8 Jan. 46
treatment, while at the same time it was
not disapproved as far as the Norwegians were concerned.
"In February, after a conference with General Field Marshal Göring
Reichsleiter Rosenberg informed the Ministerial Director in the office
of the Four Year Plan, Wohlthat, only of the intention to prepare coal
shipments to Norway to the named confidant Hagelin. Further details
were discussed in a conference between Wohlthat, Staff Director
Schickedanz, and Hagelin. Since Wohlthat received no further
instructions from the General Field Marshal, Foreign Minister Von
Ribbentrop after a consultation with Reichsleiter Rosenberg
consented to expedite these shipments through his office. Based on a
report of Reichsleiter Rosenberg to the Führer it was also
arranged at this conference to pay Quisling through Scheidt as liaison
10,000 English pounds per month for the next 3 months, commencing on
the 15th of March, to support his work."
This was paid through Scheidt, the man who was mentioned before.
Now the other document, D-629, is a letter from Defendant Keitel to the
Defendant Ribbentrop, dated the 3rd of April 1940. I need trouble the
Tribunal only with the first paragraph. The Defendant Keitel says:
"Dear Herr Von Ribbentrop:
"The military occupation of Denmark and Norway' has been, by
command of the Führer long in preparation by the High Command of
the Wehrmacht. The High Command of the Wehrmacht has therefore had
ample time to occupy itself with all the questions connected with the
carrying out of this operation. The time at your disposal for the
political preparation of this operation is, on the contrary, very much
shorter. I believe myself, therefore, to be acting in accordance with
your ideas in transmitting to you herewith, not only these wishes of
the Wehrmacht which would have to be fulfilled by the Governments in
Oslo, Copenhagen and Stockholm for purely military reasons, but also I
include a series of requests which certainly concern the Wehrmacht
only indirectly but which are, however, of the greatest importance for
the fulfillment of its task."
Then he proceeds to ask that the Foreign Office get in touch with
certain commanders. The important point for which I read it to the
Tribunal as far as I know, for the first time is that
there we have the Defendant Keitel saying quite clearly that the
military occupation of Denmark and Norway has been long in preparation.
And it is interesting when one looks back to the official life of
Ribbentrop,