Boycott Aimed at Nazis in Reich, Not Nationals Here-untermyer

Reiterating the fact that the anti-Nazi boycott in this country is aimed only against the Hitler regime, Samuel Untermyer, president of the Non-Sectarian Anti-Nazi League in a letter to the United German Societies, asked that they declare openly whether they are responsible for a four page circular asserting that the boycott is also aimed against American business men of German descent here. The leaflet is headed “DAWA,” an abbreviation for German American Protective Alliance of the United German Societies of Greater New York.

Branding such propagandistic activities as false and as intended to arouse race and religious hatred among American people. Mr. Untermyer’s letter declared in part:

“I am writing to inquire whether this document is in fact circulated by the authority of the United German Societies, which I greatly doubt, and if so, what societies are included and under what resolutions or authority it has been circulated?

“Although the document contains many misstatements and suppressions of facts and is, in my judgment, totally unjustified, it is on the whole couched in respectful language. In that respect it contrasts sharply with the mass of false, foul, anti-Semitic libels that are being printed and scattered throughout this country in the form of newspapers and endless circulars intended to arouse race and religious hatreds among American people.

“It must be evident to you from a study of the membership of the distinguished board of directors of the Non-Sectarian Anti-Nazi League and the long array of non-Jewish champions of the boycott as the only weapon of defense that this movement is not limited to any race or creed, but that it is truly American and non-sectarian.

“We have no quarrel with our American citizens of German birth and ancestry. Our movement is not against a particular class of people. It is aimed only at German goods, ships, and shipping. Any attempt to discriminate against German American merchants or shopkeepers because they are Germans or of German ancestry, would be regarded as of the same character of outrage and would be denounced by our organization with the same heat and energy as though aimed against the Jews, or any other people.

“There is no basis for the implication contained in your letter in which by the way you have conveniently forgotten the fundamental fact that the inhuman boycott against the Jews, Catholics and labor unions was inaugurated by the Hitler regime against Germany’s own, loyal innocent and unoffending people-that our counter-boycott is aimed against anyone but Hitler and the Hitler regime. The world has adopted the boycott as its only peaceful weapon of defense and protest. It is a course, which, notwith standing your circular, we believe has the support of an overwhelming majority of decent self-respecting American citizens of German birth and ancestry.”