DELAY IN CONVERSATIONS AT GODESBERG

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22515, 24 September 1938, Page 17

DELAY IN CONVERSATIONS AT GODESBERG

BRITISH - POLICY ATTACKED Peace Demonstration In London POLICE FORM CORDON IN - DOWNING STREET (ÜBUEU nul ASSOCIATION —COPTBIOHT.) (Received September 23, 9. p.m.) LONDON, September 23. A crowd which graduaPv increased to 10,000 clogged Whitehall after the International Peace Campaign’s appeal, necessitating special police precautions. The crowd was at first -good-humoured and was never violent. The din was audible in Downing Street, which the police cordoned off. The mob hooted and jeered, but eventually the demonstration died down, as a loud-speaker heralded the approach of the Peace * Campaign’s deputation to the Foreign Office. , Amid wild cheers, it passed through the cordon and handed _ in to- the Foreign Office- a .resolutionwhich demanded the instant recall of Parliament, the publication of the ■ full text of the. French and Britisn proposals, and an effective reaffirmation of unity of purpose by Britain, France,‘and Russia to safeguard international democracy and peace. The Labour Party will hold 2000 meetings during the week-end in a lightning campaign “against the. shameful sacrifice of Czechoslovakia to Herr Hitler’s threat of war.’ The League of Nations _ Union passed a resolution (repudiating the Government policy of seeking Czechoslovakia’s surrender by,force. It expressed the belief that such a policy would be disastrous to British interests, fatal to. British honour, and eventually proyocative of war, whatever its immediate results might be. ‘‘CANADA CODED NOT BE NEUTRAL ” ADDRESS AT CONVENTION OF WAR VETERANS (Received September 23, 8 p.m.) WINNIPEG, September 22. Canada could not remain neutral with Britain at war, the LieutenantGovernor of Manitoba (the Hon. W. J. Tupper) told the convention of Army and Navy Veterans of Canada. “No real Canadian,” he added, '“believes such nonsense. Constitutional authority is all against it.’ Lieutenant-Colonel Webb asserted that his only regret was that at a time when New Zealand, and South- Africa had assured Mr Chamberlaiq Tf ,-pf, their support ’ Canada had not spoken. .

j‘A COOL HEAD ” NEEDED Advice From Lord WintertonPROPOSALS HONOURABLY MADE (tmrr*D pbbsb association — copthiobt.) (Received September 23, 1.55 n.m.) LONbON, September 22. ' “Keep a cool head and clear judgment. The time of perplexity and crisis is by no means over. False optimism is as dangerous as black pessimism,” declared Lord Winterton in a speech at West Grinstead. Lord Winterton added: “Mr Chamberlain is taking with him to Germany proposals which, in the circumstances, France and ourselves believe we can honestly and honourably make, and which Czechoslovakia has accepted. It is, I think, a fact, that but for Mr Chamberlain’s visit last week, a conflagration would have already started which would almost certainly have enveloped all Europe sooner or later. “Unhappily, since then two European countries- adjacent to Czechoslovakia, and a large portion of the German press, have put forward proposals which go far beyond, and indeed, have nothing to do withr the Sudeten German question. These countries, and the newspapers, should be under no delusion tha there is any foundation for the belief that Britain would in any way favour these proposals.” CANADIAN WHEAT FOR GERMANY SUGGESTION BY MONTREAL NEWSPAPER (Received September 23, • 8 p.m.) MONTREAL, September 22. The “Montreal Star,” in a leading article, suggests that Canada authorises Mr Chamberlain to offer Herr Hitler Canadian wheat on long-term credits as a peace move. It is urged that not a bushel be given without an assurance of peace. BRITISH LABOUR VISIT TO PARIS CONFERENCE WITH FRENCH TRADES UNIONISTS (amirisß ornciAi. ntibeless.) • RUGBY, September 22. A party of British labour leaders flew to Paris to-day for consultations on the international situation with French Socialist and trades union leaders. >' , ■

— ♦ Letter Sent by Mr Chamberlain To Herr Hitler SENSATION CAUSED IN GERMAN OFFICIAL CIRCLES New Czech Government Presents United Front j The talks which were begun at Godesberg oil .Thursday by Mr Chamberlain and Herr Hitler were to have been resumed yesterday mor , aing. However, at 11.30 a.m. Mr Chamberlain was still in his own hotel, and it was announced later that Friday’s conference had been postponed as a result of a letter sent by Mr Chamberlain to Herr Hitler. The announcement of the letter was received with dismay. It is reported that it has caused a sensation in German official circles. The announcement of a new Cabinet in Prague is accompanied by the report that all parties in Parliament have reached agreement and have sunk their differences in order to present a united front. Thei appointment of General Syrovy as the new Czech Prime Minister has not been well received in Germany, where it is considered the situation may easily be aggravated as a result. It is reported from Berlin that Herr Hitler has prepared a four-point programme for presentation to Mr Chamberlain, and this contains a demand for the resignation of the new Cabinet and of the Czech President (Dr. Benes). Other points in Herr Hitler’s programme include the handing back to Hungary of the Magyar areas in Czechoslovakia, and the holding of a plebiscite to determine the fate of Slovakia, Garpathia, and Ruthenia.

FRENCH TROOPS STAND BY : TRENCHES BEING BUILT IN ALSACE «NO FURTHER CONCESSIONS TO GERMANY” (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT.) (Received September 24, 2.30' : a.m.) PARIS, September 23. The French Government has ordered the Rhine garrison to stand’ by. Troop movements on a large scale are reported in Alsace. Trenches are being built in the foothills of the Vosges mountains behind Strasbourg for auxiliaries to support the Maginot Line. All sections of the French press emphasise that there must be no further concessions to Germany. “Le Petit Parisian” says it must be understood in Godesberg that France refuses to go beyond the limits laid down. The outcome of the Godesberg talks is anxiously awaited throughout France, Hopes for European peace are still buoyant, but less so than during the Berchtesgaden period. There is general satisfaction that the Ministerial crisis has for the present been averted. The newspapers pay tribute to the Czech Government for its sacrifice in the cause of peace, but there is general agreement that the democracies have reached the limit of their patience. EXPORT PROHIBITION IN FRANCE RESTRICTIONS LIFTED FROM ALL - BUT METALS (Received September 23, 7.10 p.m.) I PARIS, September 22. The prohibition of exports of wool, metals, silks, 'and other raw material, which was imposed on September 13, has been rescinded with the exception of metals.