740.00/671: Telegram
The Ambassador in Poland (Biddle) to the Secretary of State
[Received 5:03 p.m.]
42. 1. Upon Ribbentrop’s advice that neither Britain nor France as signatories of Memel convention would intervene forcibly, Hitler timed Memel’s annexation to discredit and circumvent British and French Eastern and Central European diplomatic maneuvers which on account of Memel, Czecho-Slovakia and other letdowns have left Warsaw cold. Accordingly Polish officialdom marks French and British soundings down to diplomatic “shadow boxing” and to efforts to get Poland and other countries out here to do their fighting for them. Moreover, disunion between Belgrade, the Baltic capitals and even Bucharest characterizes the preliminary reaction of the Memel annexation.
2. Poland’s current position may be described as steering a careful course through confused events, hoping that by strictly minding her own business and through adoption of precautionary military measures to meet a possible challenge of her own frontiers, she will not incur Germany’s forceful attention. Attributable to this policy:
- (a)
- Warsaw gave negative reply to Kaunas’ recent question as to whether Warsaw considered Memel’s potential annexation a fighting issue;
- (b)
- Beck stated in response to British, French and Rumanian Ambassador’s question whether Poland would march for Rumania if invaded from the west that Poland had no intention of marching unless Poland were attacked.
- (c)
- Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Arciszewski, when pressed by British Ambassador to state unofficially Poland’s potential attitude [Page 97] in the event Germany provoked early European conflict, replied that Poland, except for her direct obligations under Rumanian and French alliances, would march only if attacked in which case Poland would fight to the last man. Moreover, experience during past few years had taught Poland not to count on outside support. In this connection I am aware that despite alliance Beck is convinced Poland could not count on France’s assistance in a Polish-German conflict.