“The solving of these two great manpower problems demands the
immediate setting up in France of a stronger and better German
labor organization possessing the necessary powers and means.
This will be done by a system of sponsorship by Gaue. France has
got about 80 _départements_. Greater Germany is divided into 42
political Gaue, and for the purposes of manpower recruitment it
is divided into 42 Gau labor office districts. Each German Gau
labor office district will take over and sponsor, say, two
French _départements_. Each German Gau labor office will furnish
for the _départements_ it sponsors a commission of specialists,
made up of the ablest and most reliable experts. These
commissions will organize the allocations of labor in these
sponsored _départements_ according to the German pattern.”
I skip one page and continue reading at the bottom of Page 2 of the
French text. That is Page 3 of the German translation:
“There is no doubt that this projected system of sponsorship by
Gaue for the employment of French manpower in Germany, and
especially the transformation necessary in the interest of
Germany of French civilian workers for the German armament
industries, will bring about enormous advantages in France
herself compared with the present system.”
I am passing to the bottom of Page 3 of the French text, and I read
under “d”:
“The Central German Labor Office in Paris, that is, the
representative of the Plenipotentiary General and his office...”
You told me a short while ago that the German offices for the
recruitment of labor in the occupied territories were not under you as
Plenipotentiary General for the Allocation of Labor, but under the local
authorities. How do you explain this sentence?
SAUCKEL: It can be explained very simply. These men were subordinate to
the military commanders in the labor department. They were sent from
Germany, and they were taken from the labor offices and put into the
administration.
M. HERZOG: You say, “The Central German Labor Office in Paris, that is,
the representative of the Plenipotentiary General and his office...” The
Central German Labor Office in Paris was therefore your representative?
SAUCKEL: The Central German Labor Office in Paris was a part of the
civilian administration of the military commander in France. This is not
expressed in this sentence, for it was taken for granted in this letter
that the Gauleiter knew this. The position as I explained it is entirely
correct.