 |
for brief description of
Poland’s situation with regard to raw material stocks and a description of
the Reich’s increased security against blockade through the Berlin-Moscow
non-aggression pact. (Descriptions are
promised.)” |
| From the minutes of the meeting of the Commercial Committee of Farben
on 12 November 1940, attended by defendants Schmitz, von Schnitzler, Haefliger,
von der Heyde, Ilgner, von Knieriem, Kugler, Mann, ter Meer and Oster, it
appears that von Schnitzler made a report of the “work recently prepared
by the National Economics Department for various government and military
offices.” The minutes state [NI-6102, Pros. Ex.
866]: |
| |
“* * * During the discussion
following this the Commercial Committee repeated its wish that the National
Economics Department should prepare this work in close cooperation with the
sales combines and other IG Offices
concerned.” |
On 2 March 1940, VOWI made a report to the Military Economy Office
[NI-7850, Pros. Ex. 657] setting out technological information concerning
explosives and chemical warfare agents, including an estimate of production
facilities of the United States.
The American company, Chemnyco, Inc.,
a company controlled by Farben personnel, was used extensively as a source of
valuable information. The United States Department of Justice had occasion to
investigate the activities of the Chemnyco Company during the war and made an
official report of its findings. In that report [NI-10577, Pros. Ex.
875], it is said: |
| |
“The simplicity, efficiency
and totality of German methods of gathering economic intelligence data are
exemplified by Chemnyco, Inc., the American economic intelligence arm of I. G.
Farbenindustrie. Chemnyco is an excellent example of the uses to which a
country with a war economy may put an ordinary commercial enterprise. * * *
” |
There can be no doubt that Farben used its world-wide connections as
a means of obtaining information of military value and furnished such
information to the Wehrmacht to an ever increasing extent. Farben in that
regard gave enormous help to the preparation for and the waging of aggressive
wars conducted by Germany.
h. Steps Taken in Anticipation of War for
Protection of Farben’s Foreign Holdings by Camouflage and Projection of
Plans for Economic Domination of Europe in the Chemical Field. In July or
August of 1938 officials of Farben took up for serious consideration the matter
of safeguarding their assets abroad in the event of war. [NI-4923, Pros. Ex.
1022.] According to Witness Kuepper, who was a member of the legal staff of
Farben, that was “when the dark clouds called Sudeten |
1286 |
. 
