20 Dec. 45
In order to insure SS control over the labor of
prisoners of war, the Reichsführer SS was finally appointed as head
of all prisoner-of-war camps on 25 September 1944. I offer in evidence
the letter referring to his appointment. It is our Document 058-PS. It
is Exhibit Number USA-456. It will be found in Volume 1 of the document
book. That letter is a circular letter from the Director of the Party
Chancellery dated 30 September 1944 and signed "M. Bormann." I
quote, beginning with the first paragraph of that letter:
"1. The Führer has ordered under
the date of 25 September 1944:
" 'The custody of all prisoners of war and interned persons, as
well as prisoner-of-war camps and installations with guards, are
transferred to the Commander of the Reserve Army from 1 October 1944.'
"
Passing to Paragraph 2 of
the letter, I shall read Subparagraphs (a) and (c); I quote:
"2. The Reichsführer SS has
commanded:
"(a) In my capacity as Commander of the Reserve Army, I transfer
the affairs of prisoners of war to SS Obergruppenführer and
General of the Waffen-SS, Chief of Staff of the Volkssturm, Gottlob
Berger."
Skipping now to
Subparagraph (c):
"(c) The mobilization of labor of the
prisoners of war will be organized in joint action of SS Obergruppenführer
Berger and SS Obergruppenführer Pohl with the appropriate offices
for allocation of labor.
"The strengthening of security in the field of prisoner-of-war
affairs is to be accomplished between SS Obergruppenführer Berger
and the Chief of the Security Police, SS Obergruppenführer Dr.
Kaltenbrunner."
Thus the SS
finally took over direction and control of prisoner-of-war-camps.
So impressive were the results obtained from SS concentration camp
labor that in 1944 the Defendant Göring called on Himmler for more
inmates for use in the aircraft industry. The Tribunal will recall his
teletype to Himmler, our Document 1584-PS, Part 1, which was read in
evidence by Mr. Dodd as Exhibit Number USA-221. Let me now read
Himmler's reply to that teletype. It is our Document 1584-PS, Part 3,
and will be found on Page 2. 1 offer it in evidence as Exhibit Number
USA-457. I quote the beginning of that letter:
"Most Honored Reich Marshal:
"Following my teletype letter of 18 February 1944, I herewith
transmit a survey on the employment of prisoners in the aviation
industry.