Fuehrer’s Triumphal Entry of Occupied Territory; All Quiet

Northern Advocate, 4 October 1938, Page 7

Fuehrer’s Triumphal Entry of Occupied Territory; All Quiet

(Received 12.30 p.m.)

BERLIN, October 3. jPJERR HITLER, IN A CAR PRECEDED BY TWO ARMOURED CARS,

AND FOLLOWED BY A PROCESSION OF MOTORS CONVEYING ARMY OFFICERS, ARRIVED AT THE FRONTIER TOWN OF WILDENAU, WHERE A SYMBOLICAL CEREMONY WAS PERFORMED.

The Fuehrer drove across the frontier under an eagle-flanked archway inscribed “Sudetenland Welcomes Its Liberator.”

Herr Henlein ceremoniously received the Fuehrer, and hysterical cheering greeted him in packed streets at W ildenau and Asch.

Fifteen thousand people listened to the speech, and gave an ovation to Herr Hitler that lasted 10 minutes.

The Fuehrer will spend the night at Marneukirchen, and will re-enter Sudetenland on Tuesday. .German military arrested six officers and men of the Czech army who were slow in retiring. Herr Hitler, accompanied by Herr Henlein, left Hof for Eger at 10.15. He was due at Asch in the afternoon. It was understood he would visit Herr Henlein’s parents, and lunch at an army mess kitchen by the roadside between Franzcnbad and Eger during his tour of Sudetenland.

Herr Himmler, police chief, and his staff, arrived at Eger yesterday to prepare for the Fuehrer’s arrival.

Hitler’s Notable Speech,

In a speech at Eger, Herr Hitler said: “I greet you and the whole of Sudetenland, which, in a few days, will completely, belong to Germany. This greeting is simultaneous with the vow that this region shall never again be torn from the Reich.

“We must all stand together. Germany is happy over these days, sharing your joy. Your happiness is that of 75,000,000 people, just as your recent sorrows, were ours.

“I thank the Almighty for past blessings and pray for similar blessings fn the future.”

Wild cheering and shouts of “We thank our Fuehrer” continually interrupted the speech. Herr Hitler added: “All over the greater German Reich is the protection of the German shield and the defence of the German sword. The nation stands in closed formation. All comrades are ready to stake their lives for one another. Thus we begin to march into a greater German future. Tremendous Ovation. German troops occupying the Eger region include more mechanised units than columns occupying other zones. Thousands of residents did not sleep all night. They gathered on roadsides to cheer the troops. The enthusiasm was greater than in other occupied centres. Avoidance of Incidents. Germans, including Sudetens, and also Czechs, are doing their utmost to avoid incidents. The Czech population at Reichenberg, the biggest industrial city in North Bohemia, is moving out accompanied by hundreds of German Social Democrats, who have no desire to live under the Nazi regime. Economic Loss Removed.

Prague newspapers are becoming philosophical. “Ceskoslovo” says Sudetenland recently was a heavy economic burden, and suffered so badly in the industrial depression that it was necessary to grant tariff protection, remit taxation and make other sacrifices.

“Venkov” says: “We do not think the new State will be small and weak. We are building a homeland of 11,000,000 Czechs and Slovaks. Our for work and living will be redoubled.”

The British United Press representative at Eger says that according to German army sources, German troops occupied the village of Boemi’schkrummau, outside the limits of Zone 1, after Czech firing of an anti-tank gun on the village on Sunday. The German army claims that the International Military Commission, consisting of British and Italian military attaches at Berlin, investigated the incident and found that the firing had occurred. They telephoned to Berlin, which permitted the advance. The Czechs denied the firing.