Abstract

The Shape of Things

There is something about mass murder which appears to elevate wanton killing from the level of crime to the realm of international politics. Upwards of a million innocent civilians have been systematically put to death by the German leaders admittedly because of their race. Hundreds of thousands more have been shot, gassed, or hanged as civilian hostages, contrary to every principle of international law. The enemy has bragged about these and equally monstrous crimes and held them up as a warning to other victims. Yet now that the U.S., Britain, and the Soviet Union have appealed to neutral governments not to give shelter to escaping war criminals, there is much talk about the right of asylum, as though these self-confessed murderers should by virtue of their defeat acquire the standing of political refugees fleeing persecution.