Evening star., 1946-10-01
Text Of Courts Verdict
Acquitting Won Popen

Acquitting Won Popen
NUREMBERG. Oct. 1.--Tert OF
the International Military Tri-
bun1Ps Uerdict In the case OF
Franz pon Papen:
Won Papen Is indicted under counts
one and two.
He was appointed Chancellor to the
Reich on June !, 1882, and was sue
ceeded by Won Schleicher on Decem-
ber 2, 1892. He was made Vice
Chancellor In the Hitler cabinet on
January 30, 1888, and on November
10, 1888, plenipotentiary for the Saar.
On July 26, 1884, he was appointed
Minister to Vienna and was recalled
on February 4, 1888. On April 20,
1899, he was appointed Ambassador
to Turkey. He returned to Germany
when Turkey broke off diplomatic
relations with Germany In August.
1914.
Crimes against peace-Von Papen
was active in 1882 and 1888 IN help
ing Hitler to form the coalition
cabinet and aided in his appoint
ment as Chancellor. On January 30,
1893, as Vice Chancellor in that
cabinet he participated In the Nazi
consolidation Of control in 1888.
On June is, 1894, however. Won
Papen made a speech at Marburg
which contained a denunciation of
the NaN attempts to suppress the
free press and the church, of the
existence Of a reign of terror and Of
Nazis who were mistaking brutality
for vitelity.
On June 80, 1884, in the wave of
violence which accompanied the So
called Roehm purge, Won Papen was
taken into custody by the SIS. His
office force was arrested and two of
his associates, including the man
who had helped him work on the
Marburg speech, were murdered.
Won Papen was released on July 8,
1894.
Became Envoy to Austria.
Notwithstanding the murder of
his associates Won Papen accepted
the position of Minister to Austria.
On July rs. 1884, the day after DOLL
fuss had been assasSinated, his ap-
pointment was announced in a let
ter from Hitler which instructed
him to direct relations between the
two countries into normal and
friendly channels and assured him
Of Hitler's complete and unlimited
confidence.
As Minister to Austria Won Papen
was active in trying to strengthen
the position of the Nazi Party in
Austria for the purpose of bringing
about AnschluSs. In early 1885 he
attended a meeting in Berlin at
which the policy was laid down to
avoid everything which would give
the appearance of German inter-
vention in the internal affairs of
Austria, yet he arranged for 2000, 900
marks month to be transmitted to
the prosecuted National Socialist
sufferers in Austria.
On May II, 1885, he reported to
Hitler the results Of conference
with Capt. Leopold, the leader of
the Austrian Nazis, and urged Hitler
to make q statement recognizing
the national independence OF Aus
tria and predicting that the result
might be to help the formation Of
a coalition between Schuschnigg' S
Christian Socialists and the Aus
trian Nazis against Starhemberg.
On July 27, 1885, Won Papen re-
ported to Hitler that the union of
Austria and Germany could not be
brought about by external pressure
but only by the strength of the Ma
tional Socialist movement. He urged
that the Austrian Nazi Party
change its character as a central
lied Reich German Party and be-
come a rallying point for all ma
tional Germans.
Supported Propaganda.
Won Papen was involved in occa-
sional Nazi political demonstrations,
supported Nazi propaganda activi-
ties and submitted detailed reports
on the activities of the Nazi Party
and routine reports relating to Aus
trian military defenses.
His Austrian policy resulted in
the agreement of July IL, 1896,
which nominally restored relations
between Germany and Austria to a
normal and friendly form, but
which had a secret supplement pro-
viding for an amnesty for Austrian
Nazis, the lifting of censorship of
Nazi papers, the resumption of po-
litical activities by Nazis and the
appointment of men friendly to the
Nazis in the Schuschnigg cabinet.
After the signing of this agree
ment Won Papen offered to resign.
but his resignation was not ac-
cepted. Thereafter he proceeded
to bring continued pressure on the
Austrian government to bring Nazis
into the Schuschnigg cabinet and
to get them important positions in
the Fatherland Front, Austria s
single legal party.
On September 1. 1895. Won Papen