CZECHS' LAND

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23177, 25 October 1938, Page 9

CZECHS' LAND

BARRIERS GONE STRING BOUNDARIES PLIGHT OE REFUGEES SUDETEN'S' CRUELTY By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received October 24, 0 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 24 It is literally true to say that Czechoslovakia is an undefined land in the centre of Europe, bounded by pieces of string the length of which, with four tiny pennants hanging from it, stretches across the road before the police post at Melnik marking the Czechoslovak frontier, says the Prague correspondent of the Daily Telegraph. This string replaces the powerful anti-tank concrete barriers which were surrendered without a struggle to Germany. Jewish refugees are huddled in tents between the German and Czech frontiers in a terrible plight. They have been deprived of food, water and medical supplies. Herr Henlein's Storm Troops robbed them of all their property before they drovo them out of Lundenburg. Escapees from various concentration camps relate how the inmates, after being handed over to Herr Henlein's Black Guards, were struck 10 to 30 blows witli leather belts and whips, after which they wcro marched for an hour to Kanden, where they had to run the gauntlet of Herr Henlein's supporters, who spat at them. Subsequently, these men were imprisoned, receiving a quarter of a pint of watery soup and a slice of bread daily. The leader of the Republican Defence Corps was so badly beaten that his friends did not recognise him.

MYSTERIOUS ACTIVITY COLONEL LINDBERGH INQUIRY AS TO MOTIVES LONDON PRESS COMMENT LONDON, Oct. 17 "What is Lindbergh up top" asks the Sunday Express in a heading to a leading article. "How does he coma to bo Europe's busy-body?'' The article reads: —"What is the mysterious, secretive, curiously overpublicised Lindbergh doing? Always, when there is trouble, his black and orange aeroplane flies him to th« storm-centre. "He tells everybody whom he talks to in this country that German warplanes are better than ours, and that Germany is producing machines at a faster rate. Then he adds that an Anglo-German pact is the only way in which Britain can avoid disaster. Recently he returned from Russia to spread a story that the Russian Air Force was useless. "When the Czech crisis was developing Lindbergh went to France to tell the same story there. The story shook French confidence in the Soviet as a potential ally. It may have had a considerable influence on the Anglo French decisions. "If Lindbergh is so frank about the air forces of Germany and Russia, ho is probably equally expansive about i the British Air Force when he is in Germany. Does ho represent anybody, or is he merely a somewhat indiscreet private person?"

"Hired liar" was the term applied to Colonel Lindbergh in an article in the Soviet newspaper Pravda, signed by 11 of Russia's greatest fliers. They referred to Lindbergh as a "political speculator acting under the orders of British reactionaries."

POLITICAL PRISONERS QUESTION OF AMNESTY GERMANY CONSIDERING BERLIN, Oct. 13 An official spokesman announces that the question of the granting of an amnesty to political prisoners is under consideration in celebration of the cession of the Sudeten areas. The list, however, will not include Dr. Sehuschnigg, former Austrian Chancellor, whose trial is expected to tak«> place before November. The release of Baron Louis Rothschild after six months' imprisonment is expected, subject to the payment of £300,000 as compensation for the losses suffered by the public in the collapse of the Credit Anstaldt. plus a similar amount in return for permission to administer or sell his estates.