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Trial of the Major War Criminals before International Military Tribunal ...

Trial of the Major War Criminals before International Military Tribunal ...

Trial of the Major War Criminals before International Military Tribunal ...

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purely from a strategic point <strong>of</strong> view, and later on (March 15,<br />

'<br />

1939) <strong>the</strong> whole <strong>of</strong> Bohemia and Moravia.<br />

The occupation was carried out apparently on <strong>the</strong> basis <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Munich "agreement", but was also carried out in violation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

same "agreement". An interesting document was handed over to<br />

some members <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> British Parliament on October 31, 1938. It was<br />

a memorandum dated London, Hotel Mount Royal, 31st October 1938<br />

and signed by Dr. Bohuslav ECER, at that time Vice Mayor <strong>of</strong><br />

Brno.* He toge<strong>the</strong>r with <strong>the</strong> actual Chargi. d'Affaires <strong>of</strong> Czechoslovakia<br />

in London, Dr. Jaroslav C~SAR,were sent by <strong>the</strong> town<br />

- Page 30 ­<br />

council <strong>of</strong> Brno to London in order to explain to British responsible<br />

political circles that <strong>the</strong> Germans had already vioiated <strong>the</strong> Munich<br />

"Agreement" in October 1938 by occupying areas with great Czech<br />

majorities in contradistinction to <strong>the</strong> Munich "Agreement" that only<br />

areas with a German majority <strong>of</strong> over 50°/o should be occupied. It is<br />

not surprising that it was <strong>the</strong> council <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> great town <strong>of</strong> Brno,<br />

capital <strong>of</strong> Moravia, thus a local government, who sent this small<br />

, delegation to Great Britain, because <strong>the</strong> central government in<br />

Prague was already under <strong>the</strong> influence <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> German aggressors.<br />

This memorandum was accompanied by a set <strong>of</strong> maps and statistics<br />

concerning <strong>the</strong> Munich "Agreement" and <strong>the</strong> methods and effects <strong>of</strong><br />

its application. It was proved by <strong>the</strong> memorandum and <strong>the</strong> annexed<br />

maps and diagrams that almost <strong>the</strong> entire Czech areas were occupied<br />

by Germany in violation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Munich "Agreement". It was proved<br />

in <strong>the</strong> memorandum that not only <strong>the</strong> ethnological principle laid<br />

down as a basis <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Munich "Agreement" was violated, but also<br />

<strong>the</strong> principle <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> economic viability <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Czechoslovak Republic<br />

which was assumed by <strong>the</strong> Munich "Agreement". The Czechoslovak<br />

Republic was occupied on <strong>the</strong> basis <strong>of</strong> a strategical consideration as<br />

territory needed for <strong>the</strong> future German aggression and thus to be<br />

conquered entirely, <strong>the</strong>refore, communications between <strong>the</strong> various<br />

regions <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Czechoslovak Republic were rendered useless, and<br />

food supplies for <strong>the</strong> towns seriously curtailed, <strong>the</strong> only purpose <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> occupation being to make Czechoslovakia ripe for total occupa-<br />

tion. The memorandum asks for <strong>the</strong> rectification <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> frontiers<br />

according to <strong>the</strong> ethnological principle and for economic help prom-<br />

ised by <strong>the</strong> powers in Munich and concludes:-"The Czechoslovak<br />

Republic, economically secured by financial assistance, supported by<br />

it6 natural wealth and its progressive and hardworking population,<br />

loyally co-operating with all its neighbours but preserving its<br />

*) We enclose a copy <strong>of</strong> this memorandum.<br />

449

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