Evening star., 1939-10-24
Foreign Minister
Asserts War Was
Forced on Reich
BULLETIN.

DIAAN1AO, Wv. A1 VI j. SASAoAA
Minister Won Ribbentrop declared
here today that in 1888 Chancel-
lor Hitler outlined policy of
coming to terms with Great Brit
ain on the basis of a protective
and defensive British al
lance with a pledge of armed
aid by Germany to the British
empire with no such counter aid
demanded of England.
By the Associated Press.
DANZIG, Germany, Oct. "a
Adolf Hitler's foreign minister told
the world tonight that Germany
now was determined to conduct the
war against Britain and her allies to
the bitter finish and until the Sc
curity of the German Reich in Ger
many was assured for all time.
Joachim Won Ribbentrop charac-
terized the war with the western
powers as completely senseless, -
but held that Britain and especially
the Chamberlain government had
Insisted on having this war.
He denied the charge that Ger
many had broken her word; he as
serted, with constant references to
recent history, that every attempt
by the Fuehrer to come to an under
standing with Britain, France and
Poland had been frustrated by the
London government.
He declared that 'in the truest
sense of the word the war has been
forced upon Germany"
Daladier Meeting Called OFF.
Won Ribbentrop disclosed for the
first time that only few months
after Hitler's assumption of power
in 1888 secret meeting had been
arranged between the Fuehrer and
French Premier Daladier to at
tempt to settle French German diff
ference. CDaladier was Premier
from January to October, 1889
The foreign minister asserted
that at Britain's instigation the
meeting was called off at the last
minute by the French, and Daladier
was ousted from the premiership
because, as Won Ribbentrop insisted,
the British feared "the French front
fighter and man of the people, Da-
Ladder, might find a real basis for
agreement with front fighter and
man of the people Hitler"
Address to Veterans.
His address, delivered to veterans
OF the Nal party in this one time
free city which was annexed to the
Reich September /, was a detailed
description of the diplomatic maneu-
vering which preceded the British
and French declarations of war on
Germany.
1t was absurd to hold either Dam
zig or Germany responsible for the
conflict, Won Ribbentrop said He
added Germany and Danzig never
more would be separated.
When Adolf Hitler in 1884 ar
ranged new orientation of Eastern
Europe with Poland's late Marshal
Josef Pilsudski, the Fuehrer left no
doubt in the minds of the Poles that
sooner or later Danzig and the Cor
ridor problems must be solved, Won
Ribbentrop said.
Precisely a year ago, on October
"a, on instructions of Hitler, 1 re-
ceived former Polish Ambassador to
Germany Lipski at Berchtesgaden,"
he said. "On this day I presented to
him the suggestion of political union
OF Danzig and the Reich but with
the provision that Danzig remain in
the field of Polish economics"
Repeated by Hitler.
"The proposal also envisaged ex-
tra-territorial automobile and rail
connections to both separated Po-
lish and German territories and
provided recognition of frontiers for
extension of the non-aggression pact
Of 1914 for period of Is years.
These proposals were repeated by
the Fuehrer personally in my pres
ence and that of Ambassador Moltke
and Lipski to former Polish Foreign
Minister (JozeD Beck at Berchtes-
gaden on January Is, 1899.
The Fuehrer observed at this
time that for no one but himself
would it be possible to renounce the
Corridor in such manner. The
next day in Munich and on January
26 in Warsaw this offer was dis
cussed in detail between Beck and
myself.
Offer Rejected, He Says.
"On these occasions our proposals
by no means were rejected by the
Poles, but it was emphasized that in
view of internal difficulties it would
have to be examined most carefully
and the Poles would attempt to i'm
prove German-Polish relations"
Won Ribbentrop said that "harass-
ing OF German nationals, Polish
press attacks and German DEM
onstrations in front of the German
Embassy in Warsaw" forced him to
warn the Polish Ambassador on
March 81, 1899.
At the same time, he said, he re-
peated the German offer of settle
ment as well as invited Beck to a
conference for final settlement
OF all questions"
On March 26, he said, he was pre-
sented with rejection of Hitler's
proposals.
1T hardly appears believable and
yet it is fact" he said.
He continued that the Polish
Ambassador told me any further
pursuit of German plans regarding
the political return OF Danzig to the
Reich meant war with Poland"
The invitation to Beck to 70 to
Berlin also was rejected, Won Rib
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