In addition, I just want to submit certain individual cases charged against the Defendant Keitel personally by the Prosecution, that is to say, cases where, in the opinion of the Prosecution, he is supposed to have exceeded the limits of the general responsibility inherent in his position.
I should not like to omit that case which was repeatedly mentioned—and rightly so—in the course of the evidence, the case of the 50 Royal Air Force officers, the shameful case of Sagan.
It particularly affects us as Germans, because it shows the utter lack of all restraint and proportion in the orders and the character of Hitler, who did not allow himself to be influenced for an instant in his explosive decisions by any thought of the honor of the German Armed Forces.
The cross-examination of the Defendant Keitel by the representative of the British Prosecution has determined how far his name too has been implicated in these abominable facts. Although the evidence clearly establishes the fact that Keitel neither heard nor transmitted Hitler’s murderous order, that he and the Armed Forces had nothing to do with the execution of this order and, finally, that he did everything in his power to prevent the escaped officers from being handed over to Himmler and did at least succeed in saving the officers who were taken back to the camp, he is painfully conscious of his guilt in not realizing at the time the terrible blow which such a measure must inflict on German military prestige throughout the world. In connection with the treatment of the Sagan case the French Prosecution confronted the Defendant Keitel with Document 1650-PS, which deals with the treatment of escaped prisoners of war.
This, Mr. President, is the so-called “Bullet Decree.” Considering the lack of time, I should like to deal shortly with this case, but I must deal with it because it is one of the most significant and gravest accusations against my client; I shall only summarize.
During his cross-examination, Keitel made the following statement:
“This Document 1650-PS emanates from a police agency and contains a reference to the OKW by the words: ‘The OKW has decreed the following ...’ ”
Keitel says:
“I have certainly neither signed this order of the OKW nor seen it; there is no doubt about that.”
He cannot explain it; he can only assume how this order came to be issued by the Reich Security Main Office.