THE REICHSTAG SPEECH

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 101, 2 May 1939, Page 9

THE REICHSTAG SPEECH

TENSION NOT EASED

ENDING OF POLISH PACT

FUHRER'S PRETEXT

(British Official Wireless.)

(Received May 2," 11 a.m.)

RUGBY, May 1

World commentary during the weekend on Herr Hitler's speech in the Reichstag confirms the first reading of the speech that it offers no perceptible contribution to easing the international tension.

For practical purposes what emerges from the speech is that two treaties have been- terminated. As far as Britain is concerned, it is unlikely that there will be any reply to the speech apart from an acknowledgment, of the abrupt ending of the naval agreement. It is in accordance with usual procedure that when Herr Hitler arbitrarily denounces a treaty he declares his readiness to negotiate a new onej but it is agreed in London that n,b useful purpose would be served in negotiating a new bilateral treaty to replace the naval treaty. ; Regarding the ending of the tenyear treaty between Germany and Poland after five years, there is much comment on Herr Hitler's pretext for bringing it to a sudden end. It is pointed out that, contrary to Herr Hitler's assertion, Germany's comprehensive proposals to Poland were not rejected. Poland replied by submitting alternatives. The decision to do so was taken solely on Polish. responsibility and without consultation with Britain. Herr Hitler used as a pretext for his denunciation of the treaty the j existence of the Anglo-Polish defensive assurances, which are, declared to constitute a Polish violation of the treaty. In fact, these assurances were exchanged after Poland's attitude had already been made, clear, and in London it is recognised that, as the preliminary agreement over Danzig shows, Poland, while refusing to yield to an ultimatum or to force, ivas prepared to \ ■negotiate with Germany on reasonable terms on the subject. ' TERMS AT BREST-LITOVSK. Another- subject, of Press comment has relation to repeated violent criti-j cisms of the Versailles Treaty, andj newspapers recall, the terms of the treaties concluded by . Germany at Brest-Litovsk and at Bucharest after the defeat of the Russians and the Rumanians. "The Times," .summarising the effect of these treaties, says that after a series of ultimatums and ever-increas-ing demands Russia lost at BrestLitovsk over 62,000,000 of her population and a quarter of her territory, with a third of her crops and a third of her State' income. The whole of the Ukraine as' far as the Black Sea was taken from 'her. The Caucasus went in large measure to Turkey, and the Finns were encouraged to make claims later in respect of Finnish interests in Petrograd. The terms of the Bucharest treaty were humiliating and disastrous to Rumania. Not only was territory taken /from her, but the whole of her economic resources were to be at the disposal of the conquerors, who were to have the right to military transport by way of a corridor through Moldavia and Bessarabia and command over two ports in the Black Sea.