 |
figures reflect only part of what Farben gained from aggressive war.
45. Farben was the core of Germany's military mobilization, not only by
virtue of its own production but by virtue of its strategic position in the
German economy. All other German chemical companies and numerous other German
war industries were almost totally dependent upon the products, resources, and
technological aid of Farben. German tanks, artillery, and armored vehicles
rolled on Farben electron metal wheels, were shod with Farben buna rubber, and
propelled by Farben synthetic gasoline. Nazi bombers were armored with Farben
aluminum and magnesium alloys, carried death loads of Farben incendiary bombs
and explosives, and were fueled by Farben high octane aviation gasoline. |
| |
E. Farben Procured and Stockpiled Critical War Materials
for
the Nazi Offensive |
| |
46. In 1933, Farben embarked upon a tremendous program of synthetics
research and plant expansion as an integral part of the program to make Germany
self-sufficient in critical war materials in preparation for aggressive war.
Since production had to await the perfection of these processes and the
construction of the plants, the German Government attempted in the interim to
import great quantities of critical war materials in the shortest possible
time. The government relied on Farben to exploit its cartel connections and its
foreign exchange resources to obtain these materials during the transition
period, since no other firm in Germany had the requisite international
connections or the desperately needed foreign currency. In this program, as in
all other phases of the Nazi preparation for total war, Farben put its entire
organization at the disposal of the Wehrmacht.
47. In 1936, the
Ministry of Economics approached the defendant Krauch on the matter of making
Germany "independent as far as possible from oil supplies from abroad." Pending
quantity production of synthetic gasoline, Farben took steps to secure oil from
abroad. Farben ordered $20,000,000 worth of gasoline from the Standard Oil
Company of New Jersey, which delivered $14,000,000 worth. In June 1938, with
the invasion of Czechoslovakia imminent, Germany was still deficient in one of
the main essentials of aviation gasoline, tetraethyl lead. On Goering's orders,
the Air Ministry immediately asked Farben to store in Germany 500 tons of
tetraethyl lead "up to a time when the plants in Germany are able to cover all
needs." Farben arranged "to borrow" 500 tons of tetraethyl lead from the Ethyl
Export Cor- [...poration] |
28 |
. 
