Four-Power Conference Not Wanted

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 August 1939, Page 8

Four-Power Conference Not Wanted

LESSON OF MUNICH DECISIVE PROFESSOR BURCKHARDT’S MESSAGE (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Dav, 12.8 p.m.) RUGBY, August 16. The message received by Britain from Professor Biirckhardt (League of Nations Commissioner at Danzig) has been passed on to the governments of the two other members of the League Committee dealing with Danzig—namely France and Sweden. Press speculation concerning the purport of Professor Burckhardt’s message should be treated'with the utmost reserve. In the best-informed quarters in London the Professor’s visit to Berchtesgaden is regarded as no more than an item in the general development of events which are engaging constant study. Britain awaits the outcome of the developments in calm and confidence. Air Chamberlain, who is on Holiday in the North of England, has been informed of the contents ol Professor Biirckhardt’s message. In diplomatic circles in London the hope is expressed that today’s short conversation in Danzig between Herr Greiser and AL Chodacki may mark the opening of conversations on certain local issues between the Free City and Poland, such as the Customs question, the settlement of which on a common sense basis would go a considerable way to relieve tension. The tendency to postpone for considerations of prestige negotiations to secure practical accommodation on day to day problems can benefit none. The fewer questions of secondary importance which are left outstanding between the Free City and Poland, the fewer are the chances of incidents such as might place events beyond the control of responsible men. It is felt here that there is now a general’understanding that an attempt—which would come only from the German side—to alter the position at Danzig by force, means war in which Britain and France would immediately be involved in support of Poland. In these circumstances it would appear in the interests of all—-and supremely in the interests of the Free City itself and of Poland —that stability and confidence should be restored by agreement, but agreement will hardly be reached in an atmosphere of local friction over incidents and Press heroics. lienee the importance attached here, in Press comment on recent contacts over Danzig, to the need of keeping from getting rusty the ordinary machinery of discussion between the Danzig Senate and the Polish Government. If that machinery were working smoothly again, it would be held as a substantial gain here, where there is little disposition at the moment in official quarters to look beyond the immediate phase. The political and diplomatic correspondent of the newspapers moves more quickly, and speculation has given rise to a number of rumours and suggestions in the last twenty-four hours of which one —originating in despatches from the Continent —is a Four Power meeting to discuss the Danzig question. It can safely be predicted that the latter is an idea which would not commend itself to British opinion. In this matter the “Daily Herald” probably expresses the unanimous British view, official and unofficial, when it says: “The lesson of Munich is decisive. There cannot be another.”

According io agency reports from Danzig, if is expected that AL Chodacki, who after his talk with Herr Greiser flew lo Warsaw to confer with his Government, will have another talk with Jlerr Greiser on his return to Danzig, probably in Ihe presence of Professor Burckhardt.