M.M. [Litvinov] delivered a major speech at the Assembly today. A forceful, venomous, terrific speech! The audience listened with bated breath. The house was packed for the first time during the entire Assembly. I watched their faces: many expressed sympathy and many could not conceal their smiles at those points where M.M. gave free rein to his malicious wit. What’s more, it wasn’t just the Spanish, Chinese, Mexican and our other friends, but also those whom you’d hardly suspect of being particularly fond of the USSR. He received loud, universal applause.

The baseness of the English and the French knows no bounds! Yesterday evening, after receiving the Czechoslovak reply with its proposal to settle the German–Czech dispute through arbitration, Chamberlain contacted Daladier and late at night (at 3 a.m., I’m told) the two premiers, without even informing their Cabinets, sent an ultimatum to the Czechoslovak government: either Czechoslovakia accepts the ‘Anglo-French’ plan, or London and Paris leave Czechoslovakia to the mercy of fate in the event of a German attack. The French even announced that in such a case they would no longer consider themselves bound by the terms of the Czech–French treaty. The Czechs were given six hours to respond. The Czechoslovak Cabinet convened in the night and was in session until the morning. Some members of the government insisted on rejecting the ultimatum and fighting Germany with the help of the USSR alone. Others objected resolutely, arguing that in this case a hue and cry would be raised everywhere (including Britain and France) about a war for the ‘Bolshevization of Europe’, from which Czechoslovakia would only stand to lose. It was a hopeless situation, and early on the morning of 21 September the Czechoslovak government accepted the ‘Anglo-French’ ultimatum with death in their hearts.

Reports from London that Attlee and Greenwood had another talk with Chamberlain and Halifax today. The Labour leaders demanded a fundamental change in British policy towards Czechoslovakia. They stated, among other things, that after reading Litvinov’s speech at the League of Nations (the most important parts were sent from Geneva to London early in the morning, before Litvinov made the speech), they must declare openly that the information about the Soviet position which they had received from Chamberlain beforehand was in total contradiction to the Soviet foreign minister’s speech (and to all the information that they had held previously on the subject). The PM was greatly embarrassed and referred once more to Bonnet. Attlee and Greenwood then addressed Halifax, asking him point-blank whether the Soviet ambassador had informed him about the Soviet position before his departure to Geneva. Halifax was also embarrassed and replied that indeed he had discussed Czechoslovakia with Maisky, but that Maisky had palmed him off with general phrases, stating merely: ‘We will do our best.’ (In fact, I answered Halifax’s question by conveying to him in great detail M.M.’s talk with Payart in Moscow on 2 September.) In conclusion, Chamberlain told the Labourites that there could be no more talk about any change in British policy toward Czechoslovakia: the Cabinet had adopted it.