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come to your attention in the year 1936 when the Four Year Plan was
being announced?
DEFENDANT KRAUCH: No.
Q. When did it come to
your attention?
A. I first learned of this memorandum here in
Nuernberg, as a document of the prosecution.
Q. You have been able to
read that document?
A. Yes.
Q. Would you define your attitude
briefly toward the content which has since come to your attention?
A. I
would not conclude from this document that Hitler, with the creation of the
Four Year Plan, had intended an aggressive war; this memorandum is merely a
confirmation of what I learned at that time about the aims of the Four Year
Plan.
Q. The prosecution, when discussing this document among other
matters, emphasized the concept "Lebensraum" [living space], which had become a
slogan in Germany and which had to be fought for. Please tell me your opinion,
whether, according to the situation as it prevailed at that time, the quotation
of this word points to aggressive intentions.
A. No; at that time one
thought of the regaining of the colonies of which Germany was deprived as a
result of the Versailles Treaty; colonies which were absolutely able to bring
about raw materials for purposes of Germany and also to procure work for
Germans. It was generally known that negotiations were to be carried on with
England with respect to the regaining of the colonies. 1 |
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| * * * * * * * * * * |
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| 4. TESTIMONY OF DEFENSE WITNESS KUEPPER |
| |
EXTRACTS FROM THE TESTIMONY OF
DEFENSE WITNESS KUEPPER²
|
| |
| DIRECT EXAMINATION |
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| * * * * * * * * * * |
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DR. SIEMERS (counsel for defendant von Schnitzler) I ask you to give
me details concerning your professional career with special consideration of
your position in Farben.
WITNESS KUEPPER: In the year 1923, I joined
one of the predecessor firms of Farben under ter Meer, as a legal expert.
In |
__________
¹ Further testimony of
defendant Krauch concerning the Four Year Plan is included at the end of the
next section which deals more extensively with Krauch's role in the Four Year
Plan.
² The complete testimony of Kuepper as a defense witness is
recorded in the mimeographed transcript. 28 and 29 January 1948. pp. 5976-6051.
Kuepper also testified for the prosecution and his testimony is recorded in the
mimeographed transcript, 13 and 28 October 3947, pp. 1933-1942; and 2896-2934.
852 |
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