READY TO FIGHT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 September 1938, Page 5

READY TO FIGHT

CZECHS TAKE NEW HEART assurances of support. NOT GOING TO GIVE UP LIKE AUSTRIANS. LONDON, September 27. A correspondent of the News Chronicle” at Teplice-Sanov says:— After several days of agonising waiting and after the surrender of the best industries, mines and fortifications, this little country finds herself no longer deserted by her allies and is prepared to fight. . “We won’t give up like the Austrians did,” they say. “We know what German domination is like. . The first King of Bohemia raised his standard not 10 miles from here.” No wireless news of Cabinet upheavals in London and Paris came through, but only the brief announcement: “We are no longer unsupported.” Veterans of the Twenty-eighth Regiment, which was formed entirely from Czechs and deserted as one man from the Austrian army to fight against it in the Great War, are volunteering to join its ranks. Men come from allparts, shouting, singing and carrying one day’s food supply, to join troop trains going to the front, while women wave good-bye. „ “Der tag has come, but not for us, was the comment of Sudeten Germans. ROOSEVELT MESSAGE REPLY BY DR BENES. STILL READY TO NEGOTIATE. PRAGUE, September 27. President Benes, replying to Mr Roosevelt’s message, said the successive Czech Governments had abided by principles of peace for 20 years and would never violate the Kellogg Pact. The country still desired to see the present crisis resolved peacefully, and despite readiness to accept enormous sacrifices was still ready to negotiate with Germany. The nation would defend itself if attacked, but was profoundly convinced that war would not solve the problem.