BRITAIN ACCUSED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20075, 23 October 1939, Page 9

BRITAIN ACCUSED

REJECTION OF PEACE ITALIAN OVERTURES NAZI REPEAT CLAIMS (British Official Wireless.) Reed. 9 a.m. RUGBY, Oct. 20. With curious persistence, Nazi propagandists continue their efforts to represent that, while the British Government turned down the Italian proposals for a conference on the eve of the war, the French Governmeht was ready to accept them. That this story is so inherently improbable, in view of the intimate contact maintained between the Governments in Paris and London throughout the crisis provoked by Herr Hitler, has been shown on several occasions. It has nothing to support it but a confusion of dates in the Havas communique. Drawn up on September 1, before the receipt of the Italian proposals on September 2, this communique had reference to an earlier suggestion of . the Italian Government made on August 31, before the German invasion of Poland, and recorded an affirmative French reply. The second Italian initiative was, of course, doomed to failure by the Nazi action.

It is interesting to note, however, that this was at the time the British Ambassador to Berlin, Sir Nevile Henderson, was in receipt o! instructions from his Government, although the Nazis still pretended not to understand it.

In his final report, made public on Tuesday, Sir Nevile Henderson records how, on September 2, the Italian Government was making one more effort to save the situation. The Italian Ambassador called on him and he mentioned, in the course of conversation, that he understood the Italian Government had put forward a suggestion for the cessation of hostilities and a conference.

“In this connection I said I felt bound to express the opinion that such a proposal would never be entertained unless at the same time all German troops were withdrawn from Polish territory,” Sir Nevile added.