 |
| E. Opening Statement for the Defendant Mueller* |
| |
DR. LINK: Mr. President, Your Honors.
a. As Your
Honors know the defense will deal with count one in a comprehensive statement
at the beginning of the presentation of the evidence. I am going to deal with
the following points within the scope of this general part of the presentation
of the evidence and the distribution of subject matters arranged by the
defense:
1. Technical questions connected with rearmament.
2.
Basic information with regard to cooperation with military authorities.
3. The “R-agency” in Berlin.
To a 1 — Within the scope of
this subject matter I am going to show the part played by the Krupp firm in the
development of weapons after the First World War until the repeal of the
Versailles Treaty. Developments are involved representing the part played by
the Krupp firm, one of numerous armament firms, in the rearmament of the German
Wehrmacht at the beginning of World War II.
To a 2 — By
necessity we have to start with the mandate of the official Wehrmacht offices
in charge of armaments. It will be shown that cooperation with these offices
did not represent an activity exceeding a purely technical sphere and entering
a general military or even tactical sphere, and that it, on the contrary,
remained within the scope of a relation normally existing between purchaser and
supplier.
We will have to distinguish between the cooperation of the
Krupp firm with the army ordnance office and with the navy ordnance office.
To a 3 — The “R-agency” meaning “Armament
branch office” [of Krupp] was established at the seat of Wehrmacht offices
for the purpose of facilitating organizatory matters and decreasing the
friction in doing business. It was and remained nothing else but a field office
of departments in charge of the respective questions at the seat of the
administration of the firm.
b. As the defense counsel of the
defendant Dr. Erich Mueller, I summarize my plan of presentation of the
evidence as follows: |
| |
| ONE |
| |
| 1. Dr. Erich Mueller entered the services of the Krupp firm in April
1935. After a childhood full of hardship, an extraordinary technical talent,
manifest at an early time, together with iron |
__________
* Opening statement is
recorded in mimeographed transcript, 22 March 1948. pp. 4754-4761.
159 |
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