GERMAN INTERNEE' BRINGS LIBEL ACTION

Chronicle (Levin), 12 November 1946, Page 8

GERMAN INTERNEE' BRINGS LIBEL ACTION

— Press Association

WEEKLY PAPER SUED FOR DAMAGES

By Telegrciyh-

WELLINGTON, Nov. 11. A claim for £1500 for alleged libel against .Trutli, New Zealand, Ltd., b\ i riedri'ch Georg Maria Theodor Strewa, newspaper cauvasser, began in tlie Kupreme Court before Alr. Justico Cornish and a jury of 12. titrewe claimed tliat on August 7 Trutli had published certain statements suggesting tliat the plaintiff tlitoughout the war possessed Nazi synipathies and had received niouev from the German Goverunient, and that his presence in Xew Zealand constituted a danger to the securitv of New Zealand, and tliat he should forthwith be deported. The defendant company liled a generai denial of the allegations of inalice and defamation and claimed that the statements published were true in substance and in fact, and that the opinions ep'ressed were a fair coinment upon the fact made in good faith and withou: rnalice. Keginal IMoataa Doughty, who was in commaiid at Somes Island for 22 months until April, 1941, ?aid Sfrewe was associated with others. There were no figlits. Before payment could be made to au interiiee he had to sign an oath of allegiance to the Keieh as it was at that time. Witness identided Strewe's signature on receipt forins for paynient. To Mr. Josepii, couusel for plaintitf, witness said Btrewe made uo oath of allegiance while he was on the island. He definitply could not say wliether Btrewe had done so or'not. Patrick I)oyle, cliief detective, said he had been spociallv detailed to take charge of police work in connection witli enemv aliens. In' that capacity he had known Btrewe for six years. Btrewe was oue of the last to be relcased and was one of those to . be deporte.d. Trilmnals were not conviuced of plain tiff's assertions of boing anti-Nazi. There wjas a comniittee on the island I'onsistiug of high ranking Nazis. Tliey dealt with the approach to inoney before the inoney was received. A declaralion of loyalty liad to be made to the Keich. Mr. Joseph: Did you know Btrewe called himself leader of the anti-Nazi group 011 Ihe island .' Witness answered: I have 110 knowledge of it. This concluded the evidence for the det'enee.

l'laiutiff in evidence said I10 was born iu Bluingliai and went to Uermany when ten. In Berlin his father was editor of a German news]>aper of conservative liberal views. His father was also president of the Berlin press conference but was relieved of this position in Bl.'l'J wheli Goebbels took over. The news- ; paper was suppressed in IP.'IS. For li\e years before 1987 Btrewe said he worked in the underground as a nieniber of the anti-Nazi securitv group. Arrest'ed ,in 1937 he was interrogated for five days and niglits and beaten up on tlie last day. A tliin steel rod was used. The scars could still be seen 011 liis left liand. The punislivnent had been glven because he gave the Nazi salute ivirli Ihe left 'liaiul. Leaving Germauy in 19.">7 he came to New Zealand in June, 1 98S, vvliere he wrote free lance articles with an anti-Nazi plea. After war broke out he worked us a waiter and assistant manager of a picture tliealre. A letter was produced by couusel for plaintiir which lnul been writteu4 to Btrewe I > y the German Cousul, asking hi 111 after his arrival whv he never took part in German aclivities. When he went to Boines Islilnd he had to be careful, he said, being an anti-Nazi. Tio1 money he gol came t h rough a German ] iiisurance lirm. Ile. never mado an oatii I of allegiance to the Keich and never at any time received inoney from llitler's Govern ment. Tlie Ked ('ross oi Gei'

many sent quite a Jot ot ]iarceJs Imt tlie anti-Nazi group refused to acce]»t theni j He was thought to be a spv bv ollmrj German. s 011 tlie island because he re- j fused to do the Nazi salute. I-'inally he j and two others rau awny as life 011 timi island became intolerable, tliey being a , siiiajl minority with the Nazi inajority.,| Afler thut a separate barrac-k was al- ; lotteil. While 011 the island he and another made a donation of £2 to Mrs. | Churchill iir a'd of the Kussia fund. | Before he was iuterned he tried to join i the New Zealand services but liis ac- ■ cent was diseoveued aud it was noticed l he was a German. The anti-Nazis j offered to be blood donors and sinee his t release he had joined a group of blood j donors. The case was udjourned till to- | •norrow.