10 Dec.
45
carried out according to the directives from the chief
of the office, respectively" — I suppose — "by the
group of departments for foreign territories" — Ausland —
" with the co-operation of all departments, economy offices, and
any other persons possessing information on Russia. Through these
intensive preparative activities an excellent collection of material was
made which proved of the utmost value later on for carrying out the
operations and for administering the territories." That ends the
quotation.
By the end of February 1941 this preliminary planning had proceeded to
a point where a broader plan of organization was needed, and so General
Thomas held a conference with his subordinates on 28 February 1941 to
call for such a plan. A memorandum of this conference, classified top
secret and dated 1 March 1941, was captured, and is our Document
1317-PS. I now offer it in evidence as Exhibit USA-140. The text of this
memorandum reads as follows:
"The general ordered that a broader
plan of organization be drafted for the Reich Marshal.
"Essential Points: "1 The whole organization to be
subordinate to the Reich Marshal. Purpose: Support and extension of
the measures of the Four Year Plan.
"2. The organization must include everything concerning war
economy, excepting only food which is said to be made already a
special mission of State Secretary Backe.
"3. Clear statement that the organization is to be independent
of the military or civil administration. Close co-ordination, but
instructions direct from the central office in Berlin.
"4. Scope of activities to be divided into two steps: a)
Accompanying the advancing troops directly behind the front lines in
order to avoid the destruction of supplies and to secure the removal
of important goods; b) Administration of the occupied industrial
districts and exploitation of economically complementary districts."
And then, on the bottom of Page 1:
"5. In view of the extended field of
activity the term 'war economy inspection' is to be used in preference
to armament inspection.
"6. In view of the great field of activity the organization must
be generously equipped and personnel must be correspondingly numerous.
The main mission of the organization will consist of seizing raw
materials and taking over all