The sensational disclosures in the Yellow Book issued by the French Government, showing Herr Hitler's technique in negotiation with the small nations he wishes to subjugate, are not in the least surprising in view of all that has been heard during the past two years. The story of how President Hacha and Dr. Chvalkovsky, Foreign Minister were dragooned into signing away Czechoslovakia's existence is all of a piece with what occurred before and since. Under the threat of the wholesale mas-sacro of defenceless women and children by bombardment from the air, President Hacha decided to surrender. It does not seem that he could have done anything else, and much as he may deplore what he was forced to do, it has to be said in his favour that he did save the lives of thousands of innocent people. The threat to indulge in aerial bombardment was no idle one as history has since shown, for it was perfectly safe because there was little possibility of Czech retaliation. One of the main reasons why air-raids have not been made upon British and French cities, and towns is because Herr Hitler knows full well that he has only to start that sort of thing to invite immediate reprisals from the Allied forces. Mr. Chamberlain has made it quite clear that within the limits of ordinary decency blow for blow shall be struck with the Nazis, and the first occasion German aeroplanes bomb Britain, other than well-recognized military objectives, will bring retaliation in its train. For the reduction of Warsaw to the shambles it eventually became there was not the slightest excuse, for all the evidence points to the fact that the city was indiscriminately bombed in order to strike terror into the masses. Poland was unable to hit back. The Allies can and will, and they have shown that no fear of the air weapon existed when they insisted upon the restoration of Poland as a preliminary to their withholding their hand against Germany. The story told in the French Yellow Book is one of studied brutality, tending only further to besmirch the name of Nazi, and' to stain Herr Hitlers reputation with everlasting obloquy.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.