Would Coerce Ridder Papers

committee of the German-American Conference has come to the conclusion that a friendly attitude on the part of Americans of German origin towards the newspapers of the Staats-Herold Corporation can be considered only if the management of the newspapers abides by the desire and the will of the great majority of the element which is of German descent.

“The desire and the will of this element is:

“1. Absolutely correct reporting and comment.

“2. At least well-intentioned neutrality towards the government of the Germany of today.

“3. A cleansing from the editorial staffs of your newspapers of such forces as by their utterances and activities have an anti-German, arrogant and Communistic effect upon the overwhelming majority of New York Germandom.

“4. The filling of the place of your publications director with a force of German origin (Here Richter refers to Reinhold Hirsch, said to be of Jewish descent).

“5. Rejection of all points, imputations or malice against existing Germany, the citizens of which are still today fathers and mothers and other relatives of the readers (or former readers) of the newspapers of the Staats-Herold Corporation. An attack against these relatives, fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters in the old homeland is an attack, an affront and an insult to every reader (or former reader) of the newspapers of the Staats-Herold Corporation.

“6. Immediate and unresisting rejection of articles such as appeared in the Plauderecke during past months and were evidently encouraged, for which in the judgment of this committee the expression ‘political trash’ and ‘stupid nonsense’ are to be designated as much too mild.

“7. The guarantee of freedom of political expression by those employes of the Staats-Herold Corporation who do not agree with the injurious, insulting and evidently anti-German tone of the newspapers.

“8. In short, the wish and desire of the overwhelmingly large portion of New York German-Americandom is a German press.”