Evening star., 1942-10-07
to ringleaders included Hitler and
Mussolini.
Welles N0n-COmmittaI,

Welles NOn-Committal.
Acting Secretary of State Sumner
Welles was asked at a later press
conference If Hitler was considered
one of the "ringleaders" responsible
for the war crimes, and replied that
he would leave that to the judgment
of those attending his conference.
He added tersely that the answer is
almost self-explanatory.
As to whether the term war
criminals" is limited to Axis leaders
responsible for atrocities in occupied
countries or might include broad
questions of war guilt, Mr.. Welles
said he believed the Presidents
statement specifically referred to
those individuals actually adjudged
to be responsible for the war atroc-
tiles and the slaughter of hundreds
of innocent individuals.
He added that the proposed United
Nations Commission for the Investi-
CATION of War Crimes probably
would be set up in the near future
to begin collecting available evi-
dence.
Declaring that it was not the in
tention to resort to mass reprisals,
the Chief Executive predicted the
number of persons eventually found
guilty undoubtedly would be ex-
tremely small compared to the total
enemy populations.
Wants France Included.
Lord Simon said organized atroc-
tiles perpetrated by or on orders of
Germany in Occupied France should
be included in the scope OF the COM
missions investigation, and that 1t
should cover the activities of Of
tenders regardless of their rank.
The latter provision was inter-
preted at first glance as meaning
the commission would study war
crimes guilt from the lowest pri-
vate to Hitler, himself.
Lord Simon said exiled govern
ments here of Allied nations al
ready had given their approval.
Our object" he asserted, "is not
to undertake or encourage mass
executions, but to fix these hor-
rible crimes upon those enemy in
dividuals who are really respon-
sible and ought to be dealt with
as criminals"
Warned Of Trials August Fl.
In his August 81 statement the
President warned those responsible
for the "barbaric crimes of the in
vaders in Europe and in Asia" that
"the time will come when they will
have to stand in courts Of law in
the very countries which they are
now expressing and answer for
their acts"
The August 81 statement was in
spired by an official communication
from ENJOYS of the occupied coun-
tries in Europe calling attention to
the atrocities against civilians in the
Netherlands, Yugoslavia, Belgium,
Greece, Norway, Poland. Czechoslo-
vakia, Luxembourg and Occupied
France.
Mr.. Roosevelt had warned against
such atrocities last October IS when
he described them as ''the acts of
desperate men who know in their
hearts that they cannot win" He
declared then that the fright
fulness" being practiced by the Axis
"only sows the seeds of hatredness
which will one day bring retribu-
ton"
The text of the Presidents state
ment follows:
"On August u I said that this
Government was constantly receiv-
ing information concerning the bar
baric crimes being committed by the
enemy agaist civilian populations in
occupied countries, particularly on
the continent of Europe I said it
was the purpose of this Government,
as I knew 1t to be the purpose of
the other United Nations, to see that
when victory is won the perpetrators
Of these crimes shall answer for
them before courts of law.
THE commission of these crimes
continues.
Il now declare 1t to be the inten-
ton of this government that the
successful close of the war shall in
clude provision for the surrender to