NEED OF VIGILANCE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 May 1938, Page 7

NEED OF VIGILANCE

IF EUROPEAN CATASTROPHE IS TO BE AVOIDED IMPRESSION THAT BRITAIN HAS TAKEN LEAD. RESOLUTE OPPOSITION TO HITLER. PARIS, May 24. The newspapers emphasise that Britain and France must be vigilant if a European catastrophe is to be avoided. “L’Oeuvre” says that the general impression is that England has definitely assumed the direction of affairs in Central Europe and the Balkans, and that, in the event of disorders, she will side with France and Russia. Hitler must realise that a resolute will now opposes his ambitions. TALKS AT PRAGUE. HENLEIN RETURNS' HOME. , (Recd This Day, 9.25 a.m.) PRAGUE, May 24. Herr Henlein has returned home, without seeing the Premier (Dr Hodza) again. It is expected that Herr Frank will continue the talks. FRONTIER TROOPS. GERMANS WITHDRAW 25 MILES. LONDON, May 24. The Prague correspondent of the “News Chronicle” reports that German troops have withdrawn 25 miles from the Czech frontier. MR CHURCHILL’S VIEW RELIANCE ON COLLECTIVE SECURITY. IN RUDIMENTARY & EMERGENCY FORM. (British Official Wireless.) (Recd This Day, 10.37 a.m.). RUGBY, May 24. Mr Winston Churchill, speaking at Chingford, said that if the present crisis passed and war were averted, as he believed it would be, that would be due to a rudimentary and emergency form of collective security, but, he continued, unless we could gain otner Powers to the side of peace, a disaster might occur in future. It would be far better to have firm arrangements with a large body of well-armed nations, all obliged to defend one another against an aggressor, than to drift from one crisis to another. Asking the country to support the Covenant, he denied that it was an encirclement of Germany. It was an encirclement only of an aggressor. They asked no security for themselves that they were not prepared freely to extend to Germany. VAST EXPERIMENT EMPIRE AS MINIATURE LEAGUE. POINTING WAY TO WORLD ORGANISATION. (British Official Wireless). (Recd This Day, 10.37 a.m.) RUGBY. May 24. Mr Malcolm MacDonald, speaking at the Empire Press Union conference, said we were all, in the dominions and in this country, becoming gradually conscious that we were engaged in a political experiment of vast importance to many other people besides ourselves. Inside the British Commonwealth was a miniature league of free and equal nations. If we could make our little league a success, then it might be our proud destiny to show the peoples of the world what was the true path to peace.