Juniors Find Czechs Prepared To Resist Invasion by Nazis

Just returned from a trip to Europe that ended with a tour of threatened Czechoslovakia, Richmond Holder '40 and John S. Stillman '40 gave a graphic picture of conditions in the country that Hitler is threatening in an interview yesterday.

Sentiment throughout the little nation was strong for defense against the Germans to the last inch, the Harvard Juniors found. Tenseness and preparations for war were everywhere in evidence.

Note Preparedness

"As we entered the area near the Czechoslovakian border coming from Germany," they said, "we kept noticing greater and greater readiness for war.

Flat cars at sidings were filled with armored trucks, already bedaubed with the queer stripes of camouflage.

The main right of way had crews of men working on it day and night, "To enlarge it for heavier traffic," they told us. All around one could see uniforms of every description, perhaps to guard Admiral Horthy's special train back to Hungary, but certainly it seemed to need a great deal of guarding.

Feeling of Tenseness

When finally we arrived in Prague there was a very definite feeling of tenseness. Amongst the first people we talked to were several young men who had been exiled from Germany. They told us in no uncertain words that they would stand by the Czechs in the event of trouble, and that trouble was very close.

A prosperous banker took a great deal of time to explain how he and his countrymen were prepared to get out and defend the country to the last tree and rock. "The women too," he added. "They'll go out there and shoot at the Germans. If anyone thinks they'll get through the Sudeten hills, they're very much mistaken."

Food Shortage

He remarked on the food shortage in Germany, which we had been quite aware of, having eaten nothing but potatoes and meat for weeks. Prague, by contrast seemed crammed with food. Everyone had just eaten, was in the process of eating, or was going to eat. Another Prahaian (the German word for Prague is Praha) pointed out that as long as his country had the Skoda munitions works and people to man the guns, they never let Germany come near the border.

As we went into the Sudeten area and came to Pilsen, where the Skoda, factory is, war activities became more and more noticeable. The plant itself was pouring forth war materials on a twenty-four hour a day basis. It was near here, that several Sudetens aired their minds on their side of the picture. "We don't necessarily want to become part of Germany," said one, "all we want is local autonomy. The Czechs won't let us do anything. We can't hold government posts and they force us to learn Czech in school, although we only speak German."

Further questioning brought out the fact that they only had to study it three times a week, however, which didn't seem too arduous. Party feeling was high in the little group talking to us and they all flaunted their red, shieldshaped badges with the SP on them. At Eger, where there has been much trouble recently, some more Sudetens got on who were going to the Partei Tag at Nurnberg. They, too, spoke bitterly against the government and wished for immediate betterment of their situation.