A. Yes.
Q. Did you have the confidence of Mr. Messersmith?
A. Oh, yes, Mr. Messersmith; but that was before all this. I think that really took place in 1933, ’34 or perhaps in ’35. He visited me three times. When he was the Consul General of the United States, he had some difficulties with some American subsidiary companies in Germany. One was Standard Oil, as far as I recall. I asked him why he wanted to see me since that was not my business. Then he said that he had full confidence that I would look after his interests. He had been told by other diplomatic representatives that I was able to help him.
Q. All right. Now, Witness, we come to the steps you took after your report to Hitler, the steps you took later on. I ask you to tell about that briefly.
A. Perhaps I’ll do that. It was after my visit to England.
Q. Very well, go ahead.
A. On 11 October 1937, the Italian Ambassador came to see me. That was Professor Attolico. He told me that the Italians had got very excited at my Paris visit. It was believed that I had gone to make arrangements there which were in contradiction to German-Italian agreements. I calmed him down at once without giving him too many details; but he asked me to pay a brief visit to Italy before going to England. We had been asked to go to England on the 17th of October. An air force exhibition in Milan was the occasion; and I was asked to open that exhibition on the 12th of May. That, of course, was headlined by the Italian papers. Attolico came and saw me after this and expressed his gratitude. He said that Delbos had put a trap in front of me.
Presiding Judge Toms: The witness gives the date as the 12th of May. Is that what he meant for the exhibition in Milan?
A. 12 October.
Presiding Judge Toms: What year?