Capital Comment

Representative Andrew L. Somers of new York is quite perturbed over Nazi propaganda activities in the United States. The Congressman from the Empire State is particularly concerned over those propaganda activities in this country which are supported by foreign funds.

He points out that so far as Germany is concerned, the propaganda activities are for the purpose of fostering hatred against the Jew. In order to foster this hatred. Representative Somers says, the German ministry of propaganda during the last year has been authorized to appropriate in connection with its activities in foreign countries “an amount varying from thirty million to forty million reichsmarks, equivalent to about $1,000,000.”

The Hitler government’s expenditure for foreign propaganda activities, coupled with that government’s increase in the military budget last year, makes a total expenditure of $156,000,000, according to Representative Somers’s figures. This, he says, “is more than fifteen times the annual interest requirements of the German government’s direct obligation to the American people, most of which, it so happens, is owed to Americans of German blood.”

Another interesting comparison made by the New York Congressman is that the $156,000,000 “represents more than twelve percent of all German obligations held by American investors, who, in time of Germany’s need, were friendly enough to lend.

“Thus,” the New Yorker said, “are the American people placed in the position of paying for the very propaganda that is aimed at the overthrow of American institutions. It Germany were to put the money she is using to persecute the Jew into paying her debts to our citizens, she would have a better claim to our confidence.”

For one reason or another compliments fly freely in the House of Representatives. When this happens there usually is a good reason in back of it all.

Recently when the House had under consideration the bill providing for loans to small industries, Representative Adolph J. Sabath of Illinois delivered a few remarks in favor of the bill. In the midst of the discourse, Representative Herman P. Kopplemann of Connecticut asked Representative Sabath if he would yield the floor to him.

Pressed for time, Representative Sabath said he could not yield to the gentleman from Connecticut. He did, however, take time to say a few kind words about Representative Kopplemann as follows:

“I regret that I cannot yield to the gentlemen from Connecticut. He did, however, take time to say a few kind words about Representative Kopplemann as follows:

“I regret that I cannot yield to the gentlemen from Connecticut at this time; but I want to say that I am fully cognizant and appreciate that he has worked on this bill, and, in fact, as early as in February, he submitted a draft of a bill which, I felt, was legislation in the right direction, and its principles and some of its provisions are now embodied in the bill before us.”

Only a few hours before Representative Sabath made this statement. Representative Kopplemann, a member of the Banking and Currency Committee, had been instrumental in getting the committee to agree to an amendment to the bill on loans to small industries. This amendment, which later was adopted by the House, was sponsored by the Congressman from Illinois. It will make possible loans to public schools in places where teachers have been forced to go without pay and schools have been closed for lack of funds.

Representative Sol Bloom of New York, chiefly known for his activities as chairman of the George Washington Bi-Centennial Celebration Committee, has added new luster to his name. Recently he was in charge of the Congressional commemoration of the one hundredth anniversary of the death of Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette, “the last Major General of the Revolutionary Army.”

In connection with the George Washington Bi-Centennial Celebration, Representative Bloom had thousands of picture and pamphlets printed by the Government Printing Office for distribution throughout the country, “with the compliments of Representative Sol Bloom.”

Now that Congress has commemorated the one hundredth anniversary of the death of La Fayette, Representative Bloom has introduced a resolution in the House “to print, with illustrations, the proceedings” of the event. Should the resolution be adopted, the Government Printing Office will no doubt be required to print thousands of couples of the proceedings. The printing work will be excellent. And just as in the case of the pictures and pamphlets printed for the George Washington celebration, the matter will carry the name of Representative Sol Bloom, for posterity to read.