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interior of Germany. Dr. Ungewitter was of the opinion that this
ought to be done under all circumstances, but the IG, and probably also Herr
von Schnitzler, considered this not practicable.*
After several
conferences with Major Becht of the War Ministry, Dr. Hoffman of the Ministry
of Economics, Dr. Ungewitter of the Reich Office Chemistry, and 4 to 5
representatives of I.G. Farben (according to my memory, there were among them
Dr. Ambros and Dr. Wurster and a representative of Vermittlungstelle W), the
Reich Office Chemistry finally gave orders to the effect that further
constructions for the enlargement of the Ludwigshafen-Oppau plants were
immediately to be stopped and the factories partly to be transferred to the
interior of Germany. The representatives of I.G. Farben did not agree with this
decision, and got in direct contact with Dr. Carl Krauch of the Four Year Plan,
at the same time completely ignoring the Reich Office Chemistry and the
Economic Group Chemistry. Therefore, this order was never carried out. I was,
however, never told that the order of the Reich Office was ever withdrawn,
though Dr. Ungewitter availed himself of each opportunity, when representatives
of IG called upon him, to discuss this question and to complain about the
attitude of IG.
I remember that during these conferences several
meetings took place between Dr. Ungewitter and Herr von Schnitzler. In
connection with the discussions about the imminent war, Dr. Ungewitter also
made the remark that the war with Poland will most probably not begin before
the harvest has been collected, that is, not till September 1939.
I
have carefully read each of the two pages of this affidavit and signed it with
my own hand. I made the required corrections with my own hand and initialed
them with the first letters of my name, and I herewith declare upon oath that I
have said the pure truth in this statement to the best of my knowledge and
belief. |
| |
| [Signed] FELIX EHRMANN |
__________
* A number of documents and
considerable testimony concerning mobilization plans and the Ludwigshafen-Oppau
plants during 1939 are reproduced above in subsection H, “Farben's Liaison
Office Wehrmacht (Vermittlungsstelle Wehrmacht) and Mobilization
Planning.”
1488 |
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