"Instead of that, he has taken the law into his own hands.—Before even the Czech President was confronted with demands that he had no power to resist, German troops were on the move, and, in a few hours, were in the Czech capital."
The Prime Minister described the position of the Czechs under the German regime, adding: "Who can fail to feel his heart go out in symnpathy to the proud, brave people who so suddenly have been subjected to these inflictions, whose liberties are curtailed and whose national independence has gone.
"What has become of these di claimers of no further territorial amditions? What has become of the assurances we do not want Czechs {in the Reich?" What regard has been ald here to the principle of self determination, concerning which Herr Hitler ' argued with vehemently at Berchtesgaden when asking for the severance of Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia?
"Does not the question inevitably arise that if it is so easy to discover ood reasons for ignoring assurances 80 solemnly and repeatedly given, what reliance can we place upon any other assurances that come from the same quarter.
"Is This the Endi "Events of this week, in their complete disregard of the principles laid down by the German Government itself, seem to fall into a different category and must cause us all to ask: is this the end of an old adventure or the beginning of a new one? It this a last attack upon a small State, or will it be followed others? Is this, in fact, a step in the direction of an attempt to dominate the world by force?"
"These are' grave, serious questions and Tam not going to answer them tonight. 1 am_ sure, however, that they will require the grave, serious consideration, not only of Germany's neighbours, but of others, perhaps. even beyond the confines of Europe.
"Already there are indications that the process has begun and it obvious that it is likely now to be speeded up.
"We ourselves turn naturally Orst to our partners in the British Com-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.