“Reich Marshal Göring: ‘Now, gentlemen, there is only one thing more regarding Wehrmacht supplies. I want to hear nothing more about you until further notice. No more requests. The country—with its sour cream, apples, and white bread—will feed us abundantly. The Don valley will take care of the rest.’ ”
Passing to the next quotation—Göring is speaking:
“ ‘The Wehrmacht in France will, of course, be supplied with food by France. That is a matter of course, and I did not even mention it before.
“ ‘Now about Russia: There is no doubt of her fertility. The position there is almost incredibly good. . . .’ ”
The next quotation—Göring is still speaking:
“ ‘I was glad to hear that the Reich Commissioner in Ostland is doing just as well, and the people are just as fat and chubby and puff a little when they work. Nevertheless, I shall see to it, no matter how carefully certain groups are treated, that some contribution is made from the inexhaustible fertility of this area.’ ”
After this Lohse, Reich Commissioner for Bielorussia, addressed the meeting:
“ ‘May I state my opinion in a few words? I should like to give you more but certain conditions have to be observed. The harvest is certainly excellent but in more than half of the area of Bielorussia which is well cultivated, it is scarcely possible to get in the crops, unless we can put a stop to the disturbances caused by guerrillas and partisans. I have already been crying out for help for 4 months.’ ”
Lohse goes on to describe the activities of the partisans in Bielorussia. In this connection Göring interrupts him and says:
“ ‘My dear Lohse, we have known each other for a long time. I know well enough that you are a great poet.’ ”