Nazis Lose First Tilt As Trial on ‘protocols’ Opens in Berne

ing the authenticity of the book.

“From my investigations,” Dr. Baumgarten summarized his testimony, “and from the answers which I have given to the questions directed toward me, it becomes quite clear that the ‘Protocols’ are a forgery and that the plans set forth there of an allegedly existing secret government, have nothing whatever to do with the cultural, political and economic aims of Judaism.”

EARLY VERDICT SEEN

Col. Fleischhauer, the Nazi expert, will give his testimony before the court tomorrow. He appeared in court today accompanied by three assistants, one of them a woman. There will be no session on Wednesday. The verdict is expected at the end of this week.

The defendants, all of whom are Swiss Nazis, are charged with violating the Swiss law prohibiting the publication and dissemination of literature calculated to excite vile instincts.

PASTOR TARGET OF ATTACKS

With the attention of the Swiss Nazis and Nazi foes focused on the Berne trial today, an attempt was made last night by the Nazis to attack Rev. Dr. James Parkes, pastor at the American church in Geneva, who is active in promoting good-will between Jews and non-Jews, especially through the International Student Service.

A servant of Dr. Parkes was attacked by Nazi assailants who, the police assume, had mistaken him for his employer. The attackers then entered the clergyman’s home and stole many documents which are of great value in the Berne “Protocols” trial.

The police, who arrived later at Dr. Parkes’ home, found the servant lying unconscious in the doorway. When he regained consciousness, he testified that he had been blinded by a flash and remembered nothing more after that. Dr. Parkes himself was not at home when the attack took place in the early evening hours.

WARNED BY POLICE

The Swiss police are definitely under the impression that the attack on Dr. Parkes’ residence is closely linked up with the Berne trial of the Nazis. The authorities in Berne last week cautioned Dr. Parkes to be careful as the Secret Police was in possession of information that the Nazis were plotting an attack against him in order to steal some of his files which contained material on anti-Semitism, on Germany and on matters which would be detrimental to the Nazis at the Berne trial.

A thorough investigation into the attack on Dr. Parkes’ home was started today in Geneva by the federal authorities, who are inclined to believe that the attack was carried out by the same Nazi organization in Switzerland which kidnaped Berthold Jacob, the German Jewish journalist who disappeared from Switzerland on March 9 and was later discovered to have been lured across the border into Germany by Nazi agents.