760C.62/1241: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Bullitt) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 31—9:22 p.m.]
1689. At about 3:45 this afternoon François-Poncet, French Ambassador in Borne, telephoned to Bonnet to say that he had just had a conversation with Ciano and that Ciano had proposed on behalf of the Italian Government that a conference composed of representatives of Italy, Germany, France, and England should meet immediately to settle the Polish-German dispute and general outstanding problems connected with the liquidation of the Treaty of Versailles.
Daladier at once called a Cabinet meeting which met at 6:00 o’clock. At this meeting the Cabinet decided that it was impossible to accept such a conference since in reality it would be merely a conference of butchers to dismember Poland in the absence of Poland. It would be a new Munich and would be followed by the same results as Munich.
A member of the Cabinet has informed me that Bonnet was rather in favor of accepting the proposal; that Reynaud98 opposed it most strongly and that Daladier was equally strong in his opposition. It was decided finally to send a rejection in a polite form stating that since both Poland and Germany had agreed to direct negotiations there was no reason to call such a conference at this time.
This afternoon also the Pope called before him the Ambassadors of Italy, England, France, Germany, and Poland and made an appeal to them to have their Governments confer with a view to the preservation of peace. The text of this appeal has not yet reached Paris.
At 6:00 o’clock the Polish Ambassador in Berlin Lipsky went to the Wilhelmstrasse and stated that the Polish Government accepted in principle direct negotiations with Germany for the settlement of the German-Polish dispute. The representative of the German Government immediately attempted to state to Lipsky a series of conditions and concessions which Germany demanded before entering into direct negotiations with Poland. The Polish Ambassador replied that he was instructed merely to state what he had stated. He added that he would not listen to any statement of conditions before negotiation and that he would not report any such statements to his Government.
[Page 399]At 8 o’clock the German Government issued by radio and by statement of the official German information service an official statement containing 16 demands against Poland99 the text of which I have just learned from the President over the telephone has already reached you through press channels.
I have discussed the trend of events tonight with Bonnet, Paul Reynaud, and the Polish Ambassador. The consensus of opinion is that Germany has exposed her intentions so clearly in this note that there can no longer be any doubt in the world as to her aggressive intentions. There is relief [belief?] that Hitler stands nakedly in the open attempting to repeat the coup by which he disintegrated and swallowed Czechoslovakia. There is not the slightest disposition in either Poland or France or, so far as I can learn, England to submit to these demands.
The general opinion is that if Poland should be disintegrated by Germany similar demands against Rumania would follow within a few weeks, to be followed in turn by similar demands against Yugoslavia, Hungary, and other states and finally by similar demands against France and England and in the end Italy.
It is to be noted that Hitler did not state any time limit for the fulfillment of his demands so that there is still an extremely faint possibility that he may back down at the last minute; but such a possibility can be perceived only by the imagination rather than the eye. It is expected therefore that Hitler will attack Poland in the near future. France and England will fulfill their obligations and fight to assist Poland.
Since Germany has replied to the official statement by the Polish Ambassador of Poland’s readiness to negotiate directly with Germany by this public announcement of inacceptable demands I do not believe that any appeal will stop Hitler from attacking if he has the courage to face general European war. I feel, however, that a statement by the President might make the moral issue clearer and might increase Hitler’s reluctance to begin the conflict.