BRITISH INFLUENCE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 121, 25 May 1938, Page 7

BRITISH INFLUENCE

HOPES OF SUCCESS A REVIEW OF EVENTS ( British Official Wireleea.) RUGBY, May 23. Following an interview between the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary and the leaders of the Opposition in both Houses of Parliament, identical statements were made in the House cf Lords and the House of Commons. Mr Chamberlain, in a statement in the House of Commons, disclosed that information had been received Iron. Prague that arrangements had been made for a meeting between the Czechoslovak Prime Minister and the Sudeten leader, Herr Henlein, eithei to-night or to-morrow morning.

“I propose first to give a very brief summary of the events of the past few days, that have tended to snow that the situation regarding the German minorities in Czechoslovakia might be entering on a dangerous stage,” said Mr Chamberlain, ‘and then to indicate the action taken by His Majesty’s Government. On May 19 rumours began to gain currency of German troop movements in the direction of the Czechoslovak frontier. The German Government informed the British Ambassador that there was no foundation for these rumours, and it gave a similar assurance to the Czechoslovak Government. On May 20 a number of serious incidents occurred in Czechoslovakia. On the morning of May 21 the Czechoslovak Government intimated that it was calling up on? class for training and maintaining order in the frontier areas. On the same day an unfortunate incident took place when two Sudeten Germans lost their lives. The Czechoslovak Foreign Minister inform the German Minister of this inci and told him that disciplinary measures would be taken against those responsible. On May 21 the British Ambassador in Berlin received further assurances from the German Government that stories of German troop movements were completely unfounded. Invitation to Negotiate. “On May 21 a formal invitation had been sent to Herr Henlein by the Czechoslovak Foreign Minister to negotiate on a nationality statute which had been approved on May 19 by the Czechoslovak Government, but it was announced in the Sudeten Press that the political committee of the Sudeten German Party had decided to inform the Czechoslovak Prime Minister that the party was not in a position to discuss the nationality statute so long as peace and order in the Sudeten districts, and above all constitutional rights and freedom of opinion of the Press and the Assembly, were not guaranteed. “I now learn,” added Mr Chamberlain, “that it has been arranged for Herr Henlein to see the Czechoslovak Prime Minister either to-night or to-morrow morning.

“In face of this situation the principal concern of His Majesty’s Government has been to use all its influence, wherever it could be exerted, on the side of restraint in word and deed, while keeping open the way to peaceful negotiation of a satisfactory settlement. With that object it represented to the Czechoslovak Government the need of taking every precaution for the avoidance of incidents and making every possible effort to reach a comprehensive and lasting settlement by negotiation with representatives of the Sudeten Party. In this His Majesty’s Government enjoyed the full co-operatioii of the French Government. Satisfactory Responses. “The Czechoslovak Government responded to this representation with an assurance that it appreciated the interest which the British Government manifested in this question and is fully resolved to seek an early and complete solution. The British Government has represented to the German Government the urgent importance of reaching a settlement if European peace is to be preserved, and expressed its earnest desire that the German Government would co-oper-ate with it in facilitating an agreement. The British Government has at the same time informed the German Government of advice tendered in Prague and of assurances received from the Czechoslovak Government. “The German Foreign Minister stated that h? welcomed the efforts being made by His Majesty’s Government and that the German Government fully shared the desire to see the negotiations succeed. At the moment the situation appears to have somewhat eased, and I understand that the elections passed off quietly yesterday without untoward incident." Opposition Hopes.

When Mr Chamberlain sat down, lhe Leader of the Opposition, Mr C. R. Attlee, said: “It would be inadvisable to press the Prime Minister for any fuller statement in view of the tension there is to-day, but I feel I may express the hope that these efforts to bring about a settle.*ent may succeed without any deprivation of the just rights of Czechoslovakia." Mr Chamberlain, replying to MrAttlee, recapitulated events leading up to the Czechoslovakian situation. He said that the British Government’s principal concern had been to use all its influence on the side of restraint in word and deed, keeping open the way to the peaceful negotiation of a satisfactory settlement. The British Government had represented to the German Government the urgent importance of reaching a settlement with the view of preserving European peace, and had also expressed the earnest desire that the German Government co-operate with Britain in facilitating an agreement. Britain had simultaneously informed Germany that advice had been given to Prague, and assurances had been received from the Czech Government. Mr Chamberlain added that Herr von Ribbentrop, German Foreign Minister, had stated that he welcomed Britain’s efforts. The German Government fully shared Britain’s desire that the negotiations should succeed.

Earlier Mr Chamberlain, replying to Mr. Arthur Henderson (Lab.), said that he was unable to state the terms of the Czech Government’s written reply to the English and French Ministers, which was confidential, bu« Czechoslovakia welcomed the British and French interest and assured them of its intention of reaching a just anu equitable settlement.