STATEMENT BY BRITAIN AWAITED

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22504, 12 September 1938, Page 9

STATEMENT BY BRITAIN AWAITED

Calmer Atmosphere Existing In Czechoslovakia

NEGOTIATIONS TO BE RESUMED ON TUESDAY

Unconfirmed Report of Warning

To Germany

(UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.)

(Received September 11, 11 p.m.)

LONDON, September 10

The “Daily Mail” says the Cabinet has decided to inform Germany in precise and formal terms that Britain will not stand aside if Czechoslovakia is .attacked. Mr Chamberlain has decided that the time has arrived to inform Germany that Britain will join France in resisting aggression in Central Europe.

There is extreme reticence in Downing Street, which at present refuses to deny or confirm the “Daily Mail’s” story.

It is officially stated by Downing Street, however, that in view of statements which have appeared in the last day or so regarding reported decisions of the Cabinet Ministers, it can be stated authoritatively that no such statements should be regarded as authentic.

French press opinion concentrates on the fact that France and Russia have clearly stated their positions. It is now felt that a joint French and British demarche and a public statement on policy by Britain are essential.

A message from Prague says the negotiations with the Sudetens will be resumed on Tuesday. In the meantime the country is calm and there is no excitement. It is reported, however, that 1,056,000 Czechs have petitioned the Prime Minister (Dr.' Hodza) against further concessions to the Henlein Party.

A Nuremberg message says that Herr Hitler, in an address to the parade of the Hitler Youth, did not refer to Czechoslovakia. He said: “If Providence should call me off, a future Fuhrer will take over. The people are firmly welded and cannot be torn asunder. They stand united in joy and sorrow. Germany will be united. Gome what may, I know the Reich stands firm and safe.”

Asked whether the Czech plan provided a basis for negotiations, the spokesman at the Wilhelmstrasse declared that Germany would attempt to make it such. He said it was hoped that the discussions would be quickly resumed.

GERMAN VIEW OF CRISIS %.= >■ •— "■ Bitter Hatred For Czechs. DIPLOMATIC APPROACHES BY BRITAIN (Received September 10, 2 p.m.) LONDON, September ,9. The Nuremberg correspondent of the Exchangs and Telegraph Agency states that Sir Nevile Henderson called on Herr Hitler and held a conference for over two hours. A later London message states that Herr Hitler’s adjutant denies Sir Nevile Henderson’s reported conference with Herr Hitler, but the Exchange Agency declares that its authority was the German Foreign Office.

Sir Nevile Henderson conferred with Herr von Ribbentrop after which Herr von Ribbentrop informed Herr Hitler of the result of the conversations. Herr Hitler also conferred with the Sudeten leaders.

The Berlin correspondent of the British United Press states that according to well-informed German sources in Nuremberg, Herr von Ribbentrop assured Sir Nevile Henderson that ■ Germany desired a peaceful solution, but she insisted that the Czechs must assert power to terminate the terrorism of the Sudetens.

Herr Hitler cancelled to-day’s speech to the Nazi Women’s League at Nuremberg in order to consider the Czechoslovakian problem. He has not yet decided on the lines of his concluding speech on Monday, when he will deal with the problem.

Major developments either for better or worse are unlikely until then, by which time Herr Hitler is expected to have given a clue to his policy after being acquainted with the British attitude.

The Nuremberg correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” reports that it is reliably stated that Herr Hitler, in the course of a private exchange of views with high German Government authorities, declared that the Carlsbad points must be accepted 'tujconditionally by the Czechs, and nof merely met by counter-proposals. “Those who believe and count on Germany’s weakness will be disillusic ied,” declared Herr Hitler, when addressing 180,000 Nazi officials. He added: “Now that the horizon is clouded, I am deeply bappy to see around me one million party members.” Herr Hitler made .no further reference to the international problem. The Berlin correspondent of “The Times” states that it is not too much to say that the hatred expressed by the Nazi press against the Czechs could not be more bitter if the countries were warring. The Germans do not take it at its face value or it would be difficult to restrain ’ the masses from attacking the Czechs, whereas there is actually an earnest desire for peace and a fear of war. Accusations reminiscent of those on the eve of the Austrian crisis are being repeated by the German press in a wave of vituperation following the Mahrisch-Ostrau incident. The 'Volkischer Beobachter,” in inch-

MR ROOSEVELT ANXIOUS i ■ AMERICAN ATTITUDE STATED NEUTRALITY ACT UNDER EXAMINATION ■ (Received September 11, 9 p.m.) NEW YORK, September 10. A Hyde Park message yesterday stated that Mr Roosevelt at a press conference endeavoured to spike the growing impression that the United States was morally aligned with the European democracies in the “stopHitler” movement, involving a pledge of support in the event of war. Mr Roosevelt indicated that there was no alignment. Asked to delineate his attitude to the democracies he referred to recent speeches by himself and the Secretary of State (Mr Cordell Hull). Mr Roosevelt declared that a section of the American press was behaving badly, in wrongly interpreting facts for political reasons. He was vague in his references to the foreign policy of the United States, but when asked specifically if there was any justification for the growing impression that the United States was allied with Britain and France he replied that certain newspapers had placed their.own interpretations on the utterances of responsible Government officials. If editors would read the English language and no more in what he and Mr Hull had said, they would discover that they were “one hundred per cent, wrong in their deductions.”

To-day, torn by personal and public worries, Mr Roosevelt is speeding to Rochester, Minnesota, where his eldest son James will undergo a serious operation lor the removal of a gastric ulcer on Monday. The special representative of the New York “Herald Tribune’’ on board the Presidential train says Mr Roosevelt is following closely the developments- in Europe. He does not hide his anxiety, which his advisers fully share. Those close to Mr Roosevelt state that the Administration is considering a revision of the Neutrality Act co permit the sale of arms on. a cash-and-carry basis, and is re-examining the Johnston Act to permit making loans or extending credit to debtor nations in the event of war.

high type underlined with red, proclaims; “Prague is no longer master of its police.” The Nazi Minister for Economics (Dr. Funk) has ordered double shifts to be worked in the textile factories which are working on contracts for the armed forces. r , Herr Darre, the leader of the Labour Corps, has announced that Herr Hitler has ordered the strength of the women’s section to be raised to 50,000.