Evening star., 1939-08-31
Doubt Is Raised
On Hitler Reply
To Last Note
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
BERLIN, Aug. 31-Authorized
Germans said tonight that pause"
had come about in crisis negotia-
tions with Great Britain, but that
negotiations ARE not broken off"
Announcement of full mobiliza-
ton of the British fleet coming on
top of Poland's extension of mobili-
zation yesterday, these persons in
dicated, were at least partly re-
sponsible for the pause"
AS result, it was uncertain
whether British questions, put to
Adolf Hitler by the British govern
ment in memorandum handed to
the Fuehrer last night, would be
answered.
This morning it was said that the
questions would be answered. For
eign Minister Joachim Won Ribben-
trop, however. it was then said, had
given Sir Neville Henderson, the
British Ambassador, an oral indica-
tion of what the German reply
would be.
Asked whether any new moves
were to be expected as result of
the pause" this afternoons in
formants said:
1--WE have laid our cards on the
tables, whether the British will come
forward with any more suggestions
we do not know"
Soviet Military Pact.
Hitler was reported ready to
Sa1o ~,.l
effort to convince the Poles they
should come to Berlin and nego-
tiate.
The Russian councillor of En-
bassy called at the foreign Office
while hints were spread that unless
Poland bows to pressure being put
upon her, Hitler intends to an
nounce some degree of military CO.
operation with the Soviets.
Should Hitler win Stain over to
actively assisting Germany militar-
lily, Poland would find herself in
highly precarious position.
Further mobilization orders in
Poland yesterday were interpreted
by the Berlin government as the
answer to efforts to bring Poland to
negotiate. Astonishment over the
Polish move was professed in in
formed quarters which spoke about
the possible military cooperation
with Russia.
Answer Being Prepared.
Meanwhile Hitler and Ribbentrop
were preparing an answer to ques-
tions raised in the British message.
The British note, foreign office
quarters said, was not in the nature
of a reply to the latest German
memorandum. Rather, they said, it
asked several calculating questions.
Official quarters said the creation
last night of supreme defense
council had been planned for some
time to go into operation in case of
need.
Some observers asked whether
Hitler had not signed away some of
his powers to the council, especially
to Field Marshal Hermann Goering,
who heads it, Officials said, how
ever, this was not the case as the
Fuehrer must countersign all acts
of the council before they become
valid. They described the council
as a "co-ordinating body"
The attitude in government quar-
ters today was that the general
crisis situation had not changed
since yesterday and that 1T all de-
pends on Poland"
Albert Forster, the Danzig Nazi
district leader, conferred with Hit
Ter yesterday, but returned imme-
diately to Danzig. Closest secrecy
was maintained about the Free City
leaders visit.
The Fuehrer still remained in his
chancellery. AS far as could be
learned, he has not left the building
for full week.
New Council in Control.
The siX-man defense council,
headed by Marshal Goering, took
supreme control of German eco
nomics, military policy and govern
ment administrative machinery in
a step which emphasized darken-
ing turn in the Polish German dis
pute.
The Polish mobilization yesterday
was considered here to have caused
the Eastern European situation to
take a dangerous step toward
(See BERLIN, Page A-40