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other defendants that the Vermittlungsstelle carried on espionage
activities. I should like to know what you have to say about this.
A.
Of course that is in no way true.
Q. Will you please repeat your
answer?
A. That is not true. The Vermittlungsstelle never had anything
to do with espionage.
Q. Please describe how the Vermittlungsstelle was
involved in observing certain precautions of secrecy, and answer the question
whether the preservation of these secrecy regulations involved espionage?
A. The legislation at the time for high treason had been greatly
increased in severity so that there was a great uncertainty in industry about
experience, and so forth, which had to be given to foreign countries on the
basis of existing contracts. As a result of these severe laws, there was a
constant effort made by all concerned before any such step was taken, to obtain
security from some government offices, as protection. For this purpose, patents
which were to be made public and similar measures were submitted to the
government offices concerned beforehand, to get some sort of a statement from
them that they were harmless. The Vermittlungsstelle was also used for such
purposes, simply to send on the inquiry to these offices and to return their
answer.
Q. Will you just say a few words as to whether, in your
knowledge, the Vermittlungsstelle carried on any active espionage activities?
A. I believe that I have already answered that. No, in no way. It had
nothing to do with espionage.
Q. Thank you. Another point. The
prosecution charges that I.G. Farben — and that includes you — on its
own initiative prepared mobilization plans, air-raid precautions, and
air-defense measures. The prosecution emphasizes that, "on its own initiative,"
— that is IG's initiative. What do you say about that?
A. That is
not at all true. Industry had no interest in getting up such plans, which
merely meant a great deal of work. Industry was interested in postponing such
plans as much as possible. Very soon, however, it was brought to the attention
of industry that this was to the interest of defense economy, and it was
emphasized that certain measures were undertaken in the United States —
the so-called economic mobilization of the United States.
I myself once
had an opportunity to talk to Major Hesse, the War Scientist of the German
Army, about this matter. He sent me some publications which had, in part,
appeared in German newspapers. I remember one article in an economics paper,
called, "Der Deutsche Volkswirt" [The German Economist] in which this American
work was discussed. |
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