STAND BY CZECHS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 September 1938, Page 7

STAND BY CZECHS

REJECTION OF THE HITLER MEMORANDUM Fuehrer to Make Final Demands in Speech Today ATTITUDE OF THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT I By Telegraph. —Press Association. —Copyright. LONDON, September 26. A late paragraph inserted in the last edition of “The Times” today states that the Czech Government has rejected the new German proposals which were submitted to Prague following the Godesberg talks with Mr Chamberlain. A reply giving a variety of reasons for the rejection was dispatched to Mr Chamberlain. at 10.30 p.m. today Reuters was still without official news of the rejection. The “Daily Telegraph” says that Herr Hitler’s plan involves the virtual disarmament of the Czech army, as all the main defences lie in the area that Germany claims. Moreover, where the important strategic points, either from a military or communications point of view, lie outside the areas roughly contemplated in the Anglo-French plan, the new German map has been drawn to include them. The Czechs feel that almost insuperable difficulties arise over railway communications. According to the map the main line from Prague to Bratislava would be cut off by German territory. Other important districts, including the steel area, would also be cut off. The “Daily Mail” says that the plan involves the cutting of railway communications between Prague and Mahrisch Ostrau, also between the Skoda armament works at Pilsen and the machine-gun factory at Brno. z Meanwhile a message from Berlin states that a speech of historic significance to be made by Herr Hitler at 8 p.m. today will be broadcast. The Berlin correspondent of “The Times” says that Herr Hitler’s broadcast will be his last word. Germany’s demands will probably be in strong terms. The Paris correspondent of “The Times” says that the message carried to Britain by M. Daladier, French Premier, and M. Bonnet, Foreign Minister, when they conferred with the British Cabinet today, was that the French Government, with the support of a great measure of public opinion, had rejected the German memorandum, which neither carried a hope of peace nor assured the independent existence of Czechoslovakia. “NO MORE DOUBT.” HITLER CLAIMS TO SPEAK FOR. UNITED NATION. DEMANDS ON CZECHOSLOVAKIA DECLARED UNALTERABLE. (Received This Day, 9.25 a.m.) BERLIN, September 26. Herr Hitler arrived at the Sports Palace at 8.9 p.m., a band playing the “Present Arms” march. A crowd of 30,000 gave him a terrific ovation and cheered for three minutes. It was announced that a broadcast would be relayed to Italy, Hungary, Poland, Lithuania, Finland, Sweden, Holland, Portugal .and. Japan;' also to the British Broadcasting Corporation and to the American and South American chains. Dr Goebbels opened the meeting at 8.16 p.m. Herr Hitler was flanked by Herr Hess and Dr Goebbels, followed by the Sudeten delegation. Dr Goebbels said: “In this historic hour, which keeps all Europe breathless with suspense, you speak to Europe and the whole world. Your people are united and no threat and no pressure from anywhere could change yourselves and our position.” Herr Hitler began speaking at 8.20. He said: “German men and women, on February 22, for the first time, I voiced an unalterable claim in the German Reichstag and the nation listened and understood. One statesman (Dr Schuschnigg) did. not understand, so he was removed. My promise was fulfilled at Nuremberg, when I formulated our claim again, and again the nation understood. Today I speak for the first time to the entire people, as in time of our struggles. You know what it means. There can be no more doubt. There is not speaking one Fuehrer, one man, but the whole German people. Make my words an oath. Let other nations examine if that is the case with them.” AN EXTRAORDINARY JUMBLE. THREATS OF WAR AND HOPES OF PEACE: ABUSE OF THE DEMOCRACIES. Herr Hitler continued: “My effort for peace is not a mere phrase, but is confirmed by facts which no democratic liar may deny. There were two problems left. Ten million Germans were living outside the Reich and wanted to return. There is a point where conciliation must end, because it would be weakness. I would not have a moral right to be leader of the German people if I renounced this. It was the limit of' complacency. The history of the union with Austria confirmed that I was right. There is a last problem which must and will be settled. It is the last territorial demand I shall make in Eurrope, but one I shall never give up. Despite all this, I have not dropped my policy of peace. I have always been ready to do everything to solve problems peacefully. I, as an ex-service man, know the meaning of war. I have ( tried everything to save peace. The most difficult of all my problems was the Polish problem. There was a danger of war with Poland, which was not a democracy, but ruled by one man. I succeeded in reaching an understanding with him and avoided the danger of conflict. We are all convinced that this is the only way to achieve permanent peace. It was a great deed for peace, outweighing all the speeches at Geneva. I would not have succeeded in solving the Polish problem if a so-called democracy had ruled. The democracies pretend to be peaceful, but are bloodthirsty monsters. I also attempted with other nations to normalise relations ahd offered the Western Powers inviolability of their territory. This is my sacred wish. I want nothing from them. What do they want from me? We want peace with England. We want nothing from France, only peace. I next normalised relations with Italy, partly due to my own success; partly to that of that rare great man Italy so fortunately possesses. Our relations with Italy are now an alliance of hearts and not a marriage of convenience. I offered England my hand. I resigned from naval competition, not because I could not build more ships, but to secure permanent Anglo-German peace. It is impossible that we should say we will never fight England and that England should say from time to time: ‘We will fight you if we want to.’ GERMAN FOREIGN POLICY. LAST TERRITORIAL DEMAND IN EUROPE. ARMY DECLARED BEST IN WORLD. “Europe was torn up under the slogan of self-determination and re-divided by madmen regardless of historical nationalities,” the Fuehrer declared. “That is how Czechoslovakia began, with a lie, and the father of it was Benes. I sympathise with the Hungarians, Poles and Ruthernians, but speak only of the fate of my own countrymen. Our foreign policy is not determined by Weltanschaung. Our aim is the preservation of the German people. We are not interested in the suppression of other peoples, nor in having other people among us. Let them be happy in their way. Let us be happy in ours.

This limits our foreign policy, but the aims of our foreign policy are neither unlimited nor erratic. They are not dependent on chance. We have decided to preserve the German people. We shall protect it and save it. Once we were told we were going to live under the motto of the right of self-determination. This filled all Germans with immense hopes, bu: we had been deceived. The result was Versailles. Our arms were stolen. Defenceless Germany was ill treated. We were suppressed for fifteen years. We are not moved by hatred of others nor by rancour.” Herr Hitler enumerated the various peace and disarmament offers he had made since 1933, in which he declared he had always been rebuffed. “It have been rebuffed for two years,” he said. “I ordered the German Army to be prepared for everything. I can confess openly that we are rearmed in a way the world has never seen before. Since my offer of disarmament has been refused, I have not taken half decisions or half-measures. If the world in unwilling to be disarmed, very well, we are rearmed as no country ever was before. Thousands of millions have been spent in rearming. We possess the most modern army, the best A.ir Force and the best anti-tank arms in the world. We have worked for five years, day and night and so built up an Army of which Germany can be proud and which the world will respect whenever it appears."