The Farce of Nuremberg Trials

The American judge, Edward L. Van Roden, one of the three members of an American Army Commission set up to investigate claims of maltreatment found:
“all but two of the Germans, in the 139 cases investigated, had been kicked in the testicles beyond repair. This was standard operation procedure with our American investigators.”
“Torture with burning matches driven under the prisoners’ fingernails; knocking out of teeth and breaking jaws; solitary confinement and near-starvation rations. The statements which were admitted as evidence were obtained from men who had first been kept in solitary confinement for three, four, and five months . . .
“the investigators would put a black hood over the head of the accused and then punch him in the face with brass knuckles, kick him and beat him with rubber hoses . . .
“Low rank prisoners were assured that convictions were being sought only against higher ranking officers, and they had absolutely nothing to lose by co-operating and making the desired statements. Such ‘evidence’ was then used against them – when they joined their superiors in the dock. The latter were told on the other hand that by ‘confession’, they would take all responsibility onto their own shoulders, thus shielding their men from trial.”
“A favorite stratagem, when a prisoner refused to co-operate, was to arrange a mock trial. In these, death sentences were passed, then offers of a ‘reprieve’ if he confessed. Sometimes a prisoner would be threatened with being handed over to the Russians, his family deprived of their ration cards – or worse.”

Colonel A.H Rosenfeld upon whose rulings the admissibility was final, when asked about these sham trials replied:
“Yes, of course. We couldn’t have made these birds talk otherwise. . . it was a trick and it worked like a charm.”
“Hearsay evidence was admitted indiscriminately and sworn statements of witnesses were admissible regardless of whether anybody knew the person who made the statement or the individual who took the statement.” – George McDonough, American Lawyer, New York Times

The circus aspect of these show trials was such that when a certain gentleman of the name Einstein tearfully accused a German named Menzel of murdering his brother, the defendant pointed out that his brother was alive and well, and sitting in the court. The presiding investigator scolded Einstein.
“How can we bring this pig to the gallows if you are so stupid as to bring your brother into court?”

THE WAR CRIMES ‘TRIALS’ ON TRIAL
“The Nuremberg Trials have made the waging of an unsuccessful war a crime; the generals on the defeated side were tried and then hanged.” – Field Marshal Bernard L. Montgomery. June 9th 1948

“The truth of the matter is that not one of the victors was free of the guilt which its judges attributed to the vanquished.” – The Chicago Tribune, October 2nd 1946

“In my Judgment, the procedure by which the Nuremberg Tribunal was created and the criminals trials thereunder conducted, was completely fraught with illegality.” – William L. Hart, The Supreme Court of Ohio

“This kangaroo court at Nuremberg was officially known as the ‘International Military Tribunal.’ That name is a libel on the military profession. Nuremberg was, in fact, a lawyers’ tribunal, although I can readily understand why the legal profession is ashamed to claim it, and deliberately stuck a false label on it.

“I am glad our real military men had nothing to do with the travesty on justice that the lawyers and ‘statesmen’ conducted on Nuremberg.” – Rear Admiral Dan V. Gallery. U.S.N. (Ret.)

“.. a libel on the military profession.” – Vice Admiral Hewlett Thebaud, USN

“… a fantastic desecration of the ideals of Western Civilisation, and appalling miscarriage of justice… a misuse of evidence for vicious ends, all of which will someday be exposed as a shocking travesty of high legal and moral principles.” – Henry M. Adams, Ph.D. Professor of History, University of California

In his book, Profiles in Courage, President John F. Kennedy praised Senator Robert A. Taft of Ohio, for having the courage to publicly denounce the Nuremberg Trials and reveal them to have been held in, “a spirit of vengeance, and vengeance is seldom justice. In these trials we have accepted the Russian idea of the purpose of trials – government policy and not justice – with little relation to Anglo-Saxon heritage.”

“A step backward in international law.” – Honorable Justice, Learned Hand

“A travesty of justice.” – Admiral Harry E. Yarnell, U.S.N Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Asiatic Fleet

“…wholly unjustified and a disgrace to the national governments sanctioning it.” – Rear Admiral Reginald R. Belknap, U.S.N. Atlantic Fleet

“Not in accordance with justice.” – Hon. William Cosgrave, LL.D, President, Dail Eireann, 1922

“I could never accept the Nuremberg Trials as representing a fair and just procedure.” – Dr. Igor I. Sikorsky, Aircraft Designer

“What we did in this case was to resort to private vengeance. Admiral Doenitz and other leaders who were imprisoned should be recompensed for their treatment.” – – Dr. John L. Gillin, Emeritus Professor of Criminology, University of Wisconsin

“I have been boiling mad for years over the ‘war crimes trials which I think were despicable and contemptible, and smack more of ancient Rome’s barbarism than of a so-called civilized country. Not only were the ‘war crimes trials’ one of the blackest spots on our recent black (and Red) history, but the bombing of the only two Christian cities in Japan in August, 1945, via the atomic bomb calls to high heaven for retribution.” – Taylor Caldwell, American novelist

Originally found at https://lovkap.blogspot.com/2012/06/farce-of-nuremberg-trials.html?m=1