May Put All Major War Criminals In Dock At Same Time

Northern Advocate, 6 July 1945, Page 3

May Put All Major War Criminals In Dock At Same Time

LONDON, July 5 Officials of Britain, France, Russiai, and the United States are considering a proposal that major Nazi war criminals should be put in the dock together for a mass trial. The proposal was made by the American war crimes prosecutor (Mr. Justice Jackson). It is suggested that the charge against these major criminals be that of “conspiring to wreck the peace of the world,” based on the Kellogg Pact of 1928, which outlawed war. Under the Moscow' Declaration of October, 1943, the question of bringing major criminals to justice was referred to the four Great Powers, as distinct from the War Crimes Commission, whose members representing 16 Allied nations, have the task of indicting minor criminals for trial by countries where the crimes were committed. Crimes Against All

Major criminals are those considered to have committed crimes affecting the United Nations as a whole. A spokesman for the War Crimes Commission expressed gratification at the evidence implied by Judge Jackson’s proposal of the desire to proceed as rapidly as possible to the trial of major criminals by the inter-Allied tribunal. Among the top criminals in the dock, he said, would be representatives of the Gestapo, and other German military and political organisations. This, it was claimed, would shorten the subsequent appearances of Gestapo and SS men and other individuals before the tribunal. It would be like trying a corporation or association. If, for instance, the Gestapo were found guilty, in subsequent trials of individuals, it would be necessary to prove only that they were members.