VON STEENGRACHT: I said that no order went through my hands, since I did not become State Secretary until May 1943. This is an order of 3 August 1940. But here we are concerned only with an official directive addressed to Ambassador Abetz.
COL. PHILLIMORE: At this time you were Ribbentrop’s personal adjutant, weren’t you?
VON STEENGRACHT: I was adjutant, but not political secretary. I was only...
COL. PHILLIMORE: You were adjutant?
VON STEENGRACHT: I was adjutant, that is to say I was concerned with technical matters. At that time I never presented a political report to him. But I should add, if I may, this concerns a directive to Ambassador Abetz and this directive was completely outdated by actual conditions. Because advising the Secret Field Police...
COL. PHILLIMORE: How do you know that, if you were only personal adjutant and not acting in political matters?
VON STEENGRACHT: Ambassador Abetz was ambassador until May 1945. Therefore from 1943 to 1945 I continuously corresponded with him, and during that time Ambassador Abetz continually fought against the measures which were carried out by the Secret State Police anyway. It was a bitter struggle and he was personally threatened in all possible matters. One can talk about advice, but whether people heeded him—he had no power—that is quite another question.
COL. PHILLIMORE: Does it come to this, that your answer about occupied territories applies only after 1943?
VON STEENGRACHT: From my own experience I can speak only about the period after 1943.
COL. PHILLIMORE: Now, I want to turn to the question of Jews. You have told us that you and Ribbentrop, by adopting a policy of delay, prevented the holding of the Anti-Jewish Congress in 1944; is that correct?