CZECH FRONTIER INCIDENTS

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22414, 30 May 1938, Page 9

CZECH FRONTIER INCIDENTS

Allegations On Both Sides VIOLATIONS BY AIRCRAFT Englishman’s Story Of War Plans (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.) (Received May 29, 8.20 p.m.) PRAGUE, May 28. On the eve of to-morrow’s second instalment of the Czech local elections in 2480 towns and villages, in which the issue is largely between Herr Henlein (the Sudeten German leader) and the Socialists, the Czech Minister in Berlin (Dr. V. Mastny) protested to the German Government that German military aeroplanes had committed further frontier violations.'

Dr. Mastny alleged espionage by Germany; also the finding of 120 machine-guns in Aussig, an important Sudeten town. He alleged that German military aeroplanes flew over the Czech frontier on 22 occasions in a few days. The Germans retaliated by charging Czech aeroplanes with twice crossing the frontier. Many minor incidents were alleged to have occurred on each side of the frontier. A Berlin message states that the morning newspapers give prominence to an. Englishman’s description of a motor-car journey from Carlsbad, in Czechoslovakia, to Eger in Hungary, via Germany. He says that he was ordered to leave the main road 20 times, and had to drive along farm tracks and over emergency bridges. Sudeten Germans told him of other warlike preparations. Farm implements were Deing used as barricades, and the military had requisitioned horses. Preparations had been made at Neustadtl and other towns to burn down all public buildings, including schools. Efforts to reach a German-Czech settlement continue., The Czech Prime Minister (Dr. Hodza) again discussed the problem with Sudeten deputies, and. also received Mr Basil Newton, British Minister in Prague, who sought information about frontier incidents and about Czechoslovakia’s actions in this connexion.

The Ministry for the Interior, following further German protests, has increased the width of the prohibited frontier zone for Czech aeroplanes to six miles.