U.S. At War: The Curtain Rise

The Curtain Rises

The green-walled courtroom in Washington's Federal District Court building was small (40 x 38 ft.) for the largest sedition trial in U.S. history.* The ever-present question before the court was big: can a democracy defend itself legally?

Each of the 28 men and two women on trial last week faced ten years in prison, a $10,000 fine. The charge: the 30 had conspired to overthrow the U.S. Government in favor of a Nazi dictatorship, and had tried to demoralize the armed forces. The probable defense: the accused were merely enjoying...