CRITICAL DAYS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 August 1939, Page 5

CRITICAL DAYS

METHODS THAT HITLER MUST DISCARD IF WAR IS TO BE AVERTED. CHANGE IN BRITAIN'S TEMPER. By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright. LONDON. August 21. “The Times,” in a leading article, says that the return of the Prime Minister, Mr Chamberlain, to London from his holiday a day earlier is one of many signs of heightened tension. “Critical days lie ahead of Britain and France and like-minded nations who are determined that the German fulminations, but with the Poles as the ‘criminals’ instead of the Czechs, shall not achieve their purpose.” it stales. “Britain's temper nowadays is very different from that of last autumn.

“The machinery of Herr Hitlers technique has become visible, and there can be no settlement until these methods are discarded. If the outcome is war. it will be;because other countries find Herr Hitler's Germany an impossible neighbour. “Britain has given Poland a pledge from which she will not, and cannot, recede. She gave no such pledges to Czechoslovakia, whose encirclement before her destruction is paralleled by Germany bringing Slovakia under her control in order to pursue the encirclement of Poland. "If Germany cannot live with her neighbours except by subjugation, then they must unite against her. with Britain by their side."

The Berlin correspondent of “The Times" says that the belief that Herr Hitler's plans will soon be executed is gathering strength. Large-scale military activities continue unobtrusively. Every able-bodied man in East Prussia has been called up and farmhouses and carts comandeered. Women have left the farms for the towns. The impressment of vehicles is proceeding elsewhere in Germany, ostensibly for the approaching motorised manoeuvres.

POLISH FORCES MASSING ON THE BORDERS OF MORAVIA. (Received This Day, 10.5 a.m.) BERLIN, August 21. Strong Polish troop movements and concentrations are reported along the borders of Moravia at many points. Roads and bridges are reported to have been mined in the vicinity of Jablunka. British journalists have not received any official warning to prepare to evacuate, but there was a meeting this evening to discuss methods of quickest evacuation in the event of war. MINISTERS CONFER IN LONDON AND PARIS. (Received This Day, 9.15 a.m.) LONDON, August 21. The Prime Minister, Mr Neville Chamberlain, and the Foreign Minister, Viscount Halifax, conversed for 3i hours. Virtually a full Cabinet meeting will be held tomorrow. A Paris message reports that the Prime Minister, M. E. Daladicr, and the British Secretary of State for War. Major Hore-Belisha, conferred at the War Ministry and covered the inter-* national situation in great detail. The French Cabinet meets tomorrow. SOxME OPTIMISM IN BRITISH GOVERNMENT CIRCLES. DESPITE INCREASED TENSION. (Received This Day, 10.20 a.m.) LONDON, August 21. The “Evening Standard” says a fairly optimistic view prevails in British Government circles, despite the increase in international tension. Official circles do not believe Germany is anxious to risk a war, while England and France will make every effort to leave no doubt that an attack on Poland would mean a general conflict.