If Necessary; Minister's Assurance Paris, May 2:
An authoritative denial was given today to a report, widely published abroad, attributing to the spokesman for the French Foreign Office the statement that "if Germai crosses the Czech frontier, that will automa-ar{ a war, and that France the utmost help to slovakia if she is the victim of gression."
Dismay and concern prevails in all European chancelleries as a result of the growingly critical situation in Czechoslovakia. Rumours that Polish and Hungarian troops are massing on the Czechoslovakian' borders are spreading like wildfire, but hitherto no confirmation of these sensational reports are available. A very close watch, however, is being kept on the attitude of Warsaw and Budapest.
The situation, according to well-informed German circles in Berlin, doubtless gives cause for anxiety, but it is not hopeless yet. The Czech attitude, in the face of the Sudeten Deutsche demands, will in the opinion of good judges, result in German intervention unless the attitude is modified at the last moment, It is considered possible, however, that the Czech attitude has been adopted as a prelude to the talk which, it is still hoped. will take it was emphasized that no such statement was made. The publication of such a statement at the present grave junctui was deprecated, although it was admitted that the statement represented the truth.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.