760C.62/758: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Bullitt) to the Secretary of State
[Received 5:27 p.m.]
1429. The Polish Ambassador said to me today that he had just received a personal letter from Beck in which the latter expressed the opinion that Hitler would go on ordering the Nazi leaders in Danzig to create incident after incident until it should be necessary for the Polish Government to take action. The Polish Ambassador added that such action would be in the form of an ultimatum to the Government of Danzig.
[Page 203]He said that Beck took the most serious view of the threat of the Danzig authorities to open the customs frontier between Danzig and East Prussia. Poland would not permit this economic attachment of Danzig to the Reich. If the Danzig authorities should attempt to abolish Polish customs control on this frontier Poland would be obliged to take action.18
The Polish Ambassador said that Beck believed that an intense crisis with regard to Danzig might be provoked by Germany on either the 6th, 12th or 15th of this month. Beck had stated in his letter that he thought that Hitler would have to go before the Nuremberg Congress early in September either with Danzig as a part of Germany or with the statement that since Danzig was certain in the long run to return [to] Germany it was not necessary for Germany to precipitate war now.
Beck thought that Hitler had not yet definitely made up his mind to provoke war but he felt certain Hitler had decided to bring matters to the edge of war in the hope that either Poland, France or England would recoil and give him another diplomatic victory.
A story was prevalent in London last night to the effect that Germany had proposed to Great Britain a conference to be composed of Germany, Italy, France, England and Poland to settle the question of Danzig. The Polish Ambassador stated to me that his colleague in London had telephoned him last night with regard to this story. He added that Poland would not accept such a conference. The Polish Government is ready to discuss with Germany alterations in the status of Danzig on the basis that Danzig should remain independent and that its independence should be guaranteed by Germany and Poland. The Polish Government therefore would be glad to have a conversation on this basis with the German Government but would not permit the Danzig question to become the subject of a general conference in which Italy, France, and England should participate.
From London also, through circles close to Lord Beaverbrook, stories are reaching Paris that at the last moment Chamberlain will let down Poland. Whatever may be the position of the British Government there is no doubt whatsoever of the position of the French Government.
About a month ago Bonnet addressed a letter to Ribbentrop19 reminding him that when he had visited Paris last December he had [Page 204] stated that the German Government accepted as entirely natural the Franco-Polish alliance. Bonnet’s letter went on to remind Ribbentrop that this alliance would take effect immediately and France would support Poland with force in case of a change in the status of Danzig produced by direct or indirect German activities.
About two weeks and a half ago Bonnet received a 12-page reply from Ribbentrop20 couched in the most violent language in which Ribbentrop denied that he had ever said what he had said in Paris and stated that if France should support Poland’s position with regard to Danzig, France would be responsible for the war which would ensue and predicted that such a war would result in the complete demolition of the French Army and the French state.
Recently Bonnet replied most politely21 reiterating, however, the complete determination of France to fight in case Poland should become involved in war with Germany over any matter concerning Danzig.
The general impression here remains that Hitler has not yet decided definitely whether or not to provoke war but that he will provoke a crisis of the most serious nature in the course of this month—probably about August 15—and that by the repetition of small acts against Polish interests in Danzig he may push Europe into a general war.
- For Polish ultimatum of August 4, 1939, demanding that the alleged announcement of the Danzig customs authorities be canceled, see Polish White Book, doc. No. 82, p. 94.↩
- The French Yellow Book, Diplomatic Documents, 1938–1939 (New York, Reynal & Hitchcock), doc. No. 150, p. 197. This American edition, published by authority of the French Government is a translation of Le Livre Jaune Français, Documents diplomatiques, 1938–1939 (Ministère des Affaires Etrangères, 1939).↩
- The French Yellow Book, doc. No. 163, p. 213.↩
- Ibid., doc. No. 168, p. 221.↩