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News Brief

April 3, 1934
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“I fell pretty rotten about it,” declared Chief Steward Charles H. Heidorn of the S.S. President referring to the charge in yesterday’s column of Walter Winchell, who wrote that “three days out of Queenstown on the last trip he delivered a long lecture on being a Nazi to the entire crew.”

On the contrary, Heidorn countered, United States Lines regulations require that on every trip he lecture to members of the steward department that anyone on the crew who belongs to any foreign political organization is subject to immediate dismissal. This rule went into effect about six months ago when Nazi propaganda became apparent on the vessels of various lines. Examination of stewards’ quarters revealed eight large printed signs giving similar orders and posted in conspicuous spots.

At least one of Heidorn’s brothers in Germany is married to a Jewess, he said. Heidorn, following the company’s instructions, was reserved in expressing opinions on the Hitler regime.

“His record is excellent. He has been with the line since June, 1921, and has been an American citizen for about eighteen years,” was the comment of A. De Smedt, assistant to the general manager of the United States Line, who has charge of hiring personnel.

De Smedt particularly called attention to the fact that Heidorn is a Mason of ten years’ standing, a member of Euclid Lodge 136 in New Jersey, and claimed that membership in that organization and Nazi sympathies are quite incompatible.

CHIEF DENIES NAZI ACTIVITY

A private conversation with Chaim Graenspan, chef in charge of kosher food aboard the President Roosevelt, failed to reveal anything untoward. Graenspan claimed that no Nazi activity whatsoever was in evidence among the crew, as the dismissal order is enforced rigidly.

As for Walter Winchell’s additional charge that the liner “is staffed with twenty-one per cent aliens!” De Smedt said that the deck and engine departments are “100 per cent American” and the steward department is compelled to recruit foreign chefs and waiters because of the impossibility of finding enough qualified Americans.

“An American citizen is given preference,” De Smedt said, “when qualified.” He complained about lack of experience on the part of American cooks, while those from foreign countries come with long hotel records.

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