Archive/File: imt/tgmwc/tgmwc-06/tgmwc-06-51.09
Last-Modified: 1998/04/29

M. FAURE: Certainly, Mr. President. I shall go on, then,
with the analysis of the Dannecker report. The first chapter
is called "History of the Jews in France." I shall not read
it. It includes a series of ideas on a very elementary
intellectual level. The following chapter is entitled,
"Organisation of the Jews in France." It includes a first
part under the heading, "Before 14th June, 1940" -- This
part does not seem to me interesting. The second part of
this chapter is

                                                   [Page 86]
                                                            
entitled, "Operations of the Sipo and the S.D. (S.S.,
Einsatzkommando Paris) against these organisations and
against leading Jewish personages" (the report comes from
the S.S. Hauptsturmfuehrer Hagen). I think I might read the
beginning:

     "From a study of the records collected in Germany,
     Austria, Czechoslovakia and Poland, it was possible to
     conclude that the center of Judaism in Europe and its
     chief lines of communication with countries overseas
     must be sought in France. It is on the basis of these
     observations that the great Jewish organisations
     already known, such as `World Jewish Congress'" -- then
     follows an enumeration -- "have been searched and
     sealed."
     
Beginning with Page 14, the report attempts to demonstrate
the existence of a bond between Judaism and Catholicism. It
presents the results of searches made in the homes of
various persons: The Rothschild family, the former Minister
Mandel, the Press attache at the British Embassy, and other
persons, including the lawyers Moro Giafferi and Torres. The
end of this chapter is as indicated, Page 16, last
paragraph:

     "To sum up, we can say, on the basis of the records
     which have been collected, that France, where Judaism
     was linked with Catholicism and with certain important
     politicians, was its last bulwark on the Continent of
     Europe."
     
The following section has the title, "Life of the Jews after
the Entry of the Germans." The text describes the way in
which the Germans created a central and unified organisation
of the Jews and forced them into it. This is the beginning
of the plan which I have just described to the Tribunal,
which consisted in singling out the Jewish elements in the
population, massing them together and separating them
entirely from the rest of the population. I should like to
read the first paragraph, for the analysis of it is very
important:

     "After the Armistice and the return to normal life it
     appeared that almost all the Jewish associations had
     ceased to exist (in the absence of responsible
     officials and of persons who gave financial assistance,
     who had fled into the unoccupied zone) while there was
     a ever-growing need for aid.
     
The German legislature brought about a steady aggravation of
the Jewish social problems. It seems that this state of
things was intended to create a favourable ground in France
for this general organisation of Jews.

In this there is a very subtle idea. We note that the German
legislature, that is to say, the legislature of the Military
Command, brought about a great aggravation of social
problems, and we conclude that this was to facilitate the
general organisation of the Jews. This reasoning confirms, I
think, what I said to the Tribunal a while ago, namely, that
we were faced with a whole system of measures, the first of
which were intended to facilitate the separation of the
Jewish community, which was to be exterminated.

Dannecker then explains how a co-ordination committee was
created.

I omit the details and come to Page 20, paragraph 2:

     "An agreement has been made with the office of the
     Commandant of Greater Paris that in the future, Jewish
     organisations may address themselves to the German
     services only through the intermediary of the Committee
     of Jewish Co-ordination. In this way all the small
     Jewish organisations will be forced to combine.
     Moreover, an agreement has been made with the Paris
     Office for national relief (Bureau de Secour National)
     that, after the expiry of a period of four weeks, no
     Jew can any longer be fed and housed by national
     relief. The S.N. will appoint a special
     
                                                   [Page 87]
                                                            
     representative to have control the co-ordination
     committee in this matter. Moreover, the blocking of
     Jewish holdings in the very near future will force the
     Jews to ask that the co-ordination committee be
     authorised to receive gifts from these blocked
     holdings."
     
The following chapter bears the title, "Political Activities
of the delegate of the Sipo and of the S.D." I should like
to read some passages from this:

     "After the promulgation by the French Government of the
     Jewish statute of 3rd October, 1940, a certain slowing-
     down occurred in the solution of the Jewish Question in
     France, and for this reason the delegate for Jewish
     Questions worked out plans for a Central Jewish Bureau.
     The plan was discussed with the military administration
     on 31st January, 1941. The latter showed no interest,
     and as the question was a purely political one, it was
     referred to the S.D. in agreement with the German
     Embassy."
     
This is followed by an analysis of various discussions with
the French Commissioner Vallat, with Ambassador Abetz, and
with de Brinon, and indicates the various demands presented
by the Germans to the French authorities. I pass now to Page
24, the last paragraph:

     "The proposal of the Office for Jewish Affairs has been
     referred to S.S. Brig. Fuehrer Dr. Best by S.S.
     Obersturmbannfuehrer Dr. Knochen. This proposal means
     that a liaison office is to be created which should
     comprise the representatives of the four offices cited
     above. The management was to be in the hands of the
     S.D. delegate for Jewish Questions who was in no way to
     encroach on the O.K.W., the O.K.H. and the Military
     Commander in France. As a result of this suggestion, a
     conference was held on 10th June, 1941. Those who
     attended were: Ministerial Counsellor Dr. Stortz for
     the Military Commander in France" -- then German titles
     follow which have not been translated into French and
     which are a little hard for me to read. "Dr. Blancke,
     Economic Service, Counsellor to the Embassy; Dr.
     Zeitschel, German Embassy; and Obersturmfuehrer S.S.
     Dannecker. The representatives of the military
     administration stated clearly that the competence of
     the S.D. resulted from the decrees of the O.K.W. and of
     the O.K.H. as well as from the last confidential decree
     of the Military Commander in France of 25th March,
     1941. Dr. Stortz declared that for various reasons it
     would be better to abstain from setting up a liaison
     bureau, properly speaking, under the direction of the
     S.D. S.S. Obersturmfuehrer Dannecker explained for his
     part that the only thing that mattered was the final
     settlement of the question, and that consequently the
     S.D. should be in a position to carry out the orders
     given by the R.S.H.A."
     
THE PRESIDENT: M. Faure, can't you summarise this? It is a
very long document, and we have so many documents and so
much evidence in connection with the Jews already.

M. FAURE: I shall simply read one sentence on the same page:

     "After the conference they decided to meet every week
     at the same place, at the office of the delegate for
     Jewish Questions.
     
     In the course of these meetings they would discuss in
     common all their aims, experiences and objections."
     
I think it is interesting to note these regular conferences
held every week and in which representatives of the military
services, the Embassy, and the police took part.

The following pages of the report can be passed over. They
contain appreciations of Vallat, notes relating to the
establishment of files concerning the Jews,

                                                   [Page 88]
                                                            
and an analysis of the German ordinances. This is important
as showing that these ordinances had their place in the
general plan.

Dannecker likewise speaks of the Anti-Jewish Institute, and
observes that this institute is financed by the German
Embassy.

The report goes on to give statistical notes and concludes
with statement of which I shall read only one paragraph:

     "I hope I have succeeded in giving an idea of the
     present situation, and in giving a general view of the
     difficulties of all kinds that we have had to surmount.
     I cannot speak of this subject without recalling the
     really friendly support which has been given to our
     work by Ambassador Abetz and his representative,
     Attache Schleier, as well as by S.S. Sturmbannfuehrer
     and Counsellor to the Embassy, Dr. Zeitschel."
     
To meet the desire of the Tribunal, I shall not submit all
the documents included in my document file. I shall
therefore pass now to Exhibit RF 1210. This is a new report
of Dannecker's. It is dated 22nd February, 1942. I submit it
to show the regular and progressive character of the
activities of the German offices. I have not submitted 1208
and 1209. This is a letter of the 22nd February, 1942. I
shall read only the headings, and I shall quote two
passages.

The first heading is "Task of the Sipo and of the S.D. in
France"; the second is "Card Index of Jews"; the third,
"French Commissariat for Jewish Questions"; the fourth, "The
French Anti-Jewish Police." The fifth is entitled
"Activity." I shall quote this paragraph:

     "Up to now three operations of great scope have been
     carried out against the Jews of Paris. On each occasion
     our services have been responsible for selecting the
     Jews who were to be arrested, and also for all the
     preparatory work, as well as for the technical
     organisation of the operations. The Jewish Card Index
     already described has considerably facilitated the
     organisation of all these operations."
     
The next heading is "Anti-Jewish Institute," next is
"Obligatory Grouping of the Jews." And finally, "Tuesday
Conferences." I shall read paragraph 2:

     "A conference has been held every Tuesday since the
     middle of 1941" -- Page 5 of the document -- "attended
     by representatives of the following offices:
     
     (1) Military Command, Administrative Staff, Administrative Section.
     (2) Administrative Staff, Police Group.
     (3) Administrative Staff, Economic Section.
     (4) German Embassy in Paris.
     (5) Operations Staff West of Reichsleiter Rosenberg.
     
     The result of these conferences was that, except in
     very rare and isolated cases, Jewish policy in the
     occupied territories could be made absolutely uniform."
     
THE PRESIDENT: We will break off now.

                    (A recess was taken.)
                              

Home ·  Site Map ·  What's New? ·  Search Nizkor