FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF SPEECH CONFIRMED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 September 1938, Page 6

FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF SPEECH CONFIRMED

Failure to Grasp Essentials of British Policy

URGENCY OF PROBLEM PERCEIVED AND ACTED UPON

MAINTENANCE OF CALM ESSENTIAL TO ' PEACEFUL SOLUTION

(British Official Wireless.)

(Received This Day, 12.15 p.m.) RUGBY, September 13

Further consideration in London of Herr Hitler’s speech appears to have confirmed first impressions. One remarkable omission from the speech has been noted in London —Hitler appeared wholly to have failed to appreciate or to make due allowance for the attitude accepted by the British Government, which has not only acknowledged from the beginning the urgency of the problem and recognised in many respects the justice of the Sudeten German grievances, but has acted upon that acknowledgment by an almost unremitting exercise of its influence. Herr Hitler might be understood rather to have implied that the British Government, together with other democratic Powers, had tried to pbstruct a settlement. Such a perversion of plain fact, whether unconscious or deliberate, reaches dangerous proportions in the British view.

The diplomatic history of the last few months contains a complete answer to Herr Hitler on this point. The British Government has not only recognised the urgency of the problem and sought to promote a peaceful solution, but has also recognised from the beginning that the inter-relation of the forces involved in the situation in Central Europe is such that if resort were had to force in an attempt to solve the Sudeten problem, the consequences would be quite immeasurable, and that’in such circumstances no one could predict the turn of events or foretell the manner, or moment, or form in which vital decisions might be forced upon governments.

Today’s deterioration in the internal situation in Czechoslovakia serves to throw into greater relief the conviction which prevails in the highest quarters here that at this moment it is essential to give a chance to negotiations to proceed without interruption, and that a settlement by negotiations was and is not impossible, if they are allowed to proceed in an iatmosphe re of calm. Great progress has already been made since Viscount Runciman went on his independent mission to Prague. That progress and the opportunities it has opened up emphasise, in British opinion, how morally indefensible would be any action, from any quarter, which ended the hope of a successful issue to the negotiations in an agreed settlement and assurance of peace.