WAR CRIMINALS

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 July 1945, Page 5

WAR CRIMINALS

EVASION OF PUNISHMENT LORD WRIGHT’S PROTEST RUGBY, July 25. “It should now be established before all the world.” said Lord Wright, a member of the United Nations Wai 1 Crimes Commission, in a London speech to-night, “that the rule of law exists among nations, that certain things are international crimes for which the guilty individuals can and should be punished, and that now is the occasion and the opportunity to demonstrate this by a practical unmistakable example.” He went on: “If, however, once again, as in the fiasco of 1918 and 1919, the opportunity is lost, it might seem to be settled for all time that there is no law and no justice among nations. I found in some quarters, actual opposition, and in many coldness. All the paraphernalia of certain conventional schools of international law were displayed. It was seriously asked: How could a German officer who Herded unoffending women and children of a French village into a Church, set it on fire and burned them alive, know that what he was doing was a crime "against the community of nations? Or how could Hitler and his bandits, who murdered systematically 6,000,000 Jews of different nationalities and in different parts of Europe by a variety of planned devices, be aware that such acts were criminal? ‘‘But now, so far as concerns the major criminals, Justice Jackson (United States representative) has came to prosecute their acts as crimes. I am satisfied he will fulfil his purpose. It was recently observed that Hitler, if still alive, was to be hanged because he flouted the KellogBriand Pact. But such questions cannot be settled by a mere quip, however engagingly delivered. What has happened is too serious. The people are now determined to have justice executed according to the law. But this is not the time for delayed action of justice. The problem of punishing war criminals calls for a speedy settlement before the world demand is killed by a sense of frustration." LIDICEBUTCHER. LONDON, July 25. An Associated Press correspondent stated: Doctor Eger, Czechoslovakian representative on the War Crimes Commission, states that the butcher of Lidice, Frank, vvill be the first war criminal to be tried. His trial will begin in Prague probably on September 1. Dr. Eger added that Frank would be surrendered to the Czechoslovakian Government for trial and charged with crimes committed in Czechoslovakia. Frank, regardless of the outcome of these trials, will be returned to the War Crimes Commission for trial on other indictments. If sentenced to death at Prague or elsewhere he would be executed in Czechoslovakia. Fear of the consequences of his acts, had reduced Frank to a fawning, servile creature. Frank now savs he was the instrument of his overwhelming duty to Hitler and Hitler's desire and wishes.