Evening star., 1939-03-20
BY the Associated Press.

|
MOSCOW, March 20.-Following
is the text of the Soviet Russian
note, signed by Foreign Commissar
Maxim Litvinoff and condemning
German absorption of Czecho-Slo-
vakia, as issued by Tass News
Agency:
I have the honor to confirm re-
ceipt of your notes dated the 10th
and 17th instant informing the So
| Wet government of the inclusion of
Czechia bohemia -Moravia) in the
German empire and of the estab-
lishment of a German protectorate
over it.
The Soviet government does not
consider it possible to pass the
above mentioned notes in silence
and thus create the false impress
sion of its allegedly Indifferent at
titude to Czecho-Slovak events and
therefore, finds it necessary in
answer to the above notes, to eX-
press its real attitude to the afore-
said events.
First, the political and historical
conceptions eXpounded in the intro
ductory part of the German Or
dinance as grounds and justification
for it and, in particular. references
to the existence of the Czecho-
Slovak state as a source of constant
unrest and menace to European
peace, to lack of vitality of the
Czecho-S -Slovak state and to result
ing necessity for particular care on
the part Of the German empire,
cannot be considered as correct and
corresponding to facts known to the
whole world. In actual fact, after
the first World War the Czecho-
Slovak republic was one of the
few European states where internal
tranquility and peaceable foreign
policy were really secured.
Hacha's Act Held Illegal.
Secondly, the Soviet government
is not aware of any constitution of
state that entities the head of
state to abolish its independent ex-
istence as a state without the con-
sent of his people. 1t is difficult
to admit that any people would
voluntarily agree to the destruc-
ton of its independence and to in
clusion in another state, and still
less with regard to a people that
for hundreds of years fought for its
independence. In signing the Ber-
lin act of the 18th instant. Hacha
President of CZecho-S -Slovakia, had
no authority from his people for
doing so and acted in manifest con-
tradiction to articles 81 and 65 of
the Czecho-Slo constitution. Con-
sequently, the aforesaid act cannot
be considered legally valid.
Third, the principle of self-deter-
mination of nations, not infrequently
referred to by the German govern
ment, presupposes the free express
sion of the will of the people which
cannot be replaced by the signature
Of one or two Individuals however
high the positions they may occupy
In the present case. there was no
expression of will, even in the form
of such plebiscites as took place, for
example, in determining the fate
of Upper Silesia and the Saar region
Fourth, in the absence of any ex-
preston of the will of the Czech
people, occupation of Czechia by
German troops and subsequent ac-
tlons of the German government
cannot but be considered as arbi-
trary, violent and aggressive.
War Danger Enhanced.
Fifth. the above remarks also refer
in their entirety to the change in
status of Slovakia, subordinating the
latter to the German empire, which
was not justified by any expression
of the will of the Slovak people
Sixth, the actions of the German