. NMT05-T1128
Volume VI · Page 1128
| There were petitions lodged in his behalf by the 600 citizens of the
small community of Dahlbruch, who turned to me on their own initiative. What
all these persons share with me is that they are unable to comprehend the
prosecution which, with its charge, defames a decent man. But especially because the significance of this trial reaches beyond the sphere of this man so much respected at his native place by his workers and in economic circles, permit me to say a few words more. In my plea I have pointed out that the Directive JCS 1067,¹ which was issued when General Eisenhower's troops entered Germany, is in contradiction to international law, that is to say, to the basic principles upon which this trial is based, and I have furthermore pointed to the precariousness of international law as far as the occupied territories are concerned and to the untenable thesis of the prosecution which with regard to international law wants to consider Germany as being in a vacuum. During the time I have had to live at Nuernberg for professional reasons, that is, since the IMT trial started, which was 2 years ago, many things have changed. The Directive JCS 1067 no longer exists and the new directive of General Clay dated 17 July 1947 speaks explicitly of complying with international conventions and intents to prevent all arbitrary measures. I have the fervent hope that the Court will agree with my conviction and legal opinion: Weiss is not a criminal. I ask you, the judges, that my client, who like thousands of other industrialists at home and abroad, thought that he was doing his duty during the war, may not be made to suffer for being a German industrialist and I ask you therefore to acquit Bernhard Weiss. |
|
| F. Closing Statement for Defendant Flick² | |
| DR. DIX (counsel for defendant Flick) : May it please the Tribunal!
In the English manuscript of my final plea, which is before you, you will find two enclosures which will not be read out in court.³ The first enclosure, which follows page 57, is a legal expert opinion by the well-known expert in corporation law, Dr. Walter Schmidt, who is a coauthor of one of the important books |
¹ Joint Chiefs of Staff "Directive to Commander in Chief of U.S. Forces of Occupation Regarding the Military Government of Germany", approved on 3 October 1944.
² Transcript pages 10885-10951, 29 November 1947.
³ A mimeographed translation of the closing statement which counsel proposed to render was ordinarily made available to the Tribunal prior to the actual delivery of the argument. Only the text of the closing statement as actually delivered is reproduced here.
