1939-09-22 — Page 12

THE CHINA MAIL, SEPTEMBER 22, 1939

Five Days Before Outbreak Of War Nazi Germany Offered Britain An Alliance! BACKGROUND OF RECENT HISTORY REVEALED IN REMARKABLE WHITE PAPER

seemed to me quite inevitable if Hit-

expressed regret at the failure of my mission in general to

Berlin and my visit to him. Hitler's

was that it was England's fault and that nothing short of a com- her policy towards plete change in

Germany could now ever convince him tons".

London, To-day. ler persisted in direct action against A WHITE PAPER of 200 pages entitled "Documents Poland and

Concerning German-Polish Relations and the Outbreak of Hostilities Between Britain and Ger-attitude many," contains 144 separate documents start- ing with 1934, when the German-Polish Agree. ment was the governing factor in German-Polish relations to January 1939, and ending with the Premier's broadcast talk to the German people the night after the outbreak of war. The documents are grouped under headings which themselves tell much of the story of the past six months.

of the British desire for good rela-

NAZI REPLY

CHINESE

OFFER TO FIGHT FOR FRANCE

Paris, To-day. Over 400 Chinese sc prosent in France have offered their sor- vices to the nation.

Sixty of these men served in the Great War-Router.

the

the two countries was Poland's al- Hance with Great Britain. · The first German reply to the

INTRIGUE Prime Minister's letter was given on "Colonel Beck had consulted August 23, the day of the signature of President and General Smigly-Rydz the Nazi Soviet Pact, and on August and it had been decided that if the 25 Hitler sent for Sir Nevile Hender- German Government should put for- son and asked him to fly to Londonward the suggestion in any other way to "put the case" to His Majesty's the answer would be categorically in the negative as Colonel Beck feels the German. Government may make every effort to secure a free hand in Eastern Europe by such methods and he feels it should be clearly under-

Government.

"The Deterioration of the European | slovakia on May 20 last year. He then situation resulting from German Ac-violently attacked the Poles, talked tion against Czecho-Slovakia-Ger- of 100,000 German refugees from man-Polish discussion of April and Poland, excesses against Germans, the May-the Anglo-Polish Agreement-closing of German Institutions and along with the first German reply stood that Poland will not be drawn Developments in Anglo-German Re-Polish systematic persecution of Ger- lations and the British Attitude. to the man-nationals generally." International Situation April-June- Hitler's "next tirade was against the Deterioration of the Local Danzig British support of the Czechs and Situation June 3-July 3-The British Poles. He asserted the former would

two

The case, which included an offer of friendship with Britain once the Po- lish question is solved, was contained in a verbal communication which,

and subsequent exchanges with

into any intrigue of this nature." Governments, have already been pu- M. Lipski's interview with the State blished in the White Paper of Sep-Secretary was not arranged as the tember First.

latter was at Berchtesgaden... The present White Paper, however, In two telegrams to War- attitude July 10-15-The temporary be. Independent to-day if England, contains a telegram from Sir Nevile

saw on August 35 and 26, Lord Easing of the Danzig Situation July had not encouraged them in a policy Henderson describing the interview Halifax made suggestions to the Polish 19-August 1-The further deteriora-hostile to Germany.

at which the communication was hand-Government regarding the establish- the Poles would be to-morrow if Bried. He reported that the Chancellor ment of a corps of neutral observers of Danzig August 3-18-The

tion

He insinuated

Treatment of the German Minority in tain ceased to encourage them to-day. was absolutely calm, normal and to function, and, if it was found pos-

Poland August 24-27."

ATTEMPTS AT MEDIATION

on

He followed this by a tirade against

at spoke with great earnestness and apsible, to open negotiations, and the England whose friendship he

possibility of negotiating an exchange sought for 20 years only to see every parent sincerity..

GUARANTEE REFUSED

of populations, lette A section is devoted to attempts at offer turned down with contempt. The

"The conversation lasted an hour. Sir Howard Kennard's reply mediation by other states.

Russian August 27 records that Col. Beck raised my attitude being that the

either stand- no objection in principle to Pact in no way altered

Government proposal. point of His Majesty's and that I must tell him quite hon-

BRITAIN'S TERMS On August 28, Lord Halifax estly that Britain could not go back on her word to Poland and that I formed the Polish Government, of the knew his offer would not be consider- British Reply to Hitler of the

The longest section comprises 66 documents of which 14 were already published in Sentember. The first part of the White Paper deals with the "developments leading

British Press was also vehemently abused. I contested every point and kept calling his statements inaccurate, but the only effect was to launch him on some fresh tirade".

RECRIMINATION

- Most of the conversation was re-

immediately to the outbreak of hos-crimination according to the Ainbas- tilities."

While the earlier sections are of great importance, the chief Interest will centre on the diplomatic cor: respondence revealing the back- ground of events during the last nine fateful days of August,

sador.

the

in-

same

ed unless it meant a negotiated set-date which, It will be recalled, sug-

this

gested direct discussion between the German and Polish Governments.

At the end, Hitler "observed in re-tlement of the Polish question. ply to my repeated warnings that "Hitler refused to guarantee direct action by Germany would mean on the grounds that Polish provoca- "Our proposed reply to Hitler war, that Germany had nothing to lose tion might at any moment render draws a clear distinction between the and Britain much, that he did not German intervention to protect Ger method of reaching an agreement on desire war but would not shrink from man nationals inevitable. I again German-Polish differences and the The section opens with the now it if it was necessary, and that his returned to this point but always got nature of the solution to be arrived famous letter which the Premier ad-people were more behind him than last, the same answer."

at. As to the method, we wish to dressed. on behalf of the King, to September 1. I replied that I hoped In the meantime, in view of the express our clear view that direct terms between Herr Hitler on August 22 after the and was convinced that some solution increasing tension at Danzig follow-discussion on equal news had been received of the Soviet was still possible without war and ing the appointment of Herr Forster the partles is a proper procedure Nazi Non-Aggression Pact and In asked why contact with the Poles as the head of the Free City, Colonel while the Polish Government enjoy

could not be renewed. Hitler's retort Beck told the British Ambassador in the protection of the which Mr. Chamberlain again

Anglo- was that as long as England gave, Warsaw that he considered the situa-Polish Treaty. His Majesty's Poland a blank cheque Polish unrea- tion most grave.

ernment have already made plain, and sonableness would render any nego-

are repeating in their reply to Hitler TELEGRAM FROM WARSAW tlation impossible. I denied the blank

to-day that any settlement of Ger- cheque, but this only started Hitler

In a telegram, Sir H. Kennard add-man-Polish differences must safe- off again.”

ed. "Col. Beck has, as requested, in-guard Poland's essential Interests, and

gave

a clear statement of British obliga- tions to Poland.

CANNOT ALTER

It stated: "Whatever may prove to be the nature of the German-Soviet Agreement, it cannot alter Britain's obligations."

structed the Polish Ambassador Berlin to seek an immediate inter view with the State Secretary and

unless he found the attitude of von

CALMER AT SECOND TALK A telegram of August 22 from the British Ambassader in Berlin, pub- Hitler was calmer at a second talk lished for the first time, reveals that reported in a telegram next day, but some difficulty was made about no less uncompromising. He put the Welzsacker unsatisfactory he would and whole responsibility for war on Lrl-attempt to examine all points at issue granting Sir Nevile Henderson interview at Berchesgaden to deliver tain and maintained that Britain was the letter.

determined to destroy and extermin- ate Germany. He was, he said, 50 years old. He preferred war now to when he would be 55 or 60.

Bir Nevils reported that Hitler was "excitable and uncompromis- Ing."

Hlo language was violent exaggerated, both na regard Eng- land and Poland.

and

the

He began by asserting that Polish question would have been settled in the most generous terms but for Britain's unwarranted sup- port.

HITLER RETORT

"I drew attention to the inaccuracies of this statement our guarantee hav ing been given on March 31, and the Polish reply on March 26. He retorted by saying that the latter had been in spired by a British press campaign which had invented a German threat to Poland the week before. Germany hadn't moved a man any more than she had done during a similar fall acious press campaign about Czecho-

with a view to ascertaining whether anything can be done to relieve the present tension."

Gov-

an

must be secured by international guarantee.

"We have, of course, seen the re ports of Hitler's reply to M. Dala- dier but we should not consider that an intimation by the Polish Govern- ment of their readiness to hold direct discussions as in any way implying acceptance of Hitler's demands which Later a telegram on the same day would, as made plain above, have to from Sir Howard Kennård read: "The be examined in the light of the prin- He said "England was fighting for Foreign Minister informs me the Po-ciples we have stated." lesser races whereas he was fighting | Ilsh Ambassador in Berlin had an in-

SIGNIFICANT DOCUMENT only for Germany."

this terview with General Goering

A significant document is: a long afternoon. The interview was most telegram from Berlin reporting cordial and he told me the Marshal interview lasting an hour and quar- expressed regret that his policy of ter, at which Sir Nevile Henderson de maintaining friendly relations with livered the reply of the British Poland should have come to nought Cabinet after he had flown back to "He said he had believed in Mr. and admitted that he no longer had Berlin. Chamberlain's good will at the time influence to do much in the matter. but and especially since the encircle-Thé, Marshal had, however, no con- ment efforts of the last few months, crete suggestion to make, beyond what he did so no longer. 1: pointed out had struck Col. Beck as a most signi- the fallacy of this view hut his answer cant remark which he requested me to convey to you most confidentially. was that he was now finally con-. vinced of the rightness of views held The Marshal stated that the questions formerly to him by others, that Eng-of Danzig and so forth were relatively on Poland, the responsibility was bis.

small matters, but the main obstacle We offered friendship, but only "I took the line at the end that war to any diminution of tension between

(Continued on Page 20)

When the Chancellor spoke several times of the contemptuous rejection of his offers of friendship to England, Sir Mr. Nevile Henderson referred to Chamberlain's efforts for peace and friendship with Germany.

land and Germany could never agree.

Sir Nevile Henderson repeated Bri- tish readiness to reach an Anglo- German understanding.

"It was now, or never, and it reated with Hitler. If he was prepared to sacrifice that understanding in order to make war or immoderate demands