ANOTHER MOSCOW TRIAL?

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 676, 31 October 1933, Page 4

ANOTHER MOSCOW TRIAL?

The airest of an -English journalist, Mr. Noel Panter, by the Bavarian police holds possibilities of international complications equal to those which invested the recent trial of the engineers of Metropolitan Vickers in Moscow with such critical interest. Apparently Mr. Panter, as 1 Berlin correspondent of the Lon- ! don Daily Telegraph, has affront- ! ed German official susceptibilities by telling the truth about Herr Hitler's mobilisation of storm troops and other Nazi legions and as a result he has been taken into custody and is to be charged with high treason and espionage. It is notorious that the German Government has no liking for foreign journalists who cannot be silenced by the same arbitrary methods as those which have been employed toward the German Press. Representatives of foreign newspapers, however, have been told, in the inimitable Prussian style, that even if their newspapers cannot be closed down, they themselves will be shut up if their activities tend to embarass the. Government. This is precisely what Mr. Panter has been injudcious enough to do and together with other prying journalists he is apparently to be shown that it is unwise to tell the world too much about Herr Hitler. Mr. Panter, on the other hand, contends that he was merely carrying out his duty as a journalist in recording matters of public interest. He has apparently been unfortunate in that his appreciation of news values and that of the German Government has coincided— but from different points of view. Mr. Panter considered that information regarding Germany's semi-military activities should be published because it was of interest to the world. Herr Hitler, quite obviously, considers that it should not be published for precisely the same reason.

With the German press m a j condition of abject obedience to j the Government domination, the j world must rely almost entirely | upon foreign journalists for a ! true presentment of German conditions. By this means alone will it be possible to impose any check upon the boisterous activities of the Nazi Chancellor. The world, it is true, has no concern | with strictly domestic German j affairs, but when these develop l international complications, it would be foolhardy not to take cognisance of them. There is not the slightest doubt that the militant preparations which are proceeding under the Nazi regime constitute a very definite threat to the peace of Europe and in making them known to the world pressmen are performing a public service. It must be recognised, however, that in the face of the warning issued by the German Government, they do so largely at their own risk and that if they encounter trouble, as Mr. Panter has done, they are subject to the laws of the country in which they are residing, however unreasonable they may be. They are, however, entitled to the benefit of free trial and non-partisan justice, and it is here that the rub develops. As in the case of the trial of the British engineers in Moscow, there is more than a suspicion that the ends of justice are disitorted to meet the ends of the Government. The British Government cannot be expected to stand idly by and watch its nationals butchered to provide a Russian or German holiday the case may be. Mr. Panter was' at first denied communication with his own consul and although that has since been acCorded, he is stiil refused the righf .of legal assistance. There

l iety to check the embarassing activities of foreign newspaper correspondents, the German. Government -may endeavour to make an example of Mr. Panter. If this is its determination, intervention by the British Government will be imperative. The boycott weapon was very effectively used against Russia and it could be even more effectively used against Germany. • It is to be hoped, however, that the necessity for extreme measures will be avoided. The situation in Europe is already so strained j that retaliatory measures might i precipitate a dangerous situa- 1 tion.