The Daily Worker Newspaper, January 13, 1934, Page 5

> ILY WORKER, NEW YORK, SA’ ARY 13, 1934 t Page Five DIMITROFF’S MASTERLY SPEECH IN THE NAZI COURT Proletarian Revolution Is Act Gentlemen of the Court, Gentle-f men of the Prosecution and the De- tense! Three months ago at the be- ginning of these proceedings I, as an cused, sent a letter to the Pre- ding Judge. sed my regrets that my utter- ces had led to a conflict but that I objected to the reproach leveled against me that I am taking advan- tage of my right to put questions and make statements in the court propaganda purposes. But since I haye been innocently accused I am 8 by the means at my dis- defend myself. It is possible ynat I am not sufficiently familiar vith German laws and that is why there may be misunderstandings. If I knew these laws perhaps these mis- understandings might have been avoided. I mentioned several lawyers (Dimi- troff names seven), but all my pro- Posals were rejected. I have no par- ticular mistrust of Teichert. Under the present circumstances in Ger- many I cannot have sufficient con- fidence in Teichert’s defense. Iasked that the lawyer Willard be permitted to participate in my defense, adding that should this request be turned down, I would endeavor to defend elf to the best of my ability. UNDERTOOK HIS OWN DEFENSE fter this request was rejected I decided to undertake my own de- fense, by anyone else's defense. I do not feel i in any way bound by the speech of defense-lawyer Teichert. Only that which I will say myself here before the court can be con- sidered decisive. I do not wish to i it my Party comrade Torgler—he ready been sufficiently insulted by his defense, in my opinion—but I should prefer to be innocently con- demned to death by a German Court as the Reichstag incendiary than to take advantage of a defense suc! the closing speech of D=. &: the Presiding Jud mark that he vy fendant a é ervened to re- not permit de- to engage in Dim I speak harshly and severely, but my struggle and my life have been ere, E am not a lawyer profession it is to defend. I am defending my political and revolutionary honor, my Commu- nist outlook, my ideas, the whoie meaning and content of my life. Therefore every sentence which I utter in this court is my blood, every sentence is the truth, every word I say here is the expression of the deepest indignation against an unjust accusation—the burning of the Reichstag of which the Communists are accused. HIS SUPREME COURT IS THE COMINTERN It is true indeed that for me as a ? Communist the supreme daw is the Program of the Communist Interna- tional. It is true for me that as a “Communist the supreme court is the Control Commission of, the Commu- nist International. Nevertheless, as a defendant here I shall treat this court with the utmost seriousness, not because it is comprised of par- ticulariy qualified judges, but be- vause this court is an important or- gan of the German state system, its supreme body. . I speak before the court in all seri- yyousness and with the utmost regard for the truth. With a clear con- science I can say that from the first ‘day of the trial until the last I have said nothing that was’ not: strictly true. Ihave invariably: spoken seri- ously and moreover, truly. I have been reproached that my questions here were put for propa- ganda purposes, This is not so. Of course, my utterances had a certain propaganda value but that was not my main object. My aim was to dis- prove the charge that Dimitroff, Torgler, Popoff and Taneff had any- thing to do with the fire. TELLS OF AROUSED WORLD INDIGNATION I know that no one in Bulgaria will believe that we participated in burning the Reichstag. I know that few, people abroad believe it either. But in Germany conditions are dif- ferent; here strange things may be believed. That is why I wanted to prove that the Communist Party did not and could not have taken any part in this crime. As far a5 propaganda is concern- ed maay utterances made here were of this nature. The speeches of Goebbels and Goering had also a propaganda value but no one can make them responsible for the fact that their utterances had a propa- ganda value. (laugher). In_ connection with the charge agetnsS me the newspapers attacked the Bulgarian peonle, referring to me as a “Bulgarian barbarian,” “a low type cf Balkan native,” and a “wild Bulgarian.” I must emphatically pro- test againts this. Yes, the Bulgarian nation has not attained such a high material level as certain other na- tions, but our political struggle, our political asnirations, our peovle are not of a lower order than others. I definitely protest against the as- sumption that our masses are spirit- ally and politically on a lower level f development than the masses of ‘ other countries, WHAT FASCISTS ARE NOT SAVAGES? “Bulgarian fascists are savages and larbarians, What fascists are not?” A nation which for 500 years lived under a foreign yoke, a nation whose working class and peasantry have conducted and are conducting so heroic a struggle against Bul- gartian fascism and for Communism, such a nation cannot be barbarous and savage. It is the Bulgarian ,/} fascists who are savages and bar- barians, but what fascists are not barbarians? The Presiding Judge again inter- rupted, asking Dimitroff whether he was not referring to political eon- ditions in Germany. The Bulgarian people, Dimitroff coniynued, have struggled long and stubbornly against the foreign yoke. That is why I protest against these attacks on the Bulgarian people. I In this letter I ex-| I do not wish to profit or lose | of Oppressed Millions, Says C.P. Leader in Attack on Arson Frame-Up have no reason to be ashamed of being a Bulgarian, I am proud to be a son of the Bulgarian working class. Before dwelling on the principal questions, I must point out the fol- jowing. We have been accused of having placed ourselves in this situ- ation. I wish to point out that much time elapsed between March 9, when we were arrested and the day the trial opened. During this period it would have been possible to investi- gate all the points which aroused suspicion. When we were arrested I spoke to the officials of the investi- gating commission but these officials told me that the Bulgarians were not being accused of the fire. We were charged merely on the basis of our passports, false names, wrong ad- dresses and so on, Presiding Judge: “What you say has not been brought up in court and you have no right to refer to it here.” Dimitroff continued: At that time all the data should have been verified. This would have obviated any charge being made, CHARGE BULGARIANS “SENT FROM MOSCOW.” In the indictment it is stated that although Dimitroff, Popoff, and Tan- eff maintain that they are Bulgarian emigrants it can be considered es- tablished that they came to Germany for illegal work. To quote the in- dictment, “they are sent by the Com- mnunist Party in Moscow to prepare | cor an armed uprising.” { On page 83 of the indictment it is | tated that although Dimitroff said that he was not in Berlin on the 26th and 28th cf February, this does not alter the case and does not clear him of the charge of participating ‘n the Reichstag fire. This is shown, ntinues the indictment, not only the evidence of Helmer, but from other facts as well. For that’ matter, Dimitroff replied. three-quarters of all that has been said here by the Prosecution and the Defense, has long been known to all, but they reproduced it here just the same. (laughter). Helmer claimed that Dimitroff and Van der Lubbe Were in the Bayernhof Restaurant Further on I read in the indictment: “While Dimitroff was not caught in the act he nevertheless took part in the preparations to burn the Reich- stag. He went to Munich in order to establish an _ alibi. that he participated in the German Communist movement.” | “IN SUCH MANNER WAS | CHARGE ‘COOKED UP’.” After having read this quotation from the indictment, Dimitroff said: “In such manner was the charge ‘cooked up.’” Presiding Judge: “You must not use such expressions with refer- ence to the indictment. | Dimitroff: “I shall think of an- j other word.” Presiding Judge: “But a more per- missible one.” Dimitroff: “I shall return to the method of accusation and the in- dictment in another connection. The burning of the Reichstag—an anti- Communist action—was laid at the |door of the Communists, made to eppear as a signal for a Communist uprising, a signal for changing the German Constitution. With the aid of this thesis the whole trial has been given an anti-Communist char- acter. “The Prosecution takes the stand that the burning of the Reichstag must have been intended to serve as a signal for an armed uprising,” con- ‘inued Dimitroff, reading from the indictment. “The armed uprising was to be aimed at proclaiming a Sovict Germany by the grace of the Third International.” NOT FIRST TIME CRIMES FALSELY CHARGED | TO COMMUNISTS Gentlemen of the Court! It is not the first time that such crimes have been attributed to the Com- munists. I could give you any num- ber of examples of this kind. I recall the case of the attempt on PROLETARIANS! WORKERS OF THE WHOLE WORLD! COMMU- NESTS: blood of the best sons of the working class is being shed in all capitalist countries. The German fascists are competing with the Kuomintang hangmen in the physical annthilation of the front rank fight- ers of the working class and in the tortures, deeds of violence and in- sults perpetrated against revolution- ary workers. The horrors of the in- quisition of the middle ages shrink ‘nto insignificance as compared with the villainy of the National So- clalists and Chiang-Kai-Shek. During the past year alone, ac- cording to the figures of the Inter- national Labor Defense, 46,000 r lutionaries were tortured and killed in capitalist and colonial countries, 160,000 were wounded and mutiliated, and 228,000 arrested. This terror awakens a bitter hatred of the exploiters in the minds of every worker, peasant, soldier, sailor and colonial slave and calls them to struggle against the fascist hangman and imperialist savages. BK FASCIST Germany 2,500 prole- tarians have been killed and 130,000 Communists and Anti-Fascist work- ers are being tortured in the con- centration camps, Only recently in Cologne, six young revolutionary workers were executed amid the vilest insults, In Berlin the fascist bandits have many torture chambers in which they tear the bodies of their victims with special instruments set with iron nails. In the concentration camp at Dachau, they killed the Communist deputy, Comrade Schtenzer, after 2 months of torture, Pamphlets | found in Dimitroff’s possession show | the railroad here in Germany, made by a perfectly psychopathic wes | ual, an adventurer, a provocateur. At that time the contention was circu- lated for weeks, not only in Germany, but in other countries as well, that this was the work of the German Communist Party, that this was a/ terrorist act perpetrated by the Com-/ munists. Later it was discovered that | the psychopathic adventurer Matus- chka was the culprit and he was ar- rested and convicted. I will remind you of another case, the murder of the French President by Gorguloy. At that time also they wrote for weeks that the Commu- nists were to blame for the assass- ination. Gorgulov was represented as = Communist, a Soviet agent. And what turned out to be the truth? It was proved that the deed had been organized by the white- guards and that Gorgulov was an agent-provocateur who wanted to bring about a breach in the rela- tions between France and the So- viet Union. JUDGE STOPS LISTING OF POLICE PROVOCATIONS I wish to recall likewise the at- tempt to blow up the Sofia Cathe- dral. This attempt was not the work of the Bulgarian Communists. The Communist Party was accused of this. Thousands of workers and peasants fell victim to such accusations. This attempted explosion of the Sofia Cathedral was a provocation organ- ized by the police. The Presiding Judge interrupted! Dimitroff, saying that this had nothing to do with the trial. Dimitroff continued: Police officer Heller spoke here | about Communist propaganda, and so forth. I asked him whether there had not been bases when fires car- ried out by the owners themselves were later attributed to the Commu- nist Party. ‘The “Voelkische Beo- bachter” of Oct. 5 stated that the Stettin police... The Presiding Judge cut Dimi- trofl short, stating that this point had net been presented during the Court investigations, Dimitroff at- tempted to proceed, but the presi- dent again intervened. “You must not speak about this here, since it has not been read during the trial.” | Dimitroff cuntinuing: “A whole | series of fires...” But the Presid- | ing Judge interfered. I wish to say, stated Dimitroff, that) this has been the object of discussion | because a large number of fires were blamed on the Communists. Later it had turned out that the ownérs themselves were responsible, CITES THE FORGED “ZINOVIEV LETTER” One more point in this connection —the fabrication of documents. A large number of forgeries have been used against the working cless. Such cases are innumerable. I will recall only one, that of the “Zinoviev let- ter.’ \This letter was never written by Zinoviev. It was forged. The forgery was utilized by the Conserva- tives against the working class, I will remind the court of a number of documents, forgeries and so on, which have figured here in Germany. The President again refused to al- low him to continue, stating that he was “exceeding the limits of the dis- cussion.” It has been contended here, con-/ tinued Dimitroff, that the Reichstag fire was to have served as a signal for an armed uprising. The argu- ment was as follows: Goering told the court that at the time Hitler came to power, the Com- munist Party was cornpelled to rally the masses and decide upon action. He said that for years the Commu-} nist Party had advocated the strug- gle against the National. Socialists and that when the National-Social- ists took the upper hand the Com-| munist Party had no other alterna- tive than to act at once. The prose- | 1 cutor attempted to formulate this roms Exposed Nazi Arson Plot a 2 George Dimitroff, Heroic Bulgarian Communist Leader, Who Exposed The Nazi Reichstag Fire Frame-up | theory still more carefully... venes, The prosecutor pointed out here that the Communist Party was in a position wherein it had either to give battle or give way without fighting; retreat without resistance or on one venture. Moreover, prosecutor’s opinion, things have turned out badly, but thi have béon no worse than if tr might would Com- munist Party had given way without a fight. Goering’s statement made in his capacity as supreme accuser was developed further by the public pro- secutor. © GOERING’S THESIS AGAINST PARTY IS A LIE The thesis which has been attri- buted to the Communist Party is not a Communist thesis. Such a conj ture shows that the enemies of the German Communist Party do not know much about it. In February, 1933, the Communist} Party was menaced with suppression. When the Communist press was closed down, the suppression of the Party was expected any minute. The German Communist Party was well aware of this, as is shown in its leaflets and newspapers. The Ger- man Party knew very well that in| EXPLAINS THE many countries the Communist Party had been banned, but they continued their work and are carrying on the} the German Communist Party and The Sone other Communist Parties are sections struggle notwithstanding. munist Party has been banned in Poland, Bulgaria and several other countries, I can speak of this on the basis of! statutes of the Communist Interna- the experience of the Bulgarian Com-| tional. munist Party. Afler the uprising of 1923, the Bulgarian Communist Party was suppressed; it continued to func- | | | | | | The Presiding Judge again inter-|“V*s- noe x y tion, however, at the cost of many | But it became siron than | it had been F .5re 1925. Every person} with @ critica: mind understands this. SAYS GERMAN COMMUNIST V?ARTY WILL CONQUER IN END Under favorable conditions the German Communist Party might still make the revolution. The experience | of the Russian Communist Party | proves this. The Russian Communist | Party had been illegal, it had been| bru jan | lly persecuted, but the Ri Ing class led by the Com Party eventually Kured pow leaders of the German Communist Party couid not have thought that} if they did uot act at once every- thing would be lost. The German} Communist leadership could not have/ been so foolish. The German Communist Party was well aware that illegal work would cost innumerable victims and would demand self-sacrifice and | courage, but it knew also that its revolutionary forces would strength- en and that finally it would be able to accomplish the tasks confronting it, That is why it is absolutely out of the question that the Ger- man Communist Party at that time should have planned to stake all on the decisive venture, COMMUNIST INTERNATIONAL It should be added, moreover, that | of the Communist International. What is the Communist Interna- tional? Permit me to quote from the Dimitroff reads the first passage of the statutes: “The Communist International— }ly, with a full rea’ | double an international association of | workers—represents the amalgama- tion of the Communist Parties of individual countries, a united world Communist Party. “As the leader and organizer of the revolutionary movement of the world proletariat, as the bearer of the principles and aims of Commu- nism, the Communist International fights to win over the majority of the working class and the broad of poor peaszntry for the shment of a world dictator- ship of the proletariat, for the cre- ation of a world Union of Socialist | Soviet Republics, for the complete | elimination of the classes and for | i the realization of socialism—the first stage of a Communist society.” The Communist Party of the So- viet Union is the strongest link in | that world party of millions united | under the Communist Interna- tional. It is not in the position of an opposition Party, it is the ruling Party in the Soviet Union, the larg- | est federa ternational, the world Party, sses the pol tion with all its affiliated parties in all countries, THE COMMUNIST INTER- NATIONAL A WORLD PARTY the working class. (Dimi the manifesto of the Exe: mittee of the Comintern 3.) MANIFESTO PROVIDES FOR POS c OF UPRISING This ifesto about a@ direct strugg’ Neither the German Party nor the Comn tional raised this que: can be argued th International's mani the possibility of an The conclusion was drawn here in court that as the Communist Party has the Communist uprising as its ultimate aim, this implies that the uprising was being direct- ly prepared and was bound to break out. This, however, is neither logi- cal nor correct, to put it mildly. Yes, of course, to fight for the dic- tatorship of the proletariat is the task of the Communist Party throughout the world. It is our principle, our aim. But this is a | has | definite process, the development of which requires the forces not only | of the working class but of other groups of the toilers as well. | That the German Communist Party was in favor of the Proletarian Revo-| the decree, interrupted rem: ing that he was om the matter in hand.] Dimitroff, DECRE WORKING C€ The fifth peragranh of this de- cree indicates that it was not pub- lished for the purpose of combat- ing a € unist uprising, but for the suppression of working class organizations and opposition bodies. The President: “Not the working class, but the Communist Party.” I must point out that on the basis of this decree, arrests were made not oniy of Communists, but also Social- Democratci workers and christian workers and their organizations sup- Pressed. I want to emph: e that this de directed not against lone, although the Commu- but against S and groups. for the estab- lishment of an emergency situation. Presiding Judge: “If you start at- tacking the German Government I will deprive you of the right to ISSUED AGAINST ASS it concerne| ist Party primarily, other opposi This law The Communist International, to| lution is well known to all, but that) speak.” which all sections are directly re-| sponsible, is not an organization of conspirators, but a World Pa: and revolution. Such a Party, dear! Dr. Sack, [Dimitroff glanced in the} direction of the defense lawyer] does has nothing to do with the question which this trial has set out to solve. y. Such| The question is, had a revolt for the| the prosect a World Party does not play at revolt| seizure of power actually been plan-| cleared up. ned to take place on Feb. 27? What have the court proceedings | shown, Gentlemen of the Court? I} Dimitroff: During this trial there has been one question which neither ‘on nor the defense has I am surprised that they did not consider it pertinent. I hav in mind the question of the political situation in Germany in February not know any double-cntry boo't:eep-| do not intend to cite all the evidence | 1933, ing. [To which Sack retorted: “Go| of the various witnesses as the de-| DWELLS ON FEBRUARY on, continue your propaganda.”) | Such a Party when it appears to| the millions of the proletariat, when} it passes its decisions on policy and| immediate tasks, docs so very It does not indulge in} sponsibilities. book | Dimitroff further cited passages from the resolutions of the 12th Plen- ary Session of the Executive Com-| mittee of the Communist Party, add- ing that since these resolutions were | cited in the court he had a right to quote them. QUOTES FROM 12th PLENUM RESOLUTION OF C. I. Dimitroff quoted from the resolu-| tions of the 12th Plenum of the Ex-| ecutive Committee of the Communist | International, stating that the task of | the Germen Communist Party, as set) forth in these resolutions, was as| follows: “To mobilize the millions of toil- in defense of their vital in- | + their being plun- | polist capita!, against 4 emergency decrees, against nationalism and chauvinism and through the spreading of eco- nomic and political strikes, through the struggte for proletarian inter- nationalism, through demonstra- tions to lead the masses to a gen- eral political strike; to win over the basic Social-Democratic masses, | to completely overcome the defects in trade union work. The chief | slogan with which the Communist | Party of Germany must ccunter- act the slogan of the fascist dic- tatorship (“The Third Empire”), is | the slogan of the Workers and | Peasants Republic, cialist Germany, w antee also the vcluntary incorpo- | ration of the peoples of Austria and | other German regions.” | A manifesto from the Executive Committee of the Communist Inter- national was found in my possession when I was arrested. I believe it would not be amiss to read this also. This manifesto has two important points It mentions demonstrations in various countries in connection with events in Germany; it refers also to the tasks of the Communist Party in the struggle against National-So- cialist terror, of the defense of the organizations dnd press belonging to ers fense has done. But there is one point that can be considered estab-| lished for any person of norma! reason. The burning of the Reich- | sit erious-| stag has no connection whatscever| was ation of its re-| with any of the activities of the Com-| nationa’ munist Party, Not only has it nothing| to do with an uprising, but even with | a demonstration, a strike or anything | else. This has been sufficiently clear-| ly brought out by the proceedings. The Reichstag fire was not taken by anyone—I am not speaking of crimi-| nals or psychopathic cases—as a sig-| nal for revolt. It has been irrefutably | proved that responsible government | officials did not even dream that a} Communist uprising was to take place} on Feb. 27 or 28. NO WITNESS PROVED PREPARA- TION FOR UPRISING I have put a great many qu cons} POLITICAL SITUATION I wish to dwell here on this point. At the end of February the political ituaticon was such that a struggle going on within the camp of the nal front. The iding Judge stepped Dimi- troff here, reminding him that he had, on many previous occasions, been forbidden to discuss this sub- ject. I want to remind the Court, con- tinued Dimitroff, of my proposal to call a number of witnesses such as von Schliecher, Bruening, the second chairman of the “Stalhelm,” ang others. Presiding Judge: “But the court re- jected your proposal, therefore you should not dwell on it.” Dimitroff: “I know.” Presiding Judge: “I do not like to on this point to the various witnesses | interrupt your concluding remarks, who have given evidence here. For! but you must submit to my ruling.” instance, I cross-examined Heller, the} Dimitroff: This internal friction famous Karwane (laughter), Frey, | within the national camp was a re- and a number of police officials. Not-| flection of the struggle being waged withstanding the different versions| behind closed doors in economic cir- given by each, all of them replied) Cles in Germany. On one side were that they knew nothing, had heard| the Thyssen and Krupp groups, who nothing about an impending Com-| for many years had financed the Na- munist uprising. This would indi-| President pointed out that a docu- ment on this subject from the chief of the Western Department of the Berlin police had been read in court.] The chief of police stated in that document, continued Dimitroff, that Goering had spoken to him about the necessity of fighting the Communist Party, ie. the necessity of fighting against Communist meetings, strikes, demonstrations and so on. But even this document does not indicate that measures had been taken directly to prevent an impending Communist up- rising. The lawyer Seuffert, who spoke yes- terday, came to the conclusion that no one in governing circles had ex- pected an uprising at that moment and stated that Goering and Goeb-| bels could not believe the Reichstag had been burned when they first| heard the news, Proof of this is the emergency de- cree issued by the German Govern- ment on Feb. 28, 1933, immediately after the fire. Read the decree aad see what it says. The decree revoked World Struggle of All Toilers Against Reaction, for Release of Victims of Fascist Terror Is Appeal of Thirteenth Plenum of Communist International @ In the middle of November, Temp- lin_was killed by the Storm Troops in Hamburg, In the Sonnenburg concentration camp, the fascist hangmen are tor- turing arrested Communists for re- fusal to beat each other. But bestial fascist terror has not stepped and cannot stop the heroic struggle of the masses against the fascist dictatorship of hunger and blood. On the very scaffolds the courageous voices of the working class heroes are heard, like Lutgens, call- ing for struggle against the execu- tioners and for proletarian revolu- tion, As Soe Workers and Peasants, Oppressed Of the Whole World: IN Berlin, in Shanghai, in Tokyo, in Manchuria, in Sophia and War- saw, in Indonesia and in Indo- China—everywhere the slave-owners and militarists are wreaking their vengeance on the fighters of the revolution. Chiang-Kei-Shek who has called into his service German, British and American generals and social demo- cratic police presidents of the Grjezinsky stamp, are chopping off the heads of Chinese revolutionary workers and peasants by the thou- sands. In Shanghai in the Autumn of last year workers at an Anti-War meeting were arrested. All were shot on the spot. In the Summer of 1933, the Kuomintang hangmen ar- rested 150 participants in the Anti- Fascist Congress, shipped them to Nanking and wreaked their bloody vengeance on them. In Japan the ruling fascist clique during the past two years has thrown 15,000 revolutionary workers, peasants and soldiers into its dungeons. Doz- ens of Japanese Communists have been killed, In Manchuria, Korea and Formosa, tens of thousands of people have been tortured for re- sistance to Japanese imperialist vio- lence. In Indonesia the Dutch slave-own- ers are wreaking their vengeance on ithe sailors who participated in the of the armoured cruiser “Zeben Provincien.” In Indo-China “democratic” France is crushing the rebellious natives with fire and sword. In India, Arabia and Palestine, the British imperialists are shooting by the thousands toilers who have cess Torgler in Leipzig Court Ernst Torgler, German Communist Party Leader, now in the hands of Nazi Jailers despite Nazi At the right can be seen the humped figure of Van der Lubbe, Nazi tool, who was beheaded this Wednesday, to prevent him from ever telling the story of the Court admission of his innoce \:e in Reic! lag fire. Fascists’ dealings with him, rebelled against colonial slave rule. In the United States, the bour- seoisie is daily revenging itself on Negro workers and farmers by means of lynching. | In Bulgaria during the past year 49 revolutionary soldiers have been hanged or shot for their struggle against war and fascism. } prison | In Finland the fascist wardens are killing political priscn- | ers who have declared a hunger strike. | In fascist Italy, in Rumania, in| Poland and in the Baltic countries, in Hungary and in Spain —every- | where the front rank fighters are be- ing tortured and murdered. In Lei zig the fascist burners of the Reich- | stag are trying Communists of whose | innocence the whole world is con- vinced. Workers, toilers, of the whole world! Soldiers! Only you, by your struggle, can defend the victims of | fascist terror. Only you can stay | the hand of the hangmen, which is | hanging over your brothers! \ Hurry to their aid, proletarians of all lands! | Everywhere organize mass protests against fascist terror in Gcrmany, | China, and other capitalist coun- | tries! | Rescue from the hands of the cut- | throats the member of the Executive | Committee of the Comir leader of the C. P. of Ernst Thaelmann! Force the fascist hangmen to re- lease the revolutionary workers, | pining in the prisons and concen- | tration camps of fascist Germany. | On to the struggle against bloody | fascist terrorism! a | tional-Socialist movement, and on the cate that no measures whatsoever had | Other, their competitors, who were | been taken by the ruling powers. [The | being relegated to a secondary posi- tion. Thyssen and Krupp wished to es- tablish the principle of autocracy and absolutism in the country. During the same period the Communisi Party sought to create a united front in order to frustrate the attempts of the National-Socialists to destroy the labor movement. A number of so- cial-democratic workers felt the need of a united front of all workers. They understood this. But in February and March the united front did not at all signify an uprising or a prepara- tion for an uprising, but merely the mobilization of the working class against the brutal autocracy of the National-Socialists. Presiding Judge: “You have always emphasized that you are interested only in the political situation in Bul- garia, but your present utterances Prove that you displayed a marked interest in German political prob- lems,” AS REVOLUTIONIST, IS INTERESTED IN WORLD MOVEMENT Dimitroff: Herr President, I must object to your reproach for the fol- lowing reasons. As a Bulgarian revolutionary, I am interested in the revolutionary movement in all countries, I am interested in Amer- ican political questions and am much more familiar with them than with German political prob- lems. I may be interested in poll- tical questions, but I do not inter- fere in the political affairs of Ger- many. I have learned a great deal from the proceedings at this trial and thanks to my political sense I have been able to grasp a great many de- tails. (aughter). In the political situation at that period there were two basic factors: in the first place the aspirations of the National-So- cialists to attain supreme power and secondly, the activities of the Com- munist Party directed toward the es- tablishment of a united front of labor, In my opinion, this has been brought. out during this trial as well. ‘ The Natfonal-Sociaiists had to carry ont a manenver to divert attention from the difficulties in the naticnal camp and break up the united front of labor. The “national-government” had many reasons for issuing its emer- gency decree of Feb. 28, which abol- ished the freedom of the press and set up a system of police repres- sions, concentration camps and ether measures for the straggle ecainst the Communists... JUDGE OBJECTS TO HINTS Presiding Judge: “You cverstep the limi Yeu are making hints.” Dimitroff: “I only wish to throw some light on the political situation i as I understand it.” Presiding Jwige: “This is no place to throw hints against the Prosecu- tion to make statements which bh ~ simee heen refuted.” German working ims was on the de- fensive and for this reason the Com- munist Parity strived to organize a united front.” Presiding Judge: “You must con- (Continued on Pye 1