WHEN RADIO ALARMS!

Radio Record, 22 July 1938, Page 9

WHEN RADIO ALARMS!

Ether Waves Can Carty Mote Than Mirth and Music COMFORT in fireside programmes is not the fare in Czechoslovakia when Hitler thunders on the air. Then, says the Czech traveller to N.Z., his people listen with their fists clenched and eyes Hashing.

Interview by

WILTON

BAIRD

ADIO in New Zealand brings music and talks and fireside comfort. It is a soothing drug to many, or, at the most, pleasantly stimulating. But in other countries of the world it can bring threats and terror and awaken those elemental feelings that end in war. The Czechoslovakian journalist, traveller and naturalist, whose hobby is to collect beetles for the Prague Museum while he roams Australia and New Zealand, gave me an inkling of those other emotions that radio can arouse in a sentence he suddenly spoke. "Sometimes, over the radio,’ he told nie, "a Czechoslovakian listener hears Herr | Hitler and his apostles ‘rage and promise them ‘all kinds of :surprises, buf amongst all that he says is but a pennyworth’ of° good intention. At ‘such times Czechs and Slovaks listen with flashing eyés and clenched fists. Sometimes: they cannot help if from their lips escapes language which every gentleman. should avoid . . ."

Never! Iie was tallding of: radio in Czeehoslovakia. Recently he had spoken in the "In — Town To-night" session, the lively feature that is to be heard from 2ZB_ on alternate Fridays nights. "The Czechs will never submit to do--mination by Hitler?" I asked. No change of "expression came «over the square, highcheekboned face- of the Czech traveller, Joseph L, Erben, .and he spoke quite calmly and quietly in a tone that seemed to give more realism to what be said -than if he had been shouting. "(vyechoslov. a k i a. will never submit to German domination."

WHEN the Czechs learned of Hitler’s proposal to march into their territory, he told me, they had 200,000 men in their frontier trenches within 24 hours of getting the news of Germany’s intentions. "All: the: people united," he said, "rich and poor, willing to sacrifice all they had. They gave their motor-cars ‘to get the ‘soldiers to the frontier, and they followed them as far as they could up to the lines. There was no erying. by the women and children. Everything in the way of organisation went like clocelk- ' worl," .

Those Maginot Lines "And those lines?" I. asked him _ "They are Maginot lines," he said, "built on the French plan, along the mountain frontier that.: faces Germany, Now. the lines :are being... extended along .. the frontier facing .Austria. Across the centre of. the country, cutting it. in half, is another Maginot line, behind.° whith the Ozechs would make ' their last ‘stand."""HE Maginot lines are three deep-'on ‘the frontier.~ facing Germany. ‘Théy are the latest invention of military | science, with secret concrete underground | tunnels, gun emplacements and huge subterra(Contd. on page .39.)

When Radio Alarms The Czechs

rr TRAVELLER TALKS OF HIS OWN COUNTRY (Continued from page 9.)

nean passages, _ They are filled with traps so that an enemy ocupying the lines could be annihilated by the touch of an electric button, which would ignite the explosives. "How did the Czechs get word of Germany’s intention to march. that time some two months ago?’ 1 asked, The Ozech traveller said a surprising thing. "I was told in letters from home," he said, "that it eame from ’ the British Intelligence Service." f "Phat may be an idle rumour, of no value whatever. He had only "heard it from home." On the other hand, rhe improbable these days is so often true and the probable false. PART from giving in to domination. ' gays Joseph Erben, Czechoslovakia is willing to make concessions to the German minority within its borders. The Czech Premier, Benes, had sai‘ he was willing to meet the German minority on the best possible terms as regards their home rule, but by so means is he willing to sacrifice the country’s integrity. From a military and economic point of view, says Benes. that would be Czechoslovakia’s suicide For the Sudeten Germans in Czechoslovakia live on the frontier inside the shadow of those very mountains, so highly fortified, that give the couniry its protection. Czech programmes are very much like those in New Zealand, Propaganda, commercial or political, is prohibited, but the Government tries to use broadeasting for the education of the masses on a2 non-partisan plan. Farmers receive radio instruction from specialists. Lectures in health and popular sciences are often given. There are programmes for pupils and stu-

dents of high schools; sports, travel, comics, songs and music, operas and direct transmission of events from abroad are broadcast. "So we listened to the grief of London," said Joseph Erben, "when the death of King George the Fifth was announced,. and some tears of friendly feeling were shed in far-off Czechoslovakia in sympathy with a_ friendly nation." (THERE are several broadcasting stations in Czechoslovakia. The Prague broadeasting station, situated in the Street of Marchel Foch, is a modern building, many storeyed, of the skyseraper kind. Jt is built to conform © with all the latest requirements, and divided into chambers adapted for lecturing, for group speakers, for play production and the stage effects re quired to accompany them-thunder, passing trains, motor-cars, rain- and storm. Then there are chambers for single musicians, larger ones for smaller groups, and finally a large orchestral hall for philharmonics. Besides this there are offices, cloakrooms, a refreshment hall, shops for the recording of sound, mechanical shops, sitting-rooms for listeners, and rooms for archives. The whole building is beautifully furnished and lighted, and part is reserved for the use of the State and postal service. Broadcasting is financed by the State, a half-share being claimed by a private company. N Czechoslovakia, says Joseph Erben, even the smallest wage-earner owns a radio receiver, but the working class does not favour the artistic recitals, high school music, science and art critics. After the day’s work among noisy machinery and a stupefy- . ing stifled atmosphere, the -workers like to refresh their nerves with a noisy wild jazz band, or latest songs from the talkies, like "In the Rain,’ "The Musie Goes Round and Round" or "Empty Saddle." As in New Zealand, the management daily receives letters from critics. The academic classes ask for artistic and selected music and plenty of instruction in learning, but the proletarians condemn such programmes as "nerve-breaking rubbish." Even New Zealanders, said Joseph Erben, can listen to the broadeasts from distant Czechoslovakia. The time when they are most likely to he successful is in the early’ morning round about 7 o’clock New Zealand time. "A countrywoman of mine living a long time in Wellington," he said, "sent the Prague authorities a letter asking the broadcasting people to play her a song she had not heard for many years. The answer was favourable, and a time. was arranged. At the given day and hour the lady’s wishes were realised. She could hear the recital clearly. She even heard her name mentioned. Across stormy seas and vast continents flashed the message from the far-off motherland."