The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-08-23
Won Papen Unn1oued
By Reprisal Threat
Says Political Pressure Will
Not Force Pardon of Con.
demned Nazis
FIVE SENTENCED TO DIE
Hitler Asserts Their Freedom
Has Become "A Question
of Our Honor

Berlin, Aug. Notwithstanding
threats of reprisals against the gov
eminent for death sentences imposed
on five Fascists convicted of political
murder we're answered Tuesday by an
announcement the government would
not stand for political pressure but
decide solely on the basis of justice
whether or not to grant pardons."
This statement was issued after
Adolf Hitler. leader of the Fascist Ma
tional Socialists. had assured the five
condemned men that "tte freedom of
each of you from this minute on Is a
question Of our honor"
The Hitler followers were con-
demned to death at Beutten Monday
after they had been convicted of kill
ing a Communist. In government
circles it was said that no one did the
five men or the Nazi movement worse
service than Hitler himself, who
scathingly denounced the Won Papen
government and, it was said, identi-
fled himself with men found guilty of
murder.
A government spokesman said that
Hitler had made it extremely difficult
for Chancellor Won Papen to show
leniency. as any such move would be
| regarded as yielding to Nazi pressure.
Situation Is Grave
The gravity of the situation was
attested in the pledge of the fascist
strong man. Adolf Hitler-and that
meant his powerful storm troops as
well-to battle against govern
ment under which this the death
sentencesl Is possible"
Thus all eyes were focused on
Chancellor Franz Won Papen and his
government which promulgated the
emergency decree of August under
which the five men were tried.
All Germany discussed the case of
the quintet, three of whom were Na2i
followers and two affiliates. They
we're condemned Monday in a mining
city on the Polish border for killing
communist.
, The tribunal was speed court"
established to stamp out the violence
taking hundreds of lives before the
balloting of August 81. The men were
defended by the personal attorney of
Hitler and, when the sentence came.
| riot ensued.
| Beuthen was quiet Tuesday under
the vigilance of steel-helmeted police
and the rest of Germany was eager
to see what the government would
do in this new crisis.
Reprisals Threatened
Open threats of reprisals and worse
were voiced by the Nazis as the forces
of the political right marshalled all
their pressure to force the govern
ment to alter the sentences.
1t was generally considered unlike
ly the five ever would be guillotined,
the chancellor was confronted with
the most difficult of questions, in
that he must decide very soon to
commute one or all the death sem
fences to life imprisonment or quash
the verdict as demanded by the Nazis.
The government is the final Judge
under the speed court emergency
decree, which eliminated the long de-
lay of appeals.
The nationalist press pointed to
the loophole permitted by the COM
mutation and cited the fact that the
Staying occurred only two hours after
the August 9 decree was promulgated.
1t is considered likely this would be
the grounds for retrial or revision of
the. sentences.
indicative Of the way the Nazis
were taking the court decision was
Hitler's telegram to the condemned
men, which read:
(COntinued m, m % tu,o,