Evening star., 1946-07-26

those promises were calculated de-
ceptions and that those high in the
bloody brotherhood of Nazidom
knew it.
The defendants Goering. Keitel,
Raeder, Frick and Funk, with others,
met as the Reich Defense Council
in June OF 1889 The minutes, au-
thenticated by Goering, are reveal
ing evidence of the way in which
each step Of Nazi planning dove
tailed with every other. These five
key defendants three months before
the first panzer unit had knitted into
Poland, were laying plans for EN-
ployment of the population in war
time" and had gone so far as to
classify industry for priority in
labor supply after 5000, 900 service
men had been called up" They
decided upon measures to avoid
confusion when mobilization takes
place." and declared a purpose Ito
gain and maintain the lead in the
decisive initial weeks of war"
They then planned to use in produc-
ton prisoners of war. criminal pris-
oners, and concentration camp in
mates. The Geneva Conven-
ton would have bee. thrown over
board openly except that Jodl OBJ
jected because he wanted the bene-
fits OF Allied observance of it while
1t was not being allowed to hamper
the Germans in any way.
Thus, the war crimes against All.
lied forces and the crimes againS1
humanity committed in occupied
territories are incontestably part Of
the program of making the wal
because, in the German calculations
they were indispensable to its hopt
of success.
A galance over the dock will show
that, despite quarIels among them.
selves. each defendant played 6
part which fitted in with every
other, and that all advanced tht
common plan. 1t contradicts ex'
perience that men of such divers,
backgrounds and talents should st
forward each Others aims by CO.
incidence.
Goering Adept at Massacre.
The large and varied role OF
Goering was half militarist and hall
sangster. He stuck pudgy finger
in every pie He used his SA
musclemen to help bring the ganf
into power. In ORDER to entrencf
that power he contrived to have
the Reichstag burned, established
the Gestapo, and created the con.
centration camps. He was equally
adept at massacreing opponents ane
at framing scandals to get rid O.
stubborn generals. He built up tn,
Luftwaffe and hurled it at his de.
fenseless neighbors. He was among
the foremost in harrying the Jew
out of the land. BY mobilizing tn,
| total economic resources of Ger
many he made possible the wagint
of the war which he had taken {
large part in planning. He was
next to Hitler, the man who tiet
the activities of all the defendant!
! together in a common effort.
The parts played by the other de.
PENDANTS, although less comprehen.
sive and less spectacular than tina
Of the reichsmarshal. were neverthe.
less integral and necessary contri
buttons to the joint undertaking
without any one OF which the sue.
cess OF the common enterprise woule
have been in jeopardy.
The dominant fact whieh stands
out from all the thousands of pages
Of the record of this trial is tha
the central crime of the wholt
group of Nazi crimes-the attacl
on the peace OF the world-wa
clearly and deliberately planned
The beginning of these wars o
aggression was not an unpreparet
and spontaneous springing to arm
by a population excited by SOM
current indignation. Nor wer,
the war crimes and the crime
against humanity unplanned, iso
lated or spontaneous offenses.
Nothing was permitted under tn,
Nazi iron rule that was not il
accordance with the program
Everything of consequence that tool
place in this regimented societ,
was but manifestation of a pre-
meditated and unfolding purpose tt
secure the Nazi state place in tn,
sun by casting all others intt
darkness. .
Self-Defense Plea Falls.
But some of the defendants argu,
that the wars were not aggressive
and were only intended to protec
Germany against some eventua