Evening star., 1944-07-26
Dennis Absence
Fails 10 Halt
Sedition Trial
Eicher Demands
Further Evidence
Defendant Is III
BY CARTER BROOKE JONES.

SklCA kIAWd ~. AjASllSl
refused today to stop the mass Sc.
dition trial in District Court unit
the return of Lawrence Dennis, 9
defendant. reported i'll in a hospita
in Pittsfield, Mass.
Handed a mailed request of Den.
mis- for such a recess in the trial
supported by the affidavit of ply.
sician, Justice Eicher said the rec.
ord would continue to show the
defendant absent voluntarily" un-
til conclusive medical evidence was
received.
Dennis left for his home in Pitts
field last week. then apparently well
He had the courts permission to be
away a few days on "a voluntary
basis" for personal reasons.
Record Shows Only a Boil.
Justice Eicher said the court
might remark in passing that the
present medical record indicates
nothing more serious than boil in
the palm of his hand"
Claude Thompson, attorney for
two other defendants, contended the
court had lost jurisdiction at the
trial by continuing it in the en-
forced absence of Dennis. Justice
Eicher said the record would stand.
The Government awaited compile
ton Of the cross-examination of
William Luedtke, former national
secretary of the German-American
Bund, before calling several uniden-
titled witnesses expected to offer
some of the most important prose-
cution evidence of the entire trial.
Chief Prosecutor o. John Rogge
has promised to prove by these wit
nesses the part of the 26 defendants
to carry out the alleged conspiracy
described in the indictment. This
was an asserted Nazi-directed
scheme to incite members of the
armed forces to disloyalty and
mutiny.
Luedtke Still on Stand.
Luedtke's Interrogation by the
score of defense counsel threatened
to occupy the entire day. after con-
suming nearly all yesterdays ses-
sion.
Luedtke testified, in response to
questions by Joseph H. Bilbrey, at
torney for Franz K. Ferenz, that he
was taught at a bund school in this
country that the socialism of Karl
Marx was "Jewish-inspired and not
fit for Aryans.' ~
The new form of National Social
ism directed by Hitler was taught
as acceptable to Asyans, the witness
said.
The court sustained an objection
to Mr.. Bilbreys offer to show Ma
tional Socialism was much older
than Hitler's philosophy. The at
torney held in his hand, a news
paper called National Socialism,
printed IN this country in 1914, but
Justice Eicher excluded it.
Two Doctrines Differ.
Asked if bundists were taught the
difference between Socialism and
Communism, Luedtke said 'yes"-as
he understood it, Socialists advo-
Gated public ownership of utilities,
Communists of all properties.
They are both dictatorships?'
"Yes."
You thought" Mr.. Bilbrey sug-
sested, that National Socialism was
a good thing for the United States?"
Yes, I did"
You believed in it and in Hitler?"
Yes"
you still do?"
mo, l don't"
The witness could not say just
when he changed his mind. but ex-
planned that it was slow process, "
Theory Spread Everywhere.
When you were trying as a bund
member to sell national socialism
In this country" asked the attorney
was it ever with the idea of under
mining the morale of the armed
forces?"
I'VE tried to sell it anywhere, to
anyone" Luedtke replied.
Defense Attorney Ethelbert B.
Frey brought out that Luedtke testi-
fed for the Government in num-
Der of Federal courts while he was
serving an 18-month sentence at
Danbury, Conn, after pleading
guilty to counseling draft evasion.
He was always taken out of prison
In custody of marshals. the witness
said. He made two trips to Cali
fornia, and one to Portland. Greg.
With time off for good behavior, he
actually served Is months, Luedtke
explained.
The witness said he completed
his term March 13, 1914, month
before the sedition trial began. He
said he testified before the grand
jury here last November.
Were you fearful that you would
be defendant in this case?" asked
Mr.. Frey
Didn't Know What Would Happen.
Il didn't know what was going to
happen" said the witness.
He denied he had ever told anv
one he was pleading guilty to violat-
ing the Selective Service Act so he
could get light sentence and be-
come a Government witness.