COL. PHILLIMORE: Look at the last sentence, “It would be better to carry out the measures considered necessary.” What were those measures?
WAGNER: They were not discussed at all.
COL. PHILLIMORE: Do you see any difference between the advice which Admiral Dönitz was giving them and the advice which you described as the rather romantic ideas of a young expert on the document about sinking without warning at night? Let me put it to you; what the naval officer said on the Document C-191 was: “Sink without warning. Do not give written permission. Say it was a mistake for an armed merchant cruiser...”
We have Admiral Dönitz saying, “Do not break the rules, tell no one about it and at all costs save face with the world.”
Do you see any difference?
WAGNER: I already testified yesterday that the difference is very great. Admiral Dönitz opposed the renunciation of the Geneva Convention and said that even if measures to intimidate deserters or countermeasures against bombing attacks on cities were to be taken, the Geneva Convention should not be renounced in any case.
COL. PHILLIMORE: Now, I want to put to you a few questions about prisoners of war. So far as naval prisoners of war were concerned, they remained in the custody of the Navy, did they not?
WAGNER: I am not informed about the organization of prisoner-of-war camps. According to my recollection they were first put into a naval transit camp. Then they were sent to other camps; but I do not know whether these camps were under the jurisdiction of the Navy or the OKW.
COL. PHILLIMORE: Have you not seen the defense documents about the Camp Marlag telling us how well they were treated? Have you not seen them?
WAGNER: No.