8 Jan. 46
point: That that is the document where Hitler makes it
quite clear, and states in his own words, that Danzig has nothing to do
with the real Polish question. He had to deal with Poland because he
wanted Lebensraum in the East. That is the effect of that portion of the
document which has been read so often to the Tribunal — that Danzig
was merely an excuse.
It is important to have in mind, if I may respectfully suggest it, that
that meeting was on the 23rd of May 1939, because there is an
interesting corroboration of the attitude of mind — in showing how
clearly this Defendant Ribbentrop had adopted the attitude of mind of
Hitler — in the introduction to Count Ciano's diary, which was put
in as Exhibit Number USA-166, Document 2987-PS; but I do not think this
part of the diary, the introduction, has been read before to the Court.
It is Document 2897-PS, and it comes two after L-79, which is the "Little
Schmundt" file, just after the Obersalzberg document. It is set out
in the trial brief, if the Tribunal will care to follow it there. Count
Ciano says:
"In the summer of 1939 Germany
advanced her claims against Poland, naturally without our knowledge;
indeed, Ribbentrop had several times denied to our Ambassador that
Germany had any intention of carrying the controversy to extremes.
Despite these denials I remained unconvinced; I wanted to make sure
for myself, and an August 11th I went to Salzburg. It was in his
residence at Fuschl that Ribbentrop informed me, while we were waiting
to eat, of the decision to start the fireworks, just as he might have
told me about the most unimportant and commonplace administrative
matter. 'Well, Ribbentrop,' I asked him, while we were walking in the
garden, 'What do you want? The Corridor or Danzig?' 'Not any more, ...
' and he stared at me through those cold Musée Grevin eyes, 'We
want war.' "
I remind the
Tribunal how closely that corroborates the statement that Hitler had
made at his Chancellery conference on the 23rd of May: That it was no
longer a question of Danzig or the Corridor, it was a question of war to
achieve Lebensraum. in the East.
Then I remind the Tribunal, without citing it, that the Fall Weiss for
operation against Poland is dated the 3rd and 11th of April 1939, which
certainly shows that preparations were already in hand.
And then there is another reference in Count Ciano's diary which also
has not been read and which makes this point quite clear. Again, if the
Tribunal will take it as set out in the trial brief, I will read it, as
it has not been read before:
"I have collected the conference
records of verbal transcripts of my conversations with Ribbentrop and
Hitler. Here I shall note only some impressions of a general nature.
Ribbentrop