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The Auckland Star WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, The Echo and The Sun.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1938. A HARD CHOICE.

For the caufie that lacks aeeietance, For the wrong that need* retiatanct, For the future in the distance. And the good that ice can do.

The " Franco-British plan," which it is said has been put forward as a solution of the Chechoslovakian situation, has not been

officially announced cither in London or

Paris, so that nil comment upon it must be regarded with reserve. Nevertheless, it M-eins established that some plnn—and the unofficial version of it hits not boon rhnllenjred by either Government —h;is hl-f n cotimmniaited to the Czech Government, which has considered it nt length. Its evict decision, if n decision hn.s been reached, is nt the time of writing still in doubt, but the various comments reported from I , γ-huiu , support the suggestion thnt the Czech Government is i'need with the choice between snving the non-Germnn portions of its country without fighting and fighting, perhaps alone, in an attempt to save the whole. There could scarcely be a harder choice than that.

What does appear clear, also, is that British influence upon France has caused the French to retreat —though how far remains doubtful —from their previous resolute attitude in support of the Czechs, and as a not unexpected consequence there is a report thnt if France does not intend to fulfil her treaty pledge Russia will not, either. It appears only too probable thi.t Herr Hitler's tactics arc succeeding. France wns pledged to aid the Czechs in the event of invasion. There has been no invasion, but the continuing and growing threat of one is having a disintegrating effect which is rendering the Czechoslovak position increasingly untenable. The treaties did not provide against this kind of aggression.

Meanwhile there is much loose talk of " gToss betrayal" of Czechoslovakia by Britain and France. The accusation .mould not be laid at Britain's door. The Brki«h Government last March deliberately refined to promise either to go automatically to Czechoslovakia's aid should that country he attacked, or to give full military aid to France if France fulfilled her obligations to Czechoslovakia. That policy has not been changed; it has been reiterated. It is the hopes that were based on it which have been disappointed. It is, of course, open to anyone to say that, in the particular circumstances which have arisen, the policy of the Government is no longer approved by the country. But that remains to be proved, and the Government should not be judged until it is able to give its own account of what it has attempted and achieved. Nothing would be easier than for the Government to take a step which would plunge the country, and all Europe, into a war, but if there is anything that is plain in this crisis it is that the British peoples want to be kept out of war. The responsibility is Mr. Chamberlain's, and neither the criticism of the Opposition nor the jeers of those Americans who would like Britain to do the fighting should be heeded until he is able to give a full account of himself.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19380921.2.67

Bibliographic details

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue LXIX, 21 September 1938, Page 10

Word Count
533

The Auckland Star WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, The Echo and The Sun. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1938. A HARD CHOICE. Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue LXIX, 21 September 1938, Page 10

The Auckland Star WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, The Echo and The Sun. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1938. A HARD CHOICE. Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue LXIX, 21 September 1938, Page 10