European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 20, 1948, Darmstadt, Hesse The Price of appeasement continued from Page 11 Security guarantee which the Western Powers had Given Czechoslovakia Dur ing Munich and thinking that nazi Germany would have some respect for it i did not expect that the germans would try to occupy Czechoslovakia by Force earlier than the eve of actual because i believed that War would begin by an attack on Poland 1hoped to the last that at that moment Czechoslovakia could again arise at least partially and participate in the War at the Side of Poland France and great Britain. I wished to devote my labors abroad to preparing for this eventuality so that we might enter the second world War against Germany Asa direct participant. I knew Only too Well the Calvary of 1914-18of Strug gling from the very beginnings to gain International recognition of a new revolutionary government. And i did not want to see it Hitler on March 14, 1939, summoned or. Emil Hacha and minister Chvalovsky to Berlin. Politically Dis oriented and incapable these two yielded to slander threats and Force and agreed to the creation of the so called czech protectorate and the separation of Slovakia from the Republic. Although at that time in 1939 not publicly give a final and definitive judgment one fundamental question on which i have never changed and never will change my became immediately completely Clear in my mind. Or. Hacha our highest judge arid Lega authority the president of the state and or a Malkovsky his foreign min ister in March 1939 sacrificed their own country without any right or instruction out of criminal shortsightedness and inexperienced at the same time Tiso the slovak Leader and his companions committed treason shamefully striking a Dagger into the Back of their own nation. There Are principles of political morality which must never be sacrificed even at the Price of apparent or opportunistic political advantage. The signature which abandoned a free state and accepted the czech and Slova protectorates cannot justify cannot legalize and cannot excuse anyone at any time for anything on March 14 and 15, the guarantee Given to us by the Western Powers atthe time of Munich showed itself value Jess. It was the second failure. The Munich diktat was already cancelled by its own authors by non fulfilment of the guarantees which All four Powers had Given. One cannot find in the his tory of Europe another Case of such heedless action by the great Powers the occupation of Prague was thei real beginning of the second world War. I was then in Chicago be ginning to lecture at the University. The news was a terrible blow. The whole Structure of my further plans was already collapsing while there was still a Long time i considered what to do next. I could not imagine any one who should and could raise his voice in protest in the nation s name except the second president of the Republic then in exile and because of what had happened at Home once More free to speak and act. Hitler s crime the new failure of the French and English to keep their word and Hacha s signature of the protectorate left me freed of All the obligations which i had imposed on myself. Everything had fallen the first Republic again legally existed therefore on March 16 i sent Tele Grams expressing that View even though at that moment All of this be fully expressed to president Roosevelt prime ministers chamber lain and Daladier Maxim Litvinov and the president of the Council of the league of nations. I took the stand that j had a right to Send the protest because had been obliged by German Force against Law Justice and1 the cons Titu. Tion to give up my office As legally elected president of the czechoslovak Republic and go into exile and also because events themselves prevented any other True representative of the czechoslovak state from taking action. On May 28, 1939, i had a Long talk with president Roosevelt at Hyde was accompanied by my american = Secretary Edward b. Hitchcock former european correspondent for the Chris Tian science Monitor. It was one of the most important conversations i had in weekend March be ism. V the whole Post Munich period. I had met Rofi seven in 1919 when i arrange with him As undersecretary of the Navy for the use of american ships to transport our siberian soldiers Back Home. I found him a highly educated and keen politician extraordinarily Well informed. He was quite Well acquainted with the soviet Union knew its Princi pal problems had a special understand ing for it. And understood that it was necessary to integrate the soviet Union into world politics immediately and unconditionally. He took a very critical position toward Daladier s France and Chamberlain s England and oppose their opportunistic and undemocratic actions toward received me cordially and said that for him Munich did not exist and i was still president. I saw at once that could speak openly and with full Confidence. We talked first about Munich and he said. Emphatically that we had done Well in not allowing ourselves Tobe provoked into War with Hitler in 1938 As we would have suffered terribly. Western Europe did not wish and Amer Ica could not have come to our Aid. If the soviet Union had intervened alone it was not certain How the affair Wouldhave ended. Neither Western Europe nor America was prepared for conflict either morally or materially and Hitler might have been Able to reach his ultimate goal More easily and the same View was ex-.1 pressed to me soon afterwards when i returned to England by the labor part leaders Arthur Greenwood and Arthur Henderson or. They believed the situation in 1938 was such that there might have been a european War directed solely against the soviet Union. Then we came to the most dramatic part of our talk. Utell me sincerely Roosevelt asked How you regard the political situation in Europe anyhow you believe events will develop in the future i replied we must expect War in Europe this year. I believe it will breakout any Day after july 15. Hitler is preparing for War. And he desires it. He will certainly provoke said my military experts expect it later not until after the har Vest. But How do you think Hitler will begin the War undoubtedly by an attack on will it go the War with Poland will be very rapid. It will be a Blitzkrieg in the True sense of the word. The germans will Bein Warsaw in two weeks and the whole polish Campaign will not last longer than six the. President expressed Surprise. He could not believe that i was so Pessi mistic about Poland. I explained that i knew Hitler s preparations and the Complete in preparedness irresponsibility and empty. Arrogance of the polish dictatorship. Even during the Munich crisis i had known this How do you see the further. March of events he and France will be at War. But this will not prevent the fall of Poland. Then Belgium and Holland an apparently also Switzerland will be drawn into the War. At least this is the information i have received from Europe and then the president asked. We must expect that All the Small Central european states up to Greece will fall. Hitler will then find himself face to face with the soviet Union. His principal aim is the Ukraine and to drive the soviet Union to the East Asfar As possible. I am fully confident that England will oppose this what France will do i could not your opinion what will the soviet Union do it will eventually go to on which Side on our Side of course. War Between Russia and Germany sooner or later is inevitable. It arises out of the two Ide ologies nazism and communism out of Hitler s Conception of German National interests his plans and the character of the people who Rule president agreed but then asked me about the soviet Union whether the soviet was Able to fight whether it army and its officers corps were capable he said he had Many conflicting reports whether soviet War Industry and communications were in Good shape and whether they were sufficiently Well equipped technically.1 told Roosevelt of my experiences in the soviet Union during 1935, what had seen myself and what our military men had reported. I expressed the opinion that it would be a Long and terrible . Presented a series of remarks based partly on information from his own experts partly on the conversations he had had with foreign commissar Litvinov and with other soviet leaders. In the end we came to the most delicate question what would the United states do the president asked what i thought and i replied frankly i think the United states will be obliged to enter the War too. Europe cannot win the War against Germany by itself. And if America does not March against nazism it will March against America. We cannot forget that i Hitler and his companions we have real lunatics devoid of All sense. And the disintegration of Western democracies has progressed so far that without the help of America Western Europe cannot be defended against Germany do you envisage this Amer ican Aid Roosevelt will certainly require great financial assistance from you. Then need your Industry deliveries of arms and munitions food and of course your Fleet. Without these it canno succeed. I could not say whether it will also be necessary to Send in an army. I do not know i. Hope that you Mav never have told the president that As soon As War broke out i intended to form a political and military organization out of our refugees and emigres and at the proper moment to organize an army and a provisional government and repeat Ina new form what we did under Masaryk s leadership during the first world concluded my Long explanation by saying that when it came to the question of recognizing this revolutionary government i would turn to the president himself for help and hoped i would be president expressed the Hope that our affairs would be successful an concluded we have already helped you once and we will help you again. Keep in Contact with me and inform me of How things Are i left Roosevelt with the conviction that he understood very correctly the problem of the coming War crisis i Europe that he was conscious of the task which would fall to the unite states and that he understood the problem of the soviet Union. From what he told me of his conversations with Litvinov i concluded that he was also conscious of the general social crisis which would inevitably arise from a new War and of Why the Western democracies were so afraid to go to War against Hitler alongside the soviet Union. Finally i was convinced that he would help us wherever possible. For me this was a decisive conversation. It helped to formulate All my subsequent ideas about the second world War. At the beginning and during the War. I ended this discussion with these three Concrete questions might i assume that the United states believed in the possible resurrection of an Independent Czecho Slovakia and intended to accommodate its subsequent policy to this belief in View of the fact that there would inevitably be a new european War inthe near future would the United states continue its present attitude re fusing to recognize the German occupation of our state and maintaining Friendly policy toward Czechoslovakia if War should come could we expect eventual recognition of a czechoslovak government in exile and support for the czechoslovak liberation movement the president immediately gave a affirmative reply to the first two questions. On the third question he expressed the opinion that a favourable decision would depend on circumstances and on the events of the actual he added we certainly will not do less for you in this War than we did for you in the last july 12, 1939, i left the United states hastening to Europe with the fear that i might not arrive before Hitler s attack on september 3, 1939, a few hours after England and France had declared War i sent telegrams to the prime ministers of great Britain and the British dominions and France an Poland in which i stated simply that Czechoslovakia was in a state of War with Germany As from March 15, 1939. This is the second of a series of articles by or. Benes. The third will appear next week books dealing with individuals in conflict at Home and abroad the Wall of dust. By Hallam ten Nyson. 188 up. Viking new York. $2.50. That the world is full of contradictions and seemingly incompatible racial differences is a supposition that will readmitted by most persons today. That or. Tennyson has done a sensitive an unpretentious Job of getting aspects of these problems on paper As a presen tation of them and no More will be evident to any Reader of the Wall of the Book is made up of six Short stories based on the author s observations during service in the friends ambulance unit during the War in Italy and Egypt. The Twenty seven year old great grandson of the poet tells about troop of american negroes in an italian Village in the title Story. In succeeding stories he tells about an Amer ican officer looking for the Italy he re members when he left it at six years age an English couple who find the government. Hospital in Cairo has yielded to the dirt and poverty of the Eastern City the englishman who Breaks Down under life in the desert while the company s Kitchen Man a native takes All the meanness of his life with a smile the armistice of the Man whose spirit is sapped and therefore turns to perversion and the jew from England who visits Palestine to find the land of his fathers is a Dis appointment for him. Though in Mostof the cases the natives Are perfectly contented with their lives the author describes what he has Felt to be the impossibility of the Westerner s ability to blend with or even be comfortable in the civilizations of the. Mediterranean and the near East. The authors straightforward in writing about these transplanted persons and he manages to keep any personal emotions from his the Street of seven monks. By William Woods. 309 up. Little Brown Boston. �2.75.a Frenchman returning to his Village after being a prisoner of War in Ger Many finds that the War has no changed the smallness of the persons he knew five years before. Only he has changed. Since he finds life intolerable he does away with his discontent by doing away with his life. the Basic plot of this novel which is filled with Many interesting though at times patterned characters. The philosophic Grandfather who becomes mayor or the Village the White russian army officer the nagging selfish Mother and the Loving wife who eventually is unfaithful All fill in the background of whats a generally readable Book. The ideas of the author on a Man who is unable to escape from the routine of his life into the vacuum he thinks he wants Are projected throughout but unfortunately Are swallowed by the action of the Story. Mostly murder the Case of the lonely heiress. By Erie Stanley Gardner. 272 Morrow new York. $2.50. Never fall Perry Mason finds his latest client Marilyn Marlow through of Al things a lonely hearts Magazine. Mari Lyn has found a body and is in a pre carious position concerning her $300,000 inheritance. What has All this to do with her wanting to find a personable Young Man string along with Perry. And All his old gang for suspense and the answers. Death of an author. By John Rhode. 244 up. Dodd Mead and com Pany new York. $2.50.plenty of mystery and meat Combine to make this an exciting Book although some May be disappointed in . Or. Rhode has chosen As his victim one Nigel ebb Fleet an author who Dies inauspicious circumstances while engaged in Wood chopping in the country. Police and a noted scientist have a hard time unravelling the truth. The chief clues to the crime Are a piece of Black Poplar and signs of an explosion. Guesses will find few others to help them solve the mystery before or. Rhode reveals the solution. However most of the fun sin the Story up to this Point. After that it Falls Rathe Flat. ?17
