7 Dec. 45

Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands. This attack must be carried out as soon and as forcefully as possible."
In the next paragraph, may I just read six words:

"The object of this attack is . . . to acquire as great an area of Holland, Belgium, and northern France as possible."
That document is signed by Hitler himself. It is addressed to the three accused: The Supreme Commander of the Army, Keitel; Navy, Raeder; and Air Minister, Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force, Göring. That appears from the distribution.

I will hold that document over and will put that other one in with it.

My Lord, the next document is the 15th of October 1939. It is from the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces. It is signed by Keitel in what is to some of us his familiar red pencil signature, and it is again addressed to Raeder and Göring and to the General Staff of the Army.

Now that also has been read by the Attorney General; may I just remind the Tribunal that at the bottom of the page:
"It must be the object of the Army's preparations to occupy — on receipt of a special order — the territory of Holland in the first instance as far as the Grebbe-Maas" — or Meuse — "line".
The second paragraph deals with taking possession of the West Frisian Islands.

It is clear, in my submission, beyond discussion that from that moment the decision to violate the neutrality of these three countries had been made. All that remained was to work out the details, to wait until the weather became favorable, and in the meantime, to give no hint that Germany's word was about to be broken again. Otherwise these small countries might have had some chance of combining among themselves and with their neighbors.

It will be Exhibit GB-106. Well, the next document is a Keitel directive. It is Document 440-PS (Exhibit GB-107). It, again, is sent to the Supreme Command of the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force; and it gives details of how the attack is to be carried out. I want to read only a very few selected passages. Paragraph 2) on the first page:

"Contrary to previously issued instructions, all action intended against Holland may be carried out without a special order when the general attack will start.

"The attitude of the Dutch Armed Forces cannot be anticipated ahead of time."