Out of Mind?

The Lichfield Trial (TIME, Feb. 25) went on the road. From London, where it had been a one-ring circus, it was transferred to Bad Nauheim. Along the roads leading to the Hessian spa were signs in the shaving-cream tradition: "Five miles to Lichfield trials," "Four miles. . . ," etc. In the streets, there was more glittering brass than could be found anywhere outside the Pentagon.

In the plush Park Hotel, two rings of the circus had been set up: 1) in the grand ballroom, to try Lieut. Granville Cubage on charges of cruelty to prisoners; 2) in a less pretentious setting, to try Lieut. Leonard W. Ennis on similar charges. Two other chambers were carefully swept and dusted each day in case the top command decided to run a four-ring circus. Twelve more defendants were awaiting trial.

Colonel Irvin Schindler, leader of a team of 15 "expediters" flown from Washington, had told his crew that General Eisenhower and Secretary Patterson "want this matter cleaned up in a hurry. They want these trials over with and out of the newspapers." The trial had "been getting a lot of bad publicity."

The desire for haste was not matched by an equal yearning for efficiency. Defense counsel complained that documents and witnesses, available any time during the last six months, were still to be produced at Bad Nauheim. Last week, on this score, they won a 26-day continuance in Ennis' case, asked 30 days for Cubage.

There might be method in the Army's apparent madness. Said a prospective witness: "They want you newspaper guys to get fed up and clear out. When there's no more interest in these things in the U.S., they'll start slinging mud."

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