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14. tiso Stands trial in Atmosphere Popular Revulsion Against Farcical Legal Proceedings Czechoslovak Government's Shifty Tactics
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Prejudice
tion is embittered by the present mass murders which the peoples' courts and the national court are guilty of committing. By this conditions will not be consolidated." This conference resolved to appeal to all Lutherans to relinquish their positions as judges and plaintiffs. Bishop Osusky continued: "Dr. Ratica, a Catholic, was to be Commissioner of Justice, but Evangelist (Lutheran) Dr. Stefanik was named instead. This violated the pact made between the Catholics and the Democratic Party. Dr. Ratica expressed himself that under his Commissionership of Justice, Dr. Tiso could not be tried. Catholic State representatives and Catholic judges are resigning and our Evangelists (Lutherans) are taking their places. Let not our people take these positions." Bishop Osusky told Dr. Stefanik, Commissioner of Justice. that Evangelists should not try MONSIGNOR TISO Dr. Tiso and his people, because headed a popular regime. .. in Liptovsky Sv. Mikulas leaflets were circulated ,on which the folAt this meeting Bishop Sam. St. lowing was inscribed: "Lutheran Osusky is quoted as having spok rabble is trying our people." The en as follows: "It is a fact that leaflet was signed: "Partisans of the majority of the Slovak na- Dr. Jozef Tiso."
papermen. The Catholic Bis- the State prosecutor. Juraj Su hops, however, ignored his pre- jan, began summoning witnesses. The Catholic Bishops Jan sence here. Among his visitors were mem- Vojtassak, of Spis, and Andreas Bystrica, bers of the Slovak National S'krabik, of Banska on Council, including Dr. Jozef Let- were called for questioning unfortunate country. trich, president of that body, November 6, while Dr. Lettricl, During my sojourn there from who went to America recently, was on the high seas. are A total of 113 charges September 22 to November 11, and who engaged in expounding last year, I talked with many among other things, the Czecho- brought against Dr. Tiso as well citizens of every rank and file Slovakian viewpoint of Dr. as against Alexander Mach, Minister for Information, and Dr. in various parts of the country, Tiso's guilt of treason. Ferdinand Durcansky, Foreign and everywhere I found the in TopolAt this conference There were cany, in the presence of the Slo- Minister during the Tiso regime, same sentiment. few discussions between us that vak National Council, President who will be tried with him, the The pendid not include discussions of Benes was asked to make a state- latter "in absentia." the coming trial of Monsignor ment on the case of Dr. Tiso. alty for each count is death. 11.e Tiso. He. replied that he has always testimony covers 200 pages. This I was particularly astonished said that Dr. Tiso must be tried testimony was gathered bi Dr. He Daxner, Dr. Rasia and Dr. Stefaby the vast number of peasants and condemned to death. who broached the subject of was further questioned as to nik, all of whom are of the 1,uMonsignor Tiso to me, especially whether he would pardon Dr. :heran faith. The principal witnesses againsince at no time did I even sug- Tiso if he were condemned to gtst the discussion of his im- death. Dr. Benes replied that st the three defendants are to be prisonment. I avoided this sub- he would not pardon him since Germais, who are' expected to did not have the decision of the Prague Gov- testify that the traitorous acts ject, not because any personal interest in it, but ernment would be his directive, -barged as committed by the debecause I realised I was in a and that he is convinced that the fendants against the Czec.ho-SloMonsignor Joseph Tiso, former, President of the Slovkik foreign country, dominated by entire Ministry, with the excep- vak Republic were not made unnow facing 113 charges, each of which carries the death antiCatholic elements, and be- tion of its two priest-members, der duress of the Hitler Govern- Republic, sentence, is 59 years old, and is the son of rugged Slovaks, It is a matter of record, cause I feared that my inquiries Monsignor Jan Sramek and the ment. who, by trade, were meat dealers. As a youth, Dr. Tiso excelled of and evident interest in a "trai- Rev. Jan Hala, would vote again- however, that the commander The Hungarian language was then compulsory in the Hitler Gestapo in Nitre, Slo- in learning. tor" to Czecho-Slovakia might st a pardon for Dr. Tiso. Slovakia. He mastered it faultlessly, as well as his native Slovakia, and several German genbring suspicion upon me with Farcical Trial. vak, and was particularly adept at languages, speaking and writdireful consequences. It must be noted that Presi- erals repeatedly came to Archbis- ing also Latin and German excellently. hop Karol Kmetko, of that city, Role of Benes. dent Benes made these stateCalled to the priesthood, he studied at the Augustinian SemSlovakia ments when Jozef Styk, Commis- and accused him of not giving When I arrived in during the latter part of Sep- sioner of Technical Engineering moral assistance to the German inary, Vienna. He became a great admirer, and later collaborator, of the great Slovak patriot, Monsignor Andrew Illinka. He tember, Dr. Edouard Benes, pre- for Slovakia, warned him that if was assigned by his Bishop as chaplain and also as director of sident of CzechoSlovakia, was Dr. Tiso were condemned and various Catholic schools. He is the founder of a college. vacationing in Topolcany, a town put to death the majority of the in western Slovakia, where sev- Slovak people would rise against When the Czecho-Slovak republic was created he had the eral years prior .to this, Dr. the C'zecho-Slovakian Republic. choice of siding with the new governors of the country, or of The presiding judge at the Tiso had also found relief and struggling with Hlinka and the Slovaks for Slovakian antonomy, rest from his presidential du- trial of Dr. Tiso is Dr. Daxner, He chose the latter. He was sent to the Czecho-Slovak Parliaa paralytic, who was confined in ties. ment. At the time the free -thinkers energetically attacked reIt was alleged that Dr. Benes prison for several weeks by the ligion, he staunchily defended the Church. Tiso Government on a charge of chose this vacation resort partiHe is determined In 1926, when Hlinka's Party was invited to join the Coalicularly at this time in order to contumacy. tion Government, Dr. Tiso was chosen Minister of Health of the test the reaction of the Slovaks, to avenge his imprisonment, and new regime. and to feel the sentiment of the has on several occasions publicIn that capacity he founded many hospitals and ly made the that statement when sanatoria. people regarding the pending Dr. Tiso is to trial brought beof trial Dr. Tiso. Here he was In 1937 he visited the United States as a delegate of the Sovisited by Government officials fore his court he will condemn ciety of St. Adalbert, leading Slovak cultural organisation. of Slovakia, Lutheran Bishops, him to death. and other guests, including newsThe appointment and removal In 1938 the Czecho-Slovak Parliament voted autonomy to Sloof members of the National vakia and Carpatho-Ruthenia, and Dr. Tiso became the head of Court of Slovakia is within the autonomous Slovakia. power of the National Council. In 1939 Dr. Tiso was summoned to Berlin by Hitler. After Ir view of the fact that Dr. consulting his confreres of the autonomous Government, he went. Daxner has made such a statement, and because of his afflicHe was given the alternative of heading an independent Slovation. it is within the power of kian republic or seeing the country turned over to an alien govDr. Lettrich to remove him ernment. from office or to place him on army They in 1944. Returning to Slovakia, he again consulted with other officials, August, pension. It is a general opinThe ion in the highest judicial circles also demanded that the Bishops and it was decided to accept the alternative of a republic. of Slovakia that if Dr. Daxner of Slovakia issue a joint pastoral new Government was recognised by some 27 countries, including against the Slovak insurrectionthe Soviet Union. were removed from the bench, Dr. Tiso would not be condemn- ists and against Russian BolsheFor six years Dr. Tiso continued the head of the Governed to death. It is. therefore, vism. This demand was never ment, in the most tumultuous period ofatthe Great War. maintained that if he were con- complied with. Monsignor Tiso, during his official life, continued to be the demned to death, Dr. Lettrich Open Prejudice. will be held personally responThe prejudicial atmosphere pastor of his parish at Banovce, functioning as the parish priest sible. surrounding the trial of Dr. Tiso on most Sundays. He also at one time was co-editor of Cathocan beat be judged from the fol- lic publications. Broken Assurances. His Bishop speaks of the unimpeachable character of the lowing: Dr. Barnabas Lojek, deWhen the date of his depar- fence attorney for Dr. Tiso, was man. The inhabitants of the capital city of Czecho-Slovakia saw ture for America was published, apprehended without cause by him many times. As president of the short-lived Slovak RepubDr. Lettrich was criticised in the police, held for questioning lic, he walked the streets of Bratislava without a body -guard. Slovakian circles for leaving at and was forced, by intimidation, Forgetting their present misery, the people glory to -day in speakthis time, since it was already to surrender his position. ing with the greatest emotion of the freedom, peace and prosperknown that Dr. Tiso would soon On August 20-23 of last year, ity which was theirs under the Tiso regime, while the rest of be put on trial. Dr. Lettrich as- a national conference of the the world was in turmoil. They called their crown-the cursured the members of the Slo- Evangelical (Lutheran) Church rency unit-the "Danubian Dollar," and their country they called vak National Council that the of the Augsburg Confession was another "Switzerland" or "Little America." An American visitrial would not be opened until held in Ruzomberok, Slovakia, at tor relates that, when he was in Slovakia, strangers came to him, his return, and yet, two days which 140 Lutheran ministers some with tears in their eyes, begging him to ask America to after his departure for America, and two Bishops were present. save "our beloved president, Dr. Joseph Tiso." There is great concern in Slovakia about the trial of Monsignor Joseph Tiso, particularly among the Catholics, who constitute approximately 80 per cent. of the population of that