THE PRESIDENT: You see your question, Mr. Robbins, does not reveal to whom these answers were made, not the date, not the place.
MR. ROBBINS: That is perfectly true.
THE PRESIDENT: I think counsel are entitled to know that at least, and also to have a translation of any part of the interrogatory that you use or any that you propose to use in connection with this particular inquiry. I don't mean the whole interrogatory, but any part of it that you intend to make a point of. They should be supplied with a translation of that part.
MR. ROBBINS: Very well, your Honor.
Q. (By Mr. Robbins) Now, in July, 1943, after this knowledge had come to you, whatever such as it was, you recommended to Himmler that the so-called transient camp of Sobidor in the Lublin District should not be transformed into a concentration camp. Do you recall that Himmler had already given instructions to have the transient camp converted into a concentration camp, and you and Globocnik persuaded Himmler not to turn the camp into a concentration camp but leave it as a transient camp. You know, don't you, that the reason that it was left as a transient camp, and the reason it is called a transient camp was that that is the place where thousands and thousands of Jews were gassed? They came there in transit to their death. That is a fact, isn't it?
A. That was unknown to me, absolutely unknown. From the letter, or rather from Himmler's order I deducted the fact that that was a camp where he wanted to install a special installation. I did not see it myself and I had no knowledge of what was going on in there, and I simply relied on the facts which Globocnik told me, and that was my statement which I made to Himmler without even knowing the conditions myself. I hear of this for the first time, that that was an extermination camp.
Q. You know today that Sobibor was an extermination camp, don't you?
A. I still don't know it today. I hear it, but I don't know it. Of my own knowledge it was unknown to me.
Q. You read that, didn't you, in the report of the Polish Government, the official report, that thousands of Jews were gassed at Sobidor?
THE PRESIDENT: The witness says he has heard about it but he does not know of it of his own knowledge. He wasn't there.
Q. (By Mr. Robbins) You don't really have any doubts about it, do you?
A. Well, I did not see it myself. I heard it here. Well, I can still have doubts just as I used to have before. Of course I can. I don't know what occurred there, and I also assumed -
Q. Let's inquire for a moment into your activities after October '43, which is the date you admitted that you heard about the official policy of the Reich to exterminate the Jews from Himmler at Posen. The Prosecution has charged that you took an intimate part in the extermination of the Jews up to that date, and you became a principal in the murder of thousands and thousands of people. It is true, isn't it, that in June of 1944 you arranged for the construction of three barracks for special actions, the construction of three barracks in Auschwitz where the Jews were to be exterminated? Do you recall that?
A. I never thought that the barracks were being built in order to exterminate the Jews. I have repeatedly stated here that the camps of Birkenau and Auschwitz had to be expanded more and more because there wasn't enough space in them. In other words, if Jews were exterminated to such an extent as you say then there would have been more room in there, but they could not even keep up with the construction work, with the number of Jews coming in.
Q. Do you stand on the statement when you had the barracks constructed at Auschwitz sometime after 16 of June, 1944, that you did not know that they were for the extermination of Jews?
A. The barracks were not established after the 16th of June, 1944, but as I repeatedly stated that barracks were being built constantly in Auschwitz because they could not possibly keep up with the number of Jews coming in, and I saw the barracks myself and I convinced myself that they had been used as living barracks, and I saw no extermination chamber.
Q. I will show you a document which will help your memory in that respect, but before I do let me ask you if it is not also true that you arranged for the camouflage of the crematory for security measures at Auschwitz? You recall, don't you, that one of the witnesses testified that in the way of camouflage an or chestra was recruited and played the Blue Danube while thousands of Hungarian Jewish babies were being burned to death? That was one kind of camouflage. Apparently there were several kinds of camouflage used at the crematory at Auschwitz. Do you recall that you arranged for some of that camouflage?
A. Not at all. I never ordered any kind of camouflage or anything of that kind. The things stated by this witness are completely unknown to me also.
Q. I show you Document 2359 and ask you if this does not refresh your recollection? This is a report -
THE PRESIDENT: Wait a minute, Mr. Robbins. Wait until it is distributed.
Q. (By Mr. Robbins) This is a report dated 16 June 1944, and it is a report on a conference on the occasion of the Chief of the WVHA, SS-Obergruppenfuehrer and General of the Waffen-SS Pohl on the subject of building matters in Auschwitz. Present were Pohl; Maurer, chief of Amtsgruppe D; Oberstrrmbannfuehrer Hoess; and several other SS men. The report says this:
"The following construction projects are being approved and released for execution by SS-Obergruppenfuehrer Pohl after examination of their urgency," and I refer you to -
THE PRESIDENT: Where are you reading?
MR. ROBBINS: This is the paragraph just before the numbered paragraphs right after page 2 of the original.
by MR. ROBBINS:
It says that these projects were ordered by SS-Obergruppenfuehrer Pohl. I ask you to turn to Item No. 10, "3 barracks for the immediate extermination of the Jews." Do you see that? I ask you to turn now to 16: "Camouflage of the crematoriums and security measures by constructing a second fence." Rush mats to be provided by the SS Garrison Administration. Does that refresh your recollection?
A This comes from a discussion in Auschwitz concerning all these various points which had been set up by the man in charge of the construction, which probably concern parts of his construction work. I don't believe I knew all these details at the time. The whole document is not signed by me and I don't think it was ever submitted to me. It is quite possible that he went there in order possibly to refer to my agreement, but I have stated that I do not remember all the details mentioned in here in more than 30 points.
Q I suppose you weren't there on 16 June 1944?
A Well, I did not deny that I was there. I do not know that. You can not possibly ask me to remember from years age the dates of all the various official trips I took. If that is what it says here, it is correct.
Q I'll ask you also if after leaking at the document, you don't recall that it was discussed and that you ordered, as the report says that three barracks for the extermination of Jews be erected for the-
A I never had any such detailed conversation with the man in charge of construction. This is just a request slip which he set up himself concerning all the tasks which he was working on, and they are mentioned here. However, I never worried about the setting up of the three barracks and all those small jobs which are contained in this document. I never saw this document.
Q After October 1943, the date on which you found out about the official policy of the Reich for exterminating Jews, you took over ton labor camps on Lublin and converted them into concentration camps, didn't you although you knew the purpose for which they would be used?
JUDGE PHILLIPS: The last paragraph in Document No. 2359 states the following:
"SS-Obergruppenfuehrer and General of the Waffen-SS Pohl, in conclusion, points out that the necessity for carrying out the above named building projects is hereby given recognition. They are to be carried out, however, only insofar as the whole building program can be carried out."
Do you remember giving that order?
A That is possible, yes.
by MR. ROBBINS:
Q I ask you now to turn to Item 19 of that same letter, witness. It talks about about the installation of washing and lavoratory facilities, including a dock for fuel, in the office-barracks of the DEST. That was one of the SS industries, wasn't it?
A Yes.
Q And Item 3, construction of barracks for the Deutsche Lebensmittel, GMBH. I would like to ask you what Item 25 refers to, Budy camp for women, consisting of two huts, a washing, and toilet hut, completion of a kitchen building and of a hut with toilet and washing facilities to accommodate SS members. What is this Budy camp?
A I can not recall what this is.
Q Under Item I of the next paragraph, Rail connection, for the DAW to the woodshed. That was another SS industry, is it not?
A No--Oh yes, the Holzhof. Yes, that probably was a part of the DAW.
Q After October 1943 you took over ten labor camps in Lublin and converted them into concentration camps, didn't you?
A The labor camps, yes. They were incorporated into the concentration camp Lublin in January 1944, as branch camps.
Q You already knew at that date that Jews would be exterminated wherever they would be found? That is what Himmler said in his speech at Posen.
A No, he did not quite say it in this way, and, apart from that, it was not correct that Jews were exterminated where ever they were found, because even up to the very last moment there were certain enterprises in the General Government which employed Jews, and, after all, if your statements are correct, there would have been no Jews left after the end of the war. Globocnik himself however, reports that he employed approximately 52,000 Jews.
Q OSTI had to close up because there were no more Jews to work, in the plants. You told us that the other day. You said that OSTI had to close its factories because there were no more laborers to be used. They only left ones small blast factory. They did have to close their doors.
A Well, because I heard that. I did not close any factories myself. That would have been a madness for me to establish the OSTI in 1943, knowing that we would have to close it because the Jews had left. I then would not have established it at all.
Q That is what happened.
THE PRESIDENT: Does this document have a number?
MR. ROBBINS: I would like it numbered prosecution exhibit 537 for Identification. This is No. 2359.
by MR. ROBBINS:
Q Before we got too far away from your affidavit which I questioned you about a moment ago, which is 2571, I think there is something on the last page that will be of interest to you in view of our discussion yesterday about the Lebensborn. It is in No. 2571.
A I no longer have the document before me.
Q I'll read it to you. "From February 1, 1942 up to the capitulation in May 1945, the WVHA financed the following agencies of the SS; i.e. they laid down and examined their budgets, requesting the funds necessary for the carrying out of their duties from the Reich Ministry of Finance and transferred the sums received to those agencies."
Then the agencies are listed, and under (C): "SS Operational Main Offices, all Bureaus.
Main Race and resettlement Office, all bureaus", with the exception of one office in the Lebensborn.
At this point I would like to offer three additional documents into evidence which concerns the utilization of some of the loot which was taken from the Action Reinhardt.
Witness, you told us the other day that the watches and fountain pens, and so forth, were distributed at the instruction of Himmler. You did not tell us, though that the original suggestion about this came from you yourself. That is true, isn't it--that you did make the suggestion about the distribution, that they be given to SS men?
AAs far as I can recall, the watches which were in need of repair and the fountain pens which had to be repaired were sent to a repair shop in Oranienburg, and fater being fixed they were distributed by Himmler to the front line soldiers as gifts. I do not remember that I made the suggestion. We in the WVHA did have to set up a list about those things, in collaboration with the Operational Main Office, the FHA.
Q Perhaps this will help your memory. This is No. 2753 which I would like to number as Exhibit 538 for Identification, and-
A Yes, that is quite correct. This matter was discussed with Himmler prior to that, and I carried out the thing, and I am inquiring now if Himmler was carrying out those measures within the framework which had been suggested by him and if he agreed to the execution of such things. However, I was not the man who actually suggested the distribution of those things at the front line. I, never thought of that, and I simply saw that the lists were set up for this. We had to know how far we could do it, etc.
Q Well, you say in the letter, "I intend to make a Yuletide gift to the units of the Waffen-SS as indicated on the attached list from the watches, wrist-watches and fountain pens," and you ask Brandt, Please ask Himmler whether he agrees.
A Yes, if he agreed with that particular thing and particularly if he agreed with the units which I suggested.
After all, I could not designate the units.
MR. ROBBINS: At this time I would like to offer in evidence a number of other documents on this same subject:
No. 2754 as Exhibit 539. This is a letter from Brandt to Pohl stating that Himmler has agreed to you, according to your proposition, distribute pockets watches, wristwatches, and fountains pens among the individual divisions. Document No. 2755 as Exhibit 340, which is a letter from Pohl to Himmler dated 4 July 1944.
DR. SEIDL ( Counsel for the defendant Pohl): Your Honor, I would like to inquire of the Prosecution if these documents will receive exhibit numbers or if they will be introduced in evidence later.
MR. ROBBINS: I am assigning exhibit numbers for identification, and I'll offer them in evidence later on.
The last letter I referred to is Pohl's letter to Himmler stating that 3,000 repaired alarm clocks and small table clocks are available at the offices of Amtsgruppe D in Oranienburg. And he says, I request permission to effect the distribution as follows: 500 clocks to .amtsgruppe D for distribution to the concentration camps to be used in the guard rooms; 2,500 clocks to the Gauleiter of Berlin, Dr. Goebbels for distribution by the NSV to Berlin inhabitants.
And Document NO 2756 as Prosecution Exhibit 341 for identification, which is Pohl's letter to Himmler stating that among the watches which came from Action Reinhard are 16 gold precision wrist watches with stop devices and technical reading devices. This letter is dated 29 July, 1944, which is after the date which Pohl himself admits he was informed about the extermination of the Jews.
DR. SEIDL: The Prosecution introduces now a whole series of new documents of which we must assume that they have been in the possession of the Prosecution for a long time. The defendant is not given a possibility to take a position to these documents. No questions are asked him. The documents are simply introduced. I object to this procedure, and that for the very simple reason that this procedure has the only main purpose to use the cross examination in order to subsequently introduce additional evidence in to this trial.
MR. ROBBINS: I don't see any need for the defendant to comment on each one of these documents. They are all signed by him.
JUDGE PHILLIPS: You might ask him, Mr. Robbins, did he sign them, either admit or deny these documents.
MR. ROBBINS: Very well, Your Honor.
THE PRESIDENT: Is this part of the proof of the prosecution or is it used for impeachment or for refreshing the recollection of the witness?
MR. ROBBINS: It is used for all three purposes, Your Honor.
THE PRESIDENT: If it is part of the proof it should have been offered before you rested.
MR. ROBBINS: It has probative value, Your Honor, and at the same time rebuts and impeaches the testimony of the witness. He said that the suggestions didn't come from him, and I think these documents prove that they did come from him.
THE PRESIDENT: If you are impeaching the witness you will have to confront him with the impeaching evidence. You will have to show the document to him and ask him if his testimony is true or whether the document is true, if it is for impeachment. If it is for refreshing his recollection, you will first have to have him say he doesn't remember. But you are simply offering then now, really as part of your main case.
MR. ROBBINS: Very well. I will submit these documents to the defendant. The first one he has already seen. That is 2753, Exhibit 537.
THE PRESIDENT: I might suggest, Mr. Robbins, that these could be offered by way of rebuttal when you get to the end of the defense, but if you are going to use then now, they will have to be shown to the witness and used for impeachment purposes.
MR. ROBBINS: I would prefer, for the porpose of saving time, not to use then, these last documents, not to use then at the present time, but give than exhibit numbers for identification and offer then later in rebuttal.
THE PRESIDENT: All right. It will be understood that these documents are not admitted in evidence nor offered in evidence at this time. They are merely identified by giving then an exhibit number.
MR. ROBBINS: There is only one more and that is N02749, which I will mark for identification as Exhibit 342.
THE PRESIDENT: 542.
MR. ROBBINS: 542. I am sorry I think I said --I believe I said 340, which should have been 540, and 541 and 542.
BY MR. ROBBINS:
Q. Witness, after October 1943, in face, in December 1943 you gave extensive orders which were distributed to all higher SS and police leaders and all economic officials under the WVHA and so-called SS economic experts and to Amtsgruppe B and Amtsgruppe D, prescribing the utilization of the loot.
You recall that document, do you not? It is in Book 18. Would you look at that? It is on Page 182 of the German Book, 175 of the English document book,
A. What document book?
Q. Document Book 18. It is the last document in Nook 18. That is your order, is it not?
A. Yes, I signed it.
Q. And after October 1943 you turned over, or rather Globocnik turned over to you property from the Action Reinhard which was valued at more than one hundred million Reichmarks, did he not? That was in 1944. A report which reached you in January 1944 shows that the value of 179 million Reichmarks was turned over to you. You recall that?
A. Yes, well, the valuables were not turned over to the WVHA in December or January 1943 or 1944.
Q. You explained that they went on to the Reich when you received them.
A. No, they were given to the Reichsbank directly.
Q. But it went through you.
A. Well, I did not see it, and it was'nt delivered at our place. On the contrary, I gave Melmer, my deputy, the order that none of those things were to come into the WBHA, but immediately upon their arrival in Berlin they should be transferred to the Reichsbank and forwarded to then immediately. That was my strict order to Melmer, and as far as I know he complied with these orders, because in the WVHA we had no places whatsoever in order to keep much valuables.
Q. Would you turn to Document Book 18, Page 116 of the German document book, to Document NO 060, which is Exhibit 474. It says there that this is a report from Globocnik and it stated that their are turning in property-
THE INTERPRETER: Excuse me, Mr. Robbins. What is the page number again in German?
MR. ROBBING: 116.
THE INTERPRETER: This page is missing.
MR. ROBBINS: Well, this document is not in evidence.
BY MR. ROBBINS:
Q. It reports that property valued at one hundred million Reich-marks was turned in from the Reinhard operation and it states valuables from the Reinhard operation have been handed in at the SS WBHA in Berlin for transmission to the Reichsbank. They went through the WVHA, didn't they? The WVHA handled these valuables?
A. No, not at all.
THE PRESIDENT: We have been over this and the witness has said that they were routed through the WBHA to the Reichsbank.
Q. (By Mr. Robbins.)
Would you turn to the Document Book 20, to Exhibit 159, or rather to Exhibit 504? It is on Page 159 of the German book. This is a report by you, is it not, to Himmler on the measures taken for the demolition of the Warsaw Ghetto? This is in October 1943.
A. Yes.
Q. This was after you heard Himmler speak in Posen?
A/ Yes.
Q. And you encountered a report by Kammler on the destruction of the Ghetto?
A. Yes.
Q. This reported that Kammler has demolished about one-third of all of the buildings in the Ghetto on that date and that he is proceeding with the work, that 3,700,000 cubic meaters of wall space has been demolished and that they are preceding at the rate of 1,700,000 cubic meters of wall space a month. That was carried out under you, wasn't it?
A. Yes. That is the report of Kammler to which I made no additions or statements myself, and this refers to Himmler's order that the ruins of the Ghetto should be removed, due to military reasons, because they could be used as hiding places for the people of the resistance movement, and this proved to be a fact a year later, but the destruction of these ruins was carried out by the central office in Warsaw.
Q. Will you turn to the next document in the book, which is on Page 164 of your book. This is Exhibit 508, Document N02517. This is another report on the demolition.
A. Yes.
Q. And this is February, 1944?
A. The second report.
Q. And the next document, 20 April 1944, Exhibit 509, this is another report?
A. Yes.
Q. It gives the details on the blowing up of the buildings in Warsaw, and the next document, which is Exhibit 510, this is another report?
A. Yes, but the Ghetto at that time was a city of ruins after the action "Strohm."
THE PRESIDENT: Wait a minute. We are getting German over this second channel.
BY MR. ROBBINS:
Q. Witness the only question I asked you is, is this your report? It it your report?
A. Yes, those are the reports which Kammler wrote up himself and which, through me, went to the Reichsfuehrer.
Q. You read the reports, didn't you?
A. Well, if I read them at the time I hardly believe. I doubt it. Mabe I, just glanced through it in a hurry. I saw that it was a report about the destruction of the ruins of the Warsaw Ghetto, that is all, but I don't believe that I read the whole thing in detail.
I had such a pile of papers over there that I did not have the time to glance through that. I didn't have to read it.
Q. Kammler talked to you about this, didn't he?
A. There was not much to talk about. I never did discuss the matter with Kammler in all the details.
Q. You never talked to Kammler about these reports?
A. The letter the way it is introduced here, has been worked on by Amtsgruppe C, and maby it was the same dossier.
Q. I didn't ask you that. I asked you if you ever talked to Kammler about this report.
A. About this report, no. I don't believe so, because if i wanted to discuss every letter with the expert 24 hours a day would not have been sufficient. Whatever was in the signature file, well, I sinply signed it. That was not a reason why I should call the experts to my table every time.
Q. Did you sign everything that was in your signature file without ever reading anything?
A. Well, I couldn't read everything. It depended on the subject of the report or on the contents of the report. One could tell immediately what it was after having worked in an office for thirty years. It can be understood that I was not a child; I could not sit there like a little boy and read until twelve o'clock at night. I signed then during the day and not at ten or ten twenty.
Q. You state in each on of these letters that this is a report on the work done up to date on the demolition of the Ghetto at Warsaw. You knew what the report concerned, didn't you?
A. Of course it can be seen very clearly what it is all about in this document.
Q. This was after October 1943 when Himmler said that--
A Yes.
MR. ROBBINS: Is this a convenient time to recess?
THE PRESIDENT: We will be in recess until Monday at 9:30.
(The Tribunal adjourned until 2 June 1947 at 0930 hours.)
Official Transcript of the American Military Tribunal in the matter of the United States of America against Oswald Pohl, et al., defendants, sitting at Nurnberg, Germany on 2 June 1947, 0930, Justice Toms presiding.
THE MARSHAL: Persons in the court room, find your seats, please.
The Honorable, the Judges of Military Tribunal No. 2.
Military Tribunal No. 2 is now in session. God save the United States of America and this Honorable Tribunal There will be order in the court.
OSWALD POHL * Resumed.
CROSS EXAMINATION (Continued) BY MR. ROBBINS:
Q. Witness, I direct your attention again to the subject matter of Action Reinhart. You told us that you had very little to do in a supervisory capacity with this action and that the loot and valuables that were confiscated in the action went through your office merely as a conduit or a channel. I would like to show you a document which is an order of yours dated 4th of July, 1944, and see if we cannot get more details as to the authority which you exercised over this matter. These are your instructions, are they not?
A. Yes.
Q. I would like to read a part of it, on the letterhead of the Chief of the WVHA.
"SUBJECT: Administration of Jewish Property Values.
"REFERENCE: Order by the Chief of the WVHA.
"To: All Main Office Chiefs.
All Higher SS and Police Leaders All SS economists-- administrative leaders of the Higher SS and Police Leaders.
"Amtsgruppe D, Oraienburg Amtsgruppe B WVHA , Amt.
A IV WVHA, Amt A-1 "1. To eliminate all doubts, I herewith announce the offices (as listed) below which alone are competent for the administration of all movable and immovable Jewish property:
1. In the Reich area; the Oberfinanzpraesidentent 2. In the occupied territories; The offices of the Reich Commissioners, i. e., the commanders of the Wehrmacht.
3. In the General Government: The Government of the General Government.
4. In Bohemia and Moravia: The German Minister of State for Bohemia and Moravia.
"2. As far as SS offices have come into possession of Jewish property, they have to turn it over to the above mentioned offices. Paragraph 4 of this order applies to valuables which accrue in concentration camps. In special cases a report is to be made to the Chief of the SS-WVHA. AS a matter of principle it has to be kept in mind that the entire Jewish property is to be incorporated into the Reich property.
"3. Goods and valuables which accrue in collecting camps of the SD from deceased persons and which cannot be delivered to the authorities designated above for reasons of secrecy are to be delivered to the RSHA. Same delivers them to the Reich Main Treasury Department Booty after screening and checking by the Criminology Institute, Chemical Department.
"4. The procedure as regulated in Paragraph 4 of the ordinance of 9-12-43 applies now only to goods and valuables which accrue in offices of the Waffen SS (concentration camps).
"5. The receipts resulting from the realization of these items are to be entered by the respective finance offices of the Waffen SS under Chapter 21-E, Income, insofar as they are not directly delivered to the Reich Main Treasury.
"6. For reasons of simplification of administration the transfer of amounts of money which cannot be put into circulation as regulated in paragraph 3 of the ordinance of 9-12-43 is abolished. These receipts are to be transferred to the income of the Reich under Chapter 21-E, stating at the same time the origin and enclosing the supporting papers. As far as the enclosed papers are secret, reference to the secret files is to be made on the vouchers. (Signed) Pohl."
Q. You state that these are your instructions?
A. Yes, these are my instructions.
Q. These were instructions given to all Main Office chiefs, were they? to the chiefs of the RSHA?
A. To all Main Office chiefs as the distribution list shows.
Q. It is true, isn't it, that as shown from this document you exercised very considerable supervisory jurisdiction over the carrying out of this action?
A. No, this decree has actually nothing to do with the Reinhardt Action as such. Rather, it was caused by it, but I don't quite know that anymore today, it represents merely a treasury regulation; that is to say, how the various SS agencies should act if Jewish property had accumulated in their treasury. That is why it was addressed to all agencies.
Who was responsible for the administration I told each of these agencies under paragraph 1 for informative purposes. The reason for this decree therefore, is purely a simplification with all agencies which somehow were connected with Jewish property inside and outside the Reich territory because they didn't know what to do with it. This decree, as far as I can judge, was based on the experiences, shall we say, which we had gathered with the evaluation connected with the Reinhardt Action, and has nothing to do with the action itself.
Q. Then it has something to do with the administration of Jewish property values, which values were confiscated in the course of the action, does it not?
A. This decree doesn't say anything about that. It is simply to enlighten all SS-agencies about the general administration of confiscated Jewish property in general because under paragraph 1 I particularly pointed out who was competent for the administration of this property; and the WVHA doesn't come into that. Four other agencies are named. The whole decree represents an instruction for informative purposes of the administrative agencies within the SS.
Q. Will you look at the subject of the letter, Administration of Jewish Property Values. That Jewish property is that referring to? That's confiscated Jewish property, isn't it?
A. All Jewish property which one way or another reached the treasury and the administrative agencies of SS departments. That is what is being referred to here.
Q. What does the second sentence in paragraph 2 mean, "In special cases a report is to be made to the Chief of the WVHA"?
A. That means in cases which are not covered by these instructions. If certain difficulties should arise inspite of this decree, then such cases were to be reported to me because the decree was not sufficiently exhaustive. Cases might have arisen, for instance, where the various SS agencies did not quite know what to do; and in such special cases in order to clarify this matter, I was to be consulted.