12 Dec.
45
had been operated and managed. When the
efficiency of the workers decreased as a result of the conditions
under which they were required to live, their rations were decreased
as punishment. This brought about a vicious circle in which the weak
became weaker and were ultimately exterminated."
Such was the cycle of work, torture, starvation, and death for
concentration-camp labor — labor which the Defendant Göring
while requesting that more of it be placed at his disposal, said had
proved very useful; labor which the Defendant Speer was "anxious"
to use in the factories under his control.
The policy underlying this program, the manner in which it was
executed, and the responsibility of the conspirators in connection with
it has been dwelt upon at length. Therefore, we should like, at this
point, to discuss the special responsibility of the Defendant Sauckel.
The Defendant Sauckel's appointment as Plenipotentiary General for
manpower is explained probably first of all by his having been an old
and trusted Nazi. He certified in Document 2974-PS, dated 17 November
1945, which is already in evidence before this Tribunal as Exhibit
Number USA-15, that he held the following positions:
Starting with his membership in the NSDAP, he was thereafter a member
of the Reichstag; he was Gauleiter of Thuringia; he was a member of the
Thuringian legislature; he was Minister of Interior and head of the
Thuringian State Ministry; he was Reichsstatthalter for Thuringia; he
was an SA Obergruppenführer; he was SS Obegruppenführer; he
was administrator for the Berlin-Suhler Waffen and Fahrzeugwerke in
1935; he was head of the Gustloff Werke Nationalsozialistische
Industrie-Stiftung, 1936, and the honorary head of the Foundation. And
from the 21st of March 1942 until 1945, he was the Plenipotentiary
General for Labor Allocation.
Sauckel's official responsibilities are borne out by evidence. His
appointment as Plenipotentiary General for manpower was effected by a
decree of the 21st of March 1942, which we have read and which was
signed by Hitler, Lammers, and the Defendant Keitel. And by that decree
Sauckel was given authority, as well as responsibility, subordinate only
to that of Hitler and Göring who was the head of the Four Year
Plan-subordinate only to those two for all matters relating to
recruitment, allocation, and handling of foreign and domestic manpower.
The Defendant Göring to whom Sauckel was directly responsible,
abolished the recruitment and allocation agencies of his Four Year Plan
and delegated their powers to the Defendant Sauckel and placed his
far-reaching authority as deputy for the Four Year Plan at Sauckel's
disposal.