Charged with insulting the head of a foreign government, Nahum Halberstadt, Polish Jewish dealer in chemicals and laboratory supplies, was today brought to trial for a slur on Hitler contained in a private letter written by the Jewish merchant to a German firm.
Halberstadt, arraigned under Article III of the Criminal Code, which makes illegal an insult to the head of a foreign government, replied on an inquiry from a German firm with whom he had broken off trade relations, that he would not purchase goods made in Germany “as long as Hitler and his mob rule the country.”
The letter was intercepted and opened by German postal authorities who forwarded it to the German Foreign Office. The latter made representations to the Polish Government, and Halberstadt was indicted.
The defence, conducted by Alexander Margolis, one of the best known Jewish lawyers in Poland, today presented as witnesses Dr. Heinrich Rosmarin, former Sejm Deputy, and Deputy Waslaw Wislicki, who declared that the boycott is the only means of defence left to Jewry in its fight against the terror in Germany.
Halberstadt took the stand and stated that his remarks were not directed against Hitler personally, but against Hitlerism.
A verdict in the case is expected tomorrow.
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.
