DR. NELTE: It was not known to me that Ambassador Scapini was blind. Not he himself, but rather the delegation of which he was head, made regular inspections of the prisoner-of-war camps for French soldiers. It is certain that in prisoner-of-war camps things happened which violated the Geneva Convention, but the question at issue here is that the Defendant Keitel and the OKW, as the supreme authority, did—or at any rate, tried to do—all that they, as highest authority, had to do.
The OKW had no command jurisdiction in the individual camps. It had only to issue instructions as to how prisoners of war were to be treated and had to permit the protecting powers to visit the camps.
THE PRESIDENT: Would interrogatories be satisfactory, supposing we thought it proper to administer them to Mr. Scapini?
DR. NELTE: An interrogation in Nuremberg? Could Ambassador Scapini be heard in Nuremberg?
THE PRESIDENT: I was asking whether interrogatories would be satisfactory. I imagine Mr. Scapini is not in Nuremberg. Written interrogatories, I mean, of course, where I have mentioned them.
DR. NELTE: I ask for a ruling on whether the written questions which I first should like to put will be sufficient or whether another ruling will be necessary. So I assume that first I shall interrogate Ambassador Scapini in writing and on his answer it will depend whether. . .
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, in writing. Will that be satisfactory to you, M. Champetier de Ribes?
M. CHAMPETIER DE RIBES: Yes, that will be quite satisfactory.
THE PRESIDENT: I think perhaps we might adjourn now, Dr. Nelte, until a quarter past 2.
[The Tribunal recessed until 1415 hours.]