. NMT06-T0804
Volume VI · Page 804
| WITNESS SPEER: That
in correct. Not by the decree dated September 6th, but by an executive decree
issued by me a few weeks later, did the main committees receive the right to
make use of the commodity exchange regulations. If I am not mistaken this
decree was published in the bulletin of my Ministry, which was delivered to all
plant managers. MR. BARR: I have no further questions. COMMISSIONER FRIED: Witness, you stated that at the discussions preliminary to the fixing of the production schedules only technical considerations in regard to the production could play a part. How was it if, for instance, provision had been made that a certain plant was to construct a new building for an increase of production, and the employer said: "I am unable to pay for this"? A. It was not necessary that the main committees dealt with these problems. The armament and procurement divisions [Waffenaemeter] of the individual armed forces units were responsible for the financing, the allocation of orders, the fixing of prices, and taking over the finished instrument. These divisions also had the necessary funds to grant subsidies. Q. On 19 June 1946 in your own trial before IMT, you testified — this statement is in the English Court records on page 11983--that you (I am retranslating into German) "made up my Ministry * * * you cannot really consider my Ministry as set up along normal lines."¹ On the same day your defense counsel, at that time, Dr. Flaechsner, submitted a document to the International Military Tribunal in which you state: "These honorary coworkers, drawn from industry, carry the responsibility to the last detail for what is manufactured in the various enterprises and industries * * *."² (English Court records, page 11989). Are these statements you made at the time correct? A. Yes, as far as technical matters were concerned. When I made those statements I did not refer to financial and economic problems, as I had no jurisdiction in such matters. Q. You said yesterday that the production quotas for the individual plants were usually fixed somewhat in excess of what had been agreed upon in the preceding discussions. Do I understand correctly that, by doing so, the main committees intended to allow some margin to the individual factories? Would the factories have been called to account for not completing the imposed production quota? A. Yes. This was a margin which the factories were to be allowed. If the production quota was not reached, the factory manager, at the meetings of the main committees, recounted the reasons which prevented him from fulfilling the plan. The factors |
¹ See Trial of the Major War Criminals, op cit., Vol. XVI, p. 433.
² Ibid., p. 434.
