Trials of war criminals before the Nuernberg military tribunals under control council law no. 10, volume IIVarious
Philosophy
Trials of war criminals before the Nuernberg military tribunals under control council law no. 10, volume II
Various
Nuremberg Trial of Major German War Criminals, Nuremberg, Germany, 1945-1946; War crime trials -- Germany -- Nuremberg
We cannot say, therefore, that the explanation offered is wholly without
substance. It at least raises a reasonable doubt in our minds concerning
the matter. Blome knew Hitler and Himmler. He well knew that any
objections to “special treatment” based on moral or humanitarian grounds
would make but small impact upon the minds of men like these Nazi
leaders. He knew, moreover, that before Greiser’s proposal for
extermination would be abandoned a plan which appeared to be better must
be suggested. If viewed from the standpoint of factual and psychological
considerations, it cannot be held that the letter was not well-worded
when considered as an attempt to put an end to the plan originally
adopted, and to bring the substitution of another plan not so drastic.
Whatever may have been its purpose, the record shows that, in this
particular, the letter did in fact divert Himmler from his original
program and that as a result thereof the extermination plan was
abandoned.
EUTHANASIA PROGRAM
Blome is charged with criminal responsibility in connection with the
Euthanasia Program, but we are of opinion that the evidence is
insufficient to sustain the charge.
BACTERIOLOGICAL WARFARE
The prosecution contends that the evidence in the case established
Blome’s guilt in connection with research concerning different forms of
bacteriological warfare. Blome, who was plenipotentiary for cancer
research in the Reich Research Council, admits that the problem of
cancer research was allied with the research commission for protection
against biological warfare. He admits further, that he was placed in
charge of an institute near Poznan in which the problems of biological
warfare were to be investigated, but states that the work being done at
the Poznan institute was interrupted in March 1945 by the advance of the
Russian army.
This latter fact seems to be confirmed by the evidence. In this
connection Schreiber appeared as a witness before the International
Military Tribunal. His testimony given there has been received in
evidence before this Tribunal. From the testimony it appears that Blome
visited Schreiber at the Military Medical Academy, Berlin, during March
1945 and stated to him that he, Blome, had abandoned his institute in
Poznan due to the advance of the Russians, but before leaving had
attempted to destroy his installations as he feared that the Russians
might discover that preparations had been made in the institute for
experiments on human beings.
Counsel for the prosecution has brought to our judicial notice a finding
by the International Military Tribunal in its judgment wherein it is
found that—
“In July 1943 experimental work was begun in preparation for a
campaign of bacteriological warfare; Soviet prisoners of war
were used in the medical experiments, which more often than not
proved fatal.” (_See “Trial of the Major War Criminals”, Vol. I,
p. 231._)
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