That the League of Friends of New Germany, direct offspring of the American Branch of the German National Socialist Party, created by Heinz Spanknoebel, now a leader of Hitler’s storm-troops in Germany, and nurtured under the hand of Fritz Gissibl, who has been concurrently national chief of the League and member of the Nazi Party until recently, will become a factor in American politics shortly, has been reported in many authoritative quarters.
Commenting on the political platform of the Deutsche Zeitung, which is conceded to be the organ of the League of Friends of New Germany, W. L. McLaughlin, editor of the English language supplement of the paper, said:
“We are going to support no particular party, but we still come out for specific candidates in all local, state, and national elections. Bad Americans will get neither support nor sympathy from us. So long as the Deutsche Zeitung remains a weekly newspaper it will take an active part in politics.”
‘BAD AMERICANS’
Pressed for a finer definition of “bad Americans,” McLaughlin explained, “The term bad Americans embraces all officials supporting the boycott of foreign goods and all who butt into affairs which should be the concern exclusively of our Department of State.”
“Under these terms would you support Congressman Dickstein?” he was asked.
“Emphatically, no!” declared the editor.
“LaGuardia?”
“The mayor has three years to go in office. If he changes his policies, behaves himself, and takes action according to our conception of good deportment, we may change our present opinion of him.”
“Aldermanic President Deutsch?”
“He has shown tendencies toward reformation. So we are taking no stand on his office as yet.”
McLaughlin expressed resentment with regard to a recent act supported by Governor Lehman demanding the plain labeling of all imported products. “I’m afraid to sharpen my pencil,” was the way he put it, “for fear that I’ll whittle off the foreign label.” He did not say whether the governor’s action would be considered sufficiently damning to excommunicate him from the Friends of New Germany’s support.
RACE QUESTION IS OUT
The writer said that so far as he was concerned the question of race would not enter into his editorial consideration at election time. He indicated that the political platform of the Deutsche Zeitung would be drawn up and be in practice before the primaries are held.
Editorially, the Deutsche Zeitung’s German section has warned readers to “vote for officials who can be trusted to serve the best interests of Germandom.” The warning applied to the election of officials of the government of the United States of America and not those of Germany.
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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.
