HERR HITLER'S MEMORANDUM TO BRITAIN

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22517, 27 September 1938, Page 11

HERR HITLER'S MEMORANDUM TO BRITAIN

Further Plans for Settlement Of

Czech Crisis

OCCUPATION OF SUDETEN AREAS BY GERMAN TROOPS

Measures for Conduct of Pldriscite Defined

(Twrnra pbbss uiocunof-eomwßiJ

(Received September 26, 2.30 p.m.)

LONDON, September 25. The full text of Herr Hitler's memorandum, handed to Mr Chamberlain, states:

"Reports, increasing m ["""ber, h ° ur ' regarding incidents in Sudetenland, show that the situation has become completely intolerable for die Sudeten Germans, and consequently to peace in Europe. It a therefore essential that the separation of Sudetenland to which Czechoslovakia has agreed, should be effected ~ without further delay.

"The final delineation of the frontier must correspond with the wishes of those concerned. In order to determine these wishes, a certain period is necessary in preparation for the plebiscite, in which disturbances must, under all circumstances, be prevented. A situation of parity must be created.

"The area designated in the attached map as a German area is to be occupied by German troops, without taking into account whether in the plebiscite it may prove to be in this or in that part of the area with a Czech majority.

"Contrariwise, Czech territory is to be occupied by Czech troops without taking into account whether within this area there lie large German language 'islands' in which a plebiscite majority will doubtless express its German national feeling."

"All economic and traffic materials, especially railway rolling stock, in the designated areas are to be handed over undamaged, "as are the utility services (gasworks, power stations, etc.). Finally, no foodstuffs, goods, cattle, raw materials, etc., are to be moved. "All persons residing in the areas on October 28, 1918, or born therein prior to that date will be eligible to vote. A simple majority of all eligible male and female voters will determine the desire of the population to belong to either the German Reich or'the Czech State.

"During the plebiscite, these parties will withdraw their military forces from the areas, which will be defined more precisely. The date and duration will be settled mutually by the German and Czech Governments. , "The German Government proposes that an authoritative GermanCzech commission be established to settle all further details."

An appendix to the memorandum states that the evacuated Sudeten German area is to be handed over without destroying or rendering unusable in any way military or economic traffic establishments (plants), including ground organisation for air services and all wireless stations. Withdrawal of Czech Forces The Press Association learns authoritatively that Herr Hitler's plan asks for the withdrawal of the whole Czech /armed forces—police, Customs officials, and frontier guards—from the area handed over on October 1.

The Czech Government is to discharge immediately all Sudetens serving in the military forces, the police in Czech State territory are to permit them to go home; the Czechs are to liberate all political prisoners of German race; and the evacuated territory is to be handed over in its present condition. Germany agrees that a plenipotentiary representative of the Czech Government and army should be attached to the headquarters of the German military forces to deal with the details of the evacuation.

A plebiscite in the areas requiring clear definition, before November 25 at the latest, is agreed to by Germany. Alterations to the new frontier arising from the plebiscite will be settled by a German-Czech or an international commission. The plebiscite will be carried out under the control of an international commission. The Press Association states that it obtained the full text of Herr Hitler's plan from an authoritative source. Other agencies are issuing a similar text.

In Prague, the general view is that the proposals are neither feasible nor acceptable, says the Press Association. So far there has been no official intimation regarding the State plan. Czechoslovakia regards Herr Hitler's proposals as involving absolute capitulation. The Czechs say the areas marked for annexation include places where, it is asserted, Germans number not more than 50 per cent, of inhabitants. The "Daily Telegraph" says Herr Hitler's. plan involves the virtual disarmament of the Czech Army, as all its main defences lie in the area that Germany claims. Moreover, where important strategic points, either military depots or communications, lie outside the areas roughly contemplated in the British and French plan, the new German map has been drawn to include them. The Czechs feel that almost insuperable difficulties arise over the railway communications. According to the map the main line from Prague to Bratislava would be cut off by German territory. Other important districts including the steel area would also be cut off. The "Daily Mail" says the German plan involves cutting the railway communications between Prague and Marisch-Ostrau, and also between the Skoda armament works at Pilsen and the machine-gun factory at Brno from their raw materials including the coal mines at- Marisch-Ostrau and the steel mills at Vitkovice.