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[correspond...] ing directives to the Regional Labor Offices.”
From the document it can be seen very clearly that I was able to make
suggestions, that I could make propositions, that I could express requests; but
that the allocation of the manpower was done by the Reich labor agencies.
Q. What was the nature of your cooperation with these labor allocation
agencies Please describe the two main problems which existed in this
connection.
A. First of all, I had to give an expert opinion about the
justification of the request that was made. Then I had to take an influential
part in the distribution of labor and the allocation of labor, according to the
stages of priority.
Q. It might have happened that workers reported to
you voluntarily or that you knew that labor was available. Could you then
employ these workers in special construction projects?
A. No, I could
not do that. That was only possible through the Reich labor agencies that had
to do with this work, that is, labor offices and district labor offices.
Q. Very well. You say then that you had to give expert opinion and that
you had to make suggestions. We have here the same problem with which we
already dealt when we discussed the question of your suggestions about material
allocation, your suggestions about definite projects. It is the question
whether your suggestions were always complied with, or whether there were other
agencies which were over you, and which could deviate from the suggestions and
issue new, different directives.
A. That was certainly the case. I can
give you the person of the Plenipotentiary General for the Construction
Industry [Fritz Todt], who certainly was able to have construction projects
under my charge paralyzed without any of my objections being paid any
attention.
Q. Can you again refer to documents in this connection which
the prosecution has submitted?
A. Yes.
Q. Then please turn to
Document NI-7571, Prosecution Exhibit 480,* Book
22, English page 44, German page 53. Do you have that document?
A.
Exhibit 480?
Q. Yes. Please tell me briefly what this is.
A.
These are negotiations about taking away certain construction workers from the
chemical industry for the so-called Jaeger program which was classified at the
time as being of first priority rating and which was promoted by Speer. In this
document they speak of a large number of workers who were taken away from my
construction proj- [...ect] |
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¹ Extracts from a memorandum of 16 May
1944, reproduced in part in subsection D above.
627 |
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