The Daily Alaska Empire

The Butcher's Wife
(New York Times)
One thing the United States cannot afford to do
in Germany is to coddle those who were guilty of
crimes against mankind under the Nazi regime. Justice
demands otherwise—the fact that the Nazis are
now beaten and cowering does not absolve them of
their offenses. Policy demands otherwise—we cannot
consistently condemn the inhumanity of communism
if we condone the inhumanity of nazism. Therefore
the case of Ilse Koch, wife of the former commandant
of Buchenwald concentration camp, deserves attention.
This woman was duly tried and sentenced to
life imprisonment. Now this sentence has been commuted
to four years, after a review by the Judge
Advocate General's Department of the United States
Army, approved by General Clay. With the benefit
of time already served, Frau Koch will be released
on Oct. 18, 1949.
Part of the testimony against Frau Koch was
that she had selected prisoners for death in order to
obtain lampshades made of tattooed human skin. This
testimony is now disputed. If it was accepted at the
original trial why was it not accepted now? The Army
has not explained. The Communist press, here and
abroad, is making the most of the episode.
It may be that Frau Koch was merely a good
wife who brought her husband his slippers and saw
that he was well fed after a hard day at his butcher's
office. The Army has not produced the facts to
justify this supposition. It should do so, if it can.
If Frau Koch in any way aided or encouraged the
slaughter that went on at Buchenwald her original
sentence was not severe. If she did not aid and encourage
these horrible deeds why was she sentenced
at all? It is up to General Clay to investigate and
to answer.