SOME EASING OF TENSION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 May 1938, Page 8

SOME EASING OF TENSION

IN MIDDLE EUROPEAN SITUATION Reassuring Information Reaches London INFLUENCE OF BRITISH GOVERNMENT EXERTED FOR PEACE (British Official Wireless.) (Recd This Day, 10.57 a.m.) RUGBY, May 22. The Prime Minister (Mr Chamberlain) and Foreign Secretary (Lord Halifax) have kept in the closest touch with the situation of tension between Germany and Czechoslovakia which arouse at the end of last week. Official circles in London do not conceal their view that the situation has been as critical as it certainly is confused, but information reaching Whitehall during the past twenty-four hours points to welcome detente (end of strained relations). Mr Chamberlain and Lord Halifax met members of the Cabinet at Downing Street, putting them in possession of the latest reports available from British representatives in the European capitals concerned. In those capitals wherever it can usefully be exerted, British Government influence continues to be used in the interests of appeasement. In this the Government unquestionably has the strong support of public opinion, Which has no desire to take sides and is unimpressed by rival campaigns of assertion and counter-assertion. lit may be assumed that Sir Neville Henderson, British Ambassador to Germany, who has been active in Berlin during the last three days, will not cease to emphasise the importance of patience and moderation in Press comments, while in Prague the British Government’s views as to the imperative need of avoiding incidents and the desirability of the Czechoslovak Government’s making unmistakably plain its will to secure a speedy settlement by agreement of the Sudeten and similar problems, will be urged by the British Minister, ft is with the essentials of peace that British policy is concerned, and at a moment when so much’ is in the balance, it is on them British diplomacy will concentrate, wherever and whenever an opportunity occurs.