SIR DAVID MAXWELL-FYFE: My Lord, I don't know if Your Lordship wanted the words for these short collections of letters. I have them if Your Lordship wants them; that is, on the last document, 1201-PS.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much,yes.
SIR DAVID MAXWELL-FYFE: My Lord, I think what your Lordship locked at was where the name Dr. Grotius appears.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes.
SIR DAVID MAXWELL-FYFE: The "WI RU Amt" is the Wirtschaft und Ruestungs Amt, the Economic and armaments Office, whichis, your Lordship will remember, General Thomas' department of the OKW.
My Lord, the other letters, "KVH" are Kriegsverwaltungsrat, War administration Counsellor.
I don't think there can be any dispute that the document comes from General Thomas' department of the OKW.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes.
DR. IATERNSER (Counsel for the General Staff and the OKW): Mr. President let me say something in this regard. I should like to state certain scruples It must be ascertained from whence comes the heading of the first section. The heading of the second section, which Sir David just referred to, begins with the letters "AZ", which means "files". In other words, it is from the files of the Economic and Armaments Office. However, it does not explain the source of this document, We must find out how the heading of the first part is to be understood.
THE PRESIDENT: Well, do you understand it?
DR. LATERNSER: Yes, I understand it.
THE PRESIDENT: Very well.
DR. LATERNSER: The author of this writing can only be found if we find out what the first line means, because the second line is only the document archive number, which is to be seen from the first two letters, "AZ", which means the German Aktenzeichen.
This seems to refer to something from the Economic and Armaments Office.
SIR DAVID MAXWELL-FYFE: I don't know if Your Lordship wants any further information. It seems to me quite clear. That is, it is from the files of the department I mentioned, the Wirtschaft und Ruestungs Amt.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes. You mean, it goes back to the same letters.
SIR DAVID MAXWELL-FYFE: Yes,
THE PRESIDENT: It has just been explained to me that what Dr. Laternser was saying is that the letters "AZ I K 32/510" only mean that it is from the file of that department.
SIR DAVID MAXWELL-FYFE: Yes, My Lord. Then, to find the office whose file it is, you get "WI RU" again, which is the Wirtschaft und Ruestungs Amt, which is the Economy and Armaments Office, and it is the Armaments Department No. 3.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes. witness in the box and then to leave him to counsel for the prosecution and the defense.
SIR DAVID MAXWELL-FYFE: If My Lordship pleases, my friend Mr. Roberts is going to deal with this witness, and he has selected the passages quite shortly from the statements which will be read.
THE PRESIDENT: Very well, ___________
MAX WIELEN, a witness, took the stand and testified as follows: BY THE PRESIDENT:
Q Will you stand up please?
Q What is your name?
Q Your full name?
Q Will you repeat this oath after me?
pure truth and will withhold and add nothing.
(The witness repeated the path.)
THE PRESIDENT: You may sit down. BY MR. ROBERTS: Hinchley Cook. the 26th of August, 1945, and the second dated the 6th of September 1945?
(The documents were submitted to the witness)
Are those the photographs of your true statements? Do you identify them? Do you see your signature at the end of each?
Q And in those two statements did you tell the truth?
MR. ROBERTS: My Lord, perhaps I should now read some passages so that they may go into the record. your name and the positions which you held in the SS and in the Criminal Police. That is right, is it not?
Q Well now, will you just follow the beginning of this statement?
A Of which declaration, the 6th of September, or the first one?
A The first one? I see.
Q Just follow it while I read. I will read the whole of the first page "Oberregierungsrat und Kriminalrat, SS Obersturmbannfuehrer" --I don't want you to read it, just listen to me--" formerly officer in charge of the Criminal Police at Breslau.
"I have to stat, in answer to the question whether I know anything about the shooting of English prisoners of war, air force officers of the prison camp at Sagan, that I have knowledge of this matter and wish to make the following statement without reserve.
"Shooting took place on the express personal orders of the former Fuehrer, was carried out by the Gestapo. The officer in charge of the Staatspolizeileitstelle at Breslau was Oberregierungsrat Dr. Scharwinkel. His immediate superiors were Chief of the SIPO, Dr. Kaltenbrunner; Chief of Amt IV, SS Gruppenfuehrer Mueller, I am unable to give the names of the officers in charge of other districts of the Gestapo, who carried out shootings in their districts.
"I insert here a small chart showing the organization of the SIPO." bottom of page 3 in the copy which the witness has in his hands in German:
"During the course of time"--and this is talking about Stalag Luf 3-"99 escape tunnels had been dug. All of them had been discovered by the military. A hundred tunnels, dug in March 1944, proved successful to the extent that 80 officers were able to escape.
"Upon receipt of a telephone message from the camp headquarters to the Criminal Police I gave orders for the Kiregsfahndung, in accordance with the emergency instructions laid down. At Dr. Absalom's suggestion, having regard to the time lag, Grossfahndung was ordered. Moreover, the officer in charge of the Reichskriminal Polizei Amt had to be informed. He approved or confirmed the order for the Grossalarm. Gradually, the search, which was carried out in all parts of Germany, led to the re-arrest of practically all the escaped English officer prisoners, with the exception of three, I believe. Most of them were recaptured while still in Silesia. A few had got as far as Kiel, Strasbourg, and the Algav.
"Then, one day at noon I received a telegraphic instruction from General Nebe to proceed at once to Berlin to be informed of a secret order. When I arrived in Berlin that evening I saw General Nebe in his office. I gave him a short, concise report on the whole matter. He then showed me a teleprint order signed by Dr. Kaltenbrunner, in which it was stated that on the express personal orders of the Fuehrer, over half of the officers escaped from Sagan were to be shot after their recapture. The officer in charge of Department 4, Gruppenfuehrer Mueller, had received corresponding orders and would give instructions to the Staatspolizei, and military office had been informed.
General Nebe himself appeared shocked at this order. He was distressed. I was afterwards told that for nights on end he had not gone to bed. I too was appalled at the horrible step to be taken and opposed its execution. I said that it was against the laws of war; that it was bound to lead to reprisals against our own officers who were prisoners of war in English camps; and that I absolutely refused to take any responsibility. General Nebe replied that in this particular case I had indeed no responsibility whatever, because the Staatspolizei would act completely independently, and that, after all, the Fuehrer's orders had to be carried out without demur.
"I want to point out that when I first refused I acted on impulse and feeling, well knowing that I could not hope to prevail, in view of the conditions that had recently arisen within the Sipo.
"Nebe then added that I on my part was, of course, under an obligation to preserve absolute secrecy and that I had been shown the original order so that I should not make any difficulties vis-a-vis the Staatspolizei.
"My own duties as regards the transport of some of the prisoners would be transferred to the Staatspolizei. In this connection I want to explai that up to then the bringing back of prisoners to the camp had been the responsibility of the Kripo. Either they had to take them back to the camp themselves or they had to hold them until they were fetched by the camp staffs "In answer to a question I declared that Dr. Schultze was present at the discussion with General Nebe.
He nodded his head in agreement when I raised my objection; otherwise took no part.
"On my return to Breslau I learned from Dr. Schabwinkel that the Gestapo had been duly informed by Gruppenfuehrer Mueller. I was not apprised of the actual instructions. I also don't know whether a similar order was issued to other officers in charge of Staatspolizeileitstellen or whether orders were only given to those in whose areas arrests had been made and executions were to be carried out.
"According to instructions the police in the districts where arrests had been made had to inform the Reichskripo Amt by telegram or telephone that officer prisoners of war had been taken into custody.
The Krip Leitstelle Breslau was also to be informed.
"How this shooting was carried out I do not know, but I presume that after Staatspolizei had collected the officers concerned from the prisons they were shot in some remote spot -- forests and so forth -- with service pistols of the Gestapo.
"In answer to the question whether the officers were possibly beaten to death, I state that I do not believe this, because the Fuehrer's order specifically mentioned shooting.
"The Staatspolizei had, in accordance with instructions received from RSHA, Department 4, described the shooting as if it had occurred in transit. The purpose of se f-defense ought to prevent re-escape. This I afterwards learned from Dr. Schabwinkel.
"Later the Kripo Leitstelle at Breslau received a letter from RSHA, Department 5, which had to be communicated to the camp commandant with the request that its text should be made known to the English officer prisoners of war in order to frighten then. The letter explained that the shooting had occurred for the above-mentioned reason. The text of the letter was communicated to Oberst Lindeiner or one of the camp's staff officers.
"As regards the selection of officers to be shot, a list had been prepared by the camp authorities at the request of Department 5, in which those officers who were regarded as disturbing elements, plotters, and escape leaders had been specifically mentioned. The names were selected either by the commandant or by one of his officers.
"Thereupon the shooting of officers mentioned by name was accordingly ordered by Department 4 and corresponding instructions sent to the Staatspolizei of the district concerned." copy, page 4; at the bottom of page 7 of the witness' copy; Witness, would you turn to page 7, please? You will find the passage marked in pencil at the bottom of page 7. I carefully numbered the pages.
A Nothing marked on page 7; something on page 8. At any rate; just follow these words -- "to revert to the shooting."
Q "Approximately forty English officers who have not been arrested by the Staatspolizei but the Kripo were meanwhile taken back to camp." When you said that -- of you will just answer the question -- you said approximately forty officers -- you didn't know the actual numbers, did you?
A The number is not correct. It was not forty. I didn't know at that time.
Q That's right, because it isn't the correct number. I think fifty.
Q "They had come to no harm whatsoever."
"I must assume that treatment was perfectly correct. It had been impossible to avoid putting them into police prisons due to the general condition then prevailing.
"I do not know who interrogated the officers in the police prisons. I assume this was done by the local police authorities, as an interrogation must necessarily follow every notification of arrest. I do not know the names of the officials."
Q Yes. "I do not know the names of the officials of the Staatspolizei or the Gemeinde Polizei -- a small local police force who cooperate in this matter. Dr. Absalom will be able to supply the answer to this question."
Go on to the part beginning "the urns", if Your Lordship pleases:
"The urns containing the ashes of the officers who had been shot were transmitted by the Staatspolizei to the Kriminal Polizei. Which crematoria had been used by the Staatspolizei I am unable to say. The urns were handed over to the camp commandant by the order of RSHA for military Funeral. By this means, the return of the urns through the Kripo, the fact that Staatspolizei was connected with the matter was to be camouflaged."
Then I miss the next paragraph. Then I read one sentence, the next line: "I do not know why five officers were interrogated in Berlin."
Then My Lord, I turn to page 6. Witness, would you go to the bottom of your oage 10. Just turn over the page. My Lord, take the middle paragraph. Just two paragraphs out of page 6 in a general way of interest.
"Even before my departure for Berlin criminal commissar Dr Absolam had told me that he had heard in Camp Sagan--he was told this in a very secretive waythat shootings were to take place in order to deter officers. From this may be deduced the fact that the camp will already be informed through military channels of the order to shoot issued by Kaltenbrunner. It would be useful to ascertain what Goering knows about the whole affair, because the Fuehrer must surely have informed him of the order, since it concerned a camp of the Luftwaffe."
My Lord, that is all of that statement. I am anxious to avoid reading as much of the second statement as possible , because there is a good deal of repitition. You take the second statement now, witness. That one, I am afraid, has not been marked. The third and fourth paragraphs on the first page of the statement:
"As to when the Staatspolizei had begun the shootings I am not in a position to say, but I imagine it happened when only a few prisoners were still at large and their capture could no longer be reconed with. As regards the lapse of time between the order for Grossfahndung and being shown the orders for the shootings, this could only have been a matter of a few days. I can no longer recall exact dates. I di know, however, for certain that no shootings have taken place anywhere at the time when the order was shown to me.
Then perhaps I could read the last paragraph but one on that page: "Before the last escape had taken place, I had heard nothing about the prospect of more drastic measures to be taken against the prisoners. I heard of it only after the final escape but before I had been shown in Berlin the order for the shootings. It was then that Dr. Absalom had told me that he had heard in Sagan Camp -- from whom I do not know, although I believe it was Oberst Lindeiner -- that further shootings would take place. When this particular order was shown to me in Berlin it appeared to me to be merely a proof that the military were behind this brutal measure or at least it had knowledge of it before the RSHA. AS regards the expression, more than half in the order of Dr. Kaltenbrunner -- this is how the wording is fixed in my mind; however, it is quite possible that a specific number was given and that I, in quickly glancing through the order, interpreted thus in my mind, that that is more than half." which are realty repetitious -- a paragraph just a little more than half-way down the page: "I do not know how the Gestapo took over from the local prisons, those officers who were to be shot. It is, however, possible that the Gestapo got in touch with the KRIPO. In Lower Silesia, the firing squads were detailed by the officer in charge of the Staatspolizei, Dr. Scharpwinkel, or by his orders. I never heard who belonged to those squads."
Then the last paragraph on that page: "I declare in answer to the question as to why the KRIPO did not carry out the shootings, that in the execution of its duties the KRIPO felt themselves bound by the previsions of the Strafgesetzerdnung and the Reichsstrafgesetz, and that their personnel were trained in accordance with these standards. On the other hand, during the war, the Staatspolizei had, incited by Himmler, become less scrupulous. They carried out executions on the orders of the RSHA or with the approval of that department whenever required. That is the reason why German citizens' general detestation of the Staatspolizei did not extend to the KRIPO. The urns were obviously returned to the KRIPO for the sole reasons that the intervention of the Staatspolizei should not become publicly known; i.e. the English officers in camp should not become aware of it."
THE PRESIDENT: Do any of the defense counsel want to ask any questions of the witness?
DR. NELTE: Dr. Nelte, counsel for Keitel. BY DR. NELTE: were you in touch with the OKW or the defendant Keitel in any way? other high officers. are talking about here, so far as you know, went over the path from Hitler to Himmler, to the RSHA, and then the lower officers? and it did. to contain the names of those who made a nuisance of themselves? contained that reads: "The camp commander must have been informed through military officers of the intended shooting ahead of time."
A No, I should not like to repeat that here so strongly. It is possible that it might have been discussed, the shootings night have been discussed in the camp or that sharper measures in general would be taken toward English officers if escapes continued but in this connection, I know nothing more specific; namely, in the connection of which we are concerned here. with remarks that were made before the flight?
A No, at least not so far as these shootings are concerned; at least not in direct relationship to this particular flight or escape. escape. For that reason I ask you whether this remark is related to some discussion that took place in connection with the flight of these officers and which perhaps was directed toward the future prevention of escapes? were made at Sagan.
Colonel Lindeiner is said to have stated, that military officers stood behind these measures and had been informed of them?
A I don't believe I expressed myself just that way. Could you please repeat that? military officers stood behind this measure and hadbeen informed of it ahead of time. made such an assertion? this matter. I have no more reasons to believe so.
DR. NELTE: No further questions.
DR. STAHMER: Dr. Stahmer, for the defendant Goering. BY DR. STAHMER: Commissar Absalom, even before your departure for Berlin, had informed you that he had heard in Camp Sagan that shootings were to take place?
Q Another question. During the discussion that you had with General Nebe in Berlin, General Nebe said to you that the military officers were informed. Did he state more precisely what military officers were here concerned?
A No, that was not said. Moreover, I do not know whether this was intended or whether it already turned into fact because this whole matter was to be regarded as top secret and was to be kept secret.
Q In your testimony here, you mentioned Reichsmarshal Goering. Do you have any documentation that Goering knew of these shootings or is that merely conjecture on your part? that question entirely open. I have no particular reason to make specific statements in this matter but since he was the high officer in the Luftwaffe, I could only assume that the Reichsmarshal could have been informed on this matter.
Q In other words, it was only a conjecture on your part? the matter at all.
DR. STAHMER: That is all.
BY DR. KAUFMANN (Counsel for defendant Kaltenbrunner):
brunner and Mueller. Now, I ask you was this order in the form of a telegraph or a telegraphic communication or did you see the original of it, or what? communication.
Q Do you know for sure it was not an original?
A Yes, I know that for sure. In fact I felt indeed doubts about this later because I thought about it hundreds of times and it occurred to me to wonder whether or not this might not possibly have been signed by Himmler but from the organizational point of view it would have been Kaltenbrunner who signed it. even state definitely that the thing was really signed by Kaltenbrunner but that rather you simply assume that it was because of your knowledge of how things were organized? the importance of it I was so impressed that I paid little attention to the mechanical matters involved in the transmission of this order so that I cannot make a statement with definite certainty as to who signed it.
MR. ROBERTS: No further questions.
THE PRESIDENT: The witness can retire, Dr. Nelte, does that close the case for the defendant Keitel?
DR. NELTE: So far as witnesses are concerned that closes the case for Keitel, yes. I have a few further remarks to make.
The Tribunal has seen an affidavit by Dr. Krieger and has approved it by its ruling of the 6th of April, 1945. I ask the Tribunal to permit me to put this affidavit in evidence as Document K-15. I have the German original here and I should like to read only that part of the affidavit that describes the relations between Hitler and Keitel. This involves three short paragraphs.
"The relations between Hitler and the previous Field Marshal Keitel were officially correct and on Hitler's part, in general, he had confidence and was full of respect for a faithful servant and Keitel on his part was upright and honest.
There was, however, no further friendly or confidential note between them, aside from official occasions, receptions and so forth.
"So far as could be ascertained Keitel hardly took part with Hitler in anything which was not obligatory nor shared any meals with him. If Keitel was called to conferences with Hitler outside the official conferences at which there were no stenographers present these were not observed to have taken place. In preparing decisions or in formulating orders Keitel gave expression to his opinions if they happened to differ in an objective, capable manner as befits a soldier. He apparently knew, from many years of collaboration with Hitler, the possible limits of influencing his opinions or decisions or of changing his mind. For that reason he generally accepted Hitler's decisions as orders in a soldierly attitude. However, in individual cases he succeeded by emphatic reasoning in changing decisions or at least in delaying them in order to have them further examined.
"Hitler, at times, did not seem to trust Keitel completely which can be gathered from one of his remarks, made to his most intimate circles."
THE PRESIDENT: Dr. Nelte, it appears to the Tribunal it is not really necessary to read this. Keitel has already said it, it is cumulative to him and the document itself is in evidence and so we can read it ourselves.
DR. NELTE: It is not necessary but it simply corroborates what has been testified to here.
THE PRESIDENT: It is sufficient that you tell us that.
DR. NELTE: I have further the answer to several interrogatories that I sent out that were permitted by the Tribunal. Mr. Rommilly. I can put in evidence this interrogatory and in that form submit it to the Tribunal and can thus forego any reading of it. The same is true of the answers to the interrogatory submitted to the witness Rotrautroemer, as to the question of the marking of Russian prisoners of war.
The Naville and Scarpini interrogatories are not yet at hand.
I shall submit them as soon as they arrive.
THE PRESIDENT: Have the Prosecution had these documents?
DR. NELTE: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you given numbers to these? You have given the number K-15 to the last affidavit. You ought to number the others.
DR. NELTE: Rommilly is K-16 and Roemer is K-17. Blomberg. As ruled by the Tribunal on the 26th of February, it was allowed that he be interrogated. I have shown the original to the Prosecution and I ask to be allowed to put it in evidence, the sworn statement of von Blomberg. It is in document book one and is known both to the Tribunal and to the Prosecution.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, Dr. Nelte?
DR. NELTE: That concludes my case.
THE PRESIDENT: Dr. Nelte, you are lodging these original documents that are numbered K-16, 17 and 13 with the General Secretary?
DR. NELTE: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Have they been translated?
DR. NELTE: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Very well.
THE PRESIDENT: Dr. Nelte, we have not seen a translation of K-16, but you are sure that it has been translated, are you?
SIR DAVID MAXWELL FYFE: I have seen an English translation of it.
THE PRESIDENT: You have?
SIR DAVID MAXWELL FYFE: It was shown to me when it came in. I remember reading it.
THE PRESIDENT: Very well, the General Secretary's Department will see that we are furnished copies of it.
THE PRESIDENT: Y es, I think that is the one. That is K-16.
SIR DAVID MAXWELL FYFE: Certainly, I think Rommel is K-16. I have seen it.
THE PRESIDENT: Very well.
Dr. Horn, do you remember that we read these document at the time that we approved their admissibility?
DR. HORN: (Counsel for defendant Ribbentrop): Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: So it would not take you long to introduce them in evidence?
DR. HORN: I shall limit myself to an absolute minimum.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you.
DR. HORN: I should like to ask the Tribunal first to contemplate Document R-75, contained in Volume 3, on page 191 of Ribbentrop's documents. It is a question here of an agreement between the Allied and other powers and Poland of the year 1919. This agreement defines the rights of the German minorities in Poland. In Article 12 of this Treaty, which is on page 3 of this document, it is said that Poland is agreeable to agree to the principles set down and to respect racial and linguistic minorities. The correct Treatment of such minorities will be put under the supervision of the League of Nations. In the subsequent years Poland repeatedly infringed on this Treaty. That can be see from the document No. 82, on page 208 of document book No. 4.
This is a testimonial on the part of the permanent court.
It is of the 10th of September, 1932. In order to save time I might just read the conclusion, where it is said,"The Court is of the opinion that the attitude defined under Points 'A' and 'B' do not here stand in accordance with Poland's international obligations." I ask the Tribunal to take judicial notice of this document also, as well as the next document No. 84, which is on page 212 and 212-A of the fourth Ribbentrop document book. This, too, is a statement on the part of a judicial committee of the League of Nations on minority questions. I ask the Tribunal to take judicial notice of this report. by Hitler's men, it was attempted to establish good relationship with Poland. As evidence for this, I am referring to Ribbentrop Exhibit N o. 85, which is on page 213 of the document book. I am reading from page 2 of that document.
THE PRESIDENT: One moment. Is that document book 4?
DR. HORN: Y es, 4, page 213. I am reading front page 214 of that, center of first paragraph:
"H e, the Chancellor, only wished that the outstanding political questions existing between Germany and Poland could be examined by the statesmen of both countries and examined without passion. H e was convinced that some way out of the present untenable position could be found. Germany desired peace. The forceful capture of British territory was not his intention, but he was reserving himself those rights to which he was entitled according to the pact, and he would refer to them at any time and when he thought fit."
There are two official communiques. They were issued by a request of the P olish Ambassador, and this is Ribbentrop Exhibit No, 86. This is the German communique, and I request the Tribunal to take judicial notice of it, and also the next document, No. 87, on page 26 of the document book, which is the Polish communique.
So as to save time, I do not propose to read these communiques.
German-Polish pact regarding anti-Silesia were enforced which should have been made in Geneva in 1942, but they expired. The necessity arose, therefore, to create a new pact between the two countries, particularly since additional difficulties arose due to the question of minorities and the treatment of German minorities. As evidence for this, I refer to document, Ribbentrop Exhibit No. 117, on page 254 of the document book, and I should like to read the second paragraph where it says:
"The minister has pointed out to the Polish Ambassador that the rigorous Polish point of view regarding the expulsion could not be accepted by us."
THE PRESIDENT: I could not see that on page 254.
DR. HORN: Page 257, Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, I see it.
DR. HORN: The success of those conferences between the Poles and the Germans arose in the Ribbentrop Exhibit 123; it is a pact which appears on page 263 of the document book.
This is a coordinated declaration origination from the Polish and German Government regarding the protection of their respective minorities, It was published on November the 5th, 1937. Sa as to save time, I can point out that the German minorities were given those rights which were in existence between civilized states in similar cases. May I also point out that this agreement does not contain anything which can be considered the sanctioning of any wrong previously committed in this respect, a point of view which was recently represented by the Prosecution. rify the economic difficulties, on the 5th of august 1933, an agreemenr was reached, which is Ribbentrop Exhibit No. 127, and which is on page 270 of the document book. May I request the Tribunal to take judicial notice of it. existed as well as the problemsof the Free State of Danzig and cuased continuous difficulties between the two states, Hitler gave the order to the defendant Ribbentrop that after the solution of the Sudeten-German question in October 1938, to commence negotiations regarding the Danzig and Corridor questions as well as the question of minorities. For this reason, the then Polish Foreign Minister, Colonel Beck, was invited to come to Berchtesgaden. The discussion which took place on that occasion between Hitler and the Polish Foreign Minister are contained in Ribbentrop Exhibit No- 149, on page 301 of the document book No. 5. May I quote from page 2 of the document to explain what the rain features of this conference were? On page 6, it says:
"On the part of Germany, apart from the problem of Memel, which would probably be solved in Germany since there was the appearance that the Lithuanians would cooperate in a reasonable solution, there were problems which in the opinion of Germany were extremely difficult reffering to Danzig and the corridor, and which would have to be solved."
it says:
"Foreign Minister Beck promised that he would willingly think about the problem. With that German considered that negotiations regarding this problem had begun." Foreign Minister von Ribbentrop had a discussion with the polish Minister Beck during which the question of Minorities was once more touched on. That discussion is contained in Ribbentrop Exhibit No.150 on page 304. May I ask the Tribunal to take judicial notice of this document? there was a meeting between Reich Foreign Minister von Ribbentrop, who went to Warsaw. Once more the entire problem was discussed. organization in the East became necessary. The then Reich Foreign Minister von Ribbentrop therefore asked the Polish Ambassador, on the 21st of March 1939, to come and visit him. The contents of that conference is contained in Ribbentrop Exhibit No. 154, on page 310 of the document book. May I quote the third paragraph, page 3, which is the leading point regarding that conference?
"Generally, the settlement of the Corridor question was considered the worse burden, due to the Versailles Treaty, for Germany."
A few lines later, it says:
"The Reich Foreign Minister von Ribbentrop explained that a prerequisite would be that Danzig would be returned to the Reich, and he suggested the creation of an extra-territorial read and railway connection between the Reich and East Prussia. He promised that Germany would in exchange guarantee the Corridor. Ambassador Lipsky promised to inform Mr. Beck accordingly and then to give no an answer."
May I ask the Tribunal to take judicial notice of this document as well? cussions the question of the minorities and the question regarding Danzig and the Corridor would find some solution, these discussions had the opposit effect.
It appears from Ribbentrop Exhibit No. 155, on page 313, and Ribbentrop Exhi bit No. 156, on page 314 of the document book, that Poland at that time ordered partial mobilization. That partial mobilization could only be directed against Germany.