POSSIBLE EXECUTION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 69, 22 February 1937, Page 7

POSSIBLE EXECUTION.

GERMAN JEW’S OFFENCE. BERLIN, Feb. 19. Death by decapitation may be the fate of a ruinous Jewish ship-owner if charges are proved that lie limited the German currency laws. He is Arnold Bernstein, the Head of the Red Star Line, the large liners of which ply between Antwerp and New York, and the owner of 11 other vessels. Bernstein and two of his fellow-di-rectors are held in a Hamburg prison. They were arrested by the secretpolice. Because American interests are linked with Bernstein’s shipping activities, the United States Embassy is agitating for his release. The offences with which the three are charged were formerly punished with prison sentences only. Lately, the Nazi Government took sterner measures to check the outflow of capital by ordering the death sentence tor transferring one’s money abroad without permission. This penalty can also be enforced on persons resident in Germany who refuse to bring back, when requested, any money they may have in a foreign account. Disobedience of this law is described as econnomic sabotage. Many heads of religious order? have already been given prison terms for the illegal transfer of funds, but t'o date no one lias been executed. It is possible that the Government may choose to. make an example of Bernstein because of -his nationality.