The German government today refused to release Berthold Jacob and rejected the demand of the Swiss government to return him to Switzerland, whence he was kidnaped by Nazi agents.
In an official reply to the Swiss government, the Nazi authorities contend that Herr Jacob came into the hands of German justice without the intervention of German officials.
CALLED A ‘TRAITOR’
The reply of the German government describes the kidnaped German-Jewish journalist as a “traitor of the worst kind.”
It is obvious, the Nazis argue, that the kidnaping of Jacob and his return to Germany was accomplished by private persons and not by government agents.
The German Jewish journalist will be tried before a German court, the authorities stated, on charges of treason for the anti-Nazi articles which he published in the press abroad.
BELIEVED DEAD
In diplomatic circles here the opinion prevails that Berthold Jacob will never be tried by the German authorities because he has long since been killed by them. It is assumed that he was murdered in Germany immediately after he was delivered by the kidnapers from Switzerland.
It was pointed out here today that the reason the German government rejected the demand of the Swiss government for the return of Jacob is that he is no longer alive. Otherwise the German authorities would have seriously considered the statement made by the Swiss Foreign Minister in Parliament that if Berthold Jacob is not released by the Nazi government, Switzerland will bring the case before The Hague tribunal.
The opinion was expressed here today that the German government, in order to give the impression that Jacob is still alive, may institute a trial against him and condemn him to death. The trial naturally would not be open to the public.
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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.
