A chronological history of the career of the forged “Protocols” appears on page four of today’s edition.
The myth that the Jews of the world aim to dominate the world exploded today when the Berne court handed down a verdict branding the “Protocols of the Elders of Zion” a forgery, after a trial which lasted more than two weeks.
Of the five Swiss Nazis accused of spreading the forged documents, three were acquitted for lack of evidence that they were directly linked up with the distribution, They awarded compensation totaling 650 Swiss francs (about $195.00). The other two were fined fifty and twenty francs respectively and in addition will have to pay part of the trial costs.
EXPLAINS MILD SENTENCE
“I am issuing a mild sentence because I do not wish to create martyrs,” Judge Mayers, the president judge of the court, said.
After the verdict was issued the defense announced that it will appeal to a higher court.
In issuing the verdict Judge Mayers declared that the “Protocols” are a forgery, plagiarism and trashy literature, and should be confiscated under the existing laws of Switzerland. He did not, how ever, order confiscation of the “Protocols” since the jurisdiction of the Berne court is limited to the Canton of Berne only and it would be futile to order confiscation of this document in one Canton alone.
UPHOLDS COURT EXPERT
Judge Mayers, in explaining his verdict, declared that he fully accepts the testimony given by the expert for the court, Dr. C. A. Loosli, as well as by Dr. Arthun Baumgartner, the expert for the prosecution, both of whom termed the “Protocols” a falsehood. He completely rejects the testimony of the Nazi “expert”, Col. Fleisch auer, in favor of the “Protocols,” he stated.
Anticipating the verdict of the court, the German Government made an attempt at the eleventh hour to influence the verdict. Representatives of the Nazi government requested that the government of Switzerland see to it that the verdict “should not be unfavorable to Germany.”
DEPLORES NAZI COMPLAINT
Judge Mayers expressed his regret in court today that Col. Fleischauer, the Nazi “expert” lodged a complaint with the Presi-
A chronological history of the career of the forged “Protocols” appears on page four of today’s edition.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
