The Daily Worker Newspaper, October 7, 1933, Page 7

| i | 4 DAILY WORKER, NEW YORK, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1933 Page Seven Workers! In the bloody hands of the Fascist butchers are our heroic Bolshevik fighters, Thaelmann, Torgler, Dimitroff, Popoff, and Taneff! We alone, in international fighting solidarity, can rescue them! MILWAUKEE SOCIALIST | CHIEFS JUSTIFY ATTACK Fe ON ANTI-FASCIST RALLY Refuse Permit, Arrest By H. YARIS 0. September 27, there took place in the city of Milwaukee, a demon- ration directed against Hans Luther, German Ambassador to the U. 8. who came to Milwaukee on that day to be welcomed by the biggest bank- ers and manufacturers of that city. © This is the second direct representa- | tive of Hitler who has visited Mil- | waukee within the space of a few » weeks, with the intention of creating strong pro-fascist tendencies among / the large German population of Mil- | waukee. Several weeks ago, it was Prince Louis Ferdinand, son of the Crown | Prince, and.one who is most often | mentioned to be the first choice of Hitler in the event of the restoration # of the Hohenzollern family to the throne. Louis Ferdinand was wel- comed by the elite of Milwaukee so- ciety who sponsored his tour amid tremendous publicity in the local press. Howeyer, one deed of his was | not so loudly acclaimed, and that was the actual formation of a nucleus for the Hitler nization, “Friends of New Germany.” The pri “y purpose of Luther's visit, a so-called private tour, was to | strengthen this Fascist nucleus, and ") to gain for it the support of the local bourgeoisie, many of whom are of German extraction, Pe SR Sea UTHER came to be welcomed by the bourgeoisie, but the “welcome” he received from the Milwaukee workers, by far superceded his other reception in importance and attend- ance. In a demonstration, mobilized yver night by calling workers out of their beds, and waking them early in the morning, hundreds of Milwaukee orkers, of every nationality, gather- ed in front of the Milwaukee Club, the fancy restaurant and club of the tich. Both in discipline and militancy, this demonstration was a tribute to the staunchness of the working class. Disciplined in not being provoked by the police, and militant in a determi- nation not to let the police break them up despite all brutality, the demonstration “was @ great protest «gainst Fascism and against the frame-up being carried through in Leipzig against our brave German and Bulgarian comrades, There is, however, one sidelight of this demonstration which is of great | (importance to workers everywhere, that is the role of the Socialist Party leaders. As is usual in all struggles of the workers, these “leaders” found themselves not on the side of the workers fighting against Hitler and Fascism, but in a position wherein they were trying to cover up and explain away their support of the bourgeoisie with all kinds of camou- flage and pretended opposition. At the present they are waging a sham battle with the police, pretending to be opposed to the. prosecution of the 22 workers arrested at the Sept. 27 demonstration. Actually we can easily show, they are trying to railroad each of these workers to even longer sen- tences than the police themselves are demanding. We wish to go somewhat into the details of the role of these S. P. leaders in connection with this dem- onstration. ote R years, in this city it has been the custom of the Mayor to issue permits for whatever meetings per- mits were desired or needed. In fact it was the boast of the Socialists that the Socialist Mayor Hoan, and not the police controlled and guaranteed free speech to workers and their or- ganizations. However, on the morn- ing of the 27th, when a delegation was sent. requesting a permit to the Mayor's office, his secretary Hauser, also a leading Socialist, stated that the Mayor no longer had the right to issue permits and referred the com- mittee to the Police Department, which meant a complete denial of a permit. For years, the Mayor would not allow.the police to take over this phase of work, but when asked for a permit for an anti-fascist demonstra- tion at a time when such an action would have the most significance, the ‘or who is at the head of the So- controlled Anti-Fascist League, *, ‘used a permit, and thus indirectly tioned the right of the police to: brutally disperse the meeting. the brutality with which it was broken spread through the working class population of Milwaukee, and many of the rank and file Socialist workers demanded of their “comrades” in the City Hall an explanation. Their “comrades” in the City Hall, there- fore, had to get busy, to clean their hands, and rid themselves of respon- sibility. When the case came up to court, the Socialist City Attorney refused to presecute 16 of the 22, arrested work- ers, held on a charge of disorderly conduct. All of these workers were being held on warrants issued by the City. But something had happened in between the time of the issuing of warrants, and the time of Suey ance in court. The Socialist and file aroused by the demonstra- tion and rallying to the support of the arrested workers were e: pressure and their leaders feared to buck this resentment. Following the demonstration, and) w; up, a wave of protest and Entegeer ol the Demonstrators, Try to Bribe Defendants Who Protested Visit of Hi tler Envoy the Socialist City Attorney to prose- cute? Certainly not a desire to see the workers freed. Let us quote Quick, veteran Socialist, and assistant City Attorney: “If the affair was so serious that the police had to club the demonstrators, all of those ar- rested should hgve been charged in state warrants. some of those ar- rested are guilty of unlawful assem- plage, all of them are. The police are crazy if they think they can arrest those persons on charges of disorderly conduct.” This certainly does not express a desire to free the liberated workers, but rather to make the charge against, them more serious, and thus their sentence much larger. The Socialist City AVorney suggests to the police on what charge to hold the arrested workers, An unlawful assembly charge in this city carries with it a sentence of up to one year, and in the case of second offenders up to three years. Disorderly conduct is a comparatively minor charge. Thus is the true role of these Socialist leaders exposed as agents or advisors to the bourgeois on how to get rid of militant work- ers for a long period of time. oe order to cover up the brutal ac- | £ tions of the police and at the same time to appease the aroused workers, Hauser, secretary to the Mayor, also issued a statement: “The mayor is opposed to the use of clubs by the police where a gathering is peaceful. BUT IF THERE WAS DISORDER WEDNESDAY THAT IS A DIF- FERENT MATTER.” Even some of the bourgeois reporters admitted in their writeups of the demnstrations that there was no need of the brutal- ity of the police. But this represen- tative of the Milwaukee brand of So- cialism rushes to the aid of the police by hinting that after all there was a possibility that the demonstrators were disorderly and therefore the po- lice were justified. Can anything be more vile and despicable than such servility on the part of a Socialist “leader.” However, still lower depths can be reached. While waiting to be called to court one of the arrested workers committee of Socialists, including Andrew Biemiller, Educational Direc- tor of the S, P. in Milwaukee. This committee had been elected the pre- vious night by the County Central Committee of the S. P. after the workers had shown their support of the arrested demonstration. This committee was to investigate brutal- ity of the police. How did they go about their duty. By offering to have this worker freed, by using “the prestige and influence” of the So- cialist Party to have him freed, on one condition.. The condition was that he should rejoin the Socialist Party, of which he had been a mem- ber for over 15 years, but which he quit some time ago as a result of dis- agreeing with that Party. To an- other worker, who has only recently been) expelled from the S. P., they offered bond, with the same purpose in mind, to draw him back into the Socialist Party. Here were workers facing a capital- ist court, because of a militant dem- onstration against Fascism and all it stands for with the press loudly claiming for their conviction, and the official committee of the 8. P. in- vestigating the brutality of the police, confines itself to telling these work- ers, that the S. P. would use its “in- fluence and prestige” with the bour- joined the S. P. Otherwise they can go to jail, as far as these “leaders” care, This committee has not spoken to any of those involved in the Sag onstration, with the exception of making the above mentioned proposi- tion. Not once did they approach any of the leading participants or even the organ of the demonstrations. ‘They showed up only at the court, to which all of them all of their actions indicate the trend. Meanwhile the aroused workers, Socialist many of them, are making known their protest. Some of the comrades arrested are facing long terms in jail. The entire bourgeoisie press is howling for its pound of flesh. ‘orkers everywhere should. be aroused and became acquainted with e case, Protests from every part of the country should be sent in to Mayor Daniel Hoan, Mayor of Milwaukee. Hitler Flag Flown from Vienna Opera as NaZis Defy Dollfuss Edicts VIENNA, Oct. 4.—While a thanksgiving mass being sung in St. Stephan’s Cathedral today for Chancellor Dollfuss’s escape from a Nazi assassin, the Nazis hung a hooked cross flag from the opera building here to symbolize their rank{defiance of the Austrian govern- ment’s anti-Nazi activities. Help improve the “Daily Worker.” send in your suggestions and hegre But what is behind this refusal of Mame deb Vriefiareibers: PGES RECN IBAA 4 nurgzeat vee yvere.. ASP AR eR 0 + 4 THE PRISON LETTERS ame bed Orielfsrelberd: yemer” te. # eta, 3 God nas ame’ | ig EM bit ee peeks oo 5a ase rene Sra oe aoe rae me Harn ff ee Liou, oe aa: Aan MPM greed mee \ roam ary rae pts wea eke Berlin NW. 40, Den u Uecrpftos a Bertin Nw. 40 ten 26 wel _1992- H He. if itemMoebit 128 Lanes, na ‘atteateabt 124 . draft. Jitgdut Gauche a Gof. B.Me. 48: Gelelen Ne (alee are eetind : 3 4 Tockenice shede dim surge He Orie * ade..cmacarech, Coane Wie. YStorae a <8 terns Lentes Fref if maphlue phx wuetne Ra 9000-dy tor tinea on | was called out and spoken to by |” geoisie to free them only if they] cies ee B.., Kerrebat0,.. 0 Wierd ae Pa 200 eke, +]. TYE Meese, BIST Sr kpc yiesianid i Baoge Gran. _ mere. nye 5. Met epane Magus. Rcpane. Lee} sy weeny Gan Ruabsob, | Y wiorg | es Peas ate pire 2) Hike B12. 792. 504733 Befehluy 1 surafecne ovven ten studenten Bagit 290 f fy wm euntatnurite gooaren ou 28, November 1908 ma DrJon bel 80/16 / pulperton ovo ieioerrete Ps ht ate Rtedacerioht de Sérarsencty n ar sttrmg vom | Be. sarnet 1983 Dencrdousens er antrag euf Zatannang dan foshtgresita Dov Lv tm ao cue Pitlecelonay nodte i Darlin, Limeratrepe 28 Det yr, ale Wonibertetdiger dee Angerlagten Popett gents $158 fino vied abeelanate sweh sbgeethon dates, ah etm Eimverstind- piphaatdig-aortieonesiyy seat ernomacnesiarass auagesersion: CER e Pike eke manele mpasied |) He 4: Mae. KaK. See ig a | ete mene mee Raut | OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE Otrzsour. Lhe Pope Peteo-e}, | Be, tte Otorvetoteade ‘nitthe Pere ( Fema von Magol Popow, erteiie bierdurch n dou Rechteanwalt Rerr) D.UVEISO:", Priletely te {cde} Mir alee ABM aa Nertaiipoc sed sl Sekctat eat ask Wagten Blagot Popow vor éem Retchegericht, Leipelg, dex tnt ie lee al beg Weep ics ue vr hin Signs 3 richion wt Denréve ait sn taen, Rustellungen tn Bopfang pean hpeh (Mee ome fern) odferor! he Lm a0 hey tema: Moskat, con 28Dult 19536 Shes PARTIGULARLY ‘vicious attack on the Soviet Union was made the other day at the Washing- ton Conference of the American Federation of Labor by James Rowan, delegate from the British Trade Union Congress. The A. F. of L. burocrats, who occupy a foremost position in the reactionary ranks of Soviet enemies, found his speech delightful. Rowan said: “The Communist Parties of the various European countries avow themselves in active opposition to Fascism, but I have seen no evidence that the Rus- sian Communist Government or the Third Interna- tional have done anything to try to stop the abomin- able atrocities of Hitler...they have not even made any such representations to the Hitler Government such as other governments have made, including the Mussolini Government, the French and British Gov- ernments have done... One would have expected some threat against the Hitler dictatorship...that Germany would be expelled from the comity of na- tions...but Soviet Russia...remains in diplomatic and trading relytions with Germany...” Let us see what there is in this vile tirade. Rowan flaims that the Communist Parties only “avow” their opposition to Hitler, but really do not fight Fascism. It required an awful amount of brass to say that, as well as a particularly vile purpose. To say that is to spread a fog of black concealing camouflage over the mighty, heroic fight of the un- conquerable German Communist Party. It is to deny what even the Fascists themselves cannot deny, much as they would like to, the fact that the German Com- munist Party still lives and fights with undiminished Bolshevik determination for the overthrow of capital- ism. To say that is to give actual aid to the Fascist hangmen, who are trying to crush the workers’ fight Who is it that leads the world fight against Fas- . 7 Naked Sccuac Mre gd sha tert es iM British Trade Unions? Have not the German Trade Union burocratic brothers of Mr, Rowan already offered themselves as agents of the Hitler Government? Did not the Second International, with which the British Trade Union Congress has such fraternal relations, pave the way for Fascism in Germany, and has it not shamefully collapsed in the face of Hitler’s tem- porary triumph? It is not very difficult to see in Mr. Rowan’s ful- minations against the Soviet Union, and his tomb-like silence on the treachery of his German colleagues, an attempt to conceal the rottenness and surrender of the reformist Trade Union burocracy in the face of advancing Fascism. Mr. Rowan’s intimacy with the White Guard inter- vention propaganda is evidenced by the fact that he unblushingly repeats the lie that the government of the Soviet Union is identical with the Third Inter- national. By trying to blur the real distinction be- tween the two, he actually pleads for the immediate cessation of all trade and commercial relations with the Soviet Union. He is actually pleading for a boy- cott of the Soviet Union that can only lead to im- Perialist porprventin. 8) eye ote ROWAN peelings to be bitterly disappointed at the “failure” of the Soviet Government to send “threats” against the Hitler Government. He finds it in his British Trade Union burocratic heart to praise Mussolini and the imperialist-capitalist governments of France and Italy. These governments, avers Mr. Row- ee i eal va vee Pippin. ig were Seow, ph earth a ny fae Laka ins heseare Se ngasucvargee Laborism, Fascism, and the U. S. S. R. (An Editorial) an, fight Fascism. These reactionary governments where Fascism has already triumphed or is growing stronger every hour! Mr. Rowan, who is so strutting an opponent of Fascism, is remarkably silent on the feverish war preparations of Mussolini, France, Britain, Germany and England. Above all he is silent on the notorious Hugenberg Memorandum, presented by Hitler's representatives to the gathering of all the capitalist nations of the world. He is silent on the fact that this Fascist document contains not only a complete plan for the imperialist looting and partition of the Soviet Union, but is an actual call to the capitalist world to wipe out the Socialist Workers’ government as the main bulwark against world Fascist reaction! Fascism and war preparations mean intervention against the Soviet Union—that’s what Mr. Rowan is trying to hide with his rotten praise of Mussolini and. his assault on the Soviet Union Every worker will understand what Rowan means by his “innocent” demand that the Soviet Union send “threats” to the German government. It means that Rowan and his trade union cliques are deliberately trying to break down, to hinder the firm and unshake- able peace policy of the Soviet Union! He objects to the Soviet Union’s trading with Germany. But he pretends not to see that the delib- erate breaking off of commercial relations of the So- viet Union and Germany would play right into the war plans of Hitler, who has been trying every conceivable method of provoking the Soviet Union into a war moye. ‘He pretends not to see that the peace policy of the Soviet Union, as exemplified in its trade and com- mercial treaties, as well as its non-aggression pacts, is one of the means used by the Soviet Union in its fight against war, whose source is Fascism. He pre- tends not to see that the peace policy of the Soviet Union is a powerful obstruction against.Fascism be- cause it means the successful building of Socialism! ’ eee 'URELY it is remarkable that Rowan and the A. F. of L, bureaucrats, who pretend to be so heart- broken about the triumph of German Fascism, are the actual supporters of advancing Fascism in their own countries! Do not the British Trade Union bureaucrats and the A. F. of L. support the N.R.A. with ecstatic en- thusiasm? And is not the N.R.A. the American edi- tion of advancing capitalist Fascism? Does not the N.R.A, outlaw all strikes? Does not the N.R.A. make all strikes acts of rebellion against the capitalist gov- ernment? Does ‘not N.R.A. bring the armed forces of the State, state troopers, police, depilties, etc., into immediate play against all strikers? Are not the pres- ent steel and coal strikes abundant living proof of that? . « . Now it is clear what is behind the ranting of such. fighters of Fascism as Mr. Rowan. They are part of the machinery to break down the resistance of the workers at home to wage cuts, to capitalist reaction and violence. They are the moral] preparation of the intervention against the Soviet Union, They have the job of paving the way for fas- cism in their own countries, while they weep croco- dile tears about the peace policy of the Soviet Union. Rowan's speech and its enthusiastic reception by the upper officialdom of the A. F. of L, ts a challenge to the rank and file workers in the A, F. of L. locals to rally in united front struggles against their strike- breaking officials, who are part of the war prepara- tions against the Soviet Union. Workers in the A. F. of L. locals! You know that the Soviet Union is the workers’ fatherland, that the workers there are building Socialism! =—__ Drive out of your ranks these intervention in- citers! Repudiate these false, pretended opponents of Fascism! Repudiate these leaders who ate actually helping to pave the way for Fascism here. « Berlin, N.W. 40, | Alt Moabit 12-a, | Aug. 22, 1933. My dear, little wife: Yesterday (Monday afternoon) received your dear letter of the 18t which is so extraordinarily fresh ar optimistic. Hearty thanks! I am ex- tremely glad that people outside are so concerned with my case. Know- ing this is worth a lot to me. The spirit and the enthusiasm that I can feel in your suggestions really aston~ ish me, Is the whole world really waiting for this trial so impatiently? Of course I shall defend my case} politically, and it is also a ter of course that I shall use good weapons in my fight for freedom, I am wholly innocent, and I also know ‘that no Communist had anything to do with this insane arson. I have emphasized that from the day of my first ques- | tioning by the police, My hope to see you today, Tues-| day, seems to be a deception. I should have liked so much to talk over the matter of the Saarbruecken attorneys, for I don’t want to send them powers of attorney until I haye spoken to you and to Dr. Sack. Nor| does Dr. Sack seem to show up, al-| though he must be back from Geipzig | already. Yes, dearest, you see that this is also one of the things which depresses me so terribly. In the past I used the telephone when I wanted to find out about something. Today I must wait, more or less patiently, until they call me out. For a man as en- ergetic as myself this idle sitting about is really torture. And my physical freedom of movement is also limited at the present time by my lumbago. Perhaps it is neuritis. The | pains aren’t in my back any more, | but in my left leg from the hip to the knee. As for the suit that has to be re- paired, it’s not as easy as we thought. | We should have first gotten written | authorization from Dr. Warnecke. | Nothing can be done with verbal ar- rangements in here. I asked for the | authorization yesterday. You will| probably have traveled out here for | nothing today therefore. I have read your dear letter at} least twelve times. It makes me! 1| |to suppose that you could cause me Torgler-Popoff Letters Sent from Nazi Prison The letters written from prison to their wives by Ernst Torgler, | Communist Reichstag leader, and Blagoi Popoff, Bulgarian Commu- nist, on trial for their lives in the Reichstag fire frame-up trial in Leipzig, reproduced on this page, are the first words from the Com- munist defendants to reach this country, They are worth reading carefully, as examples of how Communists, after six long months of solitary imprisonment, maintain their class- conscious revolutionary determina- tion intact. These letters had to pass the prison censorship, and their tone had to be modified accordingly, but out of every line there speaks un- flinching readiness to defend them- selves—and with them the cause of Communism. The translation of the letters follows: happy every time I re-read it. It is so political and besides so class-con- scious and confident, that I have caught its infection. On the other h d, I can’t quite understand your postscript: “If it ever | |gets that far.” Do you or does an, one else still think that they me yet call off the trial? I consider it very unlikely, now that the affair has been pushed this far, unless the correspondence leads to a practical result and the whole question is raised again. See, dumb ideas sometimes. rgotten how to sing. now I know why I get such Because I Believe ing these six months, about how this life could be endured if I didn’t have you? I also know how wrong it is worry. ‘Therefore, dearest, until the next visitors’ hour, which I hope will be tomorrow. With loving greetings to you and Ilse and kissing you hard, I am your dearly loving PAPA, Thanks for the nine 8-pfennig | stamps. Heartiest greetings to the old and r, that I often thought, dur-| | this crime. | accuses me. | accused. lyoung E. family. POWER OF ATTORNEY I, the undersigned Riika Popova (Riika Popova Petkova), Blagoi Popoff, hereby grant power of attorney to Mr. D. Levinson, at- torney, of Philadelphia, U. S. A. as} defending counsel for the defendant) Blagoi Popoff, before the Supreme Court, Leipzig, the examining magis- trate, the German Attorney-General, and all other courts and official au-| thorities, with the right to receive letters addressed to Blagoi Popoff. (Signed) RIIKA POPOVA ” (Riika Popova Petkova) Moscow, July 28, 1933. I hereby certify this power of at- torney and the signature of Mrs. Riika Popova (Riika Popova Pet-| kova), residing at Danganerovskaya | Sloboda, Building 14, Apt. 34, Moscow. | | Receipt No. 29742 Stamp fee, 2 Roubles Moscow, July 28, 1933. (Signed) Notary Public. Beriin, 5 4th Criminal Senate Supreme Court Leipzig: The defendant Popoff has given me power of attorney as defending | counsel in the criminal proceedings pending against him for high treason. I therefore request that I be admitted as defense counsel, and that I be allowed to speak in person with the defendant Blagoi Popoft. (Signed) DAVID LEVINSON, gust 15, 1933. Sept. 3, 1933 Dr. Teichert, Attorney-at-law Leipzig. My dear colleague: I acknowledge receipt of your letter of Aug. 31, in which you inform me— at least that is how I take it—that I can appear alongside you as defense counsel. However, your letter is not quite clear. In reply to my inquiry whether you are ready to consent to my de- fending the defendant Popoff con- | jointly with you, you declare that you will dp everything that may aid the accused. I can only interpret this as your agreement to my request, that is, that you agree to my participation alongside you. On the other hand this explanation seems to me to contradict somewhat your statement that the attorney in question must personally fulfill the requirements for admission of a Ger- man as attorney. I cannot imagine that you mean to refer to my being a Jew. It seems to me inconceivable that you demand of an American citizen, who comes from a country where equality for the Jews is part of the Constitution—where Jewish lawyers and non-Jewish lawyers are fully equal—that he be a non-Jew in order to appear before a German court, I should be thankful for a clear answer on this point from you. As for the evidence, I have dis- cussed the matter with the commis- sion of inquiry. They tell me that they are ready to hand the material in the possession of the commission of inquiry to a foreign defending counsel at any time, including my- self, if I obtain your unmistakable agreement to my participation in the wife of}: The correspondence between David Lewinson, Philadelphia I.L.D. at- torney, and Paul Teichert, official Nazi attorney for Blagoi Popoff in the Reichstag fire trial, and the documents of the German Supreme Court, reproduced here, show be- yond argument the petty evasions and buck-passing of the Nazi law- yer and the Nazi court in their effort to keep every unprejudiced foreign attorney away from the de- fense table in the Leipzig court- Toom. When Levinson asked the Su- preme Court for permission to help in Popoff’s defense, the court said that Teichert had not consented. When Levinson turned to Teichert, the Iatter replied that the Supreme Court has to decide, This wriggling about of the Nazi judges and attorneys shows clear- ly enough that the Communist de- fendants Ernst ‘Torgler, George Dimitroff, Blagoi Popoff and Vas- sili Taneff are being deprived of all rights to defend themselves. Only Nazi lawyers may speak for them—they are not allowed to con- duct their own defense—as the expulsion of Dimitroff from the | courtroom yesterday proves. The translation of the letters follows: defense. Moreover, as a lawyer, you will understand that an attorney must study the evidence before he can make trial motions, It would there- fore be highly desirable that you let me have the indictment’ for inspec- tion as soon as possible. Awaiting your prompt reply, with fraternal greetings, (Signed) David Levinson. P, S. As for the Brown Book,” the publishers tell me that a copy has been sent off to your address already, in compliance with your request. If you haven't gotten it yet, please wire me, and I shall at once endeavor to send you a second copy, (Signed) D. L. DECISION 15 J. 86/33 XII. H. 42/33 XIL. Tgb. 384/33 In the criminal proceedings against the student, Blagoi Popoff, residing in Berlin, born November 28, 1902 in Drjan near Sofia, Bulgaria—for High Treason,—the Supreme Court of Ger- many, 5th Criminal Senate, decided in its session of August 24, 1933, that: The motion for the admission of David Levinson, attorney, of Phila- delphia, at present in Berlin, Zim- merstrasse 28, in care of Lochner, as chosen defense counsel of the de- fendant Popoff in accordance with Par, 138 of the Code of Criminal Pro- cedure is herewith denied. Aside from the fact that the consent of the Ger- man defending counsel has not been obtained, there is no evident reason for admitting him alongside the of- ficially appointed defense counsel. Nor can he be granted permission to speak, However, there is no reason to object to his transmitting any material for the defense—outside of | | Berlin NW 40, May 26, 1933 Alt-Moabit 12 a | Dear Riika: I am sending you this letter to ‘ov’s address, because I fear that if you went out to the country my first two letters and also this one will | lie around a long time, and perhaps | be lost, and my request is very urgent. | In my first letters, I asked you | about a lawyer and money. Now I can inform you that I am being ac- cused of taking part in the burning of the German Reichstag building. | This charge is a very serious one and I am threatened, the investigating judge says with the death penalty, Of course, I did not participate in any way, and have no connection with Besides, J have never in ; my life laid eyes on the person who Yet I am suspected and On June 3 the investigation will be |completed and transmitted to the |prosecutor. | be held soon. I need adequate legal The trial will undoubtedly defense. It is necessary to find a wyer for me immediately. I suggest that someone be given a power of attorney to employ a lawyer for me. It should also be possible to send a foreign lawyer here to find me a as an assistant, in accordance with the law here. I can ask you to do all this as fast ae possible, as there is not much time left. Even if you have already gone, or intend to go to the country or to the House of Rest, don’t fail to carry out these things. It is very necessary for your health that you should not remain in the city during the sum- mer, but should have a real rest. If you get a chance to go to our beloved Suuk-Su in the Crimea, go there. You and I both used to do very well there in regaining our health. I didn’t like to write you that I am being accused of such a serious crime, because I know how badly it might affect your health—but what can I do? I need your help. Keep cool. I hope my innocence will be estab- lished and that I will be free again. ‘With love and kisses Your Blagot. Correspondence Between D. Levinson and the Nazi Attorney Leipzig, Sept. 7, 1933. Mr. David Levinson, Attorney-at-law, Philadelphia, Pa. At present in Paris. Dear Sir: I have received your undated letter. I also have received, in the interim, anonymously however, the “Brown Book.” According to this volume, the essential material in the hands of the commission has been made use of in that hook. You would therefore be unable to give me any further material. Moreover, you confirm that the commission is unwilling to hand the material allegedly in its possession | over to a German defending attorney. You will no doubt understand that I cannot allow a commission of for- eign lawyers, whose authorization is not proved at all, to prescribe wheth- er and to whom it will hand out its material. In doing this, the Commission has indicated that it does not want to aid the legal defense, and under these | circumstances the legal defense is unable to do anything further. I am convinced that you will un- derstand my attitude and that in a trial taking place in America, you, as an American attorney, would re- ject the intervention of such a com- mission just as I am doing as a German in Germany, Although the trial is a purely in- ternal German affair, I expressed my readiness to accept joint defense by a foreign attorney. However, there are so many requests of this nature, that I can only give my consent to a compatriot of the Bulgarian, that is, a Bulgarian lawyer, as a matter of justice. It would have been bet~ ter if the foreign lawyers had agreed among themselves in advance upon which one of them was to be ac- cepted, In saying that the foreign lawyer whom I might accept as joint coun- sel would have to fulfill, personally, the requirements under which a Ger- man is allowed to practice law in Germany, this means something which is really self-understood. That is, a foreigner cannot, of course, be granted greater rights than a native. This is no doubt the case in America as well. The fact that you are a Jew would not be decisive in affecting my judgment, if you were really able to furnish evidence. But from your let- ter, I cannot assume that that is the case. Very truly yours, (Signed) TEICHERT, Attorney-at-law. trial procedure—to the officially ap- pointed German defense counsel, (Signed) Dr, Buenger (Signed) Coenders (Signed) Rusch Drawn Up by (Signed) Wedekind Official (SEAL) fice of the Court To Mr. David tages Hotel Central, Berlin, Ministerial i as beag (+ Official of the