10 Dec.
45
"While these units move with the
troops, economic inspectorates, economic commands and their
sub-offices remain established in the locality.
"The new feature inherent in the organization under the command
of the Economic Staff Oldenburg is that it does not only deal with
military industry but comprises the entire economic field.
Consequently all offices are no longer to be designated as offices of
the military industries or armaments but quite generally as economic
inspectorates, economic commands, et cetera.
"This also corresponds with the internal organization of the
individual offices which, from the Economic Staff Oldenburg down to
the economic commands, requires a standard subdivision into three
large groups, i. e. Group M, dealing with troop requirements,
armaments, industrial transport organization; Group L, which concerns
itself with all questions of feeding and agriculture, and Group W,
which is in charge of the entire field of trade and industry,
including raw materials and supplies; further, questions of forestry,
finance and banking, enemy property, commerce and exchange of
commodities, and manpower allocation.
"Secretary of State Backe is appointed Commissioner for Food and
Agriculture in the General Staff; the problems falling within the
field of activities of Group W are dealt with by General Von Hanneken."
The remainder of the document deals with local subdivisions, personnel
and planning problems, and similar details, which I think it unnecessary
to put into the record.
These documents portray vividly the coldly calculated method with which
those Nazis prepared months in advance to rob and loot their intended
victim. They show that the conspirators not only planned to stage a
wanton attack on a neighbor to whom they had pledged security, but they
also intended to strip that neighbor of his food, his factories, and all
his means of livelihood.
As I shall point out more fully later when I discuss the question of
motivation, these men made their plans for plunder being fully aware
that to carry them out would necessarily involve ruin and starvation for
millions of the inhabitants of the Soviet Union.
THE PRESIDENT: This would be a good time to adjourn.
[A recess was taken.]
MR. ALDERMAN: May the Tribunal please, I have been informed by the
interpreters that I have been speaking at a great speed this morning, so
I shall try to temper the speed.