MUNICH SACRIFICE

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 29, 29 October 1942, Page 6

MUNICH SACRIFICE

Contribution To Cause Of Democracy SPIRIT OF CZECH PEOPLE “This gathering is characteristic of other gatherings taking place all over the world,” caid the Prime Minister, Mr. Eraser, last, night, when addressing those present at the celebration of the 24th anniversary of the foundation of the Republic of Czechoslovakia, organized by the Czechoslovakia Club in Wellington. Members of the Consular Corps and representatives of the Armed Forces were among the guests. The gatherings were representative, the Prime Minister said, of the determination of the people of the United Nations, who were sure of victory, and none of whom for a moment entertained an idea of final defeat. “In Stalingrad, at El Alamein, and in the Solomon Islands, deeds of daring, bravery, and heroism are every day being accomplished by men of the United Nations. We cannot at present see far ahead, but every blow struck today is a stroke nearer victory, and for every blow we struck yesterday we are striking 10 today. Trampled Peoples. . “It was not till some of the greatest peoples had been trampled to the earth that democracy began to fight,” Mr. Fraser added. "It may take two or three years yet before we can reach the victory which will see the restoration of the freedom of the Czechoslovak Republic.” Mr. Fraser expressed his pleasure at being afforded the opportunity of associating the Government and people of New Zealand in the celebrations. He congratulated the Czech people ou their great success in establishing one of the finest democracies the world had ever seen. . “The flame of that, democracy is still burning in the hearts of the people ill Czechoslovakia tonight,” he said. He expressed the hope that after the war there would be a New Zealand ■representative in Prague, just as he hoped there would be representatives. in Warsaw, Brussels, The Hague, in Norway, and in Chungking and Nanking. The guests were, welcomed to the gathering by the president of the Czechoslovakian Club, Mr. Y. Sukolski, who recalled the. day on which the ■ Czech National Committee took over the government in Prague. Two days later the Slovak National Council declared the independence of their country from Hungary. He paid tribute to the memory of the republic’s first President, Professor T. G. Masaryk, and to Dr. Benes, the present President, who had worked with the professor in exile to build the State on modern democratic principles. Mr. Sukolski detailed the achievements of the republic in the fields of education, political thought, industry, agrarian reform, and sport and hygiene. The arts had not been neglected, and the. happiness of the people was made a special aim. Sacrifice At Munich. He underlined the sacrifice made by the Czech State at Munich. Czechoslovakia was armed and ready to fight, but, she wanted to gain time for her Allies to enable them to complete their war preparations, and she had to accept a bitter decision. Munich was her first contribution to the common cause of democracy. The mayor of Wellington, Mr. Hislop, said the people of Czechoslovakia were common citizens with the people of New Zealand in the great brotherhood of free men able to follow their own ideals, lie paid tribute to the sacrifice of Munich, the sacrifice to the unpreparedness of those who were Czechoslovakia’s allies today. “Munich,” declared Mr. Hislop, “should be a lesson so burnt into the minds of people that, it could never happen again.” The Rev. Gladstone Hughes said that the existence of small nations of the world was one, great hope for the future. In them was enshrined the spirit of liberty which was a challenge to modern imperialism, and to the newer type of imperialism, centralization. The latter, he believed, was inconsistent with the spirit of democracy. It did. not bring efficiency, bjtt just the opposite. ■

Symbolic Epilogue. Following the speeches there was a number of musical items, mostly of works by Czech composers, and two films showing the part being taken by Czech soldiers and airmen in the conduct of the war today. The final item, before the serving of slipper, was a symbolic representation commemorating the martyrdom of Lidice. The lights in ''the hall were lowered, and a spotlight picked out, at the back of the stage, a painting of the village of Lidice. From behind the back curtain there rose sounds of' the people of the village, which were gradually drowned by the tramping arrival of German troops and -the Gestapo. The hubbub rose to crescendo, ending in the rattle of machinegun fire. Then, a single voice declaimed the infamies perpetrated by the Germans on the people of the village, ending with an emphatic confirmation that the rule of the country would return to the Czech people. As the last words of the declamation were spoken, a figure ‘appeared on the stage and the spreading spotlight revealed the words on a banner above the picture. Then the voices sang the Czech National Anthem.

The Prime Minister spoke most enthusiastically of the item. It represented magnificently the great spirit of the Czech people and their determination to restore freedom to their oppressed country. The gathering, besides the Prime Minister and Mrs. Fraser, included the following:—The United Kingdom High Commissioner, Sir Harry Batterbee; the Consul-General for Belgium, M. Armande Nihotte; the Consul-General for Poland, Count Wodzicki, and Countess. "Wodzicki; (he Consul-General for China, Mr. Wang Feng, and Mrs. Wang; the United Slates Consul attached to the Uniled States Consulate-General, Mr. Horn; the Consul for Czechoslovakia in Wellington, Mr. E. J. 1-Iyams; the Chief of the Now Zealand Naval Staff. Commodore Sir Atwell Lake; the Chief of the New Zealand Air Staff, Air Commodore R. V. Goddard, and Mrs. Goddard; the mayor of Wellington and Mrs. Hislop; Mrs. Riddell, wife of the High Commissioner for Canada in. New Zealand ; the Rev. and Mrs. Gladstone Hughes, and 'the Hon. Vincent Ward.