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[nego…] tiations being carried on with respect to a
participation of Farben with Skoda-Wetzler.
Q. Who initiated these
negotiations?
A. That was the Director General of Skoda-Wetzler at the
time. That was Mr. Isidor Pollak. He was called “Central Director”
before. This is a title which only exists in Austria. He was beneath the rank
of Director General. He only became Director General after 1935.
Q.
Could you perhaps tell the Tribunal something about the motives which prompted
Mr. Pollak to express the desire for Farben’s participation in
Skoda-Wetzler?
A. The Skoda-Wetzler plants could only exist as a result
of the high customs arrangements. This excluded foreign competition for the
Austrian market to a large degree. Consequently an economic union of Austria
with Germany would have led to a downfall of this enterprise.
Q. You
were speaking of an economic union of both countries. What do you mean by that?
A. By that I mean the thought of a customs union, which ever since
before 1933 had been discussed and as it is known, it was supposed to have
failed as a result of France’s interference.
Q. Mr. Haefliger, if
I understood you correctly, consideration that the basis of the so-called
Skoda-Wetzler A.G. might be shaken as a result of the dropping of the high
protective customs induced Mr. Pollak to try to get into closer connections
with Farben.
A. Yes, an expert like Mr. Pollak realized that without
further development, without further progress, a chemical enterprise cannot
survive, and he also realized that Farben would be in a position to revive a
chemical enterprise. He was a very sensible man and he must have recognized
these questions to be valid.
Q. As far as you remember, when did the
first contact take place between Mr. Pollak and Farben?
A. As far as I
heard, Mr. Pollak already in 1927 succeeded in having a commission of Vorstand
members of Farben, among whom was Dr. Kuehne, visit him. In getting that
commission to visit him, he already on that occasion expressed the desire for
closer connection with Farben. The same took place on the occasion of another
visit which was made by Dr. Kuehne and by Dr. Buergin, I think, in the year
1936.
Q. Did Farben react positively to these first approaches by Mr.
Pollak?
A. No, not at first.
Q. And why not?
A. The
products of Skoda-Wetzler protected by customs were |
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