860F.01/4–2145
Mr. Hubert Ripka 33 of the Czechoslovak Ministry for Foreign Affairs to the Chargé Near the Czechoslovak Government in Exile (Schoenfeld), at London34
Excellency: The American armies have victoriously fought their way in an irresistible advance through Germany as far as the western frontiers of the Czechoslovak Republic, where they are beginning to liberate Czechoslovak territory from the grip of the enemy. I need hardly tell you with what feelings of gratification this news is received by every loyal Czechoslovak citizen.
The American armies are reaching the territory of a friendly State, but I regard it as extremely important both from the Czechoslovak and the Allied point of view to emphasize the fact that, as you know, the Czechoslovak frontier area, which the American troops are now entering, is inhabited mainly by a German-speaking population, and these people, though Czechoslovak citizens, are, as regards their political sentiments, with the exception of an insignificant minority, thoroughly permeated by Nazism and Pan-Germanism. It is a matter of common knowledge that this German population, in the period before Munich, was dominated almost in its entirety by Konrad Henlein, the leader of the Nazi Party in the Czechoslovak Republic and later the Gauleiter of the so-called Sudetengau, i.e. a part of Czechoslovak territory which, after Munich, was declared by Germany as having been annexed. In this respect, it is enough to mention that in 1935, 67% of these so-called Sudetic Germans voted for the Nazis, and in 1938 more than 90%i. During the war they were among the most active adherents of Nazism, of Germany and of the struggle against the Allied nations and against the liberation of the Czechoslovak Republic, [Page 1251] and they were the most relentless persecutors of loyal Czechoslovak citizens, including those whose native language is German.
It would be contrary to all principles of what is right and proper if these Germans of Czechoslovakia were regarded by the Allies as people deserving the treatment which should be accorded only to the loyal citizens of an Allied State.
The Czechoslovak Government regards the bulk of these Germans as an element dangerous to the State, and in its proclamation of April 4, it denned its policy towards them as follows:
“The terrible experience suffered by the Czechs and Slovaks at the hands of the German and Hungarian minorities will compel Czechoslovakia, when restored, to take far-reaching action against the guilty. Loyal German and Hungarian citizens who proved their fidelity to the Republic even in the most difficult times will be unaffected. The Czechoslovak citizenship of Germans and Hungarians will be confirmed only in the case of anti-Nazis and anti-Fascists who fought for Czechoslovakia before Munich and who, after March 15, 1939, were persecuted for their fidelity to Czechoslovakia, or who had to escape abroad, where they participated in the struggle for the restoration of Czechoslovakia.
The Czechoslovak citizenship of other Czechoslovak German and Hungarian citizens will be annulled. They may again opt for Czechoslovakia, but hi this connection the Czechoslovak authorities will have the right to make decisions in each individual case. Condemned transgressors, if not sentenced to death, will be exiled from the Republic, The Government regards it as its duty to punish all war criminals, traitors and conscious active helpers of the German and Hungarian oppressors. The Government will carry out its task without hesitation or indulgence towards anybody.”
I regard it as necessary to add to the above statement that the Czechoslovak Government also cannot regard as a loyal citizen any of those who, though residing in freedom abroad, did not act in a manner becoming a Czechoslovak citizen. I am thinking mainly of the group of so-called Sudetic Germans headed by W. Jaksch, a former Social Democratic deputy of the Czechoslovak Parliament, and I regard it as my duty to draw particular attention to this group. Although until 1938 and during the Munich crisis W. Jaksch maintained a very loyal attitude towards the Czechoslovak State, he radically changed his political trend during his residence abroad, and closely approximated to the doctrines of Pan-Germanism. Indeed, he went so far as to urge Germans from Czechoslovakia residing abroad not to fulfil their duties in the Czechoslovak Army. This policy of his which was incompatible with his duties as a Czechoslovak citizen caused a considerable part of his followers to break away from him, as they were determined to fulfil to the utmost their duties in the Czechoslovak struggle for liberation.
[Page 1252]It is natural that W. Jaksch and those who manifested sentiments like his cannot be regarded by the Czechoslovak Government as satisfactory Czechoslovak citizens. The Czechoslovak people who, after what they have suffered at the hands of the Germans are naturally very sensitive in these matters, will also take a very critical view of those persons who failed to fulfil their duties in the struggle for liberation, who flagrantly neglected such duties or who even did what they could to sabotage the struggle for the liberation of Czechoslovakia.
In drawing attention to this circumstance I wish to say that I should be very grateful if you would be good enough to express, wherever necessary, the wish which I am expressing on behalf of my Government, that none of the so-called Sudetic Germans now living in freedom abroad, should be permitted, without the consent of the responsible Czechoslovak authorities, to enter Czechoslovak territory or to take up any occupation there in a political, administrative or similar function. It is only by means of close co-operation in this matter that, I think, it will be possible to avoid errors or misunderstandings susceptible, now or later, of causing political results of a highly undesirable kind, which, however, could be averted by the solution which I suggest.
Accept [etc.]
- While most officials of the Czechoslovak Government in Exile had departed from London for Czechoslovakia by the beginning of April 1945, various Ministries including a skeleton staff at the Czechoslovak Foreign Ministry under Minister of State Hubert Ripka remained in London to finish pending matters before returning to Czechoslovakia. When a new Czechoslovak Provisional Government was named by President Benes at Kosice on April 4, Ripka was named Minister of Trade, but he did not leave London for Czechoslovakia until May.↩
- Copy transmitted to the Department by the Chargé as an enclosure to his despatch No. 270, April 21; received April 28.↩