The local Nazi whip wielders, faced with the possibility that the ranks of New York’s German – Americans would present on all-important German Day a front glaringly sprinkled with holes, spent a few days of assiduous whip – snapping with the usual results, it was learned yesterday.
German Day, scheduled to be held October 6 at Madison Square Garden, it became apparent today, will prove Louis Zahne, publisher and back-stage string-puller of the Nazi puppets, an excellent prophet.
The local hyphenates, despite acute dissatisfaction of many of the more conservative among them with the rough-shod Nazi tactics, will present on October 6 a united front.
Late last week, in discussing the political career upon which the German-American Conference had embarked, Mr. Zahne, publisher of the Deutsche Zeitung, local Nazi organ, predicted that German Day will be “an eye-opener to New York City.”
“SOLIDARITY FOREVER”
“Everybody,” Mr. Zahne said, “will be surprised to see concrete evidence of the solidarity that has developed among German-American ranks here.”
Even as Mr. Zahne was speaking there were rumblings of a violent upheaval in the ranks. The United Singing Societies, it was discovered, balked at joining in the celebration. Notice given them, or something, was considered by the leaders insufficient. At the same time, the trouble over Dr. Louis A. Ewald, dethroned chairman of the political committee, developed. Dr. Ewald, a surgeon, and head of the United Bavarian Societies, intimated that the price of his removal might be secession of his
RELUCTANT ‘CELEBRANTS’ FALL INTO LINE FOR GERMAN DAY
organization from the German-American Conference.
Zahne, faced with a strong possibility that he would be dubbed a false prophet, went into action with a vengeance.
SINGERS CHANGE TONE
The United Singing Societies, a few hours ago stubbornly insistent that it would refuse to grace Madison Square Garden by their presence, capitulated, it was learned yesterday.
Between 900 and 1,000 members of the society will participate in the celebration, Jacob Mebus, president, informed the Jewish Daily Bulletin.
Asked about the sudden and suspicious change of heart, Mebus said he had been “convinced that in the interests of a united German-American front” it would be advisable to forget petty differences and consent to participate.
LIMITED REPERTOIRE
The singers, he said, will sing only two songs. Neither of these will be the Horst Wessel Lied, he emphatically declared.
While Zahne has been busy patching up the gaps in the hyphenates’ ranks, plans for the celebration began to take on definite shape. One of the features of the event which will illustrate the solidarity of the German-American societies in New York will be a flag parade, C. K. Froehlich, president of the German-American Conference who is in imminent danger of being dethroned, announced yesterday.
The parade will line up with 450 flags of various German-American groups represented at the celebration.
CAN’T GET SPEAKERS
The United German Societies, which is sponsoring the annual celebration, is experiencing the usual difficulty of Nazi organizations here in getting an imposing line-up of speakers.
According to Froehlich, none of the list of big-name speakers invited, has as yet signified his intention of accepting. Even Ambassador Luther, without whose presence the affair would be considered a colossal flop, has not indicated whether or not he will grace the German Day rostrum the night of October 6.
Dr. Luther, Froehlich explained, never accepts such invitations until the last minute. The Ambassador wishes to avoid any unnecessary publicity, Froehlich said.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
