FINAL ISSUE

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 228, 27 September 1938, Page 9

FINAL ISSUE

MUST BE SETTLED

CAUSE OF MINORITIES

(Received 11 a.m.)

BERLIN, September 26

"There is the last problem which must and will be settled. It is the last territorial demand I make in Europe, but one I 'will never give up," said the Fuehrer, continuing.

"I offered Britain my hand. I resigned from naval competion not because I could not build more ships, but to secure permanent peace between Britain and Germany. It is impossible that we should say we will never fight Britain and that Britain should say from time to time, 'We will fight you if we want to.'

"Europe was torn up under the slogan of self-determination and redivided by madmen regardless of historical nationalities. That is how Czechoslovakia came into being. Czechoslovakia began with a lie. The father of it was Benes. I sympathise with the Hungarians, the Poles and the Ruthenians, but I speak only of the fate of my own countrymen.

"When Benes lied this State together he promised a cantonal system on the Swiss model) but instead he started a regime of terrorism. Germans tried to protest, but were shot. Then war and extermination began. Six hundred thousand Germans had to leave Czechoslovakia because they would have starved.

"Benes resolved to exterminate the German race and succeeded in intimidating them and muzzling them. (Shouts of 'Hang him! Hang him!*) It became clear that a raison d'etre of Czechoslovakia was on*y to attack Germany. Bolshevism used Czechoslovakia as a roadway to Central Europe.

"They are not dependent on the change that we will decide to preserve the German people. We shall protect it and save it. Once we were told we were going to live under the motto, "Right of Self-determination.' This filled all Germans with immense hopes, but we have been deceived.

"The result was Versailles. Our arms were stolen and a defenceless Germany was ill-treated. We were suppressed for fifteen years. We are not moved by hatred of others nor by rancour."