No True Sports Democracy in Present Day Reich–kirby

The following is from the speech by Curtains T. Kirby, former president of the Amateur Athletic Union. who testified for the World of Sports at the "Case of Civilization Against Hitlerism" last night:

The Jews and their cause need no advocacy from me. What they have been, what they are, and their leadership in the world of religion, of law, of philosophy, of science, of education, and of business, is such that they need none but their own to look after their interests and to maintain and enhance that predominant place in the sun that no one. no matter what their position of permanent or temporary leadership may be, can take from them, or even dim the brilliance thereof.

My position here is as an advocate of the only true democracy in the world–that of sport–which knows neither race nor creed nor color. Where it matters n o t whether you are rich as Croesus or poor as Job’s turkey. Where all start from scratch and the race is won without fear or favor.

Any c o u n t r y receiving the award of the Olympic Games must not only subscribe, but live up to these principles and ideals of the democracy sport. Germany did so when it made application to the International Olympic Committee for the award of the Games of 1936 to Berlin. Germany continues to claim that it still subscribes to these fundamental doctrines of international sport and of the Olympic Games, and Dr Theodore Lewald–and, I am confident, in all honesty and sincerity–assures the International Olympic Committee, of which he is a member, that there is no present edict, nor will there be any future disabilities on the part of the Jews taking part in what we in this country call athletics, in Germany.

Mark you this: that Germany never has, and of course will not say, that teams going to the Olympic Games from the United States or any other country, must not have thereon Jews. But this is not enough. Nor is it in my judgment, and, I am sure, in your judgment, sufficient for Germany to say that it will have no official decree to the effect that the teams of Germany must not have thereon Jews. We all know that the proof of every pudding is not what it looks like, or appears to be, but the eating thereof.

Germany says today: "If there are not Jews out training for our teams, it is because the sports clubs do not desire Jews to be members. How can we stop that? You, in your country, have clubs which close their doors to Jews Why should you complain of us? We might just as well complain of you."

This, of course, begs the question. A man or a boy or a girl in this country or in any other country in the world, for that mater, does not have to be a member of any club; does not, for that matter, have to be persona grata to anyone, to go out and try for an athletic team. Anyone is privileged to do that. That is why it is the great democracy to which I have made reference.

Now, if any Jew today feels that he can fence as well as another, or box, or wrestle, or run, or jump, or row, or bicycle, or play football, or what not, can he go out in Germany and be a candidate for a team? We know that he cannot, and until he can, and until we have assurances that they are not only being officially permitted to do so, but also that no harm will come to them, or their families, or their associates, if they do so, will we, the sportsmen of America, be in a position to look with favor upon the invitation of Germany for us to play with them in Berlin in 1936?

Of course, we want to play. Of course, many of us have old and sincere friends in Germany. The sportsmen there are as fine as any in the world. We want to rub elbows and be friendly competitors with them. It isn’t their fault. It isn’t the fault of many of their leaders, but it is the fault of that against which we here protest tonight. May our protest be heard, and being heard, be heeded!