Evening star., 1949-02-15
Veteran Testifies
Axis isSa||yDuped
Him Into TaIkinq
Jury Also Hears Dutch
Singer Tell Of His
Part in Broadcast
By james J. CuIIinone

A Dutch radio singer and an
American paratrooper today
identified Mildred E. axis Sally
Gillars at her treason trial in
District Court as the American
woman who participated with
them in German propaganda
broadcasts during the war.
William R. Chestnut, 26, of
PheniX City. Ala. who parachuted
into France on D-day, testified he
would not have participated in the
radio interview with Miss GillarS
had he known that Nazi propa-
ganda would precede end con-
clude his remarks.
The Dutch singer. Jan "Jack"
de Vries. 26, of Hilversum, said he
was ordered by the Na7i occupa-
tion authorities in his homeland
to sing with the orchestra which
furnished musical accompaniment
for the Axis Sally Home Sweet
Home" programs.
Early in 1914, Mr.. de Vries said,
he asked Miss Gillars why she was
broadcaSting propaganda for the
Germans and told her he thought
she was "risking her neck" y
She said she was doing it," the !
witness testified, first because she
hated the British and second be-
cause she hated Roosevelt"
Sent to Concentration Camp.
Mr.. de Vries said Miss Gillars
became furious" with him when
he refused to talk on the Axis
Sally program and that short
time later he was sent to a con-
centration camp.
Mr.. Chestnut said he was cap
tured on July IL and sent to
prison camp at Chartres. France.
where he met Miss Gillars on
July Is, 1914.
She was very cheerful" the
witness testified, "and was laugh
ing and talking while she passed
out cigarettes to us. She told us
she was there to make recordings
so we could tell our folks at home
that we were all right"
Mr.. Chestnut listened to play
back of his recorded interview
with Miss Gillars and said the
statements she made at the begin
ming and at the end of the inter-
view were not made at the prison
camp.
Charges Now Substantiated.
With the testimony of Mr..
Chestnut, the Government has
produced eye witnesses thus far in
the trial, which is now in its
fourth week. to substantiate eight
of the 10 overt acts of treason
charged against Miss Gillars.
Mr.. De Vries yesterday identified
the gray-haired defendant as the
woman who starred in German
propaganda programs, which were
recorded in the studios of Dutch
radio station at Hilversum.
The witness identified two re-
cordings of Axis Sally programs
which were broadcast to this
country during the war and mon
itored by the Federal Communi-
cations Commission short-wave
listening post at Silver Hill. Md.
He said he sang with the Dutch
orchestra on the programs and
that Miss Gillars also participated.
A. c. Helweg. 38. saxophone
player of Hilversum, also identi-
fed Miss Gillars late yester-
day as the woman known as
"Midge" and as Axis Sally" who
starred on the Home Sweet
Home" propaganda programs.
which were broadcast to American
troops in Europe and to the United
States.
Mr.. Helweg identified Miss Gill
lars voice in one recording of the
program that was picked up in
this country and said he was pres
ent in the Hilversum studio when
the original recording was made.
Under cross by De-
fense Counsel James J. Laughlin,
Mr.. Helweg was asked if Dutch
musicians ever were forced to per-
form against their will in the
Home Sweet Home" programs
Yes" Mr.. Helweg replied. I'VE
were forced to laugh"