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Q. In connection with the Francolor transaction, the indictment
repeatedly speaks about the chemical industry of France. Furthermore, the three
firms Kuhlmann, Saint-Denis, and Saint-Clair-du-Rhône are mentioned as
the three chief firms of the French chemical industry. Is the latter, in
particular, correct?
A. Both statements are incorrect. France and
England are countries where industrial production of chemicals started first.
That was at the beginning of the 19th century. In France, therefore, there was
a very extensive chemical industry. It produced practically all products; heavy
chemicals, nitrogen, fertilizers, phosphates, light metals, powders and
explosives, rubber goods, rayon, pharmaceuticals, photographic articles,
dyestuffs and their intermediates. Next to this large industry, there were also
small and medium industries numbering many hundreds - - soaps, paints,
cosmetics, perfumes, et cetera. In regard to the three firms you mentioned, it
is true that Kuhlmann is one of the largest chemical concerns of France; but
the production of Kuhlmann, which was much larger in volume in the field of
acids, heavy chemicals, nitrogen, glue, and many others, was not touched by the
Francolor transaction. That production remained the independent property of the
Kuhlmann firm. Kuhlmann only yielded their dyestuffs and intermediate
production to Francolor. In order to show that there are still a large number
of large chemical enterprises in France, I would merely mention the
world-renowned firms of St. Gobain, Pechiney [Pechine], Electrochimie,
Rhône-Poulenc, and Air Liquide, the large rayon plants of Gillet, and
some others. About the other Kuhlmann dyestuffs factories that you have
mentioned, namely, Saint-Denis and Saint-Clair-du-Rhône, I must say that
they are factories of a medium size. The dyestuffs business taken out of
Kuhlmann, together with some smaller chemical dyestuffs factories producing
other chemical products, was consolidated in the Francolor, as you know. I
estimate the peacetime turnover of this Francolor production — I repeat,
peacetime — was approximately 3 percent of the turnover of the entire
chemical industry of France.
Q. Before the war broke out — that
is, before 1939 — were there already relations between Farben and French
chemical concerns?
A. Yes. It has been repeatedly pointed out that, in
1927 and 1929, a dyestuffs cartel was founded between Farben, the French
dyestuffs industry, and the Swiss dyestuffs factories. In 1932, the English
firm I. C. I. entered into this cartel agreement as well. Since 1919, there was
a license agreement between Farben and the firm owned by the French State,
namely, the nitrogen factory Omnia-Toulouse, which was extended in the
1930’s. In the same field (nitrogen) there were license agreements of
Farben with Kuhlmann Mines de Lens. Since the beginning of the 1930's, there
were license agreements in the field of magnesium between Farben, Pechiney, and
Electrochimie, and with |
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