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| 6. TESTIMONY OF PROSECUTION WITNESS FRANK-FAHLE AND AFFIDAVIT OF
DEFENSE WITNESS SEEBOHM, CONCERNING THE CONFERENCE ON CZECHOSLOVAKIA IN MAY
1938 |
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a. Testimony of Frank-Fahle, Secretary of
Farben's Commercial
Committee |
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EXTRACTS FROM THE TESTIMONY OF PROSECUTION
WITNESS DR. GUENTHER
FRANK-FAHLE¹ |
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| REDIRECT EXAMINATION |
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| * * * * * * * * * * |
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MR. SPRECHERS: Now yesterday you testified, as I recall, that, from
the nature of military service and the mobilization questions, generally
speaking, it never occurred to you (and I think this morning you said so far as
you know it never occurred to anybody else in Farben) that these questions were
related to aggressive acts. May I ask you, during what period that applied? Did
that apply during the whole period from the time when there were Mob-Fragen
[mobilization questions] up until the outbreak of war with Poland on 1
September 1939?
WITNESS FRANK-FAHLE: Mr. Sprecher, this is one of the
most difficult questions. I mean, the question whether Hitler would be so
foolish to start a war or not was pondered by everybody in Germany, and I know
that the prevailing opinion, even amongst the more clever people in Germany,
was to be afraid of an attack by other nations. In other words, they were
afraid that Hitler would, in his very risky way of overrunning Austria, by
overrunning Sudetenland, be entangled in a war. That he would start an
aggressive war against the whole world — I believe that was not the
prevailing opinion, but this is very difficult to answer, I mean, I think my
personal opinion is not the opinion of everybody in Germany.
Q. Now, I
don't want to cross-examine you because of the direction of the Court,²
but I do want to ask you to try to refresh your recollection about a number of
things, and I will start out about the conference (which apparently you
remembered very well, since you brought it up) when Mr. Seebohm came up to
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¹ Further extracts are
reproduced above in subsection V C la.
² The Tribunal had previously
admonished prosecution counsel not to cross-examine the witness upon redirect
examination. Dr. Frank-Fahle, a lawyer who spoke English fluently, held a
number of official positions in Farben, and the prosecution had introduced
several affidavits by him. During cross-examination by the defense, Frank-Fahle
had given considerable testimony in favor of the defense. Later, during the
defense case, Frank-Fahle also testified as a defense witness. At that time the
Tribunal struck testimony elicited by the prosecution which was calculated to
impeach the witness. See vol. XV, subsection XVIII F 5, this series.
1566 |
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