[Enclosure]
Memorandum by the Chargé in Denmark (Osborne)
[
Copenhagen
,] January 1, 1919.
The British Chargé d’Affaires to-day showed me an original despatch
from Colonel H. H. Wade, British Military Attaché in Copenhagen,
dated from Posen December 28 (?), 1918, relative to M. Paderewski’s
visit to Poland.
The despatch stated that upon his arrival in Danzig, together with
Monsieur and Madame Paderewski, he was visited by a German official
who requested that no demonstrations be organized in Danzig. Colonel
Wade replied that he could not prevent M. Paderewski’s friends from
meeting him at the station. The German official endeavored to induce
Colonel Wade and M. Paderewski to proceed to Warsaw via Thorn, but
Colonel Wade insisted on going to Posen.
The party was given a saloon car from Danzig. On the way to Posen a
representative of the German General Staff in civilian clothes
boarded the train and informed Colonel Wade that his safe-conduct
called for his transit through Germany to Warsaw and requested that
he should not proceed to Posen. Colonel Wade replied that he had
received orders to proceed to Posen, where he was to meet the rest
of his mission, and that the German Foreign Office must be cognizant
of this fact. In consequence of this statement by Colonel Wade, the
representative of the German General Staff withdrew, saying that in
that case he only wished to enter a formal protest, which Colonel
Wade reported that he took note of.
Colonel Wade further reported that upon their arrival in Posen they
were greeted with great enthusiasm by the populace; their carriage
was escorted by Polish soldiers from the railway station to the
[Page 423]
hotel; the soldiers
finally ended by carrying the mission into the hotel. The following
day shots were heard, and it was soon reported that German soldiers
had stormed the offices of the Polish National Council and had torn
down the Polish and Allied flags and stamped them into the gutter.
These German soldiers were supposedly “reactionaries.” At the time
of writing the despatch, Colonel Wade stated that the hotel was
being besieged by these German troops and defended by Polish
soldiery.
Colonel Wade further reported that agitation was under way by the
Germans for the organization of forces of defense in the province of
Posen, and that these German forces were following a policy of
repression against the Poles, suppressing the language, etc. He had
despatched Lieutenant Commander Rawlings, R. N., who was attached to
him, to the Commander of the Fifth Army Corps, with the message that
the British Government would hold him responsible for the
consequences of the attitude of the German troops. The Commander of
the Fifth Army Corps replied that he had no official knowledge of
Colonel Wade’s mission.
Colonel Wade further stated that the German forces in the province of
Posen were removing valuable material of all kinds and in general
treating the territory as if they were forces of occupation and in a
manner contrary to the terms of the armistice. He recommended that
Allied or neutral commissioners be despatched to exercise
surveillance.
Enclosed with Colonel Wade’s despatch were the following:
- (1)
- An American flag torn to shreds, stated to have been one
of those pulled down by the German troops from the offices
of the Polish National Council.
- (2)
- A proclamation signed by the Commander of the Fifth Army
Corps, the Workmen’s and Soldiers’ Council, the Jewish
Council, and other city organizations, promulgating a state
of siege for the city.
- (3)
- A hand-bill printed by some German organization setting
forth the consequences of Posen’s becoming Polish and
calling upon the German population to “vote German” for the
National Assembly.
- (4)
- A copy of the same manifesto republished by the German
organization in question with notations by a Pole made on
the original hand-bill.
- (5)
- An official order issued by the Commander of the Fifth
Army Corps and countersigned by the “Schlichtungskommission”
stating that disorders had broken out in the city, that it
was still too soon to determine the guilt in the matter, but
calling upon all troops to maintain order, in view of the
hardships which they had undergone together during the
war.
- (6)
- An official order signed by the Commander of the Fifth
Army Corps and countersigned by the “Schlichtungskommission”
stating that a British commission had arrived and that, as
it was under the protection of international law, it was not
to be interfered with. The order further stated that the
commission would carry the British flag.
- (7)
- A clipping from a German newspaper in Posen calling for
the formation of voluntary militia for the protection of
German interests in the province of Posen.
In a letter to his wife, Colonel Wade stated that field-guns had been
drawn up in front of the hotel, which was being fired on by
machineguns from the neighboring buildings. Bullets had entered Mr.
Paderewski’s room.
Colonel Wade also indicated that he was not in complete accord with
M. Paderewski’s ideas as to the territorial extent of Poland, which
he seemed to regard as exaggerated.
