The times-news., 1938-11-25
Lawsuits Preparations In
dictate Epochal Court
Action Near
BY HAROLD ETTLINGER
Copyright, 1888, United Press)

murder trial of Herscnel Grynsz-
pan, 17-year-old Polish Jew who
said he "obcyed an irresistible inn
pulse when he assassinated
Ernst Won Rath of the German
embassy here, may be turned into
an international trial" of Nazi
methods against the Jews.
The trial, bringing the slight
shouldered lad within the shadow
of the guillotine, may take its
place with such court dramas as
the reichstag fire trial, the Drey-
fus case and the more recent
purge" trials in Moscow.
This became apparent when it
was reported that the father of
the slain 29-year-old diplomat
Rath might become a civil party
to the charges against Grynszpan
and send a prominent German
lawyer to aid in the prosecution.
If this develops, the German
lawyer would be arrayed against
Frances two most famous GRIM
inal lawyers, Vicente Moro-Giaf-
feri and Henri Torres, who for
years have been rivals for first
place at the criminal bar of
France.
Moro-Giafferi, an ardent anti
Fascist who was denied permis-
sion by German authorities to
participate in the defense in the
reichstag fire trial in Berlin, and
Torres have undertaken the de-
fense of the youthful Grynszpan.
They were brought into the
case largely because of the ef-
forts of a defense fund being
raised in the United States under
direction of Dorothy Thompson,
newspaper commentator.
Moro-Giafferi and Torres are
expected to base their defense on
Grynszpan's sufferings and the
sufferings of his parents in Ger
many under Naziism, on his ex-
treme youth and-foremost Of all
ON general indictment Of the
Nazi regime.
Under French law, which per-
mits the sale of guns to minors,
any killer over 16 can be con-
demned to death but it appears
doubtful whether the state prose-
cutor will ask the guillotine.
If Rath's father becomes a civil
partv to the suit and sends q law
yer, French legal authorities be-
lieve that the trial may be turn
ed into a political debate with
the Nazi treatment of Jews as the
chief issue. .,i
After authorities in Germany
announced a 20 per cent levy on
JEWISH wealth, to meet $400,-
OO0,OAO collective "fine" for his
killing of Rath, Grynszpan sat re-
morseful and respondent in the
Fresnes juvenile prison writing
hour after hour the story of his
life, climaxed by an account Of
how he walked into the German
embassy on the morning OF No,
vember. 7 and shot Rath.
The youth knows little of the
consequences of his crime in Ger
many, but he has announced that
he will fast each Monday - the
day of the shooting.--in atone
ment "for the innocent man |
killed"
- Grynszpan's written story and
confession must remain secret un-
til the day of his trial but his at
torneys have indicated it's general
theme. 1t is much the same as his
statements given in two prelimi-
nary appearances before examln-
ing Magistrate Jean Tesniere.
Like thousands of other Jews,
Grynszpan came to France be-
cause he was unable to make
living for himself in Germany.
. He was born and reared in Han
over, where his parents had lived
and worked for % years;
"But whenever l tried to get
work they called me Jude" he
told Magistrate Tesniere. But
Jew has a right to live. he IS
member of the human community
and not a dog"
His aunt and uncle, Abraham
and Chana Grvnszpan, who pre-
viously had found refuge in Par,
is, arranged for him to come and
live with. them in August OF 1896.
% But still he was defeated in his
attempts to find work. :,
'"I didn't even look" he said,
because they wouldn't give me
a residence permit and there were
no jobs without one
Month after month Grynszpan
wandered through the streets,
staying with his aunt and uncle
and running a few errands.
Then, early this year, ms
French residence permits expired.
Faced with the prospect OF re-
turning to Germany, he went mto
hiding. The, aunt and uncle gave
him. small allowance and he NOV,
ed to the Hotel Suez, a cheap
lodging house, and other places
where he was always a jump or
two ahead of the police.
His dependency snapped when'
early in November, he said he re-
ceived a letter from his father
and mother saying that they had
been expelled from Germany IN
the Reich's mass deportation OF
Polish Jews.
"Now we are without a penny;
we weren't even allowed to take
any of our clothes with u.s." the
parents wrote.
With the little money he had
Grynszpan bought revolver and
on the morning of November 7
went to the German embassy.
He asked to see Ambassador