 |
WITNESS MILCH: In my opinion, as a German, he could not refuse the
German Government his collaboration. He could only have pointed out that he was
not an expert, and therefore not the proper man.
Q. What would have
been the result of a refusal?
A. In peacetime I cannot say exactly; he
could not have worked for Farben any more either. The government would have
insisted that such a man be not permitted to hold a responsible position there.
In wartime, such a refusal would have been considered sabotage and undermining
of the fighting spirit, and the person would have been put before the People's
Court or whatever court had jurisdiction.
Q. Thank you. This question
leads from the consequences for a person refusing a request of the state to the
consequences for a business if it refused orders and assignments of the state.
What do you have to tell us about that?
A. In peacetime, I believe,
1933 or 1934, Professor Junkers of the Junkers airplane plant, for example,
refused a request of the government. He did not want to do what the government
asked him to do. Thereupon the plant was taken away from him, was taken over by
the state, and Professor Junkers was given cash recompense. I know of another
case where they did not go so far, but there was also the danger; that was the
Krupp case. Krupp at one time refused to rearm, saying that that was contrary
to the Versailles Treaty, but Krupp was forced to carry out the government
orders; and in 1934, an amendment to the Penal Code was issued in which
punishments were authorized for businesses if they did not carry out government
orders. |
| |
| * * * * * * * * * * |
| |
DR. STORKEBAUM (associate defense counsel for defendant Schneider) :
What would the consequences have been if a businessman had refused to employ
foreign workers and prisoners of war allocated to him for war production?
WITNESS MILCH: He would have been put under arrest immediately and he
would have faced the Peoples' Court for undermining the fighting spirit.
Q. Thank you very much.
A. That was a very well known and
dreaded paragraph. It normally lead to the death sentence. |
| |
| * * * * * * * * * * |
| |
Q. Witness, during the war you were connected with what was known as
the aircraft industry, is that true?
A. Yes. |
416 |
. 
