The Cantonal Plan Certainly all the elements of a reasonable
agreement are present in the scheme understood to have been prepared by Dr. Hodza, and to be ready for immediate publication, providing for the division of Czechoslovakia into some twenty cantons or departments, which would not only have a large measure of local self government and administration but would have the right to unite in larger areas, to be known as Gaue, so that in fact the Sudeten German areas (for the predominantly German districts do not form a single area), could form one or more important blocs. There would, of course, have to be full provision for the protection of minorities, not only racial but political, for the antagonism of the Sudeten nationalists towards the Sudeten democrats is even fiercer than towards the Czechs, and it is understocd that the new proposals contain adequate safeguards. They have, so far, been neither accepted nor rejected by the Sudeten Germans ; the decision will to all appearance be dictated by Herr Hitler. So far neither Lord Runciman nor Dr. Benes nor anyone else has persuaded the Sudeten Germans to move a single inch to meet the Czechs. The concessions have come from one side exclusively.
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