The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-10-13

the pullQllg OH Ilre.
Lateit testified that he received mo-
tice of the fire at 9:15 pm. He =.
went to the ReichStag alone, return
ing to the police station at $685.
where he gathered seven policemen
to follow him to the scene
-.4,.- Flaws In Police Testimony
1t is remarkable that detectives had
already arrested van der Lubbe in
the meanwhile Another suspicious
circumstance is that no answer has
been given to the question OF who
notified the detectives and the Tier
garten Police Station.
Continuing, Lateit stated that van
der Lubbe had been arrested before
he went back to the Reichstag.
Van der Lubbe was laughing heart
lily like a lunatic," Lieutenant Lateit
said, land declared that he had set
the Reichstag on fire. When We
asked him why he had done it, he
gave no answers, he merely smiled"
Lateit created sensation in the
courtroom when he testified that 1t
was his impression that the fire
could have been easily localized and
kept down to insignificant dimen-
sions. He added that there were no
bloodstains in the broken window
paneS, and that van der Lubbe'S
person bore no cuts or abrasions.
Lateit said that it is impossible
to find ones way about in a building
like the Reichstag in the dark as
quickly as was necessary to set this
fire.
NaI Case In Dilemma
In reply to the prosecuting attor-
ney,s question, Lateit testified that
the police had searched the Reich
stag to the very last corner, but had
found no incendiary materials.
This testimony leaves the Nazi
case in an untenable dilemma
Either the Prussian Press Service
and Capt. Goering, Prussian Pre-
mier, lied on the night of the fire
when they announced that tons Of q,
incendiary material had been \
found, blaming an organized Com
munist plot for the blaze, or Police
Lieutenant Lateit's testimony in
perjured in an official effort to
cover up the fact that van der
Lubbe was the tool and aid Of Mani
leaders in setting the fire.
The prosecution is now dropping
! the official version Of the fire an
nounced in February and March, be-
cause the Nazis find it physically i'm
possible, with all their perjury and
concerted efforts, to link the Com
munistS on trial with the fire.
Now, since they dare not admit
that van der Lubbe had accomplices
who weren't Communists, but Nazis,
| they are trying to create the fiction
that this young Dutchnlan set the
giant building on fire himself, with
nothing more than matches.
Correspondents Contradicted
Testimony \
Attorney General Werner, anxious 1
to relieve the Nazis of responsibility
for the fire, asked Lateit if Hitler
Storm Troops and Special Guards
had helped establish the police cor
don around the Reichstag. Lateit
denied this, which is an obvious con-
tradiction of numerous dispatches
sent by foreign journalists on the
scene on the night Of the blaze, as
well as of the reports in German
newspapers the following morning.
Judge Buenger asked van der
Lubbe whether Police Lieut.. Lateits
| description was right on the whole.
Van der Lubbe: 81 cannot say. The
prosecutor then declared that van
der Lubbe frequently answers ST
cannot say when questioned about
his accomplices. The probable con-
clusipn is that van der Lubbe is con-
cealing a secret from the outside
world.
Presiding Judge Euenger then an
nounced that the court would inspect
the site of the crime on Thursday
night
DIR. Teichert, Dimitroffs Nazi-ap-
pointed official counsel was obliged
to make a pretense of defending his
client, applying for the courts per-
mission to admit Dimitroff to the
proceedings.
Judge Buenger, replied: "Dimitroff
has. exhausted the courts patience
and dignity. Dimitroff must learn
to employ counsel, and not interfere
himself in the proceedings"
Buenger omitted to state that
Dimitroff cannot employ his own
lawyer TO talk for him.
Fire department. officials then tes-
titled, saying that the 18th alarm
was issued The first alarms on the
night of the fire we're given at OLA,
9:15, 9:35 and 9:45 pm. The 10th
alarm was sent III at 1882 pm, but
the 18th (citywidel alarm was net
issued until 1880. It
Lepsius, an expert chemist ar
Specle ist on ar bombing defe Sc,
tnen testified hat he was anxibuJ
to utilize the fte in the study of how
it YVES possiF e for so gigantic
building TO each fire so raridly.
His study substantisted the assert.
ton that in future war great pub
Tic buildings will be the first target
OK air-bombers Leosius interviewed
raf1 der Llibbe on the day after tie
fire with the psriniesion .: ms rTiu-
lister OF Tie I,terior. HI testified
Sliat he ssSed che young Dutcbnan
regarding his incsndiary method5,
"Gfccivipg clever re6licS"
.LepsipS declared il YVES solely teclr-.
nical interest that led him 10 inves-
tigatc the possibility Of firing the
, building Within u minutes En-
t'caToring to PLAY the role Of poli.-
ical expert. he d,o,o"e.' $40 ran ~
I.ubbe told him The inccudiaiy fin
was SGT "for e ~
Ie.asslrs a;eo read in tho press thct
, the, tic vas o74sd on }onldu s e
: ideas. end therefore held ven der
Luhbc 10 h. 2 Cnr2n- unist, va