The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-10-15

Britons reacted various to Rus- siaS proposal. Their sentiments ranged from suggestions that he be shot summarily to insistence that Britain would be unjustified in try ing him at present.
 Some feared that Germany would retaliate against Allied war prison- CTS, and others held a trial would be violation of international law. It also was pointed out that the full story of Hess flight had never been made public and suggested that he might be "a plenipotentiary. in which case he is entitled to his im- mediate release"
 A diplomatic commentator said no comment on the Russian statement would be made officially until a copy of the declaration was re- ceived by the foreign office.
 He said the situation would be clarified If Britain received a reply to 8 note sent to Russia enbody- ing Anglo-American proposals for an international commission to inveS- tigate war crimes, or if other Allied governments supported Russia's de- mands that Hess be punished im- mediately.
 The commentator said the British American statement had been am- plified by action of the House of Commons yesterday.
 "The notorious Hess is one of the leaders who may be covered by that statement" he said. "He became our prisoner May 10 last year There were plenty of crimes on the Ger man slate at that date. but the pol icy toward crime had been very extensively amplified by what has occurred in Russia and elsewhere since that date"
 The commentator recalled that the refugee governments of Czecho- Slovakia, Poland, Belgium, Holland Luxembourg, Norway, JugoSlavia and Greece, at an inter-allied meeting al St. James palace last January 13 demanded punishment for all war criminals.
 Notes embodying that demand were sent to the United States, Bri- tain, Russia and China, and a copy was dispatched to Vatican City for the Pope's information.
 Lord Chancellor Sir John Simon. he said, stated the British attitude toward the Allied demand when he proposed a fact finding commission The United States approved the pro- posal, the commentator said, but there has been no commtnt from the Vatican.
 "The Soviet statement issued now to the Allied governments domicileC in London shows complete agree ment with the objectiveS we had in mind in the Simons statement" he said. When the Soviet reply to oul note is received we can go ahead with practical proposals"
 In its statement, Russia affirmed its "inf1exible determination that the criminal Hitlerite governmen and all its accomplices must and shall suffer the deserved stern pun iShment for crimes perpetratec against peoples of the Soviet Union and against all freedom loving peo- ples in the territories temporarily occupied by its accomplices.
 Names War Guilty
 "The whole of mankind knows tho names and the bloody crimes of the leaders of the criminal Hitler clique Hitler, Hermann Goering, Ru- dolph Hess, Heinrich Himmler, Joa. chiin Won Ribbentrop, Alfred Rosen. berg and othetr organizers of Ger man brutailties among the numer' out leaders of Fascits Germany, many with deliberately aiming al Russia said. Russia charged Ger. the direct physical annihilation ol "a considerable section of the popu- lation of territories captured bS them"
 It was explained that the state. ment was made in response to ar appeal by the exiled governments oi occupied territories, including the fighting French.
 Russia suggested that "thesI criminals" should be tried by a spe cial international court to bt form ed by the Allies.
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