Show I OR W fA ON Washington D. D C. C GERMAN PRISON LABOR Officials are keeping very very mum about it but the entire question of using German prison labor to rebuild rebuild rebuild re re- re- re build Russia and France has been thrown into a new controversy by a secret opinion rendered by Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson who has taken over U. U S S. S prosecution of war criminals Justice Jackson wrote his opinion to U. U S. S Reparations Chief Ed Pauley stating that in his opinion compulsory 1 German Germ n labor should not be used to rebuild France and Russia unless they have been convicted convicted convicted con con- of war war crimes crimes It uIt is not my business what is to tobe tobe tobe be done with reparations Jackson wrote but this would largely destroy destroy destroy de de- de- de I stroy the moral position of America Ameri Ameri- ca in this war Compulsory labor he continued should be required only for convicted war t criminals Jackson went on to point out that German labor drifting out of Russian Russian Russian Rus Rus- sian concentration camps in the future future future fu fu- ture would tell tales of horror which even if exaggerated would arouse sharp condemnation in the United States He urged therefore therefore therefore there there- fore that German labor not be used for reparations until they had been convicted of war crimes He indicated that members of the Gestapo Gestapo Gestapo tapo and the SS Elite guard undoubtedly undoubtedly undoubtedly edly were war criminals as a class but the every member of the Nazi party might not be classified as a war criminal Following Justice Jacksons Jackson's bombshell a hurried meeting was called c in Secretary Morgen- Morgen thaus thau's office attended by Ed Pauley Assistant Secretary of State Will Viii Clayton the army navy FEA and other interested interested interested inter inter- ested government agencies Secretary Secretary Secretary Sec Sec- l vigorously protested this this' new development It was pointed out by some that the use of German prison labor had been agreed to at Yalta by President Roosevelt himself and therefore could not be changed If we have to wait for the conviction conviction conviction con con- of all these war criminals before we can get German labor suggested Reparations Chief Pauley we may have to wait a year Meanwhile Meanwhile Mean Mean- wh while le there may not be enough Germans to repair the damage in in France and Russia Pauley also made the point that he had been charged by the President President President dent with the handling of reparations reparations reparations and therefore would have to tomake tomake tomake make the final himself after his arrival in Europe After further discussion however Pauley agreed to accept Justice ce Jacksons Jackson's opinion in principle namely that only convicted war criminals could be used as prisoner labor This This' leaves the whole question pretty much up in the air However it has been hinted that Justice Jackson will endeavor to indict in- in indict indict in in- dict groups of Germans as a class In other words he may try the Gestapo Gestapo Gestapo tapo as a group not individually and decide that every member of the Gestapo automatically is a war criminal This probably will be done with Hitler's SS Elite corps Whether er a blanket indictment will also be lodged against the Nazi party remains remains remains re re- re- re mains to be seen TRAINING FILMS DESTROYED The army doesn't want it known but it has a new way of handling one type of surplus property In the case of training and orientation film it burns old prints According to a survey made by movie experts experts experts ex ex- ex- ex old films last summer were being burned at the rate of tons weekly at Astoria storia N. N Y Meanwhile other government agencies schools and universities are anxious to buy these outmoded prints from the army army In fact the theU U U. S S. S office of transportation had to spend of the taxpayers' taxpayers money to make 10 new reels of its own when the army refused to sell it the army's excellent series of 20 reels for the training of auto mechanics Sen Francis Myers of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Pennsyl Pennsyl- vania Democrat has just written Maj Gen Harry Ingles chief of the signal corps demanding an tion The making of training films and orientation films by the army has been a major operation Thousands of subjects have been turned out at ata a tremendous outlay and production production production tion schedules have been more crowded than those of any Hollywood Hollywood Hollywood Holly Holly- wood studio The films have proved remarkable training aids with officers claiming claiming claiming claim claim- ing that they cut at least in half the length of time needed to teach men such things as first aid etc S CAPITOL CHAFF C. C Aviation t enthusiast Rep Jennings Jennings Jennings Jen Jen- Randolph has introduced a abill abill abill bill authorizing the government to repay employees for the use of their private airplanes on government business business- just as is now done with automobiles and motorcycles Q L t Wyoming's capable Senator Joe has quietly started a study of or the disposal of surplus war plants He wants to insure maximum use lIse of our national productive capacity after the war and the stimulation of small business |