A mystery developed today over what is to happen to the 500 tons of German steel that the Woodcrest Construction Co. has ordered but has promised not to use in the underpass on the Queens approach to the Triboro Bridge.
On the heels of the announcement by Col. Paul Loeser, director of the Bridge authority, that as a result of protests American steel would be used for the bridge, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency was informed by H. Hack, New York manager of the Kloeckner Steel Co., the German firm, that he was adhering to his contract to supply the steel to the Woodcrest Co.
“The contract cannot be cancelled legally,” Hack said.
William Goldsmith, secretary of the Woodcrest Co. could not be reached for a statement on what he intends to do with the German steel.
Col. Loeser told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency he had received assurances from Goldsmith that samples of American steel for the bridge had been submitted and accepted. He would not hazard a conjecture on what would happen to the German steel, holding that was entirely a matter to be decided between the contractor and the Kloeckner Co.
When reached later by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Mr. Goldsmith made the following statement:
“We never gave an actual order to any German concern. We gave the Kloeckner Co. a tentative order to bring the American steel manufacturers into line. I happen to be Jewish and would never buy anything from Germany while Hitler is in power.”
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.
