Q Now, General, I want you to pay close attention to my questions end we will get along a little faster. The first question I put to you was, your tasks after you were first appointed on 28 July l942, and I asked you with respect to that, if it was not your duty to provide uniform and coordinated measures in the field of health guidance, research, and the combating of epidemics, and all medical measures which required uniform ruling. Now, give me an answer, yes or no?
A The decree of 1942, this is not contained-
Q (Interposing) General, we all understand it is not in the decree of 1942, or I would not be asking you the question. The fact is there was a service regulation issued on 28 July 1942, which the Prosecution has not yet put into evidence, and I am asking you some questions about your duties as contained in that service regulation, and I will ask you to give an answer now to the question I put to you.
A The tasks of the Chief of the Wehrmacht Medical Service generally referred to, what you have mentioned, the coordination of those--also in view of these sections of the medical service which could not be coordinated at all.
Q And, that covered health guidance, did it not?
A Well, this question is very difficult to answer. When I issue an order, then that indicated already that by some means I shall see that these measures are carried out.
Q And, your tasks in the field of having coordinated measures also covered the combating of epidemics; did it not?
A Yes.
Q And, scientific research?
A Yes, scientific research has been repeatedly discussed here, and it has been described, and it has been stated how this has to be understood. Now, one must differentiate on the subject.
Q And, the service regulations of 28 July 1942, also stated that it was your job to have coordinated the evaluation of medical experiments and medical matters of the recruiting system; did it not?
A That may be, yes.
Q And, it also covered the welfare and maintenance of prisoners of war; did it not?
A Yes.
Q Now, General, as you have already observed, the duties which I have just been interrogating you about, which were contained in the service regulations of 28 July 1942, issued to you by Fieldmarshal Keitel, are some of the same duties that are contained in the service regulations of 7 August 1944.
A I am not able to confirm that because I have personally asked for this service regulation, and as far as I am informed, my Defense Counsel has tried to, by all means, to produce this regulation in the official Army communications of 1942, and in the Army guidance sheets. They have been repeatedly requested and we were unable to find any service regulations contained in them.
Q Well, General, we are mutually distressed that you do not have them in front of you, but in spite of that, I am going to ask you a few more questions about it. It must be a matter of considerable information, which you have, since you were operating under that service regulation for a little more than two years. I have had placed before you the service regulations of 7 August 1944; that is Document No. 0227, Prosecution's Exhibit 6, and I just briefly want to go ever it with you, to see exactly how much difference there was between these service regulations of 28 July 1942, which you do not have, and these service regulations which you do have of 7 August 1944.
DR. NELTE: Mr. President, may it please the Tribunal, I request a ruling of the Tribunal, if it is admissible, that the service regulations of 1944 are present in the service regulations of 1942, if the service regulations of 1942 are not given to the defendant. If there is a comparison to be drawn between those two service regulations, then he, as defendant, cannot support himself on that alone. What the Prosecution is reading to him is contained in the service regulations of 1944, but he must also be given the opportunity to examine that and to point out the practical differences, which perhaps cannot be recognized from the text alone, especially with regard to the authority.
MR. McHANEY: If the Tribunal pleases, I must object to having the cross examination interrupted in this manner. I have nothing else to say about Dr. Nelte's objections on this part. There certainly cannot be any objections to my putting these questions to the witness.
THE PRESIDENT: The Counsel for the defendant may interpose any objection that he desires to interpose. The Tribunal will ask the Prosecution if it has available the regulations of 1942, which have been referred to?
MR. McHANEY: We do not, Your Honor.
THE PRESIDENT: If the witness is unfamiliar with the regulations that are not before him, he may say so, but the objection as made by the Defense Counsel will be overruled.
BY MR. McHANEY:
Q General, I did not tell you that we had these service regulations, and if you jumped to that conclusion by some of the questions I put to you, why that is your own responsibility on the testimony that you are about to give. In any event, we are interested in knowing what was in these service regulations of 28 July 1942. Let us look at the one of 7 August 1944, which is before you, look under Part 2 where it says "Duties". The first paragraph reads: "The Chief of the Medical Service of the Wehrmacht is the adviser of the Chief of the High Command of the Wehrmacht in all questions concerning the medical service of the Wehrmacht and of its health guidance." Was that same paragraph in the regulations of 28 July 1942?
A I cannot tell you that. I cannot remember the exact text of the service regulations.
Q General, we understand that you couldn't sit down and dictate this service regulation of 28 July 1942; but isn't it a fact that you were the adviser of Keitel after 28 July 1942 on medical questions? Isn't that right?
A Yes, that is correct.
Q Isn't that all that this first paragraph says?
A The first paragraph states; "The chief of the medical service is the adviser of the chief of the OKW in all questions pertaining to the service of the Wehrmacht and the other organizations." That is the text as it is already contained in the service regulation of 1938 or 1940 for the army medical inspector.
Q Now, General, we aren't interested in what was contained in that one. We are just interested in the one of 28 July 1942; and I take it that substantially the same paragraph was in that one. Is that right?
A Since a similar paragraph is also contained in the regulation for the special consultant of the OKW it is probable that it is provided for in the similar text in the regulation of 1942.
Q Very well, let's look at Paragraph 2. That says: "The chief of the medical services of the Wehrmacht will direct the total medical services of the Wehrmacht as far as the special field is concerned with regard for the military instructions of the chief of the high command of the armed forces and the general rules of the Fuehrer's commissioner general or medical and health department." That same paragraph was in the service regulation of 28 July 1942, wasn't it?
A I am unable to give you an exact statement on that.
Q Was the same paragraph in substance in the service regulation of July 1942?
A I cannot say how many paragraphs were contained in the service regulation; how they were ordered; and what they contained individually.
Q General, doesn't the Fuehrer decree itself require you to take certain instructions in the special field from Karl Brandt? Isn't he authorized to intervene in a responsible manner by that decree?
A In the directive by the Fuehrer of 1942, as far as I know, it is stated that the general commissioner of the Fuehrer is authorized to decide that he has to be informed about fundamental things from the army medical service; that he is authorized to include himself; that he is allowed to intervene.
That is what is contained in the Fuehrer decree which we have here.
Q Let's go on to the third paragraph, General. The first part reads: "The chief of the medical services of the Wehrmacht will inform the Fuehrer's commissioner general about major events in the field of the medical services of the Wehrmacht." That was required by the service regulation of 28 July 1942, wasn't it?
A I cannot say that with certainty. It is possible that this statement is contained in my memory from perhaps this regulation. It is quite possible that the text originates from this. That is the directive of 1944.
Q Weren't you required by the Fuehrer decree of 28 July 1942 to report to Brandt on basic or fundamental events?
A Well, I would have to ask you to hand over the decree to me. I cannot state that without it.
Q But, General, you've seen this decree I guess a dozen times already and you operated under it for about four years. Did you as a matter of fact report to Karl Brandt on fundamental events in the medical service after 28 July of '42? Can you tell us about that?
AAbout matters pertaining to the medical field I cannot remember any specific case. They were mostly cases which pertained to the status of the military physicians or which dealt with special emergency conditions, or it was a request for some support or aid with vehicles or airplanes.
Q Let's go on to the next paragraph, Paragraph 3. It says: "You will represent the Wehrmacht to the civilian authorities in mutual medical affairs and will protect their interests in connection with the health measures of the civilian administrative authorities." Wasn't that contained in substance in the service regulation of 28 July 1942?
A I cannot say that. It is understood that the task of the chief of the medical service toward the civilian authorities is. I would like to say that it is a certainty.
Q But you would like to say that it was contained in there? Is that right?
A I cannot say that. I have to state again that it is after a long time here when we discussed these questions for the first time in the discussion about basic documents which I would like to have. I came here without any documents at all; and then I requested the Fuehrer decree of 1942. If there were any additional explanations for it or not, I personally stated on the subject that something should still be available in writing. I know for certain that Dr. Nelte has obtained the army regulation sheet; but I can remember when he told us that there is nothing on the subject contained in it. I told him that I would read it over myself perhaps since he was unable to find it. Actually, it was not listed in the table of contents; and I have looked through the sheets for this particular sheet. Then there is the further documentary sheet about general army communications. Dr. Nelte obtained this sheet also, and nothing was contained in it. So that I myself became suspicious. Then Dr. Nelte wrote to somebody else and he received the information that this must be contained in the army regulations, either on sheets A, B, or C. Then we again read over the army sheet of regulations; and we did not find anything whatsoever in Parts A, B, and C.
Q Now, General, this is all very sad that you haven't been able to find all these documents that you'd like to have; but both the defense and the prosecution are laboring under some of those same difficulties. I am just trying to get a little information from you here about what you were doing as chief of the medical services of the Wehrmacht; and I assume that since you held that job for about four years, you have some vague recollection about what you were doing and what you were supposed to do. One of the questions is just exactly what changes took place after this service regulation of 7 August 1944. I have a very vague suspicion that your duties and your powers weren't broadened to any substantial extent at all; and I am now trying to find out wherein lies the difference between your duties and responsibilities as of 28 July 1942 and as of 7 August 1944.
Now, if you don't know and can't tell us what these differences were, will you just go ahead and state right now that you don't know, and then we can move on to some other topic.
A I have already stated here that it is clearly indicated by the Fuehrer decress that the main difference lies in that I was granted an authority to issue orders; and the second is a separation of the previous personal union between the medical inspector.
Q Now, General, we understand this separation; and I'm of the opinion that was really the reason that this second Fuehrer decree was issued and that was substantially the only reason; but you say that in addition you got some power to issue orders. I suppose that is contained in Part I of this service regulation. Will you look at that and tell us wherein this additional power was given to you?
A It is stated under Number I in the last sentence of Paragraph 1 of the Fuehrer decree: "He is authorized to issue orders in all specific questions within his field of competence." In the decree under Article 2 in the service regulation approved by the Fuehrer it is stated under Paragraph 2, II, "The authority who, according to Paragraph 1, that is, is the authority in question, also refers to the army medical inspector, the chief of the navy medical service, the chief of the medical service of the Luftwaffe, the chief of the medical service of the Waffen SS, and the medical chiefs of the organizations and services employed within the framework of the Wehrmacht, while they are acting in the area of command of the Wehrmacht." Therefore, that is in Paragraph 2 the explanation of the authority given in Paragraph 1 of the Fuehrer decree.
Q You didn't have any power to issue orders to Hippke and Schroeder before 7 August, 1944, is that what you want to say?
A Before 1944 I did not have authority to issue orders.
Q Before 7 August, 1944?
A Yes.
Q Well did you have any power to issue general instructions which would be binding upon Hippke and Schroeder?
AAfter the decree of 1944 I was able to do that.
Q We are not talking about the period now after the service regulation and the Fuehrer Decree of 7 August, 1944. We are both agreed that from and after that time you could issue orders. I am now inquiring about your authority before that time, and I asked you if you could issue general instructions to Hippke and Schroeder which would be binding on them?
A In the field of material coordination and from the necessity which arose for a simple case within the Medical Service and its coordination, I was able to issue an order in cases of this kind, because otherwise I would have been unable to carry out such a coordination. However, the branches of the Wehrmacht and the Medical Chiefs were able to object to these orders and I did not have the authority to issue directives, authority to issue these directives in the form of an order, and that is what is the main thing in the military field.
Q Before August 1944 you did have power to issue directives, but you say you did not have any power to issue orders, is that right?
A Yes, that is correct.
Q Could you go to Keitel and have him pass down an order for you to Hippke and Schroeder?
A Yes, to a certain extent Keitel was able to issue such a directive. That is also the case with regard to mutual measures, like, for example, the protecting of troops against the winter and similar cases.
Q We understand your special field, General, and nobody is insisting you had the power to issue an order to Hippke having nothing to do with the medical service or your so-called special field. We are just limiting ourselves to the special field. Now, doctor, Hippke has testified before another Tribunal here and he was - I am reading from the English transcript, of the 7 February, 1947, in the action "United States vs.
Erhard Milch", page 765, Hippke was asked:
"What was your official connection with General Oberstabsarzt Handloser of the Medical Department of the Wehrmacht?"
And Hippke replied:
"When the Medical Department of the Wehrmacht was created it was sought to combine all questions that concerned any of the three branches of the Army, and he was my superior as Medical General. Handloser who had previously been on an equal basis with me as medical inspector for the army, now when he also took on the new task, he became my superior."
And then the further question was put to Hippke:
"Well, could he give you orders? What do you mean by the word "superior"?"
And I know you will be surprised to hear that Hippke answered:
"Yes, he could give me orders and establish a policy."
Now, was Hippke not telling the exact truth when he said you could issue orders to him? You know Hippke went out on the 1st of January, 1944, and that was seven months before this second Fuehrer decree was issued. What do you have to say about Hippke's testimony?
A In connection with his testimony I want to say that If Hippke claims that I had authority to issue orders and if he has described me as his superior then I am unable to understand that, because then it would have been completely unnecessary to expressly demand in 1944 that I be given authority to issue orders in a particular manner, and Admiral Doenitz would still be able to remember this exactly, that in accordance with my previous experiences, I could only recall carry out my assignments if I was to become his superior, and the Gross Admiral, in spite of all efforts by Keitel, disapproved this, and with a lot of difficulty in 1944, he finally succeeded in obtaining for me the authority to issue orders. All of this would have been unnecessary if I had been given authority to issue orders already in 1942.
Q Well it still would have been necessary because you left your job as Army Medical Inspectorate, you know, so that it is quite natural they would issue a new service regulation. Was there any difference between the Army Medical Inspector and the Chief of the Medical Service of the Army?
A No, but between the Army Medical Inspector and the Chief of the Wehrmacht Medical Service.
Q What was the difference?
A The Army Medical Inspector was the head of the Army Medical Service.
Q General I understand, at least I think I understand, they were both heads of their respective medical services, but I am curious to know why there was this verbal difference between the Chief of the Medical Service of the Luftwaffe, and the Army Medical Inspector. Is there any reason for this or is it just old practice?
A The Army Medical Inspector, whose office was already in existence before the Luftwaffe was established, has always had this title, because the army was organized in this manner. It was organized to the extent that all of the branches had their own inspector. There was an Inspector of the Infantry, of the Artillery, and also an Army Medical Inspector. In the course of the years this could not be changed in spite of the title, although the title did not apply.
Q With respect to your medical duties as Chief of the Medical Service of the Wehrmacht, was Karl Brandt your technical superior?
A I have already stated yesterday or the day before that Brandt was not my superior.
Q Well why did you make such a statement in your affidavit, General? Were you imposed upon by one of these interrogators?
I have also stated here in the brief history of my life, as I have called it here, this contained many mistakes, and in the end and also some part of the draft when it was presented to me, it contained the following sentence. "Professor Brandt was my military and my medical superior", that is approximately what was stated there, and then I stated in that connection, that is incorrect, and I have crossed out the word "military" and then by mistake the "superior" remains with regard to the medical field and I have corrected that here.
Q Well General, I have heard what you have testified, but I am at a loss to get any sense from the testimony. You admit you struck out some language in the same sentence, why didn't you strike the whole line out?
Why did you leave the words "he was your medical superior", after all you are a man of intelligence?
A There were so many corrections and I made a mistake there. I have left at least ten which according to our concepts were not correct either.
Q But, General, didn't you draw this chart for us in your own handwriting?
A That is the diagram.
Q Doesn't that show Karl Brandt up at the top over you? Was that a mistake too?
A I have also tried to explain that.
Q I heard your explanation, General, but there again it didn't satisfy me. Why did you put Karl Brandt up at the top, unless he was in fact your superior in technical matters. What did you put him on the chart at all for?
A Because it cannot be claimed and because I wanted to avoid stating that I had not had any contact at all with Professor Brandt because after all the contacts are stated in the Fuehrer Decree and I did not want to place him next to me or beside me. That is purely technical question.
Q. General, wasn't Professor Brandt your superior with respect to all duties outlined in the First Fuehrer Decree?
A. In the First Decree, as far as I know, it is stated....
Q. General, we know what the Decree states. I am asking you to draw a conclusion. Isn't it true, with respect to your functions outlined in this First Fuehrer Decree, that Karl Brandt was your superior?
A. I have always refuted this concept.
Q. Well, if he wasn't your superior, exactly what relationship did he have to you?
A. I turned to him whenever I believed that I should report some special incident within the medical fields to him and that I should bring it to his knowledge because I assumed that this would somehow reach the ears of the Fuehrer. That would be more appropriate if he were to be informed by a specialists in that field, or if it were to be explained to him by specialists in that field because if they were to be reported by laymen the whole thing may have been distorted. And, whenever we were in an emergency position with regard to transportation for our wounded I turned to him and asked him if possible to help in some way, for example, by furnishing us a squadron of aircraft which the Fuehrer Headquarters had at its special disposal.
Q. Isn't the utilization of material and personnel a common problem of all branches of the Wehrmacht?
A. Yes.
Q. Therefore, it is true that this matter fell within your jurisdiction?
A. Yes.
Q. And that was as of the date 28 July 1942?
A. Yes.
Q. Very good. Now, General, will you tell us who in Germany was better informed than you were on military medical science and research in general?
A. About military medical science?
Q. And research.
A. In my field? Well, there was quite a number of specialists.
Q. Just a minute, general, I know there are probably a lot of people who had more information about typhus, and others had more information about epidemic jaundice, and other people who had more information about yellow fever. But, I ask you who in Germany was better informed than you were on the general picture of military medical science and research?
A. If you speak about general matters in the field of military medical science as far as the Wehrmacht was concerned, then I believe that I am quite well informed. However, I must except the special branches of research and the medical matters of the Luftwaffe and the Navy of which, to state briefly, I do not have the slightest idea.
Q. I understand perhaps you are not as well informed as others on the research problems which pertain exclusively to the Luftwaffe or to the Navy. Now, you speak of calling together the medical chiefs of the Wehrmacht branch in an effort to avoid duplication of research. When did you do that?
A. I did that in the field of malaria and I did it with regard to the innoculation as far as this refers to typhus, para-typhus, and cholera. I have further directed coordination of the Scientific Senate conference which dealt with general vaccination against dysentery. Aside of that I cannot name any other precise case in that connection.
Q. Can you give us the dates on which you called the medical chiefs together?
A. They were not only medical chiefs but also special advisors. With regard to malaria I believe that this was in 1944 because Schroeder had already taken office. Prior to that time malaria and combatting malaria was coordinated without any conference between medical chiefs perhaps was in 1942, of at the beginning of 1943, because the innoculations were carried out in 1943 and 1944.
Q. What about the typhus?
A. That is not a typhus vaccination. When we say typhus then we mean typhus. Then we must state here that what you know as typhus, that is what we call fleckfieber, which means typhus.
Q. I thought I understood, you to state that you called together medical chiefs of the Wehrmacht branches to coordinate vaccination against malaria. You mentioned something else and I thought you meant fleckfieber.
A. I believe that I have said typhus, para-typhus, and cholera.
Q. Meaning typhoid, is that right?
A. I have meant what you describe as typhoid.
Q. General, what was the Scientific Senate of the Medical Services of the Wehrmacht?
A. The Scientific Senate is an institution which was first established in 1895 and whose members at that time were appointed by the Emperor and, subsequently, by the heads of the Government. It had a certain number of regular members and of irregular members and they were the leading scientific personalities in Germany in the medical field, and also a number of older and especially experienced and also specially trained active medical officers and if one of these regular or other members left, then the Army Medical Inspector, who was in charge of the Scientific Senate, a successor was suggested to the head of the State who found that one was appointed a member of the Scientific Senate.
Q. You were President of that body, weren't you?
A. I was the President of the Scientific Senate, just like all my predecessors since 1895.
Q. And did you have that Presidency by virtue of being Army Medical Inspector or Chief of the Medical Services of the Wehrmacht?
A. I had this Presidency in my capacity as Army Medical Inspector and this Scientific Senate remained an establishment of the Army until the end of the war. It was intended to convert it into a Wehrmacht Scientific Senate. However, as a result of the happenings of the War which came about so speedily it was unable to carry that out.
Q. You continued to be President after 7 August 1944, didn't you?
A. The Senate was not called since the year 1942.
Q. That isn't what I asked you. I asked you if it isn't a fact that you continued to be President of the Scientific Senate of the Medical Services of the Wehrmacht after 7 August 1944 as it states in the Service Regulation.
A. No, there is something wrong here in the Service Regulation the Senate of the Wehrmacht Medical Service is already included here. However, it was never established but it remained the Army Scientific Senate and, therefore, before it was reconverted my successor, the Army Medical Inspector, would have continued to be its president.
Q Did you ever make any reports on scientific research to Karl Brandt?
A I cannot remember that has ever been the case.
Q What about after his Office for Science and Research was set up?
A Even than I did not submit any reports to him.
Q Did you request the Medical Services of the Army, Navy, and Luftwaffe to keep Brandt's office informed?
A Certainly some form of correspondence must have existed. From a certain period of time, perhaps February of 1944, I assure that these reports more given about research assignments and that the Office for Science and Research was to be informed.
Q Didn't you also require the Medical Services of the Army, Navy and Luftwaffe to send you copies of these research assignments?
A If these agreements were reached, or how they were reached, I am unable to say. However, it is something which is closely connected. In this case there were not reports concerned, but, first of all, assignments.
Q You have said that aviation medicine could not be coordinated by you in your capacity as Chief of the Medical Services of the Wehrmacht. What about the work of the Luftwaffe hygienists working on a problem like typhus?
A If any question was discussed in the field of typhus, then either a conference was called in which all the hygienists participated, or something was drafted in writing which was sent to the various branches of the Wehrmacht for their comments; and the hygienists would have been competent as specialists in that field. In particular, in the field of typhus, I can remember, with the branches of the Wehrmacht, only the problem of delousing, which plays a very important part in the case of typhus.
I assume that in this field, with the chemical as well as with the physical delousing, a connection and a mutual orientation of the hygienists of the individual branches of the Wehrmacht took place with my hygienists, especially since I had an assistant who was particularly acquainted in this field and who had actually devoted all of his work to this question of chemical delousing, which had assumed some new aspects.
Q Now, you have admitted that on a problem like vaccines you, as Chief of the Medical Services of the Wehrmacht, had the power to establih a uniform practice in the Wehrmacht, for example, as to the types and times of vaccination. Didn't you have to know of the efficacy of these vaccines and their reactions to make a decision like that?
A In the military medical services there was no decision made at any time about a vaccination without first calling several physicians for consultation or without a Scientific Senate taking place. Examples are indicated by the program of the session of the last Scientific Senate, where this question particularly played a special part.
Q Who was the Commander of the Military Medical Academy?
A That was Generalstabsarzt Professor Dr. Hamann.
Q Who invited the various doctors to participate in these meetings of the consulting physicians?
A The man in charge was the person directed to preside over the meeting. Before 1942 it was the Army Medical Inspector, and after that it was the Chief of the Wehrmacht Medical Service. After deciding on the program, he distributed a list of the number of persons participating to the individual branches of the Wehrmacht. With the exception of those people who were requested to issue reports, it was left completely to the branches of the Wehrmacht as to whom they wanted to send.
Therefore, the selection was left to the Army, the Navy, and the Luftwaffe.
Q I take it, then, that you decided on the lectures and the persons who were to give them; is that right?
AA working staff was appointed, and through the years of my activity it was Generalarzt Schroiber who was the man in charge of this working staff. I, on my part, stated the subjects on which I placed special emphasis. And, on the part of the individual chiefs of the branches of the Wehrmacht, all the subjects were suggested on which they placed special emphasis. At the same time, several names were offered who could be considered as people to make the reports.
Q Well now, are you telling us that you just simply suggested the subjects for discussion and those subjects were then passed on to the Army and the Navy and the Waffen SS, and they picked out the doctors who were to give these lectures?
A Yes. Of course, there were also cases when I, for example, stated to the Luftwaffe that I would like to hear a lecture by Professor Toonnes, who was a leading man, or, in some other field, Professor Rose, who gave lectures rather frequently; or, perhaps I may have mentioned some particular person in the Navy. However, the offers usually came from the branches of the Wehrmacht.
Q All right. Now, the Navy, or rather, the Luftwaffe, has decided, since you think you want a talk on malaria, that they will send Professor Rose. What does the Luftwaffe then do about that? Do they send in a short synopsis of what Rose is going to say? Or what do they tell you then?
A They say that Rose is at my disposal, or that Rose cannot be furnished, and then we have to select somebody else.
Q Well, then I assume that the program was finally drawn up by you, or Schreiber as your agent, for these meetings of consulting physicians. That is right, isn't it?
A Yes. In the end, the working staff had a draft which was divided into the individual working groups, the people who were to give the lectures, and the subject of the lectures. Then Schreiber came to see me and he submitted this big draft to me. Then, in general, outside of changes with regard to the time, we did not make any changes in the program which had been composed by the various people who were interested.
Q Well, what I am curious to know is how Doctors Ding, Gebhardt, Fischer, and Holzloehner made reports at these meetings.
A What do you mean by how did they give the reports?
Q How did it happen that they were invited to make those reports?
A That may have been done for different reasons. Either the Waffen SS or the Luftwaffe may have suggested the aviation medical officer Holzloehner to Dr. Ding or, with regard to the problem of cold, which also existed in the Army, perhaps, in the course of a discussion between the working staff, somebody may have raised a question as to whether Holzloehner--who had gained special practical experience in the Antarctic--might not be able to report about his experiences.
I cannot state it exactly because I have not participated in any sessions of the working staff. I was unable to occupy myself with these details. It was only my task to state beforehand what had to be included in the program under all circumstances, and to state at the end whether I approved of this program or not.
