Аннотация: The Short Story about Declaration of Panama (1939)
The Short Story about Declaration of Panama (1939)
A staff member of the German Embassy in Washington put on the table of the German chargé d'affaires Hans Thomsen the received copy of the Declaration of Panama.
"Immediately send to Berlin!"
The foreign Minister of the Reich Joachim von Ribbentrop took out a copy of the Declaration of Panama from the folder.
The note by Admiral Friedrich Ruge "It's a something new in international law" was attached to the copy.
"I will show this document to Hitler tomorrow!" - Ribbentrop has made the decision.
Hitler has looked at the copy of the Declaration of Panama, has concisely read the translation of the declaration into German.
"As a measure of continental self-protection ...", "... the waters adjacent to the American continent ...".
Ribbentrop has explained:
- Pan-American Security Zone! Created at the Pan American Congress - Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the American Republics. The Declaration was approved October 3, 1939. The three hundred-mile zone around both America is established. Warships aren't allowed to enter in this zone.
Hitler has treated the arrived information derisively. Goering, standing nearby, has commented: "All that there is written, nonsense".
Nevertheless in the obtained information something seemed to Hitler not good.
Directives were issued to prevent the invasion of this three-hundred-mile zone.
"Within this zone, United States naval ships escorted convoys bound for Europe. In practice, this greatly aided the United Kingdom, which was largely dependent upon the Atlantic convoys".
"The Kriegsmarine (German navy) resented this "cheating" but they were instructed to avoid hostile acts against US ships so as not to give cause for a declaration of war".
"Till December, 1941 the political compliance in relation to the USA constantly slowed down military operations which conducted the surface ships and submarines in the ocean. The Security Zone was covering all America. This Zone of several hundred miles wide, which was an innovation in international law, hampered military operations ... The U.S. President also didn't think of following in the foreign policy to the principles of the legislation on a neutrality which was based on experience of World War I and it was accepted after long fight in the Congress. He aspired to helping England, having thrown all power of the USA on a bowl of scales." [translation from Russian text]
"This zone stretching for hundreds of miles along all coast of the American continent was something new in the field of international law and seriously prevented Germany to wage war". [translation from Russian text]
"On 18 April 1941, Roosevelt extended the Pan-American Security Zone to longitude 26 degrees west, 2,300 nautical miles (4,300 km; 2,600 mi) east of New York and just 50 nautical miles (93 km; 58 mi) short of Iceland, a major convoy staging area".
The president Franklin Roosevelt in Washington reflected on continental (intercontinental) and global levels of diplomatic fight against fascism. Having considered the obtained information, he told: "Begin to prepare the project of the Atlantic Charter!"
The German chargê d'affaires in the USA in the message to Berlin called the Charter "the international new course".
The Japanese ambassador has told the state secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of fascist Germany Ernst von Weizsäcker that the aim of a Charter was to involve the United States in war without her announcement.
In fascist Germany creation of the joint Anglo-American defensive line from Gibraltar to Singapore was predicted.
Heads of fascist Germany have been sincerely surprised with attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
"Otto Dietrich, the head of the press service of Hitler, the first reported about it to the Fuhrer. Dietrich said that Hitler "has been extremely amazed". And Ernst von Weizsäcker in the testimony in Nuremberg has said that the Fuhrer even at first refused to believe in this news. The general Jodl remembered that Hitler, who was that evening in the room where cards were hanging, has been "struck" with this news". [translation from Russian text]
"Still it isn't clear why Hitler has declared so quickly [on December 11, 1941] war [to the United States of America], without having waited until America made this action ... On November 24, 1941 the tank group of the general Kleist has been finally beaten, and in the first weeks of December the German troops have ceased to advancing and have even been rejected back, having drowned in the Russian snow. For the first time for all war Hitler was defeated [in Russia] ... In these circumstances unexpected attack on Pearl Harbour became for superstitious Hitler a godsend from which "the global historical figure" had no right to refuse". [translation from Russian text]
"According to the Ribbentrop"s opinion, Hitler by December has decided that the American policy in Atlantic "has created already practically a state of war" and therefore the announcement of war was a mere formality". [translation from Russian text]
Leaving the Reichstag after the speech on December 11, 1941, Hitler has called up Goebbels and has asked him to throw into a fire the book by James Compton "A swastika and an eagle. Hitler, Roosevelt and reasons of World War II. 1933 - 1941". Print articles of Wikipedia "The Atlantic charter" and "Pan American Security Zone" and also throw there!"
"What to do with books by the admiral Friedrich Ruge "Sea Warfare 1939-1945" and "The German navy's Story 1939-1945"?" - Goebbels has specified.
Hitler already got into the car. He has made some movement a hand. Whether his gesture the answer to Goebbels' question was? And if it was the answer, what this gesture meant?
"... Surprise in Berlin quickly was replaced by "joyful ecstasy"".
August 6, 2018 07:36
Translation from Russian into English: August 7, 2018 07:00.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский "Рассказ о Панамской декларации 1939 года".