EXTRAORDINARY PRECAUTIONS

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 12 February 1925, Page 7

EXTRAORDINARY PRECAUTIONS

(AT TRIAL OF COMMUN TSTS. ( HURT STRONGLY G UAHDED £Y CABLE— PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT BERLIN, Feb. II The trial lias begun at Leipzig of sixteen Communists charged with a variety of offences arising from the upbuilding of an organisation, the purpose of which was to carry out a Bolshevist rising in Germany. The police believe chat these Demised include the chief instruments of Moscow extremists, ivho are responsible for a campaign of murder, treason and lobhery in Germany. 'Lite most notable of the prisoners is a man named Skoblevsky, who chums t:> he a simple mechanic, but the Public Prosecutor is convinced that lie is a prominent member of the Russian Bolshevist- Party with a vast experience of underground organisations. He was sent from .Moscow to organise a Red Ar.mv in Germany, and to take command when the moment for action came. The trial is characterised by extraordinary precautions, an area within a mile of the Supreme Court, being under martial Jaw. and machine-guns being pasted inside and outside the building. . The proceedings opened with farcical attempts at obstruction, objection to the judge’s interruptions and so forth. Four of the prisoners applied to he supplied with ear trumpets. It is expected the proceedings will he lengthy.