Nazi circles here today acclaimed the decision of a secret tribunal upholding Government confiscation of the fortune and property of Arthur Simson, Jewish former owner of the famous arms plant at Suhl, expropriated last year, the Havas News Agency reported.
The tribunal handed down its decision late yesterday. Simson and three other persons had been charged with reaping “illicit profits to the detriment of the Reich.”
Simson, who is now living abroad, faces arrest if he returns to Germany. Two of his co-defendants were acquitted for lack of evidence, while a third was given his liberty under the amnesty of 1934.
The Suhl plant, which employed 3,000 workmen, was ordered placed at the disposition of Chancellor Adolf Hitler last December, by Fritz Saukel, Nazi Governor of Thuringia, and Gen. Werner Von Blomberg, defense minister. Simson, whose family was one of the oldest Jewish families in Germany and had owned the plant for generations, was forced to turn over several million marks as alleged “illegal profit.”
The action against him, started six months ago, was heard behind closed doors because of “military secrets, disclosure of which would have put the safety of the state in danger.”
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
