1
Dec. 45
I
would also like to remind you that yesterday,
when this matter was first discussed, you spoke
of a directive which, I believe, your superior
officer had, as you said, received from
Ribbentrop?
LAHOUSEN: No, the Chief of
the OKW received it, not my superior officer,
who was Canaris. I would like to repeat it, in
order to clarify this matter. It was a matter
that came up for discussion on the 12th of
September 1939 in the Führer's train. These
meetings took place in the following sequence
with respect to time and locality: At first a
short meeting took place between the Reich
Foreign Minister Ribbentrop and Canaris in his
coach.
DR.
SAUTER: Were you present?
LAHOUSEN: I
was present at that meeting. General political
questions regarding Poland and the Ukrainians in
Poland were discussed. I do not know anything
more about this meeting, which was the first.
After that there was another meeting in the
coach of Keitel, who was then Chief of the OKW,
and in the course of this meeting Keitel
summarized and commented on the general
political directives issued by Ribbentrop, He
then mentioned several possible solutions for
the handling of the Polish problem from the
point of view of foreign policy — this can
happen, or something else can happen; it is
quite possible. In this connection he said:
"You,
Canaris, have to promote an uprising
with the aid of the Ukrainian
organizations which are working with you
and which have the same objectives,
namely, the Poles and the Jews."
And
then a third discussion, or rather, a very brief
remark at the end of a very short conversation
between the Foreign Minister Ribbentrop and
Canaris was made in connection with this
subject, after the intention had been made quite
clear. It was about how the uprising was to be
carried out and what was to happen. I remember
this so well, because he demanded that the farm
houses must burn. Canaris discussed the matter
with me in detail later on and referred to this
remark.
That is what happened, as I
have described it. This was the sequence:
Directives from the High Command to Keitel; then
passed on by Keitel to Canaris at this meeting;
then repeated to Canaris in the form of a remark
which I remember so well because it contained
the words about farm houses in flames, which is
rather an unusual thing to say.
THE
PRESIDENT: It would assist the Tribunal if one
question at a time were asked and if the
witnesses would answer "yes" or "no"
to the question asked, and explain, if they
must, afterwards.