Evening star., 1942-10-15
Atrocities
Continued From First Page.)

ister Goebbels, Gestapo Chief
Himmler, Foreign Minister Won
Ribbentrop and DR.. Alfred Rosen-
berg, Nazi theological leader and
minister of civil administration in
the eastern regions occupied by the
Germans, were named as organizers
OF German atrocities.
The Russian note was given a
leading place in the Russian press
and circulated textually throughout
the world by Tass, official Russian
news agency.
Technically the note was response
to a solicitation from the govern
ments- of Czecho- Slovakia.
Poland, Yugoslavia, Norway, Greece,
Belgium, the Netherlands and Lux
embourg, as well as the French
National Committee-the Fighting
French.
Answer to Note.
These governments and the Fight
ing French had asked, following a
declaration by them on January 13,
that the Soviet government tissue a
warning concerning the respon-
sibility for crimes committed by
Hitlerites in the countries they have
occupied" as the preamble to the
Russian note explained.
Foreign Commissar Vyacheslav
Molotov issued the announcement
on behalf Of Premier Stain.
"The Soviet government under
takes to cooperate fully in provid-
ing information of specific crimes
by specific persons and bringing the
criminals to book in melting out
punishment" 1t said.
THE whole world knows the
names and bloody crimes of the
leaders Of the Hitlerite clique
Hitler, Goering, Hess, Goebbels,
Himmler, Ribbentrop, Rosenberg
and Others"
The statement said Russia was
"in full sympathy with the suffer-
ings of the people of the countries
of Europe occupied by Germany"
"The miseries, degradation and
privation inAicted on peoples by the
Hitlerite tyranny are all the more
readily understood by the people of
the Soviet Union since the Hitler
lite invaders in temporarily occupied
Soviet areas are perpetrating their
crimes on a monstrous scale" it
said. 80. =,
The Russian proposal startled
London. A British Foreign once
commentator said that Hess, Of
course, Is regarded as one" Of the
Nazi leaders who might be affected
by the British governments own
earlier declaration proposing q tri-
bunal to indict war criminals.
He emphasized, however, that
"l4ess became our prisoner on May
10, 1941," and of course while there
were plenty of crimes" to be charged
against the Nazi leaders prior to
that date the atrocities affecting the
Russian people and the majority of
those against other European peo-
Piles occurred later.
The commentator also emphasized
that the Russian announcement had
not been addressed to London and
was known here only through broad
casts.
Although he said the Russian
statement seemed ito show complete
agreement with the objectives" of
Allied announcements of intention
to punish Axis leaders, the commen-
tator declined to discuss specifically
what view Britain might take Of the
suggestion that high Axis prisoners
be tried before the wars end.
He noted, however, a statement in
the House of Commons by Richard
Law, undersecretary of foreign
affairs, who said the proposed tri-
bunal was intended to be a fact
finding body" essentially for the
purpose of collecting evidence.
Lord Chancellor Viscount Simon
and Undersecretary Richard Law
followed an october 7 statement by
President Roosevelt in outlining
official British and American inten-
tions as regards the punishment of
Axis leaders responsible for organ
lied atrocities.