Now–editorial Notes

JOURNALISTIC WHITEWASH

An American journalist, Doug Brinkley, spent fourteen months in Germany and is now lecturing in this country on Hitlerism. He is enthusiastic in his praise of Hitler and Hanfstaengel, his lieutenant. He assures his audiences that during his stay in Germany he neither saw nor heard of a case of cruelty or brutality. He found no Jews in the concentration camps, even though it was recently made public in Germany that Hitler had ordered “the closing of twenty penal institutions where the Jews received the worst treatment.”

The American journalist saw only “happy, contented faces” in Germany. He found Hitler “almost infallible,” and he described Hitlerism as “an era of justice and peace.” In his opinion the “success of the German experiment will be profoundly felt in America.” And he is elated by the deep interest the Hitler government is taking in the promotion of sports.

“Sports are encouraged,” declares Mr. Brinkley. “It is a splendid sight–men and women seeking escape from economic conditions in lakes and rivers.”

Is this American journalist referring perhaps to the “sport” of suicide that has grown so fashionable under the Nazi regime?

We wonder where all the other American, British, French, Dutch, Belgian, Czechoslovakian and even Italian correspondents in Germany were during the past year, for none of them has reported the wonderful sights that Hitler’s American keen observer has witnessed.

DOLLFUSS THE MERCIFUL

George H. Earle III, the retiring American Minister to Austria, upon his return home, blamed the Austrian Social Democrats for the recent civil war in Vienna and praised Chancellor Dollfuss for using “admirable restraint” in dealing with the Socialists. He said that Dollfuss had shown great clemency to the defeated Socialists, though there are still about 2,000 of them in jail, some of whom took part in the uprisings. The former Minister described Dollfuss as “a devout Christian and a Christian in the right sense of the word.”

Mr. Earle is also reported as saying:

“The most disgusting part of all was that Bauer, the Socialist leader who incited the rebellion, ran away to Czechoslovakia almost as soon as the fighting started, leaving his followers to fight and die in small isolated groups.”

These statements do not square with the facts as reported by dependable and experienced correspondents who were in Vienna at the time of the outrages. The American Ministor was not there during the disturbances.

Some months ago Minister Earle was reported as having cautioned Austrian officials against anti-Jewish activities on the ground that such methods would be unpopular in the United States. That was sensible advice given unofficially, although the fact it was made public undoubtedly defeated the purpose of his counsel in Austria. Since that time the situation of the Jews of Austria has grown worse. Though the new Constitution that is being drafted is reported as guaranteeing liberty of conscience and religious freedom, it is believed that the situation of Austrian Jewry will be aggravated because of the projected scheme of establishing various categories of citizenship rights. The recent statement by Prince Starhemberg to the Anglo-American Press Association, in the presence of the American Consul General, contained the following ominous remark:

“We will keep the valuable Jewish elements whose services we require and will use them for the rebuilding of the State.”

He explained that the Jewish question will be solved in keeping with the Christian feelings of the population.

The Christian feelings of the population of Austria, under the influence of Heimwehr, Nazi and Fascist agitation, will hardly favor the only adequate solution of the Jewish question, by means of according to Austrian Jewry equality with the rest of the population. There is little hope that “the devout Christian,” Chancellor Dollfuss, as described by our former Minister, can be-depended upon to guarantee equal rights to the Jews of Austria.