Statement B/3

Memorandum and request in re anti-Jewish pogroms in Slovakia

Prague, December 21st, 1945

MEMORANDUM

1./ Association of Partisans in Slovakia, eastern district of Košice,

2./ Association of Anti-Fascist Political Prisoners, eastern district of Košice,

3./ Association of Foreign Soldiers, eastern district of Košice,

4./ Association of Soldiers of the Slovak National Uprising Košice,

5./ Association of the Victims of Racial Persecution, eastern district of Košice.

The representatives of the above-mentioned anti-fascist organizations, due to the disturbing and increasingly frequent occurrences caused by the fascist reaction in Eastern Slovakia and the borderlands in particular, which have currently culminated in the horrific and mass murders of innocent citizens, met on December 12th, 1945, in Košice and established that these weren’t isolated incidents, but rather systematically organized reactionary attempts to weaken people’s faith in the government and planned and realized subversive acts.

We therefore realize the extraordinary severity of the situation, and having before our eyes on the one hand the lives and legal security of our citizens and on the other the unconditional necessity to prevent reactionary forces from taking advantage of these acts abroad to the detriment of our state, and, finally, due to our notification of these acts in July of 1945, which was ignored, the representatives of the above-mentioned organizations have resolved to submit this

memorandum:

Since the cases so far have been stabilized, and the National Security Forces are in no state to effectively prevent these fascist and reactionary attacks and even the deployed military units are in no condition to save human lives and the property of our citizens — perhaps due to the organization’s lack of funds and small membership — given our current situation we have no faith that effective and energetic measures will be taken against the bandits and those who help them, whose future crimes will strike fear and uncertainty in the hearts of our citizens, and, finally, so that these attempts will no longer be repeated and will be eliminated forever,

we demand:

1./ that in all border towns and villages, namely Sobrance, Snina, Medzilaborce, Stropkov, Bardejov, Vyšný 1Note 1: From 1944 Svidník, Svidník, Giraltovce, Sp. St. Ves, Král. Chlumec, Nové Mesto pod Šiatrom, Moldava n/B., Rim. Sobota, Rožnava, Dobšiná, Gelnice, Nižný Medzev, Jasov, etc. trustworthy people, or volunteer members of anti-fascist organizations sign up to the APS and the Association of Liberated Political Prisoners.

2./ We nominate as leaders:

a./ commanding lieutenant colonel. Vojtech Borovský.

b./ his deputy staff captain. Mlynský.

These leaders, upon agreement with the APS and the ALPP, will select the other unit leaders.

The staff will be composed of NSF, APS, and ALPP liaison officers and of military experts.

3./ The headquarters of the command and staff will be in Košice. The individual divisions will communicate with the staff by telephone, radio, and via their liaison officers.

4./The units’ organizational structure: the main command reports directly to the internal affairs officer. The task of the commander is to maintain close contact with the army and the NSF via liaison officers selected by the staff.

5./ This unit shall have the same authority as the corresponding units of the NSF in terms of power, responsibility, and duty.

6./ The commander will submit all messages and reports of situations directly to the internal affairs officer, and only these messages and reports shall be authentic and will constitute the proof that the SNC needs in order to intervene against any offenders, or to form another position on the matter.

7./ Material equipment. Uniforms and equipment: each member shall be equipped with full winter uniforms and gear. Due to foreseeable battles in the mountains and in forest terrains, winter uniforms and equipment are essential.

8./ Equipment

a./ individual: due to battles in mountainous terrain (forests), each member shall be equipped with a sub-machine gun, rifle, and hand grenades.

b./ combat unit equipment: (squad) 1 light machine gun, 500 machine gun shells, a rocket launcher with a set of rockets. For each unit in a regional headquarters: 2 mortars, 2 heavy machine guns.

9./ Communications. The units shall be equipped with a sufficient number of field telephones, cables, and for each regional headquarters with radio transmitting and receiving equipment. Automobiles, crawler, cargo, or armored cars must be allocated in the amount that the staff requests.

10./ Economics: units will be fed independently in the regional headquarters by purchasing their own foodstuffs and resources.

Housing and food will be procured in cooperation with the Commission for aid and the Eastern Slovak district.

11./ Finances and salaries: commanders and officers according to the valid law from 1926 shall receive all supplements and allowances that are allocated for military combat units. The rank and file troops, with the exception for mercenaries, such as soldiers, shall receive full allowances.

In the event of the death of a unit member, we request that his family members be compensated, and for his surviving dependants to receive a permanent pension in full.

The main commander shall be given the power to allocate special financial support, award honors, and select members for promotion.

12./ Special bonuses: if a unit member is unfit for work, he will be granted a disability pension in the same extent as is granted to NSF members. If conditions will improve and this unit will no longer be needed, it will be the responsibility of the SNC, or the Central Government, to find members jobs in the government regardless of their age and qualifications.

Each award that an individual shall receive will be rewarded with a special bonus.

13./ Task: cleanse our borderlands and all of Eastern Slovakia of Bandera's followers, of harmful elements, and cleanse our lives of all of the elements that assisted them. Ensure the certainty of life and property of all anti-fascist and proper citizens and assist the state's authorities in punishing the harmful elements.

Otherwise, in connection with this plan, the commander should be empowered so that he may be able to deal with issues on a case-by-case basis as well as with questions that have not been mentioned in this memorandum. For this reason, it is necessary for the commander to acquire the broadest powers possible.

This memorandum shall be sent to:

1./ Mr. President of the Republic,

2./ Central government in Prague,

3./ Slovak National Council in Bratislava,

4./ Commission for Internal Affairs in Bratislava,

5./ MND in Prague,

6./ Headquarters of the NSF in Bratislava,

7./ Headquarters of the ALPP in Bratislava.

8./ Headquarters of the Association of Partisans in Slovakia in Bratislava,

9./ Headquarters of the Czech and Slov. Partisans in Prague,

10./ Association of Liberated Polit. Prisoners in Prague.

In Košice, on December 13th, 1945

Association of Partisans in Slov., Eastern district, Košice

L.S.

2 signatures

Association of Anti-Fascist Prisoners

Eastern Slovak district, Košice

L.S.

Chairman

Secretary

Association of Foreign Soldiers Košice chapter

Association of Soldiers of the Slovak National Uprising Košice chapter. Illegible signature

Association of the Victims of Racial Persecution Košice chapter