Tapping Hitler's Generals

SEVERAL: FREISLER.

KIRCHHEIM:–said in a very courteous way: ‘Well, even if you have given up your case, it remains the business of this High Court to establish the truth down to the last detail, because we might perhaps still find extenuating circumstances.’ Of course that was only a gruesome piece of play-acting on his part, but all the same this trial showed that if it continued to be conducted in that manner at any rate, the fear which I had, which might perhaps have caused me to ask for my release from the Court of Honour, was unfounded, for each of the accused could say what he liked. They were undoubtedly not under pressure. I also believe that as long as the Court of Honour existed, the accused were not put under pressure to force them to make statements which were untrue. The session was not open to the public, but about 250 spectators were admitted, for whom there were seats. Apart from that there were about 50 standing, packed closely together, although admittedly they were only people who had received entrance tickets, but there were, for instance, some twenty tickets placed at the disposal of the OKH in BERLIN, and they were given to the first people who asked for them.