The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-12
Silencing Their OsVn Agent

AS LONG as Van der Lube the Dutch derelict who
worked as an agent of the Nazis was alive, he was
living accusation Of their own guilt in the world
notorious Rechstag fire frame-up.
That is why they executed him With such desperate
haste That is why they suddenly and without warn
ing, killed him, after taking great pains to keep him
in continual state of Stupefaction by drugging him.
The deadly fear of the Nazis that Van der Lubbe
might at any moment spill the story of his connec-
tons with the Goering murderers and proyoca-
teurs did not let them rest until they finally silenced
him for good.
Let no forget that day in the trial when
under the hammer blows of DimtrOff's -exami-
nation, Van der Lubbe slowly coming out Of his
HuaI torpOr, began to splutter about his meetings
with the Nazis"!
That is why, from the very FIRST as the secret
Kazi documents which were exposed by the Daily
Worker proves the FaScists planning to get rid
Of him as quickly as possible
II Van der Lubbe began to talk then when might
he not begin to talk againl And to hide their own
guilt in the Reichstsg fire which stsres through
the testimony Of the Leipzig trial the Fascists with
unseemy speed killed him,
THE SUDDEN secret execution Of the Maxi tool Van
der Lubbe by the Fascists should come as a shock
Of terrible warning that four heroic Comrades
DiInitrof, Torgler. Popoh and Tanen still in the
hands of the Naz murderers.
Not only that. They still lodged in tina cells
Of the same prison where the execution Of Van der
Lubbe took place.
If the Nazs struck With such sudden, secret muir
der at their agent, Van der Luboe what Is to
sJop them from suddenly leapng With lynch fury at
cur comrades held In isolation in their ceus
The terrible menace to the lives Of our comrades,
taea3 four revolutionary working class heroes whose
innocence is now known by the entire world, is wit
sssed by the following statement issued in the NsN
prezs, iustifying the sudden execution Of Van der
Lubno:
." 50 confront the public with accomplished fact
wtth0ut long preliminary pa1avezS token Of NS
j@s.ice, assurance and determination and q warn
ing TO other international revOIutiOnares Of the Com
nunist persuasion"
Here is barely concealed q sinister threat an
nouncing the intention Of making the lynchtng Of
Dnlit~off Torger Popoh and Tanen an accomplished
This thought must burn In the mind Of every
worker, every man and who hates the Fascist
brutality and barbarism-that we do not rouse our
selves again in world protest there is the great
est danger that we may awake one morning to find
the lynching of the four Communists as an "ae-
complshed fact"l
World protest forced the acquittaI of tbs
Communist defendants Only world protest
protect them against Nazi lynchingl
We must sound warning against being ulled
into slackening Of fight free Dmitro Torgler
and their comrades. The fight must rise again to
new heights Let us take warning from the Van der
Lubbe execution It's meaning is unmistakable 1t Is
q ghastly reminder Of what the Nazis still hope to
accomplish with comrades in the Fascist dungeon!
Activize all committees for the safe release OF
Dimitrof, Torgler, Popof and Tanefi Send hail
Of messages kilograms, to the German consulates Am
bassador at Washington, demanding the safe release
Of the prisoners Wherever workers gather call meet
inss for the passing Of resolutions to be sent to the
German Fascist consuls in this country.
Let the FascistS know that our eyes are upon
them This alone balk them in their lynch plans
inst irdttY ONpIaP nv1I trar
For protest for the safety of our revolution
aTy working class heroesl