GERMAN PRISONERS RELEASED

Chronicle (Levin), 31 December 1946, Page 2

GERMAN PRISONERS RELEASED

LONDON, Dec. 29. The American autliorities are releas ing foriuer nienibers of tlie Generai Staif, Cabinet and Brown Sliirts 011 parole, retaining only prisoners required for future trials. Reuter's Erankfurt correspondent says this is regared as a method of retaining the prisoners nnder United States jurisdiction and so preventing the German . Denasdlication Gourts from placing them doubly in jeopardy, as in the case of von Papen, Schacht 'and Fritsche after their acquittal at Nuremberg. The Erankfurt correspondent of the Associated Press says an American oftieial spokesman denied that the parole system was a means of protecting the Germans from the Deuazification Gourts. Tlie Americans were releasing the Germans 011 parole solely i because they "wanted to keep an eve 011 them for possible future action". i Reuter's Berlin correspondent says that, wliile the Americans were releasing 011 parole members of the German oi'ganisations declared non-criininal by the Nuremberg Tribunal, the British were organising the trials of 27,000 Germans interned 111 the British zone as members of criminal organisations. The Gerr.ian Central Legal Office, which is responsible for the trials, is now drafting the procedure for more than 100 allGerman tribunals, which must complete their work by the end of next year. They must impose a maximum sentence of 10 - years, with confiscation of pfoperty. The Hearings wilLbe open to the German public. The inspectorgeneral of the trials will be Herr Karl Meyer, of Oldenburg, oue of Hitler's Jewish victims. German taxes will mect the expenses of the trials. The time the German have been held in internment will couiU a^ainst their senteneos. Tlie, British estiniate tlmt the 27,000 are onlv a quarter of tliosc iniplicated by tlie Nuremberg decision. I11 addition, there are numbers of suspects who will bo investigated as a security measure by the British 'themselves.