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BRITAIN OFFERS GOOD OFFICES LONDON, England, May 8.— Great Britain today formally offered its "good offices" for amicable solution of the Danzig crisis to Poland and Germany. The offer was voiced in the House of Commons by Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs Richard Butler, while other key ministers of the cabinet met to ponder plans for stiffening the "stop Hitler" bloc with inclusion of the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics. Butler, in answer to questions, announced: "In the event of a breakdown of direct negotiations, Britain would at all times be ready to lend its good offices at the request of the interested parties. Any change in the Danzig status quo is primarily a matter for negotiation between Poland and Germany, but it is well known that Britain stands for settlement of all international questions through friendly negotiations, arbitration or other peaceful means." Previously Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain told the House he had reason to * believe "Poland is alive to the danger to the peace of the world created by the present state of affairs in Danzig." Chamberlain said the British government welcomed Polish Foreign Minister Josef Becks firm conciliatory speech, in which Warsaw rejected Hitlers claims to Danzig, but had left open the door for possible negotiations with Germany. "The British government," Chamberlain said, "has taken due note of the Polish proposals."
