Evening star., 1943-07-01
Key Witness
In viereck Case
Refuses 10 Talk
bennett, Now in Army.
Says He Would Be
Violating His Oath

trial Of George Sylvester Viereck and
the prosecution Immediately an
nounced 1t would appeal to the
Judge Advocate Generals ONCE for
a ruling.
Making a surprise appearance, Mr..
bennett. who has been linked with
prewar isolationist groups, told the
court:
Il wish to be excused from appear
ing as a witness in this case because
I have discovered my very presence
here under the present peculiar cir
cumstances puts me in the strange
position of violating or tending to
violate in wartime my own oath as
a soldier.
"As I understand my oath and
the Articles of War, I don't have the
right under military law to criticize
or tend to criticize or to allow my
self to be used as a willing party
to criticism Of any National or State
elected public of1icial. And so, your
honor, must support my soldiers
oath and obey the Articles Of War"
Details OF Group Told.
His refusal to testify prompted an
immediate conference between JUS
tice Department agents and the
Government prosecutors, who said
they would make an appeal to the
Judge Advocate Generals Once.
Earlier, it developed 1t had been
suggested that an outstanding ma
tional hero be considered for the
Craftsmanship Of the prewar Make
EuroDe Pay War Debts Committee
to succeed the late Ernest j. Lun-
deem, isolationist Senator from Min
nesota.
The disclosure came from Joel
Frank Webber, one time associate of
the isolationist organization with
which Viereck has been linked
Viereck is on trial for alleged viola
tions of the Foreign Agents Regis
tration Act
Mr.. Weber told Of meeting with
Viereck in New York in October,
l940-nearly two months after Sen
ator Lundeen's death in a plane
crash-during which they discussed
a new chairman.
Mrs. Lundeen Appears.
Some national hero like Sergt.
Alvin C. York came under discus
sion" he told the jury of three
women and nine men.
The witness did not say whether
Mr.. York ever was approached on
the proposition.
Prior to Mr.. Webber's testimony
Mrs. Lundeen made a surprise ap-
pearance. in answer to a Govern
ment subpoena calling for certain
correspondence and speeches from
the Senator's files. She stressed that
following her husbands death moth
ing in his files was destroyed, but
she recalled that her home here
subsequently was entered and files
stored in an attic disturbed.
Asks Return Of Papers.
Mrs. Lundeen insisted that the
papers, which the prosecution said
pertained to correspondence between
her husband and the defendant, be
returned to her. Justice Bolitha j.
Laws assured her they would be
given back. The jurors were or
dered from the courtroom during
Mrs. Lundeens brief appearance.
Mr.. Webber. who admitted that his
connection with the committee
wasn't very remunerative," said the
committee changed its name "as the
political scene changed" Following
the transfer of so American Destroy
ers to Great Britain in exchange for
island bases. the committee became
known as Islands for War Debts
Committee, the witness explained.
Questioned by Prosecutor Albert
E. Aren't as to activities of the
original committee, the witness said
that most of the time we sent out
speeches from the Congressional
Record" This included mailing out
speeches by Senators Nye, Holt and
Reynolds. The committee compiled
mailing list from Who's Who in
Medicine. Law ano Business and
special lists from Boards of Trade
in various cities, Mr.. Webber said.
Says Viereck Formed Group.
During a meeting in Viereck's S
apartment, when Mr.. York's name
arose. Mr.. Webber said that Viereck
told him that he himself was the
originator of the idea for the COM
mittee. Meeting with the two were
Mrs. Webber and bennett, one time
associate of the committee and pub
lcity man for a subsequent isola-
zionist group.
Viereck and bennett are among 33
persons indicted early this year on
charges of conspiracy to undermine
the morale Of the armed forces.
Most of the afternoon yesterday
was taken up by DR.. Werner Bruno
Ellinger. language authority at
tached to the Library of Congress,
who identified a long list of Flanders
Hall and German publications. Un-
der questioning by Mr.. Aren't, the
witness asserted that many books
and pamphlets bearing the imprint
of the New Jersey publishing house
were similar in content to official
German Information Office publica-
tions, of which he had made study.
He further testified that, in some
instances, a different authors name
had been used in the Flanders Hall
books. Other books, he added, had
left out anti-Semitic references as
well as mention of national social
ism.