“... I refer to my directives for the collaboration of the Armed Forces in the procurement of labor from France (OKW/West/ku (Verw. 1 u. 2 West) Nr. 05210/44 geh.).”
The Defendant Keitel requested me to call the attention of the Court to this method of expression for the following reasons: Numerous documents bearing the signature “Keitel” have been submitted here. In accordance with his position, which has already been described and which excluded all powers of command, Keitel never used the first person in communications or transmissions of orders. Apart from this document, only one other teletype was submitted by the Prosecution in which the first person is used. In consideration of the large number of documents which bear out Keitel’s statement, his claim that he was transmitting an order from the Führer must be believed; and, indeed, the whole style of wording is that of a Führer order.
General Warlimont (Document 3819-PS) also expressly refers during the conference of 11 July to a “recently issued Führer order,” the contents of which as reproduced by him are exactly as contained in the teletype directive bearing the signature “Keitel.”
The newly-submitted Document F-824 (RF-1515) is also significant and confirms the evidence given by the Defendant Keitel. This is a letter written on 25 July 1944 by the Commander-in-Chief West, Von Rundstedt, who in the meantime had become the Chief of the Military Commanders in France and Belgium. It states that “by order of the Führer the demands of the GBA and of Speer are to be fulfilled”; further, that in the event of evacuation of the battle area measures must be taken to secure refugees for labor and finally, that reports on the measures taken must be sent to the OKW.
This reference to the Führer’s order shortly after 11 July 1944 shows, as does Warlimont’s statement, that no directives from Keitel or the OKW existed. It may therefore be considered proved that neither Keitel himself nor the OKW had any part in measures for the recruitment or conscription of labor. The OKW was the office responsible for transmitting the orders which Hitler as Sauckel’s superior wished to forward to the military commanders; it had no competence and no legal responsibility.
Nor is this complex in line with subjects within the ministerial scope of the OKW, where at least there functioned a team of experts providing an opportunity for voicing objections.
In the sphere of labor procurement and labor commitment Keitel was in contact with Sauckel’s activities at the following points:
(a) He was cosignatory of the Führer’s decree of 21 March 1942 concerning the appointment of the GBA;
(b) He transmitted Hitler’s orders to support the activities of the GBA by special instructions to the local military authorities in the occupied territories.
Now, the French Prosecution, at the session of 2 February 1946, made the following statement in regard to the deportation of the Jews, within the scope of the Defendant Keitel’s responsibility: