Evening star., 1941-07-15
zapp and Tom
Freed 10 Sail
With Axis ExiIes
Germany Agrees in
Exchange to Release
American Reporters

@HSpo"9S " NS'S0SS
American Reporters
What has been described as a
diplomatic horse trade" will enable
two alleged NaZi agents scheduled
for trial here Thursday to sail for
Lisbon tonight with 443 ousted Ger
man and Italian consular officials.
Meanwhile, three chartered air.
planes were flying to New York from
San Francisco with 16 German con-
sular agents in laSt-mlnute dash
to catch the reconditioned liner
America before she ShoveS of on
her maiden transatlantic voyage.
Among passengers on board the
drab-gray liner, which has been con-
verted into a Navy transport and
renamed West Point, will be DR..
Manfred Zapp and Guenther Tom,
American managers Of the Trans
ocean News Service, German propa-
ganda and news agency.
Americans to Be Freed
Acting Secretary of State Sumner
WelleS said the arrangement for
the release of Zapp and Tom spe-
cifically provided for the return to
the United States Of Jay Allen,
North American Newspaper Alliance
correspondent. who has been under
arrest for months in occupied
France, and Richard c. Hottelet, OF
the United Press staff in Berlin,
who has been imprisoned there.
They will come to the United States
on the return trip of the West Point.
Two other Americans held in Ger
man prison camps also are being
released under the arrangement. Mr..
Welles said. He declined TO identify
them for the time being. however.
He referred questions about whether
the arrangement could be described
as an exchange of prisoners TO the
Justice Department.
Zapp and Tom were scheduled
for trial in District Court on charges
of failure to register with the State
Department as agents Of a foreign
principal.
In District Court yesterday, the
Government moved for a postpone
ment OF the case until THURSDAY.
Shortly afterward. the two de-
PENDANTS were suddenly released
from Ellis Island. along with Dr..
Kurt Rieth, former German AM
bassador to Austria. who had been
hold oh Of in1a ,,,,
migration laws All three are 10
sail on the West Point Meanwhile,
their present whereabouts was a.
closely guarded secret. They were
said to be in custody of Justice De-
partment inspectors as they wound
/, up their affairs in this country.
Government Asked Delay.
The GoveIQmepL-Q QSsred. lo eX-
planatlon other than It was not
ready to proceed with the prosecu-
ton when It asked postpolTefrlent OF
the trial of Dr. Zapp and Mr.. Tom.
The defendants have been held on
Ellis Island since May following
their arrest March IL.
DR.. Rieth was arrested Nav 20.
The 27,000-ton liner. largest mer-
chant vessel ever built in this coun-
try. is being held in port pending the
arrival of the Germans flying from
the West Coast. She was to have
sailed at $3.50 pm. with the AXIS
consular agents and their families
quitting the United States by order
OF the State Department.
Consuls Flying East.
The group flying to New York,
the Associated Press reported. in
cludes DR.. Hans Borchers. consul
general at New York, and Capt.
Fritz Wiedemann. who held the
same post in San Francisco.
They planned originally to sail
for Japan, but missed their boat
while awaiting British guarantee
OF safe conduct that came too late.
In a last-minute dash to catch
the West Point, they chartered thres
transport planes and took off shortly
after 3 am, which, with the usual
flying time Of 1872 hours. should
allow them to reach New York by
$50 pm.
They said the State Department
had promised the liner would be held
for them.
Elaborate precautions have been
arranged by the State Department
and the New York police to prevent
any demonstration or incident at
sailing time. No one will be per-
mitted either on the pier or on
board the vessel for bon voyage
parties. and once aboard the pas
SengerS will not be allowed to set
foot again on American soil.
Granted Safe Conduct.
Among others sailing will be DR..
Herbert w. Scholz, former Nazi
consul in Boston: Ricardo Moscati
and G. D'Allagnol, Italian consuls
in Chicago. and Baron Edgar Spiegel.
German consul at New Orleans.
Two German physicians arrested
by immigration men at Jacksonville,
Fla, on charges of overstaying their
leave in this country arrived in
New York today to sail on the West
Point. They are DR.. Herbert Schnitz-
Ter and DR.. Gerhard A. Brecher, the
latter accompanied by his wife.
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