DR. SERVATIUS: Who actually carried out the recruitment of the foreign workers?
SAUCKEL: The actual recruitment of foreign workers was the task of the German offices established in the various regions, the offices of the military commanders or similar civilian German institutions.
DR. SERVATIUS: You ordered recruitment to be voluntary. What was the success of that voluntary recruitment?
SAUCKEL: Several million foreign workers came to Germany voluntarily, as voluntary recruitment was the underlying principle.
DR. SERVATIUS: Now, at the meeting of the Central Planning Board—the same meeting which we have just discussed—you made a remark which contradicts that. It is on Page 67 of the German photostat, Page 1827 of the English text. I shall read the sentence to you. Kehrl is speaking. He says, “During that entire period, you brought a large number of Frenchmen to the Reich by voluntary recruitment.”
Then an interruption by Sauckel: “Also by forced recruitment.”
The speaker continues, “Forced recruitment started when voluntary recruitment no longer yielded sufficient numbers.”
Now comes the remark on which I want you to comment. You answered, “Of the 5 million foreign workers who came to Germany, less than 200,000 came voluntarily.”
Please explain that contradiction.
SAUCKEL: I see that this is another interruption which I made. All I wanted to say by it was that Herr Kehrl’s opinion that all workers had come voluntarily was not quite correct. This proportion, which is put down here by the stenographer or the man writing the records, is quite impossible. How that error occurred, I do not know. I never saw the record; but the witness Timm, or others, can give information on that.