Memorandum of conversation with a leading German industrialist.
Date
1935-09-09
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Delaware Library, Museums and Press
Abstract
Description
Enclosed with No. 566. G. S. Messersmith talked with German friend, [Victor Ridder], a leading industrialist and not a National Socialist, and reports on his comments; two pillars of German state are Party and Army, each needing the other; Party holds purse strings; Army will stick to Party so long as purse is open to increase military strength; economic collapse almost certain; prices of necessities have increased enormously; meat scarce; no exchange available to import needed feed stuff for livestock; only available exchange is for industrial program and Army program; priests and nuns being prosecuted for illegal transfer of money from country; courts wish to make it appear they, like the Jews,are responsible for scarcity of exchange; employment has increased somewhat but at the expense of business; employers forced to take on workers not needed, so that wages are lower; many National Socialists, formerly ardent, now disillusioned.
Keywords
Messersmith, George S. (George Strausser), 1883-1960.