DISTRIBUTING- - 291

StassfurF

Total Tankage

No. of Individual Capacity Total Capacity

Type Tanks M3 Barrels M3 BarreIs
Cylinders 30 1,500 9,450 45,000 283,500

Each pair of cylinders connect with a raised structure from which short pipe

lines lead to building, 75 x 110 feet, probably pumphouses at the center of each

crescent. The cylinders are buried and the raised structures protected on three

sides by earth revetments.

The installation lies along the Holzhausen-Bad Essen railway line and is pro­
vided with several spars and sidings, and possbily an underground loading shelter*

The Ems-Weser Canal lies 2-1/2 miles north of the installation and it is pos­
sible that there is a pipe line to a loading dock on the canal.

5.8.14 Stassfurt

Location.- Stassfurt, latitude 51° 51' N., longitude 11° 34' E., is located

approximately 20 miles south of Magdeburg. Storage tanks are located in salt mines

near Stassfurt,

User.- W.I.F.0. for Army and possibly Air Force supplies.

Description.- Extensive bulk storage tankage is located far underground in the

salt mines. While reports of its.existence appear to be reliable, no exact details

concerning this plant are available. Total tankage capacity is reported to be

among the largest in Germany and is tentatively estimated at about 500,000 M3

(3,150,000 barnis).

5.8.15 Swinemunde

Location.- At Swinemunde, latitude 53° 54' N., longitude 14° 16• E., on the

Baltic Sea at the entrance to the Stetinner Haff and Oder River.

User.- Navy.

Description.- A large Naval storage center is reported here but details con­
cern inFTheDTant are not presently available. Estimated total capacity is reported
as 1717600 fcP (1,081,080 barrels). This plant is listed under Stettin in the "Ocean
Terminal" section on page 263.
5.8.16 Wilhelmshaven

Location - Wilhelmshaven lies on the protected Jade Busen on the North Sea

coast":—latitude 53° 32' N., longitude 8° 8' E .

User.- Navy.

iDtion - Wilhelmshaven i s one of Germany1 s most important Naval bases and

e tankag
tankagee fo
forr Nava
Navall storag
storagee an
andd bunkerin
bunkeringg eexists
x i s t s tthere.

h e r e . The aggregate bulk

capacUy iis estimated
t i t d at
a t 216,60
21660 00 LL** (1,364,580
( 1 3 6 4 5 8 0 barrels).

barrels)
The various installations and the port of Wilhelmshaven are described in more

detail under "Ocean Terminals" on page 271 and a location map appears on page ,*;,.

292 - DISTRIBUTING

Marketing statistics

100.00

O 0 O 0 0 0 0 0
O 0 O 0 0 8 0 0 0
*
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H 3 rH rH rH rH rH rH
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583,800
01 O O 0 Q Q 0 O O
8

Metric

•p H 0 O O 0 5 5 0 O O

Tons

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rH to rH
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19.30
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to 8 CM
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to
8 rH 3 8
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1,125,344
01 CO 0 Ol C»
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Metric
A <S rH tO CM tO to

Tons
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01 to tO

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• ii
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•H O>
Tons

0 1 1 1 1 1 1
NCS 00 CQ '
d
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Cft
rH
C3
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CQ
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d
6.26

rH O 00 to
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1 1 1 1 1

rH to CM r H
to
O
m
365,010

Hi CM O> rH C-J

O rH rH in tO
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0
Tons

a 1 1 1 1 I 1
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r H rH
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=^
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0 r-i to O m rH

s
Tons

1
£j
<d
to 0 to" rH o>
in
tO
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to CM rH rH 0
CM" r n " • * "

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38.54

o
0 CM rH r-H 00 CM
XI CO CO tO to rH in to
sag(

• * . •vfi.
c- to
8* tO
CM
CM CM rH to
CM
CM

01

2,247,190

0 a CM tO tO O rH r^.
in O .

in m CD
m P 0 • H
<d 0 CO to O^ c- to O 00 u i-H ja 3
Metric

rH
Tons

0) rH • O
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•SS 9 .£
d CO* io"
<d 00 0
IO 0 rH rH
CQ rH in
rH IO 8 m 01 O O
rH O O
in CM rH H rH rH I g-H
rH <t> 0 5 U
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to ^
e- n 5 -HP rHO -HO
35.90

0 IO rH O" ca
to O 0 to CD rH CO r-H
I X UU
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(a)

to
• * .

rH tO tO in
CM rH <o to 8 tO 8
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<*
2,093,257

01 to H IO Cft O o> 0
rH 0> m c<> in CO to

Metric

P4 rH to rH 0 tO rH 0 0
£
Tons

O CM ( N .
c- to m m
CD to to r H to 0
O CQ to rH in O to S3 c­ in 3 r-l M J3
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m ti'' rH CM"
i (3 a> to
rH
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01
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rH
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•*! ID cd id id 01 rH O rH 01 p a CQ
Asphalt

tH <H (J rH U O rl
Q PH a d
2 0 rH tH rH <D 3 O 0 0 rH 10 »
r-l 01 d tH IS •ax •H tH it o
O 3 id 0 •P q
•g u m d 01 p 10 d n B 0
•P

a
1
M CQ W Q 0 a K
EH
 DISTRIBUTING - 293

Interior Bulk Plants

5.9 INTERIOR BULK PLANTS

? v - s f a c i l i t i e s

are plentiful throughout Germany. The major petroleum

distributing companies own extensive systems of commercial bulk plants and numerous

plants owned by local jobbers and distributors are to be found in the more important

JS*??^11™ Xt T£ e b u l k 3 t o r a g e
capacities of these plants vary between 30,000

1 8 9 0 0 0

3 ) » carrels)(or even larger in some of the more important centers), to 30

M (189 barrels) in one underground tank, in the smaller places. Layout plans of

several representative plants appear on pages 330 to 345 . In view of the importance

of inland waterways in the German transportation system, many of these bulk plants

are located on rivers and canals, and have both rail and water connections.

As mentioned in the preceding section dealing with strategic storage, in addi­

tion to the large strategic reserve storage plants of the W.I.F.O., the Army and

the Air Force own a number of secondary bulk plants. During the war they have also

taken over many commercial bulk plants for military supply and distribution pur­
poses (a). The Air Force, particularly, has taken over numerous commercial avia­
tion fuel storage plants and servicing facilities.

All localities where bulk oil storage plants, of any kind, are known or re­
ported to exist are listed in the table on pages 310 to 328, The information on

storage plants has been assembled from a variety of sources, some of which are of

uncertain reliability. The parent companies of Rhenania-Ossag and of "Olex" were

able to furnish more or less complete prewar tankage lists which, however, were far

from up to date, even at the outbreak of the war. Information available from other

companies owning subsidiaries in Germany was even more incomplete and anti-dated.

Prior to the war the oil companies in Germany were given strong encouragement by

the Government to build storage tankage underground, and there appears to be reason

to believe that, at least in some instances, such tankage was installed but not re­
flected in reports circulating outside of Germany. However, the list referred to

above will provide some indication as to the number and size of bulk plants that

may be encountered. A map showing all the localities listed appears on page 329L.

5.10 DISTRIBUTING COMPANIES

Although prior to the war a very large number of firms were engaged in the dis­
tribution of petroleum products in Germany, approximately 75 per cent of the trade

was in the hands of five companies: Deutscb-Amerikanische Petroleum-Gesellschaft

(D.A.P.G.), Rhenania-Ossag, Benzol Verband, "Olex" Deutsche Benzin- und Petroleum-

Gesellschaf t m.b.H., and Deutsche Gasolin A.G., in that order. It is also note­
worthy that some 50 per cent of the total trade was held by the American controlled

Deutsch-AJnerikanisohe Petroleum-Gesellschaft and the British controlled Rhenania-

Ossag, and an additional 10 per cent or so was held by other American and British

controlled companies, such as "Olex", Deutsche Vacuum Oel A.G., Maschinenoel-Import

G.m.b.H., Atlantic Refining Company of Germany, G.m.b.H., Hamburg Amerikanische

Mineralol G.m.b.H. and others. The remaining 40 per cent (approximate) was divided

among a large number of independents, smaller subsidiaries, and local distributors

and jobbers. Prominent among these were Allgemeine Gel-Handels G.m.b.H. (Oelhag),

Deutsche Petroleums A.G. (Deag), Reichskraftspirit G.m.b.H., and Naphta Industrie

and Tankanlagen A.G. (Nitag) . The more important distributors are included in the

list of principal German oil companies on pages 18 to 20 . For additional data,

refer to the "Handbuch der Internationalen Petroleum Industrie".

Sales figures for 1938 for the principal distributing oompanias appears on

page 292.

(a) The Germans have a series of secret geographical handbooks, one for each sheet

and bearing the same numbers as the G.S.G.S. series 4081 Army maps, entitled

Militar-Geographische Einzelangaben fttr die Trappenfuhrung. These books con­

tain sections on bulk oil storage suitable for Army purposes within the area.

For refernce purposes these map sheet numbers are shown on the map on page 329 •

294 - DISTRIBUTING

Service stations

SERVICE STATION ON AUTOBAHN NEAR HANNOVER

SERVICE STATION ON AUTOBAHN NEAR HERMSDORF

 DISTRIBUTING - 295
Service stations

SERVICE STATIONS ON AUTOBAHN NEAR MICHENDORF

. -«___

" is" % • • « * ' V.,

Tell
•pi
IP
y< V J

1 * BBBF

Mli Bite
£M - mm} Ifc^-
i i " j
" * *
iMtfMH

• %i

1
SERVICE STATION ON AUTOBAHN NEAR HIENBERG

296 - DISTRIBUTING

control and rationing

In the years immediately prior to the war the o i l companies had already been
subjected to considerable government control and through membership in compulsory
trade a s s o c i a t i o n s their normal percentages of the market were, more or l e s s , a l ­
l o t t e d to them. Since the war, both allocations and rationing are of course com­
p l e t e , but i t appears that foreign owned o i l companies have continued in operation
by their German personnel under the supervision of State appointed commissioners.
As a general rule the distributing companies owned their own bulk storage
plants, barges, railway tank cars, tank trucks. Gasoline stations and gasoline
o u t l e t s were numerous and of modern design. Ownership as of 1939 was estimated to
be approximately as follows:
Company Gasoline Stations
Deutsch—Amerikanische Petroleum-Gesellschaft 17,500
Rhenania-Ossag Mineralolwerke A.G. 16,500
Benzol-Verband G.m.b.H. 11,000
"Olex" Deutsche Benzin- und Petroleum-Ges.m.b.H. 7,000
Deutsche GasolinA.G. 7,000
Naphta Industrie und Tankanlagen A.G. (Nitag) 2,000
Others 3,000
T o t a l 64,000

A feature of German automobile travel before the war, and military traffic

since, is the system of State built super-highways known as Autobahn. Their routes

are shown on the,map on page 10 . At the time they were built the State also built

elaborate service stations at frequent intervals. Photographs of typical stations

are given on pages 294 &n^ 295. These service stations were operated by the Reichs­
autobahn-Kraftstoff-Gesellschaft, organized by the Government for that purpose.

Gasoline of standard quality was obtained from the various producers and marketed

unbranded under the Government's guaranty of quality.

With the advent of substitute fuels at the beginning of the war, provisions

were being made to provide these stations with stocks and dispensing equipment for

servicing solid and gaseous substitute-using vehicles, but as further stringencies

developed, this was abandoned and the stations closed. It is possible that some of

them may have been utilized by the Army.

5.11 GOVERNMENT CONTROL AND RATIONING

5.11.1 Official and Semi-Offioial Agencies

The top government agency controlling the German overall war economy is the

Reichministerium fur Rustings- und Kriegsproduktion (Ministry of Armaments and War

Production), headed by Dr. Speer, and in which enormous powers were concentrated by

the decree of September 2, 1943, "Concerning Concentration of the War Economy".

This ministry is also in close relationship with the Vierjahresplan (Four Year Plan)

office, one of the agencies through whioh the Four Year Plan is conducted, under

the direction of Herman Goring. These, and other high governmental agencies, work

in close cooperation in the preparation of basic or master plans. The inter-rela­

tionship of these agencies is often strengthened by "interlocking directorates".

For instance, Dr. Speer also serves as Commissioner General for Armament Tasks and

War Production in the Vierjahresplan (Four Year Plan) office, a position which em­
powers him to adapt sectors of German economy not otherwise directly under his oon­
trol to the requirements of the war economy. Likewise, Dr. E. R. Fischer, of I. G.

Farbenindustrie, is the Reichkomissar fur Mineralol (Reich Commissioner for Mineral

Oil) in the Four year Plan office and also the leader of the Reichsstelle fur

MineralSl (Reich Board for Mineral Oil).

 DISTRIBUTING
- 297
Control and rationing

ORGANIZATION DIAGRAM OF THE INSTITUTIONS CONTROLLING THE OIL INDUSTRY IN GERMANY

MINISTRY OF ARMAMENTS
MINISTRY OF ECONOMICS AND WAR PRODUCTION CENTRAL PLANNING
PLANNING OFFICE
FOUR YEAR PLAN OFFICE
REICH BOARD CENTRAL OFFICE
FOR
MINERAL OIL
Reichsstelle
Fur Mineralol

REGIONAL ECONOMIC OFFICES VARIOUS

QUOTA

AGENCIES

LOCAL ECONOMIC OFFICES FOUR BEWIRTSCHAFTUNGSTELLEN

OF THE OIL INDUSTRY

Control Administrative Supervision R123

The Zentral Planung (Central Planning Office) under the Four Year Plan is said

to be limited in its functions to basic decisions such as transfer of whole indus­

tries, etc* The technical preparation for the work of the Central Planning Office

is done by the Planungsamt (Planning Offices). In these offices plans for both the

production and distribution of oil are prepared.'

Matters pertaining directly to oil are handled at the Reichswirtschaftsminis­

terium (Ministry of Economics) by the Abteilung Mineralolwirtschaft (Mineral Oil

Section) of the Hauptabteilung II (Main Section II). For a breakdown of the inter­
nal organization of the Abteilung Minei*al6lwirtschaft, see Appendix 13.

The Reichsstelle fur Mineralol (Reich Board for Mineral Oil) with headquarters

at Krausenstrasse 22-24, Berlin SW 68, under the Reichswirtschaftsministerium (Min­

istry of Economics) (a) is, due to its central position between the planning agen­
cies and those which merely execute orders and instructions, the most important

single agency in the administration and control of the distributing section of the

oil industry. It is, by German law, a juristic person financed by fees levied upon

the firms under its control and headed by the Reichsbeauftragte fur Mineralol

(Reich Commissioner for Mineral Oil) appointed by the Minister of Economics, and

who is advised by a Beirat (council), also appointed by the Minister from represen­
tatives of the industrial groups.

The Reiohsstelle fur Mineral5l is the key agency controlling the distribution

of petroleum products. Once the overall allocation of petroleum products for the

domestic economy for a given period has been set, the Reichsstelle prepares a plan-

presumably in consultation with the various interested parties—dividing the allo­

cation among the various claimants, suoh as the chemical industry, the textile in­
dustry, motor transportation, household consumption, etc. This plan, after approval

becomes tha official program for oil distribution for the period to which it refers.

(a) There are a number of Reichsstelle, each for a different industry, and though

they are still nominally agencies of the Ministry of Economics, they are in

fact under the control of Dr. Speer.

298 - DISTRIBUTING

(iroup system

In general, the Reichsstelle ftir Mineralol, assigns to the leading organization

in a given industry (such as another Reichsstelle or a group or a eartel) the task

of dividing the quota for the industry among the member firms (quota agencies).'

Likewise, it assigns quotas, for household consumption, to the Regional Economic

Offices leaving the setting of individual rations to those offices. The operation

of the system in relation to the rationing of the various products is described

below.

The orders and regulations concerning the distribution, rationing, use, stor­
ing, etc., of the materials within the jurisdiction of the Reichsstelle (see Appen­
dix 12for list of these materials) are either:

(1) Anordnungen (orders of a general nature addressed to an unlimited number

of persons, published in the Deutscher Reichsanzeiger);

(2) Einzelverordnungen (orders given to individual firms, not published);

(3) Anweisungen (directions issued in connection with rationing, etc., to

other agencies, not published);

(4) Auflagen (impositions: instructions given to individual firms in oonneo­

tion with, and as a condition of, the granting of licenses, not published).

For the internal organization and personnel of the Reichsstelle fur Mineralol,

see- Appendix 14.

Numerous agencies for oil distribution exist under the Reiohsstelle fur

Mineralol. Whereas the planning agenoies and the Reichsstelle fur Mineralol are

all governmental agencies, the various organizations through nftiich the Board operates

are partly Government agenoies, and partly business organizations. The Regional

and Local Economic Offices are Government agencies, and, broadly speaking, deal

with allocations to the general public and the issuance of ration cards. The allo­
cations to individual industrialists are established through so-called quota agen­
cies or Kontingentstellen, which vary greatly in organization and character and are

mostly business organizations or associations and rarely other Reichsstelle (Reich

Boards) . In respect to certain tjrpes of oil, such as lubricants, special and test-

benzine, etc., the Reichsstelle fur Mineralol set up four Bewirtschaftungstellen

to which wide powers were delegated in the distribution of the specific products

within their jurisdiction. These Bewirtschaftungstellen are also business organi­

zations; one is a trade group, the rest are cartels.

Before describing the functions of the quota agencies and the Bewirtschaftung­
stellen, a brief resume* concerning the groups and oartels from which these agencies

were constituted is given, (a)

System

The groups are compulsory trade associations. Every firm must belong to one

or more groups, depending upon the firms' business functions. In many business

lines these groups exercise almost unlimited powers over the individual members,

controlling the administration of the business, allocating materials and Government

and private orders, interfering with personnel matters, etc. The groups are organ­
ized on the "fffhrer principle", with a leader at the top and the rest of the per­
sonnel subordinated to him. The leaders are appointed by the Government; the rest

of the personnel by the leader.

There are seven Reichsgruppen or Reich groups: Industry, Commerce, Banking,

Insurance, Power, Tourist Industry , Handicraft. These seven Reich Groups, together

with the six Transportation groups, form the Reich Economic Chamber (Reiohswirt­
sehaftskammer). The Reich Groups are subdivided into Economic Groups (Wirtschafts­
gruppen). There are, for instance, 31 economic groups in industry and four in

(a) More complete information concerning official and semi-official agencies and

also many other data relating to petroleum and Allied industries are contained

in the Jahrbuch der Deutchen MineralClwirtachaft by Karl Heindrich v. Thtfmen

and printed by Naturkunde und Technik Verlag Fritz Knapp, Frankfurt a. Main.

 DISTRIBUTING - 299

Cartels

commerce. The economic groups are subdivided into Trade Groups (Fachgruppen), some

or which are further divided into Sub-trade Groups (Fachuntergruppen).

Firms engaged in the production of oil belong to the Wirtsohaftsgruppe Kraft­

stoffIndustrie (Economic Group, Fuel), subdivision of the Reichsgruppe Industrie

I Reich Group, Industry), and its subdivisions; those which are engaged in the dis­
tribution of oil belong to the subdivisions of the Reichsgruppe Handel (Reich Group,

Commerce). Many firms engaged both in the production and distribution are members

of several subdivisions of both Reich Groups. A further breakdown of the groups

and lists of their personnel are given in Appendix 15.

ORGANIZATION OF GROUPS CONNECTED WITH OIL PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION

REICH ECONOMIC CHAMBER

Reichwirtschaftskammer

5 OTHER REICHSGRUPPEN REICH GROUP, INDUSTRY REICH GROUP, COMMERCE 6 TRANSPORTATION GROUPS
Reichgruppe Industrie Reichgruppe Handel 6 Reichsverkehrsgruppen

ECONOMIC GROUP, MOTOR ECONOMIC GROUP, WHOLE ECONOMIC GROUP,

FUEL INDUSTRY SALE EXPORT & IMPORT RETAIL
Wirtschaftsgruppe TRADE
Kraftstoffindustrie Wirtschaftsgruppe Gross-Ein U. Wirtschaftsgruppe
Ausfuhrhandel Einzelhandel

TRADE DEPARTMENT TRADE DEPARTMENT TRADE DEPARTMENT

USED OIL REGENERATION BITUMEN, BITUMEN EMULSION MOTOR FUELS & GARAGES
Fachabteilung Bitumen U. Fachabteilung
Fachabteilung Altolaufarbeitung
Bitumenemulsionen Kraftstoffe U. Garagen

TRADE GROUP TRADE GROUP

MINERAL OIL PRODUCTION MINERAL OIL
Fachgruppe Erdolgewinnung Fachgruppe MineralOl

SUBTRADE GROUP SUBTRADE GROUP SUBTRADE GROUP

MINERAL OIL & MOTOR FUEL, WHOLESALE LUBRICANTS, WHOLESALE
MINERAL OIL PRODUCTS
Fachuntergruppe Fachuntergruppe
Fachuntergruppe Mineralol U.
Kraftstoff • Grosshandel Schmierol ­ Grosshandel
MineralOlerzeugnisse

The Cartels

Cartels in Germany are at present muoh more than "associations of independent

enterprises for the control of the market". They are Government sponsored associa­
tions, membership in which, in many instances, is compulsory for every firm in a

particular business and they are vested with dictatorial powers over their members.

In the distribution of oil, a number of cartels have a paramount role. Some

cartels, such as the Zentralburo fur Mineralol (Central Bureau for Mineral Oil),

are the sole buyers and distributors of the total output of production and the

materials imported; some cartels were made into the Bewirtschaftungsstellen, de­
scribed on pages 300 and 301,

The leading cartels of the oil industry are the following:

Working Community of Mineral Oil Distributors (Arbeitsgemeinsohaft MineralSl­

vertellune) and its administrative office, the Zentralburo fur Mineralol (Central

Bureau for Mineral Oil). The distribution of all domestically produoed^and all im­
ported liquid fuels except power kerosene is supervised by the Zentralburo fur

300 - DISTRIBUTING

Cartels

Mineralol. It is the compulsory cartel of the mineral oil distributors. The dis­
tributing facilities of the cartel members have been pooled and are utilized ac­
oording to the directions of the Zentralbiiro; in other words, the cartel members

act as agents of the Zentralbiiro in the distribution of liquid fuels.

The Kerosene Cartel (Petroleumgemeinschaft) is a voluntary cartel of kerosene

producers and traders and has the same functions in the distribution of kerosene

as the Zentralbiiro fur MineralSl has in the distribution of liquid fuels.

Lubricants Cartel (Schmierstoff gemei,nschaft) and Working Community of Lubri­

cant Distributors I Arbeitsgemeinschaft Schmierstoffverteilung). During 1943

the members of the compulsory Lubricants Cartel, composed of all lubricants produc­
ers and traders, formed a Working Community of Lubricant Distributors (Arbeitsge­
meinschaft Schmierstoffverteilung). This pool is now the sole wholesaler of lubri­
cants in Germany. Wholesalers make deliveries to retailers against retailers' cer­
tificates (Handlerscheine), which the retailer receives from the Sub-branch Group

of Lubrioant Wholesalers (Fachuntergruppe Schmierstoffgrosshandel) and which are

based on the retailers1 previous share in the business. The Lubricants Cartel acts

as a Bewirtschaftungsstelle.

Special- and Test-Benzine Cartel (Spezial and Testbenzingemeinschaft). The

Special and Test Benzine Cartel is a voluntary cartel of benzine producers and

traders. Its exact functions in the distribution of benzine are not known, but pre­
sumably it has the same position in benzine distribution as the Kerosene Cartel in

kerosene distribution.

Cartel c_f Bitumen Distributors (Verteilungstelle Bitumen) . The Cartel of Bi­

tumen (Asphalt) Distributors is a voluntary cartel. Its exact functions in the dis*

tribution of asphalt are not known, but presumably it has a position comparable to

the Kerosene Cartel.

Working Community of German Producers ojf Benzol (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Deutscher

Benzolerzeuger) is a compulsory cartel which was made a Bewirtschaftungsstelle for

the distribution of technical benzol.

Working Community p_f Distributors of Coal Products (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Ver­

teilung der Steinkohlenerzeugnisse) is the cartel for the distribution of the by-

products of the production, hydrogenation and distillation of raw coal tar, ©spe­
cially coal-tar pitch and coal-tar oil.

Regional Economic Offices and Economic Offices

(Landeswirtschaftsamter and Wirtschaftsamter)

The Regional Economic Offices(Landeswirtschaftsamter), whieh were established

in the fell ot 1939, are regional agencies of the Ministry of Economics* They are

presided over by the provincial Presidents (Oberprasidenten) in Prussia and by the

Reich Governors or Prime Ministers in other German states. They receive, from the

Reichsstelle, quotas for household consumption which they distribute to the Economic

Offices under them. The Economic Offices (Wirtschaftsamter) are local agencies of

the Ministry of Economios and are subordinated to the Regional Economic Offices.

They are presided over by mayors in the cities and by county chiefs (Landrate) in

rural areas. They issue the ration cards to the public and also issue ration cards

to industrial consumers in exchange for their quota certificates. Both the regional

economic offices and the economic offices deal, it should be noted, with a long list

of other rationed commodities in addition to oil and oil products,

Quota Agencies for Specific Industries (Fachliche Kontindentstellen)

Whereas the Reichsstelle fur Mineralo'l deals exclusively with oil and oil pro­
ducts, the numerous agencies to which the Reichsstelle allocates quotas for further

distribution among the claimants under them (besides the quotas given to the Region­
al Economic Offices and Economic Offices for distribution to the consuming public)

usually deal also with the other rationed products and materials which these claim­
ants need. These agencies, often organized as Bewirfcschaftuhgsstellen, were esta­
blished so that a factory would have to deal with only one agenoy for the allocations

 DISTRIBUTING - 301

Cartels

of all its requirements. This system is time-saving and a convenience to the manu­
facturers. It also claims an additional advantage over centralizing all allocation

of quotas in one agency, in that the distributing agencies of the various indus­
tries, with an intimate knowledge of the character and needs of the individual

firms under their supervision, are better equipped to handle the oil allocation to

them than any agency, Governmental or otherwise, specializing only in the field of

oil. Appendix 17 outlines the jurisdiction of the various quota recipients for the

allocation of lubricants. For instance, the need for transformer oil of any firm

manufacturing electrical transformers can, it is believed, be better evaluated by

the authority controlling the firms manufacturing the transformers than by the oil

specialists of the Reichsstelle fur Mineralol. The allocation of transformer oil

for the first filling of transformers is done, therefore, by the Economic Group

Electrical Industry. Similarly, lubricants used in the production of certain che­

mical products are allocated to the individual firms by the Reich Board Chemistry.

On the other hand, the lubricants needed in the production of oil or other products

in the jurisdiction of the Reiohsstelle fur Mineralol are allocated by the Economic

Group Fuel, because this organization is considered to be most familiar with the

capacity and other circumstances of the oil-producing plants.

These quota agencies are either government agencies (such as the Reich Board

Chemistry), which control different products in the same way as the Reichsstelle

fur Mineralol controls oil and oil products, or they are business organizations

(groups, cartels).

Quota Agencies for Use in Asriculture

According to recent reports, petroleum products are allooated to individual

farmers by the district farmers organizations (Kreisbauernschaften). The individual

allocation is based on the advice of the local peasant leader (Ortsbauernfuhrer).

It seems that the Reich Board for Mineral Oil makes an overall allocation for agri­
culture to the Reich farmers leader (Reichbauernfuhrer), who divides that quota

among the regional farmers organizations who, in turn, allocate the quotas to the

district farmers organizations. No information is available as to whether or not

the district farmers organizations make their individual allocations for petroleum

products through the local peasant organizations (Ortsbauernschaften) as is done in

connection with seeds, fertilizers, and the like.

Bewlrtaohaftunftsstellen in the Oil Industry

In December 1943, the Reich Commissar established the following four Bewirt­
schaftungsstellen within the oil industry. Reference to these was made under

"Cartels" on page 299.

(1) The Schmierstoffgemeinschaft (Neuer Jungfernsteig 21, Hamburg 36); the

lubricating oil cartel for the distribution of lubricants;

(2) The Trade Group Mineral Oil (Kurfurstendamm 74, Berlin-Haleusere) for the

distribution of kerosene, special- and test-benzine;

(3) The Arbeitsgemeinschaft Deutscher Benzolerzeuger (Wittenerstrasse 45,

Bochum) for technical benzol;

(4) The Arbeitsgemeinschaft Verteilung der Steinkohlenteererzeugnisse (Witten­

erstrasse 45 Bochum) for the products obtained in connection with the production,

hydrogenation and distillation of coal tar—especially coal-tar pitch and coal-tar

oil.

The order specifies the power of these Bewirtschaftungsstellen to be as follow:

To steer the distribution in accordance with special instructions of the Reich

Board for Mineral Oil;

To prescribe sales to purchasers specified by the Bewirtschaftungsstellen, and

deliveries ?o certain storing establishments by producers and distributors;