SAUCKEL: That I imposed this law by pressure, that I do deny. I
negotiated about it.
M. HERZOG: Do you not remember that you gave an account to the Führer of
the mission which you carried out in Paris in January 1944?
SAUCKEL: It was my duty to report when I made such journeys for I was
carrying out the Führer’s orders.
M. HERZOG: I submit to you this report, Document Number 556-PS, which
was submitted to the Tribunal under Exhibit Number RF-67. Twice in the
course of this report you speak of German demands. Do you not think that
to give an account to the Führer of German demands having been accepted
is to give an account to him of the success of the pressure which you
exerted?
SAUCKEL: I cannot conceive in what other way a basis for negotiations
could be found. The German Government made demands, and because of those
demands there were negotiations with the French Government which had to
be considered by me as _de jure_.
M. HERZOG: Do you admit, therefore, that the German Government and you,
who were its agent, were making demands? Please answer “yes” or “no.”
SAUCKEL: The German Government was making demands; yes, that is true.
M. HERZOG: Thank you. And those demands, did they not, at times, take
the form of a veritable ultimatum?
SAUCKEL: I am, not aware of that. I can only say that I was very polite
and accommodating when talking to the French Premier and that our
negotiations ran very smoothly. He often mentioned that, and it is in
the record.
M. HERZOG: When you took action concerning the mobilization of the 1944
class, do you not remember that you demanded this mobilization in a
veritable ultimatum? Answer “yes” or “no.”
SAUCKEL: I cannot say so from memory.
THE PRESIDENT: M. Herzog, I think you might put to him the last sentence
in the letter of the 25th of January 1944, 556-PS.
M. HERZOG: “I have, however, allowed no doubts to remain that
further and more severe measures will be taken if the demands
for the transfer of workers is not met.”
SAUCKEL: Yes, I probably said that, though not in the form in which it
is put down in this letter.
M. HERZOG: Do you remember that on 6 June 1944, the day of the dawn of
our liberation, you addressed a letter to Ambassador Abetz?
SAUCKEL: I cannot tell you that from memory.
M. HERZOG: Well, I am going to produce this letter. It is the French
document, Number F-822, which I submit to the Tribunal under Exhibit
Number RF-1513:
“6 June 1944. Paris.
“Your Excellency and dear Party Comrade Abetz:
“The long-expected invasion has finally begun. Thus ends also
for the Allocation of Labor a period of waiting which up to now
has served as an obvious, sometimes tacit, pretext for saying
that the sending of workers into the Reich was impossible owing
to the political atmosphere in the country.”