QUEST FOR AMITY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19693, 27 July 1938, Page 5

QUEST FOR AMITY

WILL GO TO LIMIT

INTENTIONS OF CZECHS

CLAIMS OF NAZI FACTION

ATTITUDE 01] LEADER

NO DESIRE FOR WAR

(Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.)

(Reed. July 27, 11 a.m.)

LONDON, July 2t!

The main negotiations between the Czech Government and the Sudeten Germans are expected to begin at Prague next week, probably in the presence of Lord Runciman, says The Times.

The Czech President, Dr. E. Benes, and the Prime Minister, Dr. M. Hod/.a, have informed the British Government that they are prepared to go to the full limit of the advice that Lord Runciman may' give—as 'long as the sovereignty of the Czechoslovak State is safeguarded.

"I absolutely rule out war as a means of solving the Sudeten German problem," Herr Henlein, leader of the Sudeten German Party, told a special correspondent of the Daily Telegraph at Eger. "There will be no war as far as we are concerned. We do not want our homes converted into battlefields."

Possible Disorders

Nevertheless, he could not deny that serious internal disorders would be likely if a settlement were much longer delayed.

"We do not ask for annexation to Germany," Herr Henlein continued. "We are not opposed to the Czech State, but we definitely are opposed to the oppression of the existing regime. We resent being treated like Africans, subject to alien overseers.

"I repeat that nothing short of full autonomy will be acceptable to us. We are prepared to leave defence and foreign affairs in the hands of the Central Government, but everything else must be left to autonomous nationality groups." Speaking in the House of Commons, the Prime Minister, Mr. Neville Chamberlain, said that as a result of a request from Czechoslovakia, Lord Runciman had agreed to go to Prague to mediate independently ol all Governments, including the British, and in no sense as an arbitrator. Britain urged the Czechs to submit proposals to Herr Henlein before submitting them to Parliament.