NUREMBERG TRIALS

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 December 1945, Page 5

NUREMBERG TRIALS

JUGOSLAVIA & GREECE OCCUPATION ORDERS NUREMBERG, December 7. The British case dealing with Jugoslavia and Greece was opened at the war crimes trial in Nuremberg to-day, by Colonel Harry Phillimore. He quoted a directive by Hitler on November 12, 1940, stating: “Spain must enter the war. Action for the seizure of Gibraltar will be undertaken by German troops. Support will be given by the Spanish in .closing the straits after the seizure of the Rock. Units intended for Gibraltar must be of sufficient strength to seize the Rock, even without Spanish assistance.” The directive added: “Owing to a change in the general situation, it may not yet be possible or necessary to start Operation Sealion (a landing in Britain) in the Spring of 1941.”. The prosecutor introduced a report of a speech made by Hitler at a conference with Mussolini in January, 1941 Hitler said: “Our ultimate aim is to attack the British Isles. Here we are in the position of a man with only one round left in his rifle. If we miss, the situation will be much worse than before. As long as an attack has not taken place, the British must dispose forces to reckon with the possibility of an attack. Hitler did not see any great danger coming from America, even if America entered the war. Hitler added that so long as Stalin lived, there would probably be no danger from Russia. Stalin was “intelligent and careful.”, “Marite” was the code name for the Nazis’ plans for the invasion of Greece. Hitler issued a directive covering the Balkan and Mediterranean theatres on December 12, 1940. The Greek mainland was to be- occupied during March “for use in the new undertaking. Simultaneously Hitler issued orders intended to bolster up the Italians. He assigned a Wehrmacht blocking unit’ to assist and advise the Italians in keeping the British from Tripolitania, and sent ah air corps to Sici y and an army corps to Albania, where he said the dangers, of a collapse must be removed. Hitler told a conference of high military and diplomatic leaders on April 27, 1941, that he was determined to destroy Jugoslavia as a military nation, and that an attack must be carried out with merciless severity in order to frighten Turkey into submission. Colonel Phillimore then quoted Ribbentrop’s letters to the Jugoslavia Premier (Mr. Cvethkovic), in which he asserted that Germany would not exploit Jugoslavia’s newly signed adherence to the Axis to demand passage of German troops. The prosecutor said that Germany had consistently used the technique of aggression based on securing the maximum advantage of surprise, even il only for the sake of a lew hours ot unopposed military advance into the country of an 'unsuspecting victim. The German Navy was instructed to disguise its ships as British and. o answer challenges by. giving names of British warships when embarking on the invasion of Norway, according to one of the many secret Nazi documents introduced to-day at the trial. NORWAY AND DENMARK. Lieutenant-Colonel Elwyn Jones dealing with that part of the British t"‘ n ßosenbWg, ay ’Quisling was eventually brought to Beilin to see Hitler “The Nazi Government preferred reports from this traitor to those from their regular diplomatic renresentatives,” said the prosecutor. Raeder laughed in the dock when Lieutenant-Colonel Elwyn Jones read an extract from Jodi’s diary w i ‘ stated that Goering was m a iage because he had not been consumed over the invasion of Norway ai Denmark. The prosecutor submitted a German naval study of strategic n^vtad C lgainst S, peTmanent bases being established in Northland South ur?eTthe acquisition of Jases in Cpritral Africa, the islands off Africa STcetand, ’and concluded with the somewhat wgttul v. 0( Jhe Jar with England will make an extension of these demands pos E lW.yn energetic measures . taken agamsi in Scandinavia ended witn tne sou mission of a naval memorandum n which the incorporation 01 Non < y and Denmark in the hcicn Presenting the case , on Nazi aggression against Belgium, Holland, and Luxemburg, another member ol the British prosecuting team, Mr.. C. n Foberts K.C, listed the treaties tetZ the three countries and Germany, and then described how +hpv had been violated. Ine zuat cused fidgeted and averted their eyes when Mr. Roberts said: I subwit on the ordinary laws of inference and justice, that all these men must be held active that disgraceful breach of fa which brought misery and death io S Xr a Xb that a German aeroplane forced down in Belmiim on January 10, 194 U, carriea OTdS-s to the Luftwaffe which showed the Nazi plan of attack on the Low Countries. The Belgian Government succeeded in obtaining the J A secret list of war criminals of 1000 names has been issued by the War Crimes Commission. The list has been placed in the hands of military agencies in Europe and Ssewhere, enabling them to arrest and hold those wanted foi future trial. RIBBENTROP’S ANSWERS. LONDON, December 9. “I wished to accord King George an honour.” said Ribbentrop, explaining why he gave the Nazi salute m St famous incident in. London. Answering the list of written questions submitted to the Associated Press at Nuremberg, Ribbentrop reiterated loyalty to Hiver but claimed he himself worked for an Anglo-German alliance and opposed the war against Russia. He indignantly denied telling Hitler in August, 1939, that Britain would no„ fight. He declared that Hitler actually delayed the German attack because he (Ribbentrop) assured him Britain would fight. He added he

was now convinced that Hitler was dead. , x, . A • , Reuter’s says that when the trial is resumed to-morrow, evidence of German aggression against Russia will be offered, whereon the United States deputy prosecutor, Mr. Aiderman, will submit masses of documents. CRITIC "ARRESTED. LONDON, December 9. According to the American News Service, Mrs. Streicher, wife of Germany’s chief Jew-baiter, was on Saturday arrested for making derogatory remarks on the Nuremberg trial. She .has been imprisoned. HESS FLIGHT PLAN. LONDON, December 3. “Rudolph Hess planned his flight to Britain nearly one year before the attack on Russia, and had actuaLy taken off several times from June, 1940, but was driven back by the weather,” says the Nuremberg correspondent of the Associated Press. “Hess, making his first direct communication to the Press since his flight, declared that he did not fly to Britain to enlist British help for an attack on Russia, but to try to stop fighting between two nobie races. “During the campaign in France, he expressed the view to Hitler that on the conclusion of peace with Britain, ‘which he then considered imminent,’ a demand should be made for what had been taken from Germany by the Versailles Treaty, for instance, the equivalent of the German merchant, fleet. Hitler disagreed, saying: ‘You know that ever since our imprisonment in 1925, I have declared again and again that my policy on seizing power must be an understanding with England. Even to-day I have not given up the hope that this understanding can be achieved/ Hess expressed the opinion that reasons of prestige most probably prevented Britain from entertaining the various proposals for an understanding made by Hitler. Hess continued: ‘Considering the military position then prevailing, Britain could have negotiated only if a reason visible to the whole world for entering into parleys, with Germany could be provided. I therefore decided to supply this reason by going personally to England.’ ” BELSEN SENTENCES. LONDON, December 3. It has been officially announced that Marshal Montgomery has rejected the appeals of all the Belsen guards accused of atrocities and has confirmed the sentences imposed upon them. DACHAU DEFENCE. LONDON, Deecmber 9. The defence has concluded its case in the Dachau concentration camp trial. All of the 40 defendants gave evidence on their own behalf. Their evidence ranged from complete denials to admissions of many acts, of cruelty. There were tearful pleas for mercy. Verdicts are expected next week. DEATH SENTENCE BERLIN, December 8. A United States Military Court sentenced to death August Kobus, a former Mayor of Freilassing, in Bavaria, for shooting a wounded United States pilot, shot down during a raid on Germany. JOHN AMERY. ' ' LONDON, December 9. “A Harley Street specialist has examined John Amery, who is lying in Wandsworth Prison Hospital, suffering from tuberculosis,” says the “Sunday Dispatch.” “Amery’s condition has become worse since he was sentenced to death for treason. He shows little will to live. His brother, Captain Julian Amery, called on him last week, after which a reconciliation was effected between the condemned man and his father and Mrs. Amery, who also visited him In hospital.” . . IJ!= ,