Evening star., 1939-09-02


After considering all circumstances
prevailing ut the time, they con-
sidered 1t necessary In their note
to point out that If the danger of
catastrophe was to be avoided, then
action must be taken readily and
without delay. In this sense, they
declared themselves ready to re-
ceive parsonage appointed by the
Polish government up to the eve
ming Of August 80 with the proviso
that the latter was in fact en-
powered not only to discuss but to
conduct and conclude negotiations
Further, the German govern
ment pointed out, they felt able to
make basic points regarding the
offer of understanding available to
the British government by the time
the Polish negotiator arrived in
Berlin.
Instead of a statement regard
ing arrival of an authorized Polish
parsonage, the first answer the gov
ernment of Reich received to their
readiness for an understanding was
news of the Polish mobilization
and, only towards II o'clock on the
night OF August 30, 1899, did they
receive a somewhat general assur-
ance of the British readiness to
help towards commencement of
negotiations.
Although the fact that the Polish
negotiator, expected by the govern
ment of the Reich, did not arrive
removed the necessary condition for
informing his majestys government
of the view Of the German govern
ment as regards possible basis for
negotiation tsince his majesty's
government themselves had pleaded
for direct negotiations between
Germany and Poland the German
minister for foreign affairs. Herr
Won Ribbentrop. gave the British
Ambassador, on the occasion of
presentation of the last British
note, precise information as to the
text of German proposals which
would be regarded as basis of
negotiation in the event of arrival
of Polish plenipotentiary
THE government of the German
Reich considered themselves en-
titled to claim that in these cir
cumstances Polish parsonage
would Immediately be nominated
at any rate retroactively
For the Reich government can
not be expected for their part con-
tinually not only to emphasize their
willingness to start negotiations but
actually be ready to do so while
being from the Polish side merely
put off with empty subterfuges and
meaningless declarations.
TT has once more been made
clear, as result of the demarche
which has meanwhile been made
by the Polish Ambassador, that the
latter himself has no plenary powers
to enter into any negotiations.
THE Fuehrer and the German
government have thus waited two
days in vain for the arrival of a
Polish negotiator with plenary
powers.
In these circumstances the Ger
man government regard their pro-
posals as having this time, too. been.
to all intents and purposes. rejected,
although they considered that these
proposals. in the form in which
they were made known to the Brit
ish government also were more than
loyal, fair and practicable.
The Reich government consider
it timely to inform the public of
the bases for negotiation which
were communicated to the British
Ambassador by Minister for Foreign
Affairs Herr Won Ribbentrop.
The situation existing between
the German Reich and Poland is at
the moment of such kind that any
further incident can lead to an ex-
plosion on the part of military forces
which have taken up their position
on both sides ANY peaceful solu-
ton must be framed in such a way
as to insure that the events which
lie at the root of this situation can
not be repeated on the next occa-
sion offered. and that thus not only
east of Europe but also other terri
tories shall not be brought into
such a state of tension. The causes
Of this development lie in:
Il. Impossible delineation of
frontiers as fixed by the Versailles
dictate.
2. Impossible treatment of the
minority in ceded territories.
I'm making these proposals the
Reich government are therefore ac-
tuated by the idea of finding a last
ing solution which will remove an
impossible situation created by
frontier delineation which may as
sure to both parties their vitally
important line of communication
which may-as far as it is at all
possible-remove the minority prob
lem and in so far as this is not DOS
sible may give minorities assurance
OF tolerable future by means of a
renaole guarantee of their rights.
Ihe Reich government are con-
tent that in so doing it is essential
that economic and physical damage
done since 1918 should be exposed
and repaired in its entirety. They.
OF course, regard this obligation as
being binding for both parties.
These considerations lead to the
following practical proposals:
i. Danzig shall return to the Ger
man Reich in view of its purely
German character as we'll as of the
unanimous will of the populat ton.
z. Territory of the so-called Corri-
dor, which extends from the Baltic
Sea to the line Marienwerde Grau-
denz-kulm- -Bromberg (nclusive) and
thence may run in a westerly direc-
ton to Schonlanke, shall itself
decide whether it shall belong to
Germany or Poland"
3. For this purpose a plebiscite
shall take place in this territory
The following shall be entitled to
vote: All Germans who were either
domiciled in this territory on Janu-
ary l, 1918, or who by that date had
been born there and similarly of