NOTED ENGLISH PEOPLE ARE WANTED AS WITNESSES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 279, 26 November 1945, Page 5

NOTED ENGLISH PEOPLE ARE WANTED AS WITNESSES

REQUESTS BY ACCUSED NAZIS

LADY ASTOR AND BEAVERBROOK ON RIBBENTROP’S LIST

Recd. 6.30 p.m. London, Nov. 24. Nazi leaders, now on trial at Nuremberg, have requested that some famous English people give evidence in their defence. Counsel for Hess announced that he is seeking to subpoena the Duke of Hamilton, the man he said he flow to England to see, and also a doctor who examined Hess after his arrival in England. Ribbentrop’s counsel is seeking to subpoena Lady Astor and other members of the Cliveden set, ineluding Lord Beaverbrook, Lord Londonderry and Lord Derby. General Keitel’s counsel is seeking to subpoena Mr. Churchill’s nephew, Giles Rorailly, and Field-Marshal Alexander’s cousin, Captain Michael Alexander, both former prisoners of war.

German counsel stated that most of the accused would testify in their own defence. Hess' counsel said Hess did not know anything about the Duke of Hamilton because he could not remember, but counsel decided, on his own initiative, to ask the Duke to testify. Ribbentrop's counsel, when asked what he expected Lady Astor, Lord Beaverbrook and the others to give evidence about, replied: ‘‘On the goals of Ribbentrop's foreign policy as far as the British Empire was concerned.” Dr. Schacht's counsel said he was asking for a New York banker. Doctor Jeidels, whom Dr. Schacht aided to escape from Germany. Hans Frank's counsel announced he is calling two unnamed Poles who would testify that Frank “did all he could to help the Bolish people." This remark brought a roar of laughter from 200 correspondents, who were interviewing counsel. Counsel added that Frank really was not responsible for the things with which he was charged. He, personally, was much interested as Poland’s welfare. • Frank was Germany's GovernorGeneral of Poland). Bormann's course!, when asked whether he was in touch with his

client said: "I am not a spiritualist!” Ribbentrop's counsel said he considered that if Germany had won the war, Mr. Churchill would not have been indicted. “Our esteem for Mr. Churchill’s achievements would not have diminished,’’ said counsel. A spokesman for all the counsel said the tribunal was making a real endeavour to control procedure fairly.

IDEA DERIDED BY LADY ASTOR

THE '‘CLIVEDEN SET” RIBBENTROP HAS NEVER BEEN THERE

Recd. 7.3 op.m. London, Nov. 25 Lady Astor derided a suggestion that she and other members of the so-called “Cliveden Set” should be called in Ribbentrop s defence. “Ribbentrop has never been to Cliveden and only once visited my

London house, where he gave the Nazi salute,” she said. “I told him to stop that nonsense. I never met him again.” As- for references to Lord Beaverbrook and Lord Londonderry, they never visited Cliveden, and the Earl of Derby only occasionally. Lady Astor accused the Communists of originating the term “Cliveden Set *’ and said the chief of the set was Lord Lothian. Others included Mr. Geoffrey Dawson, then editor of “The Times,” and Lord Milne.