It is imperative that those uprooted from each side of the new border - some with centuries of family residence in the one locality and who will be going through enough distress already - do not suffer the further distress of finding that their new homes have been vandalized by the former residents or by overzealous agitators.

If good relations and normal, mutually-beneficial intercourse in the new border areas between the German Reich and Czechoslovakia are to be established then the population exchange must go ahead with the minimum of fuss .... and the fellows of the British Legion are the ones to do just that.

It may be necessary to keep some British Legion Volunteer Police in the border areas for a couple of years after the population exchange has been completed .... perhaps even as late as the August Bank Holiday in 1941.

We should all be happy that this crisis is resolving itself with resorting to arms .... though thankfully, despite Herr Hitler's theatrics and bluster and all the massed rallies of armed troops, Germany really would not be in a position to go to war again much before 1948.

Italy or France, however, do have the very real potential to disturb world peace at the drop of a hat so they will both need to be watched very carefully. You never know what Signor Mussolini will get up to next.

I hope it seemed worth the effort, Brett; it was certainly worth the reading!