While many statesmen at the present moment are giving voice to their particular formulae for the preservation of Democracy, we herewith timidly advance our own reasons for the belief that Democracy can not fail this country.
God be thanked for our American sense of humor, for we believe that in this and in this alone lies the future security of our present personal liberties of life. It is our greatest assurance of sportsmanship between the peoples of this country.
Much as we should like to claim authorship for the idea that Fascism, Hitlerism or absolute dictation can never overpower the American sense of humor, we can not in all honesty do so. The observation was originally made to us by an American official in Berlin. We had been discussing sundry phases of Fascism as we perched near a window in a high (four story) building overlooking Unter den Linden when the question was asked, “Could America go Fascist?”
“Let’s have a look at Fascism,” my friend suggested, and together we pecred into the main artery of the Fascist circulatory system. The street was literally draped with swastikas, although it was no holiday.
“Outside of war time can you imagine the American people buying, washing, and hoisting flags for no particularly patriotic purpose?” he asked, and I couldn’t answer.
The street contained many persons in the brown uniform of the Nazi party, and he inquired, “Do you think that grown men in American cities and villages would wear day in and day out uniforms such as we see below? And do you think that the townspeople, who make such great sport of the uniforms of doormen and ushers, could look upon such people with out laughing?”
Even from our height we could see plainly the expressions of responsibility that creased the features of brownshirts and those who wore Nazi badges on civilian lapels. Their swagger, their officious heel-clicking, their mechanical and authoritative salutes as they passed, caused us to smile.
Presently long lines of browngarbed children ranging six to eighteen years of age paraded past. They were on their way to hear long winded lectures on patriotism which are given daily by members of the party. Could American kids be dragged from their play and leisure for such a purpose? Once, perhaps–but regularly, never. We wondered. “If a Jewish boy did his share in maintaining friendly relations with his group would he be shunned by his companions merely because his parents came from a particular part of the globe? It would be hard to believe this of American children. And would they consent to sacrifice their precious play hours to be drilled and disciplined so that one day they march upon and kill children of a neighboring country whom they had never met? And would they never tire of greating one another in the name of another citizen, whose significance and policies their childish minds could never grasp?
We wondered if American university students, like these bespectacled fellows who marched so seriously to Berlin University would consent to listen to lectures in courses which allow for no discussion whatsoever or discussion only where in one might salute with greater fluency the distorted facts advanced by professors who fear to speak the truth, who recite the thoughts of the distorted mind of a Fuehrer. Would they not laugh outright at the catechism of absurdities it became their duty to learn?
We wondered if people would withdraw to secluded places to tell funny stories relative to the current administration. And we wondered if even one important newspaper in America could print obvious mistruths, neglect news stories of great importance or laud editorially day after day the doubtful benefits of government without inviting ridicule, rebuke and reaction from the rest of the press. We wondered whether a uniformed party man might snatch a cigarette from the pretty mouth of an American woman without some gallant rising to champion her right to smoke and others, gallant or otherwise, laughing outright.
We decided that America must laugh, and when one can laugh at a person it is hard to hate him. Without uncompromising hate one can’t have Hitlerism. We decided that America will have to forego Hitlerism.
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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.
