Evening star., 1946-01-07
IS General Tesfifies
Nazis Aimed 10 XIII
100000 SIavs
By the Associated Press.

ASWchA. wiz VAC 1AbCA AdtAOAAdA WILL.
tary Tribunal today that the Nazis
attacked Russia with q goal of wip-
ing out 10000. 900 Slavs.
Calmly and without batting ar
eye, the 46-year-old general, an ar
dent Nazi, admitted that brutality
was directed especially against par
tisans on the eastern front and as
serted that the German high COM
mand could not help being fully
aware of the methods used.
His testimony was against the "a
ranking Nazis on trial as war GRIM
inals before the court Of the United
States, Great Britain, Russia and
France. He commanded German
units which suppressed the Warsaw
uprising in 1914 and was awarded
the knights Cross by Hitler for his
systematic destruction of the Polish
capital in 6l-day siege.
Himmler Set Figure.
Before that, Heinrich Himmler OF
the Gestapo had designated him
chief of all counteractivities against
Russian partisans, and he is reputed
to have been selected by Himmler
10 lead the Nazi postwar under
ground.
Allied officers said Bach-Zelewski
probably had witnessed more atroci-
ties than any other German witness
who has appeared at the trial.
Bach Zelewski testified that
Himmler, since a suicide. set the
figure OF 30,000,000 Slavs to be elimi-
mated. He said there were no writ
ten orders on how to deal with Par
tisans, but he declared that the
methods used certainly were
known" because full reports were
made on every operation.
Standing stiff1y erect, he disclosed
under questioning by the Russian
prosecutor that the Nazis formed a
special brigade made up of crimi-
nals-murderers and robbers-to
combat the Partisans.
He said the brigade was organized
presumably with consent of the high
command, but asserted that he per-
sonally disapproved Of using field
unit of such low characters"
Fury Among Defendants.
He said the harshness of the
methods used against partisans de-
pended to a large extent on indi-
vidual German Army commanders
He testified. however, that one order
was handed down by the German
high command that no disciplinary
action was to be taken against any
German soldier for actions against
the civil population In overrun Rus
sian regions.
American prosecutors were at
tempting to prove that the German
high command and general staff
were as guilty Of war atrocities as
were the most fanatical Nazis.
Bach-Zelewski's testimony caused
noticeable fury among the defend
ants when he told the court he was
making this confession because
have found my conscience"
Leaving the courtroom, he passed
within a few feet of former Reichs-
Hermann Goering who
sneered and uttered a curse which
could be heard 80 feet away.
Commando Slaughter Ordered.
Secret Nazi documents, introduced
at the trial. disclosed that orders
were issued for the immediate exc
cution to the last man of Allied
Commando units landed in Nor
mandy.
The orders contained a frank ad.
mission that the terror and saho.
tage" units-especially British Com
mandos-had seriously hamperec
the German war wachine.
The German command was charged
directly with ordering the iquida.
ton af all members of British
American and Russian military
missions captured in the southeast
Four defendants-Field Marsha
Wilhelm Keitel, chief of the Ger.
man high command; Col. Gen. AL.
fred Jodl, chief of staff of the
army; Grand Admiral Karl Doenitz
commander in chief of the navy, ano
Grand Admiral Erich Raeder, for.
mer Nazi navy commander-were
accused Of having issued the liquida-
ton orders offered in evidence.
Executions were carried out with
out trials, the documents indicated
and in some cases the executions
came so speedily that commanders
were reprimanded for failing to in.
terrogate prisoners before shooting
them.
Long Trial Expected.
Seeking to break down the con-
tention that the generals were
merely professional soldiers obeyine
orders, Col. Telford Taylor of Chevy
Chase, Md, one of the American
prosecutors, presented document
signed by Keitel instructing whole
sale slaughter in Russia.
Despite attempts to speed up the
trial, considerable doubt was ex-
pressed in some quarters that a yer.
dict would be returned by May
first anniversary of the wars end
American prosecutors hope to fin.
ish their case this week, but the
French and Russian prosecutor.
probably will require at least 9
month to present their evidence. Ths
defense may take two and one-hal,
to three months for its case, after
which closing statements will bs
made.
The military tribunal then will
tackle the long job of reviewing tn,
evidence and writing It's findings.
III e Gurrdes P,,&nI;x,,