American occupation authorities in Germany are bitterly criticized today in the German-Jewish weekly newspaper, “Allgemeine Wochenzeitung der Juden,” for their decision to release leading Nazi war criminals, some of whom were sentenced for crimes against humanity and participation in the annihilation of Jews.
The Jewish newspaper charges the U.S. authorities with “violating justice and threatening the life and security of the Jews and other ex-Nazi persecutees.” Pointing out that Nazi war criminals were punished shortly after the war “in the name of civilization,” the article says: “It is impossible now for one of the occupying powers to act as though there were no collective responsibility for the sentences pronounced at Nuremberg.”
Eight of the prominent Nazi war criminals will be released tomorrow from Landsberg prison, near Munich, on grounds of reduction of sentences for “good conduct.” Twelve more will be released from the same prison before the end of this month on the same grounds. Among those to be released tomorrow are Otto Districh, former Nazi press chief, and Richard Darre, former Nazi Agriculture Minister. Both were sentenced at the Nuremberg trial for actively persecuting Jews.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
