“* * * First the Fuehrer presents Ambassador Oshima with the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the German Eagle in gold. With cordial words he acknowledges his services in the achievement of German-Japanese cooperation, which has now obtained its culmination in a close brotherhood of arms.
“General Oshima expresses his thanks for the great honor and emphasizes how glad he is that this brotherhood of arms has now come about between Germany and Japan.
“The Fuehrer continues: “You gave the right declaration of war!” This method is the only proper one. Japan pursued it formerly and it corresponds with his own system, that is, to negotiate as long as possible. But if one sees that the other is interested only in putting one off, in shaming and humiliating one, and is not willing to come to an agreement, then one should strike—as hard as possible, indeed—and not waste time declaring war. It was heartwarming to him to hear of the first operations of the Japanese. He himself negotiated with infinite patience at times, for example, with Poland and also with Russia. When he then realized, that the other did not want to come to an agreement, he struck suddenly and without formalities. He would continue to go this way in the future.” (2932-PS)
LEGAL REFERENCES AND LIST OF DOCUMENTS RELATING TO COLLABORATION WITH ITALY AND JAPAN AND AGGRESSIVE WAR AGAINST THE UNITED STATES: NOVEMBER 1936 TO DECEMBER 1941
| Document | Description | Vol. | Page |
| Charter of the International Military Tribunal, Article 6 (a). | I | 5 | |
| International Military Tribunal, Indictment Number 1, Sections IV (F) 7; V. | I | 28, 29 | |
| ————— | |||
| Note: A single asterisk (*) before a document indicates that the document was received in evidence at the Nurnberg trial. A double asterisk (**) before a document number indicates that the document was referred to during the trial but was not formally received in evidence, for the reason given in parentheses following the description of the document. The USA series number, given in parentheses following the description of the document, is the official exhibit number assigned by the court. | |||
| ————— | |||
| *376-PS | Top secret memorandum signed by Major Falkenstein, 29 October 1940, concerning current military questions, including question of occupation of Atlantic Islands referring to the United States. (USA 161) | III | 288 |
| *1538-PS | Report from German Military Attache in Tokyo to Office Foreign Intelligence, 24 May 1941. (USA 154) | IV | 100 |
| *1834-PS | Report on conference between Ribbentrop and Oshima, 23 February 1941. (USA 129) | IV | 469 |
| *1866-PS | Record of conversation between Reich Foreign Minister and the Duce, 13 May 1941. (GB 273) | IV | 499 |
| *1877-PS | Report on conversation between Ribbentrop and Matsuoka in Berlin, 29 March 1941. (USA 152) | IV | 520 |
| *1881-PS | Notes on conference between Hitler and Matsuoka in presence of Ribbentrop, in Berlin, 4 April 1941. (USA 33) | IV | 522 |
| *1882-PS | Notes on conference between Ribbentrop and Matsuoka in Berlin, 5 April 1941. (USA 153) | IV | 526 |
| *2195-PS | File memorandum on conversation with Oshima, 31 January 1939, signed Himmler. (USA 150) | IV | 852 |
| 2506-PS | Protocol of Adherence by Italy to Anti-Comintern Pact, 6 November 1937, published in Documents of German Politics, 1940, 4th edition. | V | 239 |
| *2507-PS | Note from Ribbentrop to U. S. Charge d’Affaires in Berlin, 11 December 1941, containing German Declaration of War on United States, published in Documents of German Politics, Vol. IX, Part 1, No. 74, pp. 497-9. (USA 164) | V | 241 |
| *2508-PS | German-Japanese Agreement against the Communist International, 25 November 1936, signed by Ribbentrop. Documents of German Politics, Vol. 4. (GB 147) | V | 242 |
| *2643-PS | Announcement concerning Three-Power Pact between Germany, Italy and Japan, 27 September 1940, signed by Ribbentrop for Germany. 1940 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part II, No. 41, p. 279. (USA 149) | V | 355 |
| *2896-PS | Telegram from Ribbentrop to German Ambassador in Tokyo, Ott, 10 July 1941. (USA 155) | V | 564 |
| *2897-PS | Telegram from German Ambassador in Tokyo, Ott, to Ribbentrop, 13 July 1941. (USA 156) | V | 566 |
| *2898-PS | Telegram from German Ambassador to Tokyo, Ott, to Ribbentrop, 30 November 1941. (USA 163) | V | 566 |
| *2911-PS | Notes on conversation between Ribbentrop and Oshima, 9 July 1942. (USA 157) | V | 580 |
| *2929-PS | Notes on conversation between Ribbentrop and Oshima, 18 April 1943. (USA 159) | V | 603 |
| *2932-PS | Notes on conference between Hitler and Oshima, 14 December 1941. (USA 165) | V | 603 |
| 2944-PS | Statement by U. S. Secretary of State, 27 September 1940, published in Peace and War, U. S. Foreign Policy, 1931-1941. | V | 624 |
| 2945-PS | Joint resolution by the U. S. Senate and House of Representatives declaring state of war with Germany, 11 December 1941, published in Peace and War, U. S. Foreign Policy, 1931-1941. | V | 625 |
| *2954-PS | Minutes of conversation between Ribbentrop and Oshima, 6 March 1943. (USA 158; GB 150) | V | 658 |
| *2987-PS | Entries in diary of Count Ciano. (USA 166) | V | 689 |
| *3054-PS | “The Nazi Plan”, script of a motion picture composed of captured German film. (USA 167) | V | 801 |
| 3598-PS | Intercepted Japanese Diplomatic message, Tokyo to Berlin, 30 November 1941. VI | 308 | |
| 3599-PS | Intercepted Japanese Diplomatic message, Rome to Tokyo, 3 December 1941. | VI | 310 |
| 3600-PS | Intercepted Japanese Diplomatic message, Tokyo to Berlin, 6 December 1941. | VI | 312 |
| 3733-PS | Minutes of interview held on 19 August 1941, between Vice-Minister Aman and Ambassador Ott. | VI | 545 |
| *3780-PS | Record of Fuehrer’s conference with Oshima, 27 May 1944, concerning Japanese treatment of American terror pilots. (GB 293) | VI | 655 |
| *3817-PS | File of correspondence and reports by Dr. Haushofer on Asiatic situation. (USA 790) | VI | 752 |
| *C-74 | Top Secret Order concerning personnel and materiel program, signed by Hitler, 14 July 1941. (USA 162) | VI | 905 |
| *C-75 | OKW Order No. 24 initialled Jodl, signed Keitel, 5 March 1941, concerning collaboration with Japan. | (USA 151) | VI |
| C-147 | Extracts from Directive No. 18, signed by Hitler, 12 November 1940. | VI | 957 |
| *C-152 | Extract from Naval War Staff files, 18 March 1941, concerning audience of C-in-C of Navy with Hitler on 18 March 1941. (GB 122) | VI | 966 |
| *D-656 | Extract of 29 November 1941 from Intercepted Diplomatic Messages sent by Japanese Government between 1 July and 8 December 1941. (GB 148) | VII | 160 |
| *D-657 | Extract of 8 December 1941 from Intercepted Diplomatic Messages sent by Japanese Government between 1 July and 8 December 1941. (GB 149) | VII | 163 |
| *R-140 | Secret letter from Goering’s adjutant, Major Conrath, 11 July 1938, enclosing transcript of Goering’s speech of 8 July to representatives of aircraft industry. (USA 160) | VIII | 221 |
Chapter X
THE SLAVE LABOR PROGRAM,
THE ILLEGAL USE OF PRISONERS
OF WAR, AND THE SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY
OF SAUCKEL AND SPEER THEREFOR
In general terms, the basic elements of the Nazi foreign labor policy consisted of mass deportation and mass enslavement. It was a policy of underfeeding and overworking foreign laborers, of subjecting them to every form of degradation and brutality. It was a policy which compelled foreign workers and prisoners of war to manufacture armaments and to engage in other operations of war directed against their own countries. It was, in short, a policy which constituted a flagrant violation of the laws of war and the laws of humanity.
Fritz Sauckel and Albert Speer are principally responsible for the formulation of this policy and for its execution. Sauckel, the Nazi’s Plenipotentiary General for Manpower, directed the recruitment, deportation, and allocation of foreign civilian labor. Sanctioning and directing the use of force as a means of recruitment, he was responsible for the mistreatment of the enslaved millions. Speer—as Reichsminister for Armaments and Munitions, Director of the Organization Todt, and member of the Central Planning Board—bears responsibility for the determination of the numbers of foreign slaves required by the German war machine, for the decision to recruit by force, and for the use and brutal treatment of foreign civilians and prisoners of war in the manufacture of armaments and munitions, in the construction of fortifications, and in active military operations.