Australian Government - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Advancing the interests of Australia and Australians internationally

Australian Government - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Advancing the interests of Australia and Australians internationally

188 Sir Thomas Inskip, U.K. Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs, to Commonwealth Government

Circular Cablegram B322 LONDON, 3 September 1939, 2.10 a.m.

CLEAR THE LINE MOST IMMEDIATE MOST SECRET

Please treat this telegram with extreme secrecy.

With reference to my telegram Circular C. No. 48 yesterday [1] containing Prime Minister's [2] statement at 7.45 p.m. yesterday.

Cabinet meeting after midnight have decided that British Ambassador in Berlin [3] should at once ask to see Ribbentrop [4] at nine a.m. today Sunday and at that interview inform him that unless the Chancellor's [5] reply is received by 11 a.m. today Sunday His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom will from that hour regard themselves as at war with Germany.

Prime Minister proposes to make a statement in the House of Commons at noon today Sunday.

1 Sent 2 September 1939, 9.50 a.m., not printed (on file AA: A981, Germany 83B, iii) 2 Neville Chamberlain.

3 Sir Nevile Henderson.

4 Joachim von Ribbentrop, German Foreign Minister.

5 Adolf Hitler.

[AA: A981, GERMANY 83B, iii]

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