13 Dec.
45
A later report states that 846,511 additional foreign
laborers and prisoners of war were incorporated into the German war
industry; and quoting from Document 407(IX)-PS, Exhibit USA-229, which
is also a letter from the Defendant Sauckel to Hitler, I read in part
from Page 1, Paragraphs 1 and 2:
"My Führer:
"I beg to be permitted to report to you on the situation of the
Arbeitseinsatz for the first 5 months of 1943. For the first time the
following number of new foreign laborers and prisoners of war were
employed in the German war industry . . . Total: 846,511."
This use of prisoners of war in the manufacture of armaments allocated
by the Defendant Sauckel was confirmed by the Defendant Speer, who
stated that 40 percent of all prisoners of war were employed in the
production of weapons and munitions and in subsidiary industries. I wish
to refer briefly to Paragraphs 6, 7, and 8 on Page 15 of the English
text of an interrogation of the Defendant Speer, on the 18th of October
1945, which was offered and referred to yesterday and has the Exhibit
Number USA-220. Quoting from Paragraphs 6, 7 and 8 on Page 15
Paragraph 1 on Page 19 of the German text there are two questions
which will establish the background for this answer:
"Q: Let me understand; when you
wanted labor from prisoners of war did you requisition prisoners of
war separately, or did you ask for a total number of workers?
"A: Only Schmelter can answer that directly. As far as the
commitment of prisoners of war for labor goes, it was effected through
employment officers of the Stalags. I tried several times to increase
the total number of prisoners of war that were occupied in production,
at the expense of the other demands.
"Q: Will you explain that a little more?
"A: In the last phase of production, that is, in the year 1944
when everything collapsed, I had 40 percent of all prisoners of war
employed in production. I wanted to have this percentage increased.
"Q: And when you say 'employed in production', you mean in these
subsidiary industries that you have discussed and also in the
production of weapons and munitions, is that right?
"A: Yes. That was the total extent of my task."
THE
TRIBUNAL (Mr. Biddle): What do you mean by "subsidiary industries,"
Mr. Dodd? Is that war industries?