Evening star., 1932-03-29
Judge Given Asks Definition
of American Imperialism"
at Communist Trial.
ONE DEFENDANT BLAMES
WAR FOR DEMONSTRATION
Partisans of Prisoners Threaten to
Stage Protest as Hearing of
Comrades Proceeds.

A Communist Interpretation of the
meaning of American imperialism"
was sought in Police Court TODAY by
Judge Ralph Given during the trials
OF 81 so-called radicals for attempting
to hold demonstration In front of the
japanese embassay Saturday, which
broke up in a battle between the
paraders and Washington police. The
trials started yesterday and will be con-
cluded probably late today.
From each of the defendants the
court endeavored to learn just what was
the motive for the demonstration.
Joan Hardy, an l8-year-old Balti-
more girl, said 1t was to protest against
American Imperialism" and her def
milton of this was, we were demon
Stratlng against the American imperial
ism because bankers are robbing this
country" The court questioned her as
10 whether or not she meant capitalism,
but the girl stuck to imperialism.
II you are opposed to American i'm
periallsm, why did you go to the jap
anese embassy to protest?" the court
asked
Because the japanese are fighting
our comrades in China" the girl hesio
family replied
Something Like That"
Charles Edwards, another defendant,
testified he did not know anything
about American Imperialism but in
formed Judge Given that the object Of
his fellow radicals for coming here from
all sections of the country Saturday
was to fight" against the Japanese war.
What japanese WARP" asked the
court.
The war now going on in China"
the defendant replied.
Why those countries are not at
war;" remarked the court, "and you
came over here from Baltimore as YOU
said to fight against a war that does
not exist"
We'll, it was something like that"
Edwards replied.
Charles E. Ford, defense counsel, ex-
planned that the defendant evidently
had in mind the Manchurian and
Shanghai invasions.
From other defendants the court has
learned that a Communist worker
means "the class that produces work
and capital for the rich" They con-
tend that the demonstration was held
in protest against this.
Demonstration Threatened.
The trial continued to drag because
of the threat Of the radicals to stage
a demonstration in the court room.
Each defendant is being arraigned sep
arately. Attorney Ford said he had in
formed his clients that should a DEM
onstration be held he would withdraw
from the case.
Validity Of the arrests on charges Of
parading without a permit and dis
orderly conduct was attacked by Ford
on four grounds. He contends police
regulations did not make it necessary
for each parader to have an individual
permit, that the parade in this case
was not parade, that regulations gov
ern1ng paradeS was arbitrary and that
there was no authority to make ar
rests because they were not endowed
with jurisdiction over the land where
the arrests were made.
Testimony in the Hardy case has been
the high light of the proceeding so far.
The girl told the court she was choked
SenseleSS by Sergt. John p Langley of
the third precinct. Langley, on the
stand, denied this, claiming the girl fell
to the ground in an exhausted condition
after her struggle with him to keep
him from destroying the placard she
was carrying.
Described as Thrill Seeker"
immigration agents, who said they
had been with the demonstrators from
the time they gathered in Baltimore
last Thursday to map out plans for the
parade, described the girl as being only
a thrill seeker"
Another feature of the testimony was
the contradictory manner in which
police have outlined how they placed
the paraders under arrest In the case
of Albert Suskin, Sergt N. D. Holmes
said he ran the defendant down and
arrested him. A few moments later
Plain Clothes Officer ]. S. Shinnan
testified it was he who captured Suskin
after the defendant had struck Sergt.
Langley. Both officers said they were
positive in their identification of Suskin
Photographs taken during the battle
showed Suskin in the custody Of Sergt.
Holmes.
While Judge Given was hearing these
cases, Judge Isaac r. Hit, in the United
States branch of Police Court, arraigned
Ivan KoStraw of Baltimore on an as
sault charge. Kostraw is said to have
struck Policeman Ira Martin. The off,
Ger was sent to Emergency Hospital for
treatment Kostraw was dismissed from
Gallinger Hospital this morning after
receiving treatment for a broken wrist.
Judge Hit set bail at $500 and the
date for jury trial for April 6.