Goering Tells of His Early Life

Chronicle (Levin), 14 March 1946, Page 5

Goering Tells of His Early Life

Press Assn.-

Story of First Meeting With Hitler TRIAL REACHES MOST DRAMATIC POINT

By Telegraph

-Copyright

Received Thursday, 11.45 a.m. NUREMJ3ERG, March 13. The mcst dramatic point in the war crimes trial thusfar was reached this afternoon when .Goering,. in a pearl-grey LuftwaiSFe ■marshal's uniform, which hting loosely fco his flabby frame, strode heavily across the well of the courtroom and heaved himself into the witness box. Goering took the oath with his hand raised high over his head, and answered to his name in a quiet voice. ^ # Goering then gave evidence about his early life. He told how as an ofHcer cadet he accompanied his father to the ^former German West Africa, where his father was Governor. He' mentioned his father's connections with Cecil Rhodes and Joseph Chamberlain. He next dealt with his part in the war of 1914-18, in which he was a member of the Richtofen Squadron. He said he was seriously wounded in air combat and: fchen, after the defeat of Germany, he attempted to enter the. Reichswehr, the home defence army permitted under the, Versaiiles Treaty, but was rejected because he opposed the, new Republic. Living in the neighbourhood of Munich with his first wife, who was Swedish and named Karin, he studied history and political science. "One day in November, 1922," .Goering continued, "I saw " an announcement that a man named Hitler was speaking every Momday evening in Municfti. I went and heard Hitler speaking about Versaiiles. He said empty protests had no sense if there was no weight behind them. I went the following day to the business address of the Party." Goering then told of his entry into what later became the Nazi Party. He spoke of the ideals of national socialism to resurrect freedom of will, and the struggle against the shackles of Versaiiles. While giving his evidence Goering was under a continuous barrage of film cameras from all angles.

Lorcl Halifax's answers to 20 questions put to him by Goering 's counsel, Dr. Stahmer, are contained in a docu- ! ment which Dr. Stahmer will read bejfore the War Crimcs Tribunal. Lord j Halifax answers seven questions with a ! simple affirmative and ttvee with a cate- ! gorical no. | Lord Halifax agrees that in November, 1937, in coinpany with Sir Neville j Henderson, he visited Goering at Karin ihall as his guest, and tliat, during a ) conversation concerning the -political j situation,- Georing said any German ; government would regard as integral J paris of its policy: Firstly, anschluss i with Austria and tha Sudetenland; seci ondly, the rcturn of Danzig to Germany, with a reasonahle solution of the Corridor question. The questionnaire asks: "Did you repiy, 'But I tiust without wars?' " !The answer is: "I said his Majesty's ! Government desired a pacific solution of i questions pertaining to Germany and its Ineighbours; otherwise I did not discuss j the question. ' ' j Anotmer question is: Was Goering 's I reply, ' '' Thiat depehds very much on I Britain. We don't want war, but this iqueistion must he solved." Answer: j Yes. Question: Did the Swedish engineer I Birjcr Dahlerus repeatedly visit you in i 1939 in agreement with Goering? ! Answer: Yes. i Question: Did you know that Georing j wanted to establisli direct contact with you and thg Prime Minister, there by evading • the German Foreign Ollicev Answer : I have no knowledge outside the fact that Dahlerus said so. Lord Halifax uses tht same words in answering the next two questions, "Did you know that this direct contact was xrranged to bring about a peaceful solution of the Polish-Germa a crisis?" and "Did you know that Goe:ing wanted to use his influence with Hitler for a peaceful solution? ' ' Question; Did Dahlerus in August, 19^9, appear more frequently at your associates' place? Answer: Yes. Question: What was the content oi the diseussion? Answer: They concerned bhsmselves with the grave threat against European peace resulting from the German demands on Poland. Question: What were the proposais you transmitted through Dahlerus to Goering? Answer: His Majesty's Government 's opinions regafding the | situation arising from the German de ! mands, which were stated in terms simi ■lar to those sent by his Majesty's Government. GOERING 'S SINCERITY. Question: Did you get the impressio'i that Goering 's efforts to prevent war were. sincere? Answer: I have no doubt that Goering would have prefer red it if he could have done it. Lord Halifax agrees liat Goering privately disclosed to air moville Heu derson a memorandum on ihe Gorman demands on Poland, because he was not sure that Sir Neville comprehended the terms Ribbontrop read out to him. Question: Did Sir 'Neville Henderson tell you, or did you find out by other rneans, that Goering pointed out that he was not entitied. to make such a communication, but did so on his own responsibility in an endeavour to relieve fche strained relations? Answer: 1 have no knowledge of it. Question: Didn't Sir Neville Henderson tell you that Goering was trying ro avert "war? Answer: No. Question: Was it reported to you that Goering, always at every opportunity, spoke up for an Anglo-German understanding? Answer: No. Question: Wouldn't you rather appear before the Tribunal and testify as' a witness in preference to answering these questions in writing? Answer: >No. SHOOTING OF R.A.F. ESC'APEEb. Colonel' voii Brauchitsch, who for some years was chief adjutant to Goering,' told the Tribunal that he knew nothing of the shooting of R.A.F. escapees from Stalag Luft III. He learned much later they they were shot' "allegedly while trying to escape." f

He added that' Hitler wanted the sharpest measures against "terroi fliers. ' ' His view was even that lynch ing should not be prevented. Witness said that the Luftwaffe Chiefs disobeyed Hitler 's orders that captured airmen should be handed over to the Gestapo. The Luftwafl'e Chiefs condemned attacks directed solely against the civilian population, but were opposed to measures against pilots. Asked if he couid say that orders issued by Hitler on this matter were not carried out, Brauchitsch replied that they were not carried out by the aii force. v Brauchitsch described how he and Goering were together at Berehtesgadenon April 23, 1945, when arrested by the S.S. and told that they would be shot. ' ' S.S. troops surrounded us and Goering was -separated and kept under guard, and an order was issued that Goering 's family were also to he shot." ROEHM PURGE OF 1934. Goering 's fourth witness was his former secretary of State, Paul Koerner, who agreed, under cross-examina tion, that he had held ollice in the S.S. equivalent to the rank of full Genera4 in the army. He sat with downcast eyes as Judge Jackson plied him witu questions about concentration camps and killings which followed the Roehm purge in Jnne, 1934. Koeriier said thaz Hitler and Himmler were present at the wedding of Roehm, then the leader oi the Brown Nazi Stormtroopers, when it was discovered that Roehm was hatch ing a piot against Hitler. Himmler told Hitler what was afoot and Hitler imme diately left for Southern Germany. Referring to the purge which followed -the discov.ery of the plot against Hitler, in the eontinuation of the November trials, Koerner said Goering did not participate therein. On the con trary, he interceded to have the killings stopped and suceeecjed in getting Hitler to issue an order that suspects be broiight to trial instead of being shot immediately. • Goering also pbtained the release of some frorii concentraticixr i camps. KESSELRING'S EVIDENCE. Kesselring was brought from his pri•son cell wearing a Luftwaffe uniform. le was asked whether he participated in the bombing of Coventry. He avoid ed a direct answer and said: "According to our target flies, Coventry was a technical indusfcrial centre. *We called .-t 'Little Essen.' The target flies were prepared by expert engineers and officers who were very methodical. They contained maps of key areas. I examined the preparations for the bombing oi Coventry. It was very simple with the night clear and the flying easy. You could see what you hit and missing the target was practically impossible. Bojnbing this target was admissable according to international laws. ' ' Kesselring thep astounded the Court by saying: "I am happy Coventry was selected as it was an important military objective, and was not to receive a 'terror attack'." Kesselring added that the bombing oi Rotterdam in May of 1940 after nego tiations for an armistice was a mistake, due to lack of radio communication to the planes. He admitted he commanded the air attack against Warsaw. He described the city as a fortress and the Luftwafl'e as a defence air force. The Tribunal granted von Papen permission to submit an interrogatory to King Gustav of Sweden, dealing with his alleged repeated requests for the Kiug's intervention in the cause oi peace. Birger Dahlerus, . whom Goering sought as a witness to testify oil negotiations between Goering and Lord Halifax in 1939, declined to attend the trial. Dahlerus r-eplied that he had already answered a long questionnaire and had written a hook in which he had included everything- he might have to say on the subject. It is recalied that the Tribunal approyed of the application for Dahlerus as a witness, and an interesting point now arises whether the Court will seek to enforce a summons.