6
Dec. 45
"Irrespective
of the manner in which its final
formulation may be determined by both
parties, the new Polish-British
agreement is intended as a regular pact
of alliance which, by reason of its
general sense and of the present state
of political relations, is directed
exclusively against Germany. From the
obligation now accepted by the Polish
Government, it appears that Poland
intends, in certain circumstances, to
take an active part in any possible
German-British conflict, in the event of
aggression against Germany, even should
this conflict not affect Poland and her
interests. This is a direct and open
blow against the renunciation of all use
of force contained in the 1934
declaration."
I
think I can omit Paragraph 6. Paragraph 7:
"The
Polish Government, however, by their
recent decision to accede to an alliance
directed against Germany, have given it
to be understood that they prefer a
promise of help by a third power to the
direct guarantee of peace by the German
Government. In view of this, the German
Government are obliged to conclude that
the Polish Government do not at present
attach any importance to seeking a
solution of German-Polish problems by
means of direct, friendly discussion
with the German Government. The Polish
Government have thus abandoned the path,
traced out in 1934, to the shaping of
German-Polish relations."
All
this would sound very well, if it had not been
for the fact that orders for the invasion of
Poland had already been issued and the Armed
Forces had been told to draw up a precise
timetable. The document goes on to set out the
history of the last negotiations and
discussions. It sets out the demands of the
21st, which the German Government had made; the
return of Danzig, the Autobahn, the railway, the
promise by Germany of the 25 years' guarantee,
and I go down to the last but one paragraph on
Page 3 of the Exhibit, under the heading (1):
"The
Polish Government did not avail
themselves of the opportunity offered to
them by the German Government for a just
settlement of the Danzig question; for
the final safeguarding of Poland's
frontiers with the Reich and thereby for
permanent strengthening of the
friendly, neighborly relations between
the two countries. The Polish Government
even rejected German proposals made with
this object.
"At the same
time the Polish Government accepted,
with regard to another state, political
obligations which are not compatible
either with the spirit, the meaning, or
the text of the German-Polish
declaration of the 26th of January 1934.