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wasn't really favorable for our business. At any rate, very soon
thereafter, the NS Foreign Organization heads of the various countries,
[Landesgruppenleiter] were incorporated into the Embassies. They received the
rank of Embassy Counselor [Gesandschaftsrat], and they ranked immediately below
the Ambassador; and very often they were even the person of first rank in that
country, from the internal political point of view. The Ambassadors often
actually asked us to visit the National Socialist Landesgruppenleiter, saying:
"If you don't visit him, I will get into trouble for not asking you to do so."
Naturally, one had to see them.
Q. You were speaking of tensions
between Farben and the National Socialist Foreign Organization. What was the
consequence of such tension?
A. Naturally, there were continuous latent
tensions. It depended, sometimes it was better, sometimes it was worse. That
was even directed against myself, although I wasn't even a member of the Party
at the time. That, as I said, was not in the business interests of Farben.
Q. Did you take any steps
in order to improve this unpleasant atmosphere? A. Yes, and especially on the
occasion of my trip to South America. My associate pointed out to me that I
should really inform the Foreign Organization before my trip in order to be
able to maintain contact with their agencies in South America.
Q. And how was that done?
A. I delegated my associate, Mr. Schwarte,
who was the head of the Office of the Economical [sic] Committee at the time,
and who told me about these tensions, to find out at the AO what the
differences were in the countries I was to visit. That is how the AO found out
about my trip, and as I found out later, they informed the Ortsgruppen —
the area agencies — which could control whether I actually did arrive or
not.
Q. You already said
that it was recommended to you on the occasion of your trips abroad to visit
these National Socialist officials. What were the discussions about that you
held with these National Group Leaders [Landesgruppenleiter] and Local Group
Leaders [Ortsgruppenleiter]?
A. First I met the Farben representatives and asked them what the
differences were and how they could be eliminated without harming the
reputation and the business of Farben. Then, together with my aide accompanying
me, and the Central Finance Administration's confidential agent
[Vertrauensmann] — that time we didn't have any Farben liaison men
[Verbindungsmaenner] — I went to these men and discussed our differences.
It was always |
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