Evening star., 1945-11-20
War Trial Opens at Nuremberg
With y Nozis as Defendants;
Indictment Reading Takes Day
Arroignment Is Due
Tomorrow; Hess Is
Present in Court
By DANIEL DE LUCE,


NUREMBERG, Nov. 2O.-A
score of gloomy Nazis sat de-
jectedly today before the Inter
national War Crimes Tribuna,
and heard themselves formally
accused of Nazi war crimes, the
murder of 100000 Europeans
plunder, horror and torture.
Throughout the opening session
of the trial for their lives 20 Hit
lerian followers, such as corpulent
Hermann Goering, vague Rudolf
Hess and defiant Field Marshal Will
helm Keitel, listened through ear
phones while spokesmen of the
nations which crushed their hier-
archy recited crimes the world had
never before witnessed An impish
grin played around Hess sunken
mouth
BY turns prosecutors of the
United States, Great Britain, France
and Russia droned through the four
counts of the 35,000-word Indictment
accusing the last of the leading
Nazis of conspiracy to commit
crimes against peace, actual COM
mission of crimes against peace,
war crimes and crimes against
humanity.
Although only 20 Nazis were pres
ent, two others-Martin Bormann,
Hitler's deputy, who is being tried
in absentia, and Ernst Kaltenbrun-
ner, who suffered brain hemor-
rhage Sunday night-are defend
ants.
The only ones of the original "a
Nazis now missing from the list of
defendants are Robert Ley, Labor
Front boss, who committed suicide,
and Gustav Krupp Won Bohlen und
Halbach, former head of the great
German arnaments firm, who is
suffering from softening of the brain
and whom the court has removed
from the indictment.
Charges against Kaltenbrunner
were read despite his absence in the
hospital. He was nearing the end
of the critical period of his illness
tonight, and doctors said he would
be hospitalized for month. The
court must decide whether Kalten-
Drummer will be tried in absentia or
reindicted for later trial.
Arraignment Tomorrow.
Even the appendices containing
Individual charges against the %
defendants were read. meaning that
the men who terrorized Europe only
a year ago could not be arraigned
until tomorrow. Opening statements
by the prosecution will follow.
The Nazis sometimes sat with
earphones clasped on to hear trans
lations in German piped' to them
as the prosecutors read in English,
French and Russian. Robed attor-
neys sat beside them.
What disposition the tribunal
would make of the reports of alien
lists on Hess mental condition had
yet to be announced. But the for
mer Hitler deputy seemed at mo-
ments almost frivolous as the pro-
ceedings got under way.
The black-gowned defense attor-
neys listened intently to every word
that was spoken, but their clients,
as strangely garbed as cast of beg
gars in an opera, exhibited varying
emotions.
Deeds of Reich Recounted.
The Nazi defendants were dressed
in simple uniforms without medals
1f i,, cfy, oy11o
civilian suits donated from charity
stores.
The defendants listened as lurid
Geed after lurid deed of the Third
Reich was reconstructed in English.
British Lord Justice Geoffrey Law
renee, presiding, told the defend
ants that Britain, the United States,
the Soviet Union and France had
been entrusted with the punishment
of war criminals, adding: This trial
which is about to begin is unique in
the history of Jurisprudence and in
importance to people all over the
world"
Justice Lawrence then ordered the
reading of the indictment.
Sidney S. Alderman, assistant to
the chief American prosecutor,
Justice Robert H. Jackson, opened
the proceedings by reading a con-
densed version. His voice trembled
with nervousness.
E' The defendants stared during the
lengthy reading Hess, Joachim Won
Ribbentrop, Keitel and Alfred
Rosenberg listened without using
the translators' earphones provided
for each man on trial.
Goering, his fat countenance ex-
hibiting bored composure, soon re-
moved his headphones. Grand Ad-
miral Erich Raeder and Walther
Funk, former Reichsbank president,
continued to use the American
translating device.
', The prosecution tables were
crowded. Justice Jackson sat at
the head of the United States dele
cation. Sir David Maxwell-Fy
headed Britains delegation while
Col. Yuri Pokrovsky and Charles
Dubost were sitting as temporary
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