SCHULTE-MÖNTING: Raeder told me that Hitler in his speech said there was a prospect of a future conflict with Poland, and that this was in contradiction to those things which he had discussed with him alone. That the speech in itself was contradictory, was the impression he expressed to me at that time. He also told me that after the speech he had had a conversation with Hitler alone during which he called his attention to the contradictions contained in the speech. At the same time he reminded Hitler of what he had told him previously, namely that he would settle the Polish case under all circumstances in a peaceful way; and now he was considering a warlike solution possible. Hitler, he said, had reassured him and had told him that politically he had things firmly in hand. Then when Raeder asked him, or rather called his attention to this contradiction and asked him just what he really intended to do, Hitler had answered, Raeder told me, the following:
“I, Hitler, have three ways of keeping secrets. The first, when we two speak alone; the second, when I, Hitler, keep them to myself; the third, for problems of the future, which I do not think out to an end.”
Raeder called his attention to the impossibility of a warlike conflict. To that, according to Raeder, Hitler replied:
“It is as if you and I had agreed on a settlement of one mark. Now, I, Hitler, have already paid you 99 pfennig. Do you think that because of this last 1 pfennig you would take me to court?”
And Raeder said “No.”
“You see”—Hitler said to Raeder—“I have got what I want by political means, and I do not believe that because of this last political question”—the solution of the Polish Corridor, as we called it—“we will have to anticipate a war with England.”
DR. SIEMERS: And that was in a conversation between Hitler and Raeder after this speech had been made?
SCHULTE-MÖNTING: That took place after this speech.
THE PRESIDENT: We will break off now.