REICHSTAG FIRE

Wairarapa Daily Times, 27 September 1933, Page 5

REICHSTAG FIRE

TRIAL AT LEIPZIG . RUSSIAN RETALIATION. Press Association Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received Wednesday, 8.45 a.m.) MOSCOW, Tuesday. German newspaper correspondents, including representatives of the W olff Agency, the • ‘ Berliner Tageblatt, ’ ’ and the “Loltalazeiger ” have been ordered to leave the Soviet Republic within three days. This is the sequel to the Leipzig incidents. No reply was received to the protests from the Soviet Embassy at Berlin which threatened the expulsion of German journalists if no assurance was given that Russian journalists at Leipzig would not be again molested.

(A. previous cable stated: Madame Lili Kith, correspondent of “Izvestia,” and M. Bespalov, correspondent of the Tass Agency, were summoned from their respective beds at seven in the morning, taken to police headquarters, stripped and searched for weapons and documents. A plain-clothes man aroused Bespalov, and a policeman at the door with levelled revolver threatened to shoot if escape was attempted. T lie journalists were detained until 1 o’clock, when M. Ilirchfield, Secretary of the Russian Embassy, secured their release. The police chief profuse y apologised, saying that a subordinate acted without orders. M. Hirsclifield was not satisfied, and will report to the Ambassador. Russian journalists are not admitted to the trial, and this is arousing bitter comment in the Soviet Press. ORDERS TO PRESS. BERLIN, Tuesday. The Rhineland authorities warn German travellers that they are liable to imprisonment if they cross the frontier in possession of British newspapers or magazines attacking Germany. The German newspapers have keen instructed not to publish Torgler’s declaration of innocence textually and merely to state that lie proclaimed ns innocence, without reference to his denial of the Communist tarty s complicity. Similarly they are to onnt any reference to the fact that lie was kept for five months in chains, which lias always been officially denied.

SENSATION CAUSED. (Received Wednesday, 10.30 a.m.) MOSCOW, Tuesday. The expulsion of German journalists has caused a sensation in foreign political circles, where it is regarded as the most serious development in RussoGerman relations since the Nazi icThe expulsions coincide with the distinctly sharper tone in the press comments on the Leipzig trial, which is regarded as a farcical frame-up. Those expelled include Wilhelm Baum, representative of the Wolff Agency, who is also press adviser to the German Embassy. . . ,-f, . . VAN DER LUBBE’S ADMISSIONS. (Received Wednesday, 10.55 a.m.) BERLIN, Bent double across the witness stand, and ghastly pale, Van dor Lubbe answered questions about three incendiary attempts on Berlin buildings on the day of the Reichstag fire. He admitted throwing burning fire-lighters into t windows of the Welfare Office and City Hall, but the fires were extinguished Later in the evening lie climbed the scaffolding of the Imperial Palace aml unsuccessfully tried to fi™ the build ing. Asked why, he replied: It was mv own idea.” v -* ro ,, Dimitroff addressed questions to Van der Lubbe, which the President disallowed, ; inclining: “Why .?rc you behaving so strangely? Is it because you are weighed down with the consciousness of the terrible crime you committed against the proletariat? The President abruptly silenced Di itroff, and withdrew P™ssion to put questions on the ground that he was conducting a Communist agitation. The examining judge of police ofti cers in order to expedite the proceedings, will testify to-morrow regarding the correctness of .Van der Lubbe s alleged confessions. The Court will ac cept this evidence in lieu of Van dei Lubbe ’s vague replies.