Letter from Robert Brennan to Frederick H. Boland (Dublin)
(Pol./47)

My wife¹ met Mrs. Jackson, wife of Associate Justice Robert H. Jackson (whom she has known for a long time) at a tea-party last week. Mrs. Jackson said that her husband, she feared, would never be the same after the Nuremburg Trials. He had felt very badly about sending men to the gallows. She added that there seemed to be a lot of discussion about the ethics of Trials, and Una said nothing. After a long pause, Mrs. Jackson asked point blank what Una's opinion was and she replied: 'I had better not tell you. If I did, I am afraid I would hurt you very much', which, of course, was saying a mouthful.

A couple of weeks ago, Judge James T. McGranery, Philadelphia, formerly Assistant US Attorney General, speaking in a room full of people, of whom I was one, said something which suggested that the opinion of the Attorney General's office was that Jackson's attitude was based on 'bad law'.

One of those present said that what the proceedings meant was that you had better be damned sure you win your next war, because if you don't, you'll be hanged as a War Criminal.