In the evening State Secretary Keppler arrived from Berlin, and, as I learned later, he rejected me, and others, too, I believe. I think I can remember one name. I believe that he suggested at the request of Berlin that Weber should take over the foreign ministry. Thus this list was discarded and Seyss-Inquart no longer tried to dissuade me to go back on my decision. As a witness, I can only say what I know.
Opinions are very difficult to express.
I have stated what he told me. I have no further questions to put to this witness. According to a statement by the American Ambassador in Vienna at that time, Mr. Messersmith, Herr von Papen, at the beginning of his activity in Vienna, is said to have stated that his real task in Vienna was the economic and political incorporation of South East Europe by Germany, and that South East Europe was the natural hinterland of Germany. In view of the close contact which I had already with Mr. Messersmith before my appointment as a member of the government, and especially later, I would probably have heard of it. I assume, however, that no special significance was attached to this question at the time, because in first visits between diplomats, as a rule, a tour d'horizon is usually made and questions are discussed which interest both countries, that is, general political questions.