Evening star., 1946-07-26

on Charge at
testified that the Nazis would have
denounced the conventions to which
Germany was party. but that Gen.
Jodl wanted captured German SOL
diers to continue to benefit from
their observance by the Allies. I"
We need not, for purposes
of the conspiracy count, recite the
revolving details of starving, beating,
numbering. freezing and mass ex-
termination admittedly used against
the Eastern soldiery. Also. we may
take as established or admitted that
lawless conduct such as shooting
British and American airmen, mis-
treatment of Western prisoners of
war, forcing French prisoners Of
war into German war work and
other deliberate violations of The
Hague and Geneva conventions, did
occur. and in obedience to highest
levels OF authority.
4 ENSLAVEMENT AND PLUM
DER OF POPULATIONS IN OC-
CUPIED COUNTRIES.
The defendant Sauckel, plenipoten-
tiary general for the utilization of
labor. Is authority for the statement
that "out of 10000 foreign work
ers who arrived in Germany. not
even 100000 came voluntarily"
Those who will enslave men can
not be expected to refrain from
plundering them. Boastful report,
show how thoroughly and scientifi-
cally the resources of occupied lands
were sucked into the German wal
economy, inf1icting shortage, hunger
and imitation upon the inhabitants
- International law at all times
before and during this war spoke
with precision and authority re-
specting the protection due civilians
of an occupied country. and the
slave trade and plunder OF occupied
countries was at all times fiagrantly
unlawful.
5. PERSECUTION AND Elk.
TERMINATION OF JEWS ANE
CHRISTIANS.
The Nazi movement will be ol
evil memory in history because Of
It's persecution of the Jews; the most
far-flung and terrible racial perse.
cution of all time. Although the
Nazi party neither invented mol
monopolized -Semitism. its
leaders from the very beginning
embraced it, melted it, and exploited
it. They used it as the psycholog-
ical spark that ignites the mob,
After the seizure of power. it became
an official state policy. '''
OF course, any such program must
reckon with the opposition of the
Christian Church. This was recog
nized from the very beginning. De.
fendant Bormann wrote all gauleiters
in 1941 that National Socialism
and Christian concepts are irrecon-
ciliable," and that the people must
be separated from the churches ano
/ the influence of the churches totally
removed. Defendant Rosenberg ever
wrote dreary treatises advocating 8
new and weird Nazi religion.
I pass now to the inquiry whether
these groups of criminal acts were
| integrated in common plan or con-
/ spiracy.
The Common Plan or Conspiracy.
The prosecution submits that these
five categories OF premeditateo
crimes were not separate and indie.
pendent phonomena, but that al
were committed pursuant to COM
mon plan or conspiracy. The de.
fense admits that these classes OF
crimes were committed, but denie.
chat they are connected one with
another as parts of single program
The central crime in this patterr
of crime, the kingpin which hold.
them all together, is the plot fol
aggressive war. The chief reason
for international cognizance Of thes.
crimes lies in this fact.
The plans of Adolf Hitler fol
aggression were Just as secret a.
"Mein Kampf," Of which over 81,
million copies were published ir
Germany. He not only openly advo.
Gated overthrowing the Treaty oi
Versailles, but made demands which
went far beyond mere rectiflcatior
Of its alleged injustices. He avowee
an intention to attack neighborins
states and seize their lands, which
he said would have to be won with
"the power Of triumphant sword.
Immediately after the seizure OF
power the Nazis went to work te
implement these aggressive inten.
tions by preparing for war. -
In April, 1888, the cabinet formed
defense council. the working
committee of which met frequently
thereafter On May 2l, 1885
the top secret Reich defense Law
: was enacted. Defendant Schsch'
was appointed plenipotentiary gen.
| eral for war economy with the tasl
of secretly preparing all economic
. forces for war and, in the event oi
, mobiliza ton, of financing the war
! A secret program for the accumu.
, lation of the raw materials and for.
eign credits necessary for extensive
rearmament, was also set on foo
, Immediately upon seizure of power
Promises Were Deceptions.
This tribunal knows what cate
gorical assurances were given to al
alarmed world after the anschluss
{ after Munich. and after the occupa
, ton OF Bohemia and Moravia, tina
German ambitions were realized ane
3, that Hitler had mo further terri.
torial demands to make in Europe.
The record of this trial shows tina
Il THE SH<