Sept.
Failure of Herr Hitler to make any specific reference to the Czechoslovakian crisis, in his declaration at Nuremberg on Tuesday may have come as a disappointment to many, but was not entirely unexpected. It docs no* mean that Der Fuehrer is taking no interest jin the matter, or that in the ultimate result voice will riot be largely heard. He is still to be recognized as the mainspring of {the Sudeten German agitation, and the cause for the adamant stubbornness with which Herr Henlein's party persist in adhering to their original demands without any modification up to the present. It was in all proba~ bility the announcement of further conces~ Isions on the part of the Czechoslovakian Government which had some effect in deciding when Herr Hitler would make his anxiously awaited statement, though, in all fairness, there has really been nothing to suggest that he would at any time during the Nuremberg conference make any re~ ference to the crisis, and the meeting may still pass without him doing so. On the other: thand it may not be inapropos to consider the Hechnique which is being applied. While it may be true that the manceuvres which are now being held in Germany were undertaken jin the ordinary course of things, there will not be the slightest doubt in world public opinion that the enormous bodies of men involved, and the timing have a direct connection with the Czechoslovakian crisis. They' were designed to bring the greatest possible pressure upon the Czechs, and, perhaps, Fiance and Great Britain to force the complete surrender which Herr Henlein has in fact consistently demanded. The arrival of Lord Runciman to make a study of the [question, and the activities in which he has since been engaged, have undoubtedly ha the result of modifying the outlook of the Czechoslovakian Government, and to a large extent that change must be attributed to the mollifying influences which the British statesman has been able to bring to bear on a considerably exacerbated situation, The Czechoslovakian Government's proposals, details of which are published today in another column, are held almost complete-to satisfy Herr Henlein's demands. They do not entirely do so, and it was never to be expected that they would, for, if they did, it would be tantamount to a surrender of the functions of government by Dr. Hodza, Jand an abnegation of constitutional rights. [Probably the most important concession is that which provides for the creation of an equality of national status on the basis of national autonomy, by the introduction of the system of cantons, whereby Germans would enjoy self-government within territories with a German majority, though this, the Government suggests, should be accompanied by effective guarantees of the integrity of the frontier and unity of the state. Adequate protection of Germans in territories where they are not in the majority is amply provided for in the rest of the suggested prov-sions. They do not as reported appear to give the Sudeten Germans that equality in state matters which, while it was not actually demanded in the Carlsbad declaration, has been referred to by Sudeten leaders on occasion since, but it is apparent that even in this respect the principle of proportional employment of officials according to population goes some distance towards satisfying requirements. Nevertheless taking the concession as a whole it is dificult to see how much further the Czechoslovakian Government could have gone without the complete surrender which it is apparent the Government, in face of Czechoslovakian public opinion, dares not make. What then is Herr Hitler's' position? If by his silence, and the eloquent pressure of the massed forces in Germany he hopes to bring about even a greater change in the government's attitude he is likely to be disappointed. 11 is not to be assumed that what has been done is wholly the result of that pressure, for both France and Great Britain have been using powerful influence with Prague. They have succeeded in inducing Dr. Hodza to go so far towards compromise that it appears but a small step for the Sudeten Germans now to meet him, If it is going to be true in this instance that appetite grows with eating, there is a grave danger that this latest development instead of tending towards an carly peaceful settlement lof the whole affair, may either see it postponed while even more concessions are sought, or continue that state of tension in which anything might happen. It has not been an easy task to persuade Dr. Hodza to go as far as he already has; it will be even more difficult to induce him to go further, for behind him are the Czechs, and at least a substantial portion of the Slovaks, who are likely to be resentful of any further concessions which might savour of humiliation. There is every reason now for suggesting that the issue is squarely before Herren Hitler and Henlein, and more cularly upon the former does the responsibility of deciding what is to be the future course of events. If now it is impossible to effect a compromise, it will be because it never has been possible, and was never contemplated as probable settlement of the issue. That can be the only conclusion to be drawn in view of the history of the last few weeks, and if for the moment the doctrine of the fait accompli has had to be abandoned in view of the Anglo-French stand, it would appear that the newer technique consists of maintaining such an atmosphere of anxiety and un certainty that the situation will eventually become intolerable. The danger lies not so much in Herr Hitler's silence, nor the stubborn intransigeance of the Sudeten Germans, so stubborn that it is difficult to believe a settlement other than complete surrender will ever prove acceptable, but in the enormous amount of pressure that the threat of somewhere in the neighbourhood of 2,000,000 men under arms in Germany must of necessity exert. It is, of course, one of those paradoxes of this very strange present day world that nations sincerely desiring peace, should resort to the silent threat of war for the purpose of achieving their ends. Nevertheless, as the result of a combination of pressure, and the good offices of France and Great Britain, a considerable distance has been gone towards satisfying the proper aspirations of the Sideten Germans, and the. two western European Powers concerned will have nothing to reproach themselves with if, even now, matters take a turn for the worse,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.