Paris Peace Conf. 184.01102/177
Lieutenant F. R. King to Professor A. C. Coolidge60
Subject: Teschen.
The order from the Entente to the Czechs to evacuate Teschen has been met with a storm of protest in the Press and received with deep resentment on the part of the public throughout the country. The Poles are bitterly attacked for bad faith and their general behaviour during the war and much reference is made to their influence and connexions in Paris. The National Assembly has voted a million Crowns for the relief of the refugees from Teschen where there is undoubtedly great consternation among the portion of the population which displayed enthusiasm upon the arrival of the Czechs.
In an interview last night with Dr. Stepanek of the foreign office and Lieutenant Colonel Sneydarek (the Commander of the Czech troops in Silesia) I learned that the present frontier line to which the Czechs object so much was drawn by General Niessel (of the Warsaw Commission) in such a way as to leave the passenger station at Bohumin in Czech hands while the freight station is in Polish possession. The line also runs within 500 metres of the Karvin mine pits which are held by the Czechs. The miners being mostly Poles return to Polish territory at night and are encouraged by the Poles to agitate against the Czechs. A general strike was declared yesterday at Karvin and all production has ceased. Moreover under existing conditions it is impossible for the Czechs to keep the frontiers closed and to prevent banknotes from being brought in from Galicia, to be stamped. Dr. Stepanek referred to the recent Paris agreement, (which Beneš, he said, had signed under strong protest) whereby the commission of control was to sit at Teschen, and said that the delay on the part of the Czechs in evacuating the town of Teschen was due to the fact that they were awaiting orders from this commission. In spite of all Stepanek said in protest against the present condition of affairs as decreed by the Entente, I rather got the impression, already received from governmental circles, that the Czechs have strong hopes that the whole question will eventually be decided in their favour.
- Transmitted to the Commission by Professor Coolidge under covering letter No. 123, March 5; received March 8.↩