LOOTING IN FRANCE.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18238, 24 November 1924, Page 9

LOOTING IN FRANCE.

NATHUSIUS SENTENCES). INDIGNATION IN GERMANY. (BT CABLE—Pit ess 4SSOCIAXSOS—"CtSWWawni (EEUTEVS Tsrjto&uew LONDON, November -1Advices from Lille state that G«a*it»S von Natbusius. haa beea retried hy court-martial and sentenced to 3 year** I imprisonment, and ordered to t&<p costs of the prosecution. Large crowds were unable to gain adsuttaaee t© th® Courthouse. Natbusius immediately demasded a retrial, which was granted The accused gtreauoualy denied &»a guilt,- stating that he merely had a earpet removed because it was fall of The principal witness was the taretaker of the chateau where Xatkssaxs stayed during the war. He declaKisi that articles of furniture ssd personal atiiro were missed when Nsttuiii left. Counsel ?or tho defence argaed the case was not proved, while ss an£verse verdiet would be likely to react in Germany on the eve of 4&# ilstli®*Tho Court deliberated for aa'fcoaiv and gave its verdict by a zaajoritf four votes to three. The whole Berlin Press is iadigfeast at tha sentence. The trial Is described as a l'arce, and the Befiteneo utsi*famous act of vengeance. Even tie moderate "Tagebiatt" is SBgry, xoi eays that unless the senteace is pnmptly quashed it will be an insrcdlMe disgrace for the French democracy a*4 the Herriot Cabinet. j The Nationalist paper* desuad flw I man reprisals. winn Government will tiikt tetkr-» tioo, especially as the Terdiet *iß V good election propaganda for the Nationalists against the policy of ieee«filiation with France. [Ton Natbusius was recently arrest*! in France in execution of a #e»S*s*« of five yean* impriaoaiaeat jaawd upon Mm by*a Titfck ® his absence for ttae alleged theft of furniture.]