Startling Disclosures of intensive Nazi propaganda activities in the United States revealed at the public Hearings by the Congressional investigating Committee are giving Official Washington deep cause for Concern.
International complications are expected to result in the event that the testimony is substantiated through further investigations by the committee, the Department of Justice, the Department of Labor and the State Department.
The names of Dr. Hans Luther, German ambassador, and Dr. Otto Kiep, German consul General at New York, figured prominently at the public hearings, epically in charges that these representatives of the German government fostered publication in this country of a pro-Hitler, anti-Semitic pamphlet.
In response to these charges the German embassy issued a statement saying: “It goes without saying that the ambassador does not indulge in any propaganda.”
Despite the denial from the embassy various branches of the Federal Government interested in the Congressional probe are looking further into the charges.
The State Department is placed in a rather embarrassing position in view of the charges made against these two. Diplomatic relations between Germany and the United States depend upon frequent conversations between Ambassador Luther and State Department officials. With the open charges against Dr. Luther, and the fact that further investigation will be made into these charges, the conduct of these conversations will be somewhat awkward.
In some quarters of official Washington a feeling exists that Ambassador Luther Should be recalled by Germany. Nothing will come of this for the present. Should definite facts be developed by the Federal Government that Dr. Luther has actually been engaged in propaganda activities then it is probable to expect that this Government will request his recall, But not until then.
While the Congressional propaganda investigating committee’s first hearing was being held, plans were being made by Representative John W. McCormack, chairman; Representative Samuel Dickstein, vice-chairman, and Thomas W. Hardwick, counsel to the committee, for holding public hearings in New York.
No definite dates for these bearings have seen set, but these leaders have decided to meet there soon after the current session of Congress adjourns. this means that the committee will meet in New York not much sooner that the first part of July.
Meanwhile, the McCormack committee will review the testimony heard at Washington and line this up with other testimony obtained at secret hearings held at Ashville, N. C., New York and Newark. Much of the future action by the committee will depend on the way in which all testimony and evidence thus far gathered is correlated.
There is talk among members of the McCormack committee for introducing a resolution in the House requesting additional funds with which to continue the probe.
Before the session of Congress is over it has been indicated that a resolution will be introduced requesting an additional appropriation of $40,000. An appropriation of $10,000 was made at the time with the revelations already made no difficulty is expected to obtain additional funds.
While the first day’s session of the public hearing in Washington was getting under way, mail carriers in the House and senate office buildings were delivering to the members of Congress a letter enclosed with a pamphlet from the United German Societies of Greater New York.
The letter called detention to the pamphlet and pointed out that the Societies “consider it a primary obligation to mobilize all their members and to avail themselves of all lawful means with the view of furthering and cultivating the cultural as well as the economical relations between the United States and Germany.”
Another portion of the letter says: “The times we are living in call for a unification of all constructive forces of our nation in order to bring about an ascension from the depths of depression. the United German Societies of Greater New York will counteract all and every attempt which would tend to retard such ascension, and they are anxious to express to you as one of the duly elected representatives of the American people Their readiness to oppose all movements which are oppose all movements which a re destructive to the welfare of our people and to our relations with the other great nations of the world.”
Apparently the German American Societies is opposed to the boycott against imported German goods put into effect by the American Federation of Labor, Jews and other groups because of Germany’s policy of political and racial persecutions.
IN the letter the German Americans Societies practically boasts of its high-minded ideals of patriotism and loyalty to American principles. But the pamphlet tells an entirely different story-a one sided story of ‘Pure Aryanism.”
The pamphlet is entitled “Historical Facts You Ought to Know!” The preface says: “this pamphlet had first been issued about a year ago by the deutsche Legion, German Legion, Inc., in its laudable campaign against a lie and hate propaganda of almost unequalled proportions.
“Now the United German Societies of Greater New York, Inc., herewith present this pamphlet to the general public in the firm belief that the time calls for dissemination of facts recorded herein. They furthermore hope that the pamphlet-in the face of efforts to the contrary-will tend to exercise a valuable influence on the societies’ desire to bring about a better understanding between the American and German nation.”
The the pamphlet calls attention to “German Scientific Work for the World” in which is listed Germans who have made noteworthy contributions to the sciences, arts, philosophy and poetry. The most remarkable feature of this list is that not one name of a German Jew is intentionally mentioned. The rest of the pamphlet consists of statistics on German immigration and population in America compared with others, the part Germans played in the Revolutionary War, the Civil War and the part they are playing in the professions in this country All in all, the material is very subtle in pointing toward “Ideals.”
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.
