. Eduard Benes, now in England, is expected this week. Almost certain to be elected, observers agree, is the present Foreign Minister, Dr. Frantisek Chvalkovsky. The Slovaks have demanded that the new President must be one who always actively opposed the pro-French, pro-British foreign policies of the now discredited Dr. Benes. Minister Chvalkovsky, who served as Minister to Germany and Italy during the past eleven years, has earned the confidence of the Nazi and Fascist Governments, qualifies on this score 100%.

Autonomous status for the province of Slovakia was provided by a bill which the Chamber passed and the Senate will approve this week. The Chamber likewise approved an autonomy measure for the third part of the federated Republic, Carpatho-Ukraine (formerly Ruthenia). Meanwhile, Polish and Hungarian bands, still hoping to split the province between their nations, last week crossed its borders and carried on terrorist attacks against the Government.

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