740.0011 European War, 1939/28: Telegram
The Chargé in Germany (Kirk) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 1—2:56 p.m.]
987. The events of yesterday have produced complete confusion among foreign representatives here and up to the present no clear explanation is available which covers the various developments.
[Page 400]As reported in my 974, August 31, 7 p.m.,1 Henderson informed the Polish Ambassador yesterday morning that unless the Polish Government should immediately approach the German Government in regard to direct negotiations between the two Governments Germany would take military action and in this connection the hour of noon of yesterday was mentioned as the time limit for such contact. The French Ambassador after being notified of the foregoing by the British Ambassador went to Lipski and persuaded him to telephone to Warsaw to obtain authorization to approach the German Government in regard to eventual conversation. Coulondre also telephoned to Paris and shortly after 12 o’clock was notified by his Government that the Polish Government would agree in principle to conversations with the German Government and at 1 o’clock the Polish Ambassador was instructed by his Government to make a statement at the Foreign Office here of which a translation is being transmitted in my 989, September 1, 5 p.m.2 indicating favorable consideration of the suggestion for direct conversations. Lipski then requested an interview at the Foreign Office and at 3 o’clock conversed with Weizsaecker in the sense described in my 974, August 31, 7 p.m. At 7:45 the Polish Ambassador was received by Ribbentrop and delivered to him the statement referred to above but the French Ambassador did not confirm the statement in my 979, September 1, 9 a.m.1 to the effect that Lipski had refused to receive the German proposals as according to his information these proposals were not communicated to the Polish Ambassador. Between 9 and 10 p.m. the documents reported in my 975, August 31, 10 p.m.1 and subsequent telegrams were made public stating that the Polish Government had rejected the proposals for direct negotiations.
Up to the present I have seen only my French colleague and he is apparently at a loss to understand the discrepancy between the statement of the attitude of the Polish Government as indicated in the above-mentioned documents and that set forth in the statement made by Lipski to Ribbentrop. Furthermore the developments of the last few hours are regarded by Coulondre as especially confusing owing to the impression manifested in responsible circles during the last day or two of a certain optimism as to the possibility of a solution of the present conflict. He is inclined to see the hand of Ribbentrop in these developments.