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Germany's rearmament, which I do not attempt to deny in any way.
Surely it was well known, and the government made it known to other countries
in speeches and negotiations. But rearmament does not imply the intention of a
war of aggression. I believe in other countries similar efforts were under way
at the same time, so that was no doubt a worldwide phenomenon.
Q. Do
you know that other German concerns had similar arrangements in Berlin?
A. Yes, I know that.
Q. Can you give an example?
A. The
Vereinigte Stahlwerke [United Steel Works] for example, kept up a similar
office in Berlin.
Q. Now, what was the practical work of the
Vermittlungsstelle, please, very briefly, since in the prosecution's case we
have already dealt with this question?
A. I touched upon that question
briefly a while ago. Inquiries of government offices were sent to the
Vermittlungsstelle which otherwise were sent directly to the plants. The
Vermittlungsstelle knew best the men in charge of the field, and sent the
inquiries to these men. Previously it had been customary that the technical
experts were called to Berlin by the government agencies. Then often it was not
the right man, as the government agencies, of course, did not know the various
men concerned. Now this whole contact was much more certain and much simpler.
Unnecessary trips were avoided and the questions were answered more correctly
and more exactly.
Q. Did the Vermittlungsstelle, within the framework
of the organization of IG, have any independent activity? Did it have any power
to conclude business agreements, and so forth?
A. No, certainly not.
The Vermittlungsstelle was an office subordinate to the Sparte office, which
had nothing to do, except to receive and pass on letters, as a witness has
testified here. It could not make any independent decisions.
Q. The
prosecution has called you the head of the Vermittlungsstelle. Will you please
comment on that?
A. I believe there were a number of offices —
perhaps several hundred — under this Sparte. The Vermittlungsstelle was
one of these. The Vermittlungsstelle was not directly under me, but, as I said
before, it was under the Sparte office.
Q. Then the statement of your
colleague, Dr. von Schnitzler, calling you the head of the Vermittlungsstelle,
is not correct?
A. Yes, it is not correct. No doubt von Schnitzler, as
pure businessman, was not as well informed of matters within the Sparte as he
might have been as a technical expert.
Q. In this connection, a charge
is brought against you and |
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