DANZIG TENSION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23886, 14 August 1939, Page 9

DANZIG TENSION

HERR FOERSTER'S SPEECH

"A TRANSPARENT TRAVESTY" ' BLAME THROWN ON POLES BRITISH PRESS COMMENT (British Official Wireless) (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph Copyright) RUGBY, Aug. 11. British press comment on Herr Foerster's speech notes that, while the speech was phrased in the accustomed language of violence calculated further to inflame the tension, it does not in itself announce a new stage in the crisis. The Daily Telegraph says: "As might be expected, it leaves the next word with Herr Hitler, of whose voice Herr Foerster is regarded as the echo. Not until Herr Hitler chooses to speak shall we know what the meaning is of the phrases in which Herr Foerster proclaims that the hour of liberation is at hand and that Danzig will again return to the Reich, and promises that there will be obedience on the part of Danzigers to every order that the Fuhrer gives. "Much of part of the speech casts the whole of the blame for the present situation upon the Poles, and is a transparent travesty of the re,cent history of the Free City. At this critical moment there was, on Herr Foerster's part, no attempt to emulate the restraint which Marshal Smigley-Rydz exhibited on Sunday. That, however, was scarcely to ,be expected from our knowledge of the manner in which the campaign in Danzig has been conducted and of the sources from which it derived inspiration. It is left to Harr Hitler to show Europe the inner meaning of the oratorical phrases, and upon his interpretation of them—whether they mean negotiations concerning the future of the Free City or the endeavour to restore, it to the Reich by force—depends the issue of peace or war." THE GERMAN PRESS OUTBURST AGAINST POLES BERLIN, Aug. 11. The press has begun a new Polish blast, /giving prominence to alleged! maltreatment of members of the German minority in Poland. ATROCITY STORIES FEATURED IN BERLIN PRESS BERLIN, Aug. 12. (Received Aug. 13, at 9 p.m.) -The press is increasingly menacing and urges Britain not to leave the fate of Europe in the hands of Polish irresponsibles. The press opened the floodgates of anti-Polish propaganda and released all the atrocity stories that have been stored up for months. It also provided unmistakable evidence of Germany's aggressive Intentions. Typical of the screaming attacks TJhr Blatt says: "Polish megalomania, which unleashed anti-Ger-man persecution, has already started a war 1 before which democracies tremble." It alleges that there were 204 attacks against Germans in five weeks. The Voelkischer Beobachter significantly says: "It is absolutely unprecedented that a great nation should tolerate foreign control of communications between ■ two parts of the country. Poland's behaviour is only contributing to having this question examined with real seriousness." The National Zeitung says: " Ger- ■ many hitherto has not published the full brutality of the Polish terror, believing that Poland's Chauvinistic running amuck would subside, but British and French backing has turned Poland's head." HUNGARIAN FRONTIER GERMAN TROOPS IN VICINITY (Independent Cable Service) LONDON, Aug. 13. (Received Aug. 13, at 11 p.m.) Reynolds's News says Hungary asked Poland whether the. Poles would stand by Hungary in the event of a German attack. t German forces stationed a few miles from the, Hungarian frontier number 350,000, which is three times larger than the total Hungarian Army. NAZIS' REAL OBJECTIVE ACCESS TO RUTHENIA LONDON, Aug. 13. (Received Aug. 14. at 1.30 a.m.) The conviction is growing that the Berchtesgaden talks represent a diversion on the part of Germany towards Budapest, confirming the impression that Poland, not Danzig, remains Germany's first objective. It is believed that Germany is putting pressure on Hungary for a military alliance, enabling Germany to attack Poland across Ruthenia. Should Germany gain military cess to Ruthenia she would be in a favourable position to strike at Poland's vital industrial area, specially selected after the war because it was then distant from the German frontier. It has been reliably stated that Admiral Horthy is faced with a virtual ultimatum from Berlin to reconstruct the Government and support a policy favouring the Axis, also friendship with Rumania. HERR FOERSTER AGAIN A TYPICAL OUTBURST LONDON, Aug. 13. (Received Aug. 14, at 1.30 a.m.) Herr Foerster, speaking at Fuerth, Bavaria, said, " I will take back to Danzig a message that its return to the Reich will be a reality, come what may. To Bri'ain and France, I say, 'lt is none of your business now that Danzigers want to arrange their future.' It would have been better had they interested themselves in Danzig and in Germany's eastern frontiers in 1919. Danzig would have been settled long ago had Britain and France not incited the Poles, whom one would be

honouring too much by bothering particularly about henceforth. They are arrogant and illiterate, and should be forbidden for Europe's good to indulge in politics." POLISH PRESS OPINION DANZIG MERELY A PRETEXT BUDAPEST, Aug. 13. (Received Aug. 14, at 1.30 a.m.) Count Teleki summoned foreign correspondents and declared those who sent out reports of certain rumours would be expelled, particularly the story that Herr von Ribbentrop was bringing pressure to procure Count Teleki's resignation, which has been officially denied. Polish official newspapers declare that Danzig is merely a pretext for a German attempt to establish heremony in Europe. Dr Goebbels's latest declaration that the whole of Europe, south and east, and later west, must undergo revision, is accepted as confirmation of this interpretation.