Of course he looted; he was Goering's Plenipotentiary for the 4-year plan and he looted, so to say, be it merely in this capacity.
He sent over 2 million Poles to Germany for forced labour.
The attempt of the, defense to represent Frank as the "enemy of coercive methods of recruitment" can be based only on the assumption that nobody excepting counsel USSR-223 had studied Frank's diaries.
For Frank never can escape page 6 documents such as the minutes of the meeting of the depart ment leaders dated 12 April 1940, or the notes of Gauleiter Sauckel of the 18 August 1942, or the transcript of the meeting with Buehler, Krueger and others of the 21 April 1941.
But he sent people to forced labour in order to wring them dry in the interests of the Reich before sending them to their doom.
The regime, set up by Hans Frank throughout Poland during all the stages of the temporary German domination in this country, was a regime for the inhuman destruction of millions of people by means of varied, but equally criminal, methods.
It is not merely incidental that the German-fascist assassins who annihilated 11 thousand Polish prisoners of war in Katyn forest should refer to the regime which Frank instituted in Poland as an example of his own activities (as the Tribunal has been able to ascertain not so very long ago in this court-room from the evidence presented by the former deputy to the mayor of Smolensk - professor Basilovski.)
I consider it to be particularly important, at this point to emphasize the conception Frank had of the relations with the Polish population after the war:
" insistently draw your attention, said Frank, "to the fact that, should peace be concluded, nothing would change in our treatment.
This peace will signify that we, as a 29 July A LJG 20-4 world power, will conduct more firmly then hitherto our USSR-223 general line of policy.
This pence would signify that we will have to carry out colonization on an grandiose scale, but the principle will not have changed."
This was stated in 1940, when Frank was contemplating the first mass murder of the Polish intelligentsia, the so-called "AB" action.
In 1944, at the meeting of the agricultural leaders at Zakopane Frank said:
"If we win the war, then in my opinion we could make mincemeat of the Poles and Ukrainians and of all these who are idling around the Government-General.
If only we keep USSR-223 then in subordination during war-time -- come what may". page 21 It was not Frank's fault, that as early as in 1944, dreaming to make "minced meat" of the Poles and Ukrainians he was compelled to add:
"If we win the war". At this time he could not he as emphatic in his utterings as on 2nd August 1943, whom at the reception of the Party speakers in the Royal Palace in Cracow he spoke about the exterminated Polish Jews:
USSR-223 "Here we started out with 3,500,000 Jews; now but a page 21 few workers remain from this number. All the others, we shall some day say, emigrated."
Frank himself as well as his counsel tried to affirm that the defen-
dant had known nothing abort what was going on at the concentration camps of the General Government.
However, in this very Secret report addressed to Hitler by Frank, which the defense counsel tried to utilize on behalf of Frank to may find a confirmation of the fact that Frank was well informed abut what was happening in the camps It is said there:
"Most of the Polish intellectuals are not susceptible to the influence of the news from Katyn and in answer quote similar atrociti in Auschwitz."
Then Frank, cites a highly characteristic passage describing the reaction of the polish workers to the provoking communications of the Germans about Katyn:
"There are concentration camps in Auschwitz and Maidanek, where mass murder of the Poles was carried out along chain-production lines."
And further:
"Today, unfortunately, the Polish public opinion and not only the intellectuals, compare Katyn to the mass death rate in the German concentration camps, as well as to the shooting of men, woemn, and even of children, and old people when carrying out collective punish ment in the districts," After the "secret report" addressed to Hitler there was no other "new course" on Frank's part.
On the contrary Frank published his regulation of 2nd October 1943, which the defendant himself termed as "dreadful", when questioned by his counsel.
After his regulation had been carried into effect many thousands of innocent people became his victims.
The number of executions increased steadily till it amounted to 200 persons executed at a time in Warsaw.
The same thin happened in the streets of all the Polish towns, where the so-called "police courts" carried out executions, as it is said USSR-335 in the text of the regulation itself, immediately following the verdic The people doomed to die were brought to the place of execution wearing paper clothing, with their lips glued together with sticking **aster, their mouth stuffed with plaster, bled white in prison.
At the state conference held in Cracow on 16th December 1943, where Frank stated with great satisfaction that the executionshad "favou rable consequences", another question was simultaneously discussed.
In the records of this conference it is said : USSR-223 "We must discuss the question whether, it is possible to arrange Pag. 20 special places of execution, as it has been established that the Polish population gathers at accessible places of execution to collect the earth saturated with blood into vessels which they place in Churches."
The defense counsel tried to speak here about interminable disen sions of Frank with the police; he had allegedly disagreed with their action.
Let us see what kind of dissensions these were.
The first "sonder-action" carried out in Poland, namely : te AB operation -a physical extermination of several thousands Polish intellectuals-had not been initiated by the police, but had been initiated by Frank himself.
According to the Decree of Hitler of 2nd May 1942, the director of the police was subordinated to the Governor General.
When some, dissensions between Frank and the chief of the police did arise, it was Krueger who had to leave his post of police chief, whereas Frank remained Governor General of Poland.
As for the Obergruppenfuehrer Koppe, who took the place of Krueger, who else was it but Frank who expresse his thanks to him on 16th December 1943, for shooting the hostages, his gratitude for his fruitful work' and noted with satisfaction "great specialist is at the head of the police at the Government General". It is incomprehensible about what dissensions concerning the policy was counsel Seidl talking about.
His counsel even tried to represent Frank as "a Singularly peaceful anti-semite", who entertaining a negative attitude towards the Jewish people never initiated massacres of the Jew or even instiga ted same.
It is incomprehensible in this case how the following words of Frank would be interpreted by the counsel:
"The Jews are a race that should be exterminated. Where ever we USSR-223 catch even one he shall he done away with."
pag. 22 Or his declaration at the government sitting of 12th August 1942, when he said :"That 1,2 million Jews have been condemned by us to starvation is quite comprehensible.
It stands to reason that if these Jews do not die of starvation, this will lead to precipitated active measures directed against the Jews."
Thecriminal activity of the henchman of the Polish nation led to the extermination of millionsof people.
USSR-223 "You see how the state organs are working; you see that they page 16 don't hesitate before anything and stand up people by the dozen against the wall". - This is the manner in which Frank himself at a conference of the Standartenfuhrers held the 18 March 1942, characterized the bloody regime of terror set up throughout Poland.
USSR-223 "I did not hesitate to declare that for one German killed up page 21. to a hundred Poles would be shot" - these words were pronounc ced by Frank on the 15 January 1944 at a meeting of the poli tical leaders of the NSDAP.
USSR-223 "Had I gone to the Fuhrer and told him:'My Fuhrer, I am repopage 22 rting to you that I have exterminated another 150,000 Poles', he would have said:
'Perfect, if it was indispensable'" stated on the 18 March 1944 whilst making a speech at the Reichshof, that very same Frank who now tries to convince the Tribunal that he had some "diferences of opinion on matters of principle" with Hitler and Himmler.
The declarations that Frank made during the first months of his stay in Poland were a veritable program of murders which were perpetrated by the defendant methodically, ruthlessly and according to plan.
Frank, of course, was fully aware of the fact that should war not bring victory with it, he would have to carry the full responsibility for the crimes committed in Poland as well as for his participation in the fascist conspiracy.
As early as 1943 Frank spoke about this at a meeting with his accomplices.
We must give credit where it is due: as a lawyer he was much more correct in his depiction and for mulation of the concepts of a criminal conspiracy that cer tain lawyers at this trial, who, basing themselves on out moded understandings, endeavour to dispute the foundation for a conspiracy put forward by the Prosecution.
It was at this government meeting held in the presence of the police on the 25 January 1943 that the Governor-General of that time declared to Himmler's hyenas:
USSR-223 "...I would like to emphasize one point: we must not squirm page 18. when we hear of 17,000 people being shot. These shot people are also victims of war.
Let us now remember that all of us, assembled here, figure on the list of criminals of Mr. Roose velt.
I have the honor of being number one. We have become so to say, accomplices on a world-history scale.
It is ex actly for this reason that we have to keep together and must share the same general ideas, and it would be simply funny if we started to wash our dirty linen in public by bickering about methods".This appeal to murder is very far from the "interminable quarrels with the police" which defendant Frank spoke about here.
The defendant made a mistake about one thing: he was incorrect in defining his place in the dock.
But he was not mistaken about the fundamentals:
he took his place in the dock as a "criminal on a world history scale."
The history of the development of the Nazi movement in Ger many and the numerous crimes of the Hitlerites are indissol ubly connected with the name of the defendant Wilhelm Frick:
As Minister of the Interior of the Hitlerite government, Frick participated in the issuing of mumerous laws, decrees and other acts directed towards the destruction of democracy in Germany, the persecution of the church, the discrimination against the Jews, etc.
In this capacity, the defendant Frick contributed most act ively to the creation in Germany of the Hitlerite totalita rian state.
During a period of many years, the German secret police, the Gestapo, which was to acquire a gruesome fame, was subordin ated to the defendant Frick.
Official The order concerning the extermination of aged people Transcript and of the insane was issued in 1940 by no other than morning the defendant Frick.
26.4.46 In his capacity of Minister of the Interior of Hitlerp.37-38. ite Germany, the witness Gesavius testified to in this Court, Frick was fully congnisant of the vast system of concentration camps spread throughout the Reich, as well as of the existence in these camps of an Inhuman regime.
The part played by the defendant Frick in the preparation and the realization of the Hitlerite government's aggres sive plans, was considerable.
He was a member of the State Defense Council as well as Plenipotentiary for General Administration.
All the documents, by which the Hitlerite conspirators legalized the incorporation by Germany of the seized territories, were signed, among others, by the defen dant Frick.
In his capacity of Protector of Bohemia and Moravia, the defendant Frick bears personal responsibility for all the crimes committed on that territory by the Hitlerites.
After the feloneous attack of Hitlerite Germany upon the Soviet Union, the defendat Frick's Ministry of the Interior participated most actively in the setting up of the administration in the seized territories of the USSR.
The machinery of the German occupational author ities in the East was manned mainly by officials of the Ministery of the Interior.
There is no need to dwell again upon the part played by this machinery, which was created with the most active cooperation of the defendant Frick, in the extermination, the driving into slavery and the other inhuman actions carried out against the civilian population of the occupied territories.
Frick bears full and direct responsibility for all these crimes inasmuch as he was an active participant of the Nazi conspiracy.
Notwithstanding the fact that during the war years, the defendant Julius Streicher did not formally hold functions directly connected with the perpetration of murders and mass executions, it is hard to overestimate the crimes committed by this man.
Together with Himmler, Kaltenbrunner, Pohl and these who conceived, constructed and switched into action the gas chambers and gas wagons; together with these who personally committed mass actions, Streicher must bear responsibility for the most cruel crimes of German fascism.
The inflaming of national and reacial dissention, the cultivation of depraved cruelty and the calling to murder - all this was not only the Party function of this man, but also the source of his income.
And it is not by accident, that in his greeting to Streicher dated April 1937, which is already known to the Tribunal Himmler expressed his high esteem for the merits of "Der Sturmer" and of its publisher.
One can consider Streicher as the actual spiritual father of those who quartered the children of Tremblinka. Had it not been for the "Sutmer" and its publisher, German fascism would not have been able to educate at such short notice these mass cadres of murderess who personally put into effect the criminal plans of Hitler and his gang, by murdering over 6 million European Jews.
Over a period of many years Streicher spiritually corrupted the children and youth of Germany The so-called, "children's editions" of the "Stuermer" have been submitted to the Tribunal.
And therefore, together with Baldur von Schirach, Streicher must bear responsibility for the selection of Jewish children from the Lvov ghetto, for target practice by the morally depraved "Hitler Jugend". It is not by accident, that von Schirach held in so high an esteem Streicher's "historical merits".
The fanatical "Nunrberg Laws" were only the "beginning of the struggle" for this "Number One Judeophobe" as he called himself, who was also the organizer of the first Jewish pogroms.
As the Tribunal can recall, after these laws were issued, Streicher called for the physical extermination of the Jews in Europe and he wrote:
"This problem will only be solved when world Jewry is exterminated".
I will not dwell against, either, on the shameless and mendacious "ritual numbers" of the Stuermer, which were to incite the SS men towards the killing of millions of guiltless persons and to justify any atrocity directed against the Jews. These proofs of Stretcher's guilt which, among others, were submitted to the Tribunal, are of common knowledge and not subject to any doubt. GB-332 In 1939 he anticipated Maidanek and Treblinka and wrote that PS-801. "perhaps graves alone" will testify to the previous existence of Jews in Europe.
In 1943, when the gas chambers of Treblinka and Auschwitz were already englufing millions of victims, the "Stuermer" published articles inciting to the liquidation of the ghetto, articles which were full of lies and maliciousness and finally the " "Stuermer" could state with sadistical satisfaction that:
"The Jews of Europe have disappeared".
Streicher lied all his life. He attempted to lie, here in Court.
I do not know whether he believed he would be able to deceive anybody by these lies, or whether he lied from habit or out offear.
But it seems to me that it must be apparent, even to the defendant himself, that his last lie will not deceive any body and will not bring about his salvation.
In carrying out a vast and complicated task the defendant, Kjalmar Schacht played an emminent part in the preparation and the realization of the criminal plans of the Nazi conspirators.
Shacht's defense position is extremely simple:
If he is to be believed, purely patriotic motives drew him to Hitlerism.
He was against aggressive wars, but for the rearmament of Germany in order to maintain peace.
He was for the return of Germany's colonies in view of establishing economic stability in Europe.
Having come to the conviction that the policy of the Nazi government was directed towards an excissive armament and thereby here the menace of another world war, Schacht went over to the opposition.
He sabotaged the measures taken by the Hitlerite government and as a result he was persecuted as a participant in the plot against Hitler.
This is the defense position of Schacht.
Defendant Schacht strives now to depict the enthusiastic letters, full of expressions of loyalty which he addressed to Hitler, as a method of camouflaging his real oppositional feelings towards the Hitlerite regime.
Actually, Schacht's connection with the Nazi movement begins as early as 1930.
Schacht was drawn to National Socialism and both Hitler and Goering sought Schacht's support.
Indeed the latter, with his vast connections in Germany's industrial and financial spheres, could, like nobody else, render invaluable services to the Nazi movement.
And this he did. PS-457 As early as August 29, 1932, in a letter to Hitler, Schacht assured the latter of his layalty.
These were not mere words, for more than anybody, Defendant Schacht played a decisive port in Hitler's advent to power.
It was he, Schacht, who organized the demand formulated by the German PS376 industrialists for Hitler to be named Reich Chancellor.
As early as 1932, he, Schacht, declared to von Papen, who was then Reich Chancellor of Germany:
"Hand over your post to Hitler." US-161 D-203 It was again Schacht who, in 1933, on the eve of the Reichstag elections, US-655 US-767 called the conference of industrialists which created an election fund of several million marks for the Nazi party.
Hitler's closest follower, Goebbels, characterizes thus the part played by Schacht and his importance in the creation of Nozi Germany.
On the 21st of November 1932, he wrote down in his diary:
In a talk with Dr. Schacht, I came to the conviction that he fully -262 shares our point of view. He is one of the few who fully agrees with the position of the Fuehrer". - In his speech at the spring fair in Leipzig on the 4th of March, 1935, the 09 defendant Schacht depicted himself his part in the Nazi state:
"I can assure you that all that I do and all that I say is in full agreement with the Fuehrer, and that I will do and say nothing that would not be approved by the fuehrer.
That is why it is the Fuehrer and not I who is the bearer of economic reason."
As Schacht expected, Hitler appreciated his merits at their full value.
After his advent to power in 1933 Hitler immediately nominated Schacht to the post of President of the Reichsbank and then to the Ministry of Economy, and finally to the post of plenipotentiary General on matters of War Economy.
The Prosecution and the proceedings have proved the extraordinary part played by Schacht in thepreparation of Germany's armaments and conse quently in the launching of aggressive wars.
S-838 The former war minister, von Blomberg, testified that in 1937 the S- development plans of the armed forces were close to completion and that 901 Schacht was informed of these plans and of their financing Schacht was one of the most consistent partisans of the Nazi's criminal plans.
In a talk with the United States Ambassador Fuller on the 23rd of September, 1936, Schacht stated that:
"Germany absolutely needs colonies. If it is possible, we will * S-629 acquire them by means of negotiations.
If not, we will seize them." S-450 Speaking in Vienna in March, 1938, Schacht declared: S-632 S-297 "Thank God, this could not prevent the great German people from continuing on its course, because Adolf Hitler unified German will and German thought.
He strengthened it with reinforced armed forces and in the end he gave an outer shape to the inner unity of Germany and Austria."
Defendant Schacht was entrusted with extraordinary powers in the sphere of war economy.
Over a period of many years Schacht emulated the functions of Reichsbank President, Minister of Economy, and Plenipotentiary General of war Economy.
Be it only as a result of these positions, the defendant Schacht played an enormous and decisive part in the creation and resurrection of Nazi Germany's war economy and armed forces.
PS-644 This activity of the defendant Schacht is clearly described in the PS-650 numerous laudatory letters which he received from Hitler. PS-397 The defendant Schacht and no other was the creator of the adventurous method of issuing so-called "Mefo bills", by which twelve millions of Reichsmarks were assigned, aside from budget assignations, to German economy for rearmament purposes.
As was already stated *---* defendant Schacht attempted, at various periods of his activity, to stress his alleged ever-increasing dissension with the Nazi regime.
In reality, Schacht was carrying out a double game.
On one hand, he shielded himself from the responsibility for the criminal policy of the Nazi government by flirting with persons who actually did strive to overthrow the Nazi regime, and on the other, he remained loyal to this regime.
It was only in 1943, when the downfall of Nazi Germany became apparent, even to such a hard-boiled politician as Schacht, that he established connection with oppositional circles.
However, true to himself, he took precautions for any event, and he did not actually do anything personally to overthrow the Nazi regime, and that is why he was spared by Hitler.
That is the portrait of the defendant Schacht, and that is the part played by him in Hitler's conspiracy and war crimes.
It is the part of the creator of Nazi Germany's war economy and of an instigator of the Second World War launched by the criminal Nazi Government.
Walter Funk became a Nazi long before his official admission in 1931, into the membership of the NSDAP, and he remained a Nazi up to the end.
His economic knowledge, his experience as a journalist, his extensive connections with the leaders of the German industry, trade and finance were put by him at the service of the Hitlerite conspirators.
An article published in the newspaper "Das Reich" on 13 August 1940, under the heading "Walter Funk - pioneer of the national-socialist thought", read as follows:
USSR-450 "Walter Funk was true to his principles because he was, is and always Trans. 7.V.46, will be a true national socialist, a champion, devoting all his morn.ses. page 51 labors to the victory of the Fuehrer's ideals."
What was meant by "Fuehrer's ideals", we already know only too well.
Funk devoted to these "ideals" 15 years of his life. Trans. Funk declared that he had nothing in common with the SS, but it was 6.V.46 ev.ses. he, Funk, who transformed the vaults of the Reichsbank into PP 57-62 depositories for the treasures, plundered by the SS-men in the Eastern and other occupied territories.
Trans. Funk personally gave orders, after his negotiations with Himmler, to 7.V.46 morn.ses. take into the Reichsbank the golden tooth plates, the glass rims end pp 1-22 other valuables belonging to the victims of numerous concentration camps, tortured to death.
The Gruppenfuehrer SS Hoiler was Funk's deputy. Under Funk's Trans. direction operated Olendorf, this murderer, who has the death of 3.I.46 morn.ses. 90,000 persons on his conscience. p.17 USA-36 Funk, supplementing Schacht's measures, put the whole of Germany's PS-2194 USSR-451 economy at the service of the aggressive Hitlerite plans, and later on - the economy of the territories Germans occupied as well.
USA-662 Already in May 1939, Funk, together with his Deputy, Landfried, PS-2409 elaborated plans for the financing of the war and the utilization of the economic resources of Germany and annexed Czechoslovakia, for war purposes.
USA-782 On 23 June 1939, Funk takes part in the conference of the Reich PS-378 Defense Council, which elaborated detailed plans for the reconversion of of all national economy to a war footing.
USSR-452 Already at that epoch, Funk was not only informed of Germany's im pending attack on Poland, was not only cooperating in the realization of this aggressive plan, but was also preparing economically new wars, the seizure of new territories.
Such were the "Fuehrer's" great political aims which were set out by Funk, a few months later, in his article entitled "Economic and Financial mobilization".I shall mention one mere ducment.
On 25 August 1939, Funk wrote to Hitler:
GB-49 "Fieldmarshal Goering told me that my Fuehrer yesterday evenPS-699 ing approved the main points of the measures conceived by me for the financiing of war, stabilization of prices, fixation of wages and the organization of subscription to obligatory donations; this news made me happy."
A long time before the treacherous attack of Germany against the USSR, Funk participated in the elaborate on of plans for the spoliation of the riches the Soviet Union.
Funk attached his collaborators to Rosenberg's ministry and to the Economic Staff OST - this predatory organization.
Funk's agents took part in the plunder also of Czech Slovakia, Jugoslavia and other occupied countries.
Transc. Funk was the president of the "Continental Oil Company" which was 7-5-46 morn. created for the exploitation by Germans of the oil fields in the occupied pp. 1-64 Eastern Territories, and especially the oil fields of Grosny and Baku.
Funk was in full agreement with the predatory aims of the war launched by Germany against the USSR.
He made a speech on 17 December 1941 in Prague, to the effect that the East is the future German colony.
Funk participated at the conference which took place on 6-8-1942 at Goering's office, for the discussion of the most effective measures for the economic plunder of the occupied territories of the USSR', Poland, Czechoslovakia, Jugoslavia, France, Norway, and other countries.
At this conference, as well as at the conference of the "Central Planning Board", Funk participated in the elaboration of plans for the deportation to slavery of millions of people from the occupied territories.
Such are the fundamental stages of the criminal activity of the Hitlerite conspirator, defendant Funk - Hitler's personal adviser on the economic question since 1931, Reich Minister and Plenipotentiary General for Economic questions, President of the Reichbank and member of the Reich Defense Council, during the period of the preparations and the realization of the criminal plan (conspiracy).
The guilt of Funk, this active participant of fascist conspiracy for the realization of crimes against individuals, in war crimes and crimes against humanity - this guilt has been fully proved and he must bear the responsibility for the evil deeds perpetrated by him.
SCHIRACH Since 1931 and until the end of the war, the defendant von Schirach was at the head of the Nazi youth.
After the publication of 1st December 1936, of a decree concerning the Hitlerite youth, von Schirach was - in his capacity of the Reich leader of youth - directly subordinated to Hitler.
In his statements before the Court, the defendant von Schirach, in his efforts to avoid the responsibility for the education of the German youth in the spirit of national socialist ideas, made frequent references to the fact that "Hitlerjugend" was a youth organization independent of the nazi party and the Hitlerite government.
For the purposes of his defense, the defendant Schirach deemed it possible and relevant to refer to the great Goethe, whose words - "the youth itself educates young people" - were utilized by Schirach with open cynicism.
Goethe, was, of course, right when he said that "the youth itself educates the young people". But he meant the healthy youth full of value, joyful youth, and not youth corrupted with the obscur antism of the Hitlerism, described clearly by the words of Hitler addressed to Rauschning:
"We shall educate youth before which the whole world shall tremble -
USSR-378 (p. 252) rough, exacting, cruel youth. That is what I want. Out youth must be in the possession of all these qualities.
It must be without pity before suffering.
It must be without weakness or softness. I want to see a glint of the wild animal in its eye."
And the Defendant Schirach instilled systematically the ideas of Hitlerism in the conscience of German youth, and educated the German youth in the spirit of Hitler's ashes, modelling them after the image of the grown-up-leaders of the Hitlerite gang.
During cross examination, the defendant Schirach was, at the end, forced to admit that the German youth was brought up in the spirit of national socialist ideas, the members of the SA, officers of the German armed forces, and the SS, participated in its education, and that intense preparation of the youth for war was being carried out in Germany.
For this purpose, special agreements were made between the Reich Leaders of "Hitlerjugend" and the OKW, as represented by the defendant Keitel and the Reichsfuehrer SS Himmler, which made provi-sions for the education of youth in the spirit of aggressive militaris and appropriate enlistment and the preparation of youth for the German armed forces and the SS units.
The part taken by the defendant von Schirach and his participation in the common conspiracy, in war crimes and crimes against humanity are best of all characterised by the behaviour of the German youth brought up in "Hitler jugend" during the war.
The Soviet prosecution has presented to the Tribunal under #USSR-6 in conformity with Article 21 of the Charter, a report of the Extraordinary State Commission about the crimes committed by the Germans on the territory of Lwow region.
This report records the declaration of the French citizen, Ida Wasseaux about the inhuman execution by the members of the "Hitler jugend" of young children, of whom they made targets for shooting.
USSR-455 In her wirtten deposition of 16 May 1946 an also in her answers to the questionnaire of Counsel for the defendant Schirach, Ida Wasseaux confirmed this declaration to the letter.
Conclusive testimony about the actions of the members of the "Hitler jugend" in the cadre of the German armed forces were given by a Ger man soldier, war-prisoner, Hertom Knitel, himself a of farmer member USSR-454 of the "Hitler jugend" since 1938 and who at the age of 18, was recruited into the German army in 1942.
Describing his participation in numerous crimes Hert Knitel, declared:
"In the locality of Lishaisk our company set on fire in June 1943 a house together with all the people who were in it.
.. All those tried to jump out of the house, we shot down, excepting one old woman whom we did not shoot, down, as she lost her mine before our very eyes.
.."
For all these crimes, the defendant von Schirach bears full responsi bility together with Hert Knitel and thousands of others.
USSR-193 Schirach himself did not, of course, shoot, did not set on fire but USSR-36 USSR-357 he armed the German youty, morally corrupted, it and prepared it for the commission of any atrocity.
But the activity during the war of the "Hitler jugend" and the defen dant Schirach was not limited to these crimes only.
The Hitlerjugend" took an active part in the preparation of the war of aggression by the creation of fifth columns in Poland and Yugoslovia; the official reports of the Polish and Yugoslav Gevern ments testify to this fact.
The Organization "Hitlerjugend" took an active part in the execution of all the measures undertaken by the Ministry for Occupied Eastern Territories, and this is shown by the report of the Defendant Rosenberg, presented to the Tribunal as 31039-PS; it participated also in the deportation to slavery from the occupied territories of children between the ages of 10 and 14, which fact is proved by a document presented to the Tribunal under # 1031-PS.
In his capacity of Reich Deputy and Gauleiter of Vienna, Schirach directed personally the eviction of 60,000 Jews from Vienna, and who afterwards were exterminated in the concentration camps of Poland.
The documents presented by the prosecution -weekly reports addressed to Schirach, prove the he was informed of all the numerous crimes perpetrated by the German armed forces and the occupation authorities in the East, and, in particular, about the tragic fate of the tens of thousands of Jews deported from Vienna.
In 1940 the defendant Schirach sent a telegram to Bormann, in which he demanded the destruction from the air of one of the cultural towns of Great Britain, in answer to the murder of Heidrich, that butcher of Bohemia and Moravia.
This telegram is in itself a sufficiently vivid and convincing des cription of the moral aspect of von Schirach.
Faithfull to the Hitleri clique, right to the end, aware of all its criminal deeds, in which he himself took an active part -the defendant von Schirach is one of the most sinister figures of the third Reich.
THE PRESIDENT: The Tribunal will adjourn now.
(The Tribunal adjourned until Tuesday, 30 July, at 1000 hours.)