6
Dec. 45
"Mr.
Beck asked Ribbentrop to inform the
Chancellor that whereas previously,
after all his conversations and contacts
with German statesmen, he had been
feeling optimistic, today, for the first
time he was in a pessimistic mood.
Particularly in regard to the Danzig
question, as it had been raised by the
Chancellor, he saw no possibility
whatever of agreement."
I
emphasize this last paragraph:
"In
answer Ribbentrop once more emphasized
that Germany was not seeking any violent
solution. The basis of their policy
towards Poland was still a desire for
the further building up of friendly
relations. It was necessary to seek such
a method of clearing away the
difficulties as would respect the rights
and interests of the two parties
concerned."
The
Defendant Ribbentrop apparently was not
satisfied with that one expression of good
faith. On the 25th of the same month, January
1939, some fortnight or three weeks later, he
was in Warsaw and made another speech, of which
an extract is set out in PS-2530, which will
become GB-36:
"In
accordance with the resolute will of the
German national leader, the continual
progress and consolidation of friendly
relations between Germany and Poland,
based upon the existing agreement
between us, constitute an essential
element in German foreign policy. The
political foresight and the principles
worthy of true statesmanship, which
induced both sides to take the momentous
decision of 1934, provide a guarantee
that all other problems arising in the
course of the future evolution of events
will also be solved in the same spirit,
with due regard to the respect and
understanding of the rightful interests
of both sides. Thus Poland and Germany
can look forward to the future with full
confidence in the solid basis of their
mutual relations."
And
even so, the Nazi Government must have been
still anxious that the Poles were beginning to
sit up — Your Lordship Will remember the
expression "sit up" used in the note
to the Führer-and to assume they would be
the next in turn, because on the 30th of January
Hitler again spoke in the Reichstag, 30th of
January 1939, and gave further assurances of
their good faith.
That document, that
extract, was read by the Attorney General in his
address, and therefore, I only put it in now as
an exhibit. That is TC-73, Number 57, which will
become GB-37. That, then, brings us up to the
March 1939 seizure of the remainder of
Czechoslovakia and the setting up of the
Protectorate Of Bohemia and Moravia.
If
the Tribunal will now pass to the next part,
Part IV, of that document book, I had intended
to refer to three documents where