German Industrialists On Trial

Chronicle (Levin), 28 August 1947, Page 5

German Industrialists On Trial

. (N.Z.P.A.

— Reuter,

Covyright)

Received Wednesday, 11.25 p.m. NUREMBERG, August 27. Aeeused of a major responsibility for the war and deserihed as "the magi-,-ians wlio made tlie fantasies of Mein Kampf CQine true, " 22 leading officiais of the I. Gr. Farben combine went oii trial todav before a t'our-man American Civil Court, in the same room wThere the 22- Xazi leaders were sentehced last v)ctober. All pleaded not guiltv to charges of promoting aggressive war, participating in the plunder and spoilation of occupied countries, slavery and mass murder. The defendants ranged from Ivari Krauch, chairman of I. G. Farben 's supervisory board of directors, to Walter Ouerrfel, (/n-ector of the Farlien factory which adjqined tlie Auschwitz eoncent ration camp. The original indictinent named 2i for trial but two are ill and unable to attend. Major-General Telford Taylor, Lnited dtates prosecutor, described the defend ants as "eager, leading partieipants in i criniinal ad venture who joined in stamping out all forms of liberty and subjecting the German people ~to the grinding tyranny of third Reich." ±lt accused tlrem of the major responsibility for the war and said tliey eonimitted crimes not in rage or sudden stres.--of, teruptation but witli the ruthless purpose .of turning the German nation into a military machine of destruction so terrifyingly formidable that Ger many eould, by brutal threats and war if neeessary, impose her will and domination on Lurope and other nations beyond the seas. He described how Farben 's research vielded svnthetic rubber and hydro generation by which coal was made into oil and said many inventions were ot inestimable value to mankind. "But lliese damaged souls were not contem to remain workers of beneticent iniracles but preferred to be the architects of catastrophe. " Major-General Taylor described the trust 's alleged worldwide espionage net which acted with salesmen agents who were niore skilful than those in the Germany army. The accused stopped at nothing. Tliev rendered war possible by tlieir industrial pi llage of Lurope. "There is liardlv any country in Europe that escapeil the earnage which tliese men loosed, " he said. "This case, like any criniinal proceedings, fmds its ]U,stification only as part of the process ot redemption and reconstruetion. "