The New Zealand Herald AUCKLAND, FRIDAY, JUNE 1, 1945 WAR CRIMINALS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25217, 1 June 1945, Page 6

The New Zealand Herald AUCKLAND, FRIDAY, JUNE 1, 1945 WAR CRIMINALS

• Not the least urgent of the prob--1 lems produced by the end of hos- ' tilities in Europe is the question of the punishment of war criminals, i Since the accession of Hitler to ' power the world has been shocked ' by German barbarities, for some years in Germany itself and since , 1939 in the-countries overrun by the ' Nazis. There have thus arisen three classes of enormities, crimes against German nationals, crimes against inhabitants of the occupied coun- , tries, including violations of the laws ' of war, and the political crimes of [ those who launched the war and were the engineers of the miseries of Europe and of all the concentration camps and other ghastly apparatus of German aggression and terrorism. At first sight it might ■ seem strange that there should be any delay in dealing with the perpetrators of these iniquities. In October, 1911, President Roosevelt and Mr Churchill told the world that retribution for crimes must take its place among the major purposes of the war. In 1943 it was declared at the Moscow Conference that the three Allied Powers would pursue the criminals to the uttermost ends of the earth and would deliver them to the accusers so that justice might be done. With the exception of Ribbentrop the top-ranking murderers are either dead or in Allied hands. Why, then, the delay in dealing with the prisoners? The necessity for speed is recognised. Delays played into the hands of the Germans after the last war and enabled them, after studied evasions of Allied demands, to pass some trumpery sentences at Leipzig, to acquit the great majority of their war criminals, and subsequently to honour them as heroes. Irksome as "delays may be, it can be taken for granted that the Allied Governments will not allow difficulties of procedure to enable the German warmongers, Gestapo chiefs and thugs to escape justice. The Allied emphasis is on justice. Only the guilty are to be punished, and that through the channels of organised justice, administered perhaps, if a suggestion of Mr Churchill is followed, through military tribunals. For those who have committed atrocities and have violated the rules of war there must be trials, with possible exceptions in the case of master gangsters like Ggering. The deeply-wronged French have demanded the speediest punishment of their torturers, but by means of legal process. Normally to do otherwise would be to imitate the Nazis. There should be no insuperable difficulty in trying in the places of their crimes the Germans who committed atrocities in France, Poland and all the other liberated countries. It may be that in certain cases no legal offence has been committed, although, nevertheless, outrageous wrong has been done. Revolting acts must and will be punished even though they are not crimes by statute. Germans should not be allowed to escape punishment because as members of the Nazi Party or of the Wehrmacht their barbarities are no breach the law. The officers under whose instructions the people of Lidice were butchered and the Gestapo chiefs who administered concentration camps will not be excused by pleas of orders from Hitler or Himmler. What of men like Goering? As one of the heads of the German Government he is a principal party to the attack on Poland, to the destruction of Rotterdam and Belgrade, and all the inhuman German methods employed within and without the "Reich. If he were tried in England by an ordinary English Court it might be difficult to bring him within the scope of the law, although a military tribunal could no doubt deal with him as an offender against the rules of war. But something more is necessary. It is essential for .future European security that the persons who have launched a war of aggression should be punished .for that very act. According to the Moscow Declaration of November 1, 1943, "Criminals whose offences have no particular geographical location will be punished by a joint decision of the Allies." Mr Davis in London and Mi' Hopkins in Moscow are probably at the present time trying to reach a joint decision in respect of Goering* for it will be serious if we cannot reach speedy agreement on the subject with Moscow, already querulous over the initial treatment of Goering. Last year Mr Churchill said that the procedure of a "trial would not necessarily be adapted for men like Goering. There is something to be said for dealing with him politically, as Napoleon was dealt with by being sent to St. Helena. That was his punishment. The Allied Powers at one time proposed to arraign the Kaiser before a special court. It came to nothing. The three Great Powers would be amply justified in declaring Goering guilty at the bar of the nations and pronouncing against him the supreme penalty for acts c&ndemned by the common conscience, of mankind.

EASING THE POWER SHORTAGE At least one good thing has come out of the power shortage. The people have shown a practical spirit of community co-operation by each and every one exercising economy in the use of electricity. Thus for two days running the sharp penalty of the cut-off has been avoided. This collective reward was earned by thousands of users each making a little saving of light, heat or power. Some may say they were merely acting according to enlightened selfinterest, but many will prefer to see in the community achievement an awakened sense of social consciousness. May it be kept awake, not only to avert this particular deprivation, but also to serve many other common causes. The supply authorities also deserve credit for giving the public as definite warning as possible of when cut-offs may be expected in particular districts. This represents a material alleviation of a situation not wholly pre-

dictabl® in advance. Consumers know .what to expect—and where and when—if the load is not kept down. The same helpful spirit animated yesterday's conference of businessmen. First they addressed themselves to recommending specific economies in industrial and commercial uses of electricity, thus accepting part of the onus. Next they offered a suggestion deserving immediate consideration—the suggestion that all broadcasting should be suspended between 4 and 6 p.m. on week-days. A material saving could be effected in this way without inflicting any real hardship. Finally, (he businessmen asked, the Government to give substantial assurances that it is taking effective measures to make up known future deficiencies in supply by installing supplementary generating plant. The melancholy fact is that one such plant, that at King's Wharf, is capable of producing 25,000 to 30,000 kilowatts. It has to stand idle for most of every day for lack of coal, although with its help the present crisis could be largely overcome. Apparently no hope is entertained of an awakened sense of social conscfousness among the miners, because the businessmen specifically recommend the plant's conversion to oil fuel at the earliest possible moment. These recommendations should receive the Government's consideration with a view to immediate action.

GOVERNMENT'S DEAD HAND How severely this Dominion is suffering from administrative paralysis becomes more obvious every day. The latest manifestation of the disease is in civil aviation. Captain Oscar Garden, one of the pioneers of the Dominion's commercial air services, should be able to discuss impending developments as well as the trends of air transport. Instead, he has had to tell an Auckland audience that if it wished to know what was being done to extend the air services within New Zealand and to improve the service overseas, it should have invited Mr Fraser or Mr Nash to be the speaker. There was a note of surprise in his remarks that at long last the Government had consented to make Whemtapai available as a commercial airport. Always, and seemingly on every detail of the life of the community, decisions appear to centre upon the Prime Minister or his first lieuten'ant. The excuse of inquiry being made overseas or of consultations with some other Government is threadbare. Canada, Australia and South Africa are increasing their commercial air fleets and their Governments have determined their policies. New Zealand, which once prided itself on leading the world, is still making inquiries. In the fullness of time the results will be made known, or such part of them as suits the Government's purpose. A private company or corporation surviving only by the service it gives would bankrupt itself by the methods pursued by the present Government. It is time the Government showed some capacity for decision and action or ?tood aside in favoilr of organisations which would get on with the task of providing essential services. LETTERS TO THE EDITOE Ineligible Veterans Sir, —We most heartily agree with vour correspondent "Fair Play" on the subject of including our young lads with up to five years Territorial service in the replacement scheme. I have a brother who, at the age of years (he declared his age as 18), entered the Territorial Force. After serving over three years on vital points he obtained his release, only to be recalled for the Air Force at 20J years. He failed in his course and transferred back to the Army and sailed from New Zealand in a recent reinforcement "draft. He is wearing four service stripes and is due soon for his fifth. Surely this is a good record. He has given willing service. He was married early this year. He, with many others like him, deserves a chance to' make a place for himself in civilian life. Be Fair. Earl Haig's Prescience Sir, —Notwithstanding the fact that during and after World War I it was iterated and reiterated that that war was a war to end wars, and notwithstanding the influence of the League of Nations (if it ever had any), it is interesting to recall a remarkable prophecy made during the last war by the late Earl Haig of Bemers.vde, Com-mander-in-Chief of the British Army in France. He said: —"I am no exemplary Christian, and it is not my business to expound Christianity, but one thing I know, and it is this: If organised society does not soon learn to obey Christ's law of life, it will go to pieces in a greater calamity even than the one from which we are now suffering." A clear realisation of this great truth will bring abounding health and happiness to a diseased and suffering world. A. C. M. Sickly. France in the Levant Sir, —With reference to your leader "Background of the Levant," I would like to point, out the following: (1) The French troops recently sent to Syria—--500 men to be exact —were not an additional number, but were sent to replace men who had already left Syria, (2) Syria is a place of considerable strategic importance in the Far Eastern war. France intends to fight in this war and so, like Great Britain, she has to make the necessary troop movements. (3) France will honour her pledge to the Syrians and the Lebanese that they shall "have national independence. With Great Britain, she desires good relations with the Arab States. I may add that there is a large Mohammedan population in French Afrida. A. DK LA TRIBOUIM.E. Delegate in New Zealand of the Provisional Government of the French Republic. * Immigration Sir,—l am slightly puzzled by the haste so many seem to stress regarding immigration. It does appear to me that a large migration scheme, such as is proposed, would require a good deal of thought and planning. Is it wise to proceed with such an undertaking at the present time? With the housing position as' it is today, and the evident knowledge that it will he a few years before everyone in New Zealand now requiring a' house will obtain one, I believe that the settling of immigrants promptly would simply result in chaos. It is well to remember that persons wishing to make New Zealand- their future home are people who have suffered much during the past few years and 1 contend that it would be very impertinent of us to lure them to our country when we are not in a position to offer them even a roof over their heads. Tt jloes seem that many tend to look at. this question only in'the light of what New Zealand would gain and not with regard to' the people concerned. (Mas) Violet E. Donovan.