Czechoslovakia Aghast

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 238, 8 October 1938, Page 5

Czechoslovakia Aghast

Germany Given Free Hand at Annexation

Boundaries of Fifth Zone Come as Shock United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. Received Friday, 9 p.m. LONDON, October 6. Reuters’ Prague correspondent says the public are stunned by what they regard as the harshness of the boundaries of the fifth zone. It appears that the Austrian census of 1910 was accepted as the basis for establishing the areas over 50 per cent. German. Thus towns like Policka, where now there is not even one per cent, of Germans, must be handed over. It is suggested that the Germans insisted on the cession of this area because it contains a large munitions factory. It is feared that 800,000 Czechs will pass under German rule or be given the option of leaving their homes within six months M. Hastily told the Commission that the Czechs acknowledged the fifth zone frontiers with profound regret, but would undertake to carry out measures for implementing the decisions.

Thu Prague correspondent of the ' Tunes says the details of the fifth zone f provided the heaviest and most unexpected shock of the crisis. The zone : will cut deeply within a few milea of the country a three main industrial < towns, exceeding m area the other lour . zunes combined, it brings the (ierman lrontier within three miles of Pilaen, : eight miles of Brno and four miles ox 1 Mafirisch Ostrau. The Government and ‘ the public are aghast, declaring that tvtu the Uodesbcrg demands were ex- 1 cceded and almost every plebiscite area < included in the fifth zone. ’ An official broadcast said the new - bouudaAcs were submitted to the 5 Czechs in the form of an ultimatum, I and protests were unheeded. The Prague correspondent of the 1 Telegraph says Germany was given carte blanche to annex large numbers 1 of almost purely Czech districts. The J new line is far worse than that which ’ Hr. Chamberlain declared unaccept- 1 able, and has resulted in a furious 4 outburst of indignation against Britain 1 and Prance. The main railway lines ( irozn Prague to Slovakia, Moravia. 1 Hungary and Poland will traverse 1 German territory, and the main roads ‘ cut. The Berlin correspondent of the Times says Dr. Benes' resignation liar r greatly hastened the work of the s International Commission. It is understood that the limits of the German 1 occupation in October 10 will roughly determine the future of the Germai and Czech frontiers. GERMANY AND FORMER COLONIES INTEREST IN AFRICA Received Friday, 11 p.m. JOHANNESBURG, Oct. 7. The Czech crisis has revived the qties- r tion of Germany's former colonies. | Many Germans in South-West Africa openly declare that Germany will regain the colony, thought the vast majority of the natives are opposed to this. T NCLUDES ALL DISTRICTS BORDERING ON THE REICH Received Friday, 7 p.m. LONDON, Oct. 7. The Daily Mail’s Berlin correspond- ] ent say§ well-informed Nazis declare that the fifth zone, as defined by the International Commission, includes all districts bordering on the Reich. Therefore, it is argued that no plebiscites will be held in other areas unless the Czechs require them, which is not considered likely. I AIR-RAID PRECAUTIONS I LONDON, Oct. 6. If war had broken out and London was bombed the city must have paid a terrible price owing to the backwardness of the air-raid precautions. This is the conclusion of a report by a committee of the London County Council. The auxiliary fire-fighting services, the report states, lacked the necessary men and equipment, and the ambulance services were short of vehicles and drivers. Though 30,000 auxiliary firemen were required, only 4200 were enrolled on September 24. A further 6000 joined up as a result of an urgent appeal last week, but there was no time to ♦rain them. A COMMON FRONTIER POLAND AND HUNGARY WARSAW, Oct. 6. The Foreign Minister, Colonel Beck, bad a lengthy conference with Count Csaky, of the Hungarian Foreigu Office. It is understood that as a result Poland will support Hungary's claim to Ruthcnia, which would give Poland and Hungary a common frontier, and that it was also agreed that Poland and Hungary shall respect the Slovaks’ desires regarding the future, subject to the restoration to Hungary of a southern strip of Slovakia in which there is an Hungarian minority numbering a million people, Poland and Hungary then being willing to guarantee the new Czech frontier. The minorities negotiations between Hungary and Czechoslovakia were postponed at 8.10 a.m. to-day as a result of the changes in the Czech Government. SLOVAKS DECLARE FOR AUTONOMY I SEPARATE RACIAL DIETS _ i PRAGUE, Oct.'6. < The Slovaks have decided to favour j within a Federated State. 1

Thus Czechoslovakia will be a federal State with two equal partners. Acceptance of this plan by the Czech Government is certain. A Government has already been formed, and the leader of the autonomists, Dr. Tiscot, has been elected president. It includes Dr. Sokol and M. Fidor, formerly violent autonomists, and Agrarian and Nationalist representatives. Slovakia will have her own Diet. Internal political cross-currents are likely to flow less restlessly as a result of the agreement reached at the Zelina Congress in the form of an autonomous Slovak Government under the premiership of Dr. Joseph Tisot, who is a member of the National Chamber of Depu(ties and a priest who has also been for many years vice-chairman of the Slovak People’s Party. His simultaneous appointment by Prague as Minister for Slovakia is regarded as ending a 20 years’ feud between Czechs and Slovaks and paving the way for a workable federation. The Zelina Congress, representative of all the Slovak parties, agreed to work to obtain the adoption of an autonomy law before October 28. It was agreed that foreign affairs, defence, and national finance should be left to the Central Government. The congress demanded that all five Slovak Ministers should sit in the Prague Cabinet.