760C.62/1229: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Kennedy) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 31—2:35 p.m.]
1337. …
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Shortly after the British note was delivered to Ribbentrop a copy was given to Colonel Beck by Ambassador Kennard who at the same time made the representations outlined in my telegram Number 1324, August 30, 7 p.m. These representations the Foreign Office says were given some slight modification from the outline in my telegram but the instruction as actually sent to Ambassador Kennard has since been repeated to Lord Lothian97 for communication to you. Beck told the British Ambassador that he would take up the note and the British proposals at once with his Government and promised a reply by noon, tomorrow, September 1. He expressed the gratitude of his Government to the British Government for not having accepted in its reply to Germany any propositions as bases of possible direct negotiation which would be prejudicial to the position of Poland, and for their having made clear the determination of the British to stand by their commitments to Poland. Ambassador Kennard took the occasion to emphasize the necessity for avoiding “incidents” with which Beck agreed. He said that he was doing everything possible to eliminate provocation from the Polish side. Subsequent to the receipt of Ambassador Kennard’s report of this interview he was cabled by the Foreign Office to concert with his French colleague with a view to impressing upon Colonel Beck the urgent necessity for Poland, either directly through her own Ambassador at Berlin or through the British Government, to apprise Berlin of the receipt of the British proposals and to express her willingness at once to enter into direct negotiations.
Responsible Foreign Office opinion on the situation is that this moment is the very climax of the crisis and the decision may be either way. Until the actual German proposals are communicated they cannot say whether or not they form a real basis for agreement, but the mere fact that the Germans have actually formulated proposals is [Page 398] regarded as a slightly favorable sign. The impression given by the Foreign Office is that they are a little more hopeful than they were yesterday, but the general public seems more depressed.
- British Ambassador in the United States.↩