Anti-nazi Congress Warns on Exempting ‘minor’ Nazi Criminals

The Congress of Anti-Nazi Resistance Fighters criticized today a proposal under consideration by a West German Bundestag committee to permit prosecutors to exempt “minor” Nazi war criminals from prosecution. The proposal is under consideration as a possible amendment to the West German law extending the effective date of the deadline for prosecution of such criminals from May I this year to January 1, 1970.

The delegates voted approval of plans to convene next fall in Paris an international law conference with the task of creating an international agency to both prevent and fight aggression and genocide. Participants were West European organizations representing 500, 000 members.

The Congress issued a “Manifesto of Resistance,” urging help in the search for Hitler’s deputy, Martin Bormann, Gestapo Chief Heinrich Mueller and Dr. Josef Mengele, the “selection doctor” at the Auschwitz death camp. All three have reportedly been seen in South American countries.

The delegates protested against “non-understanding” by West German and Austrian courts which have made a distinction in passing sentences on Nazi war criminals between those who took part in the tortures and killings and those who as “desk murderers” issued orders for such crimes. The Congress also called on East German authorities to explain why Nazis in that country had not been brought to Justice.

The delegates charged that East German officials had not brought to trial Ernst Grossman, a former guard at the Sachsenhausen death camp, and another former SS officer identified as Kroeger. The Congress said that Kroeger was director of the Walter Ulbricht Law Academy in East Germany. Other former Nazi leaders living undisturbed in East Germany were listed. They included former General Muller and former Adiniral Neukircher.