Kochs Trial by German Courts Rests Entirely on Decision of American Military Govt.

Whether Ilse Koch, German war criminal charged with making lampshades from human skin, will be tried by a German court when she is released from prison later this year is a matter which rests entirely on the decision of the American military government in Germany, it was indicated here today.

Although it has been announced by the German radio in Soviet territory that a definite request will be made by the authorities of Thuringia–in the Russian zone–for the extradition of Frau Koch when she is released, a spokesman for the Bavarian Ministry of Justice today told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that the decision on extradition must be made by the American military government authorities. He confirmed that the Bavarian Government has been asked to aid Thuringia in bringing Frau Koch to justice. He also said that the Bavarian courts may try her. Meanwhile, the German press In the U.S. zone has received with little enthusiasm the recommendation of the U.S. Senate Investigating Sub-Committee that German courts retry Koch, whose sentence was reduced from life Imprisonment to four years by the American high command. One newspaper, the Seuddeutsche Zeitung, editorially questioned the value of a German court trying her in order to correct the “failure” of American Judges. It added that the cost of such a trial seemed high In relation to the effect, particularly since the victims of Frau Koch will receive no satisfaction from the case.