JOYCE AT BOW STREET

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 26 June 1945, Page 5

JOYCE AT BOW STREET

CHARGE OF HIGH TREASON QUESTION OF NATIONALITY London, June 25. William Joyce ("Lord Haw Haw”) made his second appearance in the Bow Street Magistrates’ Court to-day on the charge of high treason and was remanded till next Thursday, when he will be committed for trial at the July sessions of the Central Criminal Court—the Old Bailey. At to-day’s hearing the prosecution read a statemen' which Joyce was alleged to have dictated and signed shortly after his arrest in Germany. According to this, he admitted broadcasting to Britain over the German radio, but declared that he did so because of political convictions and not for personal gain. The prosecution also produced a document which was stated to be a contract between Joyce and the German radio organisation. Another document which was read was stated to have been signed by Hitler. It said: "In the name of the German people I award the commentator William Joyce the Iron Cross, War Merit First Class.” The prosecutor said that on three occasions when Joyce applied for a British passport or its renewal he had declared he w r as a British subject by birth, but when he was arrested he said he was born in the United States. It w r as not till after his arrest that Joyce suggested he was riot a British subject, it was submitted. A birth certificate giving the birthplace of William Joyce as New York and his nationality as "German, formerly English” was produced. The senior Treasury counsel, Mr L. A Byrne, for the prosecution, said the certificate was among the documents taken when Joyce was captured. Joyce admitted the documents belonged to him. Another document headed "German Volkssturm” showed he w>as a member of the Volkssturm. Other documents also gave his nationality as German, formerly English, and his profession a speaker on the Reich radio, and made reference to Mrs Margaret and William Joyce. Joyce was dressed in the same dark suit as on the previous occasion on 18th June. His grey hair is beginning to grow on his shaven head. He was brought to court in a closed van. The police guard was double that of a week ago. The small court room was crowded. A queue was formed at 6.15 a.m. Joyce in the dock bowed slightly to the magistrate, Sir Bertrand Watson. PLEA OF NOT GUILTY

ACCUSED NOT TO GIVE EVIDENCE (Rec. 10.25 a.m.) London, June 25. Mr Head, for Joyce, said his client pleaded not guilty and did not wish to give evidence. Joyce was not a British subject, he said, and an alien owed allegiance to the King only while resident in Britain. The magistrate said he was satisfied there ‘was a sufficient and proper case to go before the Central Criminal Court, but formal committal would not take place until Thursday. Mr Byrne for the prosecution, produced a German passport which showed Joyce’s name as Wilhelm Hensen, and his birthplace Galway, Ireland. A German book which came into possession of the military authorities also showed his birthplace as Galway, Ireland. Earlier Mr Byrne had submitted that aliens in some circumstances owed allegiance to the Crown juSt as British subjects owed allegiance at all times and at all places. Mr Byrne said Joyce declar#; in 1933 that he was a British subject by birth, having been born in Ireland on 24th April, 1908. He made the declaration when he applied to the Foreign Office for a passport, and made similar declarations when he applied for a renewal of a passport in 1938, 1939 and 1940. ALLEGED STATEMENT PUT IN

The prosecutor produced an alleged statement made to Captain Soarden, of tb* Intelligence Corps on 31st May in which Joyce said: “I was born at Brooklyn on 24th April, 1906. My father was born in Ireland and my mother in Lancashire. 1 understand although I have no documents to prove it that my father was an American by naturalisation at the tirtie of my birth, but I believe he lost his American citizenship later by failing to renew it because we left the country in 1909.” Joyce said he believed he had acquired German nationality in 1940, but did not possess a certificate.

In {he alleged statement Joyce said in 1933 br was attracted to Fascism and subs*'--ntly to National Social ism. He said between 1933 and 1939 he pursued vigorous political activities in England. He was profoundly disgusted with the policy of the British Government, first because he thought it would lead to th e destruction of the British Empire, and secondly because he considered the economic system was inadequate for the times. He was greatly impressed by the constructive work done by Hitler for Germany. He thought the British-German war would be a tragedy which the Empire would not survive. Joyce said because of his opinions and his conscious disposition not to flght for Britain against Germany he decided to leave the country. Since he did not wish to apply as a conscientious objector and he felt he should have opportunities of expressing views in Germany, he decided to make his permanent home in Germany. “It has remained my undivided purpose to effect a reconciliation, or at least a better understanding, between two countries. After the United States and Russia entered the war such an agreement seemed no less desirable. I know I have been denounced as a traitor and resent the accusation. I can understand the resentment at my broadcasts aroused in many quarters. Whatever the opinions of my broadcasts I submit final judgment cannot properly be based uQtil it sees whether Britain can win the peace.” Joyce said he would like to stress the fact that in working for the German radio his wife was powerfully influenced by him. Mr Byrne, reading from a document, which was stated to be a contract between Joyce and Riecharund Funk, which Joyce acknowledged was his property, said the contract referred to Joyce as Wilhelm Foelich and appointed him head commentator of the English department of German broadcasting stations at a monthly salary of 1200 plus travelling expenses. V,

AWARDED CROSS OF WAR MERIT

Another document stated that Joyce was awarded the Cross of War Merit, First Class, signed by Hitler and Meissner. Mr Byrne said it appeared that Joyce had acquired German nationality during the war, but 'in law a British subject could not acquire foreign nationality in wartime.

Indeed, it was an act of treason to do so. It was one of the treasonable acts alleged against Joyce. Another treasonable act was the services which Joyce rendered to the German broadcasting system. Joyce acknowledged these acts in his statement. The Passport Office gave evidence that when Joyce applied for a passport in 1933 h e declared himself a British subject, born in Galway. Captain Alexander Lickorish, of the British Reconnaissance Regiment, said he and another officer were gathering wood near Flensburg when a man whom he now recognised as the accused spoke to them in French. They replied in German, after which Joyce made remarks in English. Witness immediately recognised the voice as the one he had heard over ihe radio. The other officer then sain: “You wouldn’t happen to be William Joyce, would you?” and when Joyce made as if to put his hand in his pocket, the other officer fired and wounded accused, who, however, was found to be unarmed. After formal evidence of identification and translation of documents found in Joyce’s possession, Mr Byrne said the case for the Crown was complete. He asked for a formal remand for a week or some other period and a committal to the July sessions of the Central Criminal Court. Mr Head, for Joyce, submitted that his client was not a British subject and the Crown had not proved tnat he was. Mr Byrne, replying, said every declaration Joyce had made was to the effect that he was a British subject If Joyce desired to indicate that he was not, some evidence might be heard. ’ JOYCE’S SUPPORTERS (Rec. 1.10 p.m.) London, June 25. Fourteen men wearing black bow ties waited in the queue in Bow Street to-day. The first arrived at 6 a.m. but when the Court opened at 10.15 only six bow tie men got in says the “Daily Express.” One of them said: “We have come to show Joyce that his friends are behind him.”