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become its central office in France. This was to be accomplished by
profiting again from the continental wide anti-Jewish policy of the Nazi
regime. The property was owned by Société Bacri Frères, a
Jewish firm, and had been sequestered by the commissioner for Jewish affairs.
The Krupp firm’s representative in Paris, Walter Stein, acting as
attorney-in-fact for Krupp Essen, obtained a lease of the property with right
to purchase it within 6 months after the date of the lease 1 January 1943 for
2,500,000 francs — not from the rightful owners of the premises but from
the provisional administrator of the Société Bacri Frères
by virtue of a decision of a commissariat for Jewish questions. This example of
the Krupp firm’s exploitation of the Nazi anti-Jewish policy is most
objectionable because there was nothing to prevent the firm from honestly
leasing or buying a building from a non-Jewish owner in Paris. The records show
that on 16 September 1942 defendants Krupp and Loeser approved a loan in the
sum of 1,250,000 RM for the establishment of, and loan to, Krupp S.A., Paris.
The correspondence between the Krupp firm and the Paris office shows
the avidity of the firm to acquire the Austin factory and the Paris property.
Stein, under instructions from Schroeder and defendant Eberhardt, had numerous
conferences with German and French officials in an effort to effect the
purchases. The French Finance Ministry delayed by raising objections and
eventually the change in the military situation prevented the realization of
those plans.
In a letter from Schroeder to Krupp employee, Stein,
regarding the Paris property, he stated, in part: |
| |
“ * * * I myself welcome the
acquisition, and I can tell you, that Dr. Loeser also approves of it on
principle, provided that Dr. Beusch likewise favors the acquisition * *
*.” |
When the strenuous efforts to purchase the property did not
materialize and difficulties arose between Erhard and the Krupp firm, Erhard
through the Krupp firm’s influence was dismissed as the provisional
administrator and was succeeded in that position by Richard Sandre who was a
friend of Krupp employee, Schmidt, mentioned above.
About 6 February
1944 Sandre, the new administrator, called upon Rothschild, the owner, to
obtain financial information in order to assess the valuation of the shares of
stock of the company. Rothschild had taken along with him all the books of the
company containing all the accounting data. Sandre said there was a buyer for
the shares and Rothschild knew that the Krupp firm was to be the buyer and that
they were already in possession of the property by lease and that they had
bought the machines. |
1351 |
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