THE PRESIDENT: Just in order that it may be upon the shorthand note.
M. DUBOST: 14 February 1944, gross weight 832 kilos, net weight 555
kilos (destination Auschwitz); 16 February 1944, gross weight 832 kilos,
net weight 555 kilos (destination Oranienburg); 13 March 1944, gross
weight 896 kilos, net weight 598 kilos (destination Auschwitz); 13 March
1944, gross weight 896 kilos, net weight 598 kilos (destination
Oranienburg); 30 April 1944, gross weight 832 kilos, net weight 555
kilos (destination Auschwitz); 30 April 1944, gross weight 832 kilos,
net weight 555 kilos (destination Oranienburg); 18 May 1944, gross
weight 832 kilos, net weight 555 kilos (destination Oranienburg); 31 May
1944, gross weight 832 kilos, net weight 555 kilos (destination
Auschwitz). This appears to me to be all.
To Document 1553-PS is added the statement by Gerstein, and also the
statement by the chief of the American service who collected this
document.
With the permission of the Tribunal, I shall proceed with the
presentation of the crimes of which we accuse the defendants against
Allied prisoners of war who were interned in Germany. Document Number
735-PS, Page 68 of the document book, which we submitted a short time
ago under Exhibit Number RF-371, is a report on important meetings which
brought together Kaltenbrunner, Ribbentrop, and Göring, in the course of
which the list of air operations which constituted acts of terrorism was
drawn up.
It was decided in these meetings that lynching would be the ideal
punishment for all actions directed against civilian populations, which
the German Government claimed had the character of terrorism.
On Page 68 Ribbentrop is involved. We read in one of the three copies of
the notes of the meetings that were held that day, in the first
paragraph, 11th line:
“Contrary to the first proposals of the Minister of Foreign
Affairs, who wanted to include all terrorist attacks against the
civilian population and consequently air attacks against cities
. . . .”
The proposals made by Ribbentrop were far in excess of what was accepted
at the time of this meeting. The three lines which follow deserve the
attention of the Tribunal:
“Lynch law should be the rule. There was, on the other hand, no
question of a judgment rendered by a tribunal or handing over to
the police.”
In Paragraph b), bottom of the page:
“. . . one would have to distinguish between enemy airmen who
were suspected of criminal acts of this kind and prepare for
their admission in the airmen’s camp at Oberursel, and those who
should be turned over to the SD for special treatment when the
suspicions were confirmed.”
The Tribunal will certainly remember the description which was given of
this “special treatment” by the American prosecution. What is involved
is purely and simply the extermination of Allied airmen who had fallen
into the hands of the German Army.
On Page 69 the Tribunal may read, under Figure 3, the description and
the enumeration of the acts which are to be considered as terrorist acts
and as justifying lynching.
“(a) Firing weapons at the civilian population, and gatherings
of civilians.
“(b) Firing at German airmen who have bailed out of their
aircraft.
“(c) Firing weapons at passenger trains and public conveyances.
“(d) Firing weapons at hospital or hospital trains that are
clearly marked with a red cross.”
Three lines below:
“Should such acts be established in the course of interrogation,
the prisoners must be handed over to the SD.”
This document originates from the Führer’s headquarters. It was drawn up
there on 6 June 1944, and it bears the stamp of the Deputy Chief of
Staff of the Wehrmacht.
THE PRESIDENT: I think that has all been read, M. Dubost. I think that
document was all read before.