Fascism’s Foes Launch Attack on Nazi Courts

That the National Conference of Jews and Christians take a stand against the Nazi “People’s Courts” which start operations on July 2 is the request made by the National Committee to Aid Victims of German Fascism, it was announced yesterday by Alfred Wagenknecht, executive secretary of the committee.

The appeal was sent to the conference on the eve of its two weeks convention at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, which convenes Sunday to discuss Protestant, Catholic and Jewish relations in America.

According to the letter, prisoners who are now held in concentration camps will come up for trial under the newly decreed Volksgericht (People’s Court), Ernst Thaelmann is the first person scheduled to be tried under its provisions.

Objections to the People’s Courts are based on the following grounds, according to Wagenknecht: 1) Judges are persons having special experience in the field of combatting treasonable activities—that is to say, storm troopers. 2) The victim may be tried, sentenced and executed within twenty-four hours. 3) No appeal may be taken from the verdict. 4) All usual trial procedure is swept aside. 5) Death sentence is decreed for printing or distributing printed matter, maintaining treasonable organizations, conspiring to high treason, using radio for treasonable purposes.”

Protests against the courts, the appeal suggests, may be made by letter to Chancellor Adolf Hitler, to the German Embassy at Washington and to all German consulates in the cities where they exist.

THROCKMORTON WILL TALK ON STAGE PROBLEMS MONDAY

Cleon Throckmorton will address the audience of the Theatre Arts Workshop on “Problems of the Modern Stage” at the Theatre Collective, 52 West Fifteenth street, Monday evening.