CRISIS AVERTED

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 204, 26 May 1938, Page 11

CRISIS AVERTED

Czech Situation Less Tense SETTLEMENT LIKELY General Restraint Of All Governments (British Official Wireless.) Rugby, May 24. The meeting between Dr. Hodza, Premier of Czechoslovakia, and Herr Henlein, the Sudeten German leader was welcomed in London as an import ant contribution to easing tension, and the hope is expressed in official circle 4 that rapid progress will now be made with the negotiations which the Czechoslovak Government has initiated for an agreed settlement of the Sudeten question. The fact that the grave dangers which threatened last Saturday were averted is attributed here less to this or that diplomatic move than to th? general restraint exercised by all the Governments concerned, and not least by Germany, and is taken as evidence that with an equal sense of responsibility and equal moderation in future a comprehensive, peaceful and lasting settlement—which is presumably desired on both sides—can be achieved.

GERMAN PRESS AND BRITAIN

Lord Halifax’s Protest

London, May 25.

The “News Chronicle" says that the Foreign Secretary, Lord Halifax, twice received the German Ambassador, Dr. Dirksen, in continuance of his efforts to lessen the tension between Germany and Czechoslovakia, pointing out that the attitude of the German newspapers toward Britain was not assisting the attempted conciliation.

FRONTIER VICTIMS’ FUNERAL

Elaborate Preparations

London, May 25.

The correspondent of "The Times" at Prague says that elaborate preparations are being made for the funeral of Hofmann and Boehm, the two Sudeten Germans who were shot by the Czechoslovak frontier guards. Herr Henlein will attend and make a speech. The thousands of wreaths include two from Herr Hitler.

TALKS IN PRAGUE

Henlein’s Deputy To Act

Prague, May 24

The Sudeten leader. Herr Henlein, returned home without seeing the Premier, Dr. Hodza, again, and it is expected that the Sudeten deputy, Herr Frank, will continue the talks.

SECURITY AGAINST WAR

Mr. Churchill’s Opinions (British Official Wireless.) Rugby, May 24. Mr. Winston Churchill, speaking at Chingford, expressed a hope for a peaceful solution of the present international crisis. If the present crisis passed and war was averted, as he believed it would be, that would be due to a rudimentary and emergency form of collective security, but he continued that unless they could gain other Powers to the side of peace, disaster might occur in future. It would be far better, he contended, to have firm arrangements with a large body of well-armed nations, all obliged to defend one another agaiust an aggressor, than to drift from one crisis to another. This would be real active security and not a sham.

In asking the country to support the Covenant, he denied that it was an encirclement Of Germany. It was, lie said, an encirclement only of an aggressor. They asked no security for themselves that they were not prepared freely to extend to Germany. 1 Even if Germany did not rejoin the League, he saw no reason why assurances of a most decisive character should not be offered by France and Britain to help Germany in every possible way if she Were a victim of an outrage.