5
Dec. 45
In his
reply to this long harangue, Hacha, according to
the German minutes, said that he agreed that
resistance would be useless. He expressed doubt
that he would be able to issue the necessary
orders to the Czech Army, in the 4 hours left to
him, before the German Army crossed the Czech
border. He asked if the object of the invasion
was to disarm the Czech Army. If so, he
indicated that might possibly be arranged.
Hitler replied that his decision was final; that
it was well known what a decision of the Führer
meant. He turned to the circle of Nazi
conspirators surrounding him, for their support,
and you will remember that the Defendants Göring
Ribbentrop, and Keitel were all present. The
only possibility of disarming the Czech Army,
Hitler said, was by the intervention of the
German Army.
I read now one paragraph
from Page 4 of the English version of the German
minutes of this infamous meeting. It is the next
to the last paragraph on Page 4.
"The
Führer states that his decision was
irrevocable. It was well known what a
decision of the Führer meant. He
did not see any other possibility for
disarmament and asked the other
gentlemen" — that is,
including Göring Ribbentrop, and
Keitel — "whether they shared
his opinion, which was answered in the
affirmative. The only possibility to
disarm the Czech Army was by the German
Army."
At
this sad point, Hacha and Chvalkowsky retired
from the room.
I now offer in evidence
Document 2861-PS, an excerpt from the official
British War Blue Book, at Page 24, and I
offer it as Exhibit USA-119. This is an official
document of the British Government, of which the
Tribunal will take judicial notice under the
provisions of Article 21 of the Charter. The
part from which I read is a dispatch from the
British Ambassador, Sir Nevile Henderson,
describing a conversation with the Defendant Göring
in which the events of this early morning
meeting are set forth.
"Sir N. Henderson to Viscount
Halifax, Berlin, May 28, 1939.
"My
Lord: I paid a short visit to Field
Marshal Göring at Karinhall
yesterday."
Then
I skip two paragraphs and begin reading with
Paragraph 4. I am sorry, I think I better read
all of those paragraphs:
"Field
Marshal Göring who had obviously
just been talking to someone else on the
subject, began by inveighing against the
attitude which was being adopted in
England towards everything German and,
particularly, in respect of the gold
held there on behalf of the National
Bank of Czechoslovakia. Before, however,
I had time to reply, he was called to
the