BURNED BY NAZIS

Southland Times, Issue 22497, 6 December 1934, Page 5

BURNED BY NAZIS

REICHSTAG BUILDING STORM TROOP LEADER’S PART TWO ACCOMPLICES (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) Paris, December 4. Le Journal prints a document entitled “How I fired the Reichstag,” signed by Karl Ernst (a leader of the Storm Troops who was executed in June). Ernst declared his co-operation with Storm Troopers Fiedler and Mohrenschild (who were executed simultaneously with himself) in firing the Reichstag in order to render Socialists and Communists culpable and to strengthen the power of the Nazis. Ernst, after having written the document, smuggled it to Sweden for publication if it was found necessary to safeguard himself against General Goering and Dr Goebbels. The document acquits Herr Hitler of all knowledge of the conspiracy. The decision to set fire to the Reichstag was only taken after rejecting a trumped-up plot inculpating the Communists against Herr Hitler elaborated by Herr Hines. Ernst explained in detail how he and his companions spread a phosphorescent substance all over the interior of the Reichstag which shortly ignited adjacent tins of paraffin. Van der Lubbe, who was believed to be working single-handed, was merely a dupe, being instructed to enter the chamber after the fire had started. Ernst adds that he, Feidler and Mohrenschild were solely responsible and that they acted in the belief that they were enabling Herr Hitler to fight Marxism at any cost. Ernst expressed regret that the action of himself and his companions had enabled creatures like Dr Goebbels and General Goering to be hailed as heroes, though they had betrayed Herr Hitler and tried to implicate him in their manoeuvres against himself and the Storm Troops. General Goering prior to the incendiarism had suggested setting fire to the Imperial Palace, but Dr Goebbels had convinced him the Reichstag was preferable. General Goering suggested the employment of a tunnel linking his house with the Chamber and* other measures in order to throw suspicion on Communists. The existence of' the Ernst document has been known in Germany for some months. Ernst had a picturesque career. He began life as a hotel page boy. His father is still a hall porter. Ernst attracted the attention of Captain Roehm soon after joining the Nazis. He received a leadership in Berlin of the Brandenburg Storm Troops and gave scandalously extravagant entertainments. BELIEVED~GENUINE DOCUMENT PHOTOGRAPHED. (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) Stockholm, December 4. Herr Branting holds a photographic copy of Ernst’s statement. He believes in its genuineness, but would welcome judgment by a neutral tribunal.