Nuremberg - The Trial of German Major War Criminals (Volume VI)

Fifty-First Day: Tuesday, 5th February, 1946
(Part 10 of 14)

M. FAURE: Gentlemen, in order not to prolong the discussion too much I would like, if it please the Tribunal, to submit all the documents in my book, but to read and analyse only some of the most important.

I will, then, pass over Exhibits RF 1211, 1212, 1213 and 1214. I should like, however, to draw the attention of the Tribunal to the end of the mimeographed French text. As the letter "K" appeared on the document, the word "Keitel" was written in, quite wrongly. I should like to say that this does not

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occur in the document. I should like to read this Exhibit RF 1215, which is very short:

"Secret Telegram -- 13th May, 1942. To the Chief of the area in accordance with instructions from the Commanding General of the Army.
The words 'dispatch to the East' must not be used in announcements referring to the forced evacuation of the population, so as to avoid creating a bad reputation for the occupied regions in the East. The same applies for the expression 'deportation,' this word being too strongly reminiscent of the banishment to Siberia at the time of the Czars. In all publications and correspondence we must use the phrase 'dispatch for forced labor.'"

Exhibit RF 1216, which I offer in evidence now, is another memorandum from Dannecker, dated 10th March, 1942. The purpose of this memorandum is defined as "Deportation from France of 5,000 Jews." The title is enough to indicate the subject of the document. Dannecker alludes to a meeting of the delegates for Jewish Questions, a meeting which took place at the R.S.H.A. in Berlin, on 4th March, 1942, at which it was decided that negotiations would be undertaken for the deportation of 5,000 Jews from France. The memorandum, paragraph 4, second sentence:

"Jews of French nationality must be deprived of their nationality before being deported, or at the latest on the day of the deportation itself."

In a subsequent passage of the document Dannecker explains that the expenses of this deportation would have to be paid by the French Jews, since in the case of impending mass deportations of Jews from Czechoslovakia, provision had been made for the Slovakian Government to pay a sum of 500 Rentenmarks for each Jew deported, and, in addition, to bear the cost of deportation.

I now offer in evidence Exhibit RF 1217, which is a memorandum of 15th June, 1942, headed, "Other Transports of Jews Coming from France."

It is still dealing with the same operation, but I believe it is interesting to submit these documents without reading them, since they show the extremely complex and regular working of this administration whose purpose was to arrest and deport innocent people. The beginning of the memorandum alludes to a new conference held in Berlin on 11th June, 1942, and attended by those responsible for the Jewish Departments in Brussels and The Hague, as well as by Dannecker himself. In the fourth paragraph on Page 1 of this document, I read the last sentence of the paragraph:

"Ten per cent. of Jews unfit for labor may be included in these convoys."

This sentence shows that the purpose of this deportation was not merely to procure labor.

I should like also to read the fifth paragraph, which contains only one sentence:

"It was agreed that 15,000 Jews should be expelled from Holland, 10,000 from Belgium, and up to 100,000 from France, including the unoccupied zone."

The last part of the memorandum relates to the technical procedure. It refers first to negotiations with the transport service to obtain the necessary trains. It then refers to the necessity of inducing the de facto French Government to take steps to deprive of their nationality all Jews resident outside of French territory. This would mean that deported Jews would no longer be considered as French citizens. Lastly, the French State was to pay the cost of transport and various expenses connected with the deportation.

I now present Exhibit RF 1218, which is a memorandum dated 16th June, 1942, entitled "The Transportation of Jews from France"; subject, order from S.S. Obersturmbannfuehrer Eichmann to S.S. Hauptsturmfuehrer Dannecker,

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11th June, 1942. The first three paragraphs of this memorandum show that there was difficulty in transporting deportees, because of the large quantity of railway stock necessary for the preparation of the Eastern campaign.

I should like to read the last two paragraphs of this letter:

"We are now carrying out a large-scale reorganisation of the transport companies in France. The main feature of this is that the numerous organisations existing hitherto will be taken over by the Reich Ministry of Transport, which will be responsible for them. This reorganisation, which was ordered without notice, takes a few days to complete. It is impossible to give approximate information before that date as to whether the transportation of Jews can be carried out in the near future or at a later date, on the scale anticipated, or even partially."

These details seemed to me interesting as defining the responsibility of the Reich Cabinet. Such a large undertaking as the deportation of so many Jews required the intervention of many different administrative services, and we see here that the success of this enterprise depended on the reorganisation of transport on the responsibility of the Reich Ministry of Transport. It is certain that a ministerial department of this kind -- which is above all a technical department -- intervened to help carry out that general enterprise of deportation.

I now submit Exhibit RF 1219, which is a memorandum, dated 15th June, 1942, by Dr. Knochen. This memorandum is entitled, "Arrangement of new Convoys of Jews from France." Not to take too much time I shall read only the first paragraph of this memorandum:

"To avoid any conflict with the operation in progress with regard to French workmen for Germany, we will only speak of Jewish transfers. The convoys may include entire families and therefore the possibility is left open of sending at a later date for the children under 16, who were left behind."

The remainder of the memorandum, like all these texts, which are so extremely painful from a ethical point of view, continues to discuss the question of the deportation of the Jews in round figures, as if all these human beings were mere goods and chattels.

I now submit Exhibit RF 1220, which is a letter from the German Ambassador in Paris, Dr. Zeitschel, dated 27th June, 1942. I should like to read this letter:

"Following my conversation with Hauptsturmfuehrer Dannecker on 27th June, during which he stated that he needed as soon as possible 50,000 Jews from the free zone for deportation to the East, and agreed on his side to support the operations of Darquier de Pellepoix, the General Commissar on Jewish questions, I immediately informed Ambassador Abetz and Counsellor Rahm of this matter. Counsellor Rahm is to meet President Laval this afternoon, and he promised to discuss with him at once the handing over of these 50,000 Jews, as well as the question of giving plenary powers to Darquier de Pellepoix, in conformity with the laws already promulgated, and the immediate granting of the credits promised him.
As unfortunately I shall be away from Paris for a week, and in view of the urgency of the question, I should like Hauptsturmfuehrer Dannecker to get in touch with Counsellor Rahm, on Monday, 29th, or Tuesday, 30th, at the latest, to learn Laval's reply."

I thought it useful to read this letter, for it shows the responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the defendant Ribbentrop in this abominable matter of handing over 50,000 Jews as required. It is quite evident that such a step could not have been taken by a counsellor at an Embassy without his Minister's full knowledge and consent.

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I submit now Exhibit RF 1221. It is a memorandum dated 26th June, 1942, of which I shall give only the title: "Directives for the Deportation of Jews."

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