LIBEL HEARING CONTINUES

Chronicle (Levin), 13 November 1946, Page 7

LIBEL HEARING CONTINUES

-Press Association

FORMER INTERNEE'S CLAIM ASKED BY EMPLOYERS TO CLEAR HIS NAME

By Telegrayh-

WELLINGTON, Nov. 12.. The claim for £1500 damages brought by Friedrich Georg Maria Theodor Strewe, newgpaper canvasser, against Truth (N.Z.), Ltd., for alleged libel in aii article jiublished on August 7, 1946, was eontijiued in the Supreme Court before Mr. Justiee Cornish and a jury of 12. The plaintiff is represented by Mr. G. Joseph and Mr. J. R. Marshall, and Mr. G- G. G. Watson, with hiui Mr. J. A, Dunn, is appearing for the defendant company. Strewe, continuiug his evidence, said that after release from internment he beeame un organiser in the Southern Cross publishing department. The einployers luiew he had been intemed. Up to August his relations with fellovv employees were very fratemal. After publication of the Truth article he went to his employers who said he could retain his job if he sought to clear his naine in Court. Siuce then he had been snubbed by some fellow employees and aceused of being a Nazi. He denied Truth 's allegations. Cross-examined by Mr. Watson, Strewe said he lmd been arrcstod in llonolulu beeause his passport had not arrived. It was not true he had eseaped from eustody. He denied his arrest was due to suspiciou that he was a Germaii spy, In the article "Paradise Behiud Bars" wliieli he wrote for the Observer, the reference to eseape from imprisonnient was a literary froedom, "just like Edgar Wallace did. ' ' Plain tiif denieu that his f atlier was a Nazi, thus accounting i'or his induence with the Gorman Poreigu Oliice in 1933. The Gestapo had triod to get him back to Germauy but the Foreign Office had olTered to lieJp him beeause some personaiitics there were weil disposed to his fallier and himself. A letler from his father in 1933, saying that tlic Gcrman Consul in Wellington had ordors always to extend plaintill's passport for six months, was read by Mr. Watson. The letler also said Strewe 's political activitics in 1933 were not held against him aiul that he had not sont home as many articles and photos as had been expected, with a consequcntial poor casli return. Strewe said it was true that, liaving left Germauy in l'ear of his life, he lnid subsequentJv had articles published in the Berlin I'ageblatt. That was beeause the paper belonged to a Jewish family and the editor, a democrat, who was un old friend, had gone to America before plaintiff left Germany. The editor had agrecd to say he had accepted plaintiff's articles. A iew were published and then no more. Mr. Watson cxpressed incredulity that articles from an avowed auti-Nazi would ijg published. Strewe replied that counsel did nol seem well acquainted with the work of the underground. "We liad to adopt ruses even to the extent of xjretending to be Nazis," lic said. Until this yeai he had no affiliation with anv political partv. He olfered his services in 4933 to both parties but denied having toki each party he was sympathetic with its principles. He also denied being told by Labour leaders that he had double crOssed tliem. He and his friend Gernert had -asked for advertising from and beeu paid for work on the National Party pamphlet "Your Future is in l'our Hands, " which^was an attack 011 Socialism. Geruert did some art work but if a man were a teetotaller and commercial artist, the designing of a beer label did not make him a drinker Answering Mr. Joseph plaintiff said

lic would not, under any ausxnccs, have fouglit for Hitler's Germany. Mr. Josex>h: Ho you love Germany. Witness: I do. Mr. Josex>h: Chicf Detective Doyle described you as a. loyal Gcrman. £)o you tak& lOffence at that? Witness: No. • Mr. Joseph: If you were called a ioyal Nazi what would you say? Witness: That it was an insult. Mr. Joseph: If this article in Truth was sent to Germany would you be liable to be charged under the ! denazification regulations? Witness: Yes. 1 see .rnysolf to be economically ruined if 1 cannot prove this article to be tnaliciously wrong. Mr. Justiee Cornish: You want the verdict to sliow you are not a Nazi? Witness: Yes. His honour: Yqu are not really after money in this case? Witness:' Certainly not. The Judge: It is not a money making expedition? Witness: No.

Tbe Judge: Wliat was your objcc-' tion to being a jEj/azi? Witness: I was brought up in a ' family which loathed torture, intolerancc and imperialigm. I have seen the Nazi organisatioiC, artificially built up which, through the war, wouid kill -millions of human lives. I believe human beings have the right to- clioose their own ideology. ^ Ernst Theilcr, Svriss Cousul in Wellington, said tliat lic took over from his pi'edecessor ip Julv 1946. Therc were flies of Gerinan interests in New Zcaland in his x^ossession. Cross-examined by 'Mr.- .Marshall witness said internees could draw 011 private or official funds. Private funds could be drawn oix, witliout giving the oath' of allegiance, unt.il • 1942 wlien tliose who receivcid private funds liad to give tho oath. It was his bx>inion tliat any monev drawn by Strewe was ji drawn bel'ore this. camc into forcc. i AJkui IJalcro Fulconer, chairman of Ihe Wellington bram-li of tho 2inl N.Z.E.F. Association, said he did .not believe a wo.rd of the article . in Truth wliere it rcferred to Strewe tio liad boarded at Ihe sauio place as Strewe and thought a great deal of suspiciou had been throvvu ou him as the resuit of the article. Percival Marne Brooker, olliccr in the intelligence brauch of Anuy lieadquartcrs during the war, .said Strewe consistently and persistcntly claimed lo be anli-Nazi. Witness was quile satisfied his claini was correet. Jolin McLeod L'ankia said lie was posted to Somes Tsland by the Army uuthorities in April 1941. Strewe was (lefmilcly barred by the Nazis. He was like poison to the;n. fn answer to a question by Mr. Joseph, witness said 111 his i>osition he would kuow if Strewe received money from the Nazi Govcrnmcnt.' He would say he did not. He saw the Truth article and wondered who had written it as it eontained a lot o| piffle. It seemed to be written by someone with a grudgc. Charlcs Stuart Falconer, who. during t he war, was national chairman of the Y.M.C.A. and member of tho intcrnational c-ommittee of tho Y.yi.C.A., said when he visited Somes Tsland Strewe wa? introduced to him by the commandant as the leader of the anti-Nazi faction" on the Island. The hearing was adjourned till tomorrow.