A libel action brought by the Union of Jewish Ex-Soldiers against Francois Coty, the perfumer and newspaper publisher, which went to trial today, was adjourned for two weeks on account of the illness of M. Coty.
Witnesses who took the stand today included the famous Jewish novelist, Josef Kessel. Others who are due to testify in behalf of the war veterans include several former ministers, the head of the French volunteers’ group and a number of former Jewish soldiers.
Coty’s statements did not refer to the Jewish combatants, his advocate said today, but only to an irresponsible group.
The trial has aroused much interest since it marks the first time that the inciting articles which M. Coty has sponsored in L’Ami du Peuple and Figaro could be taken into court. The article in question claimed that the Jewish veterans’ body and the Jewish sport organizations in France were merely disguised revolutionary organizations.
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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.
