A verdict against Francois Coty, millionaire perfume manufacturer and newspaper publisher, was delivered today by a French court, charging him with printing in his papers articles defaming Jewish ex-soldiers. Coty was ordered to publish the court’s verdict in his newspapers, L’Ami du Peuple, Figaro and eight others, and was compelled to pay a fine.
The Union of Jewish Ex-Soldiers accused Coty of stating in his L’Ami du Peuple that the veterans’ organization and various Jewish sports organizations here were merely disguised revolutionary bodies.
There were exciting scenes in the court-room on June 24, when Coty appeared to deny that he was anti-Semitic. He said he was opposed only to anarchists, communists and international financiers, but respected conservative Jews. Jeers and cat-calls were heard in the court-room during the publisher’s testimony and the presiding judge had to threaten repeatedly to clear the ###nless quiet was restored.
The case marked the first time Coty was taken into court and sued for libel in connection with alleged inciting articles appearing in his newspapers. On June 1 the trial started but was postponed due to Coty’s illness. At that time his lawyers stated that the articles in Coty’s papers did not refer to the Jewish ex-soldiers, most of whom are war veterans, but to irresponsible groups.
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.
