Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-05-09
Asserts He Thinks
Fuehrer Died on
April n or %
BY the Associated Press.

Ny WIG AlllCllSdil fUll Alllly dllC
declared today that he had been
arrested by the Germans or
orders of Hitler because he
wanted to conclude a surrender
The fat Reichsmarshal said he
was seized by the Germans on
April q. held at Berchtesgaden and
ordered executed. He last saw Hitler
on April % in Berlin, he asserted.
He said he believed Hitler died
on April II or %.
Field Marshal Albert Kesselring
German commander on the western
front until March. also was captured.
Succeeded Rundstedt.
Kesselring was the last German
commander in chief on the western
front. Early in March he was shift
ed from Italy to succeed Field Mar
shall Won Rundstedt, who was cap
tured last week by the 7th Army.
Goering surrendered personally to
Brig. Gen. Robert Stack, assistant
commander of the 36th (Texas)
Division, which also captured Field
Marshal Won Rundstedt on May /.
The surrender occurred on a road
east of Kitzbuhel last night.
Goering's wife and their child also
were taken.
All three appeared to be in good
health.
Goering's wife, the former actress
Emmy Sonnemann, cried frequently.
Gen. Stack is from Schenectady,
N. Y.
Besides Goering and Runstedt, the
Texas division in the last fortnight
had captured such luminaries as
Admiral Nicholas Horthy, former
regent of Hungary, and Field Mar
shalS List and Won Leeb.
Goering Drives Up in Big Car.
Shortly after noon today Goer-
ing's Mercedes Benz automobile,
driven by his own chauffeur, a 1t.
Schultz, swung into hotel drive
way as one unit of motor process
sion and the pudgy and immaculate
ly dressed marshal of Germany's
vanished Luftwaffe stepped out
From an American car at the
head of the procession Gen. Stack
emerged. He and Goering went to
the second floor of the building to
await the arrival of Maj. Gen. John
E. Dahlquist, divisional commander.
Goering was accompanied by his
aide, Col. Berndt Brauchitsch. The
colonel had come from Georing's
hideaway three days ago with a
message for Gems. Eisenhower and
Jacob l.. Devers-6th Army Group
commander-in which the marshal
offered to surrender.
He chatted a few minutes with
Gen. Stack and this correspondent,
speaking through an interpreter. AL
though he understands English, he
does not speak the language we'll.
Then Gen. Dahlquist arrived.
After brief greetings and a hand
shake, Dahlquist dismissed the in
terpreter and talked with .Goering
in German.
Goering Immediately remarked to
Gen. Dahlquist:
Your name indicates you are
Swedish"
YES" replied the commander.
His father and mother both were
born in Sweden.
GolEing spoke briefly of his visits
in that country. Dahlquist then re-
marked:
Your first wife was Swedish,
wasn't she?"
Goering nodded.
Talk in Hotel Suite.
The general invited Goering to
sit in an overstuffed chair in
small hotel suite the general had for
the occasion, and both relaxed and
continued talking.
The former air marshal was
dressed in green-hued coat of his
Hermann Goering panzer regiment,
light riding breeches and brown
boots. He wore two rings on the
third finger of his right hand. A
single emerald ring was on the third
finger of the left hand. A small
f1rst-aid bandage was on the thumb
Of the right hand.
On his left arm he wore a white
arm band surrender symbol.
From his neck was suspended the
Grand Cross of the knights Cross
of the Iron Cross with diamonds
and brilliants. The decoration was
the only one of its kind in Germany.
He also wore the Order of Pour LIE
Merite. From his left breast dangled
a chain of Luftwaffe Cross decora-
tons.
Goering complained that he had
lost more than half of his decora-
tons In the bombing of Berchtes-
gaden, where he said he was held
prisoner on orders from Hitler.
Rescued by Flyers.
An announcement at Paris
quoted Goering as saying he had
been sentenced to death April "a for
suggesting that he take over leader
ship Of the Reich from Hitler. He
said he. had been arrested, but res
cued by German flyers.
The corpulent 51-year-old Goering
Is the self-styled most faithful
paladin of the Fuehrer" and had
been designated by Hitler as his
successor. But that was before the
Reichsmarshal fell from favor in
the closing months of Nazi Germany.
He is one of the worlds greatest
collectors OF medals, uniforms and
art-the latter largely pilfered from
countries which Germany overran.
Among other things he was Prus-
nan prime minister, minister of
aviation. president of the Reichstag,
minister of forestation, Reich's mas