6
Dec. 45
Thereby,
the Polish Government arbitrarily and
unilaterally rendered this declaration
null and void."
In
the last paragraph the German Government says
that, nevertheless, they are prepared to
continue friendly relations with Poland.
On
the same day as that memorandum was issued
Hitler made a speech in the Reichstag, 28 April,
in which he repeated, in effect, the terms of
the memorandum. This is Document TC-72, Number
13, which becomes GB-43. I would only refer the
Tribunal to the latter part of the second page
of the translation. He has again repeated the
demands and offers that Germany made in March,
and he goes on to say that the Polish Government
have rejected his offer and lastly:
"I
have regretted greatly this
incomprehensible attitude of the Polish
Government. But that alone is not the
decisive fact. The worst is that now
Poland, like Czechoslovakia a year ago,
believes under the pressure of a lying
international campaign, that it must
call up troops although Germany, on her
part, has not called up a single man and
had not thought of proceeding in any way
against Poland. As I have said, this is,
in itself, very regrettable and
posterity will one day decide whether it
was really right to refuse the
suggestion made this once by me. This,
as I have said, was an endeavor on my
part to solve a question which
intimately affects the German people by
a truly unique compromise and to solve
it to the advantage of both countries.
According to my conviction, Poland was
not a giving party in this solution at
all, but only a receiving party, because
it should be beyond all doubt that
Danzig will never become Polish. The
intention to attack, on the part of
Germany, which was merely invented by
the international press, led, as you
know, to the so-called guarantee offer
and to an obligation on the part of the
Polish Government for mutual assistance
. . . . "
It
is unnecessary, My Lord, to read more of that.
It shows us, as I say, how completely dishonest
was everything that the German Government was
saying at that time. There was Hitler, probably
with a copy of the orders for Fall Weiss in his
pocket as he spoke, saying that the intention to
attack, by Germany, was an invention of the
international press.
In answer to that
memorandum and that speech the Polish Government
issued a memorandum on the 28th of April. It is
set out in the next exhibit, TC-72, Number 16,
which becomes GB-44. It is unnecessary to read
more than . . . .
THE PRESIDENT: It is
stated as the 5th of May, not the 28th of April.