LUXEMBURG TRIALS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21551, 2 November 1944, Page 5

LUXEMBURG TRIALS

NAZIS’ COLLABORATORS DUCHY’S a7d~ TO ALLIES (10 a.m.) LONDON. Nov. 1. The trials of some hundreds of collaborationists in Luxemburg will begin within a few days, said the Minister of Foreign Affairs, M. Bech. The trials have been delayed because manv .judges have been deported to Germany but the courts have now been comnletely reconstituted by members of the bar who remained loyal during the occupation. Some of the biggest collaborators escaped to Germany, but those for trial include M.P’s, industrialists and even a judge. “All classes are now represented in our prisons,” said M. Bech. Luxemburg introduced the death penalty last year. It has never been passed on a criminal since the French revolution.

M. Bech returned to Luxemburg with his Government six weeks ago. He said that textiles are practically non-existent in the Duchy and there is no hope of household coal before January. However, the industrial district, with its huge steelworks, which was producing before the war 2,000,000 tons of steel and nearly 3,000,000 tons of iron yearly, has not suffered though it is situated 10 miles from the Lorraine battlefront. They are now working for the Allied armies. The trade unions arc functioning again and co-operating with the Government. The profits made out of the war were to be confiscated so that each citizen could bear a fair share of the burden of reparation which is estimated to represent several millions.