NAZI "BOMBSHELL"

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23619, 1 April 1940, Page 10

NAZI "BOMBSHELL"

AMERICA AND THE WAR I ALLEGED DISCOVERY DOCUMENTS TN POLAND By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright (Received March 31, Ci.s p.m.) I BERLIN, March 30 A declaration that the United States opposed any compromise by the democracies with the totalitarian Powers, and also a promise that the United States would ultimately go to war on the side of Britain and France, is. contained in a bundle of documents which Hitler's Foreign Office handed to United States pressmen in Berlin. :The Nazi spokesman alleged that the documents had been found in the Polish Foreign Office when the Nazis entered Warsaw, and declared they proved President Roosevelt was involved absolutely in bringing about the present war. , The accusation came as a bombshell for the Americans. The correspondents say most of the documents appeared to be confidential Polish records involving not only Mr. Roosevelt, but the American Ambassadors to Britain, France and Poland —Mr. S. P. Kennedy, Mr. William Bullitt and Mr. A. J. Drexel Biddle, respectively—as well as high American naval and army officers. - Democracies' "Conspiracy" In the forefront of the bundle was a report which the Polish Ambassador to Washington, Count Potocki, is alleged to have sent to Warsaw concerning a conversation-with .Mr. Bullitt in November, 1038: "Mr, Bullitt expressed himself regarding Germany and Hitler with the greatest vehemence and strong hatred. Asked how he pictured the opening of the war, Mr. Bullitt declared that above all the United States, Britain and France must arm tremendously in order to show a fist to Germany. The democracies desired to get Germany involved in a weakening war with Russia, after which the demoecracies would attack Germany and compel her capitulation. The United States would unquestionably take part in such a war, but only after the Allies had bestirred themselves." American Standpoint Another report purported to concern a subsequent conversation between Count Potocki and Mr. Bullitt, in which the latter outlined an exact definition by Mr. Roosevelt of the United States' standpoint for presentation to the French and British Foreign* Offices: "(1) Mr. Roosevelt sharply and unequivocally condemns the totalitarian States; (2) the United States' war preparations will be realised at increased tempo and will cost the colossal sum of £31:3,000,000; (3) Mr. Roosevelt is firmly of the opinion that Britain and France must end every policy of compromise with the totalitarian States and not enter any discussions concerning territorial changes; (4) a moral assurance that the United States will desert its policy of isolation and is prepared to take part actively with the Allies in the event of war and place its entire financial and material resources at their disposal." Alleged Reports An alleged report from the Pplish commercial attache in London reviews a conversation with Mr. Kennedy in June of 1939, in which -Air. Kennedy promised to see Mr. Chamberlain and Viscount Halifax immediately and insist upon the necessity for helping Poland without delay with money to build up the Polish armaments. Another alleged report from the Polish military attache in London in August, 1938, quotes the United States naval attache as saying: "The United States is ideologically and completely on the side of the democracies and is studying the best ways of rapidly assisting Britain and Franco, instead of allowing years to pass, as in the last war. German penetration in South America is intolerable to the United States." DAMP SQUIB EFFECT TN LONDON STORY TREATED COLDLY FEATURE IN BERLIN PRESS (Received March 111', 7 p.m.) LONDON, March 30 If Hitler and Ribbentrop expected the publication of the Polish documents to be a sensation in Europe they must be disappointed. The British press treats the "disclosure" coldly, and apparently accepts Mr. Roosevelt's comment that it must be taken with two or even three grains of salt. The Times and the Daily Telegraph give the'allegations three-quarters of a column on inside pages, and others less. AH the papers give prominence to Molotoff's speech, which is regarded as having little comfort for Germany.

On tbt! contrary, the front pages of the German newspapers to-day tiro filled with the Polish documents, crowding out Molotoff's speech. Editorials declare the documents prove the irrevocable desire of the western democracies to destroy National Socialist Germany through war.