 |
the matter is stated by the witness Elias* when he testified that the
German Army “placed practically their entire dependence on Farben’s
synthetic rubber.” There can be no doubt that Farben’s production of
synthetic rubber made it possible for the Reich to carry on the war
independently of foreign supplies, an accomplishment which would have been
impossible without Farben's synthetic rubber development. The defendants
Krauch, ter Meer, and Ambros were particularly active in the development of
this phase of Farben’s contribution to preparing Germany for war.
Light Metals. As early as 1933 the
Reich Air Ministry was giving consideration to the requirements of material for
fighter aircraft, and State Secretary Milch, at a discussion in the Air
Ministry on 15 September 1933, |
| |
“ * * * expressed his
agreement with the proposals to bring in new firms for the manufacture and
especially approved the installation of a new tube rolling mill, of the
enlargement of production at Bitterfeld and of a new electron metal-finishing
plant on the basis of magnesium-chloride. This applied also to the
manufacturing preparations for thermite which would become necessary. When it
was pointed out the high costs which would be incurred for manufacturing
preparations, State Secretary Milch declared that the necessary means would be
made available.
“With regard to the very high replenishment
requirements in electron metal bombs, it was pointed out on the part of Wa A
that the manufacturing preparations would presumably necessitate the erection
of a number of new electron metal works and probably even new
electric power plants which could not be maintained by peacetime
orders." [NI-7123,
Pros. Ex. 90.] |
| In that same year the cooperation of Farben with the Reich Air
Ministry began. Dr. Ernst Struss, Secretary of the Technical Committee of the
Vorstand of Farben, who appeared as a witness both for the prosecution and
defense, said: [NI-8317, Pros. Ex. 98]. |
| |
“In 1933, IG received from
the Luftwaffe the order to build a magnesium plant with the capacity of 12,000
tons a year. The Luftwaffe selected the site in Aken. The plant was partly
completed in 1934 when production started. The plant and its production was to
be kept secret by order of time Luftwaffe.
“The negotiations for
the construction of the plant by IG were carried on between the Luftwaffe and
Dr. Pistor of Bitterfeld. Subsequently Dr. Pistor received front Schmitz a kind
of blank approval to carry on with the negotiations. This procedure was not
usual at that time. The financial arrangement with the Luft- [...waffe]
|
__________
* See mimeographed
transcript, 30 September, 1 October 1947, pages 1342-1462.
1265 |
. 
