Evening star., 1939-04-29
Poles Bolster
Defenses on
German Border
Diplomatic Reply
To Hitler Speech
Is Prepared
3y the Associated Press.


3y the Associated Press.
WARSAW, April 29.-Poland to-
day prepared a diplomatic reply to
Alolf Hitler's Reichstag speech OF
yesterday but took extra military
precautions to strengthen her from
tiers.
The speech and the memorandum
In which Poland was informed OF
Hitler's denunciation of the 1884
1O-year German-Polish non -aggres-
sion pact were under careful study
and it was expected the first reply
would take the form of speech by
Foreign Minister Joseph Beck to
Parliament next week.
It was understood Col Beck would
declare that Hitler's absorptions OF
Austria and Czecho-Slovakia made
1t imperative for Poland to strength
en- her defense forces and form an
alliance with Britain-actions which
Hitler said were reasons for his de-
nunciation of the pact.
Anxious Problem for Nation.
Hitler's disclosure of his demands
for Danzig and a German-ruled ave-
nue. across Poland's corridor con-
fronted the nation with an anxious
problem, but the official press and
authoritative spokesmen asserted he
had only stiffened Polish resistance.
The war ministry set in motion a
series of precautionary measures.
especially near Danzig, incorporation
of which in the. Reich was Hitler's
first demand 1T. was estimated Po-
land had 1900, ,oW men under arms.
The army scheduled impressive
demonstrations of Polish air strength
over all cities tomorrow.
Firmness Shown in Press.
The tone of the press emphasized
the firmness of Poland's attitude ex-
pressed by foreign office spokes-
man that attempts to put pressure
on Poland would be answered
promptly and in the same manner
The independent newspaper, Kur-
jer Polski, said.
"Hitler's speech was speech OF
q man burning all his bridges
bridges that would have permitted
Germany to avoid throwing herself
into the precipice of war"
"The of1essided denunciation of
the navafS tfeaty Cthe 1885 Anglo
German naval pact) was accom-
panied by demands for colonies. bru-
tai rejection Of the hand bringing
peace from across the sea president
Roosevelt's), and the burning Of the
bridge uniting Poland and Germany
In the form of q non-aggression pact
these were the elements OF the
speech"
Won't Pay Hitler's Price.
The paper declared Germany de-
manded Danzig and "our sovereignty
over part of the Polish Corridor
as the price for resuming the nom
aggression treaty and that mot a
single Pole will agree" to such
price.
I'VE will never exchange our
rights for a worthless scrap of pa
per- the paper declared.
The nationalistic Warszawski
Dziennik Narodowy, in an obviously
inspired editorial, said, Poland has
nothing to give Germany. In no case
will we give up our firm decision to
defend our rights in Danzig and the
integrity of Pomorze Polish Cor
ridor).
Hitler's denunciation of the non-
aggression pact will only contribute
to dispensing the illusion among the
few Poles who believed in the pos
sibility of an understanding with
Germany"
Grave View Taken.
It was pointed out that the Polish
German 10-year non-aggresSion
treaty OF 1894 had long been the
keystone of HitIer.s foreign policy
never to be forced to face enemies on
both his eastern and western from
tiers.
For this reason Polish officials took
q grave view of the situation. Some
observers expressed the belief that
in burning this bridge, Hitler was
preparing for the worst"
Further improvement of Poland's
relations with Soviet Russia on her
eastern frontier was expected to
follow at once.
There was some speculation re-
garding the possibility of Col. Beck
visiting Moscow, where Britain has
been pressing diplomatic efforts to
bring the Soviet into collaboration
with her bloc of nations ranged
against Germany and Italy.
Poland's attitude toward Soviet
collaboration has been a key feature
in those negotiations because of
Polish fears of accepting Red Army
aid. ~
Fakes Speech Calmly.
Despite the editorial reaction of
the press, Poland took Hitler's speech
calmly. Except for one-sheet extras
issued on pink paper by Warsaw
newspapers, carrying Hitler's ad-'
dress, there was no excitement.
The calm attitude Of the average
Pole seemed to be: Let Hitler start
something. We're ready"
Tho Express Poranny predicted
Col. Beck would answer Hitler in a
speech before Parliament next week,
information indirectly confirmed by
the ofI1cial Gazetta Polska.
Kurjer Poranny, which has close
connections with the government,
outlined maximum concessions it
believed Poland willing to make to
Germany.
These were:
l. Polish permission for German
motor traffic ito cross the Polish
Corridor from >the Reich to East
Prussia without frontier formalities,
exactly as the bulk of rail traffic
from Germany to East Prussia now
is transacted.
2. Consent to change the status