During the Sudeten Crisis of 1938 when the threat of war in Europe was rising, the President of The Royal British Legion, Sir Frederick Maurice volunteered the services of the members of the British Legion to the British Government "in the event of a national emergency arising ... in such way as its activities could be most usefully employed." The offer was acknowledged by the Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain who expressed his "earnest hope that such an emergency will not arise". On 25 September Germany was demanding the secession of the Sudetenland by 1 October but agreed to a plebiscite being held to determine the frontier. As part of the German demand was that Czech troops were withdrawn there was a need for the region to be policed and Chamberlain proposed that this was a role that could be fulfilled by the British Legion. This was an offer that Germany acceded to. Accordingly Maurice visited Berlin to discuss arrangements, and the result was a call for volunteers to act as a police force in the plebiscite areas. On 4 October it was reported that a 1,200 volunteers (1000 operational and 200 support staff) had been selected and would travel to the Sudetenland, over 10,000 having volunteered. A communiqué issued by the Foreign Office "The British Legion recently offered to place its entire organization at the disposal of his Majesty's Government for any service that might be required in connexion with the settlement to be arrived at in Czechoslovakia. His Majesty's Government, in accepting that offer, have decided to ask the Legion to make itself responsible for providing a force of 1,000 volunteer police, for special duties in the plebiscite areas." This was the first mention of calling this body of men a police force.