The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-09-23
NEWSPAPERS OPINIONS
TERRoRs OF EUROPEAN CONDITIONS

And with this goes The last vestige of law in
Erope, the last shred of prestige of either Great
Britain or France, the last hope of settling any
thing by negotiation, compromise, treaty and law,
or by anything whatsoever except sheer brute
force.
And with it goes the last shred of respect for
what calls itself democracy" but what had plainly
degenerated into sheer personal government inside
the so-caled democratic great powers.
For who instructed Mr. Chamberlain to go to
Berchtesgaden? Who instructed him to embark
upon course which would prove to be irrevocable?
Under whose orders was he turning all Europe,
either over to fasciSm, or over to revolution and
war; or combination of the last two?
Under whose instruction was he personally dis
solving the League of Nations?
Not only did France and Britain desert Czech
oslovakia but they weakened her for defense in ad
vance; they encouraged her to delay; they under
mined the authority of her leaders at home-un-
dermined it, because what Czech today believes
that Mr. Benes and Mr.. Hodza were wise in trust
ing to the good will and honorable intentions of
France and Britain?
And now, finally, they have even broken down
her moral case They have put her in the position
where. in the minds of hundreds of thousands of
people, naturally ignorant of Czechoslovakia and
of central Europe. she, and not Germany. will be
considered the aggressor!
Not only have they assassinated her but they
have besmirched her character
Czechoslovakis never had ? propaganda minis
try until last week In all the years that have
been journalist have never received q single
piece Of literature unsolicited from the Czech gov
eminent! But know Czechosoovaka ! know
every country in Europe where there is a German
minority
But this Is not all, nor is it even, in the vide
view the most important thing.
Great Britain and France, by their action, have
aligned themselves on the side of the racial theories
of Hitler, against the conception of national SOW
ereignty for which Britain has consistently stood
and for which she must stand for sheer self-preser
walton.
The implications are appallng First of all,
Hitler's doctrine threatens with disintegration
every small state where there is a German popu-
lation, or any other racial NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.,
Belgium, Denmark, Poland, among the first; Ru-
mania, Yugoslavia, among the second.
And the British and French empires? The doc
trne applied to Czechosovaba by the British will
flare in Arabia and in Morocco, and throughout all
the colonies of both empires!
Germany will rule from the North to the Black
Sea-rule with her modified Nation in Arms, "
her concentration camps, her arbitrary law her
barter policy, which makes her parasite upon the
whole world economy and its chief underminer.
And that is not all.
The very thing that Britain has tried to stem
the awful theological war, with all its accompani-
ments of civil strife and revoution-has now been
let loose! The one thing that could have prevent
ed horrible conflict between fascism and COM
munism inside all countries the unquestioned
honor prestige, wisdom and courage of the great
democracies The great democracies today are
worth nothing whatsoever in the minds of the
common people of the world.
If it is possible to halt the internal dsintrega-
ton of France that will be a miracle.-DorOthy
Thompson in Greensboro News.