Danzig Return to Reich

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20032, 2 September 1939, Page 7

Danzig Return to Reich

PLEBISCITE IN THE CORRIDOR

Future Rule By Berlin Or Warsaw EXPELLED GERMANS TO RETURN TO VOTE Italian-Russian-French-British Commission (Elec. Tel. Copyright —United Press Assn ) (Reed, Sept. 1, 2.40 p.m.) LONDON, Aug'. 31. The Berlin radio announced that the Ccrnian reply to the British note contains 16 points. They include the following : (1) Danzig, on account of its purely German character and the unanimous will of its population, shall return to the Reich, unconditionally and forthwith. (2) The Polish Corridor shall decide itself whether it desires to belong to Germany or Poland, for which purpose a plebiscite shall be held. (3) Those entitled to vote in the plebiscite will be all the Germans and Poles resident in the Corridor since *1 annuly 1, 1918. or born therein. All Germans expelled from the Corridor or forced to leave will return in order to vote.

(4) In order to guarantee objective voting, an international commission will lie constituted, similar 1o that Lor the Saar plebiscite, to consist of representatives of Italy, Soviet Russia, France and Britain. The commission will exercise sovereign rights in the territory.

(5) The Polish police, military and other authorities must leave the Corridor at the shortest possible notice, except Gydnia, which unconditionally remains Polish. 'The exact German-Polish frontier between Gydnia and Germany must he determined by agreement between Berlin and ANarsaw.

(7) The plebiscite will be decided by a simple majority. (8) In order to guarantee the safety of traffic between Germany and Mast. Prussia in ease the plebiscite should result in the partition of the Corridor, special motor roads and railroads shall he granted which will not embrace a strip ot territory wider than one kilometre. This strip shall be declared an extraterritorial zone.

(9) If the plebiscite decides that the Corridor shall remain Polish, Germany is prepared to carry out an exchange of population.

(10) The special privileges sought by Poland in Danzig will lie laid down in a manner analogous to the German privileges in Gdynia.

(11) In order to obviate all feeling of insecurity in the part of the population, both Gdynia and Danzig will be declared mere “centres” which will not be fortified. The peninsula of Hel will in any ease be demilitarised.

(12) For the settlement of possible complaints by the German and Polish minorities, both contracting parties agree that these complaints shall be submitted to an international commission which would investigate each ease on its merits.

(13) Germany and Poland mutually agree to repair and give recompense for all economic damages caused to their respective minorities since 1918.

(14) The minorities remaining in either country after the plebiscite will, by mutual agreement, be exempted from military service and enjoy full social and cultural freedom.

(15) Tn the event of the acceptance of the proposal. Germany and Poland declare themselves ready to order and carry out immediate demobilisation of the respective armies.

(16) All further measures becoming necessary -will he laid down through mutual agreement by Germany and Poland.

It is stated that the German proposals wore made subject to a time limit which expired at midnight on Wednesday. An essential condition was that a Polish plenipotentiary, able to reach a final agreement, should go 1o Berlin on Wednesday. The Polish Ambassador attended at the German Foreign Office, but said lie had no power to negotiate. 'Thus, as the conditions were unfulfilled, Germany decided that the proposals had been rejected.

The points were handed to Britain for transmission to Poland. The German announcer stated, that; Germany waited for two days in vain for a reply, therefore she regarded the proposals as practically rejected although they were loyal and acceptable.

The German press has been given to understand that Herr Hitler will address the nation and possibly the world at a special session of the Reichstag’.