Hitler has received the British reply and must now decide what to do. Enter into peaceful negotiations with Poland? Deliver an ultimatum to Poland? Simply attack Poland without prior warning? Or resort to diplomatic trickery against Britain and France?

The fates of war and peace are being weighed on unsteady, quivering scales, and who can tell what the next day will bring?

The people have become extraordinarily modest in their demands. Answering my question about the City’s response to the latest events, Davidson

Basil Risbridger Davidson, on the editorial staff of The Economist, 1938–39; diplomatic correspondent for The Star, 1939.

from the Economist said: ‘It seems that war will not begin in the next 24 hours – so the City is calmer today than yesterday.’

In the next 24 hours! Now even that is considered a consolation.

Parliament met. Chamberlain made a short announcement, in which he said that nothing had changed since the session of 24 August, and that the threat of war had not diminished. The prime minister further noted the most important events of the last few days, such as Henderson’s arrival and the British reply to Hitler’s proposal, and once again emphasized that Britain would honour its obligations towards Poland. On the whole, the prime minister’s speech sounded quite resolute. Greenwood and Sinclair said a few words pledging the opposition’s support for the government. The last speaker was Gallacher. The MPs did not wish to give the floor to him at first, but he overcame their resistance and suggested that through the Speaker, parliament should address other parliaments, particularly the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, which was currently in session in Moscow, and call upon them to join forces in the struggle for peace. The MPs listened calmly to the concluding part of Gallacher’s speech. The session, which had lasted not more than 40 minutes, was then closed.

Towards evening, it became known that Hitler had handed Henderson his reply to the British government’s statement and that the reply was being conveyed to London ‘through the normal diplomatic channels’. What does this mean? It’s not the sound of a fist hitting the table. Not an ultimatum to Poland. What is it? Is he putting the brakes on? Unlikely. Hitler has gone too far, especially after his letter to Daladier, and it would be difficult for him to retreat. But perhaps he needs an extra day or two for some reason or other and is therefore delaying the decisive move. They say that some 700,000 tons of German commercial shipping are out at sea, within reach of the British and the French, and Hitler wants to give the ships time to hide in neutral ports or return home. Maybe. We shall see.

Planes are constantly buzzing in the air. At night the searchlights’ flashing swords furrow the sky, ‘catching’ enemy bombers.

In Moscow, a quite different mood clearly reigns: they are not expecting war, and are counting on a new Munich. Here are the facts.

A few days ago I asked NKID whether it was safe to send confidential materials by diplomatic mail, in view of the possible disruption of the railways or even the opening of hostilities between Germany and Poland in the nearest future. I received the reply: send mail in the normal fashion – and in such a tone that Moscow clearly wished to tell me: ‘Don’t panic!’ Nevertheless I did not send confidential materials with the couriers. And I was quite right not to do so. Today I learned that these couriers have got stuck in Berlin.

On 27 August, NKID informed me that I have been appointed head of the Soviet delegation to the League of Nations Assembly scheduled for 11 September. Thanks for the vote of confidence. I doubt, however, whether the Assembly will take place in the present situation.

Today, 29 August, the Kooperatsiya set sail from Leningrad with members of the Red Banner Song and Dance Company on board. Tomorrow, the 30th, the Mariya Ulyanova

The ship was named after Lenin’s sister, Mariya Ilinichna Ulyanova.

should leave with the others. In Southampton, the Company is to board the Aquitania, bound for America. I fear, however, that this may not happen: new events may force the Company to return to the USSR.