12 Dec.
45
railroad station in Wassilkov and escaped,
I saw again the necessity for strict measures. A few ring-leaders, who
of course had long since escaped, were located in Plissezkoje and in
Mitnitza. After repeated attempts to get hold of them, their houses
were burned down."
And
finally, I wish to pass to the last paragraph on Page 3 of that same
document. In the German text it appears at Page 5, Paragraph 7. Quoting
from that last paragraph on the third page:
"My actions toward fugitive labor
draftees were always reported to District Commissioner Döhrer of
the Wassilkov office, and to the Commissioner General in Kiev. Both of
them knew the circumstances and agreed with my measures because of
their success."
That is the
end of that part of the quotation.
That Generalkommissar in Kiev, as we indicated yesterday and again this
morning, was the man Koch — we quoted his statement about the
master race. Another document confirms arson as an instrument of
enforcing this labor program in the village of Bielosersk in the Ukraine
in cases of resistance to forced labor recruitment. Atrocities committed
in this village are related in Document Number 018-PS, which is already
in evidence as Exhibit USA-186. But in addition there is Document Number
290-PS, which bears Exhibit Number USA-189. This document consists of
correspondence originating within the Rosenberg ministry, which was, of
course, the office headquarters of the Defendant Rosenberg; and it is
dated the 12th day of November 1943. I wish to quote from Page 1 of the
English text, starting with the last line, as follows:
"But even if Müller had been
present at the burning of houses in connection with the Reich
conscription in Bielosersk, this should by no means lead to the
removal of Müller from office. It is mentioned specifically in a
directive of the Commissioner General in Luck, of 21 September 1942,
referring to the extreme urgency of national conscription, that farms
of those who refuse to work are to be burned and their relatives are
to be arrested as hostages and brought to forced labor camps."
The SS troops were directed to participate in the abduction of these
forced laborers and also in the raids on villages, burning of villages,
and were directed to turn the entire population over for slave labor in
Germany.
We refer to Document Number 3012-PS, which bears Exhibit Number
USA-190. This document is a secret SS order and it is dated the 19th day
of March 1943. 1 wish to quote from Page 3 of