Wairarapa Times-Age THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1938. THE SUDETEN ULTIMATUM.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 September 1938, Page 6

Wairarapa Times-Age THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1938. THE SUDETEN ULTIMATUM.

1 JN essentials the ultimatum presented by the Sudeten Germans to the Government of Czechoslovakia is a very plain-spoken document. It is simply a demand that the Government should resign its sovereignty to a political party. Early summarised versions spoke of the ultimatum as a demand for the withdrawal of“exceptional measures” taken to deal with lawless disorder, but it went well beyond that. One of the demands was, for example, that the State police should be withdrawn from districts with a majority of German population. The Czechoslovakian Government has taken the only course open to it in refusing decisively to consider these demands. Unless their tactics are countered, the Sudetens, acting evidently on behalf of Germany and under her instructions, will enable Herr Hitler to add Czechoslovakia to his conquests. They will do this by engaging in a certain amount of hooliganism and then insisting that the Czech Government must not deal with the disorders thus occasioned. The tactics and aims of the Sudetens are so well defined that there is no need to say much about them. The point that matters is that Nazi Germany, through the agency of the Sudetens, is making war on Czechoslovakia, and no doubt in due course, will reduce her to submission unless the democratic Powers and Russia prevent her from doiiig so. If she yielded to such demands as the Sudetens are making, Czechoslovakia would be conquered and broken without fighting. If she resists and is left to rely upon her own resources, her conquest will be only a matter of a little time. That is the position by which Europe is confronted. Much more, of course, than the fate of Czechoslovakia is at stake. Nothing is more certain than that if Germany is allowed to master Czechoslovakia, bloodlessly or by making war upon her, that will be only a step towards indefinitely extending aggression in Europe. The democratic Powers and Russia have to consider, not only their obligations to Czechoslovakia, but the advisability or otherwise of allowing Germany to add to her strength by taking over the territory and resources of Czechoslovakia, in preparation for further aggression. If Britain, France and Russia interpose resolutely between Germany and Czechoslovakia, and Germany persists in encouraging the lawless and unwarranted demands of the Sudetens, Europe no doubt will be plunged into war. If the democratic Powers and Russia now stand aside, however, presumably it will not be long before they will find themselves confronted by an enlarged and strengthened Germany more than ever intent on aggression. It seems more likely that Germany will yield now to resolute opposition by the democracies than that she will do so at a later stage if she has been allowed in the interim to conquer and absorb Czechoslovakia. A TWO=PARTY CONTEST. JT is definitely a matter for congratulation that in the general election which is to take place perhaps little more than a month hence there will be a reasonably unimpeded contest between two main parties. Without doubt there will be in these circumstances a better, dearer and more decided expression of the people’s will than was possible, for example, in 1935, when the participation of a third party and that of minor parties and groups led to wholesale vote-splitting. Of the members of the present House of Representatives, no fewer than 36, including three Maori members, secured less than half of the total votes east in their electorates. In nine European electorates, including Masterton and Wairarapa, the successful candidates polled less than 40 per cent of the votes recorded, and another 24 European candidates all had more votes cast against than for them. With the final details yet to be determined, it is anticipated that this year there will be two-candidate contests in upwards of 60 of the 76 European seats, and that in only two of the remaining seats are there likely to be more than three candidates. With a keen contest in prospect between two wellorganised parties, there have been some predictions of dirty fighting, but there is neither reason nor excuse for anything of the kind. A very large proportion of the people of New Zealand are perfectly competent to bring calm judgment 1o bear upon the issues placed before them and may be expected to resent ami despise anything in the way of foul or unfair tactics. The strength of this or any other democracy is' in those members of the community who are well qualified to determine for themselves the merits of rival political policies. The rights and fortunes of democracy are best safeguarded by votes cast in accordance with opinions arrived at by way of a dispassionate and independent examination of facts. Once again it may be permissible to remind electors that the time in which they may have their names entered on the rolls is now reduced to days. The session is expected to end on Saturday and with the issue of the writs the supplementary rolls will be closed. Electors who have not already done so should make a point of ascertaining at once whether their names are on the roll.