CHURCHILL AS WITNESS

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24814, 2 March 1946, Page 7

CHURCHILL AS WITNESS

Reconsideration By Tribunal REQUEST~BY VON RIBBENTROP (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) NUREMBERG, Feb. 28. The War Crimes Tribunal has announced that it has decided to reconsider von Ribbentrop’s application to call Mr Churchill as a witness. The tribunal’s decision followed a reminder from von Ribbentrop’s counsel, Dr. Horn, that he had been asked to submit his reasons for the application in writing and that the tribunal’s refusal to call Mr Churchill had been announced before the submission of this written application. Von Ribbentrop has submitted a list of eight questions for Mr Churchill to answer if the tribunal does not permit him to be called. The questionnaire covers an alleged breakfast conversation at the German Embassy in London in 1937, wrten von Ribbentrop declares that he proposed to Mr Churchill to use his “great influence” on behalf of an Anglo-German alliance, or at least collaboration. Von Ribbentrop said that Mr Churchill rebuffed the proposition and talked about “the eternal threat of German cannon on the other side of the Channel."

Nazi Groups Mr Justice Jackson, the United States chief prosecutor, demanded that the tribunal should proceed with the trial of indicted Nazis which the prosecution has asked should be declared criminal groups. Mr Justice Jackson saifi: “Jt would be a greater catas? trophe to acquit these groups than if 22 individual defendants were acquitted.” The indicted Nazi organisations are estimated to have a total member? ship of 1,000,000. Mr Justice Jackson added: “Some concern has been expressed about the number of persons who would be affected declarations of criminality. To this we reply that some people seem more susceptible to that shock of 1,000.000 punishments than to the shock of 5,u00,000 murders.”. One of the sinister peculiarities of German society had been an elaborate network of close-knit exclusive organisations of selected volunteers, bound by oath to execute without question the commands of Nazi leaders. As a result the State played only a subordinate role in the exercise of political power. •Hie organisations which Mr Justice Jackson demands should be tried for criminality are:—the Security Service, the Gestapo, the S.S. General Staff, the High Command, and the Leadership Corps of the Nazi Party. Mr Justice Jackson said: “One thousand little Fuehrers dictated, 1000 imitation Goerings strutted. 1000 von Shir? achs incited youth, 1000 Sauckels drove slaves, 1000 Rosenbergs and Streichers stirred up hate, 1000 Kritenbrunners and Franks tortured apd killed, and 1000 Schachts. Sneers, and Funks administered, financed, and supported the Nazis.”

Segregation from Masses One of the basic requirements of both justice and the successful future administration of Germany was tfie segregation of these element? from tfie masses of the German people for separate treatment.

“The United States does not seek to coqvict the whole German people, but it is important that this trial does not serve to absolve r ;he whole German people except the men in the dock," he continued. “If the trial fails to condemn these organised confeder? ?tes for their share of responsibility or the catastrophe, it will be construed as exoneration.” Mr Justice Jackson cited as precedents for the indictment of Nazi organisations legislative acts in the United States directed against bodies such as the Ku KJux Klan, “which appealed to the same hates and practised the same extralegal coercions as the Nazi movements.” Among British precedents. Mr Jus? tice Jackson mentioned the British India Act of 1936 and War-time Regulation 188.. He stressed that the stigipa of criminality on groups would still leave the Allied Control Council to decide in. which class the members of these should be brought to trial, and he suggested that a panel be appointed to visit the camps housing internees wishing to be heard and take depositions. which could then be condensed and submitted to the Court. It has been estimated that more than 45,000 members of the indicted groups have asked for the opportunity to give evidence. Following Mr Justice Jackson, th* 1 British prosecutor, Sir David Maxwell t'yfe. reviewed technical points in tfie evidence already submitted to establish the criminality of each of the seven organisations named. He asked that the prisoners, who - were members of the Reich Cabinet, should Le convicted in each count of indictment in view of the enormous mass of evidence against them. Dr. Egon Rubuschok. coupsei for von Papen, argued that the indicted organisations had been dissolved under the Military Government and therefore did not exist- Only their former members existed. The case affected between one third and one fourth of the entire male adult population Qi Germany.