REICHSTAG FIRE TRIAL

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20937, 18 August 1933, Page 9

REICHSTAG FIRE TRIAL

Defence in Foreign Hands TWO ENGLISH COUNSEL (van-no rittds assooi ait»; ~»r eCiEctxxc TELHvJKAPH—COPTJHSKT.) (Received August 17, 8.10 p.m.) LONDON, August 17. The Reichstag Fire Trial Committee in London states that the only accredited counsel for the defence at the trial will be eminent f-reign lawyers, including the Englishmen, Mr D. N. Pritt and Mr Neil Lawson,

The Reichstag building was considerably damaged by fire on February 27. A Dutchman, named van der Lucbbe, was found in the building and was arrested. It was said that he was a communist and that he had confessed to starting the fire. Later it was found that van der Luebbe had been expelled from the Dutch communist party some time before, as he was considered to be an agent-provocateur. It was also said that a considerable number of men must have helped carry inflammable material into the heavilyguarded building, and that several must have lit fires simultaneously at various points. English newspaper;! suggested that the fire had been lit by Nazi orders, to provide an excuse for harsh action against the communists. II was previously reported that Sir Stafford Cripps, K.C.. a prominent English barrister, one of the leaders cf the Labour party, was to be one o£ the defending counsel. It was also stated that the German Government had nominated three lawyers to take'part in the defence. It was reported, too, that the American la wye is who would take part in the defence would be Messrs Saul C. Waldbaum and ErroJ White, both of Philadelphia. Mr Pritt (who is prominent, in. the Howard League) is an authority on international law, which he studied in Berlin under Hugo Preuss, the German jurist, who. single-handed, drafted the Republican Constitution of Weimar. Mr Pritt has, incidentally, acted successfully .in. England for previous German Governments, and won xor them an important case rising out of peace-treaty claims for interned shipping. lie explained recently that there was definite provision in the German legal code for accused persons to be represented by whomsoever they chose, provided the court's discretion was obtained. The chief accused is Ernst, Torglor, formerly a communist deputy. A Dr. Ehlers is one of the accused, and there arc also three Bulgarians among them. Three leading French barristers, MM. Moro Graflferi. Campinchi, and Torres, may defend the Bulgarians. Liberals throughout Europe and America were particularly anxious :o nave the defence in the hands of foreign lawyers, because it was thougnt that if any German barristers dared to make a strong defence they would bs punished. A. secondary reason is that 1800 of the 3500 Berlin lawyers were Jews, these including some of the most able. Most of them are not now allowed to practise.