 |
the same matter with my associates, and I had arranged that such a
list be prepared for my office.
Q. Was this list submitted to the
Ministry of Economics?
A. Later, together with the other lists, this
one was submitted. It was possible that these men on the list might be brought
back from the front.
Q. In the same paragraph on page 13 of the
Preliminary Memorandum Brief, the prosecution mentions the question of
returning the eastern companies to private ownership. Was this question of any
significance at that time? Was it acute?
A. No, it was not acute, and
it never became acute. In the Prosecution Exhibit 1177,¹ the Vorstand
minutes of 10 July 1941, there is a very clear statement, and I quote: "The
owner of the chemical enterprises will be the Reich, for whose account and at
whose risk the plants will be operated."
Q. Dr. Ilgner, did you not
comment on this subject in your affidavit of 10 April 1947, in Nuernberg? That
is Document NI-6348, Prosecution Exhibit
1209,² book 65, English page 95, German page 64.
A. Yes, but I
have to make some corrections. First of all, in my affidavit- - that is to say,
in the formulation of my affidavit- -I said quite rightly that I dealt only
with personnel questions, and I added, I quote: |
| |
"I, however, do not know either
what I. G. Farben's original purpose was in participating in the eastern
corporations, aside from suggestions as to personnel, as requested by the
authorities." |
But Mr. Newman, the interrogator, was not satisfied with that and
tried to get me to say something further. He wanted me to make a hypothetical
statement, and unfortunately I agreed, and this has to be stricken now. I did
that in a separate affidavit³ and I therefore need not go into it now.
Q. In the Vorstand meeting following the meeting in the Reich Ministry
of Economics, did you report the order of the Ministry of Economics to draw up
a charter for the Chemie Ost G. m. b. H. which was to be founded?
A.
Yes, these minutes are Prosecution Exhibit 1177, also in book 63, and I quote:
“Farben has received the order that, together with Kali-Chemie, the
Deutsche Solvay-Werke, and the Stickstoff Syndikat, it is to work out a charter
for Chemie Ost G. m. b. H.”
Farben therefore did not attempt to
obtain an interest, but carried out a government assignment to work out a
charter.
Q. But the prosecution says — again on page 13, part II
of the Preliminary Memorandum Brief, paragraph C — that Farben
|
__________
¹
Ibid.
² Reproduced in part immediately above.
³
Document Ilgner 192, llgner Defense Exhibit 195; not reproduced herein.
304 |
. 
