The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1945-05-02

miral had appointed BrltlSh-educat-
ed Count Ludwig (also known as
Lutz) Schwerin Won Krosigk, %
year old nephew of the late Kaiser
Wilhelm, as foreign minister.
Schwerin Won Krosigk, former
Rhodes scholar at oxford, SPEAKS
fluent English and it was suggest
ed that Doenitz may have called
upon him as man capable Of ne
gotiating with the Allies.
He was minister of Finance in
Adolf Hitler's government, but had
been active in German politics
long before Hitler's advent. He be-
came head of the German budget
department in 1929 and served n
the Won Papen and Shcleichel cabl-
nets before Hitler came into power.
Like all members of the Hitler
government, SchWerin Won Kresisk
was made a member of the Nazi
party. But he was regarded the
least NaZi of those in the cabi-
net.
Radio Hamburg made no mention
Of Ribbentrop. He last was reported
III SOuIllClll NiC1 llASlllE WV WINS
ago. 1t was possible that he was re-
placed because he had lost contact
with the rest of the government.
Goebbels Dead?
London sources which reported
that Goebbels may have died with
Hitler in Berlin pointed out that he
had not been mentioned by the
German radio for more than week
though as gauleiter of the capital
he then was directing its defense.
Thus within the short space of
six days. four of the top Nazi lead
ers of Germany have disappeared
from the scene - Hitler, Goebbels,
Ribbentrop and Reichsmarshal Her.
mann Goering. The German radio
announced last Friday that Goeb-
bells had resigned as commander of
the Luftwaffe because of poor
health.
Whereabouts and status of the
other top Nazi, Gestapo Chief and
Interior Minister Heinrich Himmler
were not known. Doenitz did not
signify Immediately whether he
considered Himmler part of his
regime.
Himmler hitherto had been head
of the Reichs home defenses and
second only to Hitler. Informed
British circles considered Himmler
still Germanys strongest figure
They contended that Doenitz never
could have assumed power without
the support of Himmlers SIS and
GeStapo
Himmler may have put Doenitz
forward as non-War criminal who
more easily could arrange an arm
istice with the Allies. Himmler
himself offered 10 days ago to sur
render Germany Internationally to
the United States and Britain, but
waa refused because Russia was not
included in the offer.
Both Allied and neutral sources
believed that Hitler's death-real or
Newfoundland Doenitz's ascension to
fuehrer would hasten victory in Eu-
rope
Relief persisted in London that
Geemanys final collapse or surren-
der would come this week.
Prime Minister Churchill con-
ferTed with his cabinet most of the
night on the swift sequence of
events and was expected to speak
in commons today.
The surrender of German forces
in Denmark already may be under
way. A Stockholm dispatch to the
-noGNn Etra,,jy,o
German naval forces in Denmark
had begun to surrender
German troops have turned back
police power to Danish police in a
number of Danish villages, Copen-
hagen dispatches said, and reports
persisted that an agreement had
been reached on the surrender of all
German forces in the tiny coun-
try.
Conflicting reports We're received
from Norway. Some said the Ger
mans were determined to fight to
T., death there, but others asserted
the surrender of those forces also
was likely.
One source said Doenitz had dis
charged Admiral Otto Ciliax, Ger
man naval commander in Norway,
because he desired to capitulate. Ad-
miral Theodor Kranke, formerly as
siStant to Gen. Fritz Boehme, Ger
man army commander in Norway,
was named to succeed Ciliax, it was
said
Bohme also issued an order of
tn day calling on the German gar
rison to tighten its ranks and ignore
shameful wisdom which lodges
danger"
From Oslo, however, came word
that the Germans had released
1900 political prisoners.
A portentious meeting also was