Nuernberg Trial, Associated Press, San Francisco Chronicle, Feb. 6, 1948.

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NUERNBERG, Feb. 5 (AP)-A few minutes after one of their number, General Johannes Blaskowitz, committed suicide in prison, 13 other former German military leaders today were escorted into the all American court for the twelfth and last war crimes trial to be held in Nuernberg. They are accused of rearming for war even before the rise of Hitler.

Among the defendants are three field marshals, one admiral and nine generals, all charged with crimes against peace and humanity. Prosecutors said this case might well “prove of greater importance to Germany than any other.”

The top defendant is Field Marshal Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb, who was an army group commander in the invasion of France.

Brigadier General Telford Taylor of Chevy Chase, Md., chief U. S. war crimes prosecutor, told the court in his opening statement that the army men guided the old German reichswehr until it became a hard-striking, aggressive weapon.

OTHERS ABSENT

Absent from the dock, but mentioned repeatedly in Taylor’s opening speech, were Field Marshals Karl Rudolf Gerd von Runstedt, Walther von Brauchitsch and Fritz Erich von Manstein. Each was a field commander and the first two were commanders in chief at various times. They are now held by the British.

Taylor said he had asked for permission to indict the topmost men, but had been denied their custody.

He asserted that German generals were leaders in breaking the Versailles treaty in the 1920’s. He said they embarked on rearmament-“it was not invented by Hitler.” The whole thing, he declared, was part of a common plan having to do with eventual war.

Taylor outlined the part played by each defendant in relation to the general staff. He contended that the general staff kept Germany’s war spirit alive with a quiet, effective program for militarism between wars.

He did not mention that the general staff-as a unit-was acquitted by the international military tribunal in the first Nuernberg trial from April, 1945, to October, 1946.

The tribunal ruled that the general staff was not an organization in the definition of the court’s charter and therefore could not be found guilty as such. However, it convicted the chief of staff, Colonel General Alfred Jodi, and he died on the gallows.

GERMAN LAWYERS

German lawyers for the current defendants said they intended to raise the issue of the international tribunal’s decision in their opening statement.

Of the profession of soldiery. Taylor said- “It is redeemed and ennobled only when the sword is the guardian and restorer, not the destroyer, of peace.”

“Millions of innocent civilians were wantonly slaughtered by troops under the command of the defendants and their colleagues,” the prosecutor said.

He took up individually the cases of these defendants-

Leeb-He was commander of the 12th Army in occupation of the Sudetenland and later commander in chief of an army group invading France.

Field Marshal Hugo Sperrle-Commanded the Condor Legion in Spain and later Nazi Air Fleet 3, bombing England from bases in France.

Field Marshal Georg von Kuechter-Commanded the 18th Army and later the Army Group North, both in Russia.

General Hermann von Hoth-Commanded the 4th Panzer Army in Russia.

General Hang Reinhardt-Commanded the 3d Panzer Army and later an Army group center in Russia.

General Hans von Salmuth-Commanded the 15th Army in France.

General Karl Holidt-Commanded the 6th Army in Southern Russia. Later he was liaison officer to Hitler’s Reichschancellory.

Admiral Otto Schniewind-Successively operations officer, chief of the navy armament office and commander of naval battle forces in Norway.

Licutenant General Karl von Rouques-A group commander in Southern Russia and later commanders of the rear area of Army Group A in the Caucasus.

Lieutenant General Walter Warlimont-Jocil deputy military envoy to Franco in Spain in 1936. Later he was chief of the department of national defense on the armed forces operation staff.

Lieutenant General Otto Woehler-Commanded Army Group South in Russia.

Lieutenant General Rudolf Lehmann-Legal counsel of the German army.

Lieutenant General Hermann Relnecke-Chief of staff of the National Socialist guidance staff of the high command.