Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-08-21
RUNC|MAN SILENT
0NM|SS|ON BASIS
Sudeten Dispute Difficult
Because of Triangular
Character.
BY WILLIAM BIRD.

as the honest broker" seeking to find
q compromise satisfactory to all
parties in the Czech minorities ques-
ton, has now been in Praha about
month, gathering information As yet
he has given no hint Of the basis
on which he expects to found the
projected compromise.
A great many people who have
given no very profound study to the
problem Of the Sudeten-l eutsch popu-
lation of Czechoslovakia may imagine
that the whole business can be settled
by spirit Of give and take" and
that all Lord Runciman has to do is
to persuade all concerned to be reason
able and look at the question from
the ''other fellows" point of view.
They consider the question to be
analogous. let us say, to dispute be-
tween the United States and Canada
over water rights in the Niagara
River. dispute in which large in
terests might be at stake. but which
unquestionably could and would be
settled, if not by negotiation, BY
arbitration.
Task Would Seem Easy.
On such an analogy, Lord Runci-
mans task would seem an easy one.
He would only have to see the leaders
on each side of the question and by
astute questioning ascertain what con-
cessions they were willing to make In
the interest Of appeasement. Compar-
ing the concessions on one side and
the other, he would then be able to
say: Gentlemen, the points remain
ing in dispute are indeed trivial
You cannot, as reasonable men, pro-
long the conflict for 50 picayune a
cause. propose that we cut the
apple in two, split the difference. and
all shake hands and 60 back to our
jobs"
Unfortunately, the Czech problem
Is not like that at all. To begin
with. there are not only two parties
to the dispute, but at least three:
the Czech government, the Sudeten
minority Henlein party and the
German government, and everybody
knows by experience how much hard
er 1t is to settle triangular fieht
than a two-sided one.
We're the German government to
wash Its hands Of the whole business
we could confidently expect that Lord
Runciman would settle the matter
very promptly. Were Hitler to tell
Henlein: 1.-THE whole dispute is one
between you and the Czech govern
ment. I wish you luck, but cannot
help you. as have no right to in
terfere in the internal concerns of
another nation" there can be no
doubt that Henlein would very
quickly become reasonable. Like any
party leader. he would be willing to
take what he could get, and try to
get more another day.
Hitler Bars Peaceful Solution.
But that is not at all Hitlers at
titude. 1t is hardly too much to
say that not only does Hitler stand
ready to block any settlement at all,
however far the Czech government
may consent to go in the way of con-
cessions to the Germanic minority, but
that the whole quarrel was made in
Germany" and that Hitler no more
desires a peaceable solution than he
wishes q reasonable" compromise in
the Spanish Civil war.
1t is perilous, perhaps. to risk pre-
dictionS when Lord Runciman has
hardly as yet outlined the plan Of
his work, but it seems evident from
the nature of the problem itself that
any efforts at compromise are bound
to fail, and that Lord Runciman will
eventually-say, about Christmas
time-have to acknowledge that his
efforts have been fruitless. 1t may
be, OF course, that neither Lord Run
Gilman nor Prime Minister Chamber
lain, who delegated him to the task,
had any other expectation, but that
the whole idea of British mediation
was simply a device for gaining time,
and for preventing the issue from
coming to q head until winter.
Wars rarely start in winter time,
and, If we can adjourn decisions until
this month Of August is over, and
perhaps September as well, the chance
Of preserving semblance Of peace
for another few months will be con-
siderable.
The Chamberlain policy-it was, in
deed. the issue on which he split with
Anthony Eden-has been to play for
time. He has adopted that policy In
his dealings with Italy and with
Generalissimo Franco. Negotiations
have been allowed to drag along.
Thsse tactics have caused Mr.. Cham
berlain to be accused Of prot German
ism, pro- ascism, pro-Francoism, tim
idity and even cowardice.
But even those who would most ar
IDENTIFY have w1hed to see England
take . holder stand are obliged to
admit that II = . question of%judg-