WAR SPIRIT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23149, 22 September 1938, Page 13

WAR SPIRIT

FRONTIER CLASHES GERMAN ATTACKS REPORTED REPULSE CZECHS AS PRISONERS RAIDS BY SUDETENS By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright (Received September 21, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 20 It is officially stated that Czech troops occupied trenches at some points of the German frontier after four attacks by the Sudetens' Volunteer Corps at night, says a message from Prague. The assailants attacked the Customs House at Neusorge, near Braunau and the defenders replied with hand grenades. Reinforcements arrived and the attackers withdrew. Tho Germans resumed the assault an hour later and were again expelled. They carried off six Czech Customs officials and two soldiers who were wounded.

Members of the Volunteer Corps, with hand grenades and machine-guns, twice attacked and set fire to the Customs House at Oberkleinarpa, near Marchendorf, but were repulsed. Two Czechs wero wounded. New districts under martial law are the scene of these attacks. Nine Sudeten deserters from the Czech Army attacked and set fire to the frontier Customs House at Trautenau, using hand grenades on the occupants and killing one Czech and taking prisoner another, also n gendarme who was alleged to have fired on the refugees.

A Prague message states that 18 Czechs were admitted to hospital after the attack at Trautenau.

A Gorman news agency in Berlin reports that Sudeten deserters from the Czech Army crossed the frontier to Germany at Kronstadt after an exchange of shots. Czechs fired on the Sudeten fugitives after tho latter had reached German territory at Woldonburg. Herr Sandler, a Sudeten propagandist, said in a speech at Dresden that the new Sudeten organisation would not negotiate and would not seek a peaceful solution, but would see that every drop of blood spilt in the past few days was repaid a thousandfold.

COMMON POLICY INTERNATIONAL LABOUR CONFERENCE IN LONDON LONDON. Sept. 20 Tho General Council of Labour met to-day with the object of laying down a common policy in agreement with Continental Labour. Foreign delegates present were MM. Auriol and Bertherou (France), MM. Debrouckere and Aller, of tho Socialist International, and M. Schevenels, who represented tho Czechoslovakian Socialists. It is announced that there was a full interchange of views about " a surrender to Herr Hitler's threat of aggression." Tho South African Trades and Labour Council cabled to the council denouncing any betrayal of Czechoslovakia and urging strong action in support of the independence of that country.