Evening star., 1948-08-22
Axis Sally Awaits Trial on Treason CHARGE
Continued From First Page.)


Miss Gillars must stand trial
here, since the law provides per-
son charged with treason must be
tried where he first sets foot on
American soil. Chandler and Best
had to be tried in Boston after the
plane bringing them to Washing
ton made a forced landing in that
Federal jurisdiction.
For Axis Sally" woman of
about S feet S with hair so largely
turned gray it photographs like
platinum blonde, 1t was the first
trip home in 10 years. She could
not recall exactly when she had last
been in Washington but she told re-
porters:
81 was in a play at the National
or Belasco about 16 years ago. I was
an actress here and in New York
and over the Berlin radio.
Her radio broadcasting during
the war led to the formal charge
against her that she "unlawfully,
willfully and reasonably did adhere
to the Government of the German
Reich, an enemy of. the United
States of America, and did give the
said enemy aid and comfort :"
The last phrase was reference
both to the United States code and
the Constitution itself which de-
fines treason as consisting of "ad-
herring to their the United StatesD
enemies, giving them aid and COM
fort
Miss Gillars smilingly told re-
porters she wouldn't say anything
about the charge"
She was given until August 81 to
obtain lawyer and face a hearing
before United States Commissioner
Cyril S. Lawrence. Meanwhile, Mr..
Lawrence ordered her to be held in
District Jail. She could not obtain
bond since the maximum penalty
Is death.
A grand jury is expected to con-
slider the case soon after the COM
missioner's hearing. If an indict-
ment is returned, the Justice De-
partment will try the case in Dis
trict Court here.
Flies From Frankfurt.
Axis Sally" left the United States
in 1929, the Justice Department said,
for travel in France and to study
abroad. Her return yesterday after
a 29-hour flight from Frankfurt,
the American zone capital in Ger
many, was in considerable contrast.
She stepped from the plane at
Boiling Air Force Base to be greeted
by a score of photographers and
and at least 100 spec
tators. She came down the steps
from the plane, dressed in black
slacks and a white blouse with a
black seal cape around her shoul-
derS.
She was whisked by military
police into the base operations
building to 60 through the regular
customs and immigration inspec-
ton. The plane which brought her
home to America has been sent
specially for the trip since all regular
Military Air Transport Service C-54s
in Europe now are busy on the
Operation Vittles" supply run into
besieged Berlin. Miss Gillars was
one OF 13 passengers.
WAC Officer Is Guard.
AS a special guard for "Axis
Sally" the Army sent along WAC
Warrant Officer Catherine Samaha,
returning to this country from
2-year tour of duty. She comes
from Lorain, Ohio. The WAC off,
Ger reported Miss Gillars' baggage,
consisted ora crate Of books, a caser
full Of china and clothes and the
wicker hand-basket she carried
containing toilet articles and fruit.
"She said it was everything she
had in the world" Miss Samaha
said later. The WAC officer said
She was told the books Mere chiefly
the works Of the German poet
Goethe.
Once in the operations building,
Miss Gillars was taken to an Office
while military and civilian officials
completed the legal technicalities
involved. The military part of the
reception was under the Army's
Provost Marshal Generals Office
while the Federal Bureau of In
vestigation had half a dozen agents
on hand to take over from the
military.
Hears Formal Charge.
Also on hand at the airport was
Assistant Attorney General Alex
Campbell who heads the criminal
division which will prosecute the
case, if the indictment is returned.
The case will be presented to the
jury by special assistant to the At
torney General John M. Kelly, jr.,
who was in Mr.. Lawrence's office
yesterday.
About 40 minutes after landing at
the air base, Axis Sally" was driven
to Commissioner Lawrence's Office in
the Bank of Commerce and Savings
Building at Seventh and E streets
NV. There she was again greeted
by a group of photographers and
reporters, and heard the formal
charge against her. Curious spec
tators gathered outside the build
ing.
She was read the charge which
gave her name as Mildred Eliza
beth Sisk, alias Mildred Elizabeth
Gillars." Later she asked why the
charge gave her an alias, saying she
always had used the name "Gillars. -
Mr.. Lawrence replied that the alias
was merely for purposes of identi-
flcation but he did not explain
further.
She was asked if she had a law
yer to which she replied she did