The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-03-15

adversary of the day no which a year ago Hitler entered Vienna, capital of his native Austria, in triumph and announced to the people:
 "At this hour can report t. the German people the completion of the most important act of my life. As leader and chancellor of the Ger man nation and the Reich I report before history the entry of my hol- and into the German Reich"
 Today, in the first departure he ever had made from the program set forth in his political testament, "Mein Kampf," Hitler had taken non- German people under his pro- lection. It had been his argument that 8 weakness of the old Austro- Hungarian empire had been its mosiac of non-sympathetic races.
 New Hitler Triumph
 At dawn today came the series of announcements of the new Triumph of the Austrian born Hitler.
 First came the formal con- munique announcing the Nazi pro- tectorate over Czech territory. It was issued in the form of state- ment signed by Hitler, President Hacha and Foreign Ministers Rib bentrop and Chvalkovsky.
 The main aim of all efforts, this statement said, must be to secure order, quiet and peace in "this part of central Europe" It continued that Hacha had "trustingly" put the fate of his people and state into Hitler's hands to secure this aim and that Hitler had accepted.
 Next came an order from Hitler to the army.
 "Czechoslovakia finds itself in state of dissolution" 1t said.
 "Unbearable terror rules over our German comrades. Beginning March IS, therefore, units of the German army and air. force will commence their entry into Czech state terri tory in order to secure the life and property of all residents indis- criminately."
 Will of German People
 Hitler ordered his men to regard themselves not as enemy troops in an occupied territory, but as the bearers of the will of the German government to establish order.
 Wherever the march meets re- sistance 1t shall be broken imme- diately by every means" Hitler or dered.
 To this order there was an offi- cial addition:
 "The Prague government has giv- en orders that no resistance shall be made to the entry of German troops, whose orders in every case are to be obeyed." To complete the official basis for the occupation and the German pro- tectorate, Hitler issued a proclama- tion to the German people which Propaganda Minister Goebbels read over the radio at 6 a. m. (midnight Tuesday, EST).
 Hitler told his people that Ger man troops were marching into Bo- hemia and Moravia to disarm "ter- roristic gangsters there and the mili- tary forces protecting them."
 "As reaction against these re- newed attacks on their freedom na- tional groups have separated from Prague" he said. Herewith Czech- oslovakia ceased to exist"
 He continued to charge terrorism against Germans and to say:
 "A continuation of this condition must lead to the destruction of the last vestige of order in territory in which Germany is vitally interested nay, which for more than a thou sand years belonged to the Ger man Reich.
 Let German Troops March
 "In order definitely to eliminate this menace to peace and in order to create the prerequisites for the nec- essary new regulations in this area I have decided as of today to let German troops march in Bohemia and Moravia.
 "They will disarm terroristic gangs and the military forces who protect them and will thus protect the lives of all who are menaced, and will secure the basis for the in- troduction of 8 new, fundamental settlement which will do justice to a thousand years of history and to the practical needs of the German and Czech people"
 This proclamation was imme- diately supplemented by the na- nouncement of the army high com- mand that German infantry and airplanes had crossed the frontier this morning.
 In indication that the occupation would be effected by zones, as was done after the Munich agreement alloting to Germany the Sudeten area, the high command announce meat said that infantry under Gen. Johannes Blaskowitz and Gen. Will helm List were proceeding to today's positions in Bohemia and Moravia.
 Air Squadron Starts
 Simultaneously with the crossing of the infantry, the announcement said, air squadrons under Gen. Kes- serling, chief of the Berlin air di- vision, and Gen. Sperrle, chief of the Munich air division, flew over the frontier.
 The announcement that the in fantry and air force had entered this morning was the official "erSlon.
 However, the high command con- firmed that German troops ha<' oc- cupied the Maehrisch-O -Ostrau and Witkowitz district yesterday.
 It was after the high command announcement that Hitler's depar- ture from Berlin was made known
 He was to have been in Vienna today for a gala celebration of the anniversary of his formal absorption of Austria. It was announced at Vienna last night that he had can- celed his visit and that the mili- tary parade which he was to have reviewed had been called of. Troops which were to have participated had marched through the 1treets of Vienna last night on their way to the Czech frontier. -.