The explanation is straightforward enough. Even at this very late stage, Chamberlain hoped to escape the trap which he had been preparing for us and into which he had fallen himself. At his instigation, Mussolini has expended a great deal of energy over the past two days in trying to cobble together either a five-power conference or some rotten ‘compromise’ to prevent war. So Chamberlain wished to buy himself at least two more days, or even just one, for manoeuvring.

This created an atmosphere of distrust and suspicion towards the PM’s actions, both in the country and in the House. This mood broke through yesterday evening in the speeches of Greenwood and Sinclair.

At about eight o’clock Chamberlain announced in the House that Henderson had not yet received a reply to his 1 September note from Ribbentrop, that this could perhaps be explained by Mussolini’s efforts, mentioned above, and that the British government was consulting with Paris as to how long Britain and France were prepared to wait for Hitler’s reply. The prime minister’s announcement drew a sharp response from Greenwood. He demanded that the PM give an immediate answer to the question: war or peace? He said that the present tension and uncertainty could not continue any longer, that an act of aggression had been committed 38 hours earlier, that Britain had not yet offered its assistance to Poland, and that the country’s interests and honour were at stake.

Sinclair spoke in the same vein.

Chamberlain took the floor for the second time and declared that he would have been horrified had anyone thought he could hesitate at such a moment as this. He referred to the need to agree his every move with the French government, which rendered a certain delay inevitable. Lastly, he promised to make a definite and categorical statement in parliament tomorrow.

The denouement is approaching.