10 Dec.
45
or by reason of political economy for the
carrying out of the totally dissimilar tasks assigned to them.
"As against this, an administrative department regulating
matters in principle and to be set up on a purely economic basis, as
is at present envisaged, might very soon prove to be inadequate and
fail in its purpose. Such a central office would be compelled to carry
out a common policy for all areas, dictated only by economic
considerations, and this might impede the carrying out of the
political task and, in view of its being run on purely bureaucratic
lines, might possibly even prevent it.
"The question therefore arises whether the opinions which have
been set forth should not, purely for reasons of expediency, be taken
into consideration from the very beginning when organizing the
administration of the territory on a basis of war economy. In view of
the vast spaces and the difficulties of administration which arise
from that alone, and also in view of the living conditions created by
Bolshevism, which are totally different from those of Western Europe;
the whole question of the U.S.S.R. would require different treatment
from that which has been applied in the individual countries of
Western Europe."
THE
TRIBUNAL (Mr. Biddle): Is that signed?
MR. ALDERMAN: It is not signed. No, Sir.
THE TRIBUNAL (Mr. Biddle): Is it in the Defendant Rosenberg's
handwriting?
MR. ALDERMAN: It was in the Rosenberg file.
THE TRIBUNAL (Mr. Biddle): Is there anything to indicate that he wrote
it?
MR. ALDERMAN: No. I said it was evidently prepared by Rosenberg or
under his authority. We captured the whole set of Rosenberg files, which
constitutes really a large library.
It is evident that the "presently envisaged administration
operating on a purely economic basis" to which this memorandum
objects was the Economic Staff Oldenburg, which I have already described
as having been set up under Göring and General Thomas.
Rosenberg's statement — if this be his statement — of the
political purpose of the invasion and his analysis of the achieving of
it apparently did not fall on deaf ears. By a Führer order, dated
20 April 1941, Rosenberg was named commissioner for the central control
of questions connected with the east European region. This order is part
of the correspondence regarding Rosenberg's appointment, which has been
given the Number 865-PS in our series. I ask