RESIGNATIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 225, 23 September 1938, Page 7

RESIGNATIONS.

FRENCH CABINET.

Three Ministers Prepared to Withdraw. ACCEPTANCE IN ABEYANCE. United Press Association.—Copyright. (Received 1 p.m.) PARIS, September 22. Three. Ministers, MM. Mandel (Colonies), Reynaud (Justice) and Chametier Deribes, left their resignations with M. Daladier, but they were not accepted, pending news from Godesberg. They declared their opposition to further concessions to Herr Hitler and demanded that their resignations be accepted if Herr Hitler declares the Franco-British plan is insufficient and requires further dismemberment of Czechoslovakia and insists that the claims of Poland and Hungary be met. The "Petit Parisien" declares that the Franco-British proposals conform to Herr Hitler's Berchtesgaden desires. If he wants peace the negotiations should be favourable. If he makes new demands then everything is lost, and his game of blackmail should be stopped.

POWER IN EUROPE. American Press Surveys New Conditions. TERRIBLE ALTERNATIVES. NEW YORK, September 22. The break-up of Czechoslovakia marks a definite shift of the balance of power from Britain and France to Germany in the opinion of military and naval circles in Washington, says the correspondent of the "Herald-Tribune."

There is no tendency in these circles, however, to derate Britain and France for their decision, for it is felt that it would cost a million dead soldiers to penetrate the Siegfried Line, and perhaps it would cost Britain her Dominions and territories in the East.

The "New York Times," in a leading article entitled "Epitaph," says: "The smouldering fires set aflame by the Sudeten precedent light a perspective that no Government, even Herr Hitler's can survey without alarm. When all the facts are known perhaps it will be clear that France and Britain, facing terrible alternatives, had less margin of choice than the world believes.

"Nor can any of us, after this, with light hearts and clear consciences cheer causes that we are not ready to defend. Much less can any democracy spur on others to make a stand at a barricade unless it is prepared to follow all the way. The only Czech for whom the cheers for Czechoslovakia have not turned bitter to-day is Masaryk—and he is dead."

The New York "Herald-Tribune," in a leading article, comments: "The Czechoslovak Republic, the last outpost of democracy between the Rhine and Baltic frontiers and Austria, has bowed her head and plunged into her own side the knife pressed upon her with indecent urgency by her two great colleagues, themselves impelled by a contemptuous kick from Herr Hitler's boot. But only when we know what Herr Hitler succeeds in building will it be possible to evaluate the ultimate wisdom of the transfer, in which of honour or dignity there was none."