14 Dec.
45
which makes it dreadfully hard for me, as well as for a
number of my colleagues, to follow the Trial at all.
Of the incriminatory evidence against the organizations, I have
previously gathered little in the proceedings up to now. Since,
according to today's statements, however, the evidence against the
organizations is to be presented shortly, I should like to ask
emphatically that, if we are to continue to represent the organizations,
the proceedings be conducted in such a way that, in a technical respect,
too, we shall be in a position to carry on the defense in a responsible
manner.
THE PRESIDENT: As you know or have been told, only those parts of
documents which are read before the Tribunal are treated as being in
evidence and therefore you hear through your earphones everything that
is in evidence read to you in German. You know also that there are two
copies of the documents in your Information Center which are in German.
So much for that. That has been the procedure up to now.
In order to meet the legitimate wishes of German counsel, the proposal
which Mr. Justice Jackson has just made is perfectly simple, as I
understand it, and it is this:
That the question of the criminality of these organizations should not
be argued before the evidence is put in; that the United States counsel
should put in their evidence first, and that they hope to put the
majority of it in evidence before the Christmas recess, but that the
German counsel (defendants' counsel) shall be at liberty at any time, up
to the time the United States case is finished, to make objection to any
part of the evidence on these criminal organizations. Is that not clear?
HERR BÖHM: Yes, that is clear.
THE PRESIDENT: Have you any objection to that procedure?
HERR BÖHM: Yes. The procedure as suggested is clear, but I think
it is highly inadequate. I have as yet had no opportunity to get into my
hands either of the two copies, which are said to be downstairs in Room
54, maybe because two copies are not sufficient for the purposes of 25
lawyers, especially if these copies are placed in Room 54 at 10: 30 in
the morning, when the session starts at 10:00 o'clock. It would not even
suffice if these two copies for 25 of us were placed into our room on
the day before, since it is not possible for all of us to make
satisfactory use of these two copies in so short a time. Arrangements
should therefore be made just how the Prosecution will make them,
I cannot say to enable us to know at the proper time and I
emphasize again, in the German language-what the Prosecution expects of
us, so that our work may be of avail to the Tribunal.