22 Nov. 45
preserve enemy information in the form of documents, records,
reports, and other files. The Germans kept accurate and voluminous
records. They were found in Army headquarters, Government buildings,
and elsewhere. During the later stages of the war, particularly, such
documents were found in salt mines, buried in the ground, behind
false walls, and many other places believed secure by the Germans.
For example, the personal correspondence and diaries of the Defendant
Rosenberg, including his Nazi correspondence, were found behind a
false wall in an old castle in eastern Bavaria. The records of the
OKL, or Luftwaffe, of which the Defendant Göring was
Commander-in-Chief--equivalent to the records of the Headquarters of
the Air Staff of the United States Army Air Forces--were found in
various places in the Bavarian Alps. Most of such Luftwaffe records
were assembled and processed by the Army at Berchtesgaden.
When the Army first captured documents and records, they
immediately placed the materials under guard and later assembled them
in temporary document centers. Many times the records were so
voluminous that they were hauled by fleets of Army trucks to document
centers. Finally, as the territory seized was made secure, Army zones
were established and each Army established a fixed document center to
which were transported the assembled documents and records. Later
this material was indexed and cataloged, which was a slow process.
Beginning last June, Mr. Justice Jackson requested me to direct
the assembling of documentary evidence on the continent for the
United States case. Field teams from our office were organized under
the direction of Major William H. Coogan, who established United
States liaison officers at the main Army document centers. Such
officers were directed to screen and analyze the mass of captured
documents, and select those having evidentiary value for our case.
Literally hundreds of tons of enemy documents and records were
screened and examined and those selected were forwarded to Nuremberg
for processing. I now offer in evidence an affidavit by Major Coogan,
dated November 19, 1945, attached hereto, describing the method of
procedure, capture, screening and delivery of such documents to
Nuremberg. (Document Number 001 A-PS, Exhibit USA-1)
At this time, if Your Honors please, and in order to present this
matter to the Tribunal, I believe it wise to read at least
substantial portions of this affidavit. It is dated November 19,
1945.
"I, Major William H. Coogan,
0-455814, Q.M.C., a commissioned officer of the United States of
America, do hereby certify as follows: