Evening star., 1933-03-26
RADICALS UNHURT
IN REICH PRISON
Have No Serious Complaint
as Goering Pledges Safety
for Jews.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
BERLIN, March 25-Capt. Hermann
Goering, cabinet minister without port
folio, redeemed his pledge today to
permit foreign correspondents to see
and talk to prominent arrested Com
munists and other members Of the Left
In order that they might satisfy them
selves that the prisoners were neither
dead nor injured.
The imprisoned men displayed by
the police showed no evidence Of hav-
ing been hurt, nor did they make any
serious complaints.
Capt Goering made the pledge IN an
interview in which he asserted that
he would never stand for prosecuting
a man simply because he Is a Jew" and
that foreigners visiting Germany this
Summer would enjoy the fullest free
dom.
Referring to protests in the United
States against alleged maltreatment of
Jews. the cabinet minister said: Every
German smiles when he learns that on
next Monday prayer meetings will be
held in America"
In their visit to arrested Commu-
nists the foreign correspondents were
escorted by Rudolf Diehls. chief OF the
criminal police. They were taken first
before the cell of Ernst Thaelmann,
Communist member Of the Reichstag
and a presidential candidate last year.
You will observe that Thaelmann
looks physically fit," the police chief
said. "That he is not spiritually COM
Portable need not surprise you, Tor
Thaelmann does not like 1t that he
who regards himself as political
prisoner is in the same Jail with crimi-
mails.
Dislikes Reading Matter.
However, as he has been the leader
Of the party accused Of melting the
Reichstag fire, that cannot be helped.
Thaelmann further complained that he
does not like the reading matter given
to him."
Here Herr Thaelmann, who had stood
quietly looking at the correspondents,
rather amusedly walked to his cot from
which he took volume entitled Jolly
Tales From Swabia."
To the query. Have you any COM
plaint with reference to your fcod or
physical well-being?" ne shook MS
head. He looked well.
A few cells farther on was werner
Hirsch, editor Of the Communist Rote
Fahne, stated food and care were gooo
and he was permitted to smoke.
In Chief Diehl's ofhces the corre-
spondents next found Carl Won Ossiet-
sky, a Jewish man OF letters ana eoitoI
of the radical Welt -Buehne; Ernest
Torpler. Reichstag floor leader for the
Communists, and Ludwig Rem, mill
Herr Won Ossietsky politely bowed and
introduced himself to every visitor. He
stated that his treatment was no diff
ferent from that accorded anybody
taken into protective custody. He
seemed to take his situation good ma
turedly.
Herr Torgler specifically denied to the
Associated Press that, as reported, he
had been beaten by a Nazi storm
What was hard for him, he continued.
was the fact that he had not been per-
mitted for four weeks to see his wife
and children, but this was remedied
Yesterday when they came to him.
Denies Part in Fire.
He vigorously denied having been at
the Reichstag shortly before the fire
February 27. for which the government
held Communist incendiaries response
BILE. He had nothing in physical way
of which to complain.
Herr Rem, who stood defiantly in
the police chiefs office. seemed unin-
clined to talk much, but did complain
of the food.
"These men could not be better cared
for II they were under Gods personal
urotection," Chief Diehls said after the
prisoners had been led away. In. fact
some Of them would have Jared badly
if we had not arrested them protec-
lively"
throughout Germany 5000 &. to 5000
Communists and other members Of the
Left were under arrest.
In the interview preceding the visit
to the prisoners. Capt. Goering ex-
pressed the belief that Jews and Social
lists abroad were rendering poor service
to German friends by making unfavor-
able reports on conditions in Germany
and by holding protest mass meetings.
He admitted excesses had occurred
during the first days Of the revolution.
but asserted that the government had
adopted most stringent measures, in
cluding the death penalty, to put an
end to them.