GOERING EXPERT WITNESS

Chronicle (Levin), 25 March 1946, Page 8

GOERING EXPERT WITNESS

EFFORT TO GIVE LESSON TO FELLOW PRISONERS By Telegraph Press Assn.-Copyright Received Sunday 9.5 p.m. NUREMBERG, March 2(t. The War Crimes Tribunal agreed to consider an application by Strelcher's coupsel for documents to prove that defendant's misquotation from the Talmud on the subject of "rituai murde'r" were the rpsult of inadvertent mistranslations. Lord Justice Lawrence pointed otit, however, that the charge against Streicher was not that he misquoted tne books, but that he provoked excesses against the Jews. The 'Associated Piess correspondent says Goering's tactics in the witness box in the past week were desighed to show his feilow prisoners how to avoia accusing one another in a desire to save themseives. The Tribunal, by ruling that none of the other defendants will have the same iatitude as Goering, has already ■ made a move to curb the tendency of the trial ' to become a postmortem exaniination of Nazi philosuphies. Goering has been the most ex pert witness yet heard. He has succeeded under cross-examination m eulogising Hitler and the whole Nazi cuit and airing the old lied bogey menace. "WOULD CRUSH POLES LIKE LICE" v Goering told Sir Neville Henderson on August 31, 1939, that if the Poles did not give in Gprmany would crush them j iike lice and that, if Britain should de ! clave war, he would regret it very much. ; Bir George Ogilvie-Forbes, a former counsellor at the British nmoassy m Berlin, said this is his answer to a questionnaire from Goering's counsei (Dr. Stahmer) at the War Crimes Tribunal. Sir George gave an account of an interview which he and Sir Nevuie Henderson had with Goering on August 31, 1939. He said he nstenea closely at the interview and it impressed itself on his memory. Goering's counsei s quesiaon, with Sir George Og- ie-Porbes's answcrs, follow: — Is it known to you that Goering attempted in August of 1939, by all tne means in his power, to bring about an understanding with Britain for a peace able solution to the Polish questionv — No.

Did Goering propose- direct negotiations between Germany and Britain on the Polish question, with Britain represeiiting the Polish interests? — I do not ; reniemuer any constructive proposais : whatever. The atmospheree was nega- | tive and desperate, aithough friendly. | Questioned about the visit to Lonuon j by Birger Bahlerus, tne Swedish indus- j fcriaiist, sir George said he xnew about j fche visits, which were made only to keep ! Britain out of the way. MASTBR RACB THEORY. j Goering caused some surprise when he ; told the Tribunal that he did not be- j Lieve in the master race theory. "I recognise the differences in races, i but I never agreed to the theory that I if one race might be superior to another j it should be described as a master i race," he said. Lord Jusuce Lawrence several times i checked Goering for attempting to make i speeches and told Dr. Stahmer not to ' ask questions which invited speeches. I The American chief prosecutor j (Judge Jackson), while Goering was praising Hitler, interrupted with a i warning that the trial was iiable to | drag on into August. Replying to the Soviet prosecutor, Mr Rudenko, Goering said that the Fuhrer never threatened him because Gopring 1 had different views on the master race. j Goering denied that he knew of plans 1 to destroy Moscow, and the destruction J of Leningrad was not mentioned in his ; presence. Mr Rudenko asked: "As the secona man in Germany, were you responsible j for the organised murder of millions oi j innocents — independently of whether you knew the facts or not?" Goering shouted "No, because l| didn't knov; about them. -Millions oi j Germans didn't know about them 1 either." After Mr Rudenko had fmishfed his exaniination, M. Deribes, of the Prench prosecution team, caused a surprise by declining to cross-examine, on the ground that nothing Goering had said had changed the accusations against him. GOERING HAS LAST WORD. Dr. Stahmer was permitted to ask a few questions, and then, just before leaving the witness-bax, Goering was unable to resist the chance for a last v/ord. He declared again that he acknowledged the responsibility for all he had done. "I prepared for the seizure of power," he said. "I attempted to make Germany great and free. 1 did everything to avoid war, but when it started it was my duty to do all 1 could for Germany." The scowling defendant No. 1 then returned to the dock after eight days in che witness-bax. He sat down, wrote a note to his counsei, mopped his brow, and leaned back, a tired man. Counsei for Hess said Hess denied the Tribunal 's jurisdiction. He assumed the full respoiisibility for all decrees sent out in his capacity as Deputy Fuhrer. The President said: "You cannot challenge the court's jurisdiction."