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Q. Within what period of time were these stockpiles to be decreased
and used up?
A. It was planned to use up within 5 years an amount which
was to come in over a period of 3 years.
Q. Dr. Wurster, perhaps you
can answer the question as to whether or not the stockpiles of pyrites were
partly decreased up to the outbreak of the war. How large were these stockpiles
by the time the war broke out in 1939?
A. When the war began we had
supplies for 5 to 6 months, quite normal supplies. |
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| (Recess) |
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DR. HEINTZELER: Dr. Wurster, I last asked you about the letter of the
Army Ordnance Office to you, dated 21 December 1937, which is contained in
Prosecution Exhibit 749, and you explained how the stockpiling of pyrites
during the Spanish Civil War came about. Now, I want to ask you: Was this
stockpiling exclusively a Farben matter, or did the other pyrites consumers in
Germany also participate?
A. All consumers participated and the
cellulose industry too.
Q. From your work, do you know that the
disturbances to the Spanish economic life through the civil war led to the
endeavor in other European countries to become, to a certain extent,
independent of the supply of Spanish pyrites?
A. Yes. This effort was
very intensive at the time in several countries. I recall, for example, that we
had inquiries about licensing our pyrites — sulfuric acid process from
England, France, Switzerland, and Rumania, and you will introduce a document
which, if I remember the index of documents correctly, shows that Saint Gobain
in France made a similar inquiry.
I may add there were other economic considerations in all these
countries because when such difficulties occur, prices rise. That was also a
reason for changing the processes.
Q. You mentioned that Farben's
pyrites supplies between 1937 and 1939 were reduced again, and that when the
war broke out in 1939 the supply amounted to 5 or 6 months' requirements. Is
that a normal supply?
A. Yes. One can call that normal for Farben. I
said this morning this was the figure that we aimed at. |
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| * * * * * * * * * * |
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| CROSS-EXAMINATION |
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| * * * * * * * * * * |
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| MR. SPRECHER: Now, you testified that the government and the OKW
were interested in stockpiling of pyrites because of the Spanish Civil War. Is
it a fact that at least as early as January |
1222 |
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