ADSS 1.158 Filippo Cortesti, Poland, to Luigi Maglione,
Sec State
Reference:
Report number 271 (AES 5952/39)
Location
and date: Warsaw, 30.08.1939
Summary
statement: Poland prepares for war; messages from the Pope, FDR and King
Leopold III of Belgium, have been well received. Gov’t denies all accusations of mistreatment
of German minority. Military occupation
of Slovakia further diminishes hopes for peace.
Language:
Italian
Text:
While
statesmen, politicians and diplomats try to reach a peaceful solution or a
delay by compromise of the conflict which threatens to transform itself into a
terrifying war, living in an alternating state of hope and disillusion, the
mobilisation of the army is being speeded up, while shelters and first-aid
points are being prepared as protection against air raids and gas attacked.
The
capital, however, has not lost its normal appearance; citizens are calm,
disciplined and co-operate in these preparations; everything is quiet and the
silence is only broken by the cheering at the passing of soldiers. The sight of the young soldiers marching
towards their assigned destinations with determined yet carefree countenance is
extremely impressive. Looking at these happy youths marching towards their hazardous
trials one feels and acute sense of sadness only slightly alleviated by the
thought that all, or almost all, are fortified by the holy sacraments received
before departure and that religious assistance is well organised, as I am
assured by the Chaplain General. (1)
It
is easy to understand that the nation, which until yesterday was only devoted
to the peaceful task of the national recovery, is aware that she is going to
fight for her independence, which she acquired only twenty years ago by shedding
so much blood. But the common wish and
aspiration is for peace, invoked, as desired by the Holy Father, with humility,
with constant prayers by all the Christian believers who fill up the churches,
gather themselves near the confessionals, and crowd around the altar. The message of the King of the Belgians, the
appear of the President of the United States, the reply of President Moscicki
to Mr Roosevelt, and above all, the fatherly and admirable message of His Holiness,
have been therefore received with feelings of relief and gratitude.
II
The
conflict, at least in its present stage, ins principally about the condition of
the German minorities in Poland, who are described by the Press, the official
propaganda and the declarations of the German rulers as being subjected to
cruel and inhumane treatment.
The
Polish Government absolutely denies that such harsh conditions exist as are
being so persistently alleged and denounces the plan to “transform the problem
of the German minorities in Poland from a simple cultural one into a
territorial problem”. The daily Press
has taken up the defence; but lately the Government itself has felt the need to
highlight officially this serious question by means of speeches from top officials
being broadcast in various languages and in particular by means of the
statement of the Foreign Minister and of the information which I attach to the
present document. (Appendix I) (2)
The
Polish defence does not restrict itself to rejecting the accusations as untrue,
but after describing the conditions of the Germans scattered in small colonies
in Poland, enjoying all the rights guaranteed by the Constitution and buy the
country’s laws, compares it with the condition in which the Poles in Germany
live, who form a compact population which is more numerous and with a longer
claim to be indigenous.
III
I
must add that the diplomatic circles outside the conflict and therefore
impartial, are of the opinion that the accusations put forward by the German
Government are false, and are probably based on reports and information of
ill-intentioned people; nobody believes that this Government, which has done
everything to avoid giving pretexts to the adversary, and has suffered many
violations of its rights in Danzig and of Polish territory from armed bands,
always limiting its actions to repelling aggression without undertaking
reprisals, in in fact the instigator of inhuman oppression. (3)
This
question, continually aired with incredible passion, has contributed and
continues to contribute to the stirring-up of the masses and the creation of an
atmosphere of hatred and desire for war.
This is the reason why so many efforts are being made to induce both
parties to reach an understanding on this important subject. Poland, as is well know, declared herself
ready to follow up an initiative in this direction put forward to both
Governments. The diplomatic representatives
think that it is possible to suggest as practical means: exchange of population
and an enquiry on the alleged hardships to be entrusted to a neutral State; I
cannot say, however, on what the possibility of using such means is based.
IV
While
closing these brief notes, I hear that Slovakia has been occupied militarily,
which action has been announced as a “German-Slovak security arrangement
against the risk of attack by Poland” and the Slovak people are invited to
consider the Germans as friends and to collaborate with them against the common enemy. (4)
This
Government has immediately sent a strong protest about the occupation of Slovakia,
declaring it “an outrage against Poland’s interests that could have serious
consequences”.
Thus,
while all anxiously follow the development of the negotiations between London
and Berlin and watch the moderating influence which it is reported the Head of
the Italian Government is exerting in favour of peace, a new blow is struck at
these efforts, and one is induced to place all hopes only in the hands of God
and of His Vicar on Earth, who repeats to mankind with superhuman tenacity the
eternal words of justice and peace.
Notes:
(1)
Jozef Gawlina (1892-1964), Polish bishop for the Military 1933-47.
(2)
Cortesi added an observation by the Polish Telegraphic Agency (PAT) which had
put out an official bulletin. This
declaration made an issue of the German Press campaign about alleged
brutalities being committed in Poland against the German minority. As long as
this campaign had been limited to the Press, said the bulletin, the Polish
Government had confined itself to mere denials.
But now senior people in the Reich were repeating accusations. “In view of this fact the Polish Government
has been constrained to make a solemn protest”.
In citing new examples of news reports of German deaths in various
Polish villages, the note commented that “the foregoing reports must be branded
as pure invention. None of the facts
given is true.” As well as this note the
Nuncio sent the “Polish Press and Diplomatic Bulleting for Information and
Press News” for 29-30.08.1939.
(3)
Nonetheless, the British Government believed the Polish Government had to do
more to be absolutely transparent in order to void the German propaganda. See
Lord Halifax’s telegram to Kennard in Warsaw advising the Polish government to
issue clear instructions to all military and civil authorities restrain from
any actions that could escalate tensions, including “stop inflammatory radio
propaganda”. DBFP, Series 3, Volume 7, n532, pp 405-06. Polish Foreign Minister, Jozef Beck, assured
the British that Poland had no intention of provoking Germany. Ibid, n 544,
pp414-15.
(4)
On 31.08.1939 Slovakia demanded Poland cede Javorina district that had been
given to Poland after the 1938 Munich Agreement. Slovak troops occupied the region on
01.09.1939. At the same time the British
Ambassador to Germany informed Lord Halifax of Germany’s battle plans for the
invasion of Poland. DBFP, Series 3, Volume 7, n546, pp 415-17. The Ambassador would not have known that
Hitler had given the final order confirming the invasion of Poland for Friday,
01.09.1939.
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