After reviewing Herr Hitler's pretence that Poland had rejected a peace offer and the attitude adopted towards the Polish Ambassador" in Berlin, M. Joseph Lipsky, the Prime Minister said: "This is not negotiation. This is a dictate. To such methods, no "self-respecting and powerful State could assent. Negotiations on a free and equal basis might well "have settled the matter in dispute.
You may well ask why Britain is concerned. We are concerned because we gave our word of honour to defend Poland against aggression.
"Why we felt it necessary to pledge ourselves to defend this eastern Power when our Interests lie in the. west? The answer, I regret to say, that nobody in this country any. longer places any trust in your Jeader's word.
"He gave his word that he would respect the Locarno Treaty. He broke it, "He gave his word that he neither wished Nor intended to annex Austria.
He broke it. He declared that he would not incorporate Czechs in the Reich. He did so. He gave his word ier Munich that he had no further territorial designs in Europe. He broke it, He gave his word that he wanted "no Polish Provinces. broke it, He had sworn for years that he was the mortal enemy of Bol-Shevism. He is now its ally.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.