Evening star., 1939-08-28

cisions which the situation called
for were made difficult for the Polish
government. Above all the govern
ment's ability to see the limitations
Of realistic possibilities was impaired
by the guarantee promise which fol-
lowed.
The Polish government declined
the proposals. Polish public opinion,
convinced that England and France
would now fight for Poland, began
to make demands which one might
possibly stigmatize as laughable in
sanity were they not SO tremend-
ously dangerous. At that point an
unbearable terror, a physical and
economic persecution of the Ger
mans although they numbered more
than a million and half, began
IN the regions ceded by the Reich.
I don't want here to speak of the
atrocities that occurred. Suffice it
to say that Danzig, too, was made
increasingly conscious through con-
tinuous aggressive acts by Polish
officials of the fact that apparently
1T is irretrievably delivered over
to the observation-disclosures of power
foreign to the national character
OF the city and its population.
Draws a Parallel.
May now take the liberty of
putting the question to you, Herr
Daladier, how would you act as a
F'renchman If, through some I'M
happy issue, of brave struggle,
one Of your provinces were severed
by a corridor occupied by foreign
power. And if big city-let us
say, Marseille-were hindered from
belonging to France and If French
men living in this area were perse-
cuted, beaten and maltreated, yes,
murdered in bestial manner?
You are Frenchman, Herr
Daladier, and I therefore know how
you would act. 1 am a German,
Herr Daladier. Do not doubt my
sense of honor nor my consciousness
OF duty to act exactly like you.
II, then, you had the misfortune
that is ours, would you then, Herr
Daladier, have any understanding
Germany were without cause to in
sist that the corridor through
France remained. that the robbed
territory must not be restored, and
that the return of Marseille to
France be forbidden?
Certainly I cannot imagine. Herr
Daladier, that Germany would fight
against you for this reason. For,
and all OF us, have renounced
Alsace-Lorraine in order to avoid
further bloodshed. Much less would
we shed blood in order to maintain
an injustice that must needs be as
unbearable for you as it would be
immaterial to us. feel exactly as
you do what you write in your let
ters, Herr Daladier.
Old Front Fighters.
Possibly we, as old front fighters,
can best understand each other in
number of fields. I ask you. how
ever, do understand this also: That
it is impossible for nation of honor
to renounce the claim of almost two
million human beings and to see
them maltreated at its own borders.
I have therefore set up a clear de-
mand to Poland. Danzig and the
Corridor must go back to Germany.
The Macedonian conditions on our
eastern frontier must be removed.
see no way of persuading Poland,
which feels herself as unassailable
now that she enjoys the protection
OF her guarantees, to accept a peace
full solution. I should, however,
despair of an honorable future for
ny people if we were not determined
lnder such circumstances to solve
the problem in one way or another.
If our two countries on that ac-
count should be destined to meet
again on the field of battle, there
would nevertheless be difference in
the motives. I, Herr Daladier, shall
be leading my people in fight to
rectify wrong. whereas the others
will be fighting to preserve that
wrong.
That is the more tragic since
many important men, also among