Omaha daily bee., 1922-06-05
German Authors
Ask Release of
Bolshevist Poet
Prominent Liiterateurs Want
Ernest Tollsr Furloughed
10 Witness One Of
His Plays. :
NJ The AssssietsA i'sess.

= Berlin. June f-Efnea Toller,
Bavaria's revolutionary pott. who is
serving a sentence for 20 rlicipation
~ the Munich bolshevist upsisinR OF
1919. suddenly has become the Gen.
trail figure in controversy in which
the literary aristoeracy OF Germany
IL pitted against the Bavarian law.
Toller. who is - years old. is one
of the most talented OF the young
German post-revolutionary writers.
He is the author OF several pro-
lciarian plays. written during his in
generation. which have been re-
ceived iavorably in Berlin aud else
where. He expressed a desire to be
permitted TO witness a rehearsal OF
his latest play. which will be produe-
ed in Reinhardt's theater this sum-
mer. Toller is willing TO submit to
any police regulations for the privi-
lege OF witnessing the production OF
his play.
Gets Immediate Support.
His petition found immediate sup
port in the ranks of prominent
dramatists, actors and journalists.
who addressed a remarkable appeal
to the minister OF justice, in which
Toller is designated as a strong
poetic personality who is obviously
, tortured by the thought OF being de-
prived OF witnessing the product OF
his prison pen before the footlights-
a circumstance which threatens Sc
rlously to hamper further poetic de.
yelopment" 4
The signatories OF the petition
beseech the minister OF justice to
grant Toller brief literary holiday,
declaring that the occasion does not
concern politics but is wholly one
involving humanity and art, in
which the reputation OF German kul-
tur also is at stake" Among the
signatories are Gerhard Hauptmann,
Ludwig Fulda, Felix Hollaender,
Reinhardts chief literary adviser;
President Wallauer OF the Actors
alliance; President Loebe of the
rcichstag: Philip Schedemann, for
mer minister OF education; Haenisch
and other parliamentary leaders, dra-
uidtiC CIltICS ana authors.
The movement already is provok-
ing the sharpest opposition from
Bavaria's reactionary press, which
designates the petition as All on
saught against the constitutional
pillars Of state. The Bavarian press
declares such precedent established
on behalf of Toller would serve to
inoculate other imprisoned COM
munists with the poetic germ. thus
eventually making incarceration a
wholly illusory matter.
$4,000 to Be in Games.
Fifteen thousand men and women
are expected to compete in the Ger
man olympic and auxiliary games to
be held from June "a to July 2. Many
of the entries are from Austria,
;" "Roumania, Czecho- -Slovakia, Switzer-
land. Spain, Poland. upper Silesia and
Dantzig. Austria alone is sending
400 contestants.
While the olympic is confined to
the usual track and field events and
other features on the program of
the world olympics. additional events
have been arranged for this year:
nence the addition auxiliary games"
to the title. -..r..
The gyInnasts comprise the largest
section of the prospective contest
ants, the entries numbering 2,O24, of
whom 462 are women. The Pentath-
Ion will be contested by l,275,
while 1,lS0, including 80 women, are
entered in the lightweight field
events. The marathon is expected to
bring out 500 runners. Four hun.
dred will ride in the bicycle racing
events. and of these entries. 2l2 are
listed for the race from Hamburg to
Berlin.
Boxing Takes Hold.
The wrestling and boxing events
have attracted the surprisingly high
total Of e7s entries, due largely to
the recently increasing popularity of
the latter sport on the continent. The
lower number of 800 for the SWIM
ming events is somewhat disappoint-
ing and is inexplicable in sporting
circles. Fifty-two of these entries
are women
On the other hand the tennis entry
list of 100 men and 10 momen is so
large that an elimination tournament
is necessary. One hundred and nine
teen tencers will cross swords in
three different classes of events and
$50 cracks are due to match their
ability at shooting. As was expected,
he golf entries are low. comprising
only Il men and women. "
living to the nature of the pro-
gram not much attention has been
paid to team competition, but pro-
vision has been made for football,
rugby and hockey. Even clubs are
listed for football and rugby has
Grawn SIX entries. Two elevens, one
each from Vienna and upDer S;Ies;,