LOYALTY TO HITLER

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 March 1946, Page 7

LOYALTY TO HITLER

CROSS-EXAMINATION OF GOERING •i USE OF V WEAPONS NUREMBERG, March 18. The American prosecutor at the Nuremberg trial, Mr. Justice Jackson, to-day began the cross-examina-tion of Goering, whom he addressed as the “only man. living who can fully . say what was the true purpose of the Nazi Party and the inner workings of its leadership.” Mr. Justice Jackson: You did not believe in or permit government by consent? ..A

Goering: That is not entirely correct, We, from time to time, called on the population to express an opinion. Explaining support for the leadership principle, Goering quoted President Roosevelt as saying that rniost European countries had abandoned democracy, not because they did not want it, but because democracy had not produced men capable of giving the people work, bread, and peace. Goering said democracy had, ruined / Germany, and that only stronger leadership could restore order. . Oath of Loyalty. ... In reply to a suggestion by. Mr. Justice Jackson that he could trove resigned because' he opposed the war against Russia, Goering said: “I am a soldier. I had given an oath of loyalty. It never occurred to me to leave the Fuehrer.” Goering absolutely denied that he set fire to the Reichstag. He said that* a conversation in sworn testimony by' General Halder, in which he (Goering) is alleged to have said: “I did it,” never occurred. Goering said German attacks .with V weapons had to be continued, because, while the war was on;; they had to fight back. “Thank heaven we had still one,, weapon which could be used as long as the fight was. go-? ing on,” he said. “As ’a soldier. I can only regret that we did not have enough of these V weapons, for they were the only means of bringing possibly some-easing of the situation.” Goering said he knew that the V weapon attacks against Britain coifld never turn the tide. Hitler’s Will. - U

Mr. Justice Jackson questioned Goering about Hitler's will in'Berlin in April, 1945, in which he said that Himmler and Goering had done immeasurable harm by secret negotiations with the enemy and in attempting to seize power for selves.

Goering said: “I can only reply that I and Himmler did not do it. Neither did I betray the Fuehrer. It was an unfortunate mistake'which grieved me that the Fuehrer cptljd believe in his last hour that I should ever be disloyal.” Mr. Justice Jackson said: “Hitler, by that will, struck out your name from the list of party members and all offices of the State.” ? Goering replied: “I never thought for a moment of taking -action against the Fuehrer. I believe that the basis of the mistake was in the transmission of the message by Bormann.” • ’ • ’' ■ ; Mr. Justice Jackson: At any s rate, you were arrested and expected to be shot? —That is correct. Goering said he had no doubtjHitler and Goebbels were dead. ,;,’ He described his decline of influence with Hitler. He said it’was very great in 1940-41, but declined in 1943, and went down rapidly from then.