WAR CRIMES: State of Affairs

“The long-range significance of the Nürnberg trial,” Justice Robert H. Jackson, chief U.S. prosecutor of the top Nazis, once said, “lies in the effort to demonstrate … the supremacy of law over such lawless and catastrophic forces as war. . . .” Had the lesson sunk in?

Last week in Tokyo, where the trial of Japanese war criminals had been going on for 395 days, the Economic Stabilization Board examined 550 job applicants. One of the questions was, “What is Nürnberg?” Only 5%answered correctly.

Some of the incorrect answers:

“Nürnberg is an American who is a democrat.”

“Nürnberg is a state of affairs in the U.S.”

“Nürnberg is a city in the U.S. where the first cut-the-price movement took place.”

Nearest miss: “Nürnberg is a German war criminal who was hanged.”