Letter to Lord Halifax on German officials' assurances to Czechoslovakia that Germany would respect Czech sovereignty, but expressing "great apprehension" about the example of Germany's occupation of Austria

GERMAN ASSURANCES TO CZECHOSLOVAKIA, 11 and 12 March 1938, as reported by M. Masaryk, the Czechoslovak Minister to London, to Viscount Halifax. [From files of the British Foreign office]
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M. Masaryk to Viscount Halifax.—(Received March 12.)
My Lord, London, March 12, 1938.
I have reported to my Government the interview which you were good enough to grant me to-day.
I have in consequence been instructed by my Government to bring to the official knowledge of His Majesty's Government the following facts: Yesterday evening (the 11th March) Field-Marshal Goering made two separate statements to M. Mastny, the Czechoslovak Minister in Berlin, assuring him that the developments in Austria will in no way have any detrimental influence on the relations between the German Reich and Czechoslovakia, and emphazising the continued earnest endeavour on the part of Germany to improve those mutual relations.
In the first statement the field-marshal used the expression: v "Ich gebe Ihnen mein Ehrenwort."
In the second statement Field-Marshal Goering asserted that, having given his own word previously, he was now able to give the word of the head of the State, who had authorized him to take over temporarily his official duties. He then repeated the above assurances.
To-day (the 12th March) Field-Marshal Goering asked M. Mastny to call on him, repeated yesterday's assurances and added that the German troops, marching into Austria, have strictest orders to keep at least 15 kilom. from the Czechoslovak frontier; at the same time he expressed the hope that no mobilization of the Czechoslovak army would take place.
M. Mastny was in a position to give him definite and binding assurances on this subject, and to-day spoke with Baron von Neurath, who, among other things, assured him on behalf of Herr Hitler that Germany still considers herself bound by the German-Czechoslovak Arbitration Convention concluded at Locarno in October 1925.
M. Mastny also saw to-day Herr von Mackensen, who assured him that the clarification of the Austrian situation will tend to improve German-Czechoslovak relations.
The Government of the Czechoslovak Republic wish to assure His Majesty's Government that they are animated by the earnest and ardent desire to live in the best possible neighbourly relations with the German Reich. They cannot, however, fail to view
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with great apprehension the sequel of events in Austria between the date of the bilateral agreement between Germany and Austria (11th July, 1936), and yesterday (11th March, 1938).
I have, &c.
JAN MASARYK.