State of the War: 25 October 1939

The Second World War, in real time

Day 55 as it happened · 25 October 1939

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Filed

26 October 1939
08:00 GMT

Reporting

25 October 1939
Day 55

State of the War

Ribbentrop has told a Danzig rally that Britain forced the war on Germany and that Germany will fight to the bitter finish. London calls it a stupid falsehood. Finland now expects its delegation to go back to Moscow next week, and says it will make no concession that compromises its neutrality. In Washington, Roosevelt hopes to get the seized freighter City of Flint back.

Here is everything that reached us between 07:15 and 23:30 GMT yesterday, and where it stands as you read this.

Latest updates

10 of 32 updates

07:15GMT

Breaking Danzig The German Foreign Minister, Joachim von Ribbentrop, says Britain forced the war on Germany and that Germany will fight to the bitter finish. Apart from colonies, he says, Germany has no demands on Britain and France.

07:45GMT

Washington Roosevelt says he hopes to get back the American freighter City of Flint, which a German warship seized and took to Murmansk. Washington is still trying to find out what has happened to her American crew.

08:00GMT

London London says Ribbentrop's speech adds nothing new and repeats a “stupid falsehood” about British intentions. It says the world can judge who the aggressor is.

09:00GMT

Paris Seventy tons of Polish gold have reached Paris after a 6,200-mile journey from Warsaw. It went by lorry, train and ship across Romania, Turkey, Syria and the Mediterranean.

13:15GMT

Washington The Senate has rejected a plan to keep American ships 300 miles from Europe, and a vote on the neutrality bill is expected by the weekend. “There won't be any horse and buggy business in the Senate while I am running it,” says Vice-President Garner.

14:30GMT

Berlin Hans Frank, a Reich Minister, has been named Governor-General of German-occupied Poland. The Soviet Union holds the east of the country.

16:45GMT

London Chamberlain calls Germany's charge that Britain gave Poland poison gas an “impudent and transparent falsehood”. He says Britain never supplied Poland with gas in any form.

17:15GMT

London Churchill hopes to make a statement on the loss of the Royal Oak next week. He says the U-boat commander's account in part has “no relation to the facts”.

21:15GMT

Breaking Helsinki Finland expects its delegation to go back to Moscow next week, once the Government has considered the latest Soviet demands. It says it will make no concession that compromises its neutrality or sovereignty.

23:30GMT

London Survivors of the British steamer Stonegate say the German pocket battleship Deutschland sank their ship and then seized the City of Flint. Earlier reports named the cruiser Emden.

23:59

End of Day 55. Day 56 is live now. Follow it →

Ribbentrop: “The British Government is now playing a dangerous game with the future of its Empire.”

Still waiting

What Moscow is asking of Finland. Helsinki has kept the latest Soviet demands secret, and its delegation is expected back in Moscow next week.

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