Wairarapa Times-Age FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 1938. A MENACING AGITATION.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 April 1938, Page 6

Wairarapa Times-Age FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 1938. A MENACING AGITATION.

the frontiers of Czechoslovakia were drawn in

all respects wisely in the peace settlement that followed the Great War admittedly is open to question. Within these frontiers there are associated with seven million Czechs and two million Slovaks some 3,500,000 Germans and another million consisting of Hungarians and other minority elements. Of the minorities, the Germans, or a proportion of their number, certainly are proving themselves a restless and disturbing factor. Yet the agitation of the Sudeten Germans, which today threatens the peace of Europe because it is backed and encouraged by the German Nazis, probably is much more artificial than the composition of the Czechoslovakian State.

Little was heard of agitation by the Germans in Czechoslovakia until Herr Hitler, by his own peculiar methods, had grasped the reigns of power in Germany. Herr Henlein, leader of the Sudeten Party, did not come into prominence until October 1, 1933, when he issued a public manifesto calling upon Germans to unite in a “Sudeten German Heimat Front”—the name being taken from the Sudetic mountain region where he was born. Previously Henlein had been successively a bank clerk and a gymnastics instructor. His popularity in the latter capacity enabled him to gain control over a number of German clubs. The organisation thus formed became the Sudeten German Party and Herr Henlein, as leader of that party, is now a factor to be reckoned with in European politics. It does not appear that the Germans in Czechoslovakia; have any very positive grievances. Certainly they enjoy in full measure the privileges of citizenship in a democratic State and the Czechoslovakian Government has indicated that many of Herr Henlein’s demands, “including the language difficulty,” are capable of adjustment. As compared with being regimented by Herr Hitler and his Nazis, free citizenship in Czechoslovakia appears to be an enviable fate, but the possibilities of the artificial agitation that Henlein has fomented no doubt are indicated, to an extent at least, by what has already happened in Germany, and more recently in Austria. The dangers thus brought into the forefront are very far from concerning only the little post-war Republic against which agitation is meantime directed. Though she is heavily armed, Czechoslovakia in herself is but a small pawn in the game of European power politics. Besides being a foundation member of the League of Nations, however, Czechoslovakia has received assurances from the Danubian Powers that her frontiers will be respected and, following upon the German seizure of Austria, she was explicitly assured by the Blum Government that France would come to her a;d if she were attacked. The present French Premier, M. Daladier, was Minister of Defence in the Government which gave this assurance only a month ago and it may be supposed that in the interval there has been no change in French policy so far as the integrity of Czechoslovakia is concerned.

It has been made clear by the Czech Government in its recent pronouncements that while it is perfectly ready to deal with minority grievances, it will resist by force of arms if necessary any attempt by Germany to assume control over the internal and foreign policy of Czechoslovakia. A great deal more than justice to Czechoslovakia is involved. It is also a question for France, for Russia (with whom Czechoslovakia has a pact of mutual assistance) and for other Powers concerned — perhaps even for Britain —whether they can in their own interests allow Germany to proceed unchecked with her policy of piecemeal conquest in Middle Europe.

To France particularly it may appear that a policy of inaction in face of the German aggression now threatened against Czechoslovakia —an aggression none the less real and menacing for masquerading as popular agitation—would amount only to putting off the evil day. On what lines precisely the situation is destined to develop, time must show. The position meantime is that Germany, with Austria in her hands, has wrapped Czechoslovakia round territorially. The Nazis thus are as favourably placed as they well could be to stir up agitation and possibly revolt in Czechoslovakia, and there is every indication that they are inclined to make the most of the opportunities thus conferred upon them.