“This obvious situation, together with the necessity of putting an end to the incredible corruption brought about by the black market in the Wehrmacht, led the Reich Government, if not totally to suppress the black market, at least to consider closing the Paris purchasing bureaus.
“This measure was made effective 13 March 1943 according to an agreement between Bichelonne and General Michel.
“However”—and this is very significant—“the German economic services did not fail to ask in compensation for a considerable rise in the quotas fixed under the agreements. Thus for the Kehrl plan alone this rise amounted to 6,000 tons of textiles.
“Only a few bureaus were able to carry on their activities until the liberation, either by endeavoring to execute their purchases through Roges (D’Humières, Economic Union, et cetera), or collaborating with military authorities buying supplies and with the bureaus of the German Air force and the Navy.”
THE PRESIDENT: We will adjourn for 10 minutes.
[A recess was taken.]
M. GERTHOFFER: In the course of my explanations I shall come back to the case of each particular country, concerning the black market operations, in order to show their extent. But I think that, just now, it is established by the Veltjens report, as well as by the passages from the French Economic Control report which I had the honor to read to the Tribunal, that the black market was organized by the leaders of the Reich, and especially by the Defendant Göring.