CZECH CRISIS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23047, 26 May 1938, Page 13

CZECH CRISIS

TENSION EASED BRITISH EFFORTS TALKS IN LONDON GERMAN AMBASSADOR PROVOCATIVE PBESS By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright LONDON, May 24 The leader of the Sudeten Germans, Herr Henlein, returned home without seeing Dr. Hodza, Czech Prime Minister, again, says a message from Prague. It is expected that Herr Frank, a Sudeten deputy, -will continue the talks regarding the proposed minorities statute. The News Chronicle states that the British Foreign Secretary, Viscount Halifax, twice received Dr. von Dirksen, German Ambassador, in continuance of the efforts to lessen the CzechGerman tension, pointing out that the German newspapers' attitude toward Britain was not assisting in conciliaThe Prague correspondent of the Times says elaborate preparations have been made for the funeral of Hofmann nnd Boehrn, the two Sudeten farmers v ho were killed by a Czech policeman. Herr Henlein will attend and -make a Bpeech. Thousands of wreaths have beety received, including two from Herr Hitler.

GERMAN VERSION ■' MANUFACTURED " CRISIS ASSERTIONS IN THE PRESS BRITAIN AND FRANCE BLAMED (Received May 25, 8.45 p.m.) BERLIN, May 25 The entire German press represents last week-end's Czech crisis as having been manufactured by Britain and France in order to serve their own interests. A typical assertion is that published in the Hamburger Fremdenblatt, which declares: "Britain's 'diplomatic consciousness' placed the whole of the Continent in a state of alarm in order to prevent an act which Germany never contemplated. Was this the way to encourage an atmosphere of peace? Is Mr. Chamberlain's internal position so weak that he must invent a bluff and artificially create a crisis like that of 1914 in order to get himself praised as a peacemaker and appear in the part or » strong man?" * POWERS' RESTRAINT HOPE RAISED IN LONDON V PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT British Wireless RUGBY, May 24 The meeting between Dr. Hodza, Czech Prime- Minister, and Herr Henlein, leader of the Sudeten, Germans, was welcomed in London as an important contribution to the easing of tension and the hope is expressed m official circles that rapid progress can bow be made with the negotiations which the Czechoslovakian Government has initiated for an agreed settlement of the Sudeten question. The fact that the grave dangers which threatened last Saturday were arerted is attributed in London less to this or that diplomatic move than to the general restraint exercised by all the Governments concerned, and not least by Germany. It is taken as evidence that with an equal sense of responsibility and equal moderation in the future a comprehensive, peaceful, lasting settlementr—which presumably is desired on both sides can be achieved.

MR. CHURCHILL'S VIEW COLLECTIVE SECURITY l WAY TO ATTAINMENT ■British Wireless RUGBY, May 24 In the course of a speech at Chingford, Mr. Winston Churchill expressed his hope for a' peaceful solution of the present international crisis. If it passed, and war wa3 averted, as he believed it would be, that would be due to a rudimentary and emergency form of collective security. "But," continued Mr. Churchill, "unless we can gain other Powers to the side of peace, disaster may occur in the 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 against an aggressor, than to drift from one crisis to another. This would be real, active security, and not a sham such as asking a country to support a covenant. Mr. Churchill denied that it would be an encirclement of Germany. It would be, he said, encirclement only of an aggressor- They asked no security for themselves that they were not prepared freely to extend to Germany, even if Germany did not rejoin the League of Nations. 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 the <yictim of an outrage.