PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 643, 22 September 1933, Page 5

PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS

GOURT ILLUMINATED (Rec. 12.40 p.m.) London, Sept. 21. The trial of the accused men in the Reichstag fire case was opened ixi the Supreme Court at Leipzig in a brilliahtly illuminated room. The court rose and gave a Fascist salute as the judges entered. Van Der Hubbe's hands were heavily handcuffed behind his back but the hands of the other four accused were unfettered. The President of the Court, Dr. Bunger, in his opening address, referred to the "unprecedented prejudging of the case" by the foreign press. Foreign counsel had not been admitted because it was considered that their motives would be less to guard the interests of the accused than to awaken distrust of Gei'man justice. Van Der Lubbe was chai'ged with high treason coupled with iricendiary attempts upon the former Royal Palace, the Reichstag, the City Hall, and the Welfare Office, for which the death penalty is prescribed. A statement, allegedly written of Van Der Lubbe's free will, was read stating that he wanted no defence and that he had refused offers of the services of foreign counsel, including a Dutch lawyer who was sent to Leipzig at the request of his family.