GOERING DEFENDS HIS PART IN WAR

Chronicle (Levin), 16 March 1946, Page 5

GOERING DEFENDS HIS PART IN WAR

— LEADER OF LUTHERAN CHURCH IN PRUSSIA! Received Friday, 8.50 p.m. LONDON, March 15. Dealing with tne Naai Party . attitude to the Church, Goering, at c_i JNuremoerg tnal, said tiie r u.arsr wa , ahsolutely generous and he recogniseu the need for the ehiircnes. iuoag.. Hitler was a Cathoiic, he wished i'or -a stronger position for tne PrOve.xta.-i church, because two-thiras oi tne Gtx mans were members of the protesta . faith. .

Speaking personally, Goering said n~ was a ieader of tne Dutneran viurch Ji, Prussia, hut he aiso had close relaoion. with the Roman Cathoiic Uxuircn. uoc.. Hitler and he heiievecl that the Cnurcu aiid politics shouid be separate. A number oi' the ciergy was seiit to concentration camps oecause they made political speeches in the churcne^ i£e tried to check Himmler from san lencing ciergy, except when they criticised tne Nazi 'Parfcy or the Staco outside a church besides mside. Goering spoke at length aoout t.io Jews. He argued that Jev/ry annos exclusively ied the entire economic h.m after tne 1914-1918 war. They also v debased German ari and- cultuie. Goering claimed that the pogrw.x. agamst the J'ews of Municli in xxovcm oer, 1938, was incited by Goeblxeis. Questioned about laws and rescne tions against the jews, Goering deoHr ed: "I had my crders from the Fulir nin connection wioh these laws. 1 assaim. i'ull and compiete responsibihty t'o. any laws bearmg my signautue. i don't propose to hide behind fcho Fuhrer." Dei'ending the policy of re-armament, Goering said Germany ■ knew that Russia and other countries were -earming. It was essential tliat Germany do the same in the interests of her own security.

SENT AIRMEN TO SPAN1SH WAR Goering told the Tnbunal: "When the Spanish Civil War broke out, r'ranco sont a call to Germany for sup port, particularly in the air. I urgecl the Fuhrer to give support to preveiu the spread of Comrnnnism in that j theatre and also to prime our young air force. With the perinission oi the Fuhrer, I sent transports, fighters and bombers to Spam. I saw to it that Gie personnel got some experience. Sfoung men continually went and returned." Goering added that in conversations with the British Ambassador (Sir j Neville Henderson) he denied that Ger- | many had taken anything from any- ! body or harmed anybody by happenings I in Austria which had helonged'to the Reich for centuries, and was only politically spparated. Goering then told how immediately before the German troops entered Czechoslovakia he had told the Czecholovak AmbaSSador, who expressed anxiety on the subject, that ! no German soldier would enter his country. While he was on holiday at San Remo later he received letters from Hitler saying the Czech position was . getting intolerable. He replied to Hitler saying he was convinced that, witn the problems of Sudeten and Austria settled, the economic penetration oi Czechoslovakia could be only a matter of time.

Referring to his visits to Poland be tween 1935 and 1938, Goering said the Fuhrer gave him the task of improving relations with Poland. "I carried out the task. Consequently, when the clash came, it was a situation very unpleasant to me. ' ' Referring to the question put to some defence witnesses why they" had nct voiced a protest to Hitler about the course of eveuts, Goering said: "Generals did not disagree, because they would have been shot. I would have doubted the sanity of sueh a man. How can one imagine a State can be led if dhring a war or even before a war it had to he decided whether the political leaders were right or wrong. and the generals can say whether the Army Corps will participate or not? ' ' Goering here leaned forward and smiled as he said: "Perhaps that is the way to avoid wars in future — ask everj' general or soldier whether he wishes to go. However, the military formula is clearly defined that, when a leader de cided there would be a war, military men received their tasks."