The Wilmington morning star., 1945-06-08
TRIAL OF NAILS
ASSURED BY U.S.,
Continued from Page One)

in prospect. It was phrased that
way to make this country's deter
mination more emphatic, he said.
He added that he did not antici-
pate any delay on the part of 9TH
er nations in preparing for the
trials.
Jackson, chief U. S. prosecutor
of war crimes, reported to Mr..
Truman on his preliminary trip to
London to prepare the trials. He
said much has been accomplish
ed in amassing evidence and deter
mining procedure. But he would not
estimate when the trials can start
or how long they will last. This, he
said, depends partly on other gov
ernments.
He said the United States, France
and Great Britain are substantially
agreed upon method of proce-
dure. Russia, he added, while
not yet committed, has been kept
informed of our steps, and there
is no reason to doubt that it will
unite in the prosecution.
Jackson revealed that many war
criminals already are in u. S.
hands.
1t has cost unmeasured thou
sands of American Lives to beat and
bind these men," he said. ITO free
them without a trial would mock
the dead and make cynics of the
living.
"On the other hand, we could
execute or otherwise punish them
without a hearing. But (thaD
would not set easily on the Ameri-
can conscience or be remembered
by our children with PRIDE
He said the legal charges against
Nazi leaders will be divided into
three classes.
l. Atrocities and offenses against
persons or property in violation of
international law. These include
the killing and maltreatment OF
wounded and prisoners of war, fir
ing on undefended localities, pill
lage and wanton destruction.
2. Atrocities and prosecutions
committed for racial or religious
grounds since 1888.
3. Invasions of other countries
and initiation Of wars Of axgres-
sion in violation Of international
law or treaties.
Localized crimes, he said, fall
into the following classes and will
be left up to military authorities
and individual overnments to pros
ecute.
1. Offenses against military per.
sonnet Of the United States, such
as the execution of U. S. airmen
2. Offenders who, under the
l943 Moscow declaration, are to be
sent back to the scenes of their
crimes.
8. Prosecution by individual
countries of their own traitorous
nationals-such as "Quislings, La.
walls, Lord Haw-Haws and the
like
1t was understood that all key
members of the German general
staff would be brought to book.
eve also PROPOSE" he said, etc
establish the criminal character Of
several voluntary organizations
which have played a cruel and
controlling part in subjugating
first the German people and Their
their neighbors.
"It is not, of course, suggested
that a person should be judged
a criminal merely because he
voted for certain candidates OF
maintained political affiliations ir
the sense that we in America sup.
port political candidates. The or.
CARNATIONS which we will accuse
have no resemblance to our politi-
cal parties. Organizations such as
the Gestapo and the S. S. were di-
rect action units, and were re-
cruited from volunteers accepted
only because of aptitude for, and
fanatical devotion to, their violent
purposes.
Jacson said that the primary
purpose of the United States and
of its Allies is to punish acts
(which have been regarded as
criminal since the time of Cain
and have been so written in every
civilized CODE"
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