PZ 5749/39(1) 'Propaganda: Articles forwarded to Persian Gulf, Kabul & Katmandu for dissemination' [‎227v] (454/715)

83. The French Ambassador had presented at noon a similar
ultimatum to the German Government to expire at 5 p.m. For a
few hours after 11 a.m. the telephonic lines of His Majesty’s Embassy
at Berlin continued to function, but about 4 p.m. all telephonic lines
were cut off and both the Staff at the Adlon Hotel and the Embassy
itself was isolated from all external contact. Members of my st^L*
however, had visited the Protocol at 11 a.m. with a view to arrangL
for our departure. They were treated with every civility and com
sideration and were informed that a special train would be placed
at our disposal the following morning.
84. Our only contact thereafter with the outside world was
through the American Embassy. Its aid and help was invaluable.
No trouble was too great for the Charge d’Affaires, Mr. Alexander
Kirk, and the members of his staff. They did everything that was
possible to smooth over the difficulties of those last 24 hours, and our
pleasantest recollection of them is our appreciation of the great
sympathy and willing assistance which we received from the American
Embassy.
85. The French Embassy left Berlin at 9 a.m. the following
morning,. Monday, the 4th September. The British Embassy
followed in a special train, leaving the Charlottenberg station at
11-20 a.m. The whole party consisted of 30 men, 7 women and
2 dogs. A small crowd collected round the Embassy before our
departure, but unlike 1914 it evinced no single sign of hostility.
Mr. Kirk rendered me one more last service by driving me to the
station in his own car. The streets of Berlin were practically
deserted and there was nothing to indicate the beginning of a war
which is to decide whether force is to be the sole arbiter in inter
national affairs; whether international instruments solemnly and
freely entered into are to be modified, not by negotiation, but by
mere unilateral repudiation; whether there is to be any faith in
future in written contracts; whether the fate of a great nation and
the peace of the world is to rest in the future in the hands of one
man; whether small nations are to have any rights against the
pretensions of States more powerful than themselves; in a word,
whether government of the people by the people for the people is
to continue in this world, or whether it is to be replaced by the
arbitrary will and ambition of single individuals regardless of the
peoples’ will.
86. Our journey through Germany, if prolonged, was uneventful.
At the various stations at which we stopped there was some curiosity
but no evidence of hostility. We reached Rheine, a small station
some 20 kilom. from the German frontier, at about 6 p.m. on the
Monday evening. There our train w-as detained for nearly twentv
hours pending the safe arrival in Dutch territorial waters of the
German mission from London. We eventually left Rheine at
1*30 p.m. on Tuesday and were received with great hospitality at