On the heels of Samuel Dickstein’s one-man investigation of Nazi activities here yesterday, Alphonse G. Koelble, self-styled counsel for the Friends of the New Germany, told reporters he is planning a Washington trip tomorrow to ask Attorney General Homer Cummings to prosecute the parties “promoting” the boycott of German goods.
Koelble, whose law offices are at 299 Broadway, New York, said he would ask for the specific indictment of Samuel Untermyer, president of the Non-Sectarian Anti-Nazi League; Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia of New York; Theodore Roosevelt; James W. Gerard, former United States Ambassador to Germany, as well as the American Federation of Labor and the so-called boycott committee of the American Jewish Congress. The Nazi lawyer declared he would urge their prosecution on charges of violating the Sherman antitrust laws.
PARADES HIS TITLES
“I have been practicing law for two decades in New York,” he said with a pompous flourish, and I have plenty of precedents in support of my request. They indicted Nazi sympathizers in the Federal Court of New York. I will ask that the Grand Jury prove itself impartial by probing the opposing faction.” Koelble endeavored to impress the gentlemen of the press with his high-sounding titles of president of the America First League, the German-American Citizens League and the German Democrats of New York.
Meanwhile Representative Dickstein, vice chairman and lone attendant member of the Congressional Committee to Investigate Nazi Activities in the United States, yesterday held private hearings in the post office building here, to which storm troopers and police taking part in the recent Irvington riot were summoned.
During the two-hour session, at which Dickstein was assisted by his law associate, Maximilian Bader, and a number of Federal officers, the Nazis demonstrated none of the goose-stepping imperiousness of the early part of the week when they buffeted and, in turn, were buffeted by outraged citizens of Irvington. Storm troop regalia, which is ascribed as the provocation for the Irvington affray, was not in evidence yesterday. The witnesses, who had been subpoenaed some days ago, appeared rather abashed as press photographers maneuvered for picture possibilities and, with some show of solemnity, the hearings were brought under way by officials in attendance.
Joseph Haubner, a storm trooper frequently seen in charge of the uniformed detachment maintaining order at New York Nazi meetings, coyly hid his face from photographers behind a chubby fist upon which he gnawed from time to time. The other storm troopers (they describe themselves as Ordnung Dienst or “ushers”) were from the Irvington cell of the Nazis.
They gave as their names: Ludwig Gruenwald, president of the local cell of the Friends of New Germany; Carl Jaeger, vice president; August Schlosser; and William Becker.
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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.
