BLUNT WARNING BY POLAND

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22769, 22 July 1939, Page 15

BLUNT WARNING BY POLAND

“Will Fight For Danzig” BROADCAST FROM WARSAW Provocation Plan Of Germany /(UNITED PSESS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT.) (Received July 21, 10.15 p.m.) WARSAW, July 20. A statement broadcast in Polish, German, and Italian, says; “Poland declares simply and openly that she will fight for Danzig. There is no other way out for us if the occasion comes. Let the words of Marshal Smigly-Rydz be understood by those believing that Danzig can be swindled from Poland. “England and France have declared their solidarity with Poland. Let the rulers of Germany understand that it depends only on their decision whether the battlefields of Europe are to be covered with millions of dead and wounded, and whether the greatest cities are to fall in ruins for one provincial Baltic town. “It is necessary to understand that Polish policy does not include bluff. Poland has said her last words through her Commander-in-Chief.” The broadcast quoted the following statement by Marshal Smigly-Rydz: “Even if she has to fight alone, Poland has decided to fight for Danzig. If all other, methods of settling the Danzig problem fail and the Germans occupy Danzig, Poland will consider that a cause of war. “We will exhaust all methods of settling the question peacefully and then, if Germany persists in an anschluss, Poland will fight even without allies. “The whole nation is ready to fight for Poland’s independence—for when we say we will go to war over Danzig we mean we will be fighting for independence. “Danzig is necessary for Poland. Whoever controls Danzig controls our economic life. Our commerce floods across Danzig and across Gdynia. Whoever controls Danzig controls Gdynia. Polish political circles express the opinion that the plan of provocation conceived by Germany attained its realisation in Danzig with the shooting of a frontier guard. The seriousness of the situation has not decreased. On the contrary, reports are current in Berlin that Herr Hitler has worked out a plan for British-Ger-man negotiations. It is reported from Berlin that Herr Hitler will again confer with the President of the Danzig Senate (Herr Arthur Greiser) and the Nazi district leader (Herr Albert Forster) at Berchtesgaden next week. Nazi circles are again alluding to Herr Hitler’s plan for a peaceful solution. From Danzig, however, comes a report that the shooting of a Pole at the village of Postelau has suddenly increased the tension. The Danzig Senate has apologised to Poland, where the incident is regarded as inexcusable provocation. ALLEGED POLISH CLAIMS WARNING BY GERMAN CHIEF OF STAFF BERLIN, July 20. The Chief of the German General Staff (General von Brauchitsch), in an address to Military Academy cadets at Tannenberg, 15 miles from the Polish frontier, rejected alleged Polish claims to East Prussia. He warned Poland: “We are not seeking war, but we fear it even less. We want to emphasise that this is old German land.”