THE EMPIRE AT WAR

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 276, 4 September 1939, Page 5

THE EMPIRE AT WAR

HITLER REJECTS FINAL DEMANDS .. I FRANCE ALSO AUTOMATICALLY COMES IN : '* ' i. • ‘ . ‘ : . . - . MOMENTOUS BROADCAST BY MR CHAMBERLAIN (United Press Association). LONDON, September 3. Mr Chamberlain in a broadcast speech proclaimed: “England is at war with Germany.” . ; From the Cabinet room in Downing Street, Mr Chamberlain made his his-‘i-’-’wj-K. toric announcement to the nation at 11.15 a.m. “The British Ambassador in Berlin yesterday handed to Herr Hitler a final r . demand that unless an assurance that troops would be withdrawn from Poland was received by 11 o’clock a state of war would exist. No reply has been received. Consequently, this country is now at war with Germany. 1 - “You can imagine that this is a bitter blow to me— to see my long struggle to sustain peace fail,” said the Prime Minister. “Yet I cannot believe that there is anything more or anything different I could have done. It was quite possible to have arranged a peaceful and honourable settlement between Germany and Poland if a spirit of conciliation had been evidenced on the part of Germany. Herr Hitler’s terms were never shown to Poland. He did not wait and his forces marched over the . .Polish border next morning. v “We have given Poland assurance—France and Britain —that we will carry ,€but'our obligations. We had a clear conscience and we did all we could to secure peace. But the position became intolerable and now we are prepared to play our part with confidence and resolution.” Plans had been made to maintain the life and amenities of the people, continued Mr Chamberlain. He asked all to report for duty and to carry out their job. “God bless you all,” he concluded. “May we defend right and may right prevail over injustice and persecution.”