GOERING’S TACTICS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21979, 25 March 1946, Page 3

GOERING’S TACTICS

AVOIDING RECRIMINATION COURT TO CURB WITNESSES (9 a.m.) NUREMBERG. March 24. The War Crimes Tribunal agreed to consider an application by Julius Streicher’s counsel for documents to prove that the defendant’s misquotations from Talmud on the subject of “ritual murder” were the result of inadvertent mistranslations. Lord Justice Lawrence pointed out. however, that the charge against Streicher was not that he misquoted books but that he provoked excesses against the Jews.

The Associated Press correspondent says that Goering's tactics in the witness-box in the past week were designed to show his fellow prisoners how to avoid accusing one another in a desire to save themselves.

The tribunal, by ruling that none of the other defendants will have the same latitude as Goering, has already made a move to curb the tendency of the trial to become a post-mortem examination of Nazi philosophies. Goering is the most expert witness yet heard. He succeeded under cross-examination in eulogising Hitler, the whole Nazi cult, and airing the old Red menace bogey.

Just before leaving the witness box at the War Crimes Tribunal, Hermann Goering. former Chief of the Luftwaffe, unable to resist the chance for a last word, declared again that he acknowledged responsibility for all he had done.

'I was prepared for the seizure of power. I attempted to make Germany great and free. I did everything to avoid war. but when it started it was my duty to do all I could for Germany.” Scowling, defendant No. 1 then returned to the dock after eight days in the witness box. He sat down and wrote a hurried not" to his counsel, mopped his brow and leaned back, a tired man. Master Race Theory Goering caused a surprise to-day when he told the tribunal that he did not believe in the master race theory. “I recognise there are differences in races, but I have never agreed with the theory that if one race might be superior to another it should be described as a master race.” he said. Lord Justice Lawrence, president of the tribunal, several times checked Goering for attempting to make speeches and also told Goering’s counsel. Dr. Stahmer, not to ask questions which invited speeches. The American chief prosecutor, Mr. R. H. Jackson, while Goering was praising Hitler, interrupted with a warning that the trial was liable to drag on into August. Goering, replying to the Soviet prosecutor. M. Rudenko, said the Fuhrer never threatened him because he (Goering) had different views on the master race question. Goering denied knowing of the plans to destroy Moscow and the destruction of Leningrad was not mentioned in his presence. Denial of Murder Liability » M. Rudenko asked: “As second man in Germany, are you responsible for the organised murder of millions of innocents—independently of whether you knew the facts or not?”

Goering shouted: “No, because I did not know about them. Millions of Germans did not know about them either.” After M. Rudenko had finished his examination, M. Deribes. of the French prosecution team, caused a surprise by declining to cross-examine on the ground that nothing Goering had said had changed the accusations against him.

The defence then opened the case for Rudolf Hess.

Counsel for Hess said that Hess denied the tribunal's jurisdiction. He assumed full responsibility for all the decrees sent out in his capacity as deputy-Fuhrer.

The president. Lord Justice Lawrence "You cannot challenge the court’s jurisdiction.” .