GENEVA SENSATION

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 183, 4 July 1936, Page 9

GENEVA SENSATION

SUICIDE IN ASSEMBLY

JOURNALIST S ACT. MOTIVE SUGGESTED. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) Received July 4, 11.50 a.in. GENEVA, July 3. While tlie Spanish Foreign Minister (Senor Bareia) Avas addressing the Assembly the delegates AA r ere horrified to see a man in the diplomatic gallery pull a revolver from his pocket and shouting: “Noav all is over.” He Avas subsequently identified as Stefan Lux, employed as a Pi css stenographer by the Prager Presse. He died some time later. The proceedings were immediately suspended and the delegates croAvded around Lux as he Avas carried from the hall. This is the first time a shot has been fired in the Assembly. The sitting AA-as later resumed, Avhen, in a tense atmosphere, M. Van Zeeland announced: “The drama avo have just witnessed has no direct or indirect connection with the debate.” But those near Lux state that he muttered as he pulled out the revolver: “I do this as a gesture that this is the death of the League. Lux was taken to a Geneva hospital, where the chief surgeon decided that an operation might save his life. Five letters were found in a pocket addressed to King Edward, Mr Eden, M. Avenol, the Times and the Manchester Guardian. They AA-ere handed to M. Van Zeeland, Avho scrutinised them but did not disclose the contents. The first person to reach Lux as lie fell forward to his seat on the floor Avas Mr Pliillipe Roy, the Canadian Minister. An X-ray examination revealed two bullets in the chest. One had been there since the time of the war Avhen he fought for Austria. He Avas a AyellknoAvn German Jewish Avriter and it is believed that his object Avas to focus the Avorld’s attention on the plight of his “Jewish brothers” in Germany. During a moment of consciousness he declared that he regretted nothing, except leaving his wife and son.