Just a word about agricultural colonization: An organization called “Für Deutsches Volkstum und Siedelung” (For the Settlement of Racial Germans) was entrusted with the liquidation of the property of Luxembourg deportees for the benefit of southern Tyroleans who were settled in the Grand Duchy. Also, industrial and economic colonization: Here we find the same methods, the same spoliations, and therefore I do not want to go over this ground again. The Tribunal already knows the way in which this was carried out. But I should like to give one example concerning Luxembourg because when dealing with points, even general points, I think the best method is to give a documentary example, and also because, from this document that I am going to cite, I think it is possible to draw some important conclusions from the point of view of the Prosecution.
The document which I am going to cite concerns many cases where the German authorities compelled private citizens and firms to transfer their assets and the control of their businesses to Germans. That was called colonization, and consisted in putting German nationals into the businesses with large assets and economic functions. The Reich Minister of Economy himself devised these illicit methods by which it was intended to plunder private citizens and to germanize the economy of the country. The document that I am going to read to the Tribunal bears the Document Number 813. It is offered as a document by the Luxembourg Government, and it is an original document with the signature, bearing the heading “The Reich Minister of Economy,” Berlin, 5 January 1942. This letter with the heading “The Minister of Reich Economy” is signed “By order: Dr. Saager.” He is a subordinate who is acting regularly, administratively, by order of his minister. It is Number RF-813, the last but one. This letter is marked “Secret.” It concerns the “Accumulateurs Tudor, S. A., Bruxelles,” and is addressed to the battery factory in the hands of Mr. Von Holtzendorff of Berlin, Askanischer Platz 3. The Tribunal will understand that the Minister of Economy is writing to the German firm which is going to benefit by the pressure to be exercised on the Luxembourg firm.
“Referring to our repeated conversations I confirm that in the interest of the Reich it would be considered very desirable if your company would obtain a participation in the stock of the Tudor Batteries. The interest of the Reich is based in no small degree on economic requirements of national defense.
“In order to obtain a majority the stock owned by M. Léon Laval, formerly in Luxembourg and now in Bad Mergentheim, would have to be considered first. This concerns not only the shares which M. Laval possesses personally, but also the 3,000 shares deposited with Sogeco.”
I now come to a very important paragraph:
“I therefore request that the necessary negotiations be started immediately. I would point out that, first of all, you will have to apply to the Gestapo for the authorization of the State Police to negotiate with M. Laval, and then request them to give their agreement to the transfer of these shares to your company in case M. Laval should be willing to cede them.
“I have already informed the Gestapo of the matter. If the result of your negotiations should make it necessary I am prepared to point out once again to the Gestapo how urgent your mission is.”
Now I should like to read to the Tribunal the sequel to this, Document Number RF-814, which shows a further stage of the maneuver by which the Reich Minister of Economy, in conjunction with the Gestapo, sought to plunder a private citizen. This is a letter addressed to a private citizen, who was going to be compelled to sell his shares, Dr. Engineer Léon Laval, and we are going to see who writes to him. Here is the text of this letter, which is dated Luxembourg, 14 January 1942, and which bears the heading of the Einsatzkommando of the Security Police and the SD in Luxembourg: