Evening star., 1944-06-13
National Leaders
On Axis Mail Lists,
Sedition Jury Hears
Mrs. Roosevelt Senators
Justices Named os
To,eets Of Propaganda
By CARTER BROOKE JONES.

Confiscated japanese propaganda
seized at a Pacific Coast port IL
1s4l, was addressed to Mrs. Eleanol
Roosevelt, the White House" defens'
attorneys at the mass sedition tria
brought out from documents show
ing in District Court today tina
thousands of prominent Americans
were on mailing lists for printed
matter ruled "nonmailable" by thu
Post Office Department from Ger.
many, Japan, Russia and Is Other
countries.
The particular piece of mail ad.
dressed to the Presidents wife ane
destroyed along with tons Of other
foreign propaganda was copy OF
the Japan Times of Tokyo. A no
tation on the voluminous index
compiled in Los Angeles showed
this, but the Governments identi-
flying witness, Henry j. Nord, deputy
collector of customs, said there was
nothing on the entry to indicate
whether Mrs. Roosevelt had ordered
the paper or it had been sent to her
without solicitation.
Those on the mailing list of Nazi
propaganda included Justice Black
of the Supreme Court; J. Edgar
Hoover, director of the. Federal
Bureau of Investigation; James r.
Byrnes, war mobilization director;
Senators Bankhead, Democrat, of
Alabama, and Smith, Democrat. of
South Carolina; Representative
Fish, Republican, of New York, and
thousands of other public officials,
educators, editors and business ex-
ecutives.
Digest Offered Jury.
Special Prosecutor Joseph w.
Burns placed code digest of the
list before the jury late yesterday to
show, he said, that members of the
armed forces and some of the 29
defendants were addresses of Ger
man propaganda. While all this
material was destroyed by the postal
authorities after the customs office
had indexed it, Mr.. Nord testified,
the prosecutor said he offered this
evidence only to show that the Co
eonspirators" In Germany had sent
some Of the propaganda to Army and
Navy officers and to certain defend
ants, trying to maintain contacts
they had started before such mail
was held improper.
The defense made concerted OBJ
lection to the exhibits, contending
they proved nothing and were Of
fered with intent to prejudice the
jury. Chief Justice Edward c.
Eicher admitted the evidence with
the understanding the Government
would connect it directly later with
the alleged conspiracy through
which the defendants are charged
With trying to undermine the loyalty
OF the armed forces.
Cross Examined Closely.
Mr.. Nord was cross-examined for
hours on how he happened to COM
pile the lists, and whether he had
checked any of the information they
contained. He said the corps of
workers making them up under his
supervision merely had followed the
directions on the mail wrappers.
He did not know, he said, why it
wss done, and he had been ordered
TO do the job by william Jennings
Bryan, jr, Los Angeles collector
6 customs.
Was that before you knew what
this case was all about7" Mr.. Nord
was asked.
II don't know a thing about 1t
yet" he replied.
The court limited further cross
ex9nination to three minutes for
each attorney after Mr.. Burns an
nounced that Mr. Nord had been
here since April "A and unless he
caught $50 pm. train for Los
Angeles, he would have to wait an
other month for a reservation. The
witness made his train.