Evening star., 1939-05-01
British Draft Bills
Reported Including
Northern Ireland
Measures Introduced in
Commons; Talks With
Russia Progress IN
3y the Associated Press.

3y the Associated Press.
LONDON, May bills calling
for military conscription of men
aged 20 years for six months OF
training and enabling the govern
ment to call up reserve forces when
1t deems necessary were introduced
today in the House of Commons.
The texts were not published i'm
mediately, but it was reported that
the conscription measure included
Northern Ireland.
Prime Minister Eamon de Valera
Of Ireland was understood last week
to have warned the British govern
ment not to extend consumption to
his northern neighbor.
Report on Polish Reaction.
The bills were introduced by Prime
Minister Chamberlain and War Sec
retary Leslie -Belisha after a
cabinet meeting in which Foreign
Secretary Viscount Halifax reported
on Polands reaction to Reichs-
fuehrer Hitler's Friday speech and
was said to have announced that
British negotiations with Soviet
Russia were making excellent prog
ress."
The cabinet also approved the
terms of the conscription bill and
was understood to have reviewed
Arab reaction to new British pro-
posals concerning the future of
Palestine.
A plan for settlement OF the long
standing strife between Jews and
Arabs in the Holy Land was said
to have been completed.
Says Little About Russia.
After the cabinet meeting Prime
Minister Chamberlain told the House
Of Commons:
II fully recognize the desirability
Of making statement on the prog
ress of negotiations with Russia
at the earliest possible date, but I
do not propose to do so for the time
being. Proposals have been re-
ceived from Russia and the conver-
sations are proceeding with all pos
sible dispatch"
Asked by Laborite Leader Clement
r. Atlee why there was such long
delay" in the negotiations, Mr..
Chamberlain replied:
II find it very difficult to enter
into details about negotiations which
are still in progress. 1t Is not
very simple matter and one in which
other governments have to be con-
sidered beside our own"
Hitler Declared Inaccurate.
Poland's reaction to Hitler's speech,
in which he denounced the German
Polish non-aggression pact and dis
closed the terms of his "one and
only offer" concerning the Free City
Of Danzig and the Polish Corridor,
was transmitted to London by Sir
Howard Kennard, British Ambas-
sador to Warsaw, after a talk with
Polish Foreign Minister Col. Joseph
Beck.
1t was understood 1t emphasized
the following points:
/. Hitler's account Of German
Polish negotiations over Danzig was
inaccurate"
2. Germany definitely did not Of
fer Poland a 25-year pact of non
aggression.
8. Germany did not mention a
Joint German Polish Hungarian
guarantee of Slovakia.
4. Poland did not finally reject"
Germany's Danzig proposals, but
merely put up counter proposals.
n>.L d n~y~ Th{~ VUnoL
Col. Beck, who is expected to an
swer Hitler's speech formally this
week, was reported to have told Sir
Howard that Poland was convinced
Germany's proposals for an extra
territorial road and a railroad
across the Corridor between Ger
many proper and East Prussia were
made not for economic but for mill
tary reasons.
"These roads, obviously, were for
military purposes" Col. Beck was
reported to have told the British
Ambassador, land Poland sees no
reason why she should cooperate
with Germany's military plans"
The Polish foreign minister also
was reported to have expressed the
opinion that Germany aimed to cut
Poland off from the Baltic.
Poland was understood to have In
formed Britain that Germany's de-
nunciation of the German-Polish
non-aggression pact undoubtedly
modified Poland's stand against CO.
operating with Russia, but she still
was opposed to having Russian
fro0nS m Polish soi1