[signature illegible]
(Oberregierungsrat)
[ink note:]
To the Commissar General
[Initials illegible]
Command of Economic Affairs [Wirtschaftskommando] for the Territory of the former Latvia Department of Work
Riga, 21 July 1941
Subject: Work commitment of Jews.
File note
According to the Group Agriculture there is a considerable shortage of workers for farming in Latvia, which endangers especially the beet harvest. According to my findings and also those of the economy office North (Wi.-In. Nord) no prisoners of war are at present available for farming. It should be examined, therefore, to which extent and under which conditions other possibilities of commitment are available.
To clarify the possibility of committing Jews, a conference took place today between the economy office North and the chief war administration advisor (O.K.V.R.) Ellroth, from the department of work. Together with Mr. Ellroth we went to the SS and conferred with the leader of the SD, Sturmbannfuehrer Batz, as well as his deputy, Hauptsturmfuehrer Kirsten. Our proposal to earmark the Jews, to put them together in a ghetto, then to establish a council for Jews, and to effect with it the extensive commitment of Jews for work, was favorably accepted. It was also agreed upon that the commitment of Jews for work should be effected only through the special offices for commitment to be created by the employment office resp. offices, in order to make sure of leadership according to the necessities for war and state policies. The SS reserves only the right of the decision of political problems and the execution of political tasks. The ear-marking of the Jews and their collection in a ghetto is being done. It was furthermore announced that conferences had already taken place between the SS-SD on the one hand and the military administration headquarters (Feldkommandatur) on the other hand, with the result that a registration of the Jews at the police precincts, a daily report of the Jews there, and the establishment of a special office should be instituted for the execution of the commitment of Jews for work through the military administration headquarters.
After that a conference with the war administration council [Kriegsverwaltungsrat] Nachtigall took also place at the military administration headquarters, which had the same result. The military administration headquarters (Fk.) agrees also that the commitment of Jews for work is done by the employment office after the registration of the Jews. While registering, a special index card can be put aside for this commitment of work.
The discussions at the Fk. resulted furthermore in the issuing by the commander of the rear army district of a decree on ceiling prices and wages, already last Wednesday, because it is his opinion that he alone can issue official decrees with effective penalties. Furthermore, the locally customary prices and wages are already established.
[signature illegible]
O.K.V.R.
Distribution:
Wi.-In. Nord, Dept. for work Commandant
SS.-SD.
Fk.
TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT 614-PS