862.00/3621: Telegram
The Ambassador in Germany (Dodd) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 29—10:55 a.m.]
318. Goering in a long speech last night before virtually all high officials of the regime including Schacht opened the campaign to push through the 4 year plan. He defined the plan as the “security of German honor and German life”. “Germany must have raw materials and would get them”.
The general justification for the plan was to the effect that German colonies had been stolen and now foreign countries were proposing that Germany buy raw materials and pay for them in gold but these countries had stolen all German gold. Consequently Germany was forced to adopt this new plan. There were frequent remarks to the effect that this had been forced on a Germany which would prefer the give and take of a normal international trade. For example, “In the near future new factories will grow up in which we make our own clothing from cellulose fiber, in which case we no longer need cotton which today costs us millions in foreign exchange. We would gladly take it, we would renounce all that if foreign countries would understand that no one can encircle us, that no one can bind us. We could do more fruitful work and it would be simpler for various reasons to trade from nation to nation in a world of reason and understanding and of economic principles and to exchange goods than to be left in this mediaeval world to our own resources”.
As to specific measures Goering cited the following: increased food supply through fertilizer and organization of harvest labor, increased use of fish to make up meat shortage, more whale oil for oleomargarin, increased production of synthetic rubber, artificial textiles and mineral oil from coal, greater use of new alloys; prevention of waste. As higher wages are not possible prices must be fixed and food cheapened for the poor. Consequently a price commissioner had today been appointed by Hitler (identity not yet disclosed). There were repeated appeals to the population to endure minor privations for the success of the plan.
Speaking of and to straining industrialists Goering declared that the “freedom of initiative” they demanded is here accorded them and they should take advantage of it and not await government instructions.
[Page 159]The past achievements of Schacht and Keppler were referred to. On the whole the tenor of this address was along the lines indicated in the Embassy’s 310, October 23, 1 p.m.35
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