Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia's great May-day demonstrations, staged by the Czechs and
the Sudeten Germans, passed off without disturbance ; not only Herr Henlein, but Herr Jaksch, the German Social Democratic leader, addressed large meetings of their followers and Dr. Benes took the opportunity to address a friendly message to Herr Hitler on the occasion of the Reich's National Day. The restraint and calm shown by the Czechs in their national crisis is beyond all praise ; if their opponents manifested the same qualities a just solution of the dispute would be speedily possible. Dr. Hodza's Nationality Statute will, according to dependable reports, offer every political administrative, cultural, linguistic, administrative and commercial privilege that a minority can reasonably claim ; it is instructive to compare the "infamous tyranny" of the Czechs with the treatment of Jewish and Danish minorities in Germany, and of German minorities in Italy. If the Czech Government's offers are compared with Herr Henlein's " minimum " demands, it becomes clear that the difference between them is that the Government is unable to admit Herr Henlein's claim to a degree of autonomy which entails the destruction of Czecho- slovakia's sovereignty. The British Government is to press for an amicable solution in Prague and in Berlin ; but it is difficult to see that it can legitimately ask the Prague Govern- ment to make greater concessions than it has already offered. * *
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