VON MANSTEIN FREED

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27035, 9 May 1953, Page 7

VON MANSTEIN FREED

HITLER’S COMMANDER IN RUSSIA (Rec. 7 p.m.) BERLIN, May 7. The former field-marshal, Erich von Manstein. Hitler’s ace commander in Poland and Russia, was freed by the British authorities today after serving eight years of his 20-year sentence fcr war crimes. The news was carried to him by the local mayor at Allmendingen, where *on Manstein has been living on medial parole at Freiberg Castle, the home of his sister. . . . The British High Commission at first denied that von Manstein was released, but then said that a statement would be made hater today or tomorrow when von Manstein’s release was due Under the usual British practice of ; granting a one-third reduction in sentence for good conduct. Von Manstein was the highest ranking and most important war criminal •till held by the Western Allies. He Was sentenced by a British Military Court in 1949 for his responsibility for ■trocities committed by troops under command in Russia. He has been Jut of prison since last August for health reasons. , . 4.—■-

Mr Butler disagreed with a former Chancellor (Mr Hugh Gaitskell), who suggested that everything happening in the United States made it clear that it was going to be more and more difficult to expand dollar exports. I don’t think it will get more and more difficult in the long run,” said Mr Butier, “but there will be a period of difficulty.” “It is clear that the free world must get closer together, if our economy and the American economy are to make any sense, and we are to put forward the maximum effort.

“What is the use of building up defence forces > going to meetings of NATO, and trying to make a combined foreign policy, unless we get our financial and economic policies together and try to bridge the dollar gap?” Mr Butler thought the period of difficulty and waiting would last while “our friends on the other side of the Atlantic become accustomed to some of these discussions, which we are so used to here, with their own Congress and the difficulties of assuming office.” It would be a mistake to underestimate Britain’s problems, “but if we keep our nerve and keep together, and all sides of industry do their best to increase exports, I think we can get through.”