Patea & Waverley Press FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1938 CZECHOSLOVAKIA

Patea Mail, 30 September 1938, Page 2

Patea & Waverley Press FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1938 CZECHOSLOVAKIA

FOR some time past the word

Czechoslovakia has been on the lips of people the world over. Many arc asking where is this country and what is it? 'The answer is that it is a small country in the very heart of Europe, containing fifteen million people. It is bounded entirely on the west and partly on the north and south by Germany on the remainder of the north by Poland, on the remainder of the south by Hungary, and on the east by Roumanian Of the fifteen millions of population only three and a quarter millions are Germans, most of whom live on the 900 mile frontier that separates Czechoslovakia from Germany, The country is a difficult one to enter, being almost surrounded by mountains. From industrial areas in the west, with Prague as its capital, it stretches away for 600 miles to the east, to a region of primeval forests and very primitive farms. Its formation, with the help of the Allies under the Treaty of Versailles after the World War, was the realisation of a long lived dream of restoration. The Czechs an t ancient Slavic race had lived in what is now the Bohemian and Moravian portion of Czechoslovakia for ,ovcr two thousand years. The Sudeten Bermans who have figured in the headlines of the newspapers so frequently of late, occupy that portion of Czechoslovakia that lies under the shadow of the Sudeten Mountains, and forms part of the boundary between Germany and the Czech’s territory, The eastern portion of the country, Slovakia and Bohemia, were parts of Hungary for 1000' years prior to the Great War- To-day this portion contains Czechs, Jews, Poles, Germans, Gypsies and 700,000 Hungarians. So varied is the population that some of the paper money in use has five languages on one note. Some idea of the difficulties with which the Czech authorities have to contend may be gauged from the tact that there arc no fewer than fourteen political parties four of whom are Germans. There is small wonder that it Avas not found difficult to stir up an agitation for the transfer of the portion of the country in Avhich the Germans lived to Germany. The German dictator no doubt found the ground a fertile one in which to soav seeds of discontent which Avonld give him an. excuse for precipitating a Avar that Avonld assist Germany in her second attempt to achieve world -wide domination. He kncAV full well

that an attempt to annex any portion of Czechoslovakia Avonld result in a European Avar, and Tic doubtless hoped that Avith the aid of his Italian friend, Mussolini, 'lre Avoidd be able to gain his ends. So far as can be gathered, the Sudeten Germans had nothing to complain of. Dr. Bones, the Czechoslovakian president, in a recent interview, made this quite clear. He said: “Wo ivon’t attempt to make Czechs out of our German millions or Slovaks of our 700,000 Hungarians. Germans may remain Germans, and Hungarians may remain Hungarians always, Avith their oavii schools, languages, and neAvspapers —free citizens of a democracy, enjoying equal rights with all of us. Austria tried for centuries to Germanize the Czechs and failed. Hungary sought for a thousand years to Magyarize the Slovaks and failed too. We won't make their mistake.” In the light of recent events it seems more than a pity that the League of Nations that Avas formed for the express purpose of meeting such a position as that which recently arose Avith regard to Germany and Czechoslovakia has proved so poAverless, particularly as the machinery that Avas responsible for bringing into being the Czechoslovakian State{ Avas responsible for the birth of the League.