Evening star., 1946-01-04
Nuernbero
Continued From First Page

was regarded as a sacred duty
though sad necessity. This was
one OF the chief reasons behind the
partially secret rearnament which
began about 10 years before Hitler
came to power and was accentuated
under NaI rule. x
Hitler Not Opposed.
Before 1889 German generals
were not opposed to Hitler. There
was no reason to oppose Hitler since
he produced results which they de-
sired. After this time some generals
began to condemn his methods and
lost confidence in the power of his
Judgment. However, they failed as
a group to take any definite stand
against him, although few of them
tried to do so and as a result had
to pay with their lives or their po-
sitions.
Shortly after my removal from
the post Of commander in chief of
the armed forces in January, 1928,
Hitler asked me to recommend a
successor. I suggested (Hermann)
Goering, who was the ranking officer,
but Hitler objected because of his
lack of patience and diligence.
Il was replaced as commander in
chief by no officer, but Hitler per-
sonally took over my function as
commander. Keitel (Field Marshal
Wilhelm Keitel, one of the defend
ants who was known throughout the
war as chief of the German high
comman0 was recommended by me
as chief Of bureau. AS far as I know,
he was never named commander of
the armed forces, but was always a
chief OF staff under Hitler and in
effect conducted the administrative
functions of the ministry of war.
Keitel Not Opposed to Hitler.
AT my time Keitel was not op-
posed to Hitler and therefore was
qualified to bring about good under
standing between Hitler and the
armed forces, a thing which I my
self desired and had furthered as
Reichswehrminister and Reichs-
kriegminister.
ITO do the opposite would have
led to civil war, for at that time
the mass of the German people sup
ported Hitler. Many are no longer
willing to admit this. But it is true.
"Keitel did not oppose any of
Hitler's measures. He became a
willing tool in Hitler's hands for
every one of his decisions.
He did not measure up to what
might have been expected of him. "
Col. Telford Taylor of Chevy
Chase, Md, American deputy pros
ecutor who formerly was counsel
for the Federal Communications
Commission, reminded the judges of
the United States, Russia, Great
Britain and France that the prose-
cution saw nothing criminal in the
preparation of war plans against
actual conflicts, but I'VE will show
the defendants agreed with Nazi
objectives. Without this
agreement on detectives there might
never have been war;
Col. Taylor explained that five of
the defendants we're members of the
Nazi Command group. Of them,
four-keitel, Col. Gen. Alfred Jodl,
Grand Admiral Erich Raeder and
Grand Admiral Karl Doenitz-are
on trial particularly because of their
acts as military men, but the fifth,
Reichsmarshal Hermann Goering,
ne declared. was primarily Nazi
politician"
Two Linked to Horrors.
Blomberg's testimony came after
two defendants were linked directly
with horrors of Nazi concentration
camps.
A dramatic moment in the ses-
sion came when Alois Hoellrieel
former guard at the Mauthausen
death camp, rose from his seat
and pointed finger directly at
Baldur Won Schirach when asked to
identify the defendant who visited
Mauthausen in 1912.
The one-time strutting head OF
the Hitler youth movement, who be-
fore the trial contended he was un-
aware of concentration camp hor-
rors, moved uneasily as all eyes In
the courtroom turned on him
Then he leaned forward and whis-
pered to Goering.
Another witness-Walter Schell-
enberg, former SIS brigade leader
and chief Of the Nazi security police