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as a scientist, there existed only the ethics of voluntary work. He
advocated this principle in every possible way. On the basis of his experience
gained 20 years before during reconstruction of the destroyed Farben plant at
Oppau, he introduced, at an early date, a system of recruiting, on a voluntary
basis, the workers of entire firms — a procedure called "firm allocation."
As my presentation of evidence will show, Dr. Krauch continued to maintain this
principle when the program of the Plenipotentiary General for Labor Allocation
concerning the recruitment of workers under coercion was started. The
presentation of evidence will show that Dr. Krauch, even after this date,
successfully continued the so-called "firm allocation" against the tendency of
official authorities. In this connection, I shall be able to prove that Dr.
Krauch in no way participated in the drafting of the laws for the compulsory
labor allocation program, nor in the enforcement of these laws. With regard to
all these questions, his position was on an intermediate level which had
nothing whatever to do with such fundamental decisions as making suggestions,
on the one hand, or giving orders, on the other.
Dr. Hellmuth Dix,
attorney-at-law, will deal with the general questions of labor allocation.*
In order to avoid overlapping and to shorten the proceedings, I shall not
deal with these general questions unless I have to add something in particular
for the defense of my client after the presentation of evidence by Dr. Hellmuth
Dix.
Finally I shall show that Dr. Krauch even made use of his position
as Plenipotentiary General for Special Questions of Chemical Production to
prevent or mitigate measures which were incompatible with his conscience and
which were adopted by National Socialist offices against Jews, scientists,
ecclesiastical, and scientific institutions.
I shall have described
here a case of Dr. Krauch's successful intervention when he heard of abuses in
connection with the treatment of concentration camp inmates — outside of
Farben, as I wish to emphasize; further, I shall refer to his assistance to
Russian scientists who had fled from the Ukraine — the steps he took not
only preserved their physical, but also their intellectual, existence.
Summarized, my presentation of evidence will be as follows.
The
indictment is swamped by a flood of facts. You must look beyond the facts for
the human being, and the grave charge which I have to raise against the
prosecution is that it has for- […gotten] |
__________
* See the opening statement on behalf of the
defendant Schneider by Dr. Hellmuth Dix. reproduced below in section III J.
215 |
. 
