Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-07-14
.viereckAdmits
Refusal 10 Talk
AT Jury Probe
Cross-Exominution
OF PubIicist Will
Be Continued

George Sylvester Viereck, under
cross-examination in District Court,
today admitted refusing to answer
questions at grand Jury proceedings
against him more than a year ago
on his connection with isolationist
activities.
Reading of grand jury testimony
by Prosecutor George A. McNulty
disclosed that the defendant refused
to answer on the grounds 1t would
attend to incriminate me-" Viereck,
on trial because of violating the
Foreign Agents Registration Act,
yesterday freely admitted, however,
his preWar activities, claiming that
he engaged in them because he felt
it was his patriotic duty to keep
us out of war"
Jury May Get Case Tomorrow.
With Viereck facing further cross
examination and closing statements
by both sides still to be delivered, it
appeared the jury of three women
and nine men would receive the case
tomorrow.
Viereck, the second and final wit
ness called by the defense, was on
the stand throughout yesterday and
under questioning of Defense At
torney Leo A. Rover maintained,
with fist-thumping emphasis, that:
/. He neither concealed nor
Shouted from the housetops" his
connections with Flanders Hall
publishing house and that the
22,500 he invested in the firm for
publication Of isolationist pamphlets
was his own money and not from
any German sources.
Denies Being Foreign Office Agent.
g. He had never knowingly re-
ceived any money from the Reich
nor had ever served as an agent for
the German Foreign Office.
3. He had ceased sending weekly
reports to a Munich newspaper on
the American political scene before
our entrance into the war and has
engaged in no such activities since.
4. He had not willfully concealed
any information from the State De-
partment concerning his activities
in this country.
The prosecution contends that
Viereck's weekly reports to Munich
were, in fact, intended for the Ger
man Foreign Office and that he
concealed his propaganda activities
with Flanders Hall, isolationist
members of Congress and German
consular officials in New York.
Viereck's explanation of his link
with Flanders Hall, which pub
lisned number of anti-British
books. was that he wanted a Jump
ing off place for after the war
to have a publishing house of my
own and that further he felt there
was money to be made in printing
n-interventionist books
He admitted that he had "pirated'
some of the manuscripts for Flan-
ders Hall publications from q the
German Library of Information, but
he pointed out that they we're not
copyrighted. viereck freely admit
ted contributing between $4,000 and
$4,000 and maybe IS 900" to the iso-
lationist Make Europe Pay War
Debts Committee"
Says Neutrality Was Objective.
The defendant insisted that the
money was his own, and that he
did it because one of his big CD
Jectives" was ito keep us out of the
bloody mess" He said he believed
the committee was doing a pa
triotic duty" for the country.
Viereck likewise admitted being a
friend of Representative Fish, Re-
publican, Of New York and the late
Senator Lundeen of Minnesota, and
had helped the latter polish and
tighten up" several of his speeches
When asked by Mr.. Rover if he
had knowingly received money from
the Nazi government to carry on
his activities. Viereck replied:
NO, although I assume the money
from the German Library of In
formation came from the Reich.
He added that the State Depart.
ment was aware the library was q
propaganda arm OF the reich dnC
that he. too. was acquainted with
this fact when he signed a contract
with the library as literary adviser
On registering as foreign agent
Viereck listed the Munich newspaper
and later added the library as for
eign principals.
Mrs Viereck was the only other
witness called by the defense.