NAZIS’ DEMANDS FORECAST

Southland Times, Issue 23460, 17 March 1938, Page 5

NAZIS’ DEMANDS FORECAST

AUTONOMY ASKED FOR SUDETEN GERMANS CZECHS ALREADY WARNED BY MINORITY \ (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received March 16, 10.40 pjn.) LONDON, March 16. Self-government for the Sudeten German minority and no pacts with Russia are the conditions that Germany will ultimately demand Czechoslovakia to accept, says the Berlin correspondent of' the News Chronicle. Indeed, if Prague offers to discuss the matter with Germany it may immediately be confronted with them.

Germany is already sure of obtaining the Sudeten territory, although she does not intend early action. Herr Karl Franck, a German deputy, told the Czech Parliament, in the name of the Sudeten Germans, that the German minority was dissatisfied with their role in Czechoslovakia and did not consider the Government’s compromise, offered in February 1937, a suitable basis for a solution. He added that the Sudeten Germans were determined to continue the fight for political, economic and cultural rights. . “The Czech Government’s policy makes the conditions increasingly less bearable,” he said, “and it would be in the interests of Czechoslovakia to do something voluntarily about this matter instead of getting excited about conditions in the German Reich and the fate of its people.” Herr Franck also issued a manifesto assuring the Austrians of the Sudeten Germans’ good wishes, adding that the Sudeten Germans, now possessed of the strongest will to live, created a party instrument of efficiency, the power of which was not yet realized by the Czech Government. “It henceforth will fight with, still greater determination for realization of its rights,” declared Herr Franck. An official Czech spokesman says that although the situation is most tense the changes from a military viewpoint are not of particular consequence for Czechoslovakians. ■ “We never thought we could rely on the Austrian Army, to prevent the Reichswehr attacking us from the south," he said. “The fact must be faced that the German minority might become more aggressive. The Germans will undoubtedly increase their demands, especially for . territorial autonomy, and we are determined to settle our affairs, without reference to pressure from outside.” The Prague correspondent of The Times says that the Czech and German military authorities have made an agreement that the German troops in Austria will keep at least 15 kilometres from the Czech frontier, the Czechs undertaking that their regulai border garrisons shall not be strengthened. GERMANY ADVOCATES NO INTERFERENCE SYDNEY, March 15. The Consul-General for Germany (Dr R. Asmis) said the action of the German Government would have no repercussions so long as other nations did not try to interfere. Unification was peaceful and in the best interests of both countries. Ninety-seven per cent of the Austrian people spoke German and 95 per cent, were of German extraction. Austria was, therefore, a German country. A danger spot had been removed and the unification should help to foster and consolidate world peace.