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occupied, and on 9 October, Aussig. On 14 October 1938, Goering held
a conference in the Office of the Reich Air Ministry at which the defendant
Krauch was present. Goering stated that in view of the world situation, about
which everyone knew from the press, Hitler had ordered him to carry out a
gigantic program to procure offensive weapons at a faster rate. He ordered
double and triple shifts for labor. He stated that the Sudetenland had to be
exploited by all means; that Bohemia and Slovakia would become German dominions
and their industry completely assimilated; that everything must be taken out
and that searches must be made for oil and ore.
95. After various forms
of duress had been applied by German officials, with the approval of Farben, to
force Prager Verein to "sell" its plants, a proposal was submitted, on 29
October 1938, to the management at Prague by Kugler as "public commissar" of
the Aussig and Falkenau plants, relating to the disposition of the plants to
Farben and another German firm. To this proposal, the Prager Verein replied on
1 November 1938, taking strong exception to the view that the commissars were
authorized to act on behalf of the management with respect to the disposal of
the plants. On 8 November, formal "negotiations" started at a meeting in
Berlin, at which the defendants Schmitz, von Schnitzler, Ilgner, Kuehne, and
Kugler were present. A series of meetings were thereafter held, culminating in
a December 8 meeting at which the defendant von Schnitzler presided and
addressed the representatives of the Prager Verein, stating that he knew that
they were trying to sabotage the deal; that he was, therefore, going to report
to the German Government that, because of the attitude of the Prager Verein,
social peace in the Sudeten area was being menaced and that unrest could be
expected at any moment, and that the responsibility therefor would fall upon
the Prager Verein. The representatives of the Prager Verein thereupon sought
advice from the Czechoslovakian Government and were advised to do the best they
could. The next day the agreement for the sale of the property was signed. The
consideration was to be paid, partly in Czechoslovakian currency through the
"clearing account," and partly in goods delivered by the Sudeten plants to the
remaining plants of the company located in Czechoslovakia.
96. With the
"negotiations" thus successfully concluded, the new purchasers, Farben and the
other German firm, organized a new company, the Chemische Werke Aussig-Falkenau
G.m.b.H., which expanded its newly acquired Czechoslovakian facilities,
increased the production of chemicals essential for the German military
machine, integrated the Czechoslovakian chemi- […cal] |
43 |
. 
