This is an amusing thing that Russians must work the guns."
We refer now to documents Nos. 3027 and 3028, and they are respectively U.S.A. Exhibit 211 for 3027 and 212 for 3028.
They will be found at the as ammunition bearers during the attack upon Tschedowe.
Document 3028-PS to the Hague Convention, No. four Of 1907, which provides that the tasks of prisoners of war shall have no connection with the operations of war.
The and we refer to document No. 3005-PS, which is U.S.A. Exhibit 213.
This paragraph one of that document--I am quoting it directly:
"Upon personal order of the Reich Marshal one hundred thousand men are armament industry and are to be assigned to the armament industry (airplane industry). Gaps in manpower supply resulting therefrom will be filled by Soviet prisoners of war.
The transfer of the above-named French prisoners of war is to be accomplished by 1 October."
The Reich Marshal referred to The Defendant Ke itel directed the execution of Hitler's order to use pri soners of war in the German war economy.
And I now make reference to our document EC-194, which has U.S.A. Exhibit No. 214.
This document Hitler's headquarters on the 31st of October 1941, and I read from page one, paragraphs one and two, quoting it directly as follows:
"The lack of workers is becoming an increasingly dangerous hindrance for the future German war and armament industry. The expected relief through discharges from the armed forces is uncertain as to the extent and date; however, its possible extent will by no means correspond to expectations and requirements in view of the great demand.
"The Fuehrer has now ordered that even the working power of the Russian prisoners of war should be utilized to a large extent by large-scale assignment for the requirements of the war industry. The prerequisite for production is adequate nourishment. Also very small wages are to be planned for the most modest supply, with a few consumers goods for every day's life eventual rewards for production." III -- I am quoting directly:
"II. Construction and Armament Industry.
"(a) Work units for constructions of all kinds, particularly for the fortification of coastal defenses (concrete workers unloading units for essential war plants).
(b) Suitable armament factories which have to be selected in such a way that their personnel should consist in the majority of prisoners of war under guidance and supervision (eventually after withdrawal and other employment of the German workers).
"III. Other War Industries.
"(a) Mining as under II(b) "(b) Railroad construction units for building tracks etc.
"(c) Agriculture and forestry in closed units. The utilization of Russian prisoners of war is to be regulated on the basis of above examples by:
"To I. The armed forces.
"To II. The Reich Minister for Arms and Ammunition and the Inspector General for the German Road System in agreement with the Reich Minister for Labor and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. Deputies of the Reich Minister for Arms and Ammunition are to be admitted to the prisoner-of-war camps to assist in the selection of skilled workers."
on the 7th day of November 1941 also discussed the use of prisoners of war in the armament industry. And we refer now to our document No.1206-PS, which bears USA Exhibit No.215. This document consists of top secret notes on Goering's instructions as to the employment and treatment of prisoners of war in many phases of the German war industry. And I wish to quote from paragraph one of page one and paragraph four of page two of the English text, and from paragraph one, page one, and paragraph one page three of the German text as follows:
"The Fuehrer's point of view as to employment of prisoners of war in war industries has changed basically. So far a total of five million prisoners of war -- employed so far two million."
And on page two: "In the Interior and the Protectorate it would be ideal if entire factories could be manned by Russian prisoners of war except the employees necessary for direction. For employment in the Interior and the Protectorate the following are to have priority:
"(a) At the top coal mining industry. Order by the Fuehrer to investigate all mines as to suitability for employment of Russians. At times manning the entire plant with Russian laborers.
"(b) Transportation (construction of locomotives and cars, repair shops). Railroad-repair and industry workers are to be sought out from the prisoners of war. Railroad is most important means of transportation in the East.
"(c) Armament Industries. Preferably factories of armor and guns. Possibly also construction of parts for airplane engines. Suitable complete sections of factories to be manned exclusively by Russians. For the remainder employment in columns. Use in factories of tool machinery, production of farm tractors, generators, etc. In emergency, erect in individual places barracks for occasional workers which are used as unloading details and similar purposes. (Reich Minister of the Interior through communal authorities).
"OKW/AWA is competent for transporting Russian prisoners of war employment through 'Planning Board for Employment of all prisoners of war.' If necessary, offices of Reich Commissiarats.
"No employment where danger to men or their supply exists, that is, factories exposed to explosives, waterworks, powerworks etc. No contact with German population, especially no 'solidarity.' German worker as a rule is foreman of Russians.
"Food is a matter of the Four Years' Plan. Supply their own food (cats, horses etc.)
"Clothes, billeting, messing somewhat better than at home where part of the people live in caverns.
"Supply of shoes for Russians as a rule wooden shoes; if necessary install Russian shoe repair shops.
"Examination of physical fitness in order to avoid importation of diseases.
"Clearing of mines as a rule by Russians; if possible by selected Russian engineers." who sponsored and applied the policy of using prisoners of war in the armament industry; The Defendant Speer also spans red and applied this same policy of using prisoners of war in the armament industry. And we refer to the document bearing cur number 1435-PS, which also carries USA Exhibit No.216. This document is a speech to the Nazi Gauleiters delivered by the Defendant Speer on the 24th day of February of 1942, and I wish to read from paragraph two of that document, and I quote as follows:
"I therefore proposed to the Fuehrer at the end of December that all my labor force, including specialists, be released for mass employment in the East. Subsequently the remaining prisoners of war, about ten thousand, were put at the disposal of the armaments industry by me."
Board, held on the 22nd day of April 1943, that only thirty percent of the Russian prisoners of war were engaged in the armament industry. This the Defendant Speer found unsatisfactory. And referring again to Document R-124, the minutes of the Central Planning Board, and particularly to page seventeen of that document, and to paragraph ten of the English text, and page fourteen paragraph seven of the German text, we find this statement by the Defendant Speer, quoting directly:
"There is a specified statement showing in what sectors the Russian prisoners of war have been distributed, and this statement is quite interesting.
It shows that the armaments industry only received thirty percent. I always complained about this." twenty of the English text, and page fourteen the last paragraph of the German text. The Defendant Speer stated, and I quote from that paragraph directly:
"The ninety thousand Russian prisoners of war employed in the whole of the armaments industry are for the greatest part skilled men." the utilization of labor for the express purpose, among others, of integrating prisoners of war into the German war industry made it plain that prisoners of war were to be compelled to serve the German armament industry. His labor mobilization program, which is document 016-PS, already marked U.S.A. Exhibit 168, contains this statement on page six paragraph ten of the English text, and page nine paragraph one of the German text:
"All prisoners of war, from the territories of the West as well as of the East, actually in Germany, must be completely incorporated into the German armament and nutrition industries. Their production must be brought to the highest possible level."
MR. DODD: I wish to turn now from the exploitation of foreign labor in general to a rather special Nazi program which appears to us to have combined the brutality and the purposes of the slave labor program with these of the concentration camp. The Nazis placed all Allied nationals in concentration camps and forced them, along wit the other inmates of the concentration camps, to work under conditions which were set to actually exterminate them. This was what we call the Nazi program of extermination through work. camps as a further source of the slave labor for the armaments industry. I refer again to a new Document No. R 129, bearing USA Exhibit No. 217. This document is a letter to Himmler, the Reichsfuehrer SS, and it is dated the 30th day of April 1942, from one of his subordinates, an individual named Pohl, SS Obergruppenfuehrer and General of the Waffen SS; and I wish to quote from the first page of that document.
Quoting directly:
"Today I report about the present situation of the concentration camps and about measures I have taken to carry out your order of the 3rd March 1942." English text, and at page 1 of the German text, I quote as follows:
"1. The war has brought about a marked change in the structure of the concentration camps and has changed their duties with regard to the employment of the prisoners. The custody of prisoners for the sole reasons of security, education, or prevention is no longer the main consideration. The mobilization of all prisoners who are fit for work for purposes of the war now, and for purposes of construction in the forthcoming peace, come to the foreground more and more.
"2. From this knowledge some necessary measures result with the aim to transform the concentration camps into organizations more suitable for the economic tasks, whilst they were formerly merely politically interested.
"3. For this reason I have gathered together all the leaders of the former inspectorate of Concentration camps, all Camp Commanders, and all managers and supervisors of work on the 23rd and 24th of April, 19142; I have explained personally to them this new development. I have compiled in the order attached the main essentials, which have to be brought into effect with the utmost urgency if the commencement of work for purposes of the armament industry is not to be delayed." for a program of relentless exploitation, providing in part as follows; and I now refer to the enclosure appended to the quoted letter which is also a part of Document R 129, found at page 3, paragraphs numbered 4, 5, and 6 of the English text, and page 3 of the German text.
"4. The camp commander alone is responsible for the employment of the labor available. This employment must be, in the true meaning of the word, exhaustive, in order to obtain the greatest measure of performance. Work is allotted by the Chief of the Department D centrally and alone. The camp commanders themselves may not accept on their own initiative work offered by third parties and may not negotiate by it.
"5. There is no limit to working hours. Their duration depends on the kind of working establishments in the camps and the kind of work to be done. They are fixed by the camp commanders alone.
"6. Any circumstances which may result in a shortening of working hours (e.g. meals, roll-calls) have therefore to be restricted to the minimum which cannot be condensed any more. It is forbidden to allow long walks to the place of working and noon intervals only for eating purposes." a scheme for mobilizing the manpower potential of the camps. It actually was integrated directly into the la rger Nazi program of extermination; and I wish to refer at this point to our document bearing No. 654 PS andUSA Exhibit 218.
THE PRESIDENT: Do you think it will be convenient to break off now for a few minutes?
MR. DODD: Very well.
(A recess was taken from 1540 to 1550 hours.)
MR. DODD: At the recess time I had made reference to Document No. 654 PS which has the USA Exhibit No. 218. This document is a memorandum of an agreement between Himmler, Reichsfuehrer SS, and the Minister of Justice, Thierack. It is dated the 18th day of September 1942. The concept of extermination to which I have referred shortly before the recess, was embodied in this document and I wish to quote from page 1, paragraph 2 of 764 PS.
"2. The delivery of anti-social elements from the execution of their sentence to the Reich Fuehrer of SS to be worked to death. Persons under protective arrest, Jews, Gypsies, Russians and Ukrainians, Poles with more than 3 year sentences, Czechs and Germans with more than 8 year sentences, according to the decision of the Reich Minister for Justice. First of all the worst anti-social elements amongst those just mentioned are to be handed over. I shall inform the Fuehrer of this through Reichsleiter Bermann." the English text, and page 3, paragraph 14 of the German text, as follows:
"14. It is agreed that, in consideration of the intended aims of the Government for the clearing up of the Eastern problems, in future Jews, Poles, Gypsies, Russians and Ukrainians are no longer to be judged by the ordinary courts, so far as punishable offenses are concerned, but are to be dealt with by the Reich Fuehrer of SS. This does not apply to civil lawsuits, nor to Poles whose names are announced or entered in the German Racial Lists." bring this new source of labor within his jurisdiction. Speer convinced Hitler that significant production could be obtained only if the concentration camp prisoners were employed in factories under the technical control of the Speer Ministry instead of the control in the camps. In fact, without Speer's cooperation, we say it would have been most difficult to utilize the prisoners on any large scale for war production since he would not allocate to Himmler the machine tools and other necessary equipment. Accordingly, it was agreed that the prisoners were to be exploited in factories under the defendant Speer's control. To compensate Himmler for surrendering this jurisdiction to Speer, the defendant Speer proposed, and Hitler agreed, that Himmler would receive a share of the armaments output, fixed in relation to the man hours contributed by his prisoners.
The minutes of Speer's conference with Hitler on the 20th, 21st, and the 22nd days of September 1942, Document R 124, which is in evidence as U.S.A. Exhibit No. 179, and I wish to refer particularly to page 34 of the English text. These are defendant Speer's minutes on this conference. I'm quoting from page 34, paragraph 36, beginning at the middle of the page, and it's at the top of page 26 in the German text:
"I pointed out to the Fuehrer that, apart from an insignificant amount of work, no possibility exists of organizing armament production in the concentration camps, because: (1) the machine tools required are missing; (2) there are no suitable premises. Both these assets would be available in the armaments industry, if use could be made of them by a second shift.
"The Fuehrer agrees to my proposal, that the numerous factories set up outside towns for ARP reasons, should release their workers for supplementing the second shift in town factories and should in return be supplied with labor from the concentration camps - also two shifts.
"I pointed out to the Fuehrer the difficulties which I expect to encounter if Reichsfuehrer SS Himmler should be able, as he requests, to exercise authoritative influence over these factories. The Fuehrer, too, does not consider such an influence necessary.
"The Fuehrer, however, agrees that Reichsfuehrer SS Himmler should draw advantages from making his prisoners available; he should get equipment for his division.
"I suggest to give him a share in kind (war equipment) in radio to the working hours done by his prisoners. A three to five per cent share is discussed, the equipment also being calculated according to working hours. The Fuehrer would agree to such a solution.
"The Fuehrer is prepared to order the additional delivery of this equipment and weapons to the SS, according to a list submitted to him."
after a mechanism had been set up by the defendant Speer for exploiting this labor in armament factories, measures were evolved for increasing the supply of victims for extermination through work. A steady flow was assured by the agreement between Himmler and the Minister of Justice mentioned above, which was implemented by such programs as the following, and I refer to document L 61, marked U.S.A. Exhibit No. 177, and I wish to quote from paragraph 3. That document, the Tribunal will recall, is the defendant Sauckel's letter dated the 26th of November 1942 to the Presidents of the Landes Employment Offices, and I wish to quote paragraph 3 of that letter.
"The Poles who are to be evacuated as a result of this measure will be put into concentration camps and put to work where they are criminal or social elements." would not otherwise have been sent to concentration camps.
THE PRESIDENT: Didn't you read that this morning?
MR. DODD: Yes, I did, Your Honor. I was reading it again with particular reference to this phase.
For example, for "reasons of war necessity" Himmler ordered that at least 35,000 prisoners qualified for work should be transferred immediately to concentration camps.
I now offer in evidence Document No. 1063 PS D, which is Exhibit U.S.A. No. 139. This document is a Himmler order dated the 17th of December 1942. The order provides, and I quote in part, beginning with the first paragraph of that document:
"For reasons of war necessity not to be discussed further here, the Reichsfuehrer SS and Chief of the German Police on the 14th of December 1942 has ordered that until the end of January 1943, at least 35,000 prisoners qualified for work, are to be sent to the concentration camps. In order to reach this number, the following measures are required: (1) As of now (so far until 1 February 1943) all eastern workers or such foreign workers who have been fugitives, or who have broken contracts, and who do not belong to allied, friendly or neutral States a re to be brought by the quickest means to the nearest concentration camps.
(2) The commanders and the commandants of the security police and the security service, and the chiefs of the State Police Headquarters will check immediately on the basis of a close and strict ruling:
(a) the prisons (b) the labor reformatory camps.
"All prisoners qualified for work, if it is essentially and humanly possible, will be committed at once to the nearest concentration camp, according to the following instructions, for instance also if penal procedures were to be established in the near future. Only such prisoners who in the interest of investigation procedures are to remain absolutely in solitary confinement can be left there.
"Every single laborer counts!" work was practiced with maximum efficiency. Subsidiary concentration camps were established near important war plants. The defendant Speer has admitted that he personally toured Upper Austria and selected sites for concentration camps near various munitions factories in the area. I'm about to refer to the transcript of an interrogation under oath of the defendant Albert Speer.
THE PRESIDENT: Mr. Dodd, do you understand that the last document you read, 1063 PS D to refer to prisoners of war or prisoners in ordinary prisons or what?
MR. DODD: We understood it to refer to prisoners in ordinary prisons. In view of the Tribunal's ruling this morning, I think I should state that, with respect to this interrogation of defendant Speer, we had provided the defendants' counselors with the entire text in German. It happens to be a brief interrogation, and so we were able to complete that translation, and it has been in their information center.
DR. FLAECHSNER (for defendant Speer): In reference to the interrogation which the prosecutor just mentioned I would like to say the following: protocol, if this could be called a protocol. In comparison of the English text with the German transcript it is seen that during the transcript of the English text as well as the German translation, the comparison with the English text with the German text, that in the English text as well as in the German transcript there are several mistakes which I believe are attributed to an error of the interrogator. I believe, therefore, that the so-called protocol, also the English text, does not actually give the contents of what the defendant Speer actually said curing the interrogation or what he wanted to say at that time. It would not serve the establishment of the truth if this protocol would ever be used.
THE PRESIDENT: Mr. Dodd, when was the German translation given to counsel for the defendant?
MR. DODD: About four days ago, your Honor.
THE PRESIDENT: Mr. Dodd, is there any certification by the Interrogator as to the English translation?
MR. DODD: There is, your Honor. There is a certification at the end of the interrogation by the Interrogator and by the Interpreter, and by the Reporter as well.
There are three certifications.
THE PRESIDENT: I think the best course would be in those circumstances to receive the interrogation now. You will have an opportunity, by calling the defendant, to show in what way he alleges, or you allege, that the interrogation is inaccurately translated.
DR. FLAECHSNER: Thank you, sir.
MR. DODD: May I respectfully refer your Honors to the last document in the Document Book, four pages from the end?
THE PRESIDENT: Which page do you refer to?
MR. DODD: I refer to the page bearing the number 16 of the English text of the transcript of the interrogation and page 21 of the German text. The answer quoted is:
"The fact that we were anxious to use general fact.
But it did not only come up in connection with this trip."
THE PRESIDENT: I think I ought to say to Defendant's Counsel
MR. DODD: Defendant Goering endorsed this use of concentration camp labor and asked for more.
We refer to our document 1584-PS, Part 1, which is U.S.A. Exhibit No. 221.
This document is a teletype from Goering to Himmler dated 14th February, 1944.
I quote from the document beginning with the second sentence:
"At the same time I ask you to put at camp (KZ-) convicts as possible for air experience.
The situation of the air war necessary.
For work of this kind concen tration camp (KZ-) convicts can be especially well concentrated at work and in the camp."
April 7th, 1944, in document R 124, which is U.S.A. Exhibit No. 179, already in evidence.
I quote from page 36 of the English text, page "Suggested to the Fuehrer that, due to border on suitable soil (preferable on gravel base and with transport facilities) on French, Belgian or Dutch territory.
The Fuehrer be set up behind a fortified zone.
French workers.
Nevertheless, the Fuehrer asks an "SS" and will give an order that the required ing in Jews from Hungary.
Stressing the fact built by the O.T. exclusively and that the fuehrer "SS". He wants to hold a meeting the men concerned."
in document L 159, which is not in the document book. The document is an official report prepared by a U.S. Congressional Committee, U.S. Senate Document No. 47, which inspected the liberated camps at the request of General Eisenhower.
It bears U.S.A. Exhibit No. 222.
"The treatment accorded to these prisoners in the concentration camps was generally as follows: They were herded together in some wooden barracks not large enough for one-tenth of their number. They were forced to sleep on wooden frames covered with wooden boards in tiers of two, three and even four, sometimes with no covering, sometimes with a bundle of dirty rags serving both as pallet and coverlet.
"Their food consisted generally of about one-half of a pound of black bread per day and a bowl of watery soup for noon and night, and not always that. Owing to the great numbers crowded into a small space and to the lack of adequate sustenance, lice and vermin multiplied, disease became rampant, and those who did not soon die of disease or tortue began the long, slow process of starvation. Notwithstanding the deliberate starvation program inflicted upon these prisoners by lack of adequate food, we found no evidence that the people of Germany as a whole were suffering from any lack of sufficient food or clothing. The contrast was so striking that the only conclusion which we could reach was that the starvation of the inmates of these camps was deliberate.
"Upon entrance into these camps, newcomers were forced to work either at an adjoining war factory or were placed 'in commando' on various jobs in the vicinity, being returned each night to their stall in the barracks. Generally a German criminal was placed in charge of each 'block' or shed in which the prisoners slept. Periodically he would choose the one prisoner of his block who seemed the most alert or intelligent or showed the most leadership qualities. These would report to the guards' room and would never be heard from again. The generally accepted belief of the prisoners was that these were shot or gassed or hanged and then cremated. A refusal to work or an infraction of the rules usually meant flogging and other types of torture, such as having the fingernails pulled out, and in each case usually ended in death after extensive suffering. The policies described constituted a calculated program of planned torture and extermination on the part of those who were in control of the German Government..."
second sentence of paragraph 2, a description of Camp Doro at Nordhausen, page 12, paragraph 1 of the German text as follows:
"On the whole, we found this camp to have been operated and administered much in the same manner as Buchenwald had been operated and managed. When the efficiency of the workers decreased as a result of the conditions under which they were required to live, their rations were decreased as punishment. This brought about a vicious circle in which the weak became weaker and were ultimately exterminated." concentration camp labor - labor which Defendant Goering while requesting that more of it be placed at his disposal said had proved very useful; labor which Defendant Speer was "naxious" to use in the factories under his control. cuted, and the responsibility of the conspirators in connection with it has been dwelt upon at length. Therefore, at this point we should like to discuss the special responsibility of the Defendant Sauckel.
The Defendant Sauckel's appointment as Plenipotentiary General for Manpower is explained probably first of all by his having been an old and trusted Nazi. He has certified in Document 2974-PS, dated 17 November 1945, which is already in evidence before this Tribunal as U.S.A. Exhibit Number 15, that he held the following positions:
Starting; with his membership in the NSDAP, he was thereafter a member of the Reichstag. He was Gauleiter of Thuringia. He was a member of the Thuringian legislature. He was Minister of Interior and head of Thuringian State Ministry. He was Reichsstatthalter for Thuringia. He was an SA Obergruppenfuehrer, SS Obergruppenfuehrer. He was administrator for the Berlin-Suhler Waffen and Fahrzeugwerke in 1935. He was head of the Gustloff Werke Nationalsozialistische Industrie-Stiftung, 1936, and the Honorary Head of the foundation. And from the 21st day of March 1942 until 1945 he was the General Plenipotentiary for Labor Allocation.
Sauckel's official responsibilities are borne out by evidence. His appointment as Plenipotentiary General for Manpower was effected by a decree of the 21st of March, 1945, which we have read and which was signed by Hitler, Lammers, and the Defendant Keitel.