AMITY WITH BRITAIN

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 82, 5 March 1938, Page 10

AMITY WITH BRITAIN

3.15 P.M. EDITION

CZECHOSLOVAKIA’S HOPE. DR. HODZA’S SPEECH. (United Press Association—By Electric Tel egraph. —Copyright.) (Times Cables.) Received March 5, 1.10 p.m. LONDON, March 4. The Times Prague correspondent says that Dr. Hodza’s speech, as the first official pronouncement since the speeches by Herr Hitler and FieldMarshal Goering. has aroused unusual interest. Dr. Hodza gratefully acknowledged the stability of British policy and said that Czechoslovakia did not desire formal pacts. A special agreement with the British Empire was merely desired. London recognised that peace in Central Europe was a. matter of general concern, he added. Therefore, British interest in Czechoslovakians relations with Germany had to be cleared up by an exchange of views through diplomatic channels. The past six months had been encouraging. Czechoslovakia was anxious to come to a permanent understanding on a reciprocal basis. The events of the past few weeks, however, had shifted the conversations to dangerous ground and the position required careful consideration in view of the speeches bv Herr Hitler and Field-Marshal Goering. “Czechoslovakia guarantees equal rights to all citizens without distinction in nationality.” said Dr. Hodza. “Herr Hitler’s assertion of the right to protect Germans outside Germany would mean interference in the internal affairs of Czechoslovakia, which the population would never allow under any circumstances. Czechoslovakia regards the frontier as absolutely inviolable.” References to the speech appear on page 9. .