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that of 765 camp inmates, 35 percent were unfit or only partly fit
for work and that the number of undernourished persons and cases of stomach and
bowel trouble shows the food unsuitable for most of the Italian military
internees.
A report from the same source in March 1944, shows a further
deterioration in the condition of the prisoners. It concludes that “the
present weight of these people, most of whom are expected to do work involving
considerable physical exertion, is too low. With regard to the food and
subsequently the output of the Italian military internees there exists an acute
emergency which could only be met by a generous release of suitable food
stuffs.” The sick rate was still abnormally high in June 1944, and had
increased in August 1944 almost a year after their imprisonment. In addition,
the report of that month recites that a large part of these prisoners
“suffered many foot injuries due to poor footwear.” A similar
situation prevailed in Essen with respect to the food given
Italian
military internees and the resulting sick rate. This is reflected by reports
from the department headed by the defendant Kupke in the spring and summer of
1944. Italian military internees were converted into civilian workers on 1
September 1944. From that date, all the limitations resulting from their former
status were abolished and they thereafter received the rations of free foreign
workers. The documents show a substantial improvement thereafter.
The
defense claims that the condition of the Italian military internees during the
time they were treated as prisoners of war was due not to the insufficiency of
the food but to the manner in which it was prepared and the fact that it was of
a kind to which the Italians were not accustomed. It is also insisted that this
condition was soon remedied by putting in charge Italian chefs. If this be
true, it must be conceded that it took an extraordinarily long time to find and
apply the remedy. Moreover, the fact that the trouble was not entirely that
claimed by the defense is indicated by the report of Dr. Jaeger, Krupp’s
senior camp physician. On the day the change of status took place he reported
that “the food is now good and sufficient. There have been no more
complaints, in spite of the scarcity of potatoes. I have been able to ascertain
during the past year that the susceptibility and the bad general physical
condition of the Italians improved a little. They were in a very bad general
physical condition even when they arrived and this was of course increased by
long marches on the way here, and unaccustomed working and climatic
conditions.” |
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