HELD IN GERMANY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 285, 30 October 1933, Page 7

HELD IN GERMANY

THE BRITISH JOURNALIST. A STATEMENT MADE. PUBLICATION OF REPORT. (United Press Association —By Electric ' Telegraph.—Copyright.) LONDON, Oct. 28: The Berlin correspondent of the Daily Telegraph says that Mr Noel Pancer, the imprisoned correspondent of the paper, in refusing to make a statement except in the presence of a witness, was toid tnat he would not he allowed facilities for consultation while he persisted m this attitude. Consequently he submitted on Thursday night to an examination held in the absence of witnesses. During the examination he declared he had only done lus duty as a journalist in faitliiully reported events of public interest. lie strongly denied any. action prejudicial to the interests of the dermaa State. There is reason to believe that his statement might have turned matters in Mr Ranter's favour but for a deposition, , also made on Thursday night, in unknown circumstances, of a German journalist who was arrested simultaneously. The result is that a charge has now been officially brought. Attempts to obtain legal assistance on Mr Ranter’s belialif so far have been unsuccessful. The Daily Telegraph republishes fully Mr Panter’s report of Herr Hitler’s review of 20,000 Storm Troops at Kelheim which immediately led to his arrest. Mr Panter opened by stating: “Deeper significance attaches to this military display than either the Chancellor or the Nazi lieutenants desire the outer world to know.” He mentioned that orders had been issued to the Press to avoid everything that might represent the celebrations as having a military character. In particular they were not to mention the firing of salutes, the inspection of the ranks by the chief of staff, or the participation of the Reichswehr. He added that particular anxiety was felt lest the British and French Press become “perturbed” by the day’s events. Mr Panter proceeded to describe the inspection. A salute of twenty-one guns was fired by. cannon on Herr Hitler’s arrival, and again at the end of Herr Hitler’s speech. He gave other details showing the essentially military character of the proceedings. The Daily Telegraph, in a leader protesting against Mr Panter’s arrest, expresses the opinion that the German Government , has inconceivably blundered. following it up by an action raising the gravest international issues. TRIAL NOT EXPECTED. BY DIPLOMATIC CIRCLES. Received October 30, 9.50 a.m. BERLIN, Oct. 29. Diplomatic circles are confident that Mr Panter will not he tried following a guarded communique in which the Government, for the first time, revealed Mr Panter’s arrest, adding that he had been in touch with a German living at Munich who was suspected of espionage, sending atrocity stories abroad. It is anticipated from this that the Government is blaming the German journalist more., than Mr Panter, who is expected to be expelled from Bavaria. SIR JOHN SIMON’S HELP. ANXIETY IN LONDON. (British Official Wireless.) Received October 30, 10.55 a.m. RUGBY, Oct. 29. When the German Ambassador called at the Foreign Office yesterday, Sir John Simon drew attention to the circumstances of the arrest of the Munich correspondent of the Daily Telegraph, Mr Noel Panter, and took the opportunity to reinforce the points made by the British Ambassador in Berlin in his official enquiries at the German Foreign Office. A resolution passed unanimously by the executive of the Institute of journalists in London expresses surprise and indignation at Mr Panter’s arrest. It urges the British Government to make every effort to secure his early release. A WARNING TAKEN. JOURNALISTS’ PRECAUTIONS. Received October 30, 8.10 a.m. LONDON. Oct. 29. The Sunday Times’s. special representative at Munich .says that all foreign journalists,, taking a warning, have arranged with their, respective Consuls to be informed if they suffer a fate similar to that of Mr Panter as anyone might be, as tire section whereunder Mr Panter will probably be tried makes anyone liable to ten years’ penal servitude for either sending to a foreign Government or ’publicly making known any information which it is to the Reich’s advantage to keep secret. CARTOONS CAUSE DISPLEASURE. BERLIN, Oct. 28. The London Evening Standard has been banned until the end of November owing to Low’s recent cartoons on the Reichstag fire.