. NMT06-T0805
Volume VI · Page 805
| manager was not
called to account, say in the sense of being liable to punishment or that
court-martial proceedings would be initiated against him. But the factory
manager was severely reprimanded, in order to make him complete his program for
the following month, if possible. At such meetings the chairman of the chief
committee, according to his temperament, often used unmistakably blunt words.
To return to the raising of the compulsory production quota. Usually, those
increases were in the region of approximately 20 percent, i.e., 20 percent in
excess of the deliveries which had been ascertained to be possible. It was not
assumed that these 20 percent would be reached; this is also borne out by the
fact that all those increases were not contained in the production
prognostications which were submitted to the various army departments. I can
remember that in airplane factories, before my Ministry took over,
court-martial proceedings were started against factory managers who did not
meet their delivery quotas. For instance, a court-martial trial was
contemplated against the manager of the Bochumer Verein, Alberts, because he
failed to deliver semifinished products. Proceedings were dropped, however,
after I intervened. Up till the spring of 1944, approximately, the production programs, i.e., the programs minus the 20 percent increase, were not only fulfilled, but actually exceeded. After the spring of 1944, the programs were not completed any more, partly on account of effects of the air raids, partly because Saur, in conjunction with Hitler, worked out production schedules which could not be materialized. Because of this the representative of industry protested against those programs. Q. Did you know, Mr. Speer, that the foreign workers, who were employed in Germany, in their overwhelming majority did not come to Germany voluntarily? A. Yes. That can also be seen from my testimony before the IMT. Q. Did you know that those workers came from countries which were occupied by Germany at that time? A. Yes. Q. Were these two circumstances generally known in Germany, according to your opinion? A. The fact that the workers came from occupied territory was of course, bound to be generally known. But it appears doubtful to me that the consequences in regard to international law connected with a transfer of workers to Germany were known. However the fact of the obligation to serve could naturally have been known in wider circles, considering the close contact the workers had among each other in their shops. |
