Text: English     International Military Tribunal "Blue Series," Vol. 3, p. 235
		6 Dec. 45 "3. Such allegations are reminiscent of Nazi propaganda methods regarding Czechoslovakia last year. "4. In any case it is purely and simply deliberate German provocation in accordance with fixed policy that has since March" — since the date when the rest of Czechoslovakia was seized and they were ready to go against Poland — "that has since March exacerbated feeling between the two nationalities. I suppose this has been done with the object: "(a) Creating war spirit in Germany, (b) impressing public opinion abroad,. (c) provoking either defeatism or apparent aggression in Poland. "5. It has signally failed to achieve either of the two latter objects. "6. It is noteworthy that Danzig was hardly mentioned by Herr Hitler. "7. German treatment of Czech Jews and Polish minority is apparently negligible factor compared with alleged sufferings of Germans in Poland where, be it noted, they do not amount to more than 10 per cent of the population in any commune. "8. In the face of these facts it can hardly be doubted that, if Herr Hitler decided on war, it is for the sole purpose of destroying Polish independence. "9. 1 shall lose no opportunity of impressing on Minister for Foreign Affairs necessity of doing everything possible to prove that Hitler's allegations regarding German minority are false." And yet, again, we have further corroboration of General Lahousen's evidence in a memorandum, which has been captured, of a conversation between the writer and Keitel. It is 795-PS, and it becomes GB-54. That conversation with Keitel took place on the 17th of August, and from the memorandum I quote the first paragraph: "I reported my conference with Jost to Keitel. He said that he would not pay any attention to this action, as the Führer had not informed him, and had only let him know that we were to furnish Heydrich with Polish uniforms. He agrees that I instruct the General Staff. He says he does not think much of actions of this kind. However, there is nothing else to be done if they have been ordered by the Führer; that he could not ask the Führer how he had planned the execution of this special action. In regard to Dirschau, he has decided that this action would be executed only by the Army." That then, My Lord, was the position at the end of the first week in August — I mean at the end of the third week in August. On the 22d of August the Russian-German Non-Aggression Pact was signed 235
		Text: English     International Military Tribunal "Blue Series," Vol. 3, p. 235     Last modified: January 2, 1999 Copyright © 1998 The Mazal Library and The Holocaust History Project. All rights reserved. Technical/administrative contact: webmaster@holocaust-history.org Find a typo? Let us know.