U.S.A. " CHRISTIAN FRONT " TRIAL OPENS Jury Is Hand-Picked To Avoid Prejudice

The jury which is hearing the case brought by the Federal Bureau of Investigation against the 37 young Americans arrested on the charge of " conspiring to overthrow the Government of the United States by seizing a quantity of firearms and munitions " has been chosen very carefully.
Each member was subjected to a long questioning before being accepted; was asked whether he or she had over served with the armed forces or belonged to Communist, Socialist or American Labour Parties, or had any connection with such organisations as the American League for Peace and Democracy, the American Youth Congress, the American Student Union, the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, or the Friends of Loyalist Spain.
Such interest in the political antecedents of the jury was necessary because of the violent antipathy the political activity of the 17 young men of the "Christian Front " has aroused at same time or another.
The prosecution attempted to clear the air by stating: " This trial does not concern any race, creed or religion—the only thing we are interested in determining as whether the defendants planned to overthrow the United States Governmeat."
The defendants' counsel claimed that the indictment against the " Christian Front " members was founded entirely on the testimony of agents provocateurs. One of the defendants, William Gerald Bishop, Mr Haley declared, was "provocateur number one."
" This man Bishop has fought with Lawrence in Arabia, and has been secretary to General Franco," Mr Haley declared.—B.U.P.