Sauckel was, however, unable to satisfy completely these demands. He reported this inability at its 54th meeting. This meeting of the Board was presided over by the defendant, and the minutes which we have submitted show the subordinate position occupied by Sauckel with respect to the Board. The Tribunal will recall Sauckel’s opening statement:
“Field Marshal, gentlemen, it goes without saying that we shall satisfy as far as possible the demands agreed upon by the Central Planning Board.”
And then later on in the meeting:
“If I am to fulfill the demands which you present to me * * *.”
We shall not review in detail the minutes of this meeting, but the Tribunal’s attention is again directed to the fact that Sauckel was questioned closely by the defendant who suggested that the Wehrmacht be assigned to the task of assisting in the recruitment drive. The defendant suggested that French workers be coerced by a system of premeditated starvation. In dealing with the problem of Italian laborers, the defendant suggested that only those who went to Germany or worked in protected factories be given food.
As a further means of meeting the manpower shortage, consideration was given to possible measures for increasing the productive power of prisoners of war. Accordingly, on 5 March 1944, a conference was held at the Fuehrer Headquarters. It is evident from the minutes which have been submitted to the Tribunal that the defendant was in attendance. The Tribunal will recall that the decision was made to give the direction of the Stalags to the SS, in order to increase the production power of the prisoners. This was not to apply to the Americans or the English. The Tribunal will take judicial notice of the methods of the SS.
On 7 July 1944, Sauckel issued a report showing new manpower placed at the disposal of German war industry during the first half of 1944. We shall not review in detail this report, but merely state that it is proof of the Board’s directive to Sauckel.
This report, however, showed a deficit, and on 11 July 1944 a further conference was held to solve the question of how greater compulsion could be exerted on persons to work in Germany. The defendant has testified that he was in virtual retirement from production matters since late June 1944. Yet the record of this conference shows that he was present. The result of this conference was the greater utilization of the Wehrmacht in the recruitment of forced labor. The directive of Field Marshal von Kluge, which has been submitted in evidence, makes specific reference to the results of this conference.
Here, in brief, we have the picture. The defendant and the Board, of which he was a dominant member, requisitioning forced labor from Sauckel, allocating this labor to the various sectors of the German war economy, and later improvising new and more brutal techniques of force and terror for the recruitment of new labor.
The defense, besides denying the power and authority of the Central Planning Board, has challenged the authenticity and accuracy of its transcripts. The prosecution has been compelled to rely upon these minutes for much of its proof.