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German people. In the best sense of the word — we belonged to
the German people. No German shareholder had a holding of as much as one
percent of the capital stock; more than half a million workers, employees,
small shareholders, savers, and deserving pensioners looked to their supporter:
I. G. Farben. I have always considered myself to be an industrialist who, above
all, was responsible for the well-being of those men who were entrusted to him.
In addition thereto I considered it the task of my life to bring about
international understanding in economy, that is, cooperation based on equality
and peace. Therefore, the charges of the prosecution with regard to Norway
affect me especially. One does not treat one's friends badly, and if today the
Norwegians were to condemn my actions during the war, then Norsk Hydro would
not take care of my wife and my children in such a kind way and send packages
to them, as they do.
As regards the present economic situation of Norsk
Hydro, and in order to supplement my statements made in the witness stand
concerning the termination of the work on the magnesium plant commenced during
the war and the expansion of the water-power plant Maar, I wish to refer to a
press interview given by Director-General Eriksen of Norsk Hydro, which was
published a few days ago. Eriksen states that his plant is now in a position to
supply the world demand for nitrogen as far as it was supplied by Farben before
the war. But this was made possible only by the extension of the water power
plant Maar with the assistance of I. G. Farben during the war.
If
today, as the prosecution has stated, a better and fairer world is to be built,
that cannot be done by trying to defame decency in the eyes of the world.
I conclude my statement with the honest desire that the respect of
human beings for one another may be the basis of collaboration of the peoples
throughout the world in a peaceful competition and that the conquered may see
in the enemy of yesterday the face of his brother of tomorrow. This is the only
way, in my opinion, in which humanity can come from the chaos of today to the
order of tomorrow. |
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| 9. DEFENDANT JAEHNE |
| |
PRESIDING JUDGE SHAKE: Dr. Jaehne.
DEFENDANT JAEHNE Your
Honors, a great American, Jefferson, once said something to this effect: The
meanest robbery is the robbery of honor. It gives the robber nothing and takes
everything from him who is robbed. To defend oneself against such a robbery is
a moral duty of the individual and even more so if the individual belongs to a
group which was in high repute throughout the world. |
1071 |
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