MR. DODD: Well, is that your answer? Now, you also have told the Tribunal, as I understood you at least, that you really did not have much to do with the planning of any aggressive wars, and that your activities were restricted to regulating and controlling the home economy, so to speak. Now, actually on 28 January 1939, which was some months before the invasion of Poland, you were considering the use of prisoners of war, were you not?
FUNK: That I do not know.
MR. DODD: Are you sure about that? Now I will ask that you be shown another document, Number EC-488 which becomes Exhibit USA-842. This is an unsigned letter, a captured document from your files. This letter, by the way, was transmitted under the signature of Sarnow. You know who he was; he was your deputy. Now, this letter, dated 28 January 1939, says that its subject is “Re: Employment of Prisoners of War.” Then it goes on to say:
“Under the Reich Defense Law of 4 September 1938[*] I have the direction for the economic preparations for the Reich defense, except the armament industry.”
Then it goes on, “For the utilization of labor...” and so on. But what I want to call your attention to particularly is the sentence in the second paragraph which says:
“The deficit in manpower may force me to the employment of prisoners of war as far as possible and practical. The preparations, therefore, have to be made in close co-operation with the OKW and GBW. The offices under my jurisdiction will duly participate therein.”
Remember that communication?
FUNK: No, I have never seen that letter, and never signed it. But that letter belongs to the matters about which I spoke this morning. The office of the Plenipotentiary for Economy—moreover, I see “Plenipotentiary for War Economy” is scratched out—was continuously occupied with these things. I personally had nothing to do with it.
MR. DODD: Well now, that is rather playing with words. This was your Ministry that was making these suggestions, and your principal deputy who transmitted this letter, is that not so?
FUNK: No, that was...