Nazi activities in the Queens hinterlands are being seriously hindered by the weather, weather doubtless controlled by a Jewish Jehovah and part of a supernatural Semitic plot, Friends of the New Germany bewailed yesterday.
It appears that what was advertised in advance as a monster outing and jubilee (membership drive rally to unser Nazi bruder) to be held Sunday under the auspices of the Friends in College Point turned out to be “ein floppe.” Similarly, the annual Steuben Day outing in Flushing of the Queens councils of the society was staged under the dripping trees in Maple Grove Park before a poor house.
With preparations made to accommodate between 6,000 and 8,000 Nazi adherents and as many “suckers” as could be induced to produce membership fees or who seemed likely prospects, the ardor of the Nazis was considerably dampened when less than 1,000 showed up and the cold, damp rain made the Horst Wessel anthem more hoarse than usual.
The College Point outing was held at Eskotter’s Hotel and at the nearby American House. The swastika bunting in the beer parks adjoining the hostelries hung wet and forlornly, and as the day wore on the Nazi retired to the stubes of the taverns to console themselves with beer and pinochle, after listening apathetically to Rudolph Markmann, leader of the Astoria branch of the Friends of New Germany under whose auspices the affair was held.
In Flushing the high light of the Steuben party was the denunciation by Theodore H. Hoffmann, acting president of the national council of the society, of the boycott against German merchandise.
Mr. Hoffmann declared that boycotts were “too ridiculous” and that they were an economic blow to this country’s trade, since they must lead to retaliatory measures.
Mr. Hoffmann then went on to say that the Steuben Society was not a political organization. “We are not interested in the politics of any other country than the United States,” he said, “but that does not mean that we have not in our hearts love for the country of our forefathers. We will not stand idly by and see the name and character of our people dragged in the mud.”
Albert Ulrich of the Conrad Poppenhusen Unit of the society presided as chairman.
Among those present were Congressmen William F. Brunner and Stephen A. Rudd.
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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.