Evening star., 1944-07-27
.Luedtke Admits
Blood Theory
baffIed Him
Former Bund Aide
Testifies Again at
Sedition Trial
BY CARTER BROOKE JONES.

Sedition Trial
BY CARTER BROOKE JONES.
Williams Luedtke, former national
secretary of the German-American
Bund, a Government witness at the
sedition trial, was unable to explain
on cross-examination in District
Court today what the Nazis meant
by the blood theory"
Suppose" asked Ellis o. Jones, a
defendant acting as his own attor-
ney, your child came home one
night and asked, Daddy, what's the
blood theory?' what would you say?"
Il would want to know what she
meant by It," the witness replied.
But she would want to know
what you meant by it," Mr.. Jones
pointed out.
Denies Being Authority.
We'll, I never claimed to be an
authority on the blood theory"
Luedtke said.
But you brought 1t up yourself
on direct examination" Mr.. Jones
commented You said the bund
was advocating it. You must have
had some idea what it meant"
Il did," said the witness.
What about the race theory"
the defendant suggested. What
was that?"
The same as the blood theory"
Luedtke answered
And you don't know what
either is?"
Il didn't say that"
You didn't say you did know"
There the matter rested.
Tells Of Quitting Bund.
Abiding to Luedtke's testimony
that the bund became a singing So
ciety after Pearl Harbor, Mr.. Jones
inquired:
Was your propaganda set to
music them"
Il don't know.
Luedtke exlained that he quit the
bund soon after America went to
waf-perhaps week or 10 days
after.
Did you sing about the blood
theory"
They may have" Luedtke con-
ceded. Il don't know"
He added that the bund gave q
concert in Brooklyn just after Pearl
Harbor.
The custer of James ]. Laughlin
as a defense attorney in the mass
trial stirred another echo today,
despite the ruling of the Court Of
Appeals made yesterday refusing
three writs of prohibition sought on
the ground that defendants had
been deprived of adequate defense
counsel
Elmhursts Demand Denied.
Ernest F. Elmhurst, one of the
defendants who had asked the ap-
pellate court to intervene, again
demanded Mr. Laughlin as counsel
in place of w. Hobart Little, the
attorney appointed by the court.
Elmhurst's demand was made
through Mr.. Little after Grief JUS
tice Edward c. Eicher refused to
hear Elmhurst in person. Once
more the judge held that Mr.. Little
was Elmhursts lawyer and would be
so recognized until such time as the
defendant might engage "other
eligible counsel"
The writs of prohibition denied
yesterday by the Appeals Court
sought to compel Justice Eicher to
stop the trial or to suspend the pro.
ceedings against the defendants.
The relief was sought for Robert
Noble. Eugene N. Sanctuary and
Elmhurst.
/ Lawrence Dennis, one of the
20 defendants, was under order Of
the court today to return to the trial
not later than next Monday morn
ing or. Justice Eicher announced,
1.-THE court will take further steps in
the matter of securing his rettyn."
Dennis, reported i'll in hospital
at his home town of Pittsfield Mass.
is defending himself. Yesterday he
sent word to the court, through
Macmillan st. George, attorr.y for
Joseph McWilliams, that he would
be unable to appear for a week or
10 days. The medical reports were
attached to the defendants letter.
At adjournment last night, how
ever, Chief Prosecutor O. John
Rogge told the court that District
Attorney Thomas O'Connor at Bos-
ton had sent Veterans Admins
tration physician to see Dennis, and
the doctor had reported he found the
defendant "ambulant" and writing
letters and apparently able to return
to the trial.
On this showing, Justice Eicher
refused Dennis request to recess the
trial until he could return. Dennis
was excused by the court last week
| to % hQroe On r,arca,,al h,,ci.,aes