English Translation

14 The Head of Division II Prague, 21 February 1942. Mr. State secre tär. When senior director Dvořaček is released from prison and returned to the commercial bank, it seems necessary to send a German specialist not tied to a bank to the directorate-general of the trade bank, even if only temporarily. Karl H a r t m a n n , who, as a ver=trustman of the Reichsprotektor, has rebuilt the savings bank system in the Protectorate. Hartmann knows exactly the economic conditions in the local area from his one-year activity in Prague. As former head of the Mitteldeutsche Landesbank in Magde= burg, he is an excellent bank specialist of real format and he= therefore seems particularly suitable for this activity in terms of attitude and knowledge. Dr. Adolf shares my view of the personality of the Director General a.D.Hartmann. If Dvořaček cannot return to the commercial bank in the next few days, Director General A.D.Hartmann would have to be entrusted with the management of the Directorate General of the commercial banking until further notice. Since the management of the commercial bank, with its exceptionally important nu 107512.42 Jndustrie participations, will be placed before difficult political and economic decisions, it seems necessary to set up a three-man collegium via Director General A.D.Hartmann, on whose instructions he would be bound on fundamental questions. The board of directors of the commercial bank would no longer take action until further notice. X % - 8a/42