A. Yes, I talked to him over the telephone and then I received an order from the Ministry to the effect that they agreed with my plan to clear up the matter and that in particular the Kreisleiter was to be interrogated. I was also instructed that I should make a further report and that probably further directives would be issued to me. Naturally, I had to wait for the instructions from the Minister. Whether it was Dr. Mettgenberg who had signed that order or whether it was Dr. Vollmer who was then ministerial director, I naturally can’t tell you, for of course I was interested in the case as such but not in the man who signed it.
Q. And before you could do any more, you had to wait for instructions from the Ministry in all cases where Allied fliers had been shot; is that right?
A. Well, that is the way I remember that circular decree but that is the only case that occurred in my area, and the instructions were to the effect to clear up the matter.
Dr. Schilf: I have no further questions.
Presiding Judge Brand: The witness is excused.
EXTRACTS FROM THE TESTIMONY OF DEFENDANT KLEMM[306]
DIRECT EXAMINATION
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Dr. Schilf (counsel for defendant Klemm): We now come to the next charge of the indictment. You are personally made responsible in the indictment for having assisted in the so-called lynch justice on the part of the German population exercised on bailed-out Allied fliers during the war. May it please the Tribunal, the documents which were introduced against the witness in that connection are NG-364, Prosecution Exhibit 108; 635-PS, Prosecution Exhibit 109; and NG-149, Prosecution Exhibit 110.[307] According to Exhibit 108 which we already discussed a few days ago, Bormann had sent a secret letter from the Fuehrer Headquarters to the Nazi Party which was addressed to Gau and Kreisleiter. He spoke about lynch actions which had already been taken by the people and it says further, and I quote: “no police or criminal proceedings have been taken against citizens who have taken part herein.” He is speaking in the past tense. Exhibit 109 shows correspondence between Lammers and Thierack. Lammers informs Thierack about this circular letter sent out by Bormann. First, I want to ask you, in what relationship did you see these statements of Bormann to the Kreisleiter and Gauleiter to Thierack at the time?
Defendant Klemm: According to the text of Lammers’ letter, Exhibit 109, there must have been an enclosure in this letter.