Herr Hitler was calmer at a second talk, but no less uncompromising. He put the whole responsibility for war on Great Britain, and maintained that Great Britain was "determined to destroy and exterminate Germany. He was, he said, 50 years old; he preferred war now to when he would be 55 or 60." He said that "England was fighting for lesser races, whereas he was fighting only for Germany."
The German reply to the Prime Minister's letter was given to His Majesty's Ambassador on August 23 Herr Hitler stated that the British promise to assist Poland would make no difference to the determination of the Reich to safeguard German interests, and that the precautionary British military measures announced in the Prime Minister's letter of August 22 would be followed by the mobilization of the German forces.
Herr Forster was declared by decree of the Danzig Senate, on August 23, Head: of the State of the Free City of Danzig. The Polish Government protested to the Senate against the illegality of this appointment.
In view of the increasing tension in Danzig, M. Beck told Sir H. Kennard that he considered the situation "most grave" and that he had asked the Polish Ambassador in Berlin to seek an immediate interview with the German State Secretary. This interview could not, however, be arranged, since Baron von Weizsacker was at Berchtesgaden, but the Polish Ambassador had an interview in the afternoon of August 24 with Field Marshal ing. The Field Marshal regretted "his policy of maintaining friendly relations with Poland should have come to nought" and admitted that he no longer had influence to do much in the matter. The Field Marshal hinted that Poland should abandon her alliance with Great Britain, and left the Polish Government with the impression that Germany was aiming at a free hand in Eastern Europe.
Another White Paper summary is to be published shortly,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.