MR. FENSTERMACHER: Next, on page 77 in the English and page 65 in the German, Enclosure 38 to this report of the Wehrmacht Commander Southeast to OKH in Berlin this time referring to the Reorganization of the Channels of Command Southern Greece.
General Loehr suggests to the OKW W. F. St. the following reorganization in the Channels of Command in South Greece:
1) Staff Commander Southern Greece retains its present form as a Wehrmacht Office.
2) As before the direction of t he supply for Army, Luftwaffe and Navy by seaways remains as before the task of Wehrmacht Commander Southern Greece in accordance with the directive of Wehrmacht Commander Southeast.
3) After withdrawal of Air District Headquarters Southeast an Air District Staff for special employment for the total area of the Wehrmacht Commander Southeast including Crete is to be subordinated to Wehrmacht Commander Southeast.
4) Commandant Fortress Crete will be subordinated directly to Wehrmacht Commander Southeast. The supply for Crete will be regulated as before by Commander South Greece in accordance with the directives of Wehrmacht Commander Southeast and in detail according to the requisitions of Commandant Crete.
MR. FENSTERMACHER: Finally, on page 78 of the English and page 65 of the German, Enclosure 40, dated 28 August 1942, Situation in the area of the 2nd Italian Army.
The Chief of General Staff General Foertsch reports to OKW, WFST and to the OKH on the situation in the area of the 2nd Italian Army during the period from 10 - 20.8.42
MR. FENSTERMACHER: This is signed "For the Wehrmacht Commander Southeast (12th Army), The Chief of the General Staff." I would like to call Your Honors' attention to the size of this document from which we have just been reading excerpts. The portion from which we have been reading takes only from page 61 to page 78 in Your Honors' Document Books, and the size of the document which has been furnished for the Defense is this large (indicating by holding up book). Turning next to page 79 of the English and page 66 of the German Document Book is No. NOKW-977, which is offered as Prosecution's Exhibit No. 212.
This document consists of situation reports of various subordinate units, to the 717th Infantry Division. "The 717 Infantry Division was subordinated to: from 1 Jan. 42 to 2 March 42 to the LXV Corps Command for special use from 3 March 42 to 31 Dec. 42 to the Commanding General and Commander in Chief in Serbia". Turning first to t he Daily Report of the 19th of March 1942, "500 Jews after having been deloused were transported from Mitrovica to Semlin." Next, there follows a table for the 737th Infantry Regiment, listing the Day, Place of Commitment, Unit, and Purpose of Operation, performed by the Regiments. I will call Your Honors' attention to the activity of the Regiment on the 17th of March, when it was committed at Kragulevac, and the subordinate unit of the Regiment which was involved was the 11th Company, and its purpose of operation was a "Reprisal measure, 121 shot to death." Continuing with the report of the 737th Infantry Regiment on page 80 of the English and page 66 of the German, the prescribed form was not used in order to economize on paper, as neither we nor the enemy suffered any losses throughout the operations. Only in the reprisal measures carried out by the 3rd Battalion 737th Infantry Regiment in Kragujevac during the time from 24 February to 7 March eighty prisoners and within the period from 17 March to 23 March one hundred seventy one prisoners were shot to death.
MR. FENSTERMACHER: And then, there is a handwritten note.
24 Feb. to 23 March 201 prisoners shot to death.
(Signature) Saldern (?)
I think we may skip now to page 82 of the English, page 67 of the German, the daily report of the 749th Infantry Regiment for the 6th of May 1942, "45 Communists were moved from Cacak to Germany (work camp)."
Next the report of the 717th Infantry Division dated 11 May 1942, subject: Combating of Insurgents in Southern Serbia, under paragraph 5, task: "Insurgents are to be annihilated when found. Leniency towards these elements is not in order."
Next at the bottom of page 82 of the English, 68 of the German, the daily report for the 24th of May 1942, "In order to prevent further acts of sabotage and raids 100 hostages shall be arrested from Section West, 50 hostages from Section Middle. At the suggestion of Mayor Uzice." Beg your pardon, that should continue as all one sentence.
Next on page 83 of t he English and 68 of the German is an enclosure to the activity report of the 717th Infantry Division dated 15th of August 1942, with its subject "Enemy Situation." Report for the period from the 1st to the 15th of August, 1942. Under Enemy Situation, Section South:
A larger operation of the 749th Infantry Regiment from Biljanovac (12 kilometers north of Raska) and Rudnica (8 kilometers southeast of Raska.) towards the east against the Kopaonik (Bloca) went on without contact with the enemy. The Bulgarian troops guarding the frontier to the West captured 10 men carrying arms. The men were shot by Bulgarians after having been interrogated. Among them were 3 Englishmen, one of whom is supposed to have been an officer. It is assumed that they were not parachutists but escaped prisoners of war.
The bad stake of their clothes seems to confirm this.
Next on page 84 of the English - well, if Your Honors please, I think we may skip these intervening pages and continue on page 87 of the English and 70 of the German with the daily report of the 7th of October, 1942.
"Units of the 3rd Battalion, 737th Regiment search Mihajlevci (26 kilometers southeast of Ruma). Fortified positions found in a house, 1 case of bandages captured, house burned down, 4 partisans shot in flight, inhabitants of house arrested."
Next is the report of the 22nd of October, 1942: "The 1st Company of the 737th Infantry Regiment Captures 18 partisans in Mihaljevci (22 kilometers southeast of Ruma). On the way back they are fired on by 40 partisans at point 78 (1 kilometer south of Prhovo - 20 kilometers southeast of Ruma). 5 enemy dead, 18 prisoners shot to death; own losses; 3 wounded."
Next on page 89 of the English and 71 of the German is a fuller account by the 717th Infantry Division on the reprisal measures against the town which has been referred to here on two occasions earlier as Mihaljevci an d Prhovo.
On 23 Oct. 42 the reprisal measure against Mihaljevci is to be carried out.
For this purpose 2 Companies transported on trucks equipped with heavy weapons and 4 armored cars will be employed.
Measures to be carried out:
1) The place to be encircled; the population to be assembled and interrogated concerning the whereabouts of those killed and the truck of the 717th Communications Company. Men from 16 years of age and over and single women are to be taken along for deportation. Cattle and other means of maintenance are to be carried away on vehicles belonging to the village. Mihaljevci is to be burned down.
2) Secondary operation against Prhovo; it is possible that the Communists who made the raid on 21 Oct. come from there. The population to be interrogated and 30 hostages to be arrested.
In both villages the reasons for the reprisal measure are to be made known and these reasons are also to be made known to the population of neighboring communities as a threat that the measures will be carried out again if similar incidents should reoccur.
3) The operation is to begin shortly before daybreak, so that the villages will be reached early in the morning, In approaching watch out for bell and other signals.
The order is signed: by Dr. Hinghofer, the Commander of the 717th Infantry Division Turning next to page 93 of the English, page 72 of the German, the entry for the 14th of November, 1942, concerning the reports of the 717th Infantry Division:
The 1st Company of the 737th Regiment arrests 14 suspects in Dob rinci (10 kilometers southeast of Ruma), 1 armed Communist, found hiding shot to death (the corpse was hanged up in public as a warning) 2 houses (Communist courier and leader of youth) burned down.
On the night of 12 Nov. a railroad security patrol composed of Volksdeutsche arrested an English officer who jumped out of a moving train near Babinci (8 kilometers southeast of Sid); given over to S.D.
Turning next to page 95 of the English, page 73 of the German, the daily report of the Division for the 18th of November, 1942, "Combat Troop, 1st Battalion, 737th Regiment contact with the enemy north of Popinci (17 kilometers southeast of Ruma); 2 Communists killed, 13 prisoners shot to death."
Turning next to page 97 of the English and 74 of the German, it is Document NOKW01443 which is offered as Prosecution Exhibit 213; with the introduction of this document and the two succeeding documents, we turn our attention to Greece for the period during which the defendant Kuntze was Commander-in-Chief of the 12th Army and simultaneously Wehrmacht Commander Southeast and the defendant Foertsch was his Chief of Staff, first is a report of the Commander Saloniki Aegean dated 3 November 1941 to the Armed Forces Commander Southeast. I ask Your Honors to note particularly the change which takes place during the period of time covered by this and the two succeeding documents.
This is 3 November 1941. The documents which will follow are of January 1942 and February 1942. The subject of the Commander Saloniki Aegean's report is the political situation, compared to preceding months, has become more acute. Especially around the middle of the month incidents of various types increased: an attack on a Wehrmacht vehicle on the road Saloniki-Serres, to which 2 members of the Navy fell victim; several cables destroyed; one serious act of sabotage at a railway workshop; local resistance to Greek gendarmes; and others. By energetic employment of fast patrols by the troops the centers of unrest were wiped out at the start. During this extreme severity was applied to achieve deterring effects. Of the total of 488 shootings carried out so far, 442 took place during the month covered in the report. 10 persons were hanged.
In addition 4 death sentences by courts martial were carried out. 3 villages were burned down, because they served as support to insurgents. In the course of the burning ammunition, and even in some Cases, explosives blew up in many houses. Of the 164 inmates of the Concentration Camp, 68 were sent there during the month reported on. The energetic treatment had its effect; at the end of the month an apparent easing of the situation is noted.
In order to strike at members of the bands personally who fled to the mountains, a proclamation was made to the population, asking everybody who has left his village to return within 10 days; the property of inhabitants who have not returned to their homes will be burned.
It is signed on page 99 of the English and page 75 of the German by von Krenzki, the Commander Saloniki Aegean.
Turning next to page 100 of the English and 76 of the German, Document NOKW-1392, it is offered as Prosecution Exhibit 214. This is another report of the Commander Saloniki Aegean to the Wehrmacht Commander Southeast, this time dated 6 January 1942 and being a monthly administration report for the month of December, 1941.
The political situation remained outwardly calm. A certain inner tension, resulting from the military set-backs in Russia and Africa and from the food situation, which is deteriorating, should not be overlooked. Several small attempts by means of explosives on the railway line and against the house of the leader of the former E.E.E. (National Socialist Party of Greece) are to be considered as individual acts. However, in order to show from the very beginning that if necessary the same severity would be used against disturbers of the quiet as was necessary in October, 12 Communists taken from a. concentration camp were shot dead, according to martial law, in retaliation.
Communist propaganda has increased. It appears that they have succeeded in harnessing even intellectual circles for subversive Communist activities. According to the figures on 29 December, 1941, 370 arrestees were kept in concentration camps.
Signed the Commander Saloniki/Aegean, Major General von Krenzki.
Finally, on page 102 of the English, 77 of the German, Document NOKW-1398, which is offered as Prosecution Exhibit 215, this again is an activity report of the Commander Saloniki Aegean dated February 1942.
This, if your Honors please, completes the presentation in Document Book VIII.
THE PRESIDENT: At this point, we will discontinue, to resume at half-past one.
(The Tribunal recessed to 1330 hours.)
AFTERNOON SESSION (The hearing reconvened at 1330 hours.)
THE MARSHAL: The persons in the courtroom will be seated.
The Tribunal is again in session.
JUDGE BURKE: You may proceed, Mr. Denney.
MR. DENNEY: Thank you. In view of the ruling of the Tribunal this morning with reference to Exhibits 4a for identification and 100a for identification, at this time I should like to give the Secretary General the exhibit which is Exhibit No. 071-PS and ask that it be marked Exhibit 4b in evidence. If Your Honors will recall, we have been using the letter "a" for identification purposes.
JUDGE BURKE: It will be admitted.
MR. DENNEY: And with Your Honors' permission I should like to refer to that portion of the exhibit which has to do with the defendant List. It is a letter of 23 April 1941 and it is directed to Reich Director (Reichsleiter) Bormann, at present at the Fuehrer's headquarters. It starts out, "Dear Party Member Bormann--" and I think we may turn to page 9 of the English which is the second numbered paragraph of the letter.
JUDGE BURKE: Is this Exhibit 4 to which you are referring?
MR. DENNEY: Yes, sir, Exhibit 4b in evidence. The interpreters and stenographers do not have the book. I would request them that they bring all copies of the books to courts because from time to time this situation is going to arise again and obviously it is impossible to read excerpts if they have no copies and it is submitted that an out of hand translation is not what the record wants, particularly in these exhibits to which objections have been made and they are admitted.
JUDGE BURKE: You wish a suggestion from the Tribunal.
MR. DENNEY: Yes, sir.
JUDGE BURKE: Very well, we can see that the suggestion is a good one.
MR. DENNEY: Thank you, Your Honor.
INTERPRETER: What book?
MR. DENNEY: Document Book 1.
JUDGE BURKE: Is your thought that they be procured now?
MR. DENNEY: I think we might pass it at the time.
JUDGE BURKE: Yes, and go to some current matter.
MR. DENNEY: I can come back to it at a later time when the books are available.
Turning now to Document Book 9, the prosecution offers as Exhibit 216 in evidence Document NOKW-858, which appears on page 1 of the English and German text. This is an affidavit executed on 12 March 1947 by the defendant Curt Ritter von Geitner.
JUDGE BURKE: Is this Exhibit No. 216?
MR. DENNEY: No. 216, if Your Honor pleases.
"Affidavit:
"I, Curt Ritter von Geitner, do swear, state and declare:
"I was born on 3.5.1885 at the Truppacher Hof near Zweibruecken, Rhenish Palatinate, as a son of the tenant farmer Ernst Geitner and his wife Maria nee Wolff. When father died in 1889, mother moved with us to the city of Zweibruecken. There I attended elementary school from 1890 to 1893. I then attended the Humanistic Gymnasium, where I graduated in July 1902.
"On 19 July 1902 I joined the Royal Bavarian 5th Field Artillery Regiment Landau (Palatinate). From 1 March 1903 to 31 January 1904 I attended the Military Academy in Munich. I was made a lieutenant on 12 March 1904. I attended the artillery school in Munich from 1 October 1906 to 15 August 1907. I became a 1st lieutenant on 12 March 1912. On 1 October 1913 I was detailed to the Military Academy in Munich.
"On 4 August 1914 I went to the front, as staff officer, with the mounted detachment of my regiment (Bavarian Cavalry Division) (France). In the winter of 1914/15 I became chief of the 1st Mounted Battery with which I went to the Russian theater of war in April 1915. I was promoted to captain on 15 August 1915. In September 1916 I was assigned to the General Staff of the XV Reserve Corps (West), and in September 1917 to the General Staff of the High Command of the Imperial German Army in the south (Galicia). This High Command was transferred to the West as High Command of the 19th Army in January 1918 (St. Avold). During World War I, I was decorated with:
the Iron Cross, 1st and 2nd Class, the Bavarian Military Merit Order, and in May 1916 the Bavarian Military Max Joxef Order, which carried with it the privilege of personal nobility.
"At the end of the war I left the army in order to join - by request of my childless cousin - the firm of Geitner and Co., a small factory producing ceramic dyes in Schneeberg/Erzgebirge (Saxony). For this position I prepared myself by studying chemistry at the Technical Institute in Munich in 1919 and 1920. Moving to Schneeberg I joined the firm as a partner on 1 January 1921. From September 1926 I was the manager.
"In 1936 without my doing anything about it I became major of the Reserve in the new Wehrmacht and on 8 September 1939 I was called up for war service, first as commander of an infantry replacement regiment in Zwickau (Saxony). On 1 March 1940, despite my express request I was detailed to the General Staff and transferred as IA officer to Wehrkreiskommando VIII in Breslau. Despite a renewed request to be used at the front I was transferred to the General Staff on 15 August 1940. On 25 October 1940 I became chief of the General Staff of the XXXXVth Corps Command in France. I was promoted to lieutenant colonel of the Reserve on 15 November 1940.
"In July 1941 I was ordered to the staff of Army Group Mitte (East), and on 31 January 1942 I was given a leave home and transferred to the Fuehrer Reserve. On 12 July 1942 I was ordered to Belgrade as chief of the Command Staff of the Commanding General and Commander in Serbia. From 1 July 1942 I was a colonel of the Reserve. In September 1943 I became chief of the Command Staff to the newly created Military Commander Southeast. On 1 April 1944 I was promoted to Generalmajor (brigadier general) of the Reserve and was relieved and transferred to the Fuehrer Reserve on 6 October 1944. On 31 December 1944 I was discharged from the General Staff and on 1 February 1945 I was appointed chief of the newly created office 'Operational Group Transportation Direction' (at Berlin, later Waltershausen near Gotha, Reichenhall, finally Zell am See, where I was taken prisoner on 9 May 1945)."During the 2nd World War I received the decorations:
the clasps for the Iron Cross, 1st and 2nd Class, and the War Merit Cross 2nd Class.
"In October 1933 I was transferred from the Stahlhelm as an honorary Fuehrer of an SA Standarte composed of members of the Stahlhelm. But after three and one-half months I was relieved because of political unreliability and no longer used as a Fuehrer. I became a Party member in the spring 1938.
"28 September 1909 I married Hedwig nee Kollmar. I have four sons, three of whom are living.
"I have read the statement above consisting of three pages in the German language and I declare that to the best of my knowledge and belief it is the entire truth. I have had the opportunity to make changes and corrections in the above statement. I have made this statement voluntarily without any promise of reward and I was neither threatened nor compelled to do so.
"Nuernberg, Germany, 12 March 1947.
(signed) C.R. von Geitner" In Your Honors' copy the certification of Mr. Kreilesheim is missing.
However, it is on the German original.
JUDGE BURKE: It is on our copy.
MR. DENNEY: Thank you, your Honor, it isn't on ours.
Certainly there were several stencils made in the process of running this document. The one I had does not contain the certification. It is on the German, as I stated, and I should like -- perhaps Your Honors would care to look at the original to see the photostatic copy of the defendant Geitner's signature. Your Honors have seen one on an order. It is the first signature appearing below that of Mr. Kreilisheim.
The next exhibit appears at page 4 of the English and page 4 of the German copies. It is NOKW 704 and is listed in the index as the service record of General Kurt von Geitner. It actually is the last three pages in the English copy. The first seven pages are excerpts from service records of other officers who served in the Southeast, and contain comments by some of the defendants here involved, which we submit are relevant.
We offer this as Prosecution Exhibit 217, in evidence.
Turning first, if your Honors will, to page 9 of the English, page 12 of the German copy. This is the American equivalent of a 201 file, which is the record which is kept -- Your Honors have seen others -with reference to the earlier named defendants, List, Weichs and Kuntze. And the only entry, I think we need concern ourselves with on the first page, which is page 9 of the English and page 12 of the German, and the one of 5 July 1942, Chief of General Staff of Commanding General and Commander in Serbia, and following that entry of 26 August 1943, the same position, which is Chief of General Staff with Military Commander Southeast, and then at the top appears the names, Geitner, Curt, Ritter von; and turning over to page 13 of the German and page 10 of the English, we see General Bader rating Geitner for his performance up to the period 1 March 1943. Bader, Your Honors will recall, was the Commanding General, Commander in Serbia, the one whom Geitner was serving as Chief of Staff during the period for which this command was made.
"Especial valuable individual, straightforward, open, energetic. Intelligent and comprehensive knowledge. National Socialist and General Staff officer of the old school, familiar with the present principles through private study and practice.
Great conscientious working force, with practical sense. Physically tough, possesses endurance. Adapted for commander. Especially impressive soldierly bearing. Above average. Adapted also for Chief of Staff of a regular corps."
And the defendant Foertsch had occasion to rate him at the same time:
"Foertsch, Chief of Staff, Army Group "E": Completely in agreement. Excellent Chief of Staff. Indispensable at the present time for Serbia."
And on the 31 August 1943 Felber, then the Military Commander Southeast rated him as follows:
"Has earned special merit for a year and a half as Chief of the General Staff of the Commanding General and Commander in Serbia, which has already led to repeated suggestions for preferential promotion. Now after the onslaight of work up till now and the size of the responsibility through the reorganization of the staff and the expansion of the authorities to the entire Southeast have been increased, a preferential promotion of the especially prudent and hard-working chief of the General Staff of the Military Commander, Southeast, appears justified. Deserves exceptional treatment as a person of above average formate and as an officer especially proven in two world wars. Adapted as commander."
And then Foertsch again, as Chief of Staff, and the Commander in Chief, Southeast:
"Suggestion is urgently endorsed. An excellent Chief of General Staff. Deserves priority promotion before the numerous other military and civilian offices."
And then on 1 March 1944, Felber, as Military Commander Southeast rated him again:
"Self-confident, clear personality. Succeeds, recognizes no difficulties. Excellent General Staff officer and Chief of the General Staff, who understands how to solve his often difficult missions with calm and a zest for work. Adapted for commander. Also adapted for Chief of Staff of a regular corps, but best utilized as before, most possibly under preferential promotion to Brigadier General."
And herewith follows the list of his promotions, which the Court already has before it.
Now, turning to some of the earlier pages, the personnel record of Major General Ringel, who was a general officer in the Gebirgstruppe or Mountain Troops. On 2 October 1944 the defendant Rendulic had occasion to rate him, page 5 of the English and page 6 of the German. At that time Rendulic was commander and Chief of the 20th Mountain Army:
"Energetic, personality. Outstanding leadership qualities. Enthusiastic National Socialist. No opportunity verification as Commanding General before the enemy."
On 7 August 1944, Field Marshal Frhr. v. Weichs, as Commander in Chief Southeast, had occasion to rate him, and he notes as the entry under Frhr. v. Weichs:
"Agreed: Ringel has gained an especially respected position by his capable handling of the Croatian offices in Zagreb. He stood the test also in operation in Hungary in a similar sense."
Then we come to Helge Aleb, who was a Lt. General of the Infantry-and this apparently seems to have been inserted only because the pages three and four come between pages two and five.
THE PRESIDENT: Is there any other reason for its appearance in the document?
MR. DENNEY: Well, he was acting commander general of the 69th special purpose corps in June 1944. It will come up about him later. There are no comments about him to be offered now. And General GlaiseHorstenau, who was plenipotentiary commanding general in Croatia, this was in 1943 and 1944.
Felber, on 8 March 1944, as Military Commander Southeast, rated him:
"Extraordinarily educated and intellectual personality. Proven National Socialist. Despite his age, vigorous and full of fire. Excellently proven in his difficult position. Political talent. Expert on the Southeast. Above average."
And then on 1 March 1944, the defendant Field Marshal Frhr. von Weichs, at that time, Commander in Chief Southeast, rated him:
"Educated in many fields, proven National Socialist. Proved himself fully as Plenipotentiary General, thanks to his good gift of observation, his political experience, and talents, as well as through his good talent for negotiation. Intellectually highly endowed. Physically sound. His strength lies more in political than in military fields due to his earlier political activity. Recognized historian and writer. Good expert on the Balkan area. On the negative side. Long abstinence from troop service. Above average in a special field."
And that, if your Honors please, concludes exhibit 217.
We now turn to page 15 of the German and page 12 of the English document, NOKW 1335. Perhaps your Honors have not yet seen one of those 201 files, the one which has just been offered, the photostatic copies of which are there.
I might point out at this time that we are now moving up to the third period, which will cover from August 1942 to 1943, and the defendant Foertsch, as Chief of Staff for the Armed Forces Commander Southeast, and Geitner as First Chief of Staff for the Commanding General and Plenipotentiary in Serbia, and later as Chief of Staff to the Armed Forces Commander Southeast. I am sorry -- later as Chief of Staff to Military Commander Southeast.
DR. LATERNSER (Counsel for the defendant List): Your Honors, looking at the photostat copy of Document 704, I see that that part which was read has not been included in the exhibit. This concerns the opinion Field Marshal Weichs passed on certain military leaders in the Balkans. In other words, that which the prosecutor has read is not proved by the document because here the corresponding pages are missing.
MR. DENNEY: I am sorry, Your Honor, they seem to have been omitted. We will supply them. We have them. We can perhaps get them up this afternoon. It is just an oversight in the grouping together of the exhibits.
JUDGE BURKE: Will the suggestion of the prosecution satisfy the objection that you have made, Doctor?
DR. LATERNSER: Yes, if it is brought up, otherwise, I would ask that it be omitted from the records.
MR. DENNEY: Sorry, Your Honor.
THE PRESIDENT: Mr. Denney, shouldn't the file go with that?
MR. DENNEY: I thought I'd keep it here, then we'd only have to worry about getting four pages back, if we get it; and this has been marked already with the exhibit number. If that is all right with Your Honor?
THE PRESIDENT: All right, on the other hand that might be one way of getting it there and getting it back.
MR. DENNEY: He does work for us. I am sure he will come back. We are now -
THE PRESIDENT: Pardon me, I didn't mean to infer that he wouldn't bring them back.
MR DENNEY: No, no, Your Honor, I quite understand. This is a very big place.
THE PRESIDENT: He might be lost.
MR. DENNEY: Yes sir.
Now, Exhibit 218, which is Document No. NOKW-1335. This is extracts from the War Diary of the Commanding General and Commander in Serbia for August 1942. None of the portions which we offer bear any signature. They are just extracts from the Diary. The first entry -
Could Major Hatfield have it for a moment, Dr. Laternser, to put the exhibit number on it, please?
Major Hatfield, I believe that is Exhibit Number 218.
The first entry of 12 August 1942, "In answer to a query by 1st Battalion/741st Regiment concerning retaliation measures in return for a racial German who had been murdered, Ia Section refers to order, to contact the Police President in Ruma. The insurgent village of Progor is to be bombed. Croatian Liaison Officer gives his consent.
"General Glaise-Horstenau saw the Chief (of staff): General Glaise announces the consent of the Croatian Government to evacuate Concentration Camp Semlin. Asks for increased deportation of Serbs to Germany as workers are urgently needed there. 25 August, Chief confers with adjutant IV b Section, Stabsarzt Winkler, about sanitary conditions in the Semlin Concentration Camp, where a daily death rate up to 100 prevails. The Croatian Government, in spite of promising to evacuate and feed the inmates, has not done anything yet. . .
"26 August 1942 - Dr. Puntigam, from the Office of the Plenipotentiary for Labor Employment at Zagreb, saw the Chief concerning recruitment of laborers for employment in the Reich . . .
"30 August 1942 - Order to Combat Group Borowski that, of those arrested, primarily strangers to the locality are to be regarded as suspects and are to be eliminated. . .
"31 August 1942 - SS Gruppenfuehrer Phelps reports to the Chief concerning intended employment of the SS Division."
Then at page 14 of the English and 18 of the German, Document NOKW-1127, is offered as prosecution's Exhibit 219 in evidence. This is an order of the Commanding General in Serbia with reference to the formation of Combat Group Borowski and the treatment of strangers and prisoners, which is mentioned in the Diary entry of the 30th of August 1942, in the previous exhibit.
It is dated 21 August 1942, Commanding General and Commander in Serbia:
"The center of unrest in Syrmia is the Fruska Gora. According to estimates the enemy is supposed to have more than about 2000 armed at his disposal, chiefly in the Eastern half. The regrouping of the divisions will be exploited to make a thrust against the enemy in the Fruska Gora. For this a Group Borowski will be formed.
"Units: Commander: Brigadier General Borowski with portions of the 704th Division and the assigned platoon of the 521st Signal Regiment."
And then on page 2 of the original, dropping down to paragraph 7, still on English page 14;
"The following guiding principles are given for the treatment of the population: In this area there are very many racial Germans as well as Serbs, besides a few Slovacs.
"According to available authoritative information the villages are often terrorized only by a few brutal partisans while the majority of the population continues its quiet work.
"Who is found bearing arms or giving aid is to be shot.
"In the mountain villages the male insurgent Serbian population between 17 and 50 years of age is to be arrested and to be brought to the Semlin reception camp, in as far as it is not needed to bring in the harvest." And it is typed, the Commanding General and Commander in Serbia, Deputy. And there is a signature of a Major General, and the distribution list.
Page 19 of the German and page 16 of the English -- no, excuse me. There is -- this is, the last page of this order continues on page 16 of the English and page 19 of the German. There it is receipted for, and there is a teletype below it again to the Combat Group Borowski from the Commanding General and Commander in Serbia, dated 30 August 1942.
"The Commander-in-Chief has directed that primarily those people amongst the arrested who do not belong to the locality are to be regarded as suspected partisans and are to be done away with. These people are to be regarded as alien-to-the-locality who have lately migrated there from another area without a plausible reason." The Commanding General and Commander in Serbia
JUDGE CARTER: Mr. Denny, am I correct in assuming that General Bader is in Serbia and General Loehr in the Southeast?
MR. DENNEY: Yes, sir, Bader is still in Belgrade. And General Loehr is now the Armed Forces Commander Southeast.
JUDGE CARTER: Might I inquire against what defendant this is offered?
MR. DENNEY: This is offered as against the defendant Geitner as chief of staff to Bader, who sent the communication, Your Honor.
If Your Honors, please, I now have the complete copy of prosecution's Exhibit 217 in evidence, which I hand to the assistant to the Secretary General to give to Dr. Laternser for his examination.
Then turning to page 17 of the English, 20 in the German, prosecution's Exhibit 220, Document No. NOKW-811. These are extracts of notes on conferences of the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Commander Southeast. The first note, file note for 17 August '42, refers to a: "Speech of Lieutenant Colonel, Staff Corps, Pfafferoot, concerning the political situation: In India, great rush of the people to the Indian Communist Party, which in the National Congress forms only a small part of the Indian people. 380 million souls live in India, of which 280 million are Indians, the rest Mohammedans, 221 languages! The situation and circumstances in India are obscure. In America, celebration of the anniversary of the meeting of Roosevelt and Churchill for the new proclamations of the basis of the war aims. France: For 150,000 Frenchmen, who will work in Germany a similar number of Prisoners of war were released. Changing of Turkish am bassadors in Berlin, Turkey has emphasized her neutrality again.
Churchill has arrived in Russia.
"Speech of the Chief of Staff concerning the situation in our own territory:
"Croatia: The enemy has suffered considerable losses again in the last three weeks: 2,868 dead, 182 wounded, 4,200 arrested, 677 shot as reprisal measures. Germans: 24 dead, 32 wounded, 5 missing. Croats: 80 dead, 137 wounded, 13 missing."