6
Dec. 45
ready
to go to war with Poland. That document does
show how the German Government answered the
proposal to enter into discussions. That is
C-137 and will become GB-33.
On the
5th of January 1939 Mr. Beck had a conversation
with Hitler. It is unnecessary to read the first
part of that document, which is the next in the
Tribunal's book, TC-73, Number 48, which will
become GB-34. In the first part of that
conversation, of which that document is an
account, Hitler offers to answer any questions.
He says he has always followed the policy laid
down by the 1934 agreement. He discusses the
Danzig question and emphasizes that in the
German view it must sooner or later return to
Germany. I quote the last but one paragraph of
that page:
"Mr.
Beck replied that the Danzig question
was a very difficult problem. He added
that in the Chancellor's suggestion he
did not see any equivalent for Poland,
and that the whole of Polish opinion,
and not only people thinking politically
but the widest spheres of Polish
society, were particularly sensitive on
this matter.
"In answer
to this the Chancellor stated that to
solve this problem it would be necessary
to try to find something quite new, some
new form, for which he used the term Körperschaft,
which on the one hand would safeguard
the interests of the German population,
and on the other the Polish interests.
In addition, the Chancellor declared
that the Minister could be quite at
ease, there would be no faits
accomplis in Danzig, and nothing
would be done to render difficult the
situation of the Polish Government."
The
Tribunal will remember that in the very last
document we looked at, on the 24th of November,
orders had already been received, or issued, for
preparations to be made for the occupation of
Danzig by surprise; yet here he is assuring the
Polish Foreign Minister that there is to be no
fait accompli and he can be quite at his
ease.
I turn to the next step,
Document TC-73, Number 49, which will become
GB-35, conversation between Mr. Beck and
Ribbentrop, on the day after the one to which I
have just referred between Beck and Hitler.
THE PRESIDENT: Did you draw attention
to the fact that the last conversation took
place in the presence of the Defendant
Ribbentrop?
LT. COL. GRIFFITH-JONES: I
am very obliged to you. No, 1 did not. As I say,
it was on the next day, the 6th of January. The
date in actual fact does not appear on the copy
I have got in my book. It does appear in the
White Book itself.