The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-11-10
Nazi Officials
Plot the Death.
Of Thaelnann.
World Wide Struggle
Must Be Intensified,
InprecOrr Declares
tReprinted from InpreeOrrl

"On October 3-aceOrding 10 IN
formation received by yozr cor
respondent - there was a confer
ence in Berlin attended by the
Attorney General (Oberreichsan-
waltz Werner, several officials of
the secret State police, and repre-
sentatives Of the Ministries of
Justice and Propaganda, as well
as by a representative Of General
G0ering.
"A representative Of tAe Min
istry of Propaganda - that is to
say, Of DIR. GOebbeAs - protested
against trial that would be con-
Quoted in the old manner, which,
as shown by the Reichstag fire
trial, was detrimental to the in
terests of the German State. The
Third Realm, he said, must, when
trying Thaelmann, draw the logi-
cal inference from its rejection of
all liberal ideas.
"The conference decided that
the trial should take place after
only the shortest notice had been
given and should be terminated
with all possible speed. The in
dictment was to be based exciu-
sively on the evidence Of plans
for = Communist instruction in
1888, and the Court would be able
to pass sentence Of death" MAN
chester Guardian, October 16)
According to information from
official sources, the trial of Ernst
Thaelmann will be held in public
before the new Court under para
graphs 80 and Sc of the penal
code, according to which the SEN
tence will be Imprisonment with
or without hard labor" (Reuter,
October 49,
The two reports quoted above con-
tradict each other only apparently.
The German authorities have this
time refrained from the usual cate
gorical. denial. They consider it
more advisable to admit that the
trial will actually take place, but
endeavor at the same time to take
the wind out of the swelling sails of
the propaganda for Thaelmann's
release: they wish to lulI world pub
lie opinion by declaring that ThaeI-
mann's life is not in danger.
Reuters report, which, by the way,
is published by all the big telegraph
agencies, is in fact only confrma-
ton of the alarming news published
by the big English liberal paper.
The trial will take place. 1t is to
be suddenly rushed through, and a
terrorist sentence will be pronounced
if the rulers of the Third Reich sue
coed in lulling world public opinion.
If, however, we do not allow our
selves to be taken in by this trick
cry and, by exerting all our forces,
strengthen and increase the Thael-
mann release action beyond all
measure, then it will be impossible
for the fascist rulers to carry out
their bloody plans.
We must not for a moment I'M
derestimate the danger threatening
the life of our Comrade Thaelmann.
He Is the leader of the heroic Com
munist Party of Germany, which
cannot be crushed by the most in
sane terror, before which the all
powerful leaders of Nazi Germany
tremble. Thaelmann is the worthy
leader of this Party: bold and
ShreWd, steel-hard and noble. The
whole of the savage hatred of the
Nazi leaders is concentrated on him.
One of the most powerful men in
Germany is generally known to be a
drug addict for whose actions there
is no accounting. And this man is
q particularly bitter enemy of Com
rade Thaelmann. A hard winter is
approaching. Hitler cannot give the
working masses bread and coal; he
has only the weapon of terror at
his disposal. Tremendous efforts
are being exerted in order to make
an example of the rebellious leader
Of the revolutionary Party.
But in spite of this enormous
danger we must not underestimate
the great possibilities which exist
for rescuing Comrade Thaelmann.
The very fact that the German au-
thoritles are compelled to attempt
to mislead world public opinion re-
garding their plans, to lull the con-
science of the world, shows the great
they themselves attach
to the Thaelmann campaign. The
hard winter may cause them to re-
sort to terrorist measures, but it
can also render such measures in
effective and convert them into
dangerous weapons against the
regime. And, finally, as regards the
insanity of the Nazi rulers, the trial
Of Comrade Dimitrov proved that
even a drug addict like Goering
cannot defy world opinion.
1t is our task, however, to mobilize
this world opinion for the rescue of
Comrade Thaelmann. This name.
which two years ago was known and
revered only in Germany and in the
Communist International, is now
known all over the world. There is
no country, there is no place in
which a fight is not being waged for
Ihaelmann. There is no ship on
the sea or on the rivers and canals
OF the whole world on which his
name is not heard. His name is in
the mouths of people speaking hun
dreds of different languages. His
name is linked up with all move
ments which the workers are con-
Quoting in order to improve their
conditions, where a fight is being
waged for economic and political
freedom. His name resounds in all
struggles, whether they are general
strikes or revolts.
The time still left to us between
now and the trial must be used in