Evening star., 1949-02-11
Two Germans
Due Here Today
ToAid Axis Sally
Defense Witness
Being Flown Here
At U. S. Expense
By Jones J. CuIIinone

BY jones J. CulIinone
Two Germans, flown to this
country at Government expense,
are expected in Washington this
afternoon to join the defense of
Miss Mildred E. (Axis Sally Gill
lars, who is on trial for her life in
District Court on charges of
treason.
The treason trial, which re-
cessed for the week end yesterday,
will enter its fourth week Monday,
and Chief Prosecutor John M.
Kelley, jr., said he hopes to con-
clude the Governments case be-
fore next Friday.
Chief Defense Counsel James j.
Laughlin said he had received word
that Military Air Transport plane
carrying two star defense wit
nesses, Emil Beckmann and Franz
Schafer. was scheduled to land at
Westover, Mass, at 10 am. today.
He expected the witnesses to be
sent to Washington without delay,
Mr.. Laughlin said. j,
At Government Expense. iIa
Mr.. Kelley said the Government
agreed to find the two defense
witnesses in the British zone of
Germany and transport them to
Washington at Government eX-
pense in order to assure a fair
trial for the defendant. Mr..
Laughlin had pleaded that Miss
Gillars is entirely without funds
and could not properly defend
herself without witnesses from
Germany, where the acts of trea-
son allegedly were committed.
Both witnesses are expected to
testify that they heard Miss Gill
lars threatened with death or tor
ture by the Gestapo, unless she
obeyed Nazi orders to broadcast
propaganda to the United States
on the Axis Sally program, Mr..
Laughlin said.
He said it may be necessary for
him to ask the Government to
bring several additional witnesses
here from Germany.
Plans Action on Story.
Later today, Mr.. Laughlin said.
he plans to take legal action
against a syndicated newspaper
columnist who wrote yesterday
that Miss Gillars was permitted
to leave the District Jail in the
evenings for dinner.
United States Attorney George
Norris Fay told reporters yester-
day he had investigated the COL
umnist's statements and found
they were unfounded. Miss Gillars
has not been permitted to leave
the Jail, except on trips to and
from the courthouse, since she was
fncarcerated there last August. .
Mr.. Fahey said. She has eaten
all of her meals behind bars.
The final hour of the trial yes
terday was enlivened by two re-
cordings of Home Sweet Home"
programs. in which Miss Gillars
allegedly starred as mistress OF
ceremonies. The program. re-
corded in this country on Decem-
ber 9, 1913, was billed as the 50th
in the Home Sweet Home" series.
"Irresistible Voice.
In the program. male voice,
which Mr.. Kelley said was that
of Prof. Otto Koischwitz, tells her
that her sweet and irresistible
voice" have made her one of the
most famous and popular girls
who ever went on the air"
The male voice said he had
learned from an American pub
lication that United States troops
visualized her as gorgeous, but
couldn't decide whether she was a
blond or brunette.
Il think it's only fair to tell
them" the voice continued, what
their popular girl announcer in
Berlin looks like. Well, boys, she
is as gorgeous as she sounds, al
though 1 must disappoint all men
who prefer blonds. She isn't
blond at all. Her hair is the
blackest black imaginable 1t
is breath -takingly black"
Miss Gillars' hair is now almost
entirely gray. She wears it curled
at the ends in a shoulder length
bob.
"a Fighting Sally"
"And her face" the male voice
continued, well, her skin is
rather white; it's the Irish type.
Isn't that Irish?'
Yes, of course" responds Axis
Sally. I'm Irish through and
through. Yes, sir, I'm a fighting
Sally"
Earlier in the day Michael
Evanick, a former paratrooper of
New York City, identified Miss
Gillars as the woman whom he
met as Axis Sally in German
prisoner of war camp. He said
she interviewed him with port
able recording set.
Miss Gillars gave him 45-year-
old cagnac to drink, Evanick said,
and sat across from him on an
army cot with her legs crossed
Considerable time was taken on
cross-examination by Mr.. Lough-
lin to determine exactly how much
of her legs were displayed while
she talked to Evanick. The dis
play was considerable, Evanick
testified.
Me- Nan p;>b%ar Na,;ee