THE CRISIS IN EUROPE

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22513, 22 September 1938, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE CRISIS IN EUROPE

Czechoslovakia and the Minorities

The problem of the German minority, the Sudetens, in Czechoslovakia has become n the last 1 few weeks the most disturbing problem for European statesmen. It has caused ! reparations for war in several countries and has demanded conferences and exchanges < »f views among representatives of countries directly and indirectly concerned. After -i ring consideration of the proposals and demands of the German Reich on behalf of the sudetens, and after painful drafting of counter proposals for the future status of the ninority peoples—not only the German minority—in Czechoslovakia, ‘the Czech Governnent was still, at the beginning of this week, not much nearer* a satisfactory agreement 1 with the Sudetens, and 1 their. Nazi supporters arid protectors. ‘ Then it was unofficially announced that Czechoslovakia was willing to accept; the proposals of the Sudetens backed by the Nazi Government, So far.the details of the proposals made and of the isettlenient that has perhaps been arranged .are not available; but observers say that a peace plan with an immediate, effect in .Czechoslovakia is not necessarily .one : that will solve 1 permanently the very acuteminority problems in other parts of Europe, particularly in ‘ Hungary. Mr Neville Chamberlain; British Prime Minister,. flew, to Germany on Thursday last and had an interview with Herr Hitler at Berchtesgaden; he returned to London the following day and reported his hopes of a settlement and of a further , meeting, with Herr Hitler in a few days. On Saturday there was an all-day meeting of the British Cabinet. British and French representatives agreed on a policy to be adopted to promote a peaceful solution to the Czechoslovakian problem. The plan proposed by Britain and France was not officially disclosed. The results of the next conference between Mr Chamberlain and Herr Hitler t.fllfp rVlapp tn-rtav a + f?-nrfochiarcT 1

The, conference is planned to

are awaited with anxiety, near Cologne. Reports have been made at short intervals of troubles within Czechoslovakia and on the German and Hungarian frontiers.

The Official German News Agency states that several hundred Czech soldiers, armed with machine-guns, attempted to cross the German frontier to kidnap Sudeten refugees from the camp at -Seidendorf. It is alleged that they fired on a village early on Tuesday morning, but were driven off by German border patrols. The Regent of Hungary (Admiral Horthy) is asking for support from Herr Hitler 'and Mr Chamberlain for Hungary’s territorial claims against' Czechoslovakia. It was reported that Admiral Horthy would visit Herr Hitler on ’Tuesday.