Evening star., 1944-08-13
Hitler and Company
Moy Seek Sanctuary
Questios Is Whether Any Neu.
trail Country Would Obli9e
By William, H. Harrison.

II mas Deen SAID That when cataS-
trophe finally overtakes him, Hitler will
probably flee to his aerie at Berchtes-
gaden and there blow his brains out or
DO something equally violent and the
atrical to mark his exit from the vale
OF tumult and tears. But life is as sweet
TO thugs and tyrants as to anybody
else, and the Fuehrer's instinct for self
preservation may persuade him, assum-
Ing ne escapes assassination, to seek
refuge somewhere from the avenging
justice Of what President Roosevelt once
called the maSsed angered forces of
common humanity"
If this is what Hitler hopes to do
when the Allied armies march into Ber-
lin. II he proposes to live out his years
IN quiet spot where he can breathe
easily, conspire little, continue his
vegetarian diet and perhaps write q
volume of self-justifying memoirs in
his inimitably turgid style he will have
to prevail upon some neutral country to
let him in and grant him asylum. The
same problem must sooner or later con-
front Goebbels, Goering, Himmler and
others OF the Nazi hierarchy, together
with a wide and shabby assortment of
Quislings throughout Europe. A siz-
able group of Japanese must face it,
too, and so must Mussolini and his
henchmen when Germany crumbles.
There are many precedents, of course,
for granting asylum. The idea is as
old as civilization, having come into ex-
lstence as humanitarian concept when
legal systems were almost as primitive
as the jungle and when justice con-
sisted OF little more than brutal retalia-
ton, Thus 1t was recognized in Mosaic
law, under which offenders could at
one time escape punishment by fleeing
to the temple altars Of the ancient He
brews, and after this right was ended.
by going to certain designated "cities
OF refuge The Greeks and the Ro-
mans attached a similar protective
meaning to their sacred places and
symbols, and in the beginning of Chris
tianity up into the Middle Ages, GRIM
lnals OF every sort could find sanctuary
in churches.
y \
Through the course Of centuries, how
ever, in view Of vast Improvements in
the processes of justice and in recogni-
ton Of the fact that the concept of
sanctuary had been srsvely abused by
the worst elements Of society. the civil
lied nations of the world changed the
whole character of the asylum system.
so that in more modern times it came
to apply only to political of1enders-not
to criminals-who were fugitives from
their home countries. Indeed, even this
Interpretation was gradually narrowed,
the revolutionary French, for example.
writing into their constitution that
France would offer refuge not to
hunted tyrants but only to those ex-
lied in the cause of liberty. Later, led
by the French and Belgians in 1884. ex-
tradition treaties came into being, and
these established the practice of re.
turning wanted culprits to their native
jurisdiction, but without obligating the
signatories to hand over political
refugees
Today, as Hitler and all his Axis
partners must realize no such thing as
the right OF asylum exists in interna-
tlonal law. That is to say no individual
IN flight from one country can demand
protection from another country. Never
theless,' on the strength of its soyer.
eighty, state, If 1t wishes to do so for
reasons OF policy or expediency. can
grant to political fugitives sanctuary
within its territory, or in exceptional in
stances. even in its embassies legations
or consulates abroad and on its war
ships in foreign waters If it does this.
however. state is obligated to see to
1t that the refugee is prevented from
engaging in any activities endaneerinq
other states. Thus. standing on its
sovereign position after the First World
War, Holland refused Allied requests
that it hand over the Kaiser-whom a
lot OF people wanted to hang-but 1t
Kept him under guard and made sure
that he did nothing more mischievous
than chop wood
There will obviously be no such hos
pitality available in Holland when the
present struggle ends, but Hitler. Mus
sollni and company may well be hoping
to find something like it elsewhere-if
not IN Switzerland, perhaps in Sweden,
or If not there. perhaps in Fire, or in
Portugal, or IN Spain, or in Vatican City,
or In Argentina on this side of the
world. Actually assuming that they can
elude the Allied forces there is at least
chance that the top Axis leaders NAV be
able to find haven of some sort. how
ever temporary. The strange Argentine
political setup is particularly suggestive
IN this connection, and as long ago as
July. ls43, the possibility seemed real
enough to President Roosevelt to make
him comment on it in these words:
I find it difficult to believe that any
neutral country would give asylum to
or extend protection to any of them,
l can only say that the Government
OF the United States would regard the
action by neutral government in
anordlng asylum to Axis leaders or
their tools as inconsistent with the
principles for which the United Ma
tlons are fighting and that the United
states Government hopes that no
neutral government will permit its
territory to be used as a place of
refuge or otherwise assist such per-
sons In any effort to escape their
just deserts
+
These presidential views have long
since been conveyed through formal dip
lomatic channels to all the neutral capi-
tails. The British and Russians have