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Dawa Slips out of Schnuch Hold

February 8, 1935
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quest would, in reality, have broken Schnuch’s hold on the executive committee. Haegele wields little influence in the committee.

And so Fritz Gissibl, Schnuch supporter, telegraphed Henry O. Spier, head of the DAWA, that “the Friends of New Germany and the DAWA must remain in our hands. There can be no negotiations with traitors.”

At a mass meeting of the DAWA in the Yorkville Casino Wednesday night, Spier, and his lieutenant, Hans Osterman, took advantage of this answer to point out to the 2,000 persons present that Haegele favors unification but Schnuch does not.

Spier outlined what he termed the DAWA’s attempts to bring peace into the ranks of the American pro-Hitler movement and thanked Haegele for his cooperation.

Haegele, with nothing to lose by causing resignation of his supporters in the DAWA, reiterated his willingness to do so in an address which was enthusiastically greeted by the audience. Schnuch, with a great deal more at stake, mounted the rostrum and asked the audience not to support the “traitors.” He was frequently interrupted by the obviously unsympathetic audience. About 200 of the auditors walked out when Schnuch arose to speak.

With only four voting nay, a resolution was passed declaring the DAWA “independent” and “impartial.” The resolution expressed the sentiments of the DAWA as “refusing to submit to Schnuch’s dictation.”

VAN SICKLE LIFTS VEIL ON PRE-APOLOGY ACTIVITY

The true story of the feverish activity by the national leaders of the Friends of New Germany two days before the Deutsche Zeitung agreed to publish an effusive apology for the criminally libelous articles it wrote about former Magistrate Joseph Goldstein, to issue another equally anti-Semitic paper in Yorkville, was revealed yesterday by Walter D. Van Sickle, attorney for the Friends.

The disclosure was made by Van Sickle while testifying in behalf of the leaders of the Friends in their injunction proceedings in Supreme Court against Anton Haegele, former assistant national leader of the Friends, who seceded from the League and set up a Nazi organization of his own.

On November 11, 1934—two days before County Judge Franklin Taylor agreed to suspend execution of a year’s sentence in city prison for William L. McLaughlin, then managing editor of the English section of the Zeitung—McLaughlin knew and had agreed to an arrangement whereby he would retract all his libelous statements, the attorney said.

An all-day conference of the leaders of the Friends of New Germany was held at which it was decided, Van Sickle testified, immediately to formulate plans for another publication.

Joseph Bogl, who was employed as a printer on the Deutsche Zeitung and later on the Deutscher Beobachter, also testified yesterday. He said that Haegele paid the rent of the Beobachter’s plant at 305 East Forty-sixth street and signed the lease for the loft.

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