The Waikato Times TUESDAY, MAY 24, 1938 THE CZECH CRISIS

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20506, 24 May 1938, Page 6

The Waikato Times TUESDAY, MAY 24, 1938 THE CZECH CRISIS

in tha Ge’mL f, o mi ' 1 ' lil | d difference between the crisis which resulted regard ti n ” ,' P I™ of Austria and that which has arisen with S when the r ' aklH - Austna had fHecds - On °cReieh signor M Cl ™. ans made a move io incorporate Austria in the throe tone Ito i . usso V ll troops to the Brenner frontier and it followed that ' NaZI di P lomac y removed that danger and allies bound M e % a L f “ te ' VaS Sealed ’ But Czechoslovakia has armed aswre • ° me assistance the country is the victim of will furhffo BS “ n, . a “ d the Czechs themselves have stated that they oav- and ' ' nde P enden « of their country. Their spokesmen nev-er under * be Germans livin S in Czechoslovakia were rZZ w 6rma u rule ' That P art of the country, prior to the Nazis ILnnin the b ° Undaries °f Austro-Hungary, and if the old kingdom n ai , m , that all German peoples formerly citizens of the c ude s g etr , h a be g° m ! CitiZ6nS ° f the Reich the ° that wou ld inTyrol. 1 hundred thousands now in Italian territory in the

hv *n h l mmoritles in Czechoslovakia, but it is admitted them 1 u , nblassed observers that no country in Europe has treated “ore scrupulous fairness. Until the Nazis came into rennhi; 1 ” Berl “ ) be German sections of the population in the little epnblic across the border co-operated with the Government at Prague. They had representatives in the Ministry, and were fully represented in the elected Chamber. There have been no complaints of unjust economic or political action. The movement led by Herr Henlem is based purely on racial claims. Czechoslovakia has made wonderful progress industrially and this has benefited the centres and areas where the bulk of the German people reside. They have been deprived of no rights, and enjoy a freedom that the citizens ot the Reich cannot claim-. If any section of the people in Germany nad agitated against the Government, as Herr Henlein’s followers have done in Czechoslovakia, their fate would have been settled long sgo, and in a most drastic manner.

Thel-e is a danger that some hasty action may involve the country The influence that Great Britain and France can exercise ■will be used to the full in order to preserve peace, and that could be achieved without much difficult- if the Nazi Government at Berlin would co-operate. The real danger lies in the fact that the Nazis hope, and expect, to gain by promoting unrest. Their controlled papers are magnifying incidents and working on the feelings of the people. There would be no crisis at all were it not for the aims and ambitions of the authorities at Berlin, and continued tension, the encouragement of the things that tend to stress difficulties, the refusal to confer with the Government at Prague, create the conditions which the Nazis deem favourable to their cause. Calm consideration of the issues cannot be made in such circumstances, and the pity of' it all is that there are powerful influences at work that do not want, would not welcome, a solution within Czechoslovakia itself. The sturdy State is very isolated at present for the members of the Little Entente have advised that they could not guarantee the passage of arms and munitions through their territories. The chief hope of a peaceful issue lies in the fact that the President of Czechoslovakia, Dr. Benes, is one of the ablest statesmen in Europe to-day. He has exercised at Geneva and elsewhere an influence out of all proportion to the importance of his country in the sphere of international politics. Dr. Benes has held office ever since the State was created, and is a farseeing man. Under his general direction it can be taken for granted that the policy of the State will be a wise one, and in matters of statecraft the Nazi leaders probably could not teach the Czech leader very much. They may not attempt the task, but rely solely on superior force, in which case the outlook will be ominous.