Q. What did Elkar tell you during these discussions about the functions of the SD, regarding the state of the Party?
A. He told me, and I think that was probably right, that the SD as we saw it was an institution of the nature of an official agency; that is to say, it was an organization of the police type; its activities and functions can best be described as an agency that gathered the opinions of the people; one intended to find out what the people really thought on official measures taken by the government, that is to say what they thought about laws, about judgments, about other administrative measures, etc. Those reports were then to be evaluated and passed on the competent Supreme Reich Authorities to enable them in their governmental transactions and measures, to remain aware of the thoughts of the people. In all these reports therefore, what mattered was not to find out who the people were who were critical and undesirable, but on the contrary, the intention was to find out what people were really thinking; and therefore, it was undesirable and prohibited to prosecute in any way an individual who stated his opinion in this connection. That was roughly the scope of the functions of the SD.
Q. In the English transcript at page 2912, the witness Elkar mentioned the official character of the SD. I am showing you a book, and would ask you to tell the Tribunal what the title is.
A. The book is entitled Ministerial Gazette [Ministerialblatt]; it was issued by the Reich Minister of the Interior; it was published in 1938.
Q. Please turn to page 1906. At the right hand corner you will find a circular decree by the Reich Leader SS and Chief of the German Police at the Reich Ministry of the Interior, dated 11 November 1938. Please read out section 1 of that circular decree.
A. Under the heading police administration, it says, “Collaboration of the authorities of the administration with the SD was the subject of the Reichsfuehrer SS (SD) circular decree by the Reich Ministry of Interior, dated 11 November 1938.” Then, there is a file note. Then—“one: The SD of the Reichsfuehrer SS (SD), as information organization, intelligence organization for Party and State, has to work in particular in support of the security police and has to fulfill important duties. The SD thereby acts on the instructions of the State. That necessitates close understanding and cooperation between the SD and the authorities of the general and internal administration. In reply to inquiries by the SD, information has to be imparted therefore to the same extent as if inquiries had come from a government authority. The official agencies of the SD, in the same way, are under obligation to reply to inquiries of the general and internal administration.”
Q. Witness, what were the motives for which you met with Elkar and discussed matters with him?
A. The main cause was that he knew me from his former training period.
Q. You may continue.
A. I said Elkar knew me since the time when he was in training, because he was assigned to me. He was by nature a very faithful person, and at the time when he was not yet with the SD, I was connected with him by purely human relationships. That is how it came about that at that time, after he had taken up service with the SD and a connection with the administration of justice and the SD was sought, he came to me first for I was known to him; and that is how in the subsequent period the entire relationship was purely a matter of comradeship. This is shown best perhaps by the fact that one day Elkar informed me that he would probably be transferred to the RSHA in Berlin for further training. Thereupon, I told him that in that case I would also discontinue my activity because I would not start all over again with a new man.