Afternoon Session (continued 2)
Reading edition
“According to the order on ‘The Structure of the German Administration in the Protectorate and the German Security Police,’ all German authorities and offices in the Protectorate and thereby the entire Police, too, excepting the Armed Forces are formally subordinated to the Reich Protector and are bound by his directions. Owing to this the Security Police was bound to carry out this basic political policy set forth by the Reich Protector. Orders as to carrying out State Police measures were mainly issued by the Chief of the Security Police with the Reich Security Main Office in Berlin.
“If the Reich Protector wanted to carry out some State Police measures, he had to have the permission of the Reich Security Main Office in Berlin; that is, in this case the State Police also submitted each order for reconfirmation to the Reich Security Main Office in Berlin. The same applied also to directives for the carrying out of State Police measures given by the Higher SS and Police Leader to the Chief of the Security Police.”
I would like to draw your attention to this paragraph that I am reading now:
“This system of channels for issuing directives remained in force during the whole existence of the Protectorate and was used as such by Von Neurath in the Protectorate. In general the Reich Protector could, on his own initiative, issue directives to the State Police through the Chief of the Security Police. The carrying out of such directives was, however, subject to approval by the Reich Security Main Office if State Police measures were concerned.
“In regard to the SD (Security Service), which had no executive powers, the authority of the Reich Protector respecting the issuing of directives to the SD was greater and not subject to the approval of the Reich Security Main Office in every case.”
Do you confirm this testimony of Frank?
VON NEURATH: No.
MR. COUNSELLOR RAGINSKY: All right.
VON NEURATH: I refer you to a statement by the same Frank, which I have learned about here, which was made last year, during which he said something quite different. He said that the entire Police were not under the Reich Protector, but came under the Chief of the Police in Berlin, namely, Himmler. It ought to be here somewhere—this statement.
MR. COUNSELLOR RAGINSKY: Don’t worry about it; I will come back to this testimony.
Tell me, please, who was the political adviser in your service?
VON NEURATH: Political adviser?
MR. COUNSELLOR RAGINSKY: Yes, political adviser.
VON NEURATH: In general I had various political advisers.
MR. COUNSELLOR RAGINSKY: In order not to waste time, I will show you a short document, and I ask you to read it.
On 21 July 1939 the Chief of the Security Police wrote a letter to your State Secretary and Higher SS and Police Leader, Karl Hermann Frank. The letter had the following contents:
“In an order of 5 May 1939 the Reich Protector of Bohemia and Moravia appointed the SD Leader and Chief of the Security Police as his political adviser. I have ascertained that this order has not yet been published or carried out. Please provide for carrying out this order.
“Signed, Dr. Best.”
Do you remember your order now?
VON NEURATH: I cannot remember that decree at the moment, but I do remember that this was never carried out, because I did not have this SD leader as my political adviser.
THE PRESIDENT: This would be a convenient time to break off.
MR. COUNSELLOR RAGINSKY: Mr. President, just one more minute, please, to finish this question, and then we can break off.
[Turning to the defendant.] But did you issue such an order on 5 May?
VON NEURATH: I can no longer tell you about that at this date—but it is probably true. I do not want to deny it; I do not know any more.
MR. COUNSELLOR RAGINSKY: But you did issue this order?
All right. I thank you, Mr. President. It is possible to adjourn now. I shall require 30 minutes more.