1938-05-24 — Page 10

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The China Mail

Ninety-Third Year of Publication

THE CHINA MAIL, MAY 24, 1988.

with Masaryk as President in which only half the population were Czechs, with the remainder Slovaks, Germans, Ruthenians, Poles, Magyars. There were more Germans than Slovaks, and it Deutsch

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problem that has most persistent- ly threatened Czechoslovakian in- tegrity. Subsequent to the an- nual meeting of the Sudeten

and into

7, Garrick Street, London, W.C.2. Deutsch Party its leader, Konrad Henlein, presented demands call- ing for virtually nothing less Notice To Contributors.

than complete autonomy enter All communications intended for their slowness to

negotiations is not an encouraging publication should be addressed to factor. The Czechoslovakia Gov- ernment had already offered con- cessions to the German minority, the Editor, and be accompanied by but these could hardly have aim- ed at satisfying demands for re- the Writer's Name and Address, cognition of the Germans as a

not necessarily for insertion but as corporative group with politico-

racial ties to the Third Reich.

a guarantee of good faith.

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What the Czech leaders fear to-day is the possibility of a sep- aratist movement among these Germans, or indeed, a co-operative movement between them and the German Government to bring about disintegration of the Cze- choslovakian state. In almost any European country where con- siderable minorities live except Bulgaria-there are aspects of which ex- minority treatment Hong Kong, Tuesday, May 24, 1938. plain the unrest among them. In

Postage Abroad Extra

CZECHO-SLOVAKIA CRISIS

sequences

guarantees

-

re-

matters of language, schooling, religion and ordinary everyday

bread-winning, the minority laws

or the abuse of them make living at least disagreeable and at worst

Moreover, the Czechs, who have

It is too much to hope that the impossible for subject peoples.

In Czechoslovakia the minorit- momentary easing of tension be-ies are relatively well treated; and Czecho-better treated, for instance, than tween Germany Slovakia has removed the peril of in Poland with which Germany has a political understanding; events which, if they develop, better treated by far than Ger- can only have the gravest con-manic peoples have been in the for the whole of South Tyrol where Herr Hitler's Europe. The main issue remains Italian ally rules. But in Czecho slovakia the need to assimilate to provide the risk of provocative the racial minorities into that cul- acts in a situation described as tural unity which is felt to be re- "at the mercy of any incident."quired for the preservation of the state has supplied at least The Sudeten Germans have

excuses for the militant attitude fused to enter into negotiations of the Henlein group and for until certain

are Herr Hitler's interest in this which the Germanic minority. given, guarantees Czech Government (supported by dominated in national affairs, the British Government) feels have been more intent on main- should form one of the subjects taining prices of agricultural pro- ducts for the farmer than in of negotiations.

Herr sustaining export trade for the How much pressure Hitler is prepared to bring industrialists. This policy has hit Europe particularly hard that section of question Czechoslovakia where most of its : biggest mark? It is generally accepted the German-speaking people live that the German desire is for a Bohemia, which has always de peaceful solution. What is not so pended on outside trade. If an obvious, in a confusing situation, industrialist is a Czech, he com- is how far events may dictate plains of this policy as one fav- themselves, having regard to the ouring farmers at industry's ex- stand Herr Hitler has taken on pense. But if he is a German, the Sudeten problem. Clearly, the he may think of it as racial op- Fuehrer has no incentive to re-pression...

The fall of Vienna to the peat the methods employed in Austria. "Almost immediately National Socialists has the sig- after the Austrian coup, the in-nal for many minority groups ternal problems of the Czech in Czechoslovakia to push their state began to increase. A state various demands against the

Slovaks that can be destroyed from with-state. Even the in need not be attacked from 2,300,000 strong-have talked of without. A group of Pan-Slavic local autonomy, and the 700,000 intellectuals were working along Hungarians who live in the same this line in the early years of section of the country have join- the World War, aiming to dis-ed them, but with a hope to carry rupt the Austro-Hungarian Em-the demands to the point of sep- pire through political exploitation aratism.

to bear with

95

·

provides.

of its many racial minorities, all This, then, is the character of of whom felt themselves oppress- the problem Czechoslovakia faces Cze- to-day, as the demands of the ed by the Hapsburg yoke. choslovakia is similarly compos-Germanic minority become in- ed of racial dynamite.

creasingly articulate. It is a By one of those troublesome question of preserving the Cze bits of irony of which war is al-choslovakian state from disinte- ways. productive, the Masaryk-gration rather than from attack, Wilson relationship, which is said though to what extent the dis- to have inspired President Wilson integration is really part of the with his self-determination idea, attack is a point that only his- resulted in setting up a state tory will clear up.