Evening star., 1938-09-12
PRAGUE PREPARES
FOR MARTIAL LAW
Order Will Be Issued If Hitler
Speech Stirs Sudeten
Disorder. g.. y.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
; PRAGUE, Sept. 12.-The Csecho-
!, slovak government today reached de-
, cision to invoke martial law in sections
. Of the sudeten German region tonight
. If serious disorders develop following
, Reichsfuehrer Hitler's Nurnberg
, speech.
Martial law will be imposed "only In
case Of extreme necessity" according
to the decision reached by Premier
Milan Hodza and his chief ministers.
But In government Offices 1t was said
that order would be maintained at all
costs.
A meeting of the governments inner
council heard report by Josef Cerny,
minister Of interior, concerning dis
orders in the Sudeten districts last
night, where NaI fervor reached new
heights.
Troops Held in Readiness.
Meanwhile the little, republic, fear
ing bitter and threatening speech by
Hitler, kept her troops in readiness
along her border with Germany.
Last night the Sudeten Germans,
in q series of demonstrations in many
towns and cities, chorused demands
for plebiscite on Sudeten autonomy.
They also appeared to be raising ap
issue of Saving Czechoslovakia from
Communism"
Although the Communists hold but
As Of the 400 seats in the Czechoslovak
Parliament and no cabinet positions,
the Sudetens pointed to the republics
alliance with Soviet Russia as pos
sible evidence Of Communistic infu-
ence.
This was in line with charges re-
peatedly carried in the German press
great numbers of wsrplanes from Rus
sia were being maintained in secret
hangers in Czechoslovakia.
Excitement Mounting.
Developments in the Sudeten terri
tory reflected mounting excitement.
measures had been taken to resist any
display by force by Germany in the
dispute between Prague and the au-
tonomy demanding Sudeten Germans,
but reiterated there had been no gen.
eral mobilization.
They said no military measures such
as Strengthening of garrisons in the
Sudeten regions were contemplated,
nor was 1t considered necessary to have
soldiers on patrol.
But Cerny was empowered to take
drastic action tonight without further
consultation with other members of
the government.
The government decided to rely
chiefly on the civil authorities. It was
hoped that the police would be ade-
quate to meet any emergency.
Papers Show Tension.
Czechoslovak newspapers reflected
increasing tension as the hour for
Hitler's speech approached. 1t was
awaited as a pronouncement that
might mean war or peace in Europe.
The powerful Prague newspaper,
Abendzeitung, declared:
Tension is at the boiling point.
Political excitement has reached un-
believable heights. The address OF
Hitler is awaited with almost un-
bearable tension
The newspaper also asserted the
situation had become more acute be-
cause of Threatening and irrecon-
cilable voices emanating from Berlin"
Thousands of Czechoslovaks thronged
Prague streets, eagerly studying re-
ports Of possible German action and
the stand taken by England and
France
Eight policemen were injured in
street fighting at Liberec after q
crowd, singing Deutschland Uber
Allies" and other German songs,
clashed with police. Four demonstra-
tors were arrested.
In Prague youth wearing white
socks, regarded as the Sudeten emblem,
was attacked in downtown street. A
Czech challenged the youth and an
alteration developed, causing crowd
of several hundred to gather. Police
rescued the youth and dispersed the
crowd
Disturbances late last night seemed
to spread over a wider region, with in
Maehr. Trjebau, Teplitz-Schoenau
Joachimstahl, Muegliz, Harmanitz and
Winterberg.
Police to Act Drastically.
Police in the Sudeten regions were