760C.62/1166: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Kennedy) to the Secretary of State 76
[Received August 29—7:25 p.m.]
1314. Personal for the Secretary. My 1299, August 29, noon.77 Hitler’s reply was handed in person to the British Ambassador at 7:15 this evening.78 Henderson is forwarding translation of full text as soon as possible. Following is a summary:
In reply to the British proposals, namely direct German-Polish negotiations and an international guarantee of any settlement, the German Government declares: (1) That in spite of skepticism as to prospects of success, it accepts direct negotiations with Poland solely out of a desire to insure lasting friendship with Great Britain and (2) in case of any modification of territories the German Government [Page 382] cannot undertake to guarantee them nor to participate in guarantees without consulting the Government of Soviet Russia.
The note observes that German proposals have never had as their object any diminution of the vital interests of Poland and declares that the German Government accepts the mediation of Great Britain with the view to securing the visit to Berlin of a Polish plenipotentiary. The note adds that the German Government counts on the arrival at Berlin of this plenipotentiary tomorrow, Wednesday, August 30th.
Ambassador Henderson remarked that this last stipulation sounded like an ultimatum. After a heated exchange of remarks Hitler and Ribbentrop assured him it was intended only to stress the urgency of the matter, at a moment when two fully mobilized armies were facing each other.
The Ambassador said that he would like to transmit to his Government the assurance, in the event that such a Polish plenipotentiary did go to Berlin, that he would be received and the discussions with him would be conducted on a basis of full equality. To this Hitler replied “Of course”.
The German demands are declared to be revision of the Versailles Treaty,79 that is, the return of Danzig and the Corridor to Germany and the security of the German national minorities in the rest of Poland.
The note concludes by stating that the German Government is ready immediately to elaborate proposals for an acceptable solution and to inform the British Government if possible before the arrival of the Polish plenipotentiary.
A responsible official of the Foreign Office stated that it is unlikely any action will be taken on this note before tomorrow, when the full text will be here. They will, however, probably inform the Poles at once of the substance of the German reply.
- A similar but briefer message was sent to the Department by the Chargé” in Germany in telegram No. 952, August 29, 3 p.m., not printed.↩
- Not printed.↩
- British Cmd. 6106, Misc. No. 9 (1939), doc. No. 78, p. 135.↩
- Signed June 28, 1919, Foreign Relations, The Paris Peace Conference, 1919, vol. xiii; see article 28, pp. 132–133, and articles 100–108, pp. 241–262.↩