28 Nov. 45
In other words, Von Papen wanted a strong assurance and a
credible assurance of the preservation of Austria's independence. As
he put it, Germany had nothing to lose with what it could always call
a mere effort at peace, and she might be able to convince Schuschnigg
to establish an Austrian coalition government with the NSDAP. If she
did this, she would vastly strengthen her position in Europe. Finally
Von Papen urged haste.
Exactly 4 days later, in a Reichstag address, Hitler responded to
Von Papen's suggestion, and asserted:
"Germany neither intends nor wishes
to interfere in the internal affairs of Austria, to annex Austria or
to conclude an Anschluss."
The British will present a document covering that speech. I
merely wanted to use one sentence at this point. It is a sentence
quite well known to history.
It is appropriate to take notice of this assurance at this point,
and to note that for a complexity of reasons Von Papen suggested, and
Hitler announced, a policy completely at variance with their
intentions, which had been, and continued to be, to interfere in
Austria's internal affairs and to conclude an Anschluss.
There was then a temporary continuance of a quiet pressure
policy.
On May 1, 1936, Hitler blandly in a public speech branded as a
lie any statement that "tomorrow or the day after" Germany
would fall upon Austria. I invite the Court's attention to the
version of the speech appearing in the Völkischer
Beobachter, SD--that is South Germany--2 to 3 May 1936, Page 2,
and translated in our Document 2367-PS.
Without offering that document, I ask the Court to take judicial
notice of that statement in that well-known speech.
If Hitler meant what he said, it was only in the most literal and
misleading sense, that is, that he would not actually fall upon
Austria "tomorrow or the day after tomorrow." For the
conspirators well knew that the successful execution of their purpose
required for a little while longer the quiet policy they had been
pursuing in Austria.
I now offer in evidence our Document L-150, "Memorandum of
Conversation between Ambassador Bullitt and the Defendant Von
Neurath, on 18 May 1936" as Exhibit USA-65. This document
unfortunately again appears in your document books in German. Due to
an error, it has not been mimeographed in English. German counsel
have the German copies.