Part 2:
"Document 2233-O-PS: Frank Diary, Department Heads Meetings 1939-1940 [partial translation]" in Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression. Volume IV: Documents 1409-PS-2373-PS. District of Columbia: GPO, 1947. p. 909.
Warsaw, 12/19/1940 present: Dr. Hans FRANK and others
[Page 12, last 7 lines, and page 13, first 2 lines].
Dr. Frank: In this country the force of a. determined leadership must rule. The Pole must feel here that we are not building him a legal state, but that for him there is only one duty, namely, to work and to behave himself. It is clear that this leads sometimes to difficulties, but you must in your own interest see, that all measures are ruthlessly carried out in order to become master of the situation. You can rely on me absolutely in this.
Title: "Document 2233-H-PS: Frank Diary 4/19/1941, Volume II [partial translation]" in Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression. Volume IV: Documents 1409-PS-2373-PS. District of Columbia: GPO, 1947. pp. 904-905.
[Page 313]
8 PM Demonstration of the department of operations (Arbeitsbereichs) "Generalgouvernement" of the NSDAP in the Uraniol in Cracow.
After a short welcome speech by the Chief Department leader (Oberbereichsleiter) Schalk, the Governor General (Generalgoverneur), Reichsleiter Dr. Frank begins to deliver the following address:
[Pages 316-317]
We are absolutely optimistic (Lively applause). I have the impression that the German Reich will always become greater and will keep growing ever more in the final fight against England. The Greater German Reich is by far not the greatest German Reich. The task we have here must move us to think always in terms of the greatest connections. Let us be on guard not to let enter here the petty currents and tendencies which are not yet completely overcome at times here and there in the Reich, in spite of all consciousness of unity. It would be senseless, if one would start to feel superior and arrogantly assume to be higher than the other one, in our Government General. There the value of the German as such is the yardstick. And here the NSDAP, the department of operations [Arbeitsbereich] in the Government General can set up a model. The revolution of National Socialism can gain the original power of its fighting energy again and again only from territories like the one which we organize here. I have to watch myself like a hawk that the finger of egoism do not get hold of me in a more or less hidden form. I have to watch like a hunter that those individual cases of departmental competence craze and self-styled glory do not develop here which we often felt were the most vicious evil in the Reich. (lively applause)
It is therefore clear that I sit in my castle like an old rapacious knight and sometimes step out, in order to strike with my hammer all around the country. After all, it would be a nice state of affairs if I would not do that. (public amused)
And, therefore, I believe it is always in order for us that we find the great line of direction remembering the personality of the Fuehrer, his own philosophy, and his conduct of life. We have all possibilities in the Government General, we have received full powers from the Fuehrer and can accomplish, by planning on a large scale, that has been assigned to us. Thanks to the heroic courage of our soldiers, this territory has become German, and the time will come when
the valley of the Vistula, from its source to its mouth at the sea, will be as German as the valley of the Rhine.
Title: "Document 2233-P-PS: Frank Diary 1941 Part III: 9/9/1941 [partial translation]" in Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression. Volume IV: Documents 1409-PS-2373-PS. District of Columbia: GPO, 1947. p. 909.
[Page 830, par. 1]
Obermedizinalrat Dr. Walbaum expresses his opinion of the health condition of the Polish population. Investigations which were carried out by his department proved that the majority of Poles eat only about 600 calories, whereas the normal requirement for a human being is 2200 calories. The Polish population was enfeebled to such an extent that it would fall an easy prey to spotted fever. The number of diseased Poles amounted today already to 4O/G. During the last week alone 1000 new spotted fever cases have been officially recorded. That represented so far the maximum number. This health situation represented a serious danger for the Reich and for the soldiers who were coming into the Government General. A spreading of the pestilence into the Reich is absolutely feasible. The increase in tuberculosis, too, was causing anxiety. If the food rations were to be diminished again, an enormous increase of the number of illnesses could be predicted.
Title: "Document 2233-D-PS: Frank Diary, 1940: Volume IV, 10-12/1940 [partial translation]" in Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression. Volume IV: Documents 1409-PS-2373-PS. District of Columbia: GPO, 1947. pp.
CABINET SESSION Tuesday 12/16/1941 in the Government Building at Krakow
Speech of the Governor General Closing the Session
[Page 76, line 10 to page 77 line 33] As far as the Jews are concerned, I want to tell you quite frankly, that they must be done away with in one way or another. The Fuehrer said once: should united Jewry again succeed in provoking a world-war, the blood of not only the nations, which have been forced into the war by them, will be shed, but the Jew will have found his end in Europe. I know, that many of the measures carried out against the Jews in the Reich, at present, are being criticized. It is being tried intentionally, as is obvious from the reports on the morale, to talk about cruelty, harshness, -etc. Before I continue, I want to beg you to agree with me on the following formula: We will principally have pity on the German people only, and nobody else in the whole world. The others, too had no pity on us. As an old National-Socialist, I must say: This war would only be a partial success, if the whole lot of Jewry would survive it, while we would have shed our best blood in order to save Europe. My attitude towards the Jews will, therefore, be based only on the expectation that they must disappear. They must be done away with. I have entered negotiations to have them deported to the East. A great discussion concerning that question will take place in Berlin in January, to which I am going to delegate the State-Secretary Dr. Buehler. That discussion is to take place in the Reich-Security Main-Office with SS-Lt. General Heydrich. A great Jewish migration will begin, in any case.
But what should be done with the Jews? Do you think they will be settled down in the "Ostland", in villages [Siedlungdoerfer]? This is what we were told in Berlin: Why all this bother? We can do nothing with them either in the "Ostland" or in the "Reichkommissariat". So, liquidate them yourself.
Gentlemen, I must ask you to rid yourself of all feeling of pity. We must annihilate the Jews, wherever we find them and wherever it is possible, in order to maintain there the structure of the Reich as a whole. This will, naturally, be achieved by other methods, than those pointed out by Bureau Chief Dr. Hummel. Nor can the judges of the Special Courts be made responsible for it, because of the limitations of the frame work of the legal procedure. Such outdated views cannot be applied to such gigantic and unique events. We must find at any rate, a way which leads to the goal, and my thoughts are working in that direction.
The Jews represent for us also extraordinarily malignant gluttons. We have now approximately 2.5 million of them in the general government, perhaps with the Jewish mixtures and everything that goes with it, 3.5 million Jews. We cannot shoot or poison those 3.5 million Jews, but we shall nevertheless be able to take measures, which will lead, somehow, to their annihilation, and this in connection with the gigantic measures to be determined in discussions from the Reich. The general government must become free of Jews, the same as the Reich. Where and how this is to be achieved is a matter for the offices which we must appoint and create here. Their activities will be brought to your attention in due course.
"Document 2233-Q-PS: Frank Diary, Government Meetings, 10-12/1941: Meeting of the Government of General Government Cracow, in the Government Building, 12/16/1941 [partial translation]" in Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression. Volume IV: Documents 1409-PS-2373-PS. District of Columbia: GPO, 1947. pp. 909-910.
[Page 35, line 22-29]
Dr. Frank: Severe measures must and will be adopted against Jews leaving the ghettos. Death sentences opening against Jews for this reason must be executed as quickly as possible. This order according to which every Jew found outside the ghetto is to be executed, must be carried out without fail.
[Page 66, lines 13-22].
Chief of Office in Warsaw, Dr. Hummel: In Warsaw, in spite of the setting up of a third court chamber, we have been able to decree only 45 death sentences, only 8 of which have been carried out since in each individual case, the Pardon Commission [Gnadenkommission] in Cracow has to make the final decision. A further 600 sentences were demanded and are under consideration. An effective isolation of the ghetto is not possible by way of the Special Court Procedure. The procedure to be followed up to liquidation takes too much time. It is burdened with too many formalities and must be simplified.
"Document 2233-R-PS: Frank Diary, 1942, Part I: Conference of the District Standartenfuehrer of the NSDAP in Cracow, 3/18/1942 [partial translation]" in Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression. Volume IV: Documents 1409-PS-2373-PS. District of Columbia: GPO, 1947. pp.
[Pages 185-186]
Dr. Frank: As you know, I am a fanatic as to unity in administration It is therefore clear that the Higher SS and Police Leader is subordinated to me, that the Police is a component of the Government, that the SS and Police Leader in the district is subordinated to the Governor, and that the Kreis chief has the authority of command over the gendarmerie in his Kreis. This the Reichsfuehrer SS has recognized; in the written agreement all these points are mentioned word for word and signed. It is also self-evident that we cannot set up a closed shop here which can be treated in the traditional manner of small states. It would, for instance, be ridiculous if we would build up here a security policy of our own against our Poles in the country, while knowing that the Polacks in West Prussia, in Posen, in Wartheland and in Silesia have one and the same movement of resistance. The Reichsfuehrer SS and Chief of the German Police thus must be able to carry out with the aid of his agencies his police measures concerning the interests of the Reich as a whole. This, however, will be done in such a way that the measures to be adopted will first be submitted to me and carried out only when I give my consent. In the General Government, the Police is the armed forces. As a result of this, the Leader of this Police system will be called by me into the Government of the General Government; he is subordinate to me, or to my deputy, as a State Secretary for the Security System.
[Pages 195-196]
Incidentally, the struggle for the achievement of our aims will be pursued cold bloodedly. You see how the state agencies work. You see that we do not hesitate before anything, and stand whole dozens of people up against the wall. This is necessary because here simple consideration says that it cannot be our task at this period when the best German blood is being sacrificed to show regard for the blood of another race. For out of this one of the greatest dangers may arise. One already hears today in Germany that prisoners-of-war for instance with us in Bavaria or in Thuringia are administering large estates entirely independently, while all the men in a village fit for service are at the front. If this state of affairs continues then a gradual retrogression of Germanism will show itself. One should not underestimate this danger. Therefore, everything revealing itself as a Polish power of leadership must be destroyed again and again with ruthless energy. This does not have to be shouted abroad, it will happen silently.
"Document 2233-S-PS: Frank Diary, 1942, Part III [partial translation]" in Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression. Volume IV: Documents 1409-PS-2373-PS. District of Columbia: GPO, 1947. p. 911.
[Page 798, lines 26-28]
Mass Meeting of the NSDAP District Standartsfuehrung Galicia in Lemberg. 8/1/1942.
Dr. Frank: We have to understand that the purpose of this whole war is to expand the living space for our people in a natural manner.
"Document 2233-T-PS: Frank Diary, 1942, Part III: Meeting To Discuss Special Problems Of The District Lublin Cracow, 8/4/1942 [partial translation]" in Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression. Volume IV: Documents 1409-PS-2373-PS. District of Columbia: GPO, 1947. pp.
[Page 830, lines 23-32 and page 831, line 1]
State Secretary Krueger then continues, saying that the Reichsfuehrer's next immediate plan until the end of the following year would be to settle the following German racial groups in the two districts (Zamosc and Lublin): 1000 peasant settlements (1 settlement per family of about 6) for Bosnian Germans; 1,200 other kinds of settlements; 1,000 settlements for Bessarabian Germans; 200 for Serbian Germans; 2,000 for Leningrad Germans; 4,000 for Baltic Germans; 500 for Wolhynia Germans and 200 settlements for Flemish, Danish and Dutch Germans, in all 10,000 settlements for 50,000-60,000 persons.
[Page 832, lines 15-23]
The Governor General directs that the resettlement plan is to be discussed cooperatively by the competent authorities and declares his willingness to approve the final plan by the end of September after satisfactory arrangements had been made concerning all the questions appertaining thereto (in particular the guaranteeing of peace and order), so that by the middle of November, as the most favorable time, the resettlement can begin.
"Document 2233-V-PS: Frank Diary, 1942, Part III: Official Meeting of Political Leaders of the NSDAP, Cracow, 8/5/1942 [partial translation]" in Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression. Volume IV: Documents 1409-PS-2373-PS. District of Columbia: GPO, 1947. p. 912.
[Page 866, lines 14-23]
Dr. Frank: The situation in regard to Poland is unique insofar as on the one hand I speak quite openly we must expand Germanism in such a manner that the area of the General Government becomes pure German colonized land at some decades to come; and, on the other hand, under the present war conditions we have to allow foreign racial groups to perform here the work which must be carried out in the service of greater Germany
[Page 896, lines 24-28]
What a dirty people made up of Jews swaggered around here before 1939! And where are the Jews today? You scarcely see them. If you see them then they are working.
"Document 2233-W-PS: Frank Diary, 1942, Part III: Discussion with Gauleiter Sauckel, Cracow, 8/18/1942 [partial translation]" in Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression. Volume IV: Documents 1409-PS-2373-PS. District of Columbia: GPO, 1947. pp. 912-13.
[Page 918, lines 18-21]
Dr. Frank: I am pleased to report to you officially, Party Comrade Sauckel, that we have up to now supplied 800000 workers for the Reich.
[Page 918, lines 28-34]
Dr. Frank: Recently, they have requested us to supply them with a further 140000. I have pleasure in informing you officially that in accordance with our agreement of yesterday 60 of the newly requested workers will be supplied to the Reich by the end of October, and the balance of 40 by the end of the year.
[Page 920, lines 6-10]
Dr. Frank: Beyond the present figure of 140000 you can, however, next year reckon upon a higher number of workers from the General Government. For we shall employ the Police to conscript them.
"Document 2233-E-PS: Frank Diary, Conference Volume, Cabinet session in Cracow on 8/24/1942 Cabinet session in the Great Conference Room of the Government Building in Cracow Monday, 8/24/1942, Part 01 [partial translation]" in Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression. Volume IV: Documents 1409-PS-2373-PS. District of Columbia: GPO, 1947. pp.
Subject: A new Plan for seizure and for food [Ernaehrung] of the General Gouvernement
written in 3 Copies: 1. Office of the Governor General 2. State Secretary Dr. Boepple 3. District Court Judge [Oberlandesgerichtsrat] Dr. Weh
List of those present at the session of 8/24/1942
The Governor General, State Secretary Krueger, State Secretary Dr. Boepple, General Becker, Schoengarth, Kobusch, Dr. Wendler, Dr. Siebert, Dr. Radtke, Plodeck, Tetzner, Naumann, Dr. Eissfeldt, Dr. Gschliesser, Ohlenbusch, Watzke, Bauder, Gerteis, Dr. Breithaupt, Dr. Paersch, Dr. Weh , Dr. Schulte-Wissermann, Dr. Wohlrab, Naumann, Dr. Behr, Bette, Rauber, Eden Neumann, Dr. Zeisner, Winkler, Grafmann, Gareis, Dr. Odenthal, Pietschmann, Krahmer, Schubert, Colonel Fischer, Reitz, Major Dr. Herrmann, Capt. Behringer, Verwaltungsrat Korff, Von Dazur, Vogel, Dr. Ness, Topf, Blauer
Beginning of the Session at 4 p.m.
The Governor General opens the meeting with the following words:
Gentlemen, I have called you together today with special speed and emphasis in order to acquaint you with a measure which is unusually important and decisive for all the work in the General Government in the year to come. What I tell you, I tell you in strictest confidence. I call your attention to the fact that every word which leaks out of this meeting, unofficially, might mean a tremendous damage to our country.
A few days ago a meeting with the Reich Marshal took place in Berlin. The Reich Marshal had the reports concerning the almost catastrophic developments in the food situation in Germany. According to all confidential reports of the police, as well as of the Gauleiter, which, as he expressed himself, also confirmed by his own experiences, the situation is as follows: unless a considerable improvement in the food situation in Germany can be achieved in a short time, serious consequences as to the health of the people, especially the German working people, would result. In hundreds of thousands of sick cases, one can already see the tragic consequences not only of this food shortage but also a deterioration of foodstuffs which endangers health. That is especially true of the quality of bread which has been distributed to the German people within the last few weeks: this leads to the most serious health disorders.
A serious situation, therefore, has arisen since Germany not on!v has to feed herself but also a large proportion of other European people. We must also take care that in the months to come and during the coming winter sufficient food will be distributed to the German people that
they will be able to withstand the great nervous strain of the coming months in every case.
Under these circumstances you probably will not be surprised that the saying now has become true: Before the German people are to experience starvation, the occupied territories and their people shall be exposed to starvation. In this movement, therefore, we here in the General Government must also have the iron determination to help the Great German people, our fatherland.
Germany had almost sufficient rye to tide them over until the new harvest, but not sufficient wheat. In large parts of Germany, therefore, no more wheat can be distributed in the near future. We therefore must aid the fatherland until the beginning of the new wheat harvest.
The General Government therefore must do the following: The General Government has taken on the obligation to send 500,00 tons bread grains to the fatherland in addition to the foodstuffs already being delivered for the relief of Germany or consumed here by troops of the armed forces, Police or SS. If you compare this with our contributions of last year you can see that this means a six-fold increase over that of last year's contribution of the General Government.
The new demand will be fulfilled exclusively at the expense of the foreign population. It must be done cold-bloodedly and without pity; for this contribution of the General Government is still more important this year since the occupied Eastern territories Ukraine and Ostland will not yet be able to make an important contribution toward the relief of Germany's food problem. Even if a million tons of bread grains could be delivered from Ostland and Ukraine, it would in the face of Germany's food situation be only a "drop in the bucket".
For this reason I wanted to acquaint you, Gentlemen, here in this governmental session with the decisions which I have made known today to Party member Naumann. You will essentially find an additional increase of the quota of foodstuffs to be shipped to Germany and new regulations for the feeding of the population; especially of the Jews and of the Polish population, whereby, if possible, the provisioning of the working people, especially of those working for German interests, shall be maintained.
The step which we are taking together today, is one of the most decisive ones, because it will surely have certain consequences as to the internal order of this country in January or February of next year. These consequences have to be accepted, because before the German people be starved, others, as a matter of course, must undergo the same.
I first of all give the word to Party member Naumann, who will give you a general report about this problem.
Naumann, President of the Main Department for Food and Agriculture:
Governor General, Gentlemen!
At the beginning of July during the last session of the government, I acquainted you with the food budget of the year 42/43. I hoped that this budget would be adequate. The Governor General, in order to increase the high goal that was originally set in the General Government, had decreed martial law for the harvest time [Ernteausnahmezustand] in order to drain even the last possibilities for the execution of the seizure (of the harvest).
Previously we concluded conferences with the Reich Food Ministry. We had included the shipments which, according to the then prevailing interpretation, were to be delivered by the General Government, in the food budget, and could hope to reach the harvest of 1943 without friction. Meanwhile a message from state Secretary Backe as well as a message from Reich Marshal Goering has arrived, and the Governor General has ordered that all requirements of the Reich are from now on to be fulfilled under all circumstances.
Out of this situation the following needs arise:
After exact considerations the grain quota is raised 25%, that is, from 960,000 tons to 1.2 million tons. The dry measure [Metze] of self-feeders, which was 30 kg per head per year, will be raised to 50 kg per head per year. This means: Self-feeder there total 8.8 million persons in the General Government who heretofore could eat two bushels and 20 kg of bread grain per year will in the future eat two bushels per year. By this means it will be possible to cause an increase in the dry measure from 160000 tons to 264000 tons. This is the burden which we shall place upon and must place upon Polish and Ukrainian agriculture.
On the other hand, I gave an estimated total requirement of 670000 tons of bread grain for the General Government in the food budget of early July. The requirements of the Reich make it necessary that exceptional savings be carried out in the interest of absolute fulfillment of Reich deliveries.
The feeding of a Jewish population, estimated heretofore at 1.5 million, drops off to an estimated total of 300,000 Jews, who still work for German interests as craftsmen or otherwise. For these the Jewish rations, including certain special allotments which have proved necessary for the maintenance of working capacity, will be retained. The other Jews, a total of 1.2 million, will no longer be provided with foodstuffs.
Non-German normal consumers will receive, from 1/1/1943-3/1/1943, instead of 4.2 kg bread per month, 2.8 kg from 3/1/1943-7/30/1943 the total bread ration for these non-German normal consumers will be cancelled.
Those entitled to be supplied [Versorgungsberechtigten] are composed as follows. We estimate that 3 million persons come into consideration as war workers, the A- and B-card holders and their kin, and that somewhat more than 3 million person are non-German normal consumers, who do not work directly or indirectly in the interests of Germany. The war workers, and B-card holders and their families, about 3 million persons, will however continue to be supplied, up to the harvest of 1943, at the prevailing rates.
Furthermore, savings will be brought about in the sphere of seed grain in such-a way that seed grain will be issued for general seed grain needs only when the farm [Betrieb] delivers for it, in excess of its quota, an equal amount of food grain.
Rations of oats for feed to those who own horses in their professions must be reduced to a great extent. Unfortunately a certain portion of oats will also fall away which heretofore was placed at the disposal of the main forestry department for the horses with which the urgent transport of wood was carried out. Extensive restrictions will be carried out in manufacturing and finishing plants, which will take effect in the food sphere. Also special allotments, as we carried them out last year during the winter months in Warsaw, Radom, Cracow, etc. cannot be carried out this winter. By this measure a saving of 115000 tons of bread grain will be attained.
When the above mentioned increased quota will be brought in 100, it will be possible to maintain a new food balance in the grain sector. Every amount which is missing from a 100 achievement of the total quota takes the form of a further reduction, first of all for the 3 million non-German normal consumers who do not work in the interest of Germany. In case the seizure and collection of the dry measure should even then create certain difficulties, this will have an effect on the family members of war workers working in the interests of Germany and on A- and B-card holders. The Main Department for Food and Agriculture will try, however, not to take these last measures if the acquisition to some extent brings about the result we all hope from it.
Also here the changed potato quota must be raised 25%, that is, from 1.2 million to 1.5 million tons. It is planned that war workers and A- and B-card holders will again receive, as during last year, 3.5 double-bushels of potatoes which they can use for themselves and the members of their families. For Germans 2 double-bushels per head per year are planned, for the 7 main cities of the General Government, 1 double-bushel per person. Before supplying the main cities with potatoes, the requirements and quotas of factory potatoes must be primarily secured. Only then, when this securing has been made, will potatoes be issued to the main city population at the rate of a double-bushel per head. This precautionary measure has the purpose above all of seeing to it that enough alcohol can be produced, first of all to maintain equal quality amounts [Praemienmengen] and secondly to have enough alcohol available for other important purposes.
Also in the domain of meat a 25% quota increase takes place so that the new Reich contributions can be fulfilled. The now almost completely accomplished registry of cattle aids the seizure We hope to be able to achieve, with what are considerable encroachments in themselves, that the 400 grams per month for non-German normal consumers can be issued. Nevertheless the situation can arise that at certain times here and there the 400 grams per month may for once not be issued, but less must be given, since here also the deliveries to the armed forces and the Reich contributions have priority.
These drastic measures can only succeed when the following prerequisites can be created and/or maintained. Every ration increase for war workers, A- and B-card holders or members of their families must be refused. Just a short time ago the armament inspection requested from me an increase of rations. Furthermore requests have come in to raise the insufficient rations of the Drohobvcz oil region. In the face of the serious food situation in which the General Government finds itself, ration quota increases for these groups of workers, and the members of their families as well, cannot be carried out.
New ration applicants can under no circumstances be accepted any more. This means: New industries, new construction projects or major enterprises cannot be satisfied with supplementary, insofar as a need is created by new masses of workers, unless the Reich makes available and allows an amount to be deflected which corresponds to the requirements of the additional masses of workers, from those supplies which we have to deliver to the Reich.
The Bonus amounts approved by the Main Department of Economies and Monopoly must be delivered without fail. Beyond that new bonus goods must be made available due to the raising of quotas of the main Department of Food and Agriculture. If it is not possible to secure cigarettes, liquor, textiles, and earlier bonus goods, I request that salt be also fully counted into the bonus drive now, this means that, starting immediately, the total salt ration is to be provided in the cities through food cards and on farms through bonus certificates.
Proposed resettlement projects, such as are planned, according to reports from the Department Leaders of Lemberg and Lublin, must in my opinion be postponed, for the sake of a frictionless procurement and effecting of the harvest for the coming year.
The securing of all depots and food processing plants as well as their transport facilities must be assured, as otherwise irreplaceable losses result which mean a further burdening of the food budget. I have had maps made of all districts [Kreise] on which the depots have all been drawn in. I request that the necessary measures be taken on the part of the police that these depots, which are in the eyes of the hungering masses above all at times when the restrictions are carried out, should be strictly guarded, so that the meager supplies which we have until the new harvest should not be destroyed by sabotage or arson.
The still outstanding price adjustment of various products in the district of Galicia to the price level of the old General Government must be carried out at once. Furthermore the strong inroads upon the substance of farm establishments caused by the raising of quotas undoubtedly involves damage which will have unfavorable results on the procurement of the 1943 harvest.
Finally it must be determined at the beginning of November whether the martial law for-the harvest period, which has been proclaimed up to 30 November, must be extended to 30 December. Martial law for the harvest period has been extended to all products which are to be reaped.
The planned quota increase and reduction of ration quantities must be kept secret under all circumstances and may be published only at that time which the Main Department for Food and Agriculture considers proper. Should the reduction of ration quantities and the increase of quotas become known earlier, extremely noticeable disturbances in the seizure would take place. The mass of the Polish population would then go to the land and would become a supplementary competitor of our requisitioning agencies. Should the quota increase become known prematurely, the winter sowing and work of procurement would suffer noticeable damage. We have therefore decided first to have the winter planting in the ground and then to announce the quota increase.
In the realm of food the General Government has lived through serious and difficult times during the last 3 years. However, I believe that the coming year 1942-43 will be the hardest in the food sector. My co-workers and I will do everything to master the situation under the given circumstances.
The Governor General.
Gentlemen! You have heard the very serious presentation of President Naumann. You will also derive therefrom that every debate about the figures or measures announced by him would be completely superfluous and actually entirely harmful to the matter. For every debate would give rise to the illusion that perhaps some other method would be possible.
I must point out that some sectors of the administration will feel this very keenly. In the first place the police will feel this, for it will have to deal, if I may say so, with an increased activity of the black market and a neglect of food customs. I will gladly give the police extraordinary powers so that they can overcome these difficulties.
The economy will feel it. The decrease of work rendered will become felt in all sectors, branches and regions. I also assume that our transport system will feel it too. In view of the worsening living conditions an extraordinary hardship will set in for railroad workers and other categories; as the previous quantities of food were already not enough. The monopolies will feel it through a decrease of their incomes, as the amounts of potatoes available for the production of vodka will be less.
The Germans in this area shall not feel it. We wish in spite of this new plan to see to it that the supplies for Germans will be maintained. Also the Wehrmacht and other encamped units in this area shall not feel it. We hope that it will be possible for us to keep up the whole quotas here.
To help in this necessity there is a corresponding measure, namely that the supervision of persons travelling from the General Government to the Reich, above all of military personnel, in order to see whether they are taking food out of the General Government, should be suspended. This means that in addition to all that which we must now extract from the land economically, there must take place a complete removal of control over that which is dragged out of the land by thousands upon thousandsdoubtless illegally and against our government measures.
From this you realize how seriously the situation will develop. In this connection do not forget, however, that the food situation in the Reich is less favorable. In whatever difficulties you observe some place here, in the form of the sicknesses of your workers, the breakdown of your associations, etc., you must always think of the fact that it is still much better when a Pole breaks down than that a German succumb. That we sentence 1.2 million Jews to die of hunger should be noted only marginally. It is a matter, of course, that should the Jews not starve to death it would, we hope, result in a speeding up of anti-Jewish measures.
[Page 15.]
However, that on the other hand it is expected of all that they will show an understanding of these government measures is also to be noted only marginally. The original demand of the Reich from the General Government amounted to 1 million tons. However it was fortunately possible to reduce this demand by half.
When you consider that a land like the Protectorate with a size of barely 50000 square kilometers and a large industrial population was required to deliver over 200000 tons of bread grain, that countries like France and Holland are forced to deliver up to the last remnant to the Reich, then you can estimate how the food situation of the Reich is regarded.
I did not wish to fail to inform you of this decree, which I now put into effect.
To a question by president Gerteis, the Governor General explained that according to the coming new regulation the maintenance of members of the Eastern Railway [Ostbahn] will come under the categories of war workers, A- and B-card holders.
The Governor General then requested the representatives of the Wehrmacht, in view of the food situation in the General Government, to help the government more intensively to prevent a buying up of foodstuffs for the other eastern territories. He directed the same request to State Secretary Krueger for the SS and police. It would be out of the question entirely that purchasers from some other regions should be active in the General Government. Army and police should take care, in their own representing a supplyor purchasing territory for other regions or troop units, unless it were within the compass of the quota obligations of the General Government of the Reich.
Ministerialrat Reis indicated that the berquartiermeister would introduce a command to that effect with the Generalquartiermeister.
The Governor General then declared that it was left to a coming conference of the authoritative factors of the government of the General Government to take measures against the results of the present decision. The results would, to be sure, first take effect at the beginning of next year, since the old rations were valid until the end of this year.
In this connection the Governor General declares the new decree in force and empowers Main Departmental President [Hauptabteilungspraesident] Naumann, in line with his proposal, to lead the nutritional policy of the General Government.
State Secretary Dr. Boepple points out that by reason of the attendance list the names of all who took part in the meeting were known. Should rumors about the measures decided on today eventually seep through to the public, he would, as representative of the government, have them traced to their source, and bring the responsible parties to account.
End of the meeting: 1640 hrs
Not unimportant manpower has been taken from us in form of our old proven Jewish communities. It is clear that the working program is made difficult when in the middle of this program, during the war, the order for complete annihilation of the Jews is given. The responsibility for this cannot be placed upon the government of the General Government. The directive for the annihilation of the Jews comes from higher quarters. We have to be content with the consequences and can only report that the Jew has caused tremendous difficulties with regard to the work program. I was able to prove, the other day, to Staatssekretaer Ganzenmueller, who was complaining that a big building project in the General Government came to a halt, that this would not have happened if the many thousand of Jews working at it had not been deported. Now the order is given that the Jews will have to be removed from the armament projects. I hope that this order, if not already cancelled, will soon be cancelled, for then the situation will be still worse.
Title: "Document 2233-X-PS: Frank Diary, 1942, Part III: Kressendorf, 8/28/1942 [partial translation]" in Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression. Volume IV: Documents 1409-PS-2373-PS. District of Columbia: GPO, 1947. p. 913.
Present: Dr. Hans FRANK and others
[Page 968, 969, 983]
Dr. Frank: I have since 1920 continually dedicated my work to the NSDAP. As National Socialist I was a participant in the events of 11/1923 for which I received the Bluorden. After the resurrection of the movement in the year 1925, my real greater activity in the movement began, which made me, first gradually, later almost exclusively, the legal adviser of the Fuehrer and of the Reich leadership of the NSDAP. I thus was the representative of legal interests of the growing Third Reich in a legal ideological as well as practical legal way The culmination of this work I see in the big Leipzig Army Trial in which I succeeded in having the Fuehrer admitted to the famous oath of legality, a circumstance which gave the Movement the legal grounds to expand generously. The Fuehrer indeed recognized this achievement and in 1926 made me leader of the National Socialist Lawyer's League; in 1929 Reich Leader of the Reich Legal office of the NSDAP; in 1933 Bavarian Minister of Justice; in the same year Reich Commissioner of Justice; in 1934 President of the Academy of German Law founded by me; in 12/1934 Reich Minister without portfolio; and in 1939 I was finally appointed to Governor General for the occupied Polish territories.
So I was, am and will remain the representative jurist of the struggle period of National Socialism
I profess myself now, and always, as a National Socialist and a faithful follower of the Fuehrer Adolf Hitler, whom I have now served since 1919.
"Document 2233-Y-PS: Frank Diary, 1942, Volume IV [partial translation]" in Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression. Volume IV: Documents 1409-PS-2373-PS. District of Columbia: GPO, 1947. pp. 914-15.
[Pages 1212-1213]
Friday, 11/20/1942:
Of the total 180000 head of cattle to be delivered, 159000 have been delivered to the Reich up to now.
360 million eggs have been collected. 92 million of those eggs were delivered for the Reich, and 85 million are already in possession of the Reich; the remaining 7 million eggs would be delivered within the next few days.
The other deliveries were also being executed without friction on the whole, and it was hoped that the necessary achievements, for example in honey, poultry and sugar, would be completely fulfilled.
The Governor General expresses his satisfaction over those results and points out in that connection, that two thirds of the increase in the rations, carried out in the Reich were to be credited to the General Government, according to a statement of Ministerialdirektor Riche.
President Naumann then takes a position to the question concerning the distribution of the remaining stocks of food in the General Government. It was stated in the decree of 8/25/1942 that a decrease in the rations should occur, respectively that rations should be denied completely to the Polish population not working for the German interest.
The following plan has now been taken into consideration:
Starting 2/1/1942 the food ration cards should not be issued to the individual Pole or Ukrainian by the Nutrition Office [Ernaehrungsamt], but to the establishments working for the German interest. 2 million people would thus be eliminated from the non-German, normal ration-consuming contingent. Now, if those ration cards are only distributed by the factories, part of those people will naturally rush into the factories. Labor could then be either procured for Germany from them or they could be used for the most important work in the factories of the General Government. This would also constitute a help for the main department of labor to a certain extent, enabling it to get a better control over the available labor potential within the Polish population. In the case of the eventual exclusion of 2 million Poles from the rationing system, the family members of the non-German, working population could be granted higher rations under circumstances, as for instance in the form of an increase of the bread ration to 1400 gr., the allotment of flour and larger meat rations.
The Plant-manager [Betriebsfuehrer] must, of course, realize the responsibility conferred upon him by the distribution of those food ration cards, and statements about the number of workers employed by the establishment must be absolutely correct.
Very harsh directives must, therefore, be issued in order to avoid eventual frauds; the plant-manager is personally responsible for the correctness of the number, which he must report every month.
It is planned furthermore to put a certain amount of foodstuff at the disposal of the Polish Central Committee, for the purpose of taking adequate care of old and infirm people, who cannot work any longer.
After having reached into the existing stocks, the main attention will have to be directed towards the greatest effort to secure the harvest 1943.
He has, therefore, already in September instructed his Department II to draft the necessary plans for it.