Evening star., 1938-09-20
Prague
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where is men were said to have sur
rounded the customs house and bom-
barded 1t with grenades.
Here Czechoslovak officials barri-
caded themselves and made no fur
ther effort to defend themselves until
rocket signals brought help from q
gendarmerie patrol.
Prague authorities said there was
no doubt that the attacking forces
came from Germany. All appeared
to be dressed in civilian clothes.
The authorities said they had evil
dence that number of the invaders
were members of Konrad Henlein's
free corps the mission of which ap-
parently is to harass the frontier.
Martial Law Extended.
After reports of the border clashes
Prague promptly clapped martial law
on three more Sudeten districts, in
cluding much of the territory north
OF Aussig, Sudeten party stronghold.
Although the border fighting brought
new worries to the Prague government
Its flrst concern remained formulation
OF an answer to the Anglo French
proposals, but the reply was not known
this afternoon.
The cabinet went into session at
kolowrat Palace at 1870 am. $3.50
am. E. S. TJ with President Eduard
Benes absent. but what was taking
place in the council chamber remained
a secret.
Because the President was not 1t.
tending it was believe dthe govern
ment was not ready to draft its iinal
conclusions.
Powers Contacted.
At KoloWrat Palace Is was said tnat
the government was in diplomatic
contact with several powers. F.ance.
Britain. Soviet Russia and Poland
were mentioned. All morning automo-
biles bearing top-hatted diplomats
rolled into the cobble- stoned palace
courtyard.
Prague, while generally feeling it had
been let down" by Britain and France,
retained its outward calm. There we're
few manifestations of feeling toward
the two democratic powers, but by and
large the citizens were withholding
judgment until the Chamberlain -Da-
ladier plan was disclosed officiall.
Even Prague's stock exchange re-
mained calm. Stocks of companies in
interior Bohemia were firm, but shares
of companies in the Sudeten German
region were notably weaker
Three-Point Suggestion.
Semi-of1cial circles declared the
suggestions submitted to the Prague
government contained these three
points:
l. Outright grant OF all the Sudeten
regions "predominantly German" to
Germany. The proposal was under
stood to specify cities in which Hen
leins party candidates polled 10 per
cent of the votes in the last municipal
elections. This likely would deprive
the nation of much of its big textile
industry. many of its porcelain, glass
and musical instrument factories.
z. Naturalization Of all Czechoslo-
Vakla, Wiplng out her obligatio as
an ally of France and Soviet Russia
but maintaining obligations of those
nations toward her.
5. The entry of England into a pact
with France and Russia to guarantee
the new borders of the republic. Some
reports, unconfirmed here, said all
Czechoslovakia's neighbors, including
Germany, were to be proposed as
guarantors.
Each Paragraph Discussed.
The cabinet discussed each para
graph OF the plan separately and con-
clusively, political sources said, with
out arriving at definite decision be-
fore renewed conversations today.
When the clause on guarantee of
proposed new borders was read, sources
close to the cabinet asserted, the min
listers burst into bitter laughter.
The authoritative newspaper, Ii
dova Noviny, which through its diplo-
matte editor, Hubert Ripka, often re-
fleets the foreign Office viewpoint de-
clared:
If the guarantees of borders made
to us 20 years ago are invalid To-Day
what assurance have We that promises
made now will be kept in the future?"
Citizens Grow Restless.
While the cabinet debated diplomatic
policies, the citizens of Prague became
increasingly restless under the ten
sion.
Warnings Of demonstrations against
the Franco-British role in the negotia.
tions brought extra squads of police
in huge. open buses into the downtown
area Of the city. Crowds thronged the
principal streets last night, but there
were no demonstrations.
Otnials at the American Legation
said construction work OF bombproof
shelter was progressing. A hasty CEN
sus disclosed approximately TOO per-
sons in Prague claiming direct Ameri-
IAN citizenship. Besides these, about
500 in the country, many of them
speaking only Czech or German, NAV
claim protection because they were
BORN in the United States.
The legation maintained constant
communication with the foreign min
stry, but said it was not necessarv