6
Dec. 45
"Although
this communication was made more than 24
hours ago, no reply has been received
but German attacks upon Poland have been
continued and intensified. I have
accordingly the honor to inform you
that, unless not later than 11 o'clock
British summer time today, the 3rd of
September, satisfactory assurances to
the above effect have been given by the
German Government and have reached His
Majesty's Government in London, a state
of war will exist between the two
countries as from that hour."
And
so it was that at 11 o'clock on the 3rd of
September a state of war existed between Germany
and England and between Germany and France. All
the appeals to peace, all the appeals to reason
we now see completely stillborn; stillborn when
they were made. Plans, preparations, intentions,
determination to carry out this assault upon
Poland, had been going on for months, for years
before. It mattered not what anybody but the
German Government had in mind or whatever rights
anybody else but the German nation thought they
had; and, if there is any doubt left at all
after what we have seen, I would ask you to look
at two more documents.
If you would
look at the last document first of all, in your
document book — 1831-PS, which becomes
GB-75. Even now on the 3rd of September,
Mussolini offers some chance of peace.
We
have here a telegram. It is timed 6:30 hours,
and I am afraid I am unable to say whether that
is 6:30 in the morning or evening; but it is
dated the 3rd of September, and I quote:
"The
Italian Ambassador handed to the State
Secretary at the Duce's order the
following copy for the Führer and
Reich Chancellor and for the Reich
Minister for Foreign Affairs:
"
'Italy sends the information, leaving,
of course, every decision to the Führer,
that it still has a chance to call a
conference with France, England, and
Poland on the following basis:
"
'1. An armistice which would leave the
army corps where they are at present —
and it will be remembered that on the
3rd of September they had advanced a
considerable way over the frontier —
" '2. calling a
conference within 2 or 3 days; 3.
solution of the Polish-German
controversy would be certainly favorable
for Germany as matters stand today.
" 'This idea, which
originated from the Duce, has its
foremost exponent in France.
"'Danzig
is already German and Germany is holding
already securities which guarantee most
of her demands. Besides, Germany has had
already her "moral satisfaction."
If she would accept the plan for a
conference, it will achieve all her aims
and at the same time prevent a war which
already today