Evening star., 1943-07-26
DR.. Pound, Best,
'60thers|ndicted
AS Traitors
District Jury Names
Americans Serving
AS Axis Broudcosters
Pictures on Page A-5.)

Eight American citizens now
resident in Germany or Italy. in
Guiding DR.. Ezra Pound, poet. au-
thor and musician, were indicted
on treason charges today by the
District grand jury.
The indictments accused the
eight, two of whom were women.
Of giving aid and comfort to the
enemy by broadcasting propa-
ganda designed to persuade
American citizens to refuse to
support the United States in the
war.
Named in eight separate indict-
ments were
Robert H. Best, At. time
United States Army officer. for
merly of Sumter. S. c.: Frederick
Wilhelm Kaltenbach, 48. formerly
Of Dubuque, Iowa; DR.. Pound, 81,
formerly of New York City; Doug
las Chandler. 81, formerly of Bal
timore; Edward Leo Delaney. ST.
formerly of Olney. Ill; Constance
Drexel 48. formerly of Philadel-
phia: Jane Anderson. so, formerly
of Atlanta, Ga, and Max Otto
Koischwitz, Al, formerly of New
York City.
All except DR.. Pound, the Justice
Department said. are in the employ
Of the German Reich and broadcast
from Berlin and other points in
Germany DR.. Pound broadcasts
from Rome. Six of those indicted
are native Americans and tWo-the
DreXel woman and Koischwitz--
were born in Germany.
Attorney General Biddle said all
would be brought to trial when ap-
pretended
Under the treason statute. the de-
PENDANTS face either the death pen
atty or. at the discretion of the
court, imprisonment for not less
than five years and fine of not less
than $4,000.
The treason charges came as
result of an investigation of nearly
a year by the criminal division of
the Federal Bureau of Investigation
and the special war policies unit
of the Justice Department. The in
vestlgators were given material as
slstance. the department said, by
the Foreign Broadcast Intelligence
Service of the Federal Communica-
tions Commission, which recorded
/ thousands of words of short-Wave
| propaganda broadcast by the de-
PENDANTS.
Aid. to Enemy Charged.
! The indictments, which follow the
same general pattern. allege that
each of the defendants gave aid
to the enemies of the United States
/ by repeated broadcasts of propa-
ganda designed to persuade citizens
OF the United States to decline to
/ support the United States in tbs
conduct of the war"
The defendants are charged with
accepting employment with the
Italian and German governments
and with writing and broadcasting
speeches and statements deliber-
ately intended to weaken the morals
OF the American people, dissuade
them from making war on the
Axis, undermine faith in their own
Government and the governments
OF their Allies. and in other ways
to interfere with the military and
naval operations of the United
i States.
The indictments said all radio fa-
cllltleS of both Germany and Italy
are under the direct control of the
respective enemy governments and
that only such messages as will
advance the interest of the enemy
are allowed to be transmitted.
Following the declaration of war
against the United States, the in.
dictments continued, the German
and Italian governments immedi-
ately started propaganda cam
palgn by Short-Wave broadcasts
beamed to the United States to
weaken the morale of the American
people.
According to the indictments. the
Axis governments sought the help
of American citizens in this effort
because their language and mowl.
edge of the customs of the Amer.
can people, reinforced by false
declarations of loyalty, would make
such propaganda broadcasts more
credible
Biddle's Comment.
Commenting on the grand jury
action. Attorney General Biddle sale
it "reafflrms the fact that the Unitec
States will not tolerate traitors
either at home or abroad 1t is oul
intention when we can to appre.
hend these defendants and to brins
them to trial before a jury of theil
fellow citizens, whom they are
charged with betraying.
1T should be clearly understood
that these indictments are based
not only on the content of the propa-
ganda statements-thel lies and falsi-
fications which were uttered-bu
also on the simple fact that thes
people have freely elected. at tim
when their country Is at war, to de
vote their services to the cause OF tn
.. enemies of the United States. The
have betrayed the first and mo-
sacred obligation Of American cit
q zenship."
:. Jane Anderson Sentenced as Spy
Jane Anderson. who was born
Atlanta, attended public schools
t that city and girls finishi
n school in Texas. Az the age
Il Is she ran away from the Tex
: school, married and settled In n
,r York. In 1918 she went 70 Lont
and vo.ked for the London Da
= Mail as a reporter she vas {
;, vorced from her American hLSos
~ in 1918 and returned 20 New 20
:. Little is known Of her scCIV-1
during the decade following :
~ World War except thai sce Ta
:. several trips 20 E-upe- acC VT
= occs ssoraIEv for va-iouS arer-c
= cewspa pe-S a1G -agszsres.
~ During the Spanish Csv,I war :
- was sentenced 20 Ssae1 ~ 1se 1os'
~ ISIS II 1888 or charges sl sSsEfS