Search JTA's historical archive dating back to 1923

Hague to Get Kidnap Case, Nazis Warned

April 3, 1935
See Original Daily Bulletin From This Date
Advertisement

The Swiss government intends to bring the case of the kidnaped German-Jewish journalist, Dr. Berthold Jacob before the World Court at the Hague if the Nazi government does not release Dr. Jacob immediately and return him to Swiss soil whence he was kidnaped by Nazi agents.

This was announced today in the Swiss parliament by Foreign Minister Giuseppe Motta. M. Motta reported to the parliament that the Nazi government has taken exception to the official protest by the Swiss Diplomatic representatives in Germany against the abduction.

“If we do not succeed in securing the release of Dr. Jacob under the German-Swiss Treaty of Arbitration of 1921, we shall submit the entire case to the World Court at the Hague,” the minister stated in the parliament.

READS PROTEST NOTE

M. Motta read before the parliament the full text of the note which the Swiss government submitted to Germany. This note stated that Dr. Hans Wesemann, the Nazi agent, who was arrested by the Swiss authorities for luring the writer to Basle and delivering him to the Nazis across the border, admitted his action. Dr. Wesemann also admitted that he acted upon instructions from the Nazi secret police in Germany.

“The kidnaping of Dr. Jacob on Swiss territory is a direct violation of Swiss sovereignty and may affect the entire destiny of Switzerland,” Mr. Motta declared before the parliament.

Meanwhile the German Jewish journalist who left Germany immediately after the Nazis came into power, is now awaiting a death sentence in Germany, as he is a###ed of exposing German mili### secrets while in exile. He was ###naped from Basle on March 9 by Nazi agents who took him across Swiss-German frontier into Germany.

Dr. Wesemann, who was arrested by the Swiss police immediately

Recommended from JTA

Advertisement