BRITAIN FREE TO TAKE ANY ACTION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 218, 15 September 1939, Page 7

BRITAIN FREE TO TAKE ANY ACTION.

PREMIER SUMS UP.

Restraint Conditional On

Nazi Attitude.

POISON GAS BANNED. ITuited Press Association.—Copyright. (Received 1.30 p.m.) LONDON, September 14. Mr. Chamberlain condemned Herr Hitler's avowed intention to bomb open towns, which is a flat contradiction of his Reichstag promise. He repeated Viscount Halifax's declaration that Franco-British restraint would be conditional 011 similar restraint by Germany. Therefore, Britain was free to take any action deemed necessary if it was not uli.-'crved.

Viscount' Halifax, in tlie House of Lords. sa : d Germany had notified Britain that she intended to observe throughout the war the prohibitions concerning the use of poisonous gas, asphyxiating gas and bacteriological methods of warfare, which formed tlie subject of the Geneva protocol of 192~>. Germany reserved her full liberty of action in the event of the provisions of the protocol being infringed by the enemy.

Lord Halifax added that Hitler, in reply to President Koosevelt's appeal, said lie would refrain from bombing non-militarv objectives under all circumstances. The Polish Embassy in London lias issued a statement that the Germans have systematically and ruthlessly bombed open towns since the invasion. The statement gives a detailed list of .'?<> places bombed since September 3, and adds: "In the last two days the Germans began the methodical bombing of towns far from the battle zone. This barbarity is paralysing the life of the country." The Polish "Ainbasador stated that 1500 civilians, including women and children, had been killed.