"Answer: 'Rudolf Hess, until. 1941 when he left for England.'
"Question: 'Who succeeded him?'
"Answer: 'Martin Bormann. Martin Bormann, automatically succeeded Hess, but he did not really fill Hess' position, because Hess had been born abroad in Egypt, while Martin Bormann understood nothing about foreign affairs. He paid no attention to them at all, but of course, he was my superior.' "Question: 'But he was nominally your chief?'
"Answer: 'He was technically my chief, but he gave me no orders, directives or similar instructions, because he did not understand anything about these things.'
"Question: 'So that everything that was done in your office, you would say you were responsible for?'
"Answer: 'Absolutely.'
"Question: 'And you are willing to accept the responsibility for that?'
"Answer:, 'Naturally.' " Do you remember being asked those questions and having made those answers?
BOHLE: That is absolutely correct.
COL. AMEN: And were those answers true when you made them?
BOHLE: Absolutely true.
COL. AMEN: And are they still true today?
BOHLE: They are still true.
COL. AMEN: So that you accept responsibility for everything which your office was conducting, is that true?
BOHLE: Yes, that is correct.
COL. AMEN: Who was Von Strempel?
BOHLE: Von Strempel was, I believe, counsellor to a secretary of a legation (Gesandtschaftsrat) in the foreign office, but I do not know him very well.
COL. AMEN: Was he not the first secretary of the German Embassy in the United States from 1938 until Pearl Harbolr?
BOHLE: I cannot say definitely. I knew him only slightly and had absolutely no contact with him.
COL. AMEN: Well, he was interrogated with respect to the support of the German-American Bund by the Auslands-Organisation prior to 1938, and I want to read you just one or two questions and answers which he made and ask you whether they conform to your understanding of the facts. Do you understand?
BOHLE: Yes.
COL. AMEN: "Question: 'Was the German-American Bund supported by the Auslands-Organisation?'
'Answer:'I am positive that it was connected with the foreign section of the Party. For example, the Bund received instruction from the Party on how to build up their political organization, how, where, and when to hold mass meetings and how to handle their propaganda. Personally, I do not know whether it received financial support.'
" Does that conform with your understanding of the facts?
BOHLE: No, that is a completely false representation. The Auslands-Organisation gave no financial support whatever and had no connection with the German-American Bund. I have stated that clearly in many interrogations here in Nuremberg, and have signed an affidavit to that effect.
COL. AMEN: I know you have. So that if Von Strempel has sworn that that is a fact, your testimony is that he was'not telling the truth. Is that correct?
BOHLE: I am of the opinion that if Von Strempel was legation secretary, or secretary of another office, he could not have known of the matter and he therefore testified about something which was not quite clear to him. In any event, what he said is not true.
COL. AMEN: Are you familiar with the fact that in 1938 an order was issued prohibiting members of the German embassies and consulates to continue relations or connections with the Bund?
BOHLE: It was a general order for German citizens abroad to resign from the Bund if they were members. But as far as I know, that order was issued some years previously about 1935 or 1936, by the Deputy of the Führer upon my request.
DR. SEIDL: I object to this question; it has no connection with the evidence for which the witness Bohle was called. During his direct examination he was not questioned on any subject which has the slightest relation to the question d the activity of the German-American Bund. I do not believe that this form of interrogation is designed to test the witness, as it has not the slightest bearing on the subject.
COL. AMEN: It seems to me to have a very direct bearing on whether or not this organization was engaged in espionage work abroad and within the United States.
WE PRESIDENT: Certainly; in the opinion of the Tribunal the questions are perfectly proper.
COL. AMEN: Is it not a fact that in spite of that order the foreign section of the Nazi Party nevertheless continued to1 support the Bund?
BOHLE: No, I was not aware of that and I consider it to be impossible.
COL. AMEN: Now I wobld like to read you one or two further extracts from the interrogation of Strempel and ask you whether these statements conform with your knowledge of the facts:
"Question: 'Did the foreign section of the Party continue to support the Bund after the order you mentioned before was issued?'
"Answer: 'I am sure that Mr. Draeger, coml in New York City and representative of the foreign section of the Party, did continue to have relations with Bund officials.' " Does that conform with your recollection of the facts?
BOHLE: No. In my opinion, that does not correspond to the facts.
Naturally, I cannot say whether the consul, Dr. Draeger, maintained his contacts against my order, but there was an imperative order to withdraw completely from the Bund, because from the very beginning I objected strenuously to the activities of the Bund and was supported in my objections by the Deputy of the Führer
COL. AMEN: You were acquainted with Draeger, were you not?
BOHLE: Yes.
COL. AMEN: What was his position in the United States, insofar as your organization was concerned?
BOHLE: He was a liaison man (Vertrauensmann) of the Auslands-Organisation for the individual Party members in the United States.
COL. AMEN: He was what was known as a confidential agent, was he not?
BOHLE: No, he was not, naturally, but we had. ..
COL. AMEN: And as a matter of fact, you called him a "confidential agent" in your interrogation, did you not?
BOHLE: No. I called him a "Vertrauensmann," and this was translated ilito "confidence man." I did...
COL. AMEN: Well, I will accept that correction. He was a confidence man for your organization in the United States. Correct?
BOHLE: Correct, yes, that is true.
COL. AMEN: And in addition to him there were other confidence men of your organization in the United States? Correct?
BOHLE: Yes, correct.
COL. AMEN: Will you tell the Tribunal what their names were and where they were located?
BOHLE: One was Wiedemann, consul general in San Francisco.
There was also Consul Dr. Gissling in Los Angeles and Consul Von Spiegel in New Orleans I believe, but I do not know; perhaps it was Boston. It was one of the two. I believe these are all.
COL. AMEN: And each of those individuals made reports from time to time which were forwarded to you through Draeger. .Is that not a fact?
BOHLE: No,' they made no reports to me. I cannot recall that I ever saw a report from Wiedemann, Spiegel, or Gissling. That was not their job.
COL. AMEN: Draeger made the reports to you, did he not?
BOHLE: Draeger made the reports to the Auslands-Organisation in Berlin or to me personally. Mostly to my office.
COL. AMEN: And contained in those reports were various items