CONFERENCE PROPOSAL

NOT FAVOURED

REGARDED WITH SUSPICION IN LONDON

(British Official Wireless.)

RUGBY, August 17. Suggestions for a four-Power conference over Danzig, which has been much canvassed in the foreign Press in the past few days and currency to which is reported to have been given, among others, by the American Republican senator, Mr. Hamilton Fish, who met Herr yon Ribbentrop in Germany, continue to be the subject of unfavourable comment in the newspapers. It can be stated that no plan for such a conference as recommended in these reports has been officially brought to the notice of London, where the inclination is to regard the reports as incidents in a campaign of rumour designed to maintain the tension and divert attention from the incontrovertible facts of the situation.

| German pressure on Poland, and the mobilisation of the German Army and German encouragement of the Danzig Senate in its demands figure no less prominently among these factors than do the reciprocal undertakings among the peace-front Powers. Yesterday's preliminary conversation in Danzig between M. Chodacki and Herr Greiser also takes it places in events of which, as distinct from rumours, note is taken here. NOTHING WITHOUT POLAND'S AGREEMENT. "The Times" notes that it would, of course, be beyond the province of these officials, who hold posts within the framework of the present Danzig system, to discuss officially any suggestions for modification of the status of the Free City. That larger issue, it remarks, raised by Herr Hitler could only be usefully discussed by plenipotentiaries of the countries concerned — in the first instance Poland and Germany. In no circumstances can useful discussions be imagined at which Poland is not fully and formally represented.

After discussing the recent history of the Danzig question, "The Times" emphasises the desirability of having the whole position regularised, and adds: — "Nothing whatever can be done without Poland's full agreement. That is the fundamental condition which concerns this country and on which it is irrevocably united. There must be an end of intimidation and intimidatory propaganda, which can only be met by increased preparations for self-defence on the other side."