Evening star., 1938-10-02
History of Czechosovaka Cast the Shadow of Coming Events
Republics Birth in 1913
Followed Bitter STRUGGLE
Seeds of Independence Sown Before War
Bear Final Fruit but Its Future
Again Is Jeopardized.

released after q short period Of i'm
prisonment.
He now devoted himself with new
zeal to the organization Of his party
and the elaboration Of his program
and philosophy as set forth in his
book "Mein Kampf." Hitler proposed
for Germany a new national exist
ence in which a nation economically
improved in condition would step out
Of the straitjacket placed on 1t by the
treaty Of Versailles and bring together
under its aegis all of the German
blood In new Reich.
Economic stringency and the growth
Of Communism drove increasingly
large numbers into the ranks Of the
National Socialist party. The party
took on the form of a state within
state, raised its own armed forces and
gradually began to be more conspicu-
Gus and influential. Coming to power
as chancellor in 1888 under President
Hindenburg, Hitler demanded and re-
ceived an unlimited grant Of power.
When Hindenburg died, the power Of
the state was so thoroughly concen-
trated in the hands of the Fuehrer
that no attempt was made to fill the
presidential Office. With Hitler as the
head Of the state, what had been the
proposals Of a party leader seeking
power in "Mein Kampf" now became a
compact with destiny. Recalling that
National Socialism as state is but
five and half years old, its achieve
ments have been amazing.
Objectives Completely Altered.
Coming into power the same time
as President Roosevelt, Adolf Hitler
has completely changed the objectives
of the German state. He has recon-
structed the German army, navy and
air force and turned all of the re-
sources of the nation toward their
development. He has reoccupied the
Rhineland, reclaimed the Saar Valley
by plebiscite, annexed Austria and
given to every community Of Germans
outside his frontier the lively hope
Of being brought into actual union
with his Reich. This development in
Germany, so quickly and incompletely
sketched, made more critical than
ever the minorities problem of the
Czech state.
The Germans Of the Sudeten area
and throughout Bohemia began to
receive the support they had sought
but not received In 1918. Under
Konrad Henlein the Bohemian Ger
mans were organized and placed in
close collaboration with the German
Nazis. Inf1ammatory speeches on
both sides of the frontier, pointed
references to passages in "Mein
Kampf," the increasing tension of
border incidents and the annexation
Of Austria began to point toward an
approaching crisis. The Czechs were
not unprepared. Their natural bar
riers were well supplemented by
Notifications, their army was numer-
Gus and we'll trained and the great
Skoda organization was one OF the
best arms manufacturers; In Europe.
Daplo m Atacally. Csechcsiovakia
thought she could, depend on France
France In turn had IA alliance with
the Soviet and had but recently tight
ened her understanding with England
On the other hand, Germany could
depend on her partner In the Rome
Berlin axis and, likewise, receive sup
port from the demands which might
be made simultaneously on Czecho-
slovakia by other states such as Poland
and Hungary.
Henlein Demands Autonomy.
| In the late spring of 1888 a condi-
ton of the gravest tension began tc
develop. When the CZechoslovaE
Premier Hodza called in Henlein to
hear his terms, the Sudeten leader
demanded autonomy for his people
revision Of Czech foreign policy te
accord with that of Germany and the
elimination of the concept of the Ger
mans as a minority. With these In
mind, the Czechoslovakian government
began to formulate its proposals which
took the form of a proposed ma
tionalities statute which created within
the state a group of provinces. Within
these provinces arrangements were to
be made for governmental recognition
and participation of the various racial
groups.
On July 16 the Germans alleged
that the Czechs were concentrating
troops on the frontier and Europe was
Immediately thrown into q war scare.
Meanwhile, the demands of the Su-
detens were increasing and the in
ability or the unwillingness of the
Czechs to accede becoming more and
more apparent. As far back as July
~ the proposal was made and re-
jected that Great Britain and France
sponsor the arbitration of the ques-
ton by the four great powers.
To save the peace Of Europe, Great
Britain urged the Czechs to grant
as much as possible. In late July Lord
Runciman went to Prague with the
agreement Of the French to ask the
Czechs for as liberal concessions as
possible.
The speech Of Sir John Simon at
Lanark in late August indicated clearly
enough that Lord Runciman's negotia-
tions had not succeeded. Early in