NEWS OF THE WEEK
" In courteous but perfectly definite terms Herr Hitler made it plain that he had made up his mind that the Sudeten-Germans must have the right of self-determination and of returning, if they wished, to the Reich. If they could not achieve this by their own efforts, he said, he would assist them to do so, and he declared categorically that rather than wait he would be prepared to risk a world war."
—MR. CHAMBERLAIN in the House of Commons.
THE jury which awards the next Nobel Peace Prize will hardly need to meet. It may be questioned whether any man in the world's history has ever worked harder to save peace than the British Prime Minister. His plain and straightforward account to the House of Commons of his efforts in the preceding thirteen days will leave those who read it, no less than those who heard it, amazed that a man in his seventieth year could be physically capable of such a strain and mentally capable of retaining his judgement and his poise in negotiations, never for a moment inter- mitted, on which, the fate of civilisation depended. He has not yet reaped the final reward of success. That depends on the Munich Conference, which has assembled at his instance alone. But if it is not in mortals to command success Mr. Chamberlain has done more in so abundantly deserving it. America, at the same time, is justified in believing that President Roosevelt, with his appeal to Herr Hitler for a confer- ence of all States interested may have done something to pave the way—though it is not, in fact, a conference of all such States, for Russia and Czechoslovakia itself are conspicuous absentees ; according to a Paris report Mr. Chamberlain intended Dr. Benes to be present but Herr Hitler refused. The appeal to Signor Mussolini was justified. Whatever (to quote the Prime Minister) may have been thought about Signor Mussolini in the past there is no question that the role of mediator is congenial to him, and there are obvious reasons for hoping he may be in a position to exercise some influence over Herr Hitler.
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