The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-12-29
AMERICAN GIRL
JAILED; HITLER
SLAM CHARGED
Former John w. Davis Law
Firm EmpIoye to Be
Tried Wednesday.
U. S. CONSUL STEPS IN
Remark That Fuehrer Is of
Jewish Descent Leads
to Arrest.
lCOpyright lgs4. By Unised Pressl

| WAEDMOHR, Germany, Dec. "
Miss Elsa Sittell of New York was in
solitary Imprisonment at the County
Jail today, facing a charge of SLAM
dering Adolf Hitler. 1t seemed i'm
probable she could be released even
on parole to await trial before next
Wednesday.
1t was understood G. A. Makinson,
American Consul General, was on
his way here in an effort to see
/ her. Miss Sitten has received no Wis
itors since her arrest Monday. Re-
quests for her release have been
made to the States Attorney, but no
decision in her case is expected I'M
til after the New Years Day holiday.
Miss Sittell was arrested Monday,
the day after she left Paris to seek
the parents she had not seen for 10
years. She has been held at VALID
mohr, it was learned, despite a
statement by Waldmohr police that
she had been indicted and impris-
oned at another place which they
refused to name.
The charge against Miss Sittell
is publicly Insulting both Hitler
and a customs guard who examined
her luggage"
Court officials at Frankenthal in
formed the United Press that Miss
Sittell said: Hitler is of Jewish
decent" and that it is with max
ing this statement that she is
charged.
Inquiry Is Ordered
American Consul General Douglas
jenkins took charge of the case in
Miss Sittell's interests today. He
instituted an investigation and eff
fected touch with the competnt Ger
man officials in Berlin. He also in
structed the American Consulate
at Frankfort to follow the case.
Gendarmes at Waldmohr, near the
Saar frontier, admitted they had
arrested Miss Sittell because she
made insulting remarks about the
relchsfuehrer" adolf Hitler.
They refused to specify the charges
against her or to reveal what She
did or under what circumstances.
Steele Case Recalled
The circumstances were similar
10 those in the case of Miss IsobeI
Lillian Steele of Hollywood. Cal.
who has just arrived in the United
States after months of imprison-
ment.
In Miss Steele's case it was weeks
before American authorities even
learned she was held, and months
before they obtained her release on
charges of Espionage" never for
mulated and never explained.
News Of Miss Sittell'S arrest came
dramatically in an unsigned tele-
gram yesterday to the American
University Women's Club of Paris,
where she had been a guest.
Prevent trunks going steamer
Miss Sittell arrested frontier" it
said.
Embassy Aid Sought
Miss Sittell had booked passage
on the liner Washington, sailing
for New York today.
Officials of the club appealed to
the American Embassy at Paris, and
news of the arrest was sent also to
consular authorities at Berlin, who
knew nothing Of Miss Sittell's i'm
priSonment.
Miss Sittell was employed in New
York in the law offices of Davis,
Polk, Wardwell, Gardiner and Reed,
of which John w. Davis, former
Democratic candidate for president
and former ambassador to Great
Britain, is a member. She was en-
gagged in translating documents
from the French. She is equally
master of English, French and Ger
man.
Looking Up Parents
Several weeks ago Miss Slttell re-
signed and sailed for France. She
said she was going to seek her par
ents, who lived in Lorraine but
moved into German territory when
Alsace and Lorraine were given back
to France after the World, War.
After a brief visit in Paris, Miss
Sittell went to Germany. She told
friends she did not know where her
parents were but hoped to find
them.
Next came the mysterious tele-
gram. Officials of the University
Women's Club tried vainly to trace
Miss Sittell by telephone to French
and German frontier posts.