Archive/File: imt/tgmwc/tgmwc-20/tgmwc-20-190.10
Last-Modified: 1999/10/26


                    RE-DIRECT EXAMINATION

BY DR. SERVATIUS:

Q. Witness, the document, the order of the Deputy of the Fuehrer,
Hess,of 13th March, 1940, was shown to you. It is Page 43 in the German
document book. The order contains instructions to the civilian
population on their conduct in the event of landings of enemy planes or
parachutists on German Reich territory. You were referred to No. 4,
where it says: "Likewise enemy parachutists are immediately to be
arrested and made harmless." You observe that the letter is dated 1940;
what was the situation in the air at that time?

A. I no longer have the letter, but I remember that it was dated 1940.
My first answer to this question was meant to express that the air
situation and the whole war situation at that time permitted only a
humane interpretation of this term, if it was looked upon as misleading.

Q. Was there not a danger that airmen would land for espionage purposes
and were not the words "to make them harmless" used in that connection?

A. All sorts of people were parachuted from planes -- airmen in
distress, sabotage units, agents in civilian clothes, and so on. To
which of those groups these words refer is not clearly indicated in the
text.

Q. May I call your attention to number 2 which says Airmen are to be
arrested immediately and resistance or destruction of the plane is to be
prevented," and number 4 says "Enemy parachutists are likewise to be
arrested and made harmless." Does not the use of the term " likewise "
show that the order is concerned primarily only with the arrest of the
airmen?

A. I repeat that in the war situation of 1940 1 understood the term "un-
schaedlich " to mean solely to disarm them, but in no case to maltreat
or to kill them.

DR. SERVATIUS: I have no further questions to put to the witness.

BY THE PRESIDENT:

0. Witness, were these political leaders paid, paid salaries by the
Party?

A. No. A very small percentage, less than 0.1 per cent, were, in my
estimate, paid officials. The majority of them were honorary, unpaid
officials.

Q. That applies to all the ranks of the Party officials, does it?

A. No. The amount of work involved in the higher positions was too great
to be discharged in one's spare time, in an, honorary capacity along
with one's own professional duties.

Q. Were all the Gauleiter paid?

A. After the seizure of power, yes; if they did not hold a State office.

                                                              [Page 104]

Q. And what were they paid -- how much?

A. I myself never received a salary as a Gauleiter. Up to 1928 I earned
my own livelihood. From 1928 on, I was a parliamentary delegate, and
from 1933 I was a Reich Governor. The cases of most of my comrades were
similar.

Q. You mean from 1933 on most of them had State offices which carried
salaries?

A. Yes.

0. And what about the Kreisleiter?

A. Up to the seizure of power, all Kreisleiter were, on principle,
honorary, unpaid officials.

Q. And after?

A. And later also for a number of years. I estimate that the majority of
them became officials and received salaries from 1937 or 1938 onwards.
But even then there were exceptions.

Q. Became State officials, you mean?

A. No, not State officials -- Party employees.

Q. And received salaries; I see. And the lower ranks, the
Ortsgruppenleiter and the Blockleiter?

A. No. From Kreisleiter down, all were honorary officials.

Q. Even after 1933

A. Yes.

Q. And after 1937?

A. Also. Some of the most important members of the staff of the Kreis
leiter were paid, but the majority of his staff were honorary officials.
From Ortsgruppenleiter down, including Ortsgruppenleiter, all were
honorary, unpaid officials.

Q. From what source were they paid, when they were paid?

A. By the Reich Treasurer of the Party.

Q. And from what source did he get the money to pay them?

A. From the contributions of members of the movement.

Q. The funds of the Party were kept separate, were they?

A. The Reich Treasurer's financial administration was completely
separate.

Q. Were the accounts of the Party published?

A. No. I only know that occasionally at conferences With the Fuehrer the
Reich Treasurer made a brief financial report, but that was not
published.

Q. Was there any reference to Party funds in the State budget or the
State accounts?

A. No. On the contrary, I had the impression that the Reich Treasurer
disposed of very extensive funds from the revenues of the party
insurance, and from the fees of members.

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