RUSSIA'S ALLY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 223, 20 September 1938, Page 9

RUSSIA'S ALLY.

HITLER ON CZECHS

"Tumour Poisoning European

Organism."

TROUBLE MUST END NOW,

United Tress Association.—Copyright.

LONDON , , September 19.

Horr Hitler, in an interview with the correspondent of the "Daily Mail" at Berehtesgaden, said the Czech constitution seemed to provide for only one thing, namely, the suppression of the 8,000,000 people comprising the minorities by the 7,000,000 Czechs. Herr Hitler added: "This trouble must be ended once for all, and ended now. It is a tumour poisoning the whole European organism and its continuance would infect international relations until they fatally collapsed. "The existence of Czechoslovakia as Russia's ally in the very heart of Germany forced me to create a new Air Force, which led to France and Britain increasing their air fleets. If we failed to settle the crisis now, FieldMarshal Gocring would soon ask me to order the Air Force redoubled; then France and Britain would redouble theirs, and the mad race would continue.

"Nobody in Germany dreams of attacking France, against whom we harbour no resentment, but, on the contrary, a strong feeling of sympathy. No German wants* war with Britain." French Policy a Contradiction. Herr Hitler argued thaj the French Ministers' promise to stand by Czechoslovakia was a contradiction of their own past actions. France had allowed the Saar to vote itself from her control; similarly, England had let the southern Irish have complete autonomy, and Holland gave the Belgians independence a century ago. The Czechs were never independent until the peace treaties had raised them to an undeserved

ii lid artificial mastery over minorities

more numerous than themselves. The creation of the post-war Czech Republic was lunacy. The Sudetens would never accept Czech rule.

The Fuehrer said he resented the Czechs' issue of a warrant for Herr Henlein's arrest. Tie declared: "If Herr Henlein is arrested, I myself shall become the leader of the Sudeten Germans. I would be glad to see how long after that Dr. Benes could issue decrees. I hope lie will not issue a warrant for niv arrest.

"If the Czechs had possessed a great Statesman." 1 Heir Hitler added, -he would long ago have allowed the Sudetens to join the Reich, ensuring thereinautonomy for the Czechs themselves"; but Dr. Benes is a politician, not a statesman."