13 Dec.
45
"A: Yes."
These admissions are borne out, of course, by other evidence, for as
Document R-124 shows and as we have shown by the readings from it, in
all countries conscription for work in Germany could be carried out only
with the active assistance of the police; and the prevailing methods of
recruitment had provoked such violence that many German recruiting
agents had been killed.
And again, at a meeting with Hitler to discuss the manpower
requirements for 1944, which is reported in Document. 1292-PS, Speer was
informed by the Defendant Sauckel that the requirements — including
Speer's requirement for 1,300,000 additional laborers — could be
met only if German enforcement agents were furnished to carry out the
enslavement program in the occupied countries.
Now we say that notwithstanding this knowledge that these workers were
conscripted and deported to Germany against their will, Speer
nevertheless continued to formulate requirements for the foreign workers
and requested their allocation to these industries which were subject to
his control. This is borne out by the minutes of the Central Planning
Board as contained in Document R-124, and particularly Page 13,
Paragraph 4 of the English text; and that is Page 6 and Paragraph 4 of
the German text. Speer speaking:
"Now the labor problem in Germany. I
believe it is still possible to transfer some from the western
territories. Only recently the Führer stated he wishes to
dissolve these foreign volunteers as he had the impression that the
army groups were carting around with them a lot of ballast. Therefore,
if we cannot settle this matter ourselves, we shall have to call a
meeting with the Führer to clear up the whole coal situation.
Keitel and Zeitzler will be invited to attend in order to determine
the number of Russians from the rear army territories who must be sent
to us. However, I see another possibility: We might organize another
drive to pick out workers for the mines from the Russian prisoners of
war in the Reich. But this possibility is none too promising."
At another meeting of the Central Planning Board the Defendant Speer
rejected a suggestion that labor for industries under his control be
furnished from German sources instead of from foreign sources. And again
in this Document R-124, on Page 16, Paragraphs 3, 4, and 5 of the
English text, and Page 12, Paragraphs 6 and 7 of the German text —
I quote the Defendant Speer:
"We do it that way: Kehrl collects
the demands for labor necessary to complete the coal-and-iron plan and
communicates the numbers to Sauckel. Probably there will be a
conference at the Reich Marshal's in the next week, and an