Mr Lipa sent several Czechoslovak diplomats to the French Consulate in Budapest to handle the Cz refugees there. Most of them had tried to get there having no passport. That reason for their crossing the Slovakian-Hungarian border was illegal. Holders of the passports could go to the Yugoslav or French Consulates in the capital of Slovakia – Bratislava. A visa free of charge was issued for them while they waited. Both the refugees´ journey to the Hungarian-Croatian border at the river of Drava and the Hungarian -Serbian was funded by the French side. As well as bribes to Hungarian Gendarms, guides and ferrymen over the river of Drava. The hub of the Route of Balkans was the French Consulate in Beograd.
Some members of the Yugoslav Gvt played deaf ear on Mr Lipa´s establishing the Illegal Czechoslovak Embassy in Beograd. His task was to prevent Cz refugees from incarcerating for entering the country without visa. Also to provide them with documents enabling their departure for the MIddle East. So they were saved from experiencing both being sent back to the Hungarian-Slovakian border or even one of the Protectorate. Also from being sentenced for three years in Soviet labour camps for illegal entry. This stance of the Yugoslav authorities was influenced by The Cz. Military Attache Major Frank Hieke. As a former Serbian volunteer during the Great War he was respected in Yugoslavia and even given his Yugoslav passport. He was under protection against the German secret agents in this neutral country this way.
These problems of the Yugoslav authorities with the refugees from the former Czechoslovakia from 1938 to 1941 were forestalled thanks to the Cz. Association in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Lead by the Zagreb Medical Faculty´s dean Professor Frantisek Smetanka M.D. It obliged to provide the Cz regugees with both accomodation and board at its expense on their journey to Beograd. Yugoslav border guards were advised of the address to which the Brothers Czechs were to be sent to – eg the Brakovics in the town of Subotica.
The refugees coming from the Croatian border or from Maribor were accomodated in Zagreb at 20 Sibic St. They were provided as with board and accomodation as given lacked clothing. These costs were covered by public subscription. Some refugees were escorted from the border to the further premises – the Czech House in Garsanin St in Beograd or to Maribor.
The Association issued interim documents for the refugees travelling to Beograd from Maribor or Zagreb. From Subotica they went by train to Beograd, sometimes escorted by members of the Association sometimes by a Yugoslavian plain clothed. The Cz volunteers´ journey from Beograd to the French Foreign Legion´s garrisons was paid by the French goverment.
Following France declared war on Germany the Czechoslovak National Committe in Paris made decision to put further travelling of Cz volunteers from Beograd to possible theatres of operations on a combatant scheme. From Jan 1940 a Cz Intelligence Branch called Mary worked at the Frech Consulate and the Czech House in Beograd. Its members were British passport holdem. Cz refugees were interrogated by them. A group passport needed for their departure for the Middle East was issued here. The others refugees sailed to Beirut from the port of Split. Till the end of the 1939 year 315 Cz volunteers left Beograd in twenty five groups. Further 1743 in fifty two ones in the Jan – Jun 1940 time frame. The last group on June 24.
The capitulation of France hampered flow of Cz refugees to their TOs. In addition in August office workers of the Yugoslav Ministry of Interior launched co-operating with the Gestapo.It resulted in dire acting of the Route of Balkans. More in Aug 2015 in a text on arrests of Mr Soeldner, Jirasek and Vesely.