740.00/681: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Kennedy) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 24—6:45 p.m.]
399. I have just seen Halifax. He had just seen the Polish Ambassador. Poland says finally that they want to go along with Great Britain and France but hesitate to join up with Russia first of all because they do not like them as bedfellows and second because a tieup of any sort between Russia and Poland will cause an open break with Hitler and war will be on. Halifax feels, however, that on Beck’s arrival here next week they will arrange, in a way, Halifax does not yet know, for Poland to assure Great Britain that it will fight if Hitler attempts to take Danzig or makes any other overt act against Poland.
[Page 99]As to the Russian situation, they have indicated their willingness to sign the statement which Britain and France asked them to sign, but Halifax feels that Poland is of much more value to the tieup than Russia, because their latest information on Russia shows their air force to be very weak and old and of short range, their army very poor and their industrial backing for the army frightful and the most they could expect from Russia, if Russia wanted to be of help, would be that they might send some ammunition to Poland in the event of trouble.
As to the Rumanians, in spite of the trade agreement signed today between Rumania and Germany, which agreement Halifax said was signed by the Rumanians partially because they were promised that the ammunitions under contract with the Skoda works in Czechoslovakia for their account should continue to be delivered as per schedule, Halifax still feels it is possible that they may also fight against the Germans if Poland decides to take up arms.
I told Halifax that it seemed to me that, when England and France got down to the last stages of a working agreement with Poland and possibly Rumania and Russia, in the event of acts of aggression by Hitler against them, it would become quite obvious that the assurances given might not be satisfactory to both France and England and they would then find it necessary to wash their hands of the whole of Southeastern Europe. Halifax said he did not believe that was the case.
He felt that the inevitability of war sooner or later should be met right now and that the Prime Minister himself and the Cabinet are strongly of the opinion that a line should be laid down and a statement given to Berlin that if they cross that imaginary line the war is on. He is not quite sure whether they will want to include Rumania in that imaginary line.
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