THREE ACQUITTED NAZIS MAY BE TRIED BY GERMANS

Wanganui Chronicle, 7 October 1946, Page 5

THREE ACQUITTED NAZIS MAY BE TRIED BY GERMANS

PROTECTED BY THE AMERICAN POLICE

Recd. 5.30 p.m. Nuremberg, Oct. 5. American authorities prevented the German police from arresting Schacht and Fritsche (two Nazis acquitted by the Nuremberg Crimes Tribunal. After their release from gaol last night, Fritsche went to his lawyer’s house in Nuremberg and Schacht to his wife at her suburban lodgings. An unconfirmed report states that von Papen (the third of the acquitted Nazis) went to a flat in Nuremberg. Reuter’s correspondent says that

von Papon awaits a reply to a request to go to Stockhausen, in the British zone, but he is determined not to move until the coast is clear. Schacht and Fritsche were met outside the prison last night by German police with warrants for their arrest. They were allowed to proceed after the American military police intervened. Later, German police surrounded the houses where Fritsche and Schacht were staying.

The American News Service states that Fritsche this morning tried to leave the house and surrender to the chief of the Nuremberg police. The German police let him through, but American military police stopped him. After receiving instructions not to arrest Schacht and Fritsche, the president of the Nuremberg district police went to the houses to pass on instructions to the police officially. He announced* that Schacht and Fritsche were at liberty, pending trial by the Nuremberg De-Nazilica-tion Board, and would be given the protection of the German police if they so desired. Both men were officially told they were free to come and go as they pleased, without interference from either the German or the American police. The warrants for the arrest of Schacht and Fritsche were signed by the chief of the Bavarian De-Nazilication Organisation, Dr. Pfeiffer. They charged them with, firstly, taking a leading part in the Nazi regime; secondly, with high treason against the Weimar Republic. It is reported that the warrants were withdrawn because the change of high treason is “inappropriate.”

A report from Bremen states that all the German State leaders from the British and American zones decided to ask the authorities to establish a German Court to try Schacht, Fritsche and von Papen for domestic crimes under the existing German law. When the deadline for the appeals for clemency was reached, Kaltenbrunner (head of the Security Police), Speer (Director of Armaments) and von Schirach (Reich Commissar for Vienna) were the only convicted Nazi leaders who did not appeal. The Holy See appealed from Rome for cleTnency on behalf of Frank (Governor-General of Poland), who became a convert to the Catholic re ligion while in Nuremberg gaol. (Frank has been sentenced to death). The De-Nazification Board, Munich, refused Frau Goerings application for permission to resume her stage career.