GERMAN TROOPS MAY MARCH ON SATURDAY

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22518, 28 September 1938, Page 11

GERMAN TROOPS MAY MARCH ON SATURDAY

Sudeten Areas

No Immediate Declaration of War Made By Fuhrer (trxrriD pers? .rsocivioe coptriqht.) (Received September 27, 11.30 p.m.) LONDON, September 27. In a speech punctuated by violent personal attacks against Dr. Benes, and jeers at the Western democracies, Herr Hitler, broadcasting from Berlin, told the world that German troops will occupv the Sudeten German districts in Czechoslovakia on Saturday. The occupation .will be peaceable if the Czech Government accepts the demands in his memorandum. If these are rejected, Germany is ready for war.

Herr Hitler revealed that he proposed yesterday that the British Legion should he entrusted with f he task of'keeping order in the plebiscite districts.

This, brieflv, is the significance of Herr Hitler’s speech, which thus leaves the situation where it was after the presentation of. the memorandum to Prague. The speech contained no immediate declaration of war and did not, as manv here expected, announce a general mobilisation, but it left no hope that Herr Hitler would agree to any delay in the execution of his demands.

His patience, he declared, was exhausted, and the choice between peace and war rested with Or. Benes. Germany had made up its mind, and Dr. Benes must choose.

The speech revealed the depth of Herr Hitler’s hatred towards Dr. Benes, which the Fuhrer did not endeavour to disguise. “Next Saturday,” he said, “Dr. Benes will be forced to keep his * promise and hand over the Sudeten territories, however much he might still trust in the assistance oi Britain, France, and Soviet Russia.” ,

While Herr Hitler referred to “my friend Benito Mussolini,” his references to Mr Chamberlain were noticeably colder, and in spite of the meetings with Mr Chamberlain he expressed his contempt for the democracies.

men and women,” he id. “on February 22, for the first lie, I voiced the unalterable claim l! the German Reichstag. The ■jtion listened and understood. One Unman (Dr. Schuschnigg) didn t ■derstahd. -He was removed. My pomise is fulfilled. . i|At Nuremberg I formulated the Urn again. Again the nation Berstood. To-day I speak for the it time to the entire people. As time of our struggles you bow what it means. There, can be imore doubt. There is. not speakim. one Fuhrer—one man—but the Uole German people. Make my Bids your-oath. Let other nations Online them if that is also the Ue with them. £||y effort for peace isn’t a mere Unse, but is confirmed by the facts Uieh no democratic liar may deny. Owe were two problems left. Ten Million Germans living outside the Ifefa wanted to return. There is a |fat where conciliation must end. pbune it would be weakness. :n would not have the moral right bbe the leader of the German Poople if I renounced this. It was Irlimit of complacency. The hisof the union with Austria conWed that I was right. "There is the last problem which Mut and will be settled. It is the Bt territorial demand I will mak e llorope. but one I will never give k •

resigned from naval comoetitidn, not because I could not build more ships, but to secure a permanent British and German peace. It is impossible that we should say We will never fight England, and that England should say from time to time ‘We will fight you if we, want “Europe was torn up ynder the slogan of self-determination, and redivided by madmen, regardless- or historical nationalities. That is how Czechoslovakia came into being. Czechoslovakia began with a he. (‘The father of it. was Dr Benes I sympathise with the Hungarians, Poles, arid Ruthenians. but speak only of the fate of my own countrymen.

“Rebuffed for Two Years”

,“We decided to preserve the German oeople We shall protect it save it. Once we were told we were going to live under the motto ‘Right of self-determination.’ This filled all German® with immense hopes, but we have been deceived. The result was the Versailles Treaty. “Our arms were stn’en Defence- 1 less. Germany was ill-treated. We were suppressed for 15 years. We are not moved by hatred of others, nor'by rancour.” “I have been rebuffed tor two years.” he said “I ordered the German army to be prepared for everything." I can confess openly we are rearmed” in a way the rworld has never seen before Since my offer of disarmament was refused 1 nave riot taken half-decisions or halfmeasures. If the world is u nwl ‘ ing to be disarmed, very well. We are rearmed as no country ever was before Thousands of millions have been spent in rearming. We possess the most modern army, the best air force and the best antitank arms in the world. worked for five years, day and night. _and so built up an army of , wh G tVl ‘ n any can be proud, and which the. world will respect whenever it apPe Herr Hitler said it was a lie that, German mobilisation was invented to "justify Czech mobilisation. Germany hoped for a Peaceful settlement. but Dr. Benes thought he could permit himself everything since he was covered by Fra P£ e and Britain and if if came to the last, bv the Soviet. ' “Finally, at Nuremberg I ae-.-elf-determination ’ he said. “Dr. Benes’s answer was new deaths and imprisonments. , “Then’ Britain came. I told Mr Chamberlain the only solution we would consider. 1 left no. doubf that German patience was France and Britain saw. the only vi>it.inn was to cede Suri f £ te "D r^'in “When Dr B 'nes saw that Bn am in ; France would not help unle ■ the territories were ceded he agreed, ®h a t Hid he do? He is hanging Germans. Military oppression was aggravated immediately Dr. Benes spoke. He did not cede the tern-

spite of all this I have not sd the policy of peace. I have ... j been ready to do everything hftfve problems peacefully. I.’-as r .'winner serviceman, know the Matting 0 f w ar . r have tried everyIfef to save peace. Settlement with Poland #he most difficult of all problems 'EM the Polish problem. There was’ MMger of war with Poland, which JM not a democracy, but was ruled Sftwe man. I succeeded in reachunderstanding with him. and Mfiled the danger of a conflict. We B convinced that this is the ay to achieve permanent tutweighing all speeches at >uld not have succeeded in JSSMg the Polish problem if sogjjp democracy had ruled. The SS*pr*cies pretend to be peaceful, blood-thirsty r onsters. attempted with other gSSfM.to. normalise the relations fflSS’-by Western Powers and BfMfae inviolability of their terriBey .This is my sacred wish. I 2* nothing from them. What do 2.* ant from me? We want peace gyjland. We want nothing sHlpnce— only peace. normalised relations with lecause of my own sucggttly that of that rare, great WWPjy so fortunately possesses jBBP*-,with Italy are now an Iggrt hearts and not a marriage England my hand. I

Herr Hitler Demands Occupation Of

JEERS AT WESTERN DEMOCRACIES IN BROADCAST SPEECH

Tories but expelled the Germans. “When Dr. Benes ‘lied’ this State together he promised a cantonal system on the Swiss model, but instead he started a regime of terrorism. Germans tried to protest but were, shot. Then a war of extermination began Six hundred thousand Germans had to leave Czechoslovakia because they would be starved. Dr. Benes resolved to exterminate the German race. He succeeded in intimidating them and them.”

“It became clear that the raison d’etre of Czechoslovakia was only to attack Germany,” continued HenHitler. “Bolshevism used Czechoslovakia as a roadway to Central Europe. “When such patience is shown as we have shown, it cannot be said we thirst for war. My memorandum, which is my last and final word, was nothing but the realism of what Dr. Benes promised, Its essence is territory which belongs to Germany, which Germany wants, and shall become German, not after Dr. Benes has’ succeeded in exterminating half a million Germans, but now and immediately.” “Only One Man Understands” “Only one State shares our grief Only one man understands; —Mussolini, whose friendly attitude in the hour of Germany’s need will never be forgotten. If ever the occasions should arise when Italy needs a similar service we shall come to her assistance. / , , „ “I am grateful and thankful to Mr Chamberlain for his efforts. I assured him that Germany wants only peace. I repeated that after this problem was solved Germany had no territorial problen in Europe. I told him after the Czechs peacefully settled the problem with the, other minorities we were ready to guaran■ tee Czechoslovakia, but I also told him nr patience was ended. “I first demanded a plebiscite in the whole of Czechoslovakia, but yielded I told Mr Chamberlain a vote only in some parts would be sufficient I also agreed to a plebiscite under international superyision. and an international commission to determine the frontier “Dr. Benes rejects my proposal and says mv memorandum created a npw situation WHat new situation? That he' keeps a promise He must hand us the territory on October 1. Now it, is two men. against each ether Dr Benes and I. With me is Germany • ' , _ “Wp do not went the Czechs Our demand for the Siidetens is, irrevocable Dr Benes can choose peace, or war. He will either accent my demands or we will -go to liberate our Germans. I. first a soldier, let the world know that behind me my march on. “W*. hove decided- we are ready t ...» To,- choose.”

“T.pt the' wo’-id know it is a different people from 1918 Let us unite swearing this hoiv oath: Our will shall be stronger than our need, and our danger.’