A Mischievous Canard
As might have been expected by 'anyone who read them, the reports in two London papers, on Monday, of an imminent Polish coup (rad at Danzig turned out to be complete canards. If there was any foundation at all for the ruin:rani prevalent, it probably arose from the idea that if the Lithuanians seized Memel (which they have not done) the Poles might take similar action at Danzig. Since the Poles are not completely mad, even that idea deserved no serious consideration. The dissemination of wild rumours of developments which, if they happened might have involved two European countries, with populations of 100,000,000 people between them, in war, is calculated to have a thoroughly pernicious effect on the international .atmosphere. The allegations in question haying been denied from every possible source, including Warsaw, Berlin and Geneva as well as Danzig itself, the Daily Express contented itself the -next. day with a brief paragraph explaining that some 1 listake had been made in a German translation, while the Daily Herald (whose article was less open to objection) resorted to the time- honoured expedient of explaining that the imminent coup tretat had been frustrated by action 'following the disclosures in -its columns the clay before.. Conditions at Daniig are as difficult as they well could be in any case —for which Danzigers and Germans must share responsibility with Poles—the economic stress has made them worse, and the Press of many countries is making them worse still.
* * * *
Previous page
