NUREMBERG, March 18, 1946 (UP) - Hermann Goering told the War Crimes Tribunal today that he was proud to offer "my head" at the bar of Allied justice for his belief in Adolf Hitler and Nazism. Goering made plain that he stood by Hitler "for better or worse."
"After I got to know the Fuehrer and his personality I gave him my hand and told him 'I wish to lock my fate with yours come what may, for better or for worse, and that includes my head'-and it includes my head today here."
Goering denied that the Nazis ever contemplated invading the United States.
"Even if Germany had completely dominated Europe," he said, "because of the smallness of its fleet and its lack of long-range bombers a threat to the Americans was never spoken of. Contrarily, we always were afraid of danger from the other side."
The No. 2 Nazi said also that the Nazis never had prepared an economic penetration of South America.
Smiling suavely, the portly Goering said economic penetration of South America was impossible because Germany could never compete or endanger the United States and British position there.
Goering said he gave up hope for Germany in January, 1945, when the Russians reached the Oder and the Nazi counter-offensive in the Ardennes failed.
"Before that," he said, "I hoped that the lines could be held until new weapons were produced in such quantities as to nullify American air strength."
Mr. Jackson accused Goering of ordering air attacks on England after he was convinced the Nazi cause was hopeless, and he replied:
"No attacks were made after January, 1945. But if I had had the bombers and oil, I would have used them to the last minute in reprisal. Thank heaven we still had one weapon we could use. As a soldier I can only regret we hadn't enough V-1 or V-2 weapons, for this was our only means of easing attacks on German cities."
Goering said that if Hitler had been eliminated and he had become Fuehrer, he would have continued resistance against unconditional surrender.
