TRUTH SHALL WIN'

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 228, 27 September 1938, Page 5

TRUTH SHALL WIN'

HOPEFUL CZECHS.

NAZI LIES AND ABUSE. UNSCRUPULOUS GERMAN PRESS. (By JOSEPH L. ERBEX.) For Xazis, right or wrong is not considered, but party interests before all. The right of assembly and free speech means to them poison, good for democratic countries only. The unquestionable right to control the Press gave them the means to mould the people's opinion, producing a psychology based on adventure in politics. By isolation the terror-stricken population of the Third Reich can be told any twisted make-up to feed them on hatred towards nations ruled by a constitutional democratic system. The Press of Germany is preaching hostility against Aations liberated from the contemptible slavery of the German "superman," who dreams again about world supremacy, conquest and loot.

Germany as Pretector. Under the pretext of jungle law, that might is right, Nazi Germany started the economic and political conquest of small nations as a preliminary to final world supremacy. The Xazi Press is preparing the spider web for the entanglement and bloodless annexation of Czechoslovakia. The Germanising policy of the former Austro-Hungarian Government, left to Czechoslovakia an accursed heritage of over 3,000,000 former Austrian*, mostly renegades, whose ancestors were Czechs. In those elements were discovered full-blooded members of the noble Nordic Aryan race, and the Xazis took on the duty of protectors over these people, who have only lately adopted the queer racial name of Sudetens, which is a puzzle to learned ethnographers. The Xazi regime is violating the home affairs of independent States all over the world, but never pays attention to the fact that within the frontiers of Germany there are various States of conquered races, which claim independence, but do not get even elementary schooling and right of assembly. Nothing but persecution is given to them if ever the bolder ones demand national rights. There is Pozen, a former part of Poland, Lusaeia and Silesia, part of the Czechs' former kingdom, Alsace with people of French origin, and there are many other places like them.

There is no minority in the whole world treated as well as the Sudetens. The Nazi Press yells that these people are oppressed by Czech "barbarians," "bullies," and that the gaols are overcrowded with these "meek and innocent people." If any Sudeten is in gaol, it is for terrorism and insulting the State colours, and in Germany thousands have been killed for lees. But the Press is not interested in the Nazi garden, because there is a scarcity of food and clothing. Its hungry eyes are on Czechoslovakia, with plenty of food, war material and strategic positions.

Over this frontier the Nazis are trying to smuggle the Trojan horse, and while they push, the puliing is done by the Herr Henleiji party, associates of the future invader. The conspiracy is done openly. Henlein goes to Germany for orders, and frontier incidents become numerous. Czech protests are not considered. The Press sarcastically charges the Czechs with law-breaking. But this is only for the man-in-the-street inside Germany. The rest of Europe, from reliable news and statistics, learned long ago the truth about the German minorities in Czechoslovakia.

Those 3,300,000 Czechoslovakian Ger-man-speaking inhabitants have three high schools, (one university and two technical high schools). This means that 1,100,000 Germans hold one high school to 1,900,000 Czechoslovakia!**. In other words 9,800,000 Czechoslovaks are studying in five high schools. In Germany, "the home of culture," there is one high school for 1,940,000 citizens.

And what about the primary schools? Such schools in Czechoslovakia, for German-speaking pupils show 36 in a class against 40 in Czech schools. In Germany the standard is 41. Nazi Propaganda. Amongst the untruthful reports we often read' about the terrible starvation. The Naai Press tells us that those poor Sudetens are living on rats, cats and dogs, just to keep life in the body. To prove that they are models of human despair they even create fictitious person* and complaints. There Was a lazy pauper in a Sudeten district nicknamed 'Tlunds Toni" (Dogs Toni) who lived on dog's flesh. One day this iconoclast was interviewed by reporters from the Reich and received 70 kroner on condition that ho bought a dog, killed it and

cooked it in front of the cameraman. We all know that no reader would doubt the truthfulness of any yarn which gave it* own pictures.

The Nazi Press sees provocation in every movement of Czech troops near the German frontier, but they do not mind German manoeuvres concentrating against the vital strategic centres of Czechoslovakia, to try the nerves and hearts of that little nation.

I do not wish to leny that in the German-shaking districts of Czechoslovakia there is poverty and unemployment. Yes, there is just as much as in any other country suffering from depression in industries. The Sudeten area is very much industrialised. But co-operation with the Czechoslovak Government would lessen the evil in the distressed area of the Sudeten*. Instead of sincere co-operation, the Ilenlein lieutenants preach hostility and boycott German business men who believe in democracy and goodwill among the races living in the republic. Boycott and disturbances produced uneasiness, and even alarm. Business men are transferring their factories to the law-abiding interior, where they are better protected. Depositors, too. are drawing savings from Nazi-conscious bank* and entrusting their cash to institutions controlled by the Government of Czechoslovakia. Both Parties Suffer. The brewing of troubles and boycotts is a, double-edged weapon which is damaging the Sudetens' interests at least as much as the Czechs feel it. And the foreign visitors, who used to come to the famous spas at Marienbad and Carlsbad, spending money amongst the Sudetens, now keep away from the troubled districts, where the marching and singing of the Storm Troop* produce a fear that war might start at any time and the visitors might be trapped under a sky where the devil may get loose.

All this damage is done to Sudetens and Chechoslovakians alike. But the mouthpiece of the preachers of perverted ideas and Nazi patriotism cannot be stopped by those who are willing to reform the minority problem on "just and honourable plans. Henlein is no leader of the German-speaking minority; he is a puppet of Nazi priests, who do not consider the welfare of these degenerates of Czech origin. Their dream is to unfold the swastika ensign round the globe and to hoist their god to the sky. r °

Their animosity, however, has awakened the democracies from slumber to a realisation that an alliance is essential to collective security. The steel ring around Germany tightens. The over-confident feeling of Germany's superiority in arms, the abuse of the Press and the lunacy of the leaders may lead to war. If the German people go through the blood bath, they will soon awaken up to the fact that they have been fooled and sacrificed by the sadists. Then they will tear the would-be Napoleons to pieces. The Czechoslovakian democracy, with calm and determination, is wat<?hin<* the outcome of the crises. In history the greatest sacrifices have been made as a contribution to humanitv, justice and peace. The hopeful motto'on the Czechoslovakian standard say*, "The truth shall win."