BRITISH FASCISTS

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 60, 8 September 1945, Page 8

BRITISH FASCISTS

CHARGE OF AIDING ENEMY

LONDON, September 6. Pilot Officer Benson Raiiton Freeman, who is appearing before a courtmartial, admitted in an alleged statement made earlier that he was a member of the British Union of Fascists for two years before the outbreak of war, and that while he was a prisoner, of war in Germany he joined the Waffen S.S. in August, 1944, to fight Bolshevism. In an alleged statement, Freeman said he was prepared to go to Germany to "try to contact the leaders of this organisation, which has gone underground, as I know they will cooperate in any fighting which may become necessary in the future, perhaps sooner than most people expect, against the Russians, whose aim is to control Europe, including the British Isles." Other passages in the alleged statement included: "The work I did for. the Germans was not directed against Britain and America, but only against the Bolshevik menace to Europe. I am not a traitor,-but I cannot say the same about some of the British officers I contacted in Germany." Freeman, who is facing several charges of aiding the enemy, including one that he voluntarily joined the Waffen S.S., pleaded not guilty. An intelligence officer gave evidence that Freeman told him it was not a secret among his fellow-prisoners that he was a member of the Fascist Union before the war, and consequently he was disliked and mistrusted by them. Freeman also told witness that the Waffen S.S. was pro-English and antiCommunist, but was "now fast becoming anti-English because of the treatment meted out to them." BOGY OF BOLSHEVISM. Freeman's alleged statement detailed meetings with William Joyce, Baillie Stewart, and Germans with whom they worked. Freeman said he tried to persuade the Germans to abandon the absurd stories about their triumph over Russians and substitute the truth, which was that Germany was powerless to save herself or the rest of western Europe unless.western Europe aided her. Freeman's statement continued: "John Amery took the same line. At least 5000 British soldiers, and probably 25,000, would have fought Russia, but the attempt to form the force was sabotaged and the force was reduced to 30 or 50. The camp stoolpigeons were poor types that prevented any decent soldiers associating with them." Freeman said he had wished to join only the Waffen SS. Earlier he flew to . south Germany in an attempt to investigate the prospect of Britain and America accepting the capitulation of Germany for all three to fight against Russia, but found the prospects were nil and the idea was abandoned.

"The Waffen SS is waiting to prevent the spread of Soviet Communism in Germany, and if they can be allowed they will immediately co-oper-ate with the British and American army commanders to restore military order and repair Germany's ruins," he said.

"The German idiots were mad enough to believe, because Berlin was Berlin, that the Russians would never come there, and the same complacent attitude prevails about London. I urge and plead that some notice be taken of this chance and at least consult the Waffen SS leaders on this problem overshadowing Europe."

The hearing is proceeding,