. NMT06-T0320
Volume VI · Page 320
| [Hit…] ler's belief that
because his party had increased in volume so strongly, he would have to take
over the government one day, and that then he would have to face economic
problems, such as unemployment which prevailed at that time, and that he should
not be without any preparation at all for those problems, and he wanted to
prepare himself properly for these problems in advance. Q. May I interrupt you just for a minute? Can I draw the conclusion from your explanation that Hitler, who even at that time promised everybody help and relief for the unemployment, like a Savior — that Hitler at that time had no clear conception of how to solve this burning problem of unemployment? Because, after all, this very problem was the reason why the number of people who voted for him increased to such an extent. Isn't that rather the reason why he came to Keppler and told him something to the effect that if some day he would come to power he had a certain notion how to deal with unemployment? Would you please explain that? A., No, I don't think that's the way it was. Q. Just a little bit slower. A. No, that's not the way it was. Hitler had already a ready-made program, and that's why he had his special advisers, for instance, Keppler. But there were also other people in the Party who dealt with these matters, for instance, Gottfried Voegler, who wanted to use money in a way which every reasonable businessman would reject. Therefore, when I was approached with that question, and also the other businessmen who were approached — Q. Will you please go a little bit slower. It's rather difficult for an interpreter. I am sorry Your Honor, that I interrupted him. A. And that was the reason for me to join Herr Keppler in matters of economic advice, in order to object to the wrong ideas in the field of economy. Q. Well, now, what did you do about it? A. Well, basically I agreed at that time, and I told Keppler so and more particularly because he quoted names of other members — other businessmen, of whom I knew that they knew quite a bit about the economy and that they were intelligent people and people who were not members of the Nazi Party, incidentally. That's how the first small circle was founded. I think it only consisted of eight or nine persons. As far as I know none of them was a member of the Party. Q. Who were these eight? A. Well, that was Mr. Schacht — Q. I beg your pardon. |
