Mission to Berlin
Headline: Britain's Ambassador to Germany flies back to Berlin with the Government's latest message to Hitler.
Sir Neville Henderson, the British Ambassador to Germany, flew from London to Berlin this afternoon with Britain's reply to Hitler's message of 25 August.
In this Hitler had outlined his demands for an immediate settlement to the question of the Free City of Danzig and the Polish corridor, and his horror at the thought of a war between Germany and Britain.
'... Hitler is bound by an agreement he signed with Poland in January 1934 ...'
This was the latest in a whole series of demands for a solution to the so-called 'Danzig Problem' that Hitler had made ever since the German invasion of Czechoslovakia in March.
Hitler's solution was that Danzig should be returned to Germany and that the Polish corridor should be cut in half by linking East Prussia and the rest of Germany with a band of territory.
However, Hitler is bound by an agreement he signed with Poland in January 1934, guaranteeing not to alter Danzig's position nor threaten the Polish corridor for a period of ten years. Britain and France have pledged their support to Poland should she be threatened by another country.
The situation was made more serious by the biggest diplomatic surprise of recent years, just five days ago on August 23, when Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia signed a Non-aggression Pact in Moscow. Just a few days later Britain reaffirmed her support to Poland by signing the Anglo-Polish alliance.
Sir Neville briefed the Cabinet about the details of Hitler's demands, since when they have met twice more to discuss Britain's response. In the background is the recent correspondence between the French Prime Minister, Edouard Daladier, and Hitler, which was made public.
In this Hitler rejected the French Prime Minister's suggestion that there should be direct negotiations between Germany and Poland and emphasised that he could no longer tolerate the existing situation in Poland.
The message that Sir Neville takes back to Berlin is likely to re-establish Britain's policy of protecting Poland's independence and opposing any form of aggression.
A communiqué was issued this evening by the Polish Government in which they completely deny the German allegations of the terrorisation of the German minority in Poland.
In Warsaw the city is already preparing itself for war. Trenches are being dug, power stations sandbagged and people have started to carry gas masks around with them. Danzig remains the flashpoint of Polish-Nazi conflict; four more Polish officials have been arrested and last night bands of Nazis attacked Polish shops in the city and smashed their windows.
Growing international tension was reflected in Whitehall today with Ambassadors and Dominion High Commissioners arriving for talks at the Foreign Office. While in Downing Street the Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, had talks with the acting Leader of the Opposition, Arthur Greenwood and Sir Archibald Sinclair, leader of the Liberal party.
At about 5.30pm, Mr Chamberlain drove to Buckingham Palace where he stayed for an hour and a half and brought the King up to date on the latest international developments.
[*Reports taken from BBC news bulletins, and a range of daily newspapers]
Published: 2001-09-01
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