Evening star., 1948-02-07

YtelepIlOIleQ ITOIn LOLlQOil, saying
that the British, "as they always
do, feel that they can rise to the
occasion" that they were alerting
their feet and had called terri
torial troops to arms.
Bullitt cabled me that Daladier
said he hoped the time would soon
come when 1t would be possible to
hold a conference to organize q
genuine European peace; he thought
the call for such a conference had
to come from the President.
Chamberlain Speech Barred.
Prime Minister Chamberlain now
wanted to broadcast a message to
the American people on the follow
ing night, September n, but the
President said no. He thought that
a direct message from the Prime
Minister to the American people
might be misconstrued
Hitler's reply arrived on the night
Of September 26. 1t was a long
diatribe against the Czech govern
ment, the treaty Of Versailles and
the League Of Nations, and 1t con-
cluded by placing the burden Of
peace or war upon Czechoslovakia,
not Germany.
We now had to decide what fur
ther step to take. Bullitt cabled
suggestion that second telegram
be sent by the President to Hitler
requesting him to agree to send a
representative to such a conference
at The Hague as Bullitt had pre-
viously suggested. Daladier. he said,
was delighted" with the idea.
A number of other governments
had already cabled their support
Of the Presidents appeal of the day
before. On the afternoon Of Sep
tember q we sent instructions to
our representatives accredited to
other governments, to ask those
governments to send comparable
to Germany and Czecho-
slovakia. Nineteen governments, II
OF them In Latin America, acted
favorably on this suggestion.
We also sent a telegram to AM
bassador Phillips in Rome contain.
ing personal and confidential mes
sage from the President to Musso-
lini asking Mussolini to help in
the continuation of the efforts to
arrive at an agreement on the ques-
tions at issue by negotiation or by
other pacific means rather than by
resort to force"
Appeal Sent to Hitler.
President Roosevelt decided to
send a further appeal, this time ad-
dressed to Hitler alone. Drafted BY
this went forward on the
evening of September n. It sug-
yested an immediate conference in
some neutral spot in Europe with
all nations directly interested In
The Czech controversy participating.
It declared that continued nego-
,iations remain the only way by
which the immediate problem can
be disposed of upon any lasting
basis"
While we were awaiting tensely
for Hitlers reply, British Ambas-
sador Lindsay came in at my re.
quest after having given UP a copy
Of Chamberlains latest commune
cation to Hitler and Mussolini. I
said to the Ambassador: IT calleH
you in to say that in the awful
event OF war, which looks very
threatening, I want your govern
ment to know that our government
and nation will have no policy or
purpose to supplant existing, estab-
llshed British trade in various parts
Of the world. Whatever we might
do in the way Of securing the trade
Of numerous other countries
might mention, we would have no
intention to diSplace British trade
by taking advantage OF its dis
advantages due to the war and
Great Britain's participation in it,"
The Ambassador seemed much
Then, on the afternoon of Sep
,ember 28, as the world seemed to
hang in the balance, Hitler invited
chamberlain, Daladier and Musso-
ini to meet with him the following
lay at Munich to settle the Czech
'risis. War was at least postponed.
But to me the Munich agreement
seemed only a momentary solution.
As between the alternatives of keep
ng peace by facing Hitler with
orce or by capitulating. the latter
had been chosen. Hitler had not
made war because he had got all
,e wanted without firing a single
hot
Chamberlain called it peace in
,ur time" but the time was short,
fThe next installment In this
series appears Monday. Mr.. Hull
writes special article from his
memoirs for the editorial section
in tomorow's Sunady Starr
nan, of no fixed address. The sus-