German Chancellor Deplores Anti-semitic Incidents; Mob Threatens Woman Witness

Dr. Konrad Adonauer, West German Chancellor, said here last night that he deplores the recent wave of anti-Semitic incidents in West Germany. “There are still people among the Germans who behave in such a shameful way toward their Jewish fellow-citizens,” Chancellor Adenauer said in an official statement.

Referring specifically to the overturning of headstones in a Jewish cemetery at Frankfurt and to an anti-Semitic demonstration Friday during the trial of Viet Harlan, producer of the Nazi film “Jew Suess,” the Chancellor said he and a majority of Germans believe it their duty “as Germans and Christians to make good the wrong which was done to the Jews and to prevent such outrages.”

At the Harlan trial in Hamburg, the witness, Karena Niehoff, testified that the producer changed the original movie script to make it more anti-Semitic. Her testimony was interrupted by members of the audience who called her a “dirty Jew” and a “Jewish swine” and shouted at her to “get out of Germany.” Only the intervention of the prosecutor and court officials prevented the mob from beating her. Police escorted the woman, who is partly Jewish, through the hostile mob and a police car took her away from the scene.

A recent meeting of the right-wing “Socialist German Party,” headed by former German Army General Ernst Remer, advertised a meeting in Hanover with placards which stated that “Jews are not desired” at the affair, it was reported here today. So far no action has been taken by the local authorities against the persons responsible.

The trial of Ilse Koch, notorious German war criminal, has been postponed again–this time to June–it was learned here today. It was also reported that the recent psychiatric examination of Frau Koch established that she is sane and completely responsible for her actions.