Referring in this connection to the fact that Alsace-Lorraine had changed hands several times, the Fuehrer said that the Strasburg Cathedral meant very much to the German people. "If in spite of this we have drawn a definite line, this happened en behalf of the future of European appeasement. Nobody would have been able to compel us to renounce a claim of this kind had we not done so of our own free will. We renounced this claim because it was our will to end for all time the eternal conflict with France. The Reich took like measures on other parts of its frontier. National So-dalism has particularly in this respect shown itself to be inspired by the highest sense of responsibility. We took upon ourselves the greatest sacrifices in making these retend to remain disinterested in all European questions and particularly that Germany is not willing to regard the suffering and privation of 3,500,000 Germans with indifference.
We understand it when England and France support their interests and I should like to assure the statesmen ip Paris and London that there are also German interests which we are determined to support under all circumstances. May I recall my Reichstag address of 1933 in which I stated for the first time that there can arise national questions in which our course of conduct is clearly defined and that in such cases I would undergo every privation and danger than fail to pursue this course.
No European state has done more io preserve peace than Germany, nor has any made greater sacrifices. But it will be understood that even sacrifices have a limit. During the present year, Czechoslovakia planned after repeated postponements to hold at least local elections since Prague realized the impossibility of a further procrastination in this matter But fearing the unity of Germans and other nationalities, it was deemed necessary to resort to special measures in order to influence the election results. The Czechosloyak Government. decided that the only means tò gain this end would be the instilling of timidity through the display of brute force. In order to give this demonstration a plausible explanation Dr. Benes mobilized his troops under the pretense that Germany had mobilized her army and was on a point of invading the country I should like on this, occasion to make the following declar ration: The circulation of such men-dacians assertions is not new. About one year ago, the foreign press announced that 20,000 German soldiers had landed in Morocco. At that time, a declaration to the French Ambassador sufficed. On this latter occasion the lie was circulated over the world to the effect that German troops were at the Czechoslovak frontier,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.