7 Dec.
45
THE PRESIDENT: TC-32?
MR.
ROBERTS: Yes. It begins with TC-32, and then if you go to the next one,
My Lords will see TC-37 on the same page — and then TC-41; both 37
and 41 refer to this matter. Now, this is a German assurance on the 6th
of October 1939:
"Belgium.
"Immediately after I had taken over the affairs of the
state I tried to create friendly relations with Belgium. I renounced
any revision or any desire for revision. The Reich has not made any
demands which would in any way be likely to be considered in Belgium
as a threat."
My Lord, there
is a similar assurance to the Netherlands — the next part of the
document:
"The new
Reich has endeavored to continue the traditional friendship with the
Netherlands. It has not taken over any existing differences between
the two countries and has not created any new ones."
I
submit it is impossible to overemphasize the importance of those
assurances of Germany's good faith.
My Lord, the value of that
good faith is shown by the next document which is of the very next day,
the 7th of October. Those two guarantees were the 6th of October. Now we
come to Document 2329-PS dated the 7th of October. It is from the
Commander-in-Chief of the Army, Von Brauchitsch, and it is addressed to
his Army groups. He said, third paragraph:
"The
Dutch border between Ems and Rhine is to be observed only.
"At
the same time Army Group B has to make all preparations according to
special orders for immediate invasion of Dutch and Belgian territory
if the political situation so demands."
"If
the political situation so demands" — the day after the
guarantee! It is quite clear from the next document. I put in the last
document; that bears an original typewritten signature of Von
Brauchitsch, and it will be Exhibit GB-105.
My Lord, the next
document is in two parts. Both are numbered C-62. The first part is
dated the 9th of October 1939, 2 days after the document I have read. My
Lord, that was all read by the Attorney General in opening down to the
bottom of Paragraph (b). Therefore, I won't read it again. May I remind
the Tribunal just of one sentence.
"Preparations
should be made for offensive action on the northern flank of the
Western Front crossing the area of