“Did Göring say to you during this discussion, ‘Every German
Government would consider the following matters as an integral
part of its policy: (a) The incorporation of Austria and the
Sudetenland into Germany; (b) The return of Danzig to Germany
with a reasonable solution of the Corridor question’?
“Answer: Yes.
“Question 4: Did you answer thereupon: ‘But, I hope without
war’?
“Answer: I said that His Majesty’s Government wanted all
questions affecting Germany and her neighbors settled by
peaceful methods. I did not otherwise discuss those questions.
“Question 5: Did Göring answer thereupon:
“‘That depends very much upon England. England would be able to
contribute much to the peaceful solution of this question.
Göring does not want war either for these reasons, but these
questions have to be settled under all circumstances.’
“Answer: Yes.”
The next questions concern the conversation with Dahlerus . . .
THE PRESIDENT: Does that purport to be a verbatim account of what the
Defendant Göring said? Did he refer to himself in the third person,
“Göring does not want a war,” meaning, “I do not want a war”?
DR. STAHMER: He did not want a war either. England would be able to
contribute much to the peaceful solution of this question. He does not
want war either for these reasons. He, that is, Göring does not want war
either, but these questions have to be settled under all circumstances.
This is, of course, indirect speech. In direct speech it would be, “I,
Göring, do not want war, but the questions have to be settled under all
circumstances.”
The next questions refer to Dahlerus. Question 15, which is the question
put to Halifax, is also of importance in my opinion:
“Did you have the impression that Göring’s endeavors to avoid
war were sincere?”
The answer of Halifax is:
“I have no doubt that Göring would have preferred to enforce the
German demands on Poland without war, if he could have.”
At the end of June or the beginning of July 1938, the Defendant Göring
made a speech to the Gauleiter at Karinhall which was distinctly a
speech for peace. I am referring to a statement from Dr. Uiberreither of
27 February 1946, the original of which is being presented as Document
Number 38, Exhibit Number Göring-4, and is given in Document Book Number
2 on Page 37.
THE PRESIDENT: You are putting in these originals, are you?
DR. STAHMER: Yes, indeed.
In that statement from Dr. Uiberreither, dated 27 February 1946, at Page
38 in Document Book Number 2, Your Honor, it says:
“On 25 May 1938”—says Dr. Uiberreither—“that is, after the
plebiscite concerning the reunion of Austria with Germany, which
had taken place on 10 April 1938, I was appointed Gauleiter of
Gau Steiermark.
“A few weeks later—it may have been towards the end of June or
the beginning of July 1938—the former Field Marshal Hermann
Göring summoned all Gauleiter of the German Reich to Karinhall.
“He there delivered quite a long address to the Gauleiter,
describing the political situation as it was at the time, and
discussing in detail the purpose and significance of the Four
Year Plan.
“Field Marshal Göring first pointed out that other countries had
little understanding for the political developments in Germany,
and that consequently there existed the danger of Germany’s
being encircled. Directing German foreign policy was therefore a
difficult task. Consequently, we should endeavor to strengthen
Germany from the economic and military point of view, in order
to reduce the danger of Germany being attacked by a foreign
power. At the same time, this would result in Germany once more
exercising an increasingly important influence in European
politics after she had again become strong.
“After that, Field Marshal Göring discussed the Four Year Plan.
In this connection he remarked:
“By and large, Germany was cut off from the world’s sources of
raw materials and she therefore had to open up sources in her
own territory by dint of increased efficiency. This would be
done merely in order to make Germany independent of foreign
countries, and was not by any means to serve the purpose of
preparing for an aggressive war.
“He then stressed, with great emphasis, that Germany’s foreign
policy would have to be conducted in such a way that war should
not ensue under any circumstances. The present generation was
still feeling the effects of a lost World War; the outbreak of
another war would be a shock to the German people. Furthermore,
it was his opinion that a new war might assume great
proportions, and even the outcome of a war against France alone
would be questionable.
“In conclusion, he summarized his address by saying that we had
to do everything in our power to make the Four Year Plan a
success, and that all hardships caused thereby must be borne by
the people and were justified, because its success might prevent
war.
“I point out that I remember all the details of this speech so
accurately because this was the first time that I was informed
by a leading personality of these conditions which were so
important for Germany, and because, as a result, until the war
actually started, I did not believe that it would come to a
war.”
In the solution of the Austrian problem no aggressive action on the part
of Germany is to be seen. It took place in response to the desires of
the majority of the Austrian population for reunion with the Reich. The
defendant’s view of this problem can be seen from the telephone
conversation he had with the Foreign Minister Von Ribbentrop on 13 March
1938. The record of this conversation has already been produced under
Document Number 2949-PS, Exhibit Number USA-75. I shall quote from this
conversation some passages which have not yet been read. The
conversation is contained in Document Book Number 1, Pages 55-56. I am
going to quote only the following passages:
“I want to say one thing: If it is said”—this is Göring
talking—“that we have used pressure on the Austrian people and
done outrage to their independence, it can be said that only one
thing was put under pressure, but not by us, and that was the
tiny little government. The Austrian people are free only now. I
would simply suggest to Halifax, or to a few really important
people whom he trusts, that he just send them over here so they
can look at the picture. They should travel through the country,
they can see everything.”
And a few sentences later:
“What state in the whole world is being harmed by our union? Are
we taking anything from any state?”
Then it goes on, I skip two sentences:
“All the people are German; all the people speak German. Thus
there is not a single other state involved.”
The Defendant Göring—I am referring to Page 11 of the book next to the
last paragraph—did not only wish to maintain peace abroad; he also
supported the preservation of peace at home. In this respect he declared
in a speech he made on 9 April 1933 at the Berlin Sports Palace—it
appears in the book _Hermann Göring’s Speeches and Compositions_, and is
reproduced in Document Book Number 1, Page 35, and I am offering it as
Document Number 13; I quote the first sentence:
“Oh the other hand, however, my compatriots, we ought also to be
generous. We do not wish to practice petty revenge. After all,
we are the victors. . . . Therefore, let us be generous, let us
realize that we also thought differently at one time.”
And then a little further down:
“. . . the stronger and freer we feel ourselves to be, the more
generously, the more freely are we able to disregard what
happened in the past and to extend our hand with complete
sincerity in reconciliation.”
I further quote from a speech of the defendant on 26 March 1938,
Document Book Number 1, Page 37, likewise a quotation from _Hermann
Göring’s Speeches and Compositions_, the exhibit number of which is 14.
I quote only one sentence from it:
“. . . you were great in suffering and enduring; you were great
in standing firm; great in fighting. Now you must show that you
are also great in kindness, and especially so towards the many
who were misled.”
His attitude towards the Church the defendant has . . .
THE PRESIDENT: Dr. Stahmer, can you not give the exhibit number?
DR. STAHMER: Yes, I think it was Number 13. I shall look again. It was
Number 14.
His attitude towards the Church was expressed by the Defendant Göring in
several speeches. In this respect, on 26 October 1935, he made the
following statement. I am quoting from _Hermann Göring’s Speeches and
Compositions_, Document Book 1, Page 39, Document Number 15, the
following sentences:
“It rests with the Church alone whether it wishes to have peace.
We, the Movement, and in particular the Government and the
State, have never attacked the Church; we have assured
protection to the Church, and the Church knows that it enjoys
this protection also today to the fullest extent.
“Therefore, there is nothing to warrant blaming us for anything
in this respect.”
And from another speech of 26 March 1938, which is also quoted from
_Hermann Göring’s Speeches and Compositions_, Document Book Number 1,
Page 41, Document Number 16, I quote the first and the second sentences:
“We do not wish to annihilate any Church, nor to destroy any
belief or religion. All we want is to bring about a clear
separation. The Church has its definite, very important and very
necessary tasks, and the State and the Movement have other, just
as important and just as decisive, tasks.”
I refer further to a document submitted by a clergyman Werner Jentsch,
dated 30 October 1945, addressed to this Tribunal, Document Book Number
1, Pages 44 to 46, Exhibit Number 17.