“When war broke out the Nazis fixed the war contribution of the
Protectorate at an annual sum of 2,000 million crowns (14.2
million pounds sterling). The Nazis claimed that they were
entitled to this on the grounds that the Czechs did not have to
fight, because the Germans fought for them.
“Immediately after the occupation the Germans seized the
proceeds of various indirect taxes and diverted them into the
Reich Treasury.”
Gentlemen, the excerpt which I just read from the report of the
Czechoslovak Government gives an adequate picture of the manner in
which, after having seized Czechoslovakia, the Hitlerites subjected it
to wanton plunder in every field of its economic life—agriculture,
industry, and finance.
Having seized the entire economic resources of the Czechoslovak
Republic, the Hitlerite Government forced this economy to serve their
criminal interests, extracting everything possible in order to prepare
for further aggression against the peoples of Europe and for new
military attacks with the monstrous aim of achieving world domination by
the German “master race.”
I shall now pass to the reading of the fourth section of the official
report of the Polish Government dealing with crimes committed by the
Hitlerites in occupied Poland. This report has already been presented to
the Tribunal as Exhibit Number USSR-93 (Document Number USSR-93) and,
according to Article 21 of the Charter, constitutes irrefutable
evidence. I quote an excerpt from this report which the Tribunal will
find on Page 14 of the document book:
“Expropriation and plunder of public and private property.
“a) On 27 September 1939 the German military authorities issued
a decree concerning the sequestration and confiscation of Polish
property in the western provinces. ‘The property of the Polish
State, Polish public institutions, municipalities and unions,
individuals, and corporations can be sequestered and
confiscated,’ stated Paragraph 1 of the said decree.
“b) The right of the military authorities to dispose of Polish
property in the incorporated provinces passed to the
‘Haupttreuhandstelle Ost’ (created by Göring on 1 November 1939)
with headquarters in Berlin and branch offices in Poland. It was
entrusted with the administration of confiscated property of the
Polish State, as well as with the general policy in Poland in
accordance with the plan devised by the Reich Government.
“c) By a decree of 15 January 1940, the entire property of the
Polish State was placed under ‘protection,’ which practically
meant confiscation of all State property in the incorporated
territories. A special decree of 12 February 1940 dealt with
agriculture and forestry in the same way.
“d) The confiscation of private property in the western
provinces was initiated by a decree of 31 January 1940. Special
permission was required for acquisition of property and transfer
of ownership rights in all enterprises in the incorporated
territory. By another decree of 12 June 1940, Göring authorized
the ‘Haupttreuhandstelle Ost’ to seize and administer, not only
State property, but also the property of citizens of the ‘former
Polish State.’
“e) The process of confiscation, however, went further. The
property of Polish citizens became liable to seizure and
confiscation unless the owner acquired German citizenship in
accordance with Hitler’s decree of 8 October 1939.
“Other decrees dealt with the repayment of debts, because the
sequestrators were authorized to repay debts to privileged
creditors only. These were members of the ‘Deutsche Volksliste’
so far as war debts were concerned, as well as citizens of the
Reich or the free city of Danzig, as regards debts incurred
after 1 September 1939.”
I skip two pages of this report enumerating the companies which were
specially created for carrying out of this plunder activity and also for
plundering the Polish-Jewish population, which as is already known to
the Tribunal, was later exterminated. I pass on to the end of the Polish
Government report. The Tribunal will find this excerpt on Page 17 of the
document book.
Mere quotations from these and other decrees may create a wrong
impression as to the means used by the defendants in the case of the
Jewish property in Poland. But it should be pointed out that steps
concerning Jewish property were only preliminaries to infinitely greater
crimes in the future. At the end of this section of the report is justly
stated—I quote:
“Aside from the crimes which have been proved and described
here, there are thousands of others which fade into
insignificance beside the numberless crimes of mass murder, mass
plunder, and mass destruction.”
It is impossible to enumerate all the crimes committed in Poland under
the direct leadership of the Defendant Frank, who was the head of all
the administration in the so-called Government General.
Frank’s diaries which were found and became part of the evidence in this
case, give a clear and concrete idea of the crimes committed by the
Hitlerites in Poland under his direction. In these diaries, Your Honors,
are entries which have a direct bearing on the subject of my
presentation.
Therefore I should like, with your permission, to quote excerpts from
this diary which have not yet been quoted.
I quote from the volume entitled “Conference of Departmental Heads for
1939-1940” (Document Number USSR-223), Pages 11 and 12. In your document
book, gentlemen, this excerpt is on Page 21:
“My relationship with the Poles resembles that between an ant
and a plant louse. When I treat the Poles helpfully, tickle them
in a friendly manner, so to speak, I do it in the expectation
that I shall profit by their labor output. This is not a
political, but a purely tactical and technical problem. In cases
where, in spite of all measures, the output does not increase,
or where I have the slightest reason to step in, I would not
hesitate to take even the most Draconian action.”
From the volume entitled “Diary 1942” I quote:
“Dr. Frank: ‘We must remember that notes issued by the Bank of
Poland to the value of 540,000,000 zlotys were taken over in
Occupied Eastern Territory by the Governor General without any
compensation being made by the Reich. This represents a
contribution of more than 500 million exacted from the
Government General by Germany, in addition to other payments.’”
From the same volume, Page 1277—this concerns the Governor’s conference
which took place on 7 December 1942, in Kraków—measures for increasing
production for the years 1942-43 were discussed. A certain Dr. Fischer
stated:
“If the new food scheme is carried out, it would mean that in
Warsaw and its suburbs alone 500,000 people would be deprived of
food.”
From the same volume on Page 1331, Frank speaks:
“I shall endeavor to squeeze out from the reserves of this
province everything that it is still possible to squeeze
out. . . . If you recall that I was able to send to Germany
600,000 tons of grain and that an additional 180,000 tons were
reserved for local troops, as well as many thousands of tons of
seed, fats, vegetables, besides the export to Germany of 300
million eggs, _et cetera_, you will understand how important
work in this region is for Germany.”
This same Frank on Page 1332 states the following—the Tribunal will
find this quotation on Page 27 of the document book:
“These consignments to the Reich had, however, one definite
drawback to them, since the quantities we were responsible for
delivering exceeded the actual food supplies required by the
region. We now have to face the following problem. Can we, as
from February, cut 2 million non-German inhabitants of the
region out of the general rationing scheme?”
In the volume entitled “Workers Conferences for 1943,” we find an
excerpt concerning the conference of 14 April 1943, which took place in
Kraków. On Page 28 of the document book, the Tribunal will find the
excerpt which I wish to read into the record.
“President Naumann is speaking, and he quotes the figures
estimated for 1943-44:
“One thousand five hundred tons of sweets for the Germans, 36
million liters of skimmed fresh milk; 15,100,000 liters of full
cream milk for the Germans.”
On Page 24 the same person continues—this total account is on Page 28
of the document book:
“Last year, more than 20 percent of the total amount of live
stock in the Government General was requisitioned. Cattle which
were really required for the production of milk and butter were
slaughtered last year so that the Reich and the armed forces
could be supplied and the meat ration maintained to a certain
extent. If we want 120,000 tons of meat, we must sacrifice 40
percent of the remaining live stock.”
And further:
“In answer to a question by the Governor General, President
Naumann replied that 383,000 tons of grain were requisitioned in
1940, 685,000 tons in 1941, and 1.2 million tons in 1942. It
appears from these figures that requisitions have increased from
year to year and have steadily approached the limits of
possibility. Now they are preparing to increase the requisitions
by another 200,000 tons which will bring them to the extreme
bounds of possibility. The Polish peasant cannot be allowed to
starve beyond the point where he will still be able to cultivate
his fields and carry out any further tasks imposed upon him,
such as carting wood for the forestry authorities.”
However, the quotation which I have read from Naumann’s reply in no way
influenced the policy of the merciless plundering of the Polish people,
whose fate, to use Frank’s own words, interested him from one angle
only.
In the volume entitled “Diary, From 1 January to 28 February 1944” there
is the following statement by Frank made at the conference of the
leaders of German agriculture on 12 January 1944. The Tribunal will find
this excerpt on Page 30 of the document book.
“Once we have won the war, the Poles, Ukrainians, and all other
people living around can be made into mincemeat, or anything
else, as far as I am concerned.”
I believe, Your Honors, that after this quotation there is no need for
me, as a representative of the Soviet Prosecution, to add anything more
to that section of my statement which deals with the crimes committed by
the Hitlerite criminals on the territory of the Polish State. Indeed,
any one of the sentences quoted is more than sufficient to give us an
exact picture of the regime in Poland created by Frank, and of Frank
himself, who created this regime.
Turning now to the plunder and pillage of private and public property by
the Hitlerites in Yugoslavia, I must, Your Honors, read the appropriate
extracts of the official report of the Yugoslav Government, submitted to
the International Military Tribunal by the Soviet Prosecution as Exhibit
USSR-36 (Document Number USSR-36). This report, in accordance with
Article 21 of the Charter, is submitted as irrefutable evidence.
Count 6 of this report, entitled “Plunder of Public and Private
Property,” reads as follows—this count is on Page 32 of the document
book:
“6. Plunder of public and private property.
“Along with the exploitation of manpower the plundering of
public and private property was systematically carried out in
Yugoslavia. This plunder was carried out in various ways and
within the scope of the different measures taken. In this way,
too, Germany succeeded in completely exhausting the economic and
financial forces in occupied Yugoslavia and in destroying her
almost completely from the economic point of view.
“We shall cite here only a few examples of this systematic
plunder:
“A. Currency and credit measures.
“Just as in other occupied countries, the Germans, immediately
after their entry into Yugoslavia, carried out a series of
currency measures which enabled them to take out of Yugoslavia
in great quantities goods and other valuables at an
insignificant price. As early as 14 April 1941”—that is to say,
even before the occupation of Yugoslavia was actually
completed—“the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, ‘on the basis of
the authority received from the Führer and Supreme Commander of
the German Armed Forces,’ issued the ‘Proclamation Concerning
Occupied Yugoslav Territory.’
“Article 9 of this proclamation fixes an obligatory rate of
exchange of 20 Yugoslav dinars for 1 German mark. Thus the value
of the dinar in relation to the Reichsmark was artificially and
by force lowered. The real rate of exchange before the war was
much more favorable to the Yugoslav currency.
“This proves clearly the violation of the appropriate
regulations of the Hague Convention, as well as the existence of
a plan prepared in advance for the depreciation of Yugoslav
currency.”
I submit to the Tribunal a certified photographic copy of the
aforementioned proclamation as Exhibit Number USSR-140 (Document Number
USSR-140).
“The second predatory measure in the field of currency policy
was the introduction of German bonds (Reichskreditkassenschein)
as an obligatory means of payment in the occupied territory of
Yugoslavia. This measure was also mentioned in Paragraph IX of
the proclamation submitted to the Tribunal as Exhibit Number
USSR-140. These so-called occupation marks, which were without
any economic foundation and without any value whatsoever in
Germany itself, were printed in Yugoslavia in accordance with
the needs of the German forces of occupation and authorities and
in this way served as a means for enabling them to make
purchases at a very low price.
“On 30 June 1942”—that is to say, more than a year
later—“these Reich bonds were withdrawn. This took place after
the Germans had already bought up almost everything that could
be purchased in Yugoslavia, and the Yugoslav State Bank had been
liquidated and all its properties plundered. In its stead the
Germans created the so-called Serbian National Bank.
“However, so that the Germans would suffer no loss through this
measure, the Serbian National Bank was forced to exchange the
so-called occupation marks for new dinars. The marks thus
exchanged were simply withdrawn from the Serbian National Bank
by the Germans against receipt. In this way one of the most
shameless plunders was carried out, which cost Yugoslavia many
thousands of millions of dinars.”
I submit to the Tribunal as Exhibit Number USSR-194 (Document Number
USSR-194), “the German decree of 30 June 1942 concerning the withdrawal
of notes issued by the Reichskreditkasse and also a certified copy of
the decree concerning the Serbian National Bank, of 29 May 1941,” as
Exhibit Number USSR-135 (Document Number USSR-135).
“It can be seen from these documents that the German occupation
authorities carried out by force the illegal liquidation of the
Yugoslav State Bank, under the pretext that Yugoslavia no longer
existed, and that they took advantage of this liquidation in
order to plunder the country on an enormous scale.
“The Germans established the so-called Serbian National Bank
exclusively for the purpose of creating an instrument for their
predatory economic and currency policy in Serbia. The bank was
administered by officials whom they themselves appointed.
“The measures taken with regard to Yugoslav metal coins are also
very characteristic. The Yugoslav coinage, which contained a
certain percent of silver and brass, was withdrawn, and replaced
by coins of very poor metal alloy. Naturally, the Germans
carried to Germany a large quantity of the most valuable
Yugoslav coins.
“B. Requisitions and fines.”
The Tribunal will find this excerpt on Page 40 of the document book:
“Reich Minister Speer, head of the Armament and War Production
Ministry, declared that fixed prices were the Magna Carta of the
Armament Program.”
The Defendant Göring, on 26 March 1943, issued a decree demanding a
further decrease in the prices of all goods imported from the occupied
countries.
“This lowering of prices was attained by means of currency
measures as well as by means of requisitioning, confiscation,
fines, and in particular, through a special price policy.
“By means of requisitioning, a policy of fixed low prices, and
compulsory sales, the Government of the Reich was enabled to
plunder thoroughly the Yugoslav people. This went so far that
even the quisling institutions collaborating with the Germans
frequently had to declare that the quotas of goods demanded by
the Germans could not be filled.
“Thus, a report made by the district chief, for the Moravski
District”—quisling administration of Milan Nedic—“on 12
February 1942, stated:
“1. If they are deprived of so many cattle, the peasants will
not be able to cultivate their fields. On the one hand, they are
ordered to cultivate every inch of ground, on the other hand,
their cattle are ruthlessly confiscated.
“2. The cattle are purchased at such a low price that the
peasants feel that they are hardly compensated at all for the
loss of their cattle.
“Similar examples from other regions or districts of Yugoslavia
are very numerous.
“In order to plunder the country, the Germans often reverted to
the systematic imposition of money fines. For instance the cash
fines imposed by the ‘Feldkommandantur’ in Belgrade during 1943
alone amounted to 48,818,068 dinars. In Nish, during the first
3½ months of 1943, the cash fines amounted to 5,065,000 dinars.
“Finally, we should like to give here a few details regarding
the clearing accounts through which the export of Yugoslav goods
to Germany was carried out. As early as 1 March 1943 the
clearing balance in favor of Serbia amounted to 219 million
Reichsmark, or 4,380 million dinars. By the end of the
occupation Germany owed Serbia 10,000 million dinars.
“The situation was the same in all the other provinces of
Yugoslavia, and only the methods of plundering varied according
to local conditions.
“C. Confiscations.
“Confiscations were one of the most widespread and effective
means of plundering Yugoslavia.
“Before the occupation of Yugoslavia was completed in 1941, a
decree on confiscation was issued by the Germans in the combat
zone. Pursuant to this decree the Germans confiscated enormous
quantities of agricultural products, raw materials,
semi-manufactured, and other goods.”
I submit to the Tribunal a certified copy of the above-mentioned decree
as Exhibit Number USSR-206 (Document Number USSR-206).
“Immediately after the occupation of the country, the German
occupation authorities introduced by means of numerous decrees,
the system of confiscation of private and public property.”
In order to save time I skip a part of this section of the document
which quotes concrete examples of the confiscation of property belonging
to the Yugoslav population, and I pass on to the next count, which is
entitled, “Other Methods of Plunder.” The members of the Tribunal will
find this section on Page 52:
“Together with the aforesaid methods of plunder, which were
carried out on the basis of various decrees, laws, and
regulations, more primitive methods of looting were practiced
throughout the Yugoslav territory. They were not sporadic
incidents but constituted a part of the German system for
enslavement and exploitation.
“The Germans plundered everything from industrial and economic
undertakings, down to cattle, food, and even simplest objects
for personal use.”