. NMT06-T0707
Volume VI · Page 707
| TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT NI-5236 PROSECUTION EXHIBIT 159 |
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| LETTER FROM DEFENDANT WEISS TO BUSKUEHL, 18 FEBRUARY 1942, REPORTING UPON FAVORABLE EXPERIENCES OBTAINED IN EMPLOYMENT OF RUSSIAN PRISONERS OF WAR AT THE LINKE-HOFMANN WORKS IN BRESLAU, METHODS EMPLOYED TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH AND WILLINGNESS TO WORK OF PRISONERS, AND RELATED MATTERS | |
| 18
February 1942
Str. |
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| Director General R.
Buskuehl Harpener Bergbau A.G. Dortmund Subject: Utilization of Soviet prisoners of war. Dear Mr. Buskuehl: Your letter of the 16th of this month addressed to Mr. Flick,* enclosing a secret report from the president of the Regional Labor Office, Westphalia, was today forwarded by me to Mr. Flick, who is at the moment taking a short holiday at Toelz. In this connection you will be interested to hear that we obtained excellent results with Russian prisoners of war at the Linke-Hofmann works in Breslau. To be sure, Dr. Putze first of all ordered all the men, who arrived in a completely starved and exhausted condition, to take an 8-day rest in bed, and during that time he fed them up fairly well under medical supervision. The Russians, of course, who generally make quite a good impression, are being treated with the necessary strictness, but also justly. All of them work willingly. In particular, an arrangement has proved of value which provides that those people who have especially exerted themselves during the day should obtain a special certificate from their foreman or master from time to time which entitles them to receive a double ration at supper. Of course, I also think that one cannot generalize too readily about these favorable experiences. It is certain that there are many fanatical and misled elements among the prisoners. On the other hand, I am of the opinion that it is very regrettable from the point of view of the utilization of labor that the good elements |
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* Document NI-5207, Prosecution Exhibit 158, reproduced immediately above.
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