Now–editorial Notes

THE League of Friends of New Germany at a mass meeting in Ridgewood, Queens, adopted a resolution to ask President Roosevelt to stop the anti-German boycott and urged the audience to “boycott the boycotters.” Germans or German Americans in the Nazi uniforms of Storm Troopers, the “guard of honor,” maintained “order” in the hall where the audience was almost exclusively composed of Nazis. The audience was called upon for combined cheers for President Roosevelt and Chancellor Hitler, and it responded with three “Heils.” When the resolution was adopted, the audience rose and sang the “Horstwessel Lied,” the Nazi song of hate.

The difference between the anti-Nazi and the pro-Nazi meetings is that the first are conducted upon the basis of genuine American’sm and are backed by the humanitarian spirit of liberal and liberty-loving people, while the latter meetings are of a distinctly Nazi German character, with a transparent camouflage of Americanism. The important anti-Nazi meetings are addressed by outstanding Americans in every field of human endeavor, while this characteristic Nazi meeting was presided over and addressed by Joseph Schuster, a member of the Executive Committee of the Friends of New Germany, who is said to be a singing waiter at Morris Greenberg’s Glenwood Manor. It was this Mr. Schuster who was most vehement in urging German Americans to boycott American Jewish merchants. American Jews who advocate the boycott of German-made goods are not urging any boycott against German Americans. Most of the decent German Americans, as good Americans and as national sympathizers with the land of their fathers, are opposed to the system of bigotry and hate that has been imposed upon Germany by Hitler and the Nazis, for they realize that that system is bound to result in the ruination of the German people. Americans opposed to the Nazi regime of Germany have no quarrel with German Americans who do not take their orders and inspiration from Hitler.

The so-called German American Hitlerites in open meeting sing alien songs of hate, cheer the head of a foreign nation, and are guarded by storm troopers in Nazi uniforms.

The difference between anti-Nazi and pro-Nazi meetings is distinctly marked.

It is unfortunate if irresponsible and over-enthusiastic Jews should cause disturbances at the Hitlerite meetings. Such disturbances would only serve to aid the Nazi propagandists. The Nazi meetings of the type held in Ridgewood should be stopped by the American authorities on the ground that they are foreign directed, foreign-inspired demonstrations, un-American, even anti-American in spirit

AN OFFENSIVE BLUNDER

Vladimir Horowitz, the eminent pianist, son-in-law of Arturo Toscanini, the famous conductor, engaged massage on the German liner Europe, according to the announcement of the press department of the German steamship line.

Toscanini was one of the first outstanding musicians who protested against Hitlerism and against Nazi persecutions of musicians on religious and racial grounds. Toscanini declined attractive offers from Hitler Germany and was honored in this country for his noble, humanitarian stand. Toscanini is not a Jew.

His son-in-law is a Jewish pianist. His audiences are chiefly Jewish. By choosing to sail on a German vessel, Mr. Horowitz offends the feelings not only of the Jews but of all his musical colleagues who have made sacrifices in protesting against the inhuman Nazi discrimination against Jewish musicians merely because they are Jews.

At such a time as this the acts of eminent men and women with regard to Hitlerism are construed as symbols, and as such they assume special significance.