740.00119 European War 1939/73: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Kennedy) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 12—6:55 a.m.]
2009. Personal for the President and the Secretary. Following is advance copy made available to me by Lord Halifax of the statement to be made in the House of Commons this afternoon by the Prime Minister90 in reply to Hitler’s peace proposals. There may be minor changes from this text.
“Last week in speaking of the announcement about the Russo-German pact90a I observed that it contained a suggestion that some peace proposals were likely to be put forward and I said that if such proved to be the case we should examine them in consultation with the Governments of the Dominions and of the French Republic in the light of certain relevant considerations.
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I am glad to think that there is complete agreement between the views of His Majesty’s Government and those of the French Government. Honorable Members will have read the speech which was broadcast by M. Daladier last Tuesday. ‘We have,’ he said, ‘taken up arms against aggression; we shall not lay them down until we have certain guarantees of security—a security which cannot be called in question every six months.’
I would sum up the attitude of His Majesty’s Government as follows:—
Herr Hitler rejected all suggestions for peace until he had overwhelmed Poland, as he had previously overthrown Czechoslovakia. Peace conditions cannot be acceptable which begin by condoning aggression.
The proposals in the German Chancellor’s speech are vague and uncertain and contain no suggestion for righting the wrongs done to Czechoslovakia and to Poland.
Even if Herr Hitler’s proposals were more closely denned and contained suggestions to right these wrongs, it would still be necessary to ask by what practical means the German Government intend to convince the world that aggression will cease and that pledges will be kept. Past experience has shown that no reliance can be placed upon the promises of the present German Government. Accordingly, acts—not words alone—must be forthcoming before we and France, our gallant and trusted ally, would be justified in ceasing to wage war to the utmost of our strength. Only when world confidence is restored will it be possible to find solutions of those vital questions of [Page 514] disarmament and restoration of trade which are essential to the well-being of the peoples.
There is thus a primary condition to be satisfied. Only the German Government can fulfil it. If they will not, there can as yet be no new or better world order of the kind for which all nations yearn.
The issue is therefore plain. Either the German Government must give convincing proof of the sincerity of their desire for peace by definite acts and by the provision of effective guarantees of their intention to fulfil their undertakings or we must persevere in our duty to the end. It is for Germany to make her choice.”