760F.62/131: Telegram
The Chargé in France (Wilson) to the Secretary of State
[Received 12:25 p.m.]
394. I have had a talk with Osusky, Minister of Czechoslovakia. He said that events in Austria had greatly increased the dangers to which his country is exposed. The future is in the hands of France and Great Britain. For some time he has been telling the French Government that his country, a small country, cannot have a policy in Central Europe independent of the policy of France and Great Britain. It is essential for his country that France and Great Britain define definitely their policy in Central Europe and state the extent of the commitments which they are prepared to fulfill in support of such policy.
He said that he has been greatly encouraged since the debate on foreign affairs 2 weeks ago in the Chamber of Deputies to observe that not a single dissenting voice has been raised in any political group against the declaration of Chautemps2 and Delbos3 that France would fulfill her obligations to Czechoslovakia in case of necessity. I asked about Flandin.4 Osusky said that Flandin stood alone. He went on to say that in the tour of speech making visits he has been making recently to French cities he has found without exception that people feel that French assistance to Czechoslovakia is not primarily a matter of protection for Czechoslovakia but of protection of a vital French interest.
He said that “quite recently” the French Government had advised the British Government as follows:
We (the French Government) are absolutely determined in the event of aggression by Germany against Czechoslovakia to go immediately [Page 484] to the assistance of Czechoslovakia. We do not ask you (the British Government) to take any commitment. But we do submit to your consideration the following: you wish to avoid being drawn into war over Central Europe; we shall go to war immediately if Germany strikes at Czechoslovakia; in that case you will inevitably be drawn into the war, if not at first, then at a later stage to protect your own interests. The only way in which you can be sure that there will be no war involving England, will be for you to let it be known that you are firmly decided, as we are, to go immediately to Czechoslovakia’s assistance in case she is attacked. If that is known Germany will never attack.
I asked Osusky if it would be possible to settle the differences between Czechoslovakia and Germany by parley and agreement. He said that this was utterly impossible. The minority problem is only a pretext. There is in fact no minority problem. A treaty exists to which 14 states are parties covering the problem of minorities,5 and procedure is provided to deal with any question concerning minorities. Hitler is not interested in the German minority in Czechoslovakia. He has said, and it has been repeated to the Czechoslovak Government: “Why should I whose role it is to purify the German race concern myself with these 3½ million half Jew half Slav Germans of Bohemia?”
Osusky said that the real problem is the following: for the first time in recent history Germany finds no other large power in a position to contest the German drive for domination of Central Europe Italy having sold out her position for Ethiopia. The only country which stands in the way is a small country, Czechoslovakia. Hitler has been trying in every way to persuade Czechoslovakia to drop her alliances with Russia and France and go over to the German camp. This the Czechoslovak Government has refused to do seeing clearly what would be in store eventually for Czechoslovakia. Hitler is therefore now determined to isolate Czechoslovakia, to neutralize her and then to use Czechoslovakia as a bridge across which would flow the expansion of German force throughout Central and Eastern Europe to the Black Sea.
In view of this, Osusky said, concessions to Germany would be worse than useless. The only policy for Czechoslovakia is resistance and the country is determined to resist to the utmost any attempt on her independence.
I have an appointment to see Léger6 late this afternoon.
- Camille Chautemps, President of the French Council of Ministers.↩
- Yvon Delbos, French Minister for Foreign Affairs.↩
- Pierre Etienne Flandin, leader of the Left Republicans, or Party of Democratic Alliance.↩
- Reference may be to the treaty between the Principal Allied and Associated Powers and Czechoslovakia, signed September 10, 1919; Foreign Relations, The Paris Peace Conference, 1919, vol. xiii, p. 808. This treaty was not between 14 states but similar minority provisions were contained in treaties with other countries. See also ibid., pp. 116–119.↩
- Alexis Léger, Secretary General of the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs.↩