Evening star., 1938-05-03
ENGLAND SEEKING
CzECH-NAz|PEACE
Work Is Begun After italian
Accord Sealed in Bitter
Parliament Session.
~ the Associated Press.


LONDON, May 3-With Anglo
italian friendship oficially sealed by
House of Commons approval, Prime
Minister Chamberlain turned today to
Berlin and Praha in an effort to get
the Czechs and Germans to shake
hands.
The first step in the approach to
Praha, in an effort to settle the
clamor for self-government by Nazis
among the 3,500,000 German minority,
was taken in a lengthy conference
yesterday between Jan Masaryk, the
Czech Minister to London, and Wis.,
count Halifax. foreign minister.
Observers said Masaryk would in
form his government today of the
British governments belief that COM
promise was necessary.
Britain, with French collaboration,
likewise hopes by diplomatic means to
get German aid in asking the Sudeten
Man leader, Konrad Henlein, to modi-
~ his demands to the Czech govern
ment tfor change in the Czech
foreign policy, swerving from alliance
with France to friendliness with Ger
many, and for full political conces-
sions to the German Czechs).
Awaits Hitlers Return.
This effort, however, likely will not
be made until after Fuehrer Hitler
returns from his visit to Premier Mus
solini in Italy.
The utmost caution is being OBJ.
served in the Anglo French negotia-
items with the Czechs and Germans,
for fear a sudden breakdown would
sndanger achievement of Premier
Chamberlain's ultimate goal-a gen.
eral European peace accord with Italy,
Germany, France and Britain as prin-
cipal signatories.
Chamberlain, victorious in rough
and tumble parliamentary debate on
the Anglo-Italian accord yesterday,
did not mention Germany, but he left
little doubt of his desire for a peace
understanding with the Nazi action.
The House voted, 3l6 to lO8, to
indorse the new treaty with Italy,
after labor motion to renounce the
0SNoAo was uCICdlCd, CGA W l1U.
Laborites and Liberals flayed the
premier because of his warm praise
for Fascist Italy as "a new Italy,
which under stimulus of the per-
sonality Of Signor Mussolini is show
ing new vigor in which there is ap-
parent new vision and new efficiency
In administration"
Betrayal Of Ethiopia
The opposition. without a chance
Of defeating the Italian agreement.
assailed 1t also as a betrayal Of
Ethiopia and the legitimate Spanish
government"
The Spanish reference was directed
At the fact that the Anglo Italian
agreement will not be effective until
. Spanish settlement"
The prime minister had an uneasy
time when the opposition demanded
to know what he meant by Spanish
settlement" but he refused to say
what they were trying to make him
say-victory for the insurgents.
He said he did not believe there
could be general appeasement until
the Spanish question was settled,
adding that was the reason why
Spanish settlement" was made
prerequisite to the Anglo-Italian pact.
A biting climax to the debate came
as Opposition Leader Clement Atlee
denounced the Prime Minister, saying
he could not believe Chamberlain
would have put his hand to so dis
honorable a document
Czechs Map Compromise.
PRAHA, Czechoslovakia, May 3 L4p.
Premier Milan Hodza was under
stood last night to be planning modi-
hcation of his minorities statute |
drafted to meet demands of Czecho-
slovakia's German population.
1t was said authoritatively that |
negotiations with Czechoslovakia's s
$500 900 Germans would precede the
final draft Of the premier's statute.
but only on the condition that Kon-
rad Henlein, Sudeten German leader,
would be willing to consider his de-
mands as the maximum and not the
minimum wanted by his followers.
The general impression was that
the government would show the ut
most willingness to arrive at a COM
promise and would grant the minori-
ties demands If at all reconcilable
with the sovereignty of the state, its
democratic principles and the honor
Of the nation.