Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-03-14
Goering Urged Hitler
10 Send Franco Aid,
He Admits in Court
BY the Asses;osed p,.s,

sss0 - 0V0u
By The Assesiessd Prsss
NUREMBERG, Mar. 14.-Her-
mann Goering testified before
the international Military Tri-
bunal today that he asked Adolf
Hitler to send help to General
1ssimo Francisco Franco during
the Spanish civil war ito prevent
the spread OF Communism and
to try our young air force ex-
perimentally."
AT that time" said Goering Of
Nazt Intervention in Spain, 81 had
an opportunity to see If we had the
proper equipment, and I saw to IL
that the personnel got some expe-
rience. Young men continually
went and returned"
He said Franco asked for aid
particularly air aid"
Goering, resuming direct testi-
mony in his own behalf, boosted
that his Luftwaffe was responsible
for the swift conquest Of Poland,
"just as the American Air Force
assured the Allied victory"
4-Engine Bombers Foregone.
He confirmed that he ordered the
Nazi aircraft industry to develop q
bomber capable of flying to the
United States and back, insisting
that they. do this work expeditions
ly in case America entered the
war"
The lack Of aluminium and tech
biological planning caused him to
forego development of long-range,
four engine bombers, Goering said.
The Luftwaffe was developing jet
aircraft even before the war, he said,
adding proudly, Il am solely re-
sponsible for rearmament Of the air
force in every way"
Goering also accepted "full and
complete responsibility for all anti
Jewish economic DEGREES which bore
his signature. He told the court
that although he received many
written and verbal orders from Hit
Ter to carry out anti-Jewish laws, he
did mot propose in any way to hide
behind the Fuehrer."
Blood Purge Regretted.
Goering also said he deeply re-
GREETED" the assassination in the
Nazi party blood purge of people
who had nothing at all to do with
the (Capt. Ernest) Roehm revolt. ;"
Goering said the killing of Gen.
Kurt Won Schleicher, former Ger
man chancellor, and his wife In
June, 1884, was . sad accident.
Goering said Won Schleicher
reached for pistol, possibly to|
kill himself" and two agents who
had come to arrest him raised their
weapons.
Mrs. Won Schleicher threw herself
upon one Of them" he continued.
1.-THE pistols went Off"
Goering said the number Of VIC
TINS Of the purge often were exag-
gerated. AS far as remember al
to rs persons were executed"
Defends Fuehrer Principle.
Goering defended the Nazi pro-
gram of blind obedience to the
Fuehrer with the contention: 1.-THE
Catholic Church is still relying on
the leadership principle. Russia, too,
could not have survived without It'll
and could not have met the great
difficulties of this war"
He bristled when questioned about
the master race" declaring you
woEld never ind that term in my
writings or speeches. In my view il
you are master you don't have to
emphasize It."
He conceded that q number Of
clergymen, including Rev. Martin
Niemoeller. had been sent to con-
centration camps, but insisted that
some of them made political
speeches in churches criticizing the
leaders of the party. In occu-
pied areas, priests often were in
volved in acts hostile to the occupa-
ton forces"
He said the Nazis crushed the trade
unions because they agreed with
the left to such an extent they did
not fit into our state =. I am
convinced that only we gave the
German worker real freedom"
Cabinet Sessions Ended in 1887.
Goering supported the forthcom-
ing defenses of several defendants
who disclaimed advance knowledge |
Of Hitler's aggressive moves, saying: |
II swear under oath that some Of |
the ministers learned of the entry
into war and the marches into
Czechoslovakia and into Austria as
late as any German citizen or
press"
He said Hitler discontinued cabi-
net meetings in 1887 and thereafter
consulted only ministers whose d.
rect participation was necessary, on
major moves.
Goering denied a prosecution
charge that he promised Czecho-
slovakia at the time of Anschluss
that the Czech problem was settled
for all time. He denied also that
he promised Carinthia to Yugo-
slavia, as charged in an afiidavit by
American Ambassador George S.
Messersmith.