Court No. II, Case No. 4.
A Then I only have noted down the food allowances by Kogon for April 1944 until February 1945. They amounted to the following: bread, monthly, approximately 10,400 grams; fats, 730 grams; meat, 300 grams; cereals, 1,020 grams; potatoes, 11,200 grams; and vegetables, 16,000 grams; in addition to these rations in 1942 the special ration for heavy workers was issued, which in part was rather considerable. For example, in the case of bread, that is additionally, it amounted to 5,600 grams per month. In the case of fats, it amounted to 400 grams; in the case of meat it amounted to an additional 1,120 grams. Furthermore, the prisoners, whenever they were being transferred or marching, they received 500 grams of bread, 50 grams of margarine, and 50 grams of sausage. These were the same rations which were to be issued to the soldiers whenever they were transferred from one point to another. The additional food ration for heavy workers, according to a regulation which I issued was to be issued to 90% of all prisoners. I have tried in excess of the additional food for heavy workers to improve the food altogether. That is why I have established these increased rations. The camp commanders had to submit monthly reports that these additional food rations for heavy workers had been given to 90% of the prisoners, even if the prerequisites for it had not been fulfilled. Just how much they used this opportunity, I do not know. However, that they did this had to be reported to the Inspectorate every month. There the reports were checked and I do not know if there was cause for any complaints.
Q As Exhibit 152, a letter from Amtsgruppe D of the 4th of January, 1943, was submitted. It deals with the disposal of various kinds of hair which was cut off. That is Document 3680-PS. It is in Document Book V on page 365 of the German text, page 159 of the English text. I ask you now, Witness, what do you know of this matter and what considerations may have played a part in this matter?
A I beg your pardon. What number was it?
Q It was 3680-PS in Document Book V, page 165 of the German text.
Court No. II, Case No. 4.
JUDGE PHILLIPS: What is the exhibit number?
DR. SEIDL: It is exhibit 152.
A Since the hair was cut off the prisoners whenever they arrived in camp, and, as far as I know, all the hair of the Gypsy women was cut off, we naturally had a large amount of hair which had accumulated. As I see from the document, this hair was turned over to the economy as raw material. I myself have never discussed the establishment of a plant for the use of these hairs, and I have never had any discussion about the matter with anybody. I do not know if such intentions existed with Amtsgruppe D. However, the matter never approached me personally.
Q I now come to several documents which are located in Document Book VI; as Exhibit 156, Document NO-1510 was presented. It is a letter from Amtsgruppe D to the camp commanders of the 12th of September, 1942, which refers to the transfer of urns of the prisoners who had died in the concentration camps. I now ask you, witness, do you know of the contents of this letter and to what extent had the Security Police and the SD a right to issue orders regarding these matters?
A I did not know of the contents of this letter. However, that authority for issuing orders, is probably appearing from the fact that by sending these ashes to the places of residence of the recipients that somehow there must have been some unrest. Therefore, this is a matter which would have given the police agencies cause to interfere. Therefore, this was to cause to concentration camps to stop sending the ashes to these home localities.
Q As Exhibit 157, Document NO-1543 was submitted. It is a letter of the Chief of Amtsgruppe D to the commanders of the concentration camps of the 21st of November 1942, with regards to the types of death notices in the camps. It is in Document Book VI, page 3 of the German text, and page 2 of the English version. This order also originated with the Reichsfuehrer SS and the Chief of the RSHA. Did you know of the contents of this letter?
Court No. II, Case No. 4.
A I did not know its contents. I would like to refer to the last paragraph where it is expressly stated that "the camp commanders will personally be responsible to the Reichsfuehrer-SS and to me" -that is to say, Gluecks, who wrote this letter -- for the execution of this order.
Q I now come to Document NO-1991 -
MR. ROBBINS: I think that Dr. Seidl probably inadvertently misspoke himself on the origin of this letter. I think it isn't from the Reich Leader of the SS but rather from the Chief of Department D of the WVHA, which was subordinated to the defendant Pohl. I believe that you said it was from Reich Leader SS.
DR. SEIDL: No, I have said that the letter came from Amtsgruppe D and that it refers to a letter of the Chief of the Security Police and the SD.
Q I now come to Document NO-1991 -
THE PRESIDENT: Dr. Seidl, will you clear up this question in our minds? Was there any connection between the Inspectorate of the concentration camps and the RSHA?
DR. SEIDL: Am I to understand the question of the Tribunal to mean that I should ask the witness a corresponding question?
THE PRESIDENT: I think probably you can answer the question yourself. We'll take your answer, if you know the answer.
DR. SEIDL: Very well, Your Honor. Through studying these files which in this trial against Oswald Pohl and the other officials of the WVHA were presented and through my knowledge of the state of affairs from other trials, I believe that I can state the following in this matter: The WVHA was one of the 12 main offices of the Reichsfuehrer SS. Another office was the RSHA. Between the RSHA and the WVHA there was no direct contact. Both main offices had completely different assignments. The WVHA occupied itself exclusively with dealing with administrative matters, while the RSHA exclusively worked on Security Police questions and, therefore, questions which brought it in Court No. II, Case No. 4.to contact with the Gestapo, questions which concerned the Gestapo, and the Criminal Police, and the questions of the Security Service (SD). The two main offices in connection with the concentration camps had a certain contact and so far as it was exclusively the duty of the RSHA to transfer and transport certain prisoners to the concentration camps and also to decide about their possible release.
The WVHA had nothing to do with all these questions.
THE PRESIDENT: The question we are asking is where did the Inspectorate belong? Was it not a part of the WVHA after the establishment of the Main Economics Office?
DR. SEIDL: The Inspectorate, first of all, was directly subordinated to Himmler. Then from 1940 to the 3rd of March, 1942, it was incorporated into the SS Leadership Main Office, the FHA. Since March 3rd, 1942 then, it became a part of the WVHA. However, it is the contention of the Defendant Pohl that even after the 3rd of March, 1942, and in spite of the organizational incorporation into the WVHA, the Inspectorate of the Concentration Camps had to a very far extent the position of an independent agency and that his duties as chief of the WVHA, only referred to a very small factor in the administration of concentration camps, namely, to deal with the question of how most appropriately the prisoners of these camps could be utilized in the economy.
THE PRESIDENT: We understand your position to be, then, that after 1942 -- was it March or May?
DR. SEIDL: The 3rd of March 1942.
THE PRESIDENT: After the 3rd of March 1942 the Inspectorate was, at least on paper, a part of WVHA but actually it continued to operate independently; but it never was tied up with and affiliated with RSHA?
DR. SEIDL: It was never affiliated with the RSHA, although according to the assignments that it had to fulfill, the Inspectorate of the Concentration Camps actually should have been incorporated into RSHA.
THE PRESIDENT: It had some business with RSHA; it worked with that organization but was not a part of it?
DR. SEIDL: It was not a part of it.
THE PRESIDENT: All right.
DR. SEIDL: However, it is the contention of the defendant Pohl that from the documents already presented by the prosecution it will show that the RSHA, that above all the Chief of the Security Police and the SD, had much more to do with the affairs in the concentration camps than the entire WVHA, even after the 3rd of March 1942, in spite of the fact that it was not a part of the RSHA.
MR. ROBBINS: The prosecution would like to state its position on this matter in one very short sentence; and that is that after May 1942 the Inspectorate of the Concentration Camps no longer existed. It becomes Amtsgruppe D of the WVHA, which was entirely subordinated to the WVHA.
THE WITNESS: Defense counsel, I should also like to make a short statement.
DR. SEIDL: May it please the Tribunal, the defendant has just pointed out that he would like to make a statement with regard to the question which has been raised by the Tribunal.
THE PRESIDENT: Very well.
THE WITNESS: I believe that I should explain the position of Department D in the WVHA even after its incorporation into the WVHA.
This was effective the 1st of May 1942 by virtue of an order of Himmler on the 2nd of March 1942. I would like to clarify the situation by making the following statement. The Inspectorate of the Concentration Camps always had, ever since its existence, without consideration of the temporary incorporation into a larger organization, no matter if this was the FHA, the Operational Main Office, or the WVHA, the character of a junction. On the one hand it went along a certain given track, and in one of the ways which came into the junctions or met with the RSHA it dealt with all matters concerning the prisoners which were mainly located in the executive field. The other order came after 1942 from the WVHA and brought the administrative and economic things and in particular the allocation of labor.. This same system applied for all times as long as the Inspectorate existed and the title Inspectorate of the Concentration Camps was never changed nor left out. Gluecks, even later on when he was chief of Amtsgruppe D, always maintained the title of the Inspector of the Concentration Camps. He was never dismissed from this official position; and I was never appointed Inspector of the Concentration Camps, that has been the clear organizations, the system.
DR. SEIDL: I now come to Document NO-1991, which is in Document Book 6 on Page 10 in both the English and the German versions. It was submitted by the prosecution as Exhibit 160; and it is a letter from the Inspector of the Concentration Camps to the commander of the camp Gross-Rosen, dated 11 November 1941.
BY DR. SEIDL:
I now ask the witness, did the contents of this letter become known to you afterwards, since the first time, when the Inspectorate had not become incorporated in the organization of the WVHA?
A. I did not know of the contents of this letter. However, in the case of this document I should like to point out in particular the stamp on the heading which shows that at the time the Inspector of the Concentration Camps was directly subordinated to the Reichsfuehrer SS.
Q. Witness, the fact which you have just pointed out is indeed very interesting for the following reason, because it is shown by other documents that in the time between 1940 and 1942 the Inspectorate of the Concentration Camps was officially subordinated and incorporated into the RSHA; it was formerly incorporated into the Operational Main Office of the FHA.
This did not prevent the Inspector of the Concentration Camps from gaining title himself as being directly subordinate to the Reichsfuehrer SS. Does this document not particularly show the fact that what you have stated is correct; that the Inspector of the Concentration Camps always considered himself an independent agency, no matter into what Main Office it had been incorporated at the various times?
A. Yes, I can't explain that to myself either. I know that on the other hand -- I have seen it only from the documents here -- the Inspectorate of the Concentration Camps from 1940 until 1942 was incorporated into the Operational Main Office, the FHA. However, I can also see from this document that it describes itself here as being directly subordinated to the Reichsfuehrer SS. I myself cannot explain this contrast.
MR. ROBBINS: I should like to point out to the Tribunal that this letter deals with the time which we are not interested in as far as the Inspectorate of Concentration Camps is concerned. We have not contended that on the 11th of November 1941 the Inspector was under the WVHA. As a matter of fact, the previous letter, which also dealt with concentration camps, is on the letterhead of Division D, Concentration Camps, WVHA; and it is dated 1943. This particular one which counsel is referring to is of 1941.
DR. SEIDL: I now come to Exhibit 161. In this the Chief of the Security Police and the SD are referred to. It is dated 22nd of January 1943, Document NO-1526. It refers to the decree from the Chief of Security Police and the SD of 14 January 1943.
Q. Did this come to your knowledge?
A. I cannot remember that I have ever seen this decree because it relates to the matters which were exclusively dealt with by the RSHA, and which, through the channel which I have described previously, went from the RSHA to the Inspectorate; and it was then passed on to the camps.
Q. As Exhibit 162 the prosecution has a letter of the Chief of the Amtsgruppe D of the 19th of July 1944, Document NO-1993. This is in Document Book 6 on Page 12 of the German Document Book and Page 13 of the English text. The letter refers to the execution of five prisoners. In this connection I ask you in general who alone could order the execution of a prisoner in a camp?
A. In describing the authority previously -
MR. ROBBINS: Just a moment, please. I have no objection to the witness answering this question; but I should like to point out for future questions that Dr. Seidl must have asked this same question about twenty times already and has received the same answer, that it's the RSHA. I don't see any reason to go back over the ground repeatedly.
THE TRIBUNAL (JUDGE PHILLIPS) By whom is the document written and to whom is it addressed?
DR. SEIDL: It is a letter from Amtsgruppe D of the WVHA directed to the Commander of the Concentration Camp Gross-Rosen and its subject is the execution of five prisoners. Now, I have asked the witness who alone could order the execution of prisoners in concentration camps.
THE PRESIDENT: But, you see, we already know the answer because the witness has told us that several times before. All right, go ahead and have the witness answer it and see if we don't know the answer. Go ahead. Answer the question, Witness.
A. I have stated that in my opinion the RSHA or the Reichsfuehrer himself could make the decisions. In this document I see that Himmler made the decision.
THE TRIBUNAL (JUDGE MUSMANNO): Did he answer that in his opinion? Certainly he would know. It isn't a matter of opinion.
THE WITNESS: Well, I do not know it for certain, Your Honor. I can only see that from the document. I do not know how the authority was divided between Himmler and the Chief of the RSHA.
Also, I have previously stated that from the documents I have seen for the first time that flogging of male prisoners could also be approved by the Inspectorate of the Concentration Camp. I do not believe, however, that this was always the case. But I do not know exactly as I personally did not have the authority to issue disciplinary measures.
MR. ROBBINS: I may say that the Prosecution does not conceive the full weight of the witness argument, because, for instance, in this case although it says the Reichsfuehrer SS is given authorization for execution by hanging, the order was passed on and effectuated by a subordinate of this witness, namely, the Chief of the Amtsgruppe-D of the concentration camp.
DR. SEIDL: Mr. President, may it please the Tribunal, I believe the whole matter is rather simple. I asked the witness could he from his own knowledge answer the question who alone had the authority to order execution of the prisoners in the concentration camps, and to approve such applications. I did not ask him to argue about this document, and I did not ask him that direct, but I only wanted him to state something about this matter from his own knowledge.
THE PRESIDENT: All right.
DR. SEIDL: He has stated that from his own knowledge he cannot state anything about the matter, and is unable to explain whether this was the RSHA, or Himmler personally, and that was the answer which I tried to obtain from the witness.
THE PRESIDENT: That is the answer that you did obtain from the witness.
DR. SEIDL: Yes, I did.
THE PRESIDENT: Next question.
BY DR. SEIDL:
Q. I now come to Document NO-1285, which was submitted as Exhibit No. 164, and it is a letter you yourself wrote on 13 March 1943 to the Reichsfuehrer SS. It is in Document Book 6 on page 30 of the English text, on page 28 of the German text. The letter refers to the physical conditions of the prisoners, particularly, of persons who had been committed to concentration camps by the Justice Department. I now ask you what reasons caused you to address this letter to the Reichsfuehrer SS?
A. Between Himmler and the Reich Ministry of Justice, and the Reichsminister of Justice, an agreement had been made by way of which I believe there were criminal prisoners, in any case those prisoners who were in confinement through the Reich Ministry of Justice were to be committed to the concentration camps. After those prisoners had been sent to the concentration camp it was reported to me that these prisoners would make up the high percentage of sick prisoners, and persons who were incapable of working, and, by virtue of this fact I then wrote to Himmler, and explained the state of affairs to him. This then prompted me to send my letter to the Reich Ministry of Justice in which I pointed out this fact, and I requested him to see that the transfer of sick persons and prisoners who were incapable of working should stop, and should be discontinued in the future. At that time I had the impression that the Reich Ministry of Justice tried to get rid of its old and useless prisoners in this manner. That was the purpose of this letter.
Q. The Prosecution had only submitted a draft of the letter which you wrote to the Reich Ministry of Justice, which was addressed to the Reich Ministry of Justice. Sofar as you can remember, was this letter actually sent, and did conditions improve in the future, or, were complaints of this nature made to you afterwards?
A. I believe I can tell you that this letter was actually sent. Later on I did not hear anything further about this matter and similar complaints reached me in the future.
Q. As Exhibit No. 165, Prosecution has submitted a letter that you wrote in September 1943 to the Reichsfuehrer SS, in which you refer to the cases of death, and to the death rate in the concentration camps. It is Document 1469-PS, in Document Book 6, on page 34 of the German and the English text. I now ask you what caused you to write this letter to the Reichsfuehrer SS?
A. I repeatedly informed. Himmler about the development of the physical conditions and death rates in the concentration camps, because this question was vitally connected with the allocation of labor.
This letter also was one in these reports which shows above all what measures were taken by me in order to reach an improvement of the conditions in this field. I would like to point out in particular the following points: 1, the improvement of the hygenic conditions; 2, measures in the field on food; 3, measures with regard to clothing, that prisoners were allowed to wear their overcoats at winter times; 5, discontinuance of the rollcall; 6, the execution of training for cooks who cooked for the prisoners, in order also to gain an improvement in this field. Then, of course, about the mortality rate, which is shown by the document itself.
Q. In this connection I would like to ask you a general question. Several witnesses had testified to living conditions, and the mortality rates in the camps. I now ask you during your time in office as Chief of WVHA what matters became known to you in this respect, and what did you yourself observe during your official trips in these matters?
A. I looked at the development in this field by looking at the monthly reports, and the monthly report which I received from the chief medical officer, and from which I could see the development of the death rate. On the occasions of my other few trips to the camps, with the short period of time I was able to stay there, and calls during the day, the prisoners for the most part were working, and I actually could not make any outstanding observations. Of course, I also visited the hospitals and the sickbay. For example, I also visited the last hospital, which had been established on my order to make the camp selfsupporting. This was carried out sofar as it was possible, within the limited possibilities and time factors.
Q. Did Himmler's order to be kind to the prisoners and to improve the living conditions include the Jews that he was trying to exterminate?
A. Well, Your Honor, it is always the same question. Apparently he had two souls within him.
Q. We'll agree on that. I just wanted to make sure that he did not tell you to be kind to the Jews, while he was telling other people to exterminate them.
A. Toward me he never made any difference. To me he spoke only about prisoners, because he knew exactly with what prisoners I was dealing.
Q. You were dealing with Jews among others.
A. As far as I could be considered for the question of the allocation of labor, yes. They were treated exactly like all the other prisoners.
Q. And Himmler was very anxious that they get fresh vegetables?
A. He gave me no word that Jewish prisoners were to be exempted from this order.
THE PRESIDENT: All right.
BY DR. SEIDL:
Q. As Exhibit 166 the Prosecution submitted a report of the camp physician of Neuengamme to the Chief of the Medical Service of Amtsgruppe B of the 29 March 1945. It is Document NO 2169, Document Book 6, Page 39 of the German and 41 of the English. In connection with this report I want to ask you now: On the occasion of your official trips did you also visit the sick bays and did you see the physicians in the various camps, and what was the impression that you gained with regard to the medical care given to the prisoners?
A. As I have already stated, I have visited the sick bays and hospitals. The facilities there were quite appropriate. They were clean, and, in particular, in the sick bays and in the hospitals all facilities existed which were necessary for the medical care of patients. There were sleeping rooms. There were therapy rooms, with all necessary facilities, and there was also sufficient medical and nursing personnel, so that I never gained the impression here that there was cause for complaints.
Of course, I am always referring to normal times. While I personally am convinced that these conditions, after the summer of 1944, deteriorated more and more and very quickly as time went on, however, from what I personally saw I did not see any cause for complaints. The reason for this was the extraordinary overcrowding of the prisoners in the individual camps, which was caused by the flooding back of prisoners from the concentration camps which had been dissolved and new entries from the labor camps.
BY THE PRESIDENT:
Q. What you are saying would be much more impressive if the crematoria had not been built before 1944, before things got to be bad. I think we can realize that there were increasing difficulties both in food and clothing and material as the war drew to a close, but I suggest that you do not forget that the crematoria were built long before that happened.
We'll take the usual recess.
(A recess was taken.)
THE MARSHAL: The Tribunal is again in session.
BY DR. SEIDL:
Q. Exhibit 167 is a memorandum on a conference of the RSHA which took place on 26 September 1939. Document NO-905, Document Book VI, page 43 in the English, page 47 in the German Book. I would like to ask you, witness... Did you take part in that conference, or did you at any time hear about the contents of the conference?
A. I did not take part in the conference, nor did I hear anything about its contents.
Q. Now, Document 1234-PS, page 50 in the English Book, page 45 in the German, is Exhibit 168, and it is a report from the Commander of the Gross-Rosen concentration camp, to SS-Brigadefuehrer Mueller on 23 October 1941, and I would like to ask you... Did you know anything about that business before it happened, or afterwards?
A. No.
Q. Then, Document NO-1531, Document Book VI, page 60, Exhibit 169. This is a letter from Obersturmbannfuehrer Liebehenschel to concentration camp commanders, of 9 March 1943, and it deals with racial certificates, and it refers to a decree of the RSHA. I would like to ask you... Did you know anything about the contents of that letter or the decree of the RSHA?
A. No.
Q. Have you hear anything of the decree by the Reichsfuehrer-SS to which the letter refers?
A. No.
Q. The next four documents submitted by the Prosecution concern the selection of individuals. Who could again become German citizens. These are Exhibit 170 to 174.
The negotiations were carried out by the representatives of the RSHA and the Main Office for Race and Settlement Questions, and I would like to ask you ... Were you present in these conferences, and what can you tell us about this business.. had you heard anything about it?
A. I had nothing to do with this business, nor did I take part in conferences of this sort, nor did I ever hear anything about them. In Exhibit 172 my name is mentioned, but in a totally different context. I remember very well that my wife and I at that time invited Kaltenbrunner and Hildebrandt to come to see us, and the remark here refers to that indication, and I assume that we discussed this matter when they left us, or before they came to see us, but we did not discuss it in our presences...that is why I think my name is mentioned here. I did not discuss the business with either of them nor did I participate in this matter.
THE PRESIDENT: Go back to Exhibit 168, please. It is on page 45 of the English Document. Do you mean to say, witness, that when somebody took twenty of your Russian laborers and executed them, that you were never told about it?
A. Your Honor, this business took place in 1941. At that time I had nothing to do with concentration camps.
THE PRESIDENT: Quite right.
BY DR. SEIDL:
Q. So, you say you had heard nothing about this business?
A. No.
Q. Exhibit 177... The prosecution submitted a report to the Congress of the United States concerning--it was submitted out by Mr. Barclay, and it is an investigation of atrocities by the Twelfth Army Group. It is Exhibit 178. They are Documents L-159 and 2222-PS, Document Book VI, pages 70 and 90 of the German Book, and pages 58 and 86 in the English text. You read these two reports, witness, and I would like to ask you whether you have anything to say about them. Define your attitude as regards these statements made therein.
A. Generally speaking, I can say very little about these reports. As far as they describe conditions in the last few months of the war, as we saw them in that film about concentration camps, they correspond to the facts, and I myself, from my own knowledge, can say nothing at all because in the last few months of the war I had been eliminated, as far as giving orders was concerned.
And as far as all the other statements are concerned, some of which come from witnesses and inmates, very little can be said because they can't be checked. Details, such as food in Dachau in 1942, was bad -- may be correct, or may not be correct. I am unable to testify about this. It is difficult. On page 92 I happen to see... It says here -- "Roughly, seventy-five to eighty thousand forced laborers were sent to these installations." I happen to come across that passage. I do not know of an installation or construction place where you could employ such masses of people. I think the biggest assignments consisted of ten to twelve thousand men.
Various rations are mentioned here, but I gave the figures from my own knowledge, such as they applied throughout the various years, and therefore there is no point in my saying any more.
Q. Witness, in connection with the concentration camps, I want to put a final question to you.
BY JUDGE PHILLIPS:
Q. The Tribunal understood you to say in the testimony that you yourself made certain recommendations as to the food of concentration camp inmates from time to time.
A. Yes, Your Honor.
Q. Did you follow up those orders and directives to see that inmates received the food that you recommended that they have?
A. If your Honor please, in Berlin I was in charge of a large office employing fifteen hundred men. Then I directed thirty or forty important economic enterprises. In thirteen concentration camps and five or six hundred labor camps scattered all over Germany I supervised labor allocation and assignment. In view of all that work it was quite impossible for also as far as the time element was concerned to examine each kitchen and supervise whether each inmate would receive his food. I was quite incapable of doing that.
Q. I understand that.
A. Whenever I was on official trips I, of course, looked into that question, although I was quite convinced that the picture presented to me on such trips was an artificial one and that something had been faked for my benefit. On those occasions I left Berlin usually in the evening and after office hours without telling my collaborators where I was going, and even my driver would be told after we left the house where we were going, because I believed through that method to be able to pay surprise visits to camps or other enterprises. But I never succeeded once because as soon as I reached the gate five minutes later my name was all over the camp, and whenever I turned up everything was in the most wonderful order.
Q. Well, they could have hidden a lot of things, sure, but if you had investigated, and the evidence of the Government is true in this case, you would have found thousands and thousands of people starving to death, and you could have seen that. Did you ever see anything like that?
A. I never saw anybody who was starved to death. I saw, of course, that the food situation was very bad later on, and that people did not exactly look well fed.
Q. Did you see people so emaciated from lack of food that they were unable to work?
A. At least a large part of them certainly did not look well fed, but anything stricking, such as we saw in the film, I never came across at all. People who worked in the enterprises up to the end were in an entirely normal state of health from the point of view of food because they were well looked after.
Q. Did you ever talk to the inmates and ask them what they had to eat?
A. No, I did not use to speak to inmates.
Q. Well, if you were expecting to see if they got the food you ordered them to get, why didn't you ask them about it?
A. Questionnaires were not the custom, and I didn't think it was necessary. Once I had seen that measures have been taken by me, and that their execution had been carried out as best they could, that was all I wanted to see.
BY DR. SEIDL:
Q. Witness, now here is my final question in connection with the concentration camps. I would like to ask you finally, what efforts did you make during the period of your official activity in order to improve matters in camps, and what circumstances prevented these efforts from reaching full results.