 |
plain, clear, and utilitarian. From here, the Bayer products were
shipped all over Germany, all over Europe, and all over the world, including
the United States. Sales increased from year to year, and the successful work
of many IG chemists vouched for the quality of the remedies which served to
allay the suffering of innumerable human beings, to cure diseases, and to save
a great many human beings from illness and pain. That was the task of my
client, Mann.
As I said, the Bayer building stands by itself, connected
with the main building of the IG administration by a bridge. Such was also the
position of the [Bayer] Sales Combine within the huge Konzern. It was
independent, but linked with the IG. This I shall present in detail because,
without that, the defendant Mann's position and his actions and work cannot be
understood and evaluated correctly.
Now, this defendant is charged,
first, with having taken part, alone or together with his fellow-members of the
Vorstand or with other persons, in the preparation, planning, and waging of
aggressive war. This charge is brought against the very defendant whose life
work had been devoted to the struggle against death and to the alleviation of
human suffering. This very defendant is said to be guilty of participation in
the unleashing of a war, and of sharing responsibility for the killing of
millions of human beings. This charge is brought against the very man whose
motto was to heal wounds, not to cause wounds. This, and nothing else, was the
ambition of his life; and in the course of my presentation of evidence, you
will come to realize that during the 25 years of his work for Bayer, my client
remained faithful to this motto and did not have anything in common with any of
the crimes that are the subject of this indictment.
The legal doubts
with regard to counts one and five of the indictment are laid down in the
motion presented on 17 December. I can therefore dispense with going into that
matter. On the grounds set forth in that motion, the defendant is to be
acquitted of counts one and five.
In spite of this, I am compelled to
go briefly into some specific charges brought against Mann under count one.
On what grounds does the prosecution try to show proof of the
defendant's guilt?
He is alleged, first of all, to have supported the
Party and its organizations with substantial donations. I am going to prove
that the donations to the NSDAP and its organizations coming from the Sales
Combine Pharmaceuticals and from the defendant Mann have been very small
indeed, taking the average of the entire period from 1933 to 1945, or comparing
them with the |
332 |
. 
