17 Dec. 45
Under this directive, Defendant Göring established
the Economic Executive Staff East, which was directly responsible to
him, and under it created the Economic Staff East. The Economic Staff
East, in turn, was subdivided into four groups: The Chief of the
Economic Staff, Group La, Group W, and Group M. I now quote from Page 2,
lines 7-9 of the English text; in the German text it is at Page 7, lines
7-9. 1 quote:
"Group La. Sections for nutrition and
agriculture, allotment of all agricultural products, provision of food
supplies for the Army, in accordance with the competent army services."
I next offer in evidence Document Number EC-126, which is Exhibit Number
USA-316. This is a report dated 23 May 1941, which was before the
invasion of the Soviet Union. It was found among the captured files of
the OKW. It is entitled, "Economic Policy Directives for Economic
Organization East, Agricultural Group." It was prepared by the
Economic Staff East, Group La, the Agricultural Group, which as shown by
the exhibit introduced a moment ago, was an important part of the
organization which Defendant Göring established to formulate plans
for the economic administration of Russia.
The underscoring in the English text merely reflects the underscoring
in the original.
The document begins by a recitation of facts pertaining to the
production of agricultural products in the Soviet Union. It states that
the grain surplus of Russia is determined by the level of domestic
consumption and that this fact affords the basis upon which the planners
must predicate their actions and economic policy. I now quote from the
sixth and seventh paragraphs of Page 2 of the English text. The German
text is the last three lines of Page 3 and the first five lines of Page
4. I quote:
"The surplus territories are situated
in the black soil district (that is in the south and southeast) and in
the Caucasus. The deficit areas are principally located in the forest
zone of the North (podsol-soil district). Therefore, an isolation of
the black soil areas will in any case place greater or lesser
surpluses in these regions at our disposal. The consequences will
be cessation of supplies to the entire forest zone, including the
essential industrial centers of Moscow and Leningrad."
Next, I quote from the last 11 lines of Page 2 and all of Page 3 of the
English text. The German text begins in the middle of line 6 of Page 5
and continues through to line 29 of Page 6. I quote:
"This" — the cessation of
supplies — "means:
"1. All industry in the deficit area, particularly the
manufacturing industries in the Moscow and Leningrad regions as