The Wanganui Chronicle WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 1938. MR. CHAMBERLAIN’S SPEECH

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 121, 25 May 1938, Page 6

The Wanganui Chronicle WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 1938. MR. CHAMBERLAIN’S SPEECH

THE general situation in Europe seems to have eased over the 1 week-end. chiefly through the calm statement made by Mr. Neville Chamberlain in the House o£ Commons. Mr. Attlee, with an appropriate sensing of the gravity of the situation, refrained from questioning the Prime Minister and, consequently, the world sees the House of Commons united m the pursuance of Britain’s traditional foreign policy. The situation in Czechoslovakia is certainly improving, in that the elections are passing off without major incidents oecuiring. Further, there is a prospect of a permanent settlement of the Sqdeten Germans’ grievances being reached. In arriving at this situation, however, it will be necessary for the Czech Government to ensure the protection of minorities in the German areas to the same extent as the Sudeten Germans arc desirous of being protected in the national field. The attitude of Germany is not satisfactory, in that it seeks for an opportunity to intervene in the affairs of another State on the grounds of race. In view of the admixture of races which has gone on for many years, the claims of. races may seldom be regarded as well founded, because race is a shadowy thing. The attitude of an individual can lie regarded as determining his position, for he can give allegiance where lie will Should he find that he is unable to lie a liege subject of the State in which he resides, then it would be becoming of him to remove to that community to which he can offer a firm allegiance. Admittedly, such a solution of the problem of allegiance comes more complex when there is a mass of people to he transferred ; nevertheless, it is one of the solutions which ought to be 1)01 ne in mind at the present moment. The German complaint against the Czechs garrisoning the frontier is also unreasonable, in that the Czechs, by so acting, create no menace to German security; whereas, after the experence of Austria, it would be unwise for Czechoslovakia to omit to take precautions against a sudden march of German troops. It must be remembered that the Sudeten problem could be solved if it were possible to transfer to Germany those areas which are occupied predominantly by a. German population; but unfortunately, it is essential that territory occupied by any State be comprehensive as to its geographical composition. In Canada, where the question of territorial limits of the various provinces has had to be settled by appeals to the Privy Council, the watershed principle has been applied, and in the fashioning of the territory of any State it is desirable that a similar use of natural boundaries be adhered to. Defence is an essential duty of a State, and that being so, it is desirable that the boundaries of any State should conform ns nearly as possible to the natural comprehensiveness and the defensiveness of the territory occupied. This makes for ease of relationship between States which are neighbours to each other. For instance, where a chain of mountains forms the boundary, a canalising of the inter-State traffic occurs in the passes and makes for ease of traffic regulation and customs collection. It is not an easy matter to lop off strips of territory from one State and add them to others, because to do so, while it may settle one problem, it is likely to create several others. The situation has, however, done at least one service; it has revealed that France and Russia would come to the assistance, of Czechoslovakia if the latter were attacked, and despite the tempering of Britain’s statements, there is no reason for believing that Britain would remain unaffected by the situation. It is doubtful whether Italy would side with Germany in such a conflict. Hungary certainly would not, and the probability is thta Poland would—as has been reported—side with the friends of Czechoslovakia.