Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-02-13
GERMANY WILL
! PUNISH GUILTY,
1 SAYS SCHIFFER
.All Officers Listed by Allies
for ExtraditiOn to Be
Tried.
NEW COURT PROVIDED

BERLIN, Feb. 13.-Minlster of Justice
Schiller announced today that the Ger
fauan department of justice will arrest
try and punish all of the German Of
ficers on the allies extradition list
against whom it is possible to bring
#court proceedings, irrespective Of the
Developments in the negotiations now
proceeding between the allies and Ger
#.lnany.'
Herr Schiller declared that Germany
would press the trials Of officers where
aFthe evidence justifes, "even if the allies
Ashould withdraw their extradition de-
N.uilnds"
Ell He added that already Germany has
i@punished war criminals for their acts in
France and Belgium, but like England
end France, Germany keeps secret the
executions of her soldiers"
The allies and myself are both of the
some purpose in wishi lg to punish the
guilty" said Herr Schiller. The allies
care proceeding arbitrarily while I am
proceeding legally. l am positive that
the extraditions are impossible and
am equally confident that Germany will
do her utmost to punish every guilty
man.
sGERMAN SUPREME
NCOURT PROVIDED.
for a German supreme court at Leipzig
10 try all cases of war crimes, whether
committed in Germany or other couh-
4ries, unanimously passed The national
assembly on Dec. IS. This measure 9d-
mits to the court representatives of the
allied governments as prosecutors, allied
Hlavyers and also witnesses from the al
slied countries. I have instructed she
prosecutor in the supreme court at Le!p-
zig to act upon the receipt of the allied
list and to examine all the names upon
it. He has been ordered further to re-
view all the German official records
hearing on the cases in question and
prepare indictments.
Even should the allies withdraw their
demand for extraditions We will proceed
with the matter and try every case listed
where we have available evidence. The
allies can not say that our action Is too
late for they have previously refused our
request for the names and the testimony
they had in their possession.
NUMEROUS CRIMINALS
ALREADY PUNISHED.
Eve have already punished numerous
war criminals for their acts in northern
france and Belgium, but like France and
England, Germany does not publish the
executions Of her soldiers. But I have
ordered these cases collected and If it is
necessary 1 shall show the evidence to
the entente.
The allied list is technically impos-
sible. 1t was arbitrarily. specifically
and frivolously drawn. It is a mockery
of justice; neither precise nor specific as
to acts nor persons involved
CHARGES ARE
INCOMPLETE
Herr Schiller here referred to the orig
inal list which he has in his possession.
He continued:
For instance here is Maj. Won Bredow
charged with murder, but 1t does not say
whom, how or where. When internation-
al law is invoked to secure man foc
trial for his crimes, he can not be ex-
tradiated when only the general term
murder" is charged against him. In
legal usage everywhere a man has the
right to know the details Of the charge
against him so he can prepare for his
defense"
The correspondent was permitted to
glance through the official list from
Paris. It contained charges of pillage
theft, murder and cruelty. In some cases
there was a lack of details and in many
Instances no name was given.