THE PRESIDENT: The Tribunal will reserve ruling on the admissibility of this particular exhibit.
MR. DENNEY: Would your Honor wish that we point out the parts at this time which we offer, subject of course to a motion to strike in the event that the tribunal rules against it?
THE PRESIDENT: The court will give consideration to the document in itself and if and when it is admitted, if it is admitted, then you can comment upon it.
MR. DENNEY: Very well, your Honor. Then if I may suggest that we mark is Exhibit 4-A for Identification at this time so that it will have a number. That is not in evidence, Dr. Laternser, that is merely for identification.
THE PRESIDENT: Purely for the purpose of marking of the exhibit and not for a consideration that it is being admitted, it may be so numbered "4-A".
MR. DENNEY: Thank you, your Honor.
The next document is NOKW-1111 which we offer as Exhibit 4.
DR. LATERNSER: I would also ask if I might look at this document before it is submitted to the Tribunal.
(A copy of the Exhibit 4 was handed to Dr. Laternser)
DR. LATERNSER: Your Honor, I am unfortunately, forced to object to this document too. First of all, it is a photostat copy and is a photostat copy of a copy, which is expressly stated on it. This means that is not a carbon copy of the order which was issued but a copy made afterwards. Your Honor, at the top of this letter is written "Secret". If secret matters were copied in the German Wehrmacht, then the copy had to be certified, and on this photostat copy I see no certification. How can I find out that the typist who copied this order copied the actual order and copied it correctly. In other words, this document is nothing than a sheet of paper typed by someone whom I don't know, without certification.
The probative value is very small, though I realize that just now I cannot concern myself with the probative value; but the lacks of this document so obvious that it should not be accepted in evidence.
Might I stress again that it is not a carbon copy but a copy and that was prepared later that this copy had not been certified by anybody. I don't know whether the typist has made mistakes.
MR. DENNEY: Your Honor, I certainly don't know whether the German army typist made any mistakes or not either, but as such it is taken from the captured files of the German Army and it is headed 11th Corps Command", and at the bottom it is typed out "Signed von Kotzfleisch, the Commanding General." The probative value is whatever the court wants to give it. We unfortunately did not make the records for the Wehrmacht.
DR. LATERNSER: Your Honor, I am very sorry that I have to add something else. The prosecutor says that this letter is signed. It isn't signed. From the beginning to the end, it is typed. I am extremely sorry to say that the original copy from which the photostat was made is not available. Then one could even see more clearly what sort of a document it is.
MR. DENNEY: If your Honor please, I did not say that it was signed. I said that at the end it was typed "Signed von Kotzfleisch," and I would appreciate it if Dr. Laternser would keep the earphones on so that he would understand what I tell the Tribunal.
DR SAUTER: (Attorney for the defendant von Geitner) Your Honor, may I draw your attention to something.
It strikes me that in my copy here, the copy of a corps order, the journal number is missing, that is, the number form which it can be seen which index number the order has received. Such important orders, especially when they are secret orders, must necessarily have a journal number. Every soldier knows this, especially every officer, and it strikes me that in this copy the journal number is missing. I would like to point this out to the prosecution.
THE PRESIDENT: This Tribunal is conscious of the fact that this is a copy taken from the files as found by the American or Allied authorities. It will be accepted for such probative value as the court feels that it should receive, and it is better with the understanding.
MR. DENNEY: Major Hatfield, will you mark it No. 4, NOKW-III. This is dated April 27, 1941 and as has been indicated it is a copy. It is offered as against the defendant von Weichs, Paragraph 2, No. 2, of this order provides "I expect every instance of resistance to be broken with ruthless force. Every person encountered resisting or fleeing with weapon in hand, is to be shot dead immediately; persons surrendering are to be handed over to courts martial or summary court martial to be judged immediately."
Then they speak of the decree dated 2 April, sent forth by the Commander in Chief of the Corps Army, and hereafter, "furthermore, hostages are to betaken, who are to be shot in case further enemy resistance should occur. Any consideration shown by the German troops is interpreted as weakness and is a mistake.
"The disarming and pacification of the areas assigned to the divisions, is to be varied out with extremes care and in compliance with Corps order No.8. The divisions will mop out the areas combed through by the troops and note down the respective dates."
Then the third paragraph speaks of, "The new frontier between the German 2nd Army and the Royal Italian Second Army as ordered by the Commander of the Second Army, von Weichs, as well as the necessary measured for the evacuation of the area occupied by the German troops thus far and its transfer to the Italians, and also for the salvaging of loots from these areas."
And, typed on the copy that we have is the Commanding General, signed von Kotzfleisch. He was at that time the Commanding General of the XIth Corps which was under the 7th Army which was commanded by the defendant then Field Marshall von Weichs.
DR. LATERNSER: Your Honor, I am extremely sorry that I have to make such frequent interruptions but it is my duty to do this. I have just found a relevant mistake in translation. I point to Paragraph 2, first passage which reads in German which is the basic text: "In areas of unrest further hostages are to be taken whose execution by shooting has to be applied for in case of further resistance. The translation reads: "Who are to be shot in case of further enemy resistance should occur." The translation says they should be shot. In English, it is translated "who should be shot" which in the German text it says expressly the shooting of whom should be applied for. The German version means something else than that which can be seen from the English text. I would ask that this translation is to be corrected.
MR. DENNEY: Your Honor, as we can probably anticipate some of these translation difficulties from time to tine occur and perhaps Dr. Laternser and I can get together out side of court and work them out to our mutual satisfaction. If not then we can bring them into court and he can say what he thinks the Germans means and I, through someone who knows German better than I, can say what I think it means and the court can decide what it means.
I think we can work it out satisfactorily.
THE PRESIDENT: It seems to me the translation which is presented should be accepted at this time and if it is not a correct translation then the defense counsel can so indicate in its presentation of its case in chief. We cannot and should not at this time engage in some arguments as to translation. I believe that is a defensive matter which should receive consideration by the defendant at such time that it cares to present its case.
MR. DENNEY: May I further make the statement that if counsel for the prosecution and the defense can agree on the translation that of course will solve the problem and it will be helpful to the court and may I suggest that before we give any further time to this matter that we try to work this out between the respective counsel and avoid any further time now.
DR. LATERNSER: Yes, Your Honor, may I still say something quite briefly. Of course I agree with the counsel of the prosecution that translation should be gone through by us beforehand and we should agree upon them; but I want to avoid something, and I would like your Honor to take this into consideration. A wrong translation if once submitted to the Tribunal will give the Tribunal a false idea of certain orders. Your Honor, I think it would be more difficult for the defense counsel to eliminate a wrong impression once it is there; than to prevent a wrong impression to a rise at all. I would prefer the latter. Checking the translation of important documents beforehand we could avoid difficulties. Before submitting documents the translation should be agreed upon by the prosecution and the defense and this would allow the trial to go on without disturbances.
MR DENNEY: If Your Honor pleases, with reference to the suggestion that the prosecution and defense agree on translations beforehand, that I believe is a practical impossibility.
We have people who are translating these documents, some of whom are in our division, some of whom are in the translation division which is a common pool, or rather a joint pool, for everyone in the court house, including various other divisions. In addition the defense, the people for the most part, are German speaking. Now, I would suggest in line with Your Honor's ruling that if they quarrel with a translation that they bring it up as part of their case in chief by way of defense; at anytime we will be available after court to discuss particular translations with them, and see if we can work something out; But it a ruling such as that is made that we must clear everything with the defense at first, it will prolong the trial.
THE PRESIDENT: The court has indicated its attitude in connection with this matter and it is the suggestion of the members of this Tribunal that counsel endeavor to carry out the suggestions as made. Counsel may make the objection and then if they later wish to raise the same question in the case in chief in the presentation of the defendants' case they may do so. But, the court cannot be liable for translations. I wish that I were able to but that would be impossible. The Tribunal will take a recess for 15 minutes at this time.
(A recess was taken.)
THE MARSHAL: The Tribunal is again in session.
THE PRESIDENT: Mr. Denney, before you proceed with the presentation of any other exhibits, the Tribunal wishes to rule on the exhibit marked Exhibit 4A. This exhibit will not be admitted unless it is connected with some particular individual or is shown to have been signed by someone who is connected with this case or in some other way can be further connected with the issues that are involved in this particular trial; the ruling being, therefore, that the objection is sustained, unless it is show that it was issued by someone in authority who had the right to issue it.
MR. DENNEY: Your Honor, we are having a search made of the I.M.T. records. I should like to call Your Honors' attention to the Ordinance VII, Article 9, which has to do with these tribunals, it being that "the Tribunal shall not require proof of facts of common knowledge but shall take judicial notice thereof. They shall also take judicial notice of official governmental documents and reports of any of the United Nations, including the acts and documents of the committees set up in the various Allied countries for the investigation of war crimes, and the records and findings of military or other tribunals of any of the United Nations."
THE PRESIDENT: The ruling as made will stand, subject to such further presentations as the prosecution may wish to make in connection with it.
MR. DENNEY: As Your Honor pleases.
The prosecution offers, as Exhibit 5, NQKW-1198, which is a copy of an order from the Commander-in-Chief of the 2nd Army, Weichs, with an additional order from the Commander of the 11th Corps. This is dated 28 April 41 and the Court's attention is directed to the fact that this was at about the time that Jugoslavia capitulated as well as Greece and these units were in Jugoslavia.
DR. LATERNSER: Mr. President, before this document is submitted, I want to have a look at it.
Mr. President, I have to object to this document insofar as it con tains a copy of the order of Field Marshal von Weichs.
This document, as far as it concerns von Weichs' order, is also a mere subsequently prepared copy, i.e. not a carbon copy of the original. This subsequent copy contains the same mistake and the same sources of mistakes as in the case of the other documents for which I have already presented my reasons for objection. You will notice immediately that this order has no number at all.
I maintain that it cannot possibly be a complete copy because a copy that is signed by the Supreme Commander of an army group must have an index number (Briefgruppennummer). Whether this copy has been prepared correctly I cannot tell. I especially don't know whether the photostat was made in such a way that the factual connection is maintained with page 2, that on page 2, that part which has been signed by General Kotzfleisch, that I don't know; whether it is one page or one sheet or whether it is two, this is not clear from looking at the photostat.
As the prosecution apparently sets great store by this order, we must be especially careful in finding out whether such a copy can be accepted as a document.
THE PRESIDENT: The objection as made will be overruled.
MR. DENNEY: It is requested that this be marked Exhibit 5 in evidence, Document NQKW-1198. Your Honors, please, this is a copy in the first instance and I might point out to the Court that on the photostat which has been offered the signature which appears on page 15 of Kotzfleisch is actually on the photostat in evidence and these are two consecutive pages. The certification accompanying the document will show it if Your Honors at a later time care to look at it. The Commander -the order is from the Commander-in-Chief of the 2nd Army, dated Army Headquarters 28 April 1941.
"Order.
"The increase of treacherous surprise attacks on German soldiers necessitates the severest reprisal measures. Only immediate and ruthless action guarantees the maintenance of peace and security and prevents the formation of bands.
"1) A detachment from a division was sent to carry out the disarming of a Serbian village. The commanding officer with another officer and a sergeant were riding ahead and were attacked by a band of Komitatshi (in Serbian uniform). The commanding officer was shot dead and his companions were severely wounded. This event causes the following statements:
"a) After the conclusion of the armistice there is no Serbian soldier in the entire Serbian area who is authorized to carry weapons.
"b) Who, nevertheless, is encountered in Serbian uniform carrying a weapon puts himself outside of international law and is to be shot to death immediately.
"c) If in an area an armed band appears, the men who are capable of bearing arms who are found in the vicinity of the band are also to be shot to death, if it is not immediately determined without doubt that they had no connection with the band.
"d) All persons shot to death are to be hung up and their corpses are to be left hanging.
"e) The arresting of hostages after a surprise attack is a mistake and may in no case enter into consideration. Rather one must act only according to points 'a' - 'd'."
Those are the four points listed prior to the one statement about these hostages.
"2) As a preventative protection for the troops against such treacherous surprise attacks, I order:
"a) In the area not yet pacified one may not march without security patrols, especially not without flank patrols.
"b) In billets in such areas security measures are to be taken similar to actual conditions in the field.
"c) Within the areas of the division motorized detachments (use of motorized convoys) are to be in readiness; they are to be on call at any time, in order to be able to carry out security and reprisal measures.
"d) In the endangered villages, posters are to be hung up, which draw the attention of the population to the serious consequences of surprise attacks (the posters will be sent separately)."e) In every village occupied by the troops in the endangered area hostages are to be taken immediately (from all classes of the population) who are to be shot to death and hung up after a raid.
This measure is to be made known in the villages immediately.
"3) If raids on the troops occur, the commanders of divisions must examine closely whether guilt lies with the leader of the units concerned.
"In the divisional reports concerning surprise attacks it must be always reported immediately if and how the surprise attacks were avenged, by ruthless measures."
Typed on the copy which has been submitted is "Signed, Freiherr von Weichs".
Then just below this, and on the same page, appeared these dotted lines, and then the 11th Corps which was at that time part of the Second Army and serving in Yugoslavia. The Corps Commander, Von Kortzfleisch sent this order forward, - It was a Corps order from Corps Headquarters in the 29th, - one day after the date of the original order, the following order is to be made known immediately to the troops.
2.) My orders given in the order of the Corps No. 3 (Corps Headquarters XIth Infantry Corps, Ia No. 616/41 Secret of 27 April 41) under paragraph 2 are supplemented according to the order given below, as follows:
a) The other for shooting hostages in the area of a surprise attack con only be given by an officer of the rank of Battalion (Detachment) Commander (inclusive) and upward. In case a direct attack is made on the unit in the area of unrest and in the place where hostages are arrested, the shooting to death can be ordered by order of the highest ranking officer present; the officer has to report immediately on the event. On principle a short record concerning the shooting to death of the hostages is to be taken down containing:
aa) the facts of the case bb) the names of the hostages cc) the execution
b) Houses and villages from which shots are fired are to be set on fire.
(Initial) S The Commanding General (Initial Illeg.)
(Signature)
Distribution: Kortzfleisch Down to Company level.
There appears the initial "S" and the Commanding general with an initial after it, and then the signature which has been photostated Corps Commander, and your Honors will note the distribution and it goes down to company level in the corps, - the lowest troop units.
I should also like to call your Honors' attention that we have not been able to find the earlier Corps' order which is referred to in Kortzfleisch's order here, but it is worthy of note that when he clarifies that early order, it indicates now that here he is advising them that in the areas of the surprise attack the order of shooting hostages can be given only by an officer, and perhaps we can hear some more about this at a later time, but the implication is there that such were not the orders prior to this. Otherwise, why would he make this statement?
THE PRESIDENT: May I interrupt, Mr. Denney, to ask whether the defendants want the shades put down. Does the sun affect the defendants there. (Shades drawn)
MR. DENNEY: If your Honors please, I do not know whether or not on the next page, where there appears an excerpt from Document NOKW1198, in your Honor's book, on page 16; if it does appear we request that it be disregarded at this time. You can tear it out, or just cross it out. It is not being offered now.
The next document we come to is on page 17 which is NOKW 1145, which we offer as Prosecution Exhibit 6 in evidence. I might say for the benefit of the counsel for the defense that the page which is disregarded is not in the German copies. It was just a mistake that the page was inserted in the English, is all.
THE PRESIDENT: The Court wishes to make this statement, to the effect that where there is an exhibit offered, and there is no statement in the record of any objection, it is presumed that it will be received in evidence without objection, so you will keep that in mind in further proceedings before this Tribunal.
MR. DENNEY: For the sake of the record, that applies to the exhibits which have already been offered, your Honor?
THE PRESIDENT: Yes.
MR. DENNEY: Thank you.
Exhibit NOKW 1145, Exhibit 6, is a copy of an activity report from second army commanded by the defendant Weichs, in Yugoslavia for the period 25 April to 20 June, 1941.
The parts which we offer are considerably shorter than those which appear in the complete document. However, the complete document has been offered and has been made available for this period.
DR. LATERNSER: Mr. President, I regret that again I have to intervene. I would like to ask you who has made this copy; whether it was made in Washington from the originals or whether this copy has also been found in the files that have been captured. We must first clear some of these fundamental questions. We, as defense counsel, must have these questions explained. On this document it says, " copy". I don't know who made this copy.
THE PRESIDENT: Counsel for the prosecution, perhaps, can advise defense counsel as to this matter.
MR. DENNEY: If your Honor pleases, the document is a photostatic copy of a document which is in the files in Washington. The only writing which appears on any of them are the document numbers which we have placed on them. The Abschrift which appears here in German was on the document when it was photostated.
DR. LATERNSER: I regret that it is not quite clear to me. My interest is centered on the following questions: I assume, without any further question, that in Washington the original of all war diaries are deposited. Since the original cannot contain the word "copy", it must have been copied. The question is, is this a copy, which has been captured or has this copy been prepared in Washington? I cannot see it from the document itself, and it would be important in order to judge what value we must later give to this document.
MR. DENNEY: If your Honor pleases, I believe that if Dr. Laternser had looked, he could see that obviously we did not copy the document in Washington, because the three pages which are here all bear German printing on them, on the top, and the cover page, which has been photostated to show from whence these three pages came, is photostated exactly as it is except for the number which is placed on it, and these are photostats, in every case, of original German documents, not photostats of copies made by the Americans in the German language. These documents have been preserved exactly as they were taken and I believe if Your Honors care to look at this, that it will be plain.
(Document handed to court for examination)
THE PRESIDENT: May I make this statement, Mr. Denney? That up to the present time, all that counsel has, -- the only statement that counsel has made has been an inquiry. There is no objection pending before the Tribunal.
There being no objection pending, and the counsel for the defendant having received this information, unless there is something further to present to the Tribunal we shall proceed.
MR. DENNEY: The cover page states-
DR. LATERNSER: Mr. President, this extract, as I must again point out to the counsel, because it is the basis of the whole proceeding and the future procedure, -- this extract which is being submitted in this case, is a conglomeration, so to speak, and it is not probable that it should have been prepared previously, because no German agency would never have been interested in it, though on these pages, the heading, appears in German printing, it is very possible that empty diaries have also been captured, forms of which have been used for copies in order to make them look verbatim, and in order to use them here in these proceedings, I would understand this. The question should to be cleared very thoroughly, and until this question is cleared I object to this exhibit. Whether this copy has been made in Washington, then it would have to be certified, in order to have a basis on which to work, whether this copy has been found in its present form, - that is a very important question.
THE PRESIDENT: The objection will be overruled.
MR. DENNEY: The first entry which appears on the cover page is "During this period the 2nd Army was immediately subordinate to the OKH." In other words, that means that the chain of command in the 2nd Army, which was commanded by the Defendant Weichs, did not pass through anyone else, but went directly from him to OKH, the so-called Oberkommando, which is synonymous in our Army to the Army, that is, as opposed to the Navy and the Air Force, and OKH, of course, was subordinate to OKH. And then there are a few notes that the activity report was kept by two lieutenants during the first period and by one during the latter period. The first entry which applies to the 4th of May speaks of "Mopping up operation Propastica took place according to plant and successfully. The enemy encountered (up to now 50 men) has been shot to death. 253 hostages were seized. The villages of Propastica and Disevci have been destroyed by fire. The units of the 294 Infantry Division and/or of the 4th Mountain Division will be transferred to their final quarters by E-Transport and by cross-country means." And then it has something to do with the II Army Corps in the evacuation of the Army troops from Yugoslavia. In the entry under the date of 11 May for Belgrade, it says something about the XI Corps under the 2nd Army: "Units of the 60th Motorized Division on 10.5 near Prijepolje encountered armed band 3 men and 1 woman and on 11.5 in the morning near Pozega (15 Kilometers East of Uzize) they encountered a band of 4 men. "It does not say whether or not the four men were armed; it just says they encountered a band of four me. "All members shot to death and hanged." And then there is an entry about the 704th Infantry Division which we may avoid.
And then there is a report from the 12th of May for Belgrade it states that "In the area IV Artillery Regiment 132 (15 kilometers Southeast Zabreb) a soldier of the unit was hit by a bullet and wounded. After investigations had been concluded, 8 Serbs were shot to death and hanged." Under the date 14th May for Belgrade it says, "In reprisal for firing on a motorcycle rider - as reported in daily report of 12.5, paragraph 2b - 3 Serbs wore shot to death and 10 hostages seized." The next document, which is NOKW-1151, is offered as Exhibit 7 in evidence. This is a communication from the Army Commander in Chief Southeast, who at that time was the Defendant List, and it was received by the Commander in Chief Serbia. He inquires as to whether or not -- this is on 27 June 1942 -- when he asks "Is Russian radio report of alleged murder of two German soldiers in Belgrade and subsequent order of shooting of 100 Serbian hostages correct?" Then the next page, page 2, is the answer from the Commander in Serbia to the Army Commander Southeast, and it states that the "Russian radio report in so far incorrect as at present no such occurrence. The occurrence in question goes back to the end of April - details about it later." Then the Commander in Serbia writes on 2 July to the Commander Southeast, Defendant List, referring to a telephone conversation of 27 June 1942, "Subject: Russian Radio report," and it says, "In supplementation of our teletype message Command Staff Department Ic No. 108-41 Secret we present below the occurrence which may have been the basis of the Russian radio report." This is the document concerned with the former telegram or teletype on Page 2, which is apparent from the document number which it has from the Serbian Commander, No. 108/41, which appears in the second line of the letter and which also appears on the third line from the bottom of the telegram.
He continues in his reply of 2 July, "From enclosures it is to be seen that, during the month of April, 1941, a detachment of a Division of the 2nd Army Command was sent to carry out the disarmament of a Serbian village. In the course of this operation the leader of the detachment was shot by a Komitadschi band, another officer and a Wachtmeister were severely wounded (unit and place are not known here). On the basis of this occurrence the Commander in Chief of the 2nd Army, (who was then Defendant Weichs), issued the enclosed order of 28 April 1941 which was followed by the poster (a copy is enclosed) concerning the shooting to death of 100 Serbs and the threat of the same reprisals for similar cases. Whether or not and where the Serbs actually were shot is not known and could only be ascertained by inquiry at the 2nd Army Command." Of course, at this time, 2 July, when this letter was written, the 2nd Army Command had left Yugoslavia late in May, the headquarters returned to Munich, and the Army was being reformed to move to the Eastern front, where early in July it was committed in the line, under the command still of the Defendant Weichs, as part of an Army Group under the then deceased Field Marshal von Bach. This letter of the 2nd of July, from the Serbian Commander to the Defendant List, as Commander of Southeast, was signed for the Commander in Serbia by the Chief of Command Staff Gravenhorst, a Lieutenant Colonel on the General Staff. And it is to be noted that there are two enclosures which have been referred to in the letter to the Defendant List. Now, this first enclosure is the same as Exhibit 5, which was NOKW-1198, the order of the Commander of the 2nd Army, XI Corps, which was presented two exhibits ago.
And if Your Honors will examine it, you will see that it is dated the same as the Weichs orders which was sent forward by Kotzfleisch of the XI Corps, and the provisions are the same. They cite the Division detachment's going out to disarm the Serbian village, meeting the Komitadschie in Serbia uniform and the divisions "a" to "e", and it continues. However, there is a distribution list on this which was not on the copy in Exhibit 5, which appears on Page 24 in the English, and shows that down to and including battalions, General Commandos, Divisions, and Local offices: in draft, and for information to the Military Commander in Serbia. The next page of the letter of Colonel Gravenhorst, however, introduces the poster, which was not available in the earlier copy, Exhibit 5. This poster is listed as an enclosure. Gravenhorst says a copy is enclosed, and this provides that it can "be posted up in not yet pacified or endangered villages." "Serbs.' -- By mean and malicious surprise attacks German soldiers have lost their lives. German patience is at an end. As atonement 100 Serbs of all classes of the population have been shot to death. In the future 100 Serbs are to be shot without consideration for every German soldier who comes to harm as a result of a surprise attack conducted by Serbs." And below that is printed, "THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE ARMY".
That is the defendant Weichs. He was the commander in chief of the Second Army at that time and there is a note that on the placard - that is, on the poster - the text also appeared in the Serbian language.
The next document is NOKW-1206, which we offer as prosecution's Exhibit 8 in evidence, which is a report of 17 May 1941 by the 60th Motorized Division, which was part of XI Corps, with reference to certain reprisal measures. It is a report about the conditions in the billeting area Lesnica - Valjevo - Cacak - Sjenica - Prijepolje - Visegrad. I might say that, just to keep it in mind, the XI Corps was part of the Second Army, as Your Honors will recall.
"The area where the division is quartered is old Serbian territory with the exception of the areas around Visegrad, Prijepolje, and Sjenica. Accordingly the population is almost purely Serbian; Visegrad and its surroundings belong to former Bosnia and have a predominantly Bosnian Mohammedan population. The districts Prijepolje and Sjenica are situated in the Sandschak of Nove Pazar occupied by Austria from 1878 until 1908. The area Prijepolje-Priboj-Nova-Varos is predominantly inhabited by Bosnian Mohammedans mixed with Serbs; the area around Sjenica predominantly by Albanians."
Then when we get down to the Serbian areas, they say that:
"Complete peace exists in the towns and larger villages. So far the population has remained very reserved. It was still living under the effects of the shock of the past events, which only now is beginning to wear off gradually. But one cannot yet say that life has already resumed its accustomed course.
"In the country the population is still occasionally disturbed by armed bands, who force the population to give food by force of arms and do not shrink back from murder in case of refusal. In Pozega and north of Sjenica the division was able to capture armed detachments. The prisoners, altogether nine men and a woman, were shot and hanged according to the order of the commander-in-chief of the Second Army. The unit has not suffered any losses through armed bands.