SIR DAVID MAXWELL-FYFE: At the time, you had asked Dahlerus to go to
England on the 24th. It was still the plan that the attack would take
place on the 26th. Was not your object in sending Dahlerus to have the
British Government discussing their next move when the attack took
place, in order to make it more difficult for the British Government?
GÖRING: No, I want to emphasize that—and perhaps I should have the
documents for the date—that when I sent Dahlerus at that time, and when
at that moment Sir Nevile had been handed a note on behalf of the
Führer, the attack for the 26th had been cancelled and postponed.
SIR DAVID MAXWELL-FYFE: Let me remind you of what you said yourself on
the 29th of August:
“On the day when England gave her official guarantee to Poland,
it was 5:30 on 25 August, the Führer called me on the telephone
and told me he had stopped the planned invasion of Poland. I
asked him then whether it was just temporary or for good. He
said, ‘No, I will have to see whether we can eliminate British
intervention.’ I asked him, ‘Do you think that it will be
definite within 4 or 5 days?’”
Isn’t that right?
GÖRING: That was what I said, but I did not say that this occurred on
the 25th, but when the Führer was clear about the guarantee that was
given. I emphasize that once more . . .
SIR DAVID MAXWELL-FYFE: That was what I was quoting to you. When the
official guarantee was given, the treaty was signed at 5:30 on the
evening of the 25th of August. I am putting your own words to you. It
was after that that the Führer telephoned you and told you the invasion
was off. Do you wish to withdraw your statement that it was after the
official guarantee was given to Poland?
GÖRING: I emphasized once more—after we knew that the guarantee would
be given. It must be clear to you too that if the signing took place at
5:30 p.m. on the 25th, the Führer could know about it only shortly
afterwards. Not till then would the Führer have called a conference, and
in that case an attack for the 26th could have been called off only
during the night of the 25th to 26th. Every military expert must know
that that is an absolute impossibility. I meant to say in my statement,
“. . . when it was clear to the Führer that a guarantee was given.”