Lords Sitting of 2 September 1939

Preamble
The House met at three of the clock. The LORD CHANCELLOR on the Woolsack.

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE.
LORD SNELL: My Lords, I beg to ask His Majesty's Government whether they can make any statement about the present position of foreign affairs.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (VISCOUNT HALIFAX): My Lords, I must express my regret to your Lordships that I am not at this moment in a position to make a statement. I had hoped to be able to do so, if it had been possible to make arrangements by which your Lordships could have met a little bit later. If it had been so, I should have hoped to be in a position to make a statement, as I have said.
LORD SNELL: What, in the circumstances, is it proposed to do—to adjourn during pleasure?
THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (EARL STANHOPE): I propose that we should adjourn now and meet again at six o'clock. My noble friend, as he has said, is not certain that he can make a statement then, but I think it is worth while for your Lordships to come back then, in the hope that he may be able to do so. I suggest, therefore, that we adjourn and meet again at six o'clock. May I say, also, that I understand another place is to meet to-morrow at twelve noon? Therefore it is perhaps advisable that this House should also meet at twelve noon, in case there is a further statement to be made, and then adjourn until three o'clock in order to take legislation. Of course, as the other House is meeting at noon, we should have to wait some time until the Bills come up from there. Therefore I think it would be advisable that we should adjourn until three o'clock, and then take legislation.
VISCOUNT SAMUEL: May I ask whether any Bills are expected from the other House to-day?
EARL STANHOPE: I understand that there are only two of any great importance, which could quite well wait for
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Royal Assent until to-morrow, and therefore I need not ask your Lordships to come back to pass them to-day.
House adjourned during pleasure.
House resumed.
6.1 p.m.
EARL STANHOPE: My Lords, my noble friend the Foreign Secretary is not able at this moment to make a statement. I am not quite sure how long he will be. Therefore I suggest that the House should adjourn during pleasure, and that as soon as my noble friend arrives we should reassemble.
House adjourned during pleasure.
House resumed.

THE INTERNATIONAL SITUATION.
7.26 p.m.
VISCOUNT HALIFAX: My Lords, I must first of all apologise to your Lordships for having been unable to keep my provisional undertaking to make the statement at six o'clock. His Majesty's Ambassador in Berlin was received by Herr von Ribbentrop at 9·30 last night when he delivered the warning message which was read to the House yesterday. Herr von Ribbentrop replied that he must submit the communication to the German Chancellor. The Ambassador declared his readiness to receive the Chancellor's reply, but up to the present no reply has been received. It is possible that delay has been due to a proposal which has meanwhile been put forward by the Italian Government that hostilities should cease and that there should then immediately be a conference between the five Powers—Great Britain, France, Poland, Germany and Italy.
While appreciating the efforts of the Italian Government, His Majesty's Government for their part would not find it possible to take part in a conference whilst Poland is being subjected to invasion, her towns are under bombardment and Danzig has been made the subject of a unilateral settlement by force. His Majesty's Government will, as stated yesterday, be bound to take action unless the German forces are withdrawn from Polish territory. They are in communication with the French Government as to

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the limit of time within which it would be necessary for His Majesty's Government and the French Government to know whether the German Government were prepared to effect such withdrawal. If the German Government should agree to withdraw their forces, then His Majesty's Government would be willing to regard the position as being the same as it was before the German forces crossed the Polish frontier, that is to say, the way would be open to discussion between the German and Polish Governments of the matters at issue between them, on the understanding that the settlement arrived at was one that safeguarded the vital interests of Poland and was secured by an international guarantee. If the German and Polish Governments wished that other Powers should be associated with them in the discussion, His Majesty's Government for their part would be willing to agree.
There is one other matter to which allusion should be made in order to make the present situation perfectly clear. Yesterday, Herr Forster, who on August 23 had, in contravention of the Danzig Constitution, become the head of the State, decreed the incorporation of Danzig in the Reich and the dissolution of the Constitution. Herr Hitler was asked to give effect to this decree by German law. At the meeting of the Reichstag yesterday morning a law was passed for the reunion of Danzig with the Reich. The international status of Danzig as a Free City is established by a treaty of which His Majesty's Government is a signatory and the Free City was placed under the protection of the
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League of Nations. The rights given to Poland in Danzig by treaty are defined and confirmed by agreements concluded between Danzig and Poland. The action taken by the Danzig authorities and the Reichstag yesterday is the final step in the unilateral repudiation of these international instruments, which could only be modified by negotiation. His Majesty's Government do not therefore recognise either the validity of the grounds on which the action of the Danzig authorities was based, the validity of this action itself, or of the effect given to it by the German Government.
7.31 p.m.
LORD SNELL: My Lords, I desire to thank the noble Viscount for the statement that he has just made to the House. It is quite inadvisable that we should discuss it at this stage and I do not propose to do more than to repeat my thanks to the noble Viscount for his statement.

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE.
7.32 p.m.
EARL STANHOPE: My Lords, as I suggested to the House earlier it is proposed that we should adjourn now until twelve o'clock to-morrow, but instead of adjourning after any statement, if such statement be made, I propose as certain Bills will be ready then that we should proceed to deal with them. After any statement which the Government may have to make we will go straight on with the Bills which are available.
House adjourned at twenty-eight minutes before eight o' clock.