 |
of any liquidation measures, to the alleged wishes of industrial
circles in this respect, the Reich Chamber of Economics considers it important
to point out that it is not the desire of the Reich Chamber of Economics, i.e.,
the authority representing the industrial economy, that during the war the
industrial enterprises should be regarded as economically interested parties in
the acquisition of enemy property. The reasons for this attitude are
exclusively of an economic nature. First, the acquisition of enemy
property involves in most cases, especially in the case of large, economically
important objects, a great number of risks, necessitated by war economic
conditions, for any German enterprise possibly considering the acquisition.
These risks, regarded from the standpoint of future economic returns, would
render the acquisition in many respects a speculative business, and for this
reason alone, leading and serious enterprises of the German economy of
themselves could manifest no economic interest in such acquisition during the
war. Moreover, the connections and rights deriving from contracts must
also be taken into consideration from the purely economic point of view in the
execution of such liquidation measures, especially in view of the magnitude and
importance of the objects which are often concerned. Such connections and
rights frequently extend to neutral or friendly countries abroad, and may not
be threatened by a possible liquidation without grave economic and political
disadvantages, both now and with regard to future economic developments.
Primarily, however, the problem of a just disposition of confiscated
property, which answers the requirements of national economy, must be
taken into consideration in the execution of liquidation measures, for urgent
reasons of importance to the total economy. The Reich Chamber of Economics
believes itself to be in basic agreement with the Reich government in
considering that, in the execution of liquidation measures, neither a transfer
into state ownership of these sometimes very considerable assets, nor a
planless transfer to private, and probably only by chance interested parties
can be contemplated. A just solution of this question from the point of view of
national economy would, however, meet with considerable difficulties during the
war. The leading and important enterprises of the German domestic economy,
therefore, do not intend, for the reasons given, to secure for themselves
during Germany’s present life and death struggle a private advantage over
German and international competition by competing for enemy private property.
In order to exclude during the discussion of such measures any possible
misinterpretations concerning the attitude of German industrial enterprises
toward the purely economic side of this |
496 |
. 
