No. 117: Message from Thomas Preston to Lord Halifax
Editor's Note: The following content is a transcription of a period document or a collection of period statistics. It may be incomplete, inaccurate, or biased. The reader may not wish to take the content as factual.
2 Sep 1939ww2dbase----- The British War Bluebook No. 117 -----
From: Thomas Preston, Charge d'Affaires
Sent: Saturday, 2 Sep 1939
To: Viscount Halifax, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
(Telegraphic.) Kovno, September 2, 1939.
FOLLOWING from M. Burckhardt:-
"I arrived here by car evening of 1st September. From midnight 30th August until midnight 31st August I was under surveillance of agents of Gestapo in Danzig. On 1st September at 8 a. m. I was visited by Herr Forster and Vice-President of Danzig Senate. Herr Forster informed me that he considered my functions as High Commissioner had terminated and that he intended to fly Hakenkreuz from building of High Commission. If I wished to leave before he did so I had better depart within two hours. During these two hours I was constantly visited by agents of Gestapo who endeavoured to induce me to expedite my departure. I am remaining at Kovno for the present intending to leave for Geneva."
ww2dbaseFOLLOWING from M. Burckhardt:-
"I arrived here by car evening of 1st September. From midnight 30th August until midnight 31st August I was under surveillance of agents of Gestapo in Danzig. On 1st September at 8 a. m. I was visited by Herr Forster and Vice-President of Danzig Senate. Herr Forster informed me that he considered my functions as High Commissioner had terminated and that he intended to fly Hakenkreuz from building of High Commission. If I wished to leave before he did so I had better depart within two hours. During these two hours I was constantly visited by agents of Gestapo who endeavoured to induce me to expedite my departure. I am remaining at Kovno for the present intending to leave for Geneva."
Source(s):
The British War Bluebook; courtesy of Yale Law School Avalon Project
Added By:
C. Peter Chen
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