Evening star., 1938-05-23
Germany Reported
Moving Troops
From Border.
HOPE OF AVOIDING
WAR is BRIGHTER
Praha Believes Firm
Stand FOrestalled
Hitler Attack.
BY the Associated Press.

PRAHA, May 23-Konrad Henlein
leader of Czechoslovakia's autonomy
seeking Germanic minority, and Pre-
mier Milan Hodza met tonight in q
preliminary effort to settle their dis
pute, which had brought Europe dan
gerously near the brink of war.
Herr Henlein returned to the capital
by airplane late today and it was un-
derstood he had come from Vienna
where presumably he had seen Ger
man Nazi leaders. He arrived soon
after reports were received that Ger
man troops were withdrawing from
the Czechoslovak border. Hopes fol
averting a serious Central European
conflict were considered appreciably
brighter.
His talk with the Czechoslovak pre-
mier was considered a preliminary to
real peace negotiations between the
Praha government and the 100000
Sudeten Germans, for whom Henlein
considers himself spokesman.
Feel Victory Won.
A feeling that a victory had been
won prevailed in Praha, augmented by
the conviction that but for the obvious
determination of the Czechs to defend
their territory at all costs and against
all odds Germany's Adolf Hitler would
have made another lightning move.
Official circles and the general pub
lie expressed not only relief over re-
taxation of international tension, but
also pride that Czechoslovakia's de-
termined stand had helped thwart
Hitler.
The peaceful passing of yesterdays
municipal election day momentarily
eased Czechoslovakia' fear of war
with Germany, but the question Of
how her 3,500,000 Germanic minority
shall be governed remained unsolved
and full of trouble.
Credit Britain and France.
Czechoslovak leaders gave Britain
and France full credit for their inter-
cession in the interests Of peace, but
there was widespread satisfaction over
the Praha governments unhesitating
employment of troops to maintain in
ternal discipline and guard the re-
public's borders.
Some 100000 soldiers remained along
the 1,300-nile frontier, most of them
facing German territory, and Praha
authorities believed that force would
be sufficient to deter any incursion by
Hitler, self-proclaimed protector of
Germans everywhere, in any attempt
to make Czechoslovakia another
Austria.
Many Czechs are convinced-and
the belief is shared to a wide extent
by foreign diplomats-that Hitler's
army would have swept into the border
districts inhabited by Czechoslovakia's
Nazified Sudeten German minority
had not Praha acted with energy and
determination.
Satisfied by Ballot.
Government quarters expressed deep
satisfaction over the result of yester-
days balloting. The strong support
received by pro-government parties in
Czech communities was interpreted as
q vote of confidence for the govern
ments partial mobilization and for its
firm refusal to throw its French and
Soviet Russian alliances overheard for
the sake of peace with Germany.
Gains of the Sudeten German party
of Henlein in predominantly German
communities had been taken for
granted and discounted in advance.
Only municipal governing bodies
were affected by the Sudeten victories
so that it appeared there would be no
direct national effect therefrom.
Two Elections to Come.
The continued presence of troops at
vborder points, with always the chance
of an incident that could set of
trouble, and two more municipal elec-
ton days to come-one next Sunday
and one June IL to complete voting
in all regions-were factors of danger.
Among the 1900 communities which
voted yesterday, 48 were predominant
" German, and four of these in West
ern Czechoslovakia were classed as
cities.
In the cities alone, the Sudeten
Germans increased their Municipal
Council seats from SO to los; in the
same cities, Communists dropped from
IA to 5. The United German Demo-
cratic party, non-Nazi, dropped from
28 to IS.
The Czech National Socialist party.
slightly to the Left Of Center and
comparable to the French Radical So
ialist party, made gains OF Is to 20
per cent.
In Praha, this party polled $4,000
votes as compared with 100000 IN
. 1881, and emerged the strongest party
Communists there were next with
$1,000 votes.
Czech Towns Swing Left.
On the whole 1t appeared from
not fully complete returns that the
Sudetens gained In Germanic towns,
whereas the predominantly Czech
communities swung toward the mod
crate left.
, Fully aware of the dangers OF the
situation, provoked by the fatal
shooting of two Sudeten Germans
along the border on Friday. Czecho-
slovak government spokesmen felt
that generally there was an easing
Of tension.
This emergency will pass of peace
fully" one official said.
Nevertheless, the cabinets Political
Committee met at length yesterday
to discuss national defense, and Pre-
mier Hodza met with three Sude
ten German members Of Parlia-
ment in an effort to create q more
favorable atmosphere for forthcom-
ing negotiations over the proposed
nationalists' statute, which the gov
ernment hopes will satisfy minority
demands.