CZECHS -GERMANS Sra,—In The Spectator of December 24th, Dennis Bardens
wrote on "Czechs and Germans "..in order to-prove that " there is not the faintest Sra,—In The Spectator of December 24th, Dennis Bardens wrote on "Czechs and Germans "..in order to-prove that " there is not the faintest
analogy to be drawn between- what has _happened to a few Germans in Czechoslovakia and what Germans have done to the Czechs." Mr Bardens has, however, overlooked the following facts: The Nazis doted down the Czech universities and technical high schools only The Czechs shut down all the German schools, even including the kindergartens. The Germans transferred i,roo,000 out of
8,000,000 Czechs for work in Germany. The Czechs are transferring (again according to Mr. Bardens's figures) 2,500,000 out of 2,81r,000 Germans, not for a lit:rifted period but for ever. Mr.-Eardens omitted to say how large a proportion of the r,too,000 Czech workers went to Germany of, their own free will, and sent back their savings and spent their holidays at home. There is indeed " not the faintest analogy " between the two types of transfer.
Mr. Bardens admits that " in the few months immediately following the liberation there were, undoubtedly; individual reprisals, and expulsions of sections of the German population under conditions which were unfair and in some cases inhumane "; does- Mr.--Bardens imply that reprisals become " fair and humane " when inflicted as a general measure and by oraer of the Central. Government? Or does Mr. l3ardens consider it htunane and fair to sob -the victims of whatever private property they cannot carry 'on their backs and afterwards expel them? Even the slave workers, Mr. Bardens' yardstick- for inhumane treatment, were left in postession of their belongings and-found them intact on their return.
Mr. Bardens blames the Sudeten Germans for having produced only a -minority of anti-Fascists,- and justifies .their removal from the .territory where they have lived-for 700 years on -these grotmds. But what about.. the SlOvaks and their huge majority for Hitler's New Order? They are to belong to the new State. Is -jnsrice• different for different peoples? Finally, how does Mr. - Bardens-. explain the discrepancy between_ his deicription of the Czech concentration camps and British official reports? The Under-Secretary of State, Mr. McNeil, -stated recently in the House of Commons that conditions in these camps'.were -" far from desirable." Also, among journalists of high repute, Mr. C. R. Gedye called these camps " an outrage to humanity."—Yours faithfully, WENzEL JAKSCH.
i6 Laurel Gardens, London, N.W. 7.
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