The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-09-25

he characterized as Dimitroff's de
risive manner" the defendant az
gressively replied that the Nazi Judge
might find it understandable II he
knew that he, Dimitroff, has spent
''six months in confinement, five of
which were spent handcuffed and
during which time I could not sleep.
I naturally sound excited and pos
sibly use expressions which are not
permissible"
Although speaking in imperfect
German, Dimitroff electrified ths
courtroom with his bold and clear
cut declarations.
His testimony was in sharp con-
trast to the senseless stanmering and
contradictions of Van der Lubbe, the
| Nazi tool.
Drawing sharp line of demarca-
! ton between Communism and indi-
vidual terrorism, Dimitroff presented
a sharp and lucid analysis of the
Communist position. Although warned
by the presiding judge, Dimitroff de-
clared that 81 am here to defend
Communism" and proceeded to fiery
humiliation of the Bulgarian fascist
government, as well as an attack on
NaZi police methods.
His impassioned condemnation OF
Bulgarian fascism was calculated to
force his hearers to make a compari-
son between fascism In Bulgaria and
present-day Germany. Dimitrof de-
scribed the bloody suppression Of the
Bulgarian workers and peasants re-
volution of 1928 and told how he was
later forced to flee Bulgaria. He
wildly described his life rs a per
secuted refugee.
At one point in the hearing The
judge tried to taunt Dimitroff with
the fact that the couple with whom
he had lived had tried TO commit
suicide.
Believe me-" the defendant re-
marked, IT, too, would have COM
mitted suicide If did not have such
strong nerves. Being handciffed for
five NOTWITHSTANDING which time /
could hardly sleeps no lauefins
matter"
Because am convinced Com
munist,' DinItrof declared, n op-
pose such idiotic criminal and m
dividuaI terror action as the burn
ing Of the Reichstag."
AS the hearing opened yesterday
morning, a sensation was caused In
the courtroom by the announcement
by DR.. Alfons Sack, Nazi lawyer APP
pointed to carry through a mock de-
Tense for Ernst Torgler, leader OF
the Communist deputies in the Ger
man Reichstag, that Torgler's aged
and infirm mother had made her way
| from Berlin to see her son. Tears
| filled the eyes of the German Com
munist leader as his mother took
her place in the courtroom.
Hays Offers Evidence
An offer to present the findings Of
the International Commission Of
Jurists was made to the court yes
terday by Arthur Garfield Hays,
American lawyer, and one of the
group of attorneys who examined
evidence on the ~Reichstag fire at
hearings in London, just prior to the
opening of the Leipzig trial. The In
ternational Commission not only alb
solved Torgler and his Bulgarian
comrades of all completely in the
Reichstag fire plot, but on the con-
trary, charged that the Nazi were
responsible for the crime.
Hays at the same time offered to
bring forward witnesses who 'for po-
litical reasons are fearful of reveal
ing themselves if the witnesses were
assured of protection in the future
Papoff Also Aggressive
Blagoi Popoff, 31-year-old Bull
garian worker, another defendant.
followed Dimitroff. In vein similar
to that which characterized Dimit-
roff's declarations, Popoff traced the
history of the Bulgarian revolutionary
movement. Unable to speak German.
Popoff was given an official inter-
prefer, but the Bulgarian repeatedly
charged that his testimony was be-
ing distorted by the court attendant
Popoff ridiculed the prosecution
claim that he had maintained rela-
lions with the Nazi provocateur, Van
der Lubbe, during the summer OF
1882, and offered to present state
ment from the German Embassy in
Moscow showing that he had spent
that summer in Moscow and In the
Crimea. He said that he visited Ber-
lin for the first time in November,
1882
He proudly admitted membership
in the Communist Party Of Bulgaria,
but vigorously denied that he was
ever involved In terroristic activities
of any kind. While in Berlin, i've said,
he spent his time as an active re-
volutionary among the Bulgarian re-
fugees and took no part in German
politics.
PopOf caused a great stir IN Vie
courtroom when he declared In =
loud voice that the Berlin police
chief had tried to force him -
confese completely in the Reich
stag fire by threatening him with
extradiction TO Bulgaria where hi
was sought as result Of his rev.
dictionary activities. ga
Although Popoff's rooms in Berlil
were thoroughly searched by the DO.
: lice and his host questioned, no tracs
of evidence linking him up with the
S Reichstag fire was found, the defend.
l ant pointed out.
l Taneff, the third Bulgarian reyolu.
tionary Jailed with Torgler in con.
nection with the frame-up arson
! charges. is expected to be questioned
r on Monday after the prosecution con-
: cludes its examination of Dimitroff
t Court officials declsred--with how
: much truth tits not know that Var
| dor ,,I,l>o tho. IJ;+to,;4~