Memorandum of conversation with a leading German industrialist.
Loading...
Date
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.