[in pencil] attention H.G.
General Field Marshal Goering opened the session by declaring that he intended to give directives about the work for the next months. Everybody knows from the press what the world situation looks like and therefore the Fuehrer has issued an order to him to carry out a gigantic program compared to which previous achievements are insignificant. There are difficulties in the way which he will overcome with utmost energy and ruthlessness.
The amount of foreign exchange has completely dwindled on account of the preparation for the Czech enterprise, and this makes it necessary that it should be strongly increased immediately. Furthermore, the foreign credits have been greatly over-drawn and thus the strongest export activity—stronger than up to now—is in the foreground. For the next weeks an increased export was first priority in order to improve the foreign exchange situation. The Reich Ministry for Economy should make a plan about raising the export activity by pushing aside the current difficulties which prevent export.
These gains made through the export are to be used for increased armament. The armament should not be curtailed by the export activity. He received the order from the Fuehrer to increase the armament to an abnormal extent, the air force having first priority. Within the shortest time the air force is to be increased five fold, also the navy should get armed more rapidly and the army should procure large amounts of offensive weapons at a faster rate, particularly heavy artillery pieces and heavy tanks. Along with this manufactured armaments must go; especially fuel, powder and explosives are moved into the foreground. It should be coupled with the accelerated construction of highways, canals, and particularly of the railroads.
To this comes the Four Years' Plan which is to be reorganized according to 2 points of view.
In the Four Years' Plan in 1st place all the constructions which are in the service of armament are to be promoted and in 2nd place all the installations are to be created which really spare foreign exchange.
The substitutes produced by the Four Years' Plan are to be brought rapidly into circulation. The Reich Ministry for Economy and the other agencies should make suggestions by the beginning of November for rapidly increasing the introduction of the substitutes. The import of materials for which we have substitutes has to be drastically curtailed.
General Field Marshal Goering enlarged then upon the main problem of the session: how can these requirements be fulfilled.
He is faced with unheard difficulties. The treasury is empty, the industrial capacity is crammed with orders for many years. In spite of these difficulties he is going to change the situation under all circumstances. Memoranda were of no help, he desires only positive proposals. If necessary, he is going to convert the economy with brutal methods in order to achieve his aim. The time has come when private enterprise can show whether it has a right for continued existence. If it fails, he is going over to state enterprise without any regard. He is going to make barbaric use of his plenipotentiary power which was given to him by the Fuehrer.
All the wishes and plans of the state, party and other agencies which are not entirely in this line have to be rejected without pity. Also the ideological problems cannot be solved now, there will be time for them later. He urgently cautions against making promises to the workers which can not be kept by him. The wishes of the labor front recede entirely into the background. Industry has to be fully converted. An immediate investigation of all productive plants is to be initiated in order to determine whether they can be converted for armament and export or whether they are to be closed down. The problem of the machine industry has the first consideration in this respect. There is no place for printing and laundry machines and other machines of that kind, they all have to produce machine tools. In the field of machine tools the priorities of the orders are to be investigated, and wherever possible, increase in productive capacity is to be introduced. It follows without saying that work has to be conducted in 3 shifts.