. NMT06-T0290
Volume VI · Page 290
| to be put in personal charge of
the economic problems of the Party after the Fuehrer had already given me this
task. The Fuehrer now asked that I should take Schacht into this circle.
Another person who was suggested by Hitler was Dr. Voegler of the Vereingte
Stahlwerke. Q. Now, Mr. Keppler, did you then approach these persons and learn other names from them, or how did you get in contact with the other people? A. Well, many of them I knew already, and then I exploited my personal relations in order to be introduced to people to whom I wanted to be introduced. The position of business toward the Party was rather skeptical. The Fuehrer had tried during the years 1927 and 1928, as far as I remember, through lectures before industrialists in the Ruhr, to find more understanding for his economic program. These efforts were not very successful. First of all the lecture halls remained empty, later on they were overcrowded; enthusiasm during the lecture was also there but it never lasted very long. Suspicion against the Party was caused to a great extent by the fact that these industrialists were also of the opinion that the economic program of the Party did not allow success to be anticipated. So, when I approached these members of industry and economy and told them quite frankly that the Fuehrer had ordered me to reconsider all economic questions and asked them whether they were prepared to give me their advice, there was a definite sense of relief among those industrialists. |
|
| * * * * * * * * * * | |
| Q. May I interrupt you here, Mr.
Keppler? I think the Tribunal would welcome it if you, at least approximately,
could tell us when you met for the first time. When this circle of 12 people
came together for the first time and where that was. A. After I made the selection I asked Hitler whether he would be prepared to receive all these people and to speak a few words to them. Hitler agreed and received these people on 18 May 1932. That was in the Kaiserhof Hotel in Berlin. He gave a short talk which then was answered by President Schacht on behalf of the Circle. This was the first meeting of this new circle. |
|
| * * * * * * * * * * | |
| Q. Is that what you meant in
your affidavit when you used the words, "The purpose of the Circle of Friends
was to make plans for National Socialist leadership of the German economy"?
A. The task as set by the Fuehrer was to consult each other about economic questions, to get over the unemployment and to infuse life into industry. That was our task. |
