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| 4. TESTIMONY OR AFFIDAVITS OF DEFENDANTS AMBROS, TER MEER, HAEFLIGER,
ILGNER, AND MANN |
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| a. Testimony of Defendant Ambros |
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| EXTRACT FROM THE TESTIMONY OF DEFENDANT
AMBROS¹ |
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| DIRECT EXAMINATION |
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| * * * * * * * * * * |
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DR. HOFFMANN (counsel for defendant Ambros) : Mr. Ambros, I should
like to ask you briefly about a matter in connection with which the prosecution
has mentioned you, and that is, the question of the eastern companies which
were founded during the war in order to take over the factories in Russia if
that should become necessary. What do you know about that, and how and when
were you approached in this matter?
DEFENDANT AMBROS: I have explained
this matter very clearly in my affidavit. 2 I believe it was not introduced in
the prosecution affidavit. I made a distinction between two of my actions in
the East. The first was immediately after the outbreak of the war with Russia.
For about a year, in 1940 to 1941,I had to negotiate with the Russians in the
buna field, and then, on 22 June 1941, war broke out against Russia. A few days
later, I received an order by telegram from the Reich Ministry of Economics to
assemble at once experts — chemists — from the buna plant, three or
four men who would be able to manage buna plants from a technical aspect. It
was thought that the troops would very soon reach one of the Russian buna
plants; for instance, Jefremov or Voronezh, and there should be an expert there
to prevent the buna plant from being burned or destroyed, and whose duty it
would be to see that the plant was put in operation again as soon as possible.
I remember that in one of the first letters written at that time, the end of
June 1941, it was said that the duty of the experts was to see to it that
production of Russian rubber, Russian buna, should start soon to supply the
Russian economic areas, and in addition to serve German interests also. I must
remind you that from a relatively small buna production not only Germany had to
be supplied; but also Sweden, or the Balkans, or Italy. The first task was to
post these chemists, and I did so in a few days, and I informed the Reich
Minister of Economics that I had done so. I also informed the Reich Office [for
Economic Development]. These chemists were drafted; that is to say, they were
put under military orders. They were given officer's uniforms and were under
the orders of the Army that was marching east. That was the first action.
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¹ Further extracts are
reproduced above in subsection D 4, below in section IX F 4, and earlier in
sections V B 4, VII G 7b and K 6 in volume VII, this series.
²
Not reproduced herein.
292 |
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