Evening star., 1949-11-04


Tell of Examination
Made in 1916
The defense in the Herman j.
Burgman treason trial was sched-
uled to produce a witness in Dis
trict Court today to prove that
Burgman was pronounced insane
by an Army medical board in
1916.
Burgman, a former clerk at the
United States embassy in Berlin,
is charged with treason in con-
nection with propaganda broad
casts made to the United States
from Berlin during the war. The
defense has tried to show that he
was mentally i'll during that
period.
Judge Alexander Holtzoff yes
terday issued a subpoena for DR..
Charles j. Centa of Euclid. Ohio.
to be flown to Washington at
Government expense to appear at
the trial. DR.. Centa Is one Of a
board of three Medical Corps Off
GERS who are alleged to have ex-
amined Burgman after his arrest
in 1916 in Wiesbaden, Germany.
According to the defense, that
board reported the defendant was
Of unsound mind at that time and
not responsible for his actions.
Admits Making Recordings.
At yesterdays court session,
Burgman admitted, under cross
examination by Prosecutor VIII
liam A. Paisley, that he did make
recordings for radio broadcasts
from the Nazi short wave Station
DEBUNK" under the name of Joe
Scanlon." He also admitted know
ing that these broadcasts were in
tended for broadcast to the United
States and that they were sup
posed to simulate a program orig
mating in the United States.
you knew as a matter of fact
that you were putting out German
war propaganda, didn't you?"
asked Mr.. Paisley.
Eyes. sir" replied Burgman.
The defendant denied, however,
he ever intended to betray the
United States or adhere to the
enemy. as charged in the treason
indictment. He said he was aban-
doned by the United States
Embassy staff at the outbreak of
the war, when he was Ill of a
heart attack. He said he was
coerced into his broadcasting
activity for the Nazis under threat
of death.
Claims Expatriation.
Under direct questioning by De-
fense Attorney James j. Laughlin,
Burgman told the court he did
not consider himself an American
citizen during the war years, "be-
cause my passport had been
taken up"
He said he had received a let
ter from the Swiss legation in
Berlin soon after the outbreak of
war in reply to his request for a
new passport.
''The Swiss notified me that my
citizenship had been taken away
from me, and that was expatri-
ated." Burgman told the court.
Judge Holtzoff observed, how
ever, that Burgman was and still
is a citizen"
'"The mere fact that his pass
port was taken up has no bearing
on the matter" he said. Whether
this man is or is not an American
citizen is a matter Of law. and
nothing that the Swiss or anyone
else told him is relevant"
Under cross-examination, the
prosecution questioned Burgman
about his living conditions in Ger
many while he was working for
the Nazis, compared with his iv-
ing conditions while employed at
the American Embassy.
Living Conditions Worse.
Burgman testified his condition
under the Nazis was "incompara-
bly, worse" The $500 marks a
month he made as a broadcaster,
he said, after contributions" to
his bosses in the broadcasting sta
tion, amounted to the equivalent
of "30 potatoes"
Among the people who worked
closely with him on the propa-
ganda broadcasts, Burgman said,
was E. v. Sitter, who ap-
peared as a key witness for the
prosecution. A demand for Sittler's
expulsion from this country came
yesterday from Representative
John Bennett, Republican, Of
Michigan. Sittler. a prominent
member Of the Nazi Party during
the war, is now an assistant pro-
fessor Of German at the Michigan
College Of Mining and Technology
at Houghton, Mich. and has ap-
piled for United States citizenship.
Two Get Six-Month Terms
For Conducting Card Game,
Two Washington men were
convicted yesterday at Hyattsville
of conducting three-card monte
games near q Maryland con-
struction project and were SEN