Transcript of Letter from Katherine Fite to Mr. and Mrs. Emerson Fite

21 Nuremberg, November 19, 1945. Dearest Mother and Daddy, I hope you got my letter asking for a package to in- clude stockings, roll for hair etc. The reason I mention it is that I read in Stars and Stripes a few days ago that a plane out of Frankfurt crashed carry- 'ns hundreds of pounds of mail. I think our mail comes in via Munich - how it goes out I don't know. ir Your mail comes through regularly. About 10 days now on the average. I no ticed one letter written before you went to New York which came through four days after the letter you wrote describing the trip to New York, and that af- ter you had taken the trouble to mail it in New York. Well - this is the eve of the trial - or at least I haven't heard to the contrary, the the Stars and Stripes carried a sensational story today that the French were going to withdraw and the Russians ask for a postponement. I understand the Court held a closed session this afternoon. I also understand the Frenchman denied saying what the Stars nd Stripes says he did. I guess ev eryon's nerves are on edge. We have worked like fools to get things ready. Our material difficulties in the way of inadequate lights, typists, mimeograp machines etc. are fantastic. Personally I feel that a postponement for only one week would make a big difference to history in the matter of our written record- I think we have been too rushed by the people on the top level who di didn't kn OW what we were up against. The British who have a small and easy part of the case are said to be insistent on going to trial. Their Attorney General is over here and I suppose can ill be spared. ARCHIVES AND Today I witnessed a tremendously interesting thing - my friend Frick on the eve of the trial. Saturday we had him up to go over an enormous chart of the German Government. He was cooperative and very talkative and I stood rig right up next to him and discussed it with him. (He understands English - I un derstand German to about the same extent) He was very grateful when we gave him a cigarette. And willing to sign anything in the way of affidavits. We were astonished. 9 Roehm purge. Even yolunteered that more than a thougand were killed in t He did ask at the end bi the interview If the trial would oe held Tuesday. Today we had him back with his lawyer and what a difference He was haggard and jumpy and a little more cautious about his affidavits - th tho he still surprised us by what he was willing to sign. (He may have had some idea of ingratiating himself) He gave the impression of being paralyzed with stage fright. As one of the officers said - Well, how would you feel if you were going on trial tomorrow for murdering not one man but seven million? I wanted to tell Frick that it was the anticipation that was getting him down I offered him a cigarette - and he said no - no - no. Guess his tummy was up set. He's a hard-bitten, evil looking man - but you do feel funny talking to a man you intend yo hang. I'm not sure a man like him precisely feels remors - certainly if they had won the war they would have gone on being as bad or W worse. But I do think a man as intelligent as he at least knows wherein he h has sinned against the civilized code. One thing was amusing - he insisted o on getting back a quotation from Gunther's Inside Europe about himself that h he he had given the interrogaber. I didn't see it. Now I am anxious to know what was in it. He said the book was "very American" and very widely read in Germany. Well somehow the sight of Frick's demoralization and the picture of how painstaking we were in explaining that he was under no obligation to anything, could alter what he wished and have his lawyer present, made me feel that the trials are morally omportant. And when I feel sorry for Frick I thin of the Jewish babies tht were gassed. Friday night Senator Pepper gave a cocktail-buffet supper party at his villa - practically a small castle - out in the country. He is staying for tht the opening of the trial. So I suppose when you have Senators here you hurry the trial. Good liquor, good food and the same VIP's de Biddle, Parker, bonovan, Jackson et al. Strictly American. Pepper amuses me - he is such 5 last Sunday he competed with music in the other room by telling of his typical Senator - genial - talks a lot - and everyone kowtows. At the JYSTREE'S to Stalin. Stalin said we must find points of similarity, or common @