Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-08-24

NEW YORK, Aug. 23.-PreWar
links between German and American
industry are due for an airing be-
ginning Wednesday at Nuremberg
with the prosecution of 81 top Off
Gals of the huge German I. G. Far
ben combine.
The industrialists were indicted
May on charges of waging war,
slavery and mass murder, robbery
criminal police activities and con-
spiracy to commit crimes against
peace and, If convicted. face death
by hanging or prison sentences.
The original indictment named "a
defendants, but the trial of three
defendants was deferred until a
later time. The remaining 81 Off.
Gals pleaded mot guilty" when ar
raigned August IA.
The indictment charges that one
of Farben's greatest accomplish
ments for the Nazis was weakening
the United States as an arsenal OF
democracy through the use OF
democracy through the Use OF
cartel agreements before the war.
Denied by Corporations.
American corporations mentioned
in the indictment stoutly deny that
this was the effect of any agree
ments they may have had-on the
contrary. they claim their links with
Germans facilitated the war po-
tential of the United States.
The Indictment charged, in part
"Farben's preWar activities were
carefully designed to weaken the
United States as an arsenal Of de-
mocracy, Through cartel arrange
ments. Farben retarded the produc-
ton within the United States of GER
tain strategic products. including
synthetic rubber. magnesium, syn
thetic nitrogen, tetrazene, atabrine
and sulpha drugs"
Among American firms whose war
potentials were affected by cartel
agreements, the indictments said
were Standard Oil Co. IN. j., Dow
Chemical Co.. Midland, Mich, Alum
mum Co. of America, and a SUBJ
sidary of E. I. Dupont de Nemours
& Co.
by means Of cartel arrangements
with the Standard Oil Co. IN. j.
Farben delayed the development and
production of buna rubber in the
United States until 1910 q The
result was that on December 7, 1871
the United States found itself at war
with no adequate supply of rubber
and with no adequateH program
underway for making synthetic rub
ber," the indictment asserted.
Commenting on this charge, Jersey
Standard offered its files, knowledge
and facilities to the government to
aid in the prosecution but denied
that its arrangements with Farben
had stymied its war potential.
STANDARD Oil of New Jersey found
processes to make raw material for
buna on a larger scale and cheaper
than the Germans were able to make
lit In 1888 and 1889 we knew
how to make buna. The process
was not secret one, but a patented
one. The American patent of Farben
had been published by the United
States Patent Office. BY 1889 We
had full rights to the process, after
long and difficult negotiation, 8
Robert T. Haslam, vice president and
director of jersey Standard said.
Other American firms mentioned
in the indictment provided similar
statements.
The Indictment further charged
that cartel arrangements between
Farben, the Aluminium Co. of Amer
lea, and Dow Chemical Co. Greatly
restricted production (of magnesi-
UNI within the United States" and
prohibited exports to Europe, ex-
cept to Germany, and in small
amounts to Britain, making Britain
and the, rest of Europe dependent on
Germany.
Dow in a statement to the Asso-
ciated Press said: During the early
days of the war, the Department OF
Justice charged that Dow had been
limited in its production of magne-
SUM in the United States by virtue
of contract between Alec and I. G..
Farben. We requested hearing
before the Truman Committee and
were completely absolved of such
guilt :. the Truman committee re-
port states as follows: Dow Chemi-