Afternoon Session
M. HERZOG: Mr. President, Your Honors. I showed you this morning what the official propaganda was which was conducted by the German offices in France to persuade workers to enroll for work in Germany. The effect of this official propaganda was reinforced by the clandestine recruitment bureaus. Real dens for clandestine recruiting were organized by the occupation authorities apart from the administrative services whose activities they completed. These recruitment bureaus were directed by German agents who often succeeded in securing local accomplices. In France these bureaus extended their ramifications to the non-occupied zone as well as the occupied zone. Several documents prove their existence. The first among them is a report transmitted on 7 March 1942 by the Vice President of the Council of Ministers of the de facto Government of Vichy, to the Delegate General for Franco-German Economic Relations. It is Document F-654 of the French archives.
This report is drawn up under the seal of Vice President of the Council, Darlan. It bears the signature of an officer of the latter’s General Staff, Commander Fontaine. I submit this report under Exhibit Number RF-28 (Document F-654) and I read it:
“Vichy, 7 March 1942. Your Honor, the Delegate General, I have the honor of transmitting to you in this letter, for your information, a report on the organization of recruitment in France of workers for German industry.”
I now go to Page 2.
“26 of February 1942. Secret. Note on the organization of the recruitment in France of workers for German industry. Source: excellent.
“I. Organization of the recruitment of workers in France.