“There are many means by which a systematic and comparatively
painless extinction of undesirable races can be attained, at any
rate without blood being shed.”
This excerpt is on Page 137 of the original book.
Sterilization and castration became a criminal practice of the
Hitlerites in the occupied territories in Eastern Europe. I beg the
Tribunal’s permission to draw its attention to two of these documents.
THE PRESIDENT: Colonel Smirnov, perhaps that would be a convenient time
to break off.
The Tribunal would like to know how long you think you will take before
you conclude your statement.
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: I believe, Mr. President, that I will finish the
presentation of evidence today.
I would like the Tribunal to allow me to question three more witnesses
today and I still have about one hour of reading. But it is very
difficult for me to determine the time exactly, as that sometimes
depends on other factors, known to you, which may force me to change my
intentions.
THE PRESIDENT: We will adjourn now for 10 minutes.
[_A recess was taken._]
MR. COUNSELLOR SMIRNOV: I ask the permission of the Tribunal to draw its
attention to two very short German documents, which are submitted under
Exhibit Number USSR-400 (Document Number USSR-400) in photostats
certified by the Extraordinary State Commission of the Soviet Union.
They are two communications from Lieutenant Frank, head of a Security
Police division, regarding the conditions under which a gypsy woman,
Lucia Strasdinsch had the right to reside in the town of Libau.
“Libau, 10 December 1941.
“Security Police Post, Town of Libau; to the Prefect of the Town
of Libau.
“It has been decided that the Gypsy Lucia Strasdinsch will be
allowed to take up residence here again only on the condition
that she submits to being sterilized. She is to be informed
accordingly and a report on the result is to be rendered to this
office.
“Frank, Lieutenant, Security Police and O. C. Security Police
Station.”
The second document is a memorandum from the Prefecture of Libau, H.
Grauds, to the head of the Security Police Post. The text:
“I herewith return your letter of 10 December 1941 regarding the
sterilization of the Gypsy Lucia Strasdinsch and beg to report
that this person was sterilized in the local hospital on 9
January 1942. Pertinent letter Number 850 of 12. 1. 42 from the
hospital is attached.”
In order to show the extent of the experiments which were performed on
live persons, I would ask Your Honors to turn to the report of the
Extraordinary State Commission on Oswieczim. The extract which I should
like to quote, the members of the Tribunal may find on Page 197 of the
book of documents, first column, second paragraph. It is stated there
that a statistical report by the commandant of the camp has been
discovered in the archives of the camp. This report is signed by the
deputy commander of the camp, Sella. It has a column under the heading,
“Internees designated for experiments.” This column reads as follows;
“Women subject to experiments: on 15 May 1944—400, on 15 June—413, on
19 June—348, and so on.”
I would like to conclude this chapter on experiments on live persons, by
the following: I would like to quote the memorandum of the judicial and
medical report, an excerpt of which is in the report on Oswieczim Camp.
The members of the Tribunal may find the passage which I should like to
quote on Page 197 of the document book, first column, Paragraph 5. I
omit the part which refers to sterilization and castration because I
think that this question has been sufficiently elucidated. I will quote
only Points 4, 6, and 7 of the memorandum, indicating that in Oswieczim:
“Researches were carried out with various chemical preparations
of German firms. According to the testimony of one German
physician, Dr. Valentin Erwin, there was a case where the
representatives of the chemical industry of Germany, a
gynecologist, Glauber, from Königshütte, and a chemist, Gebel,
bought from the administration of the camp 150 women for such
experiments.”