Evening star., 1939-10-06

norance by its government and par
ticularly because In its every &C
tion it felt itself sufficiently pro-
tected from without.
All this led to an increase in
the number of appalling atrocities
committed against German nation
ais in Poland and to the rejection of
all proposals for solution and
in the end to the steadily growing
encroachments on actual Reich ter
ritory. 1t was quite comprehensi-
BILE that such a state of mind in
terpreted German long suffering as
a weakness, that is, that every
concession on Germany's part was
regarded as proof of the possibility
Of some further aggressive steps.
Warnings Had Tendency
To Increase Atrocities.
A warning given Poland to re-
frain from sending Danzig any
more notes amounting to ultimate
and above all to desist from eco
nomic strangulation of that city
did not ease the situation in the
least; it resulted. in fact, in COM
plete stoppage of all Danzig means
of communication.
The warning to suspend or at
least to take steps against the un-
ceasing cases of murder. i'll treat
ment and torture of German ma
tionals in Poland had the effect Of
increasing these atrocities and of
calling for the more bloodthirsty
harangues and provocative speeches
from the Polish local administrative
officials and military authorities.
The German proposals aiming at
a last-minute agreement on a just
and equitable basis were answered
by q general mobilization.
The German request that an in
termediary should be sent, founded
on proposal made by Great Brit
ain, was no. complied with. and
on the second day was answered by
an offensive declaration.
Under these circumstances it was
obvious that if further incursions
into the Reich's territory occurred
Germany's patience would be at an
end. What the Poles had erro-
neously interpreted as weakness was
in realty our sense Of responsibility
and my firm determination to come
to ar understanding If that at all
was possible.
Since they believed that this pa
tience and long suffering was a sign
Of weakness which would allow them
to do anything. no other course re-
mained than to show them theil
mistake by striking back with the
weapons which they themselves hao
used for years.
Under these blows their state has
crumbled to pieces in a few weeks
and is now swept from the earth
One Of the most senseless deeds per.
petrated at Versailles is thus a thine
Of the past.
Link With Russia Due
To Similarity of Problems.
If this step on Germanys part ha.
resulted in a community of interest.
with Russia, that is due not only te
the similarity of the problems af.
fecting the two states, but also tt
that of the conclusions which botf
states had arrived at with regard te
their future relationship.
In my speech at Danzig I already
declared that Russia was organized
on principles which differ from
those held in Germany.
However, since it became cleal
that Stain. found nothing in thu
Russian Soviet principles which
should prevent him from cultivatine
friendly relations with states of q
different political creed, Nationa
Socialist Germany sees no reason
why she should adopt another
criterion. The Soviet Union is tn.
Soviet Union, National Socialis
Germany is National Socialist Ger.
many.
But one things is certain: From
the moment when the two state.
mutually agreed to respect each
others distinctive regime and prin.
ciples, every reason for any mu
tually hostile attitude had disap.
peared. Long periods in the history
o. both nations have shown tha1
the inhabitants of these two larges
states In Europe were never happier
than when they lived In friendship
with each other.