Evening star., 1939-12-04
Embassy Aide Fails
To Appear Against
Auto Mechanic
Armistiee Day Fist Fight
Not Likely to Become
Diplomatic Incident

Not Likely to Become
Diplomatic Incident
A 128-pound fighting man from
Northeast Washington, whose Arm
istice Day technical kayo of Ger
man Embassy Attache provoked a
near-diplomatic incident, found
himself in sole possession OF the
battlefield today.
Frank Werner, 35-year-old auto
mechanic, appeared at the Police
Court Office of Assistant United
States Attorney Karl Kindleberger
to give his version of charges made
by Peter Riedel, technical advisor
to the German Air Attache.
Mr.. Riedel said that Mr.. Werner
slugged him in the eye ON No
vember II and the State Depart
ment, Justice Department and Met
ropolitan Police joined efforts to
get Mr.. Werner to the District At
torney's Office for an accounting.
Riedel Fails to Appear.
But when Mr.. Werner, with his
wife and two daughters, appeared
at 10 am. there was no sign of the
German Attache. Mr.. Werner watt
ed for nearly two hours then de-
parted. Mr.. Kindleberger said he
knew nothing about the matter and
surmised that the police had ordered
the battlers to his Office without
informing him.
No charges will be made against
Mr.. Werner, it was stated, and as
far as the authorities are concerned
the matter is finished, unless Mr..
Riedel takes more active interest
in his complaint.
The two went to war on Armistice
Day in the vicinity of Mr.. Werner's
home at 1903 Tenth street NE. The
incident which precipitated hostil-
tiles was-according to Mr.. Werner
clear case of aggression, in the
course of which the Germans auto
mobile invaded the Werner garden.
In the battle which followed, Mr..
Werner suffered one black eye, al
though he claimed victory, pointing
out that his opponent suffered a
similar injury-and more.
No Arrest Made.
| Police, summoned after a truce
had been called, said they could not,
as Mr.. Riedel requested, make an
arrest. The German did not drop
the matter, however, and a few days
ago the State Department received
a note from the German Embassy,
asking what action had been taken
against Mr.. Werner.
The State Department called the
Justice Department and local police
then contacted Mr.. Werner, asking
him to make voluntary appear
ance today. Mr. Kindleberger said
he knew nothing of the matter, but
would hear both versions of the bat
tie and decide>whether any warrant
should be issued against Mr.. Wer-
ner.
Mr.. Werner's version Of the story
has its beginning when the German
diplomat drove up to pay a call on
Father Paul Schultz, the Flying
Priest" whose home is at 1905 Tenth
street
Car Left in Flower Bed.
The car ran off the driveway and
went into his flower bed. Mr.. Werner
said, and the diplomat left it there.
Mr.. Werner requested Mr.. Riedel to
move it and says that he was
called name that was an insult
in any language
An argument followed, in the
course of which Mr.. Werner says
that the German repeated the curs-
ing and climaxed by swinging at
him. Mrs. Werner gave this de-
scription of the battle:
First, Mr.. Riedel swung at my
husband and missed. Then Mr.
Werner swung and missed. Then
Mr.. Riedel landed a blow on my
husbands eye and Mr.. Werner hit
him on the nose and then landed
one on his eye, knocking him to the
ground
"'Get up Mr.. Werner told him,
but he said I can't A few minutes
later he came rushing in the house
and asked for phone. I must call
the police he said.
Came Back With Police.
IT told him he wasn't going to
use my phone to get the police to
! arrest my husband. He went away
and came back little later with
the police. He pushed in the house
with them and started yelling. The
police told him he was trespassing
and finally had to push him out
onto the porch.
He stayed out there until they
came out again, moaning about his
eye. They had to persuade him to
leave. We thought it was all over
then and were very much surprised
to find out that an American back
alley fight had turned into an in
ternational occurrence"
Mr.. Riedel is one of the worlds
foremost glider pilots and broke
soaring records over year ago with
a motorless flight from Elmira, N. Y
to Washington, distance of 225
miles. He is not carried in the dip
lomatic blue book. but the Embassy
says he is employed as an advisor to
the air attache.