The Sporting Nazis

A Charming town is Garmisch-Partenkirchen. It nestles in the most delightful mountains in the world. The Swiss peaks are more massive and dramatic, but the Bavarian Alps, with their gentle slopes, their pleasant valleys and their gem-like lakes, are unsurpassed for loveliness. In this German Alpine village, the houses are gaily colored and spotlessly clean. Its winding lanes are shared by cows and sheep, tourists and peasants, in friendly camera-derie. The deep mellow tones of the cowbells mingle with the villagers’ kindly salutation "Gruss Gott."

At least they once did. For I fear a change has come over this town of which I have been so fond. The newspapers tell me that the village is covered with signs proclaiming "Jews Not Wanted Here." What a strange anomaly! For these villagers are pious Catholics. The image of Jesus bangs in every home. If He were to return to earth, would they deny Him mittance because He was a Jew?

Equally anomalous is the fact that Garmisch-Partenkirchen was chosen for the Olympic Winter Sports of 1936. The American Amateur Athletic Union has recently decided to participate in these games on the ground that there is no anti-Semitic descrimination in sports. And now Jews are not to be permitted even to enter the town! Perhaps it is expected that the Jewish athletes will skate and ski across the border in Switzerland and send their records by telegraph to Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Any one who has visited Germany since the rise of Hitler knows how ridiculous is the claim that Jews may participate in German sports. One Sunday when I was in Munich an ugly incident occurred in the Ungarn Baths, the largest swimming establishment in Southern Germany. A gang of brown-shirted soldiers moved through the crowd of bathers, demanding "Any Jews Here?"

There were some Jews present and they quickly obeyed the command "Get out." All but one who was courageous or foolhardy enough to attempt to stand on his rights. He went to the manager of the establishment and to the policeman who was stationed there and asked whether, having purchased a ticket, he was not entitled to remain. Both admitted he was right but confessed their helplessness. By this time the Nazis were tired of the delay. They strode over to the Jew, picked him up bodily and threw him out—not forgetting meanwhile to beat him with their lead-filled sticks.

To this I can testify from personal observation. The following day I left for Berlin. There I learned that the same thing had happened on the same day all over Germany. What I had seen in Munich was apparently a detail in the national program to expel Jews from all of the bathing establishments in Hitler-land.

This Made me realize, more than anything else, the essential mendacity and untrustworthiness of the Nazi government. For only a few weeks earlier sloemn assurances had been given by that government to the United States athletes. And now I was seeing with my own eyes not only that Jews were prevented from playing on the teams but that they were not even permitted to use the facilities necessary for preparation. Just how shall the Jews train for the Olympic swimming contests if they are not permitted to enter the swimming pools?

I wonder what answer the American Amateur Athletic Union, which has decided that there is no discrimination against Jewish athletes in Germany, can give to this question. Where does it expect Jewish swimmers to practice during the winter months? Perhaps under the ice of the Rhine where the government would gladly consign them? Perhaps it assumes that Jews who are breaking rocks in concentration camps are getting excellent training for the hammer throw! Perhaps it thinks that the 60,000 Jews who fled Germany at the risk of their lives were really being trained by Hitler for the Olympic running contests!

The Bible which generally has a good answer for most questions throws a clear light on these. In the 26th Chapter of the Book of Proverbs, King Solomon declares:

"As a madman who casteth firebrands, arrows and death; so is the man who deceiveth his neighbor and saith am I not a sport?"