It has already been emphasized on several occasions that the OKW does not mean Keitel. It may however be quite possible, as no date of the alleged OKW order is mentioned in Document USSR-407, that this is one of the numerous cases of confusion, especially since even in Armed Forces circles the exact conception of the OKW was not known.
In any case the conclusion by the Soviet Russian Prosecution, after submission of this document, that “OKW and Keitel have not only ordered the mobilization of labor from the occupied part of Russia, but have worked directly in the execution of this order” is incorrect and has not been proved.
Now there is still a category of documentary evidence which contains official communiqués of the Extraordinary Commission for the determination and investigation of War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity. I already some time ago dealt with the importance of official documents in the presentation of evidence, and pointed out their limited value as evidence.
If in this connection I discuss the official reports of the investigating commissions, then I do so because ostensibly they have been presented in order to incriminate Keitel, while in actual fact they furnish proof that the accusations against Keitel and the OKW Staff are not based on any reasoning in these very weighty Prosecution charges.
From the large number of documents concerning this I would refer to the following:
Document USSR-4 has been submitted to show that the Soviet-Russian population was exterminated through intentional infection with typhus, and that this was a case of a planned spreading of typhus-epidemics among the Soviet population. For this the following, among others, are named as the culprits (Page 10 of the document); “The Hitler Government and the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces.”
Once again it cannot be seen from the document itself on what concrete facts the commission supports the guilt of the “Supreme Command of the German Armed Forces” and what military agency is thereby described. There is no mention made of an order of the “Supreme Command of the German Armed Forces” in any part of this lengthy document. However, since the Prosecution have presented this document as proof of the guilt of the Defendant Keitel and the OKW, I establish that this document cannot be valid as evidence for an accusation against Keitel in this horrible charge.
Document USSR-9 bears the heading:
“Report of the Extraordinary State Commission for the determination and investigation of the atrocities of the Fascist German invaders and the damage caused to citizens, collective enterprises, social organizations, State plants and institutions of the Soviet Union.
“Regarding the demolitions and bestialities which the German Fascist invaders have committed in Kiev.”