27 AUGUST 1943, Page 11

Sta,—Again Mr. Harold Nicolson returns to the theme of the

war criminals (in your issue of August 13th) and again Mr. Lyall in the issue of August zoth takes up the cudgels on the side of condign punishment of these miscreants. Mr. Nicolson seems to adopt the non-possumus attitude all too prevalent in official quarters—that the problem of dealing with the modern GP.rmanic barbarians is all but insoluble. To suggest, as he does, that war criminals who take refuge in neutral countries can only be surrendered under the existing laws of extradition is to ignore the fact that the deliberate enormities committed by the Germans in invaded territory are not envisaged by the laws of extradition, e.g., wholesale shooting of hostages, mass deportations into slavery, massacres of civilians. Great Britain declared war in aid of a comparatively small nation. She might figure more honourably in history if she had taken a bolder course in aid of a still smaller nation a year earlier. Both these countries have been mercilessly ravaged by the Germans, together with other small countries of Europe.

Are these sufferers to look on and see the ruthless ringleaders responsible for these atrocities safely ensconced either in other small countries which have had the good luck to escape being so overwhelmed or in countries which have shown themselves in full sympathy with the Nazi and Fascist cause? Mr. Nicolson seems to think that if Hitler, Hmunler, Mussolini, Ciano and the rest manage to escape into any neutral country they must be treated as political refugees immune from seizure. Such a result would surely be a travesty of justice. Mr. Nicolson vaguely suggests " the constitution of some impartial tribunal," or in the case of Mussolini, " if no extraditable offence can be proved against him, then other means of justice must be found." Such. means have been carefully worked out and publicly propounded by a committee of the London International Assembly, an unofficial body of experts whose proposals have not received the attention of Government and Press which they deserve.

Unless the machinery is ready to bring to book the war criminals (who of course fall into divers categories) the moment Germany is defeated I respectfully submit that it will be too late, and the various declarations by leading British and American statesmen promising retribution will go for nothing. Russia, Yugoslavia, and other tortured States doubtless have their own plans ready for each of the miscreants who fall into their hands, and may well feel considerable dissatisfaction if the Anglo-

American pledges are not realised.—Yours, &c., WILLIAM LATEY.

z Dr. Johnson's Buildings, Temple, E.C. 4.