Evening star., 1939-08-24
BY the Associated Fress.

BY the Associated FreSS.
LONDON, Aug. 24-The text
of Prime Minister Chamberlain
speech to the House Of Commons:
I'm the last debate we had upon
foreign affairs, which took place
July 81, observed that the Dan
zig situation required very careful
watching. I expressed my anxiety
about the pace at which the &C
cumulation of war weapons was pro-
ceeding throughout Europe. I re-
ferred to the poisoning of public
opinion by propaganda which was
going on, and declared that If that
could be stopped, and if some action
could be taken to restore confidence,
did not belle that there was any
by peaceful discussion.
am sorry to say that there have
been no signs since of any such
action, but on the contrary the in
ternational position has steadily
deteriorated until today we find our
selves confronted with the i'm
minent perils of war
AV Wiz OC6lllllAile Va AuSu ulo-
pute arose between the Polish gov
ernment and the Danzig Senate as to
the position and functions of certain
Polish customs officials 1t was not
question of major Importance
Many more acute difficulties have
been easily settled in the past in
less tense conditions and in this case
discussions had actually begun be-
tween the parties last week.
Resemble Sudeten Stories.
While these discussions were in
progress the German press opened
a violent campaign against the Po-
lish government. They declared that
Danzig could not be the subject
of any conference or any compro-
mise, but that it must come back
to the Reich at once uncondition-
ally.
They went further and linked up
the question with the question of
the Corridor and attacked the
whole policy and attitude of the
Polish government and published
circumstantial accounts of alleged
ill-treatment of Germans living in
Poland. We have no means of
checking the accuracy of these sto-
ries, but we cannot help being
struck by the fact that they bear
a strong resemblance to similar al
legations that were made in re-
spect of the Sudeten Germans in
Czecho-Slovakia.
We must also remember that
there is a large Polish minority
in Germany and that the treat
ment of that minority has also
been the subject of bitter COM
plant by the Polish government
There is no subject which is cal
culated to arouse ill-feeling in any
country more than statements
about the ill-treatment of people
of their own race in another coun-
try.
That is the subject which provides
the most inf1ammable of all mate
rials-materials most likely to cause
a general conf1agration. In these
regret that such incidents. which
if they were established beyond a
shadow of doubt, would naturally
excite sympathy for the victims and
Indignation against the authors OF
this alleged ill-treatment, should be
treated in way which is calculated
still further to embitter the atmos-
phere and to raise the temperature
to danger point.
Poland Has Shown Self Restraint.
1t must, think, be agreed that ir
the face of this campaign, declara.
tions by the Polish statesmen have
shown great calm and self-restraint
The Polish leaders, while they have
been firm in their determination to
resist attack upon their independ-
ence, have been unprovocative They
have always been ready, as l an
sure they would be ready now, tt
discuss differences with the German
government, if they could be sure
that those discussions would be
carried on without threats of force
or violence and with some conf.
dence that if agreement was
reached, its terms would be re.
spected afterwards both in the letter
and in the spirit.
This press campaign is not the
only symptom which is ominously
reminiscent of past experience. Mill
tary preparations have been made
in Germany on such a scale thai
that country is now in a condition
of complete readiness for war. Al
the beginning of this week we hae
word that German troops were be.
ginning to move towards the Polish
frontier.
1t then became evident that {
crises of the first magnitude wa.
approaching, and the government
resolved that the time had come
when they must seek the approva
of the parliament for furthel
measures of defense.
Peoples Don't Want War.
The rise in the bank rate today
was normal protective measure
adopted for the purpose of defend
ing our reserves in a period of un.
certainty.
In view of the attitude in Berlin