That the Defendant Göring took his duty as Supreme Administrator of Justice very seriously becomes apparent from an affidavit of Judge Advocate General Dr. Lehmann of 21 February 1946. I shall read from this affidavit in Document Book Number I, Page 106, Document Number 27, Exhibit Number Göring-6. I quote from Figure II onwards:
“II. The opinion I have of him is the following:
“The Reich Marshal originally took a negative attitude toward lawyers. He was evidently influenced by the Führer. This attitude underwent a change to the extent that he occupied himself with legal matters of the Air Force. At the end of the war the Reich Marshal was one of the high commanders who liked to consult lawyers. He took special interest in the legal department of the Air Force and attached great importance to it. He assigned to this department difficult cases for investigation concerning which he was sceptical of the reports of the other offices.”
From the following paragraph:
“The Reich Marshal had himself thoroughly informed concerning matters which I had to discuss with him. He devoted an unusual amount of time to these matters. The conferences, even when there were considerable differences of opinion, took a quiet and objective course.”
Then from Paragraph III:
“III. Concerning the legal department of the Air Force, the Reich Marshal reserved for himself the confirmation of sentences in many cases, including all death sentences.
“In passing judgment on individual cases he was inclined to show occasional leniency—in spite of the harshness demanded of all judges by the Führer. In cases of treason, and especially in moral crimes, he showed merciless severity. I know from the records that in severe cases of rape he would often reverse a judgment because he considered the death sentence was necessary. It did not matter whether the woman involved was from Germany or from the occupied territories. I believe that I remember at least one case from the records where he even changed the regular manner of execution and ordered that the soldier be hanged in the Russian village in which he had committed the rape.
“IV. When presiding at a trial the Reich Marshal was very forceful but benevolent; also in his recommendations for mercy to the Führer.
“V. In his own decisions the Reich Marshal doubtless knowingly often acted contrary to the ideas and demands of the Führer, especially in political matters, which he judged much more mildly, and in cases of excesses against inhabitants of the occupied countries, which he judged much more harshly than the Führer.