AT BAR OF HISTORY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 275, 2 September 1939, Page 6

AT BAR OF HISTORY

HITLER STANDS CONDEMNED. THE ULTIMATUM TO POLAND. NO TIME ALLOWED FOR REPLY. Mil CHAMBER LAIN’S STATEMENT (United Press Association—Copyright.; (Received This Day, 11.10 a.m.) LONDON, September 1. The British and French Ambassadors at Berlin have been instructed to hand to the German Government a joint Note as follows: “Early this morning the German Chancellor issued to the German Army a proclamation which, indicated clearly that he was about to attack Poland. Information which liasreached ijhe United Kingdom and the French Governments indicated that German troops have crossed the Polish frontier, and that attacks on Polish towns are proceeding. In these circumstances it appears to the British and French Governments that by their action the German Government have created conditions, namely, an aggressive act of force against Poland, threatening tlie independence of Poland, which calls for immediate implementation by the British and French Governments of the undertaking to Poland to come to her assistance. I am accordingly to inform your. Excellency that unless the German Government is prepared to give an assurance that the German Government has suspended all aggressive action against Poland and is prepared promptly to withdraw its forces from Polish territory, his Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom will without hesitation fulfil the obligations to Poland.” Vigorous, Impressive Speech. The terms of the Note were loudly cheered when read in the House of Commons by Mr Chamberlain, who added: “If the reply' to this last warning is unfavourable—and I do not suggest it is likely to be otherwise—the British Ambassador is instructed to ask for his passpoi-t.” After a slight pause Mr Chamberlain said,, amid renewed cheering, “in that case we are ready.”

Earlier, in a short but vigorous and deeply impressive speech, which was punctuated with full-throated cheers, Mr Chamberlain said: “Now all the . relevant documents are being made public we shall stand at the bar of history knowing that the responsibility for this terrible catastrophe lies on the shoulders of one man. The Ger- % man Chancellor has not hesitated to plunge the world into misery to serve his own senseless ambitions.” At the end the Prime Minister declared: “We shall enter the struggle with a clear conscience and with the support of the Dominions and the British Empire and the moral approval of the greater part of the world. We have no quarrel with the German people, except that they have allowed themselves to be governed by a Nazi Government. As long as that Government pursues the methods which it has so persistently followed during the last two years there can be no peace in Europe. Position Made Clear. “We should merely pass from one crisis to another and see one country, attacked by another by methods which have now become familiar to us with their sickening technique. We are resolved that these methods must come to an end and if, after the struggle, we ' can re-establish in the world the rules of good faith and renunciation of force, then even the sacrifices entailed upon us will find their fullest justification.” Commencing his statement Mr Cham- j berlain said: “I do not propose to say • many words to-night. The time has come when action, rather than speech, : is required. Eighteen months ago, in , this House, I prayed that the responsibility might not fall upon me to ask < this country to accept the awful ar- '< bitrament of war. I fear I may not be able to avoid that responsibility, but ! at any rate I cannot wish for condi- ! tions in which such a burden should fall upon me clearer than they are to- ‘ day as to where my duty lies. “No man can say that the Govern- ' mont could have done more to try to keep open the way for an honourable , and equitable settlement of the dis- < pute between Germany and Poland, < nor have we neglected any means of i making it crystal clear to .Germany 1 that if it insisted on using force agan in the manner in which it has used it' < in the past, wo were' resolved to oppose them by force. I would like to -J thank the House for the forbearance J which it has shown on two recent oc- ' casions in not demanding from me information which members recognise I could not give while these negotiations were still in progress. The “Rejection” Plea Examined. “I have now had all the correspondence with Germany put into the form of a White Paper. On account of the difficulties, I am afraid there are but few copies available, but I understand i they will be coining in in relays while ■ the House is sitting. I do not think i it necessary to refer in detail now to ; these documents, which are already past history. They make it perfectly clear that our object has boon to try to bring about discussions about the Polish and German disputes between the two countries themselves on terms of equality, the settlement to be one which safeguarded the independence of Poland and which secured its due observance by international guarantees. “There is just one passage from the recent communication dated August >3O which I should like to quote, because it shows how easily the final clash might have been avoided had there

been the least desire on the part of Germany to arrive at a peaceful settlement. .In this document we said that Britain fully recognised the need for speed on the initiation of discussions and the British Government shared the apprehensions of the Chancellor arising from the proximity of two mobilised armies standing face to face. The British Government would accordingly most strongly urge that both parties should undertake, during the negotiations, that no aggressive military movements would take place. Britain felt confident that she could obtain such an undertaking from Poland if Germany would give similar assurances. That telegram was repeated to Poland, and brought an instantaneous reply, . dated August 31, in which says: ‘Poland is also prepared on a reciprocal basis to give a formal guarantee, in the

event of negotiations taking place, that Polish' troops will not violate the frontier of the German Reich, 'provided a corresponding guarantee is given regarding noil-violation of the frontiers of Poland by the troops of the German Reich.’ We never had any reply from Germany to that suggestion, one which, if it had been followed, might, have saved the catastrophe which took place this morning. In the German broadcast last night, which recited the .16 points of the proposals which Germany put forward, there occurred this sentence : ‘ln these circumstances the Reich Government considers it is rejected.’ I must examine that ' statement. I must tell the House what are the circumstances. To begin with, let me say that these proposals have never been communicated by Germany to Poland at all. The history of the matter is this: On June 19, in replying to a Note we had sent to Germany, the German Government said, among other things, that it would immediately draw up proposals for a solution acceptable to itself and would, if possible, place these at Britain’s disposal before the arrival of the Polish negotiations. It will be seen by examination of the White Paper that Germany stated it counted upon the arrival of a plenipotentiary from Poland in Berlin on Wednesday. That is to say, on the following day. In the meantime, of course, we were awaiting those proposals. Rapid Reading) in German. “The- next, evening, when our Am-

basador saw Herr von Ribbentrop, he urged upon the latter that when these proposals were -ready for discussion—we had heard no more about them—wo should invite the Polish Ambassador to call and should hand him the proposals for transmission to his Government. Thereupon, reports our Ambassador, Herr von Ribbentrop, in most violent terms, said lie would never ask the Ambassador to visit him. He hinted that if the Polish Ambassador asked him for an interview it might be different. Now the House will see that this was on Wednesday night, which, according to the German statement of last night, is now claimed to be the final date after which no negotiation with Poland was acceptable. It is plain, therefore, that Germany claims to treat Poland as in the wrong because she had not by Wednesday night entered upon discussions with Germany about set proposals of which she had never heard. “Now what of ourselves? On that Wednesday night, at the interview to which I have just referred, Herr von Ribbentrop produced a lengthy document which he read out in German aloud at _ top speed. Naturally after this reading our Ambassador asked for a copy of the document, hut the reply was it is now too late as the Polish representative had not arrived at Berlin by midnight, and so we never got a copy of these proposals, and the first time wo heard them was on the broadcast last night.

Only One Course Open. “Those are the circumstances in which the German Government said they would consider their proposals were rejected. It is now clear that their conception of a negotiation was that on the most instantaneous demand a Polish plenipotentiary should go to Berlin, where others had been before him, and should there receive a. statement of the demands to be accepted in their entirety or refused. “I am not pronouncing any opinion upon the terms* themselves, for I do not feel called upon to do so. The proper course, in our view, in the view of all of us, was these proposals should have been put. before the Poles, who should have been given time to consider them and say whether in their opinion they did or did not infringe those vital interests of Poland which Germany had assured us on a previous 'occasion she intended to respect.”" “Only last night the Polish Ambassador did see Herr yon Ribbentrop. Once again he expressed to him what, indeed, tho Polish Government had already said publicly, that they were willing to negotiate with Germany about the disputes on an equal basis,” said Mr Chamberlain. “What was tho reply of the German Government? The reply was that without another word, German troops crossed the Polish frontier this morning at dawn, and are since reported to be bombing open towns. “In these circumstances there is only one course open to us.” (Mr Chamberlain then informed the House of the document tho British and French Ambassadors had been instructed to hand to the German Government. British Official. Wireless. RUMANIA REMAINS NEUTRAL. (Independent Cable Service). (Received This Day, 11.10 a.m.) BUCHAREST, September 1. King Carol has summoned tho Crown Council in order to proclaim the neutrality of Rumania. General mobilisation is expected in order to defend the frontier.

GENERAL ORDER IN FRANCE. SIX MILLION MEN IN FIELD. PARIS, September 1. Tho French Cabinet has ordered general mobilisation, placing 0,000,000 men in the field.