. NMT06-T0170
Volume VI · Page 170
| Leipzig and the vehicle factories of
Busch-Bautzen and Linke-Hofmann, as well as the Fella Works in Feucht near
Nuernberg, which, however, holds a special position as a manufacturer of
agricultural machinery and because of its financial dependence on Maxhuette.
For the same reason I shall also deal with the fundamental questions concerning
the RVK (Reich Association Coal) although my client has been cleared in the
meantime of charges concerning this by the statement made by Mr. Ervin on 13
June 1947.* I have nevertheless retained the basic handling of the case in
order to relieve my esteemed collaborators, Dr. Dix and Dr. Flaechsner.
The events in connection with the founding of the RVK have been described substantially correct, according to the documents, by the prosecution in its opening statement and in the adducing of evidence. The Reich Association Coal resulted from the struggle of the industry against the Reich Commissioner for Coal, who was appointed by Goering. The endeavors of this Reich Commissioner, whose name was Walther, which aimed at a strengthening of the State influence, were of course not looked at with sympathy by the industry. The coal mining concerns consequently joined, trying to throw off the excessive influence of the State, in order to retain a certain independence despite the totalitarian State. In this respect the Reich Association Coal was nothing else but a combine of the coal industry, therefore, in essence a combination of interests. The wish to retain in this way a certain amount of independence could be fulfilled only temporarily, because in the course of time, according to the statement by the prosecution it was in 1943, due to the increasing dictatorship of the State, the State influence grew gradually stronger in the sphere of coal too, as a result of the actions of the Speer Ministry and of the Central Planning Board which was founded already in 1942. With regard to count two of the indictment, I shall deal jointly with the two cases Vairogs and Voroshilov in accordance with the activities of Mr. Weiss. With reference to the case Voroshilov, I wish to point out now that the statement of the prosecution contains a legal and factual error, as the taking over of the sponsorship of the Voroshilov plant is represented as a matter concerning the Flick Konzern. Rather was it a matter Concerning the firm Siemag exclusively, which has nothing to do with the Flick Konzern, as it belongs to Mr. Weiss exclusively Counts three, four, and five of the indictment do not affect my client. Bernhard Weiss is a member of a family which has been residing in the Siegen district for a very long time and lie comes. |
* See transcript pages 3106 and 3107
