Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-07-10
GERMANS CONTEND
WARPROSECUT|ONS
MUST Be REDUCED
Spa Delegates Told Berlin
Government Will Collapse
if List Is Not Cut.


SPA. Belgium July GERMAN con-
tentions that the list of Germans ac-
cused of violations of the laws of war
must be reduced if the collapse of
the Berlin government was to be
avoided were discussed by a commits
sion which met here this afternoon.
according to an official announcement.
Jules Cambon of France was chair
man of the commission. the members
of which included representatives of
Great Britain, Belgium. France, Italy
and Germany One of the German
delegates was DR.. Carl HeinZe, min
lister of justice.
Baron Firkenhead. lord chancellor
of Great Britain, opened the discus
sion, referring to statement by Ger
man delegates this morning relative
to the difficulties encountered by the
German supreme court at Leipsic be-
cause of lack of detail in the charges
made against accused Germans by
the allies. He declared the commits
sion had decided trial at Leipsic
should be accepted by the allies as an
experiment and that the commission
would conflne itself to producing evi
dence from countries other than
Germany. He suggested this evil
dence should be accepted according
to the rules of procedure. practiced
In the countries from which it came.
admitting that the German attorney
general and court had been given a
very difficult task. assuming that
bona fide effort would be made to
arrive at the truth.
Asks Full Information.
For this reason, Baron Birkenhead
asserted, German authorities should
be intrusted with the information re-
"a lrgIsy, .t1sav-
mans and also the nature and effect
of tho evidence to be adduccd. al
though he thought :, responsibility
must rest with the supreme court.
Negotiations. therefore. should be be-
gun not through diplomatic channels
but through the German attorney
general and tAe corresponding legal
officers OF the allied countries
NJ. jacquemain of Belgium. who was
some time ago charged with drafting
indictments against the accused Ger
mans. said there were certain diff
culties Of organization to be solved
and that the initiative in each case
should be taken at Leipsic. He as
serted that requests for proper in
formation should be made in legal
form.
NJ. Cambon said Germany must he
responsible for the institution of pro-
ceedings, the collection of evidence
and the conduct of the trial, and as
serted if the Germans would take the
initiative at every stage French law
officers would give them all the as
sistance in their power
Admits Justice of PIea,
Sir Gordon Hewart, British delegate
said that whatever differences there
might seem to be between the Ger
mans and the allies, 1t would be in
FORM and not In substance. He said
All the allies recognized they should
place their evidence in the hands of
the German attorney general and
make 1t as easy as they could for
him to get justice done"
DR.. Heinze. speaking in the name of
the German government, expressed
the opinion that all communications
should be between the law officers of
the different countries. the names of
whom were given him.
Aid for Poland Declined.
The Polish question was the sub
9ect or conversation between
Premier Lloyd George of Great Brit
ain and Premier Millerand of France.
the two prime ministers CONSIDERING
what, If anything. could be done to
nelp the Poles in their present mill
tary difficulty.
Premier Lloyd George is understood
to have said that in view of the agree
ment just concluded between Great
Britain and the Russian soviet gov
ernment he did not feel disposed TO
do anything more than give dipIo-
matte support to the Poles Premier
Mlllerand is reported as having re-
piled that this being the case France
could not go further