CZECH REPLY TO POLISH NOTE

Southland Times, Issue 23624, 27 September 1938, Page 7

CZECH REPLY TO POLISH NOTE

Reports Of Clashes

On Frontier

SECRET TRANSMITTER IN TESCHEN (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received September 26, 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, September 25. The Polish Foreign Office in a statement says that the Polish Legation in Prague was informed that Czechoslovakia was replying on Sunday to the Polish Note of September 21 expressing readiness to negotiate with Poland about Poland’s claim to the Teschen and Silesian territory. _ Forty-five British citizens crossed the Teschen bridge from Czechoslovakia carrying only hand baggage and going from Warsaw to Cracow. A secret wireless transmitter at Teschen broadcast a statement that gendarmes had attacked Poles who were boycotting the Czech mobilization and trying to escape across the frontier, many being killed and wounded. There was fighting all night at five points—Jablonkowo, Trzynic, Teschen, Frysztat and Bogumin. The Poles captured a number of weapons from police and deserters from the Czech army, who had been supplied with rifles and ammunition and even handgrenades and machine-guns, according to the broadcast. . The Prague wireless station demes the Polish reports of fighting on the Czech-Polish frontier.

MACHINE-GUNS USED BY CZECHS OPPOSING LINES OF TROOPS FIRING STEADILY (Received September 26, 11.30 p.m.) LONDON, September 26. Firing broke out in earnest between Asch and Eger, where Czech troops and members of the Sudeten free corps are entrenched, says the Asch correspondent of The Daily,Mail. The Czechs started a regular battle at Rosenreuth by firing two machine-guns down the road to Asch. Within a minute both lines were firing steadily. At Liebenstein, after an hour of intense firing, the Sudeten German forces were driven into houses. The Vienna correspondent of The Daily Telegraph says that 500 yards inside Czechoslovakia, opposite Bratislava, the road crosses triple barbedwire entanglements which it is believed extend all round the country. Concrete barriers and entanglements lie on either side of the road, to enable it to be closed at a moment’s notice. Telephone communication among Bratislava, Prague and Vienna is impossible. Herr Konrad Henlein and other leaders of the Sudeten German Party have arrived at Selt>, just outside the Czeeti frontier, where they are conferring with a high army officer, a staff officer and Black Guards, all from Berlin.

FRENCH ARMY CHIEF IN LONDON SIGNIFICANT APPOINTMENT RECALLED On January 22 France made an important move towards unification of her defence forces by the unprecedented appointment of one commander for the Army, the navy and the Air ForceGeneral Game! in, a former Chief ot the Army General Staff. The Minister of Defence (M. Edouard Daladier) simultaneously became responsible for all three defences Ministries. General Gamelin, who is in London for discussions with the British leaders, will co-ordinate the three services in time of war. The military correspondent of The Daily Telegraph (Major-General A. C. Temperley) said that General Gamelin’s appointment was extremely signi-

Scant and might be attributed to the gravity of the world situation and the need for assuring unity of command without waiting for war to break out. “French politicians have always feared to give too much power to a soldier,” Major Temperley said. “Only a sense of great emergency could induce the present French Government to nominate General Gamelin for his post. He is France’s most distinguished soldier and is much trusted by the Army.”

HURRYING HOME? TO BRITAIN LEADERS OF INDUSTRY RECALLED (Received September 26, 7.10 p.m.) QUEBEC, September 25. Urgent cable messages from England, attributed to the European crisis, sent Mr Moir McKenzie, head of the Empire section of the Federation of British Industries, and Viscount Leverhulme, director of Unilever Limited, hurrying home. Both caught the liner Empress of Britain. Mr McKenzie flew from Ottawa, and Lord Leverhulme cancelled a pleasure tour of the United States after attending the International Management Congress at Washington.

CHEERS FOR FRENCH MINISTERS HUGE CROWDS IN LONDON STREETS LONDON, September 25. A huge crowd of many thousands thronged the pavements, 10 deep, in Trafalgar Square and Whitehall while the British and French Ministers assembled in Downing Street. The arrival of M. Daladier and M. Bonnet was the signal for an outburst of cheering. Police, reinforced from the suburbs, moved the crowds on. The crowds were generally orderly. Westminster Abbey was packed throughout the day of intercession for peace by continuous prayer; hundreds were permitted to stand in the recesses.