“AFFRONT TO WORLD”

Southland Times, Issue 23768, 16 March 1939, Page 5

“AFFRONT TO WORLD”

GERMAN TACTICS CONDEMNED PRESS COMMENT IN LONDON NAZIS DENOUNCED AS AGGRESSORS (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Independent Cable Service) (Received March 15, 8.30 p.m.) LONDON, March 15. The Daily Telegraph, discussing in an editorial the German occupation of part of Moravia, says: “By this act Germany has made herself guilty of the most flagrant, impudent act of unprovoked aggression witnessed in Europe in modern times. Though no moral or legal obligation rests on us to aid the victim of this aggression we can no longer have any doubt about the character of the Power confronting us in Central-Europe. “Germany has perpetrated an affront to the whole civilized world which will not readily be forgotten.” The Times says:— “For the moment British opinion, like French, can only register reprobation of the ruthless treatment of a small, industrious and friendly nation, for the establishment of whose independence their efforts in the war were jointly responsible. Herr Hitler’s influence is dominant in Central Europe, and is proving itself consistently hostile to political freedom as the Western democracies understand it. They on their part can only continue with increased energy to look to their own security.” The News Chronicle says:— “Poland and Hungary will shortly have a common frontier. Germany has advanced much nearer the Black Sea. The question now more urgent than ever is: When is a halt going to be called to this triumphant march of aggression?” A spokesman of the French Foreign Office emphasized that France’s vital interests were not involved. Sl)e did not consider that the Munich guarantees bound her to prevent the dismemberment of Czechoslovakia, “because the dispute is internal.”

DEMOCRACIES’ POLICY PAINS AMERICANS “TWILIGHT OF LIBERTY IN CENTRAL EUROPE” WASHINGTON, March 15. Government officials expect another German drive to the east soon. Painful dissatisfaction is expressed in some quarters with the silent, unprotesting acquiescence of Britain and France. It is feared that the latest German success will dissipate the recent strengthening of the smaller European countries. Senator Key Pittman, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, predicted that Herr Hitler would advance eastwards “until his ambition is satisfied,” adding that his threats had shattered any possible combination against him. Senator Pittman said: “Japan is moving the same way towards the southern Pacific, albeit slowly.” Senator W. E. Borah placed on Britain and France the responsibility, through Munich, for empowering Herr Hitler to encroach on Central Europe. He predicted that there would be no general war “so long as there are enough small nations for the large ones to divide up.” Czechoslovak bonds are breaking up on Wall Street, and financial circles in New York are of the opinion that the Nazis’ main object is to secure the Czechoslovak Central Bank’s 83,000,000 dollars’ worth of gold. The 46,000,000 dollars’ worth seized from Austria is believed to be exhausted. It did not appear in a statement setting out the condition of the Reichsbank, and bankers in New York state that it was withheld from. Dr Hjalmar Schacht (then director of the Reichsbank), the Nazi Party using it to buy materials abroad. The New York Times says: “It can be' understood that Britain and France, having determined that it is beyond their power to resist the dismemberment of Czechoslovakia, should look resolutely elsewhere. “It is also understandable that many Americans, remembering the United States’s big part in the formation of Czechoslovakia, should feel that American aloofness from the work of postwar reconstruction was one of the early influences in the series of events that has ended in this final act of degradation. “Herr Hitler has been demanding the colonies he had at first,” says The New York Times. “Slovakia is as much a colony as Togoland. It is clear that the old German dream of a Mittel-Europa dominated by Berlin is closer to realization than ever before. “This is the twilight of liberty in Central Europe.” BRITISH GUARANTEE TO CZECHS UNPROVOKED AGGRESSION RUGBY, March 14. The Prime Minister (Mr Neville Chamberlain) replying to a question asked in the House of Commons by the Leader of the Labour Opposition (Major C. R. Attlee) about the proposed guarantee to Czechoslovakia, reminded him that it was to have been against unprovoked aggression and that no such aggression had yet taken place. Mr Chamberlain described as altogether unwarranted the assumption in a suggestion by Major Attlee that the Government was now entirely 1 disinterested in Czechoslovakia. GERMANY DENIES CALLING UP RESERVES (Received March 15, 7.10 p.m.) VIENNA, March 14. The calling up of the 1913 reserves is denied in Berlin. Women have received the following mobilization order: “On the first day of any general mobilization you will report at a given address.”