The Washington times., 1938-09-27
AN ANGRY DAVID.
FACES GOLIATH.
SURE OF STAND.
Nation, Unafraid, Rests
On Its Arms
By H. r. KNICKERBOCKER
Copyright, 1880

By H, r. KNICKERBOCKER
Copyright, 1880
PRAGUE, Sept. 81 GN.SO.
David faced Goliath today, with
no fear.
Czechoslovakia will not sur
render to Hitler.
Conscious that she has yiel9eo
and is ready still to yield every
thing for peace except her ma.
tional existence, she is willing, II
necessary, to become another
Serbia.
But she feels that If this grim
fate is hers, she will still come out
of the purgatory nation.
That is the national reaction
today In this nation in arms,
which gripped its weapons tighter
after hearing Chancellor Hitler
curse its beloved President Ed
uard BeneS, revile the Czech peo-
pie, declare their state a criminal
monstrosity and swear that U.s.
100000 Germans four days from
now would bring to bear the
might of the greatest single mill
tary machine in Europe to de-
Stroy them.
Extinction Threatened
For no Czech could read any
other meaning out of Hitler's dec
laration. Hitler declared they were
created only to threaten the ma
tional life of Germany. but said
he did not want them in Germany
and concluded that he intended
to settle the Czechoslovakian PROB
lem now-once and for all.
It remained for listeners here
to infer that when the German
army strikes, it will set no less a
goal than the extinction Of Czech
oslovakia.
But Hitler errs in setting a ratio
of ten to one in his favor. Foreign
military experts estimate tn e
Czechoslovakia soldiers now mobll'
lied stand at a ratio of not worse
Chan one TO Cnree.
The Germans at this moment
probably have got maximum OF
2,5OO,000. When Germany moblI'
ICES fully, she may put another
million into the field at once. But
against her, unless all signs fail,
will be hurled Immediately 2,O00I'
900 modified Frenchmen, with
100000 more trained French re"
serves in the background, and all
the vast, inestimable power Of the
Soviet Red army.
Blockade Is Ace
In addition Britain's navy may
once more set in action the
weapon that eventually brought
imperial Germany to her knees
in the World War-the blockade.
Czechosovakia listened to Hit
1er's speech in complete dark
ness. Prague was "blacked out" !"
The nation was compelled to take
into account the possibility Of a
Knockout air attack even while
Hitler spoke.
But blacker than the night were
the words they heard, shouted by
a strained voice which, many OBJ
served, was for the first time in
TIitler's career tremulouS, and in
its tone belied the firmness of his
threat to plunge himself, his ma
ton and all Europe into a war
which every thinking man on this
continent in convinced would
mean the end of Hitler, the end
of the Nazi party, the end Of
Germany.
This frightfuI future seemed
to many here to have shaken the
nerve of the man who has already
created a greater German empire
than ever existed before without
firing a shot, and who now with
out fighting has been offered all
he ever claimed he wanted.
The most fateful step, it was
realized here, was fixing the ulti
matum for October l, for now Hit
Ter has cut behind him the bridge
Of possible retreat.
Once more, however, the Czecho
slovak government in reply to Hit
1er'S demands made clear that ii
is willing to consider even the
Berchtesgaden proposals as a basis
of further negotiations.
These were Hitler's original de
mands and, involving the loss Of
q large, strategically vital strip o1
territory, were accepted by Prague
only under the most extreme pres
sure Of the allies.
Willing to Sacrifice
Yet today, in the face of Hit