The American Scene

The Congressional Committee on Un – American Activities wound up its career at Washington last week in a red flurry in which it apparently forgot its main purpose—to get at the bottom of the Nazi propaganda situation here. Taking a lead from Ham Fish’s notebook, the committee went off on the Communist chase toward which Nazi publicists such as George Sylvester ##ereck had tried to direct it from the very first.

The committee, the term of which expires January 3, is now engaged in drawing up its report for presentation to the House or Representatives. In the period of its existence the probers brought to light much information concerning subversive activities by Nazis in this country and some interesting data on the spread of anti-Semitic propaganda by our own native-born bigots. It was unfortunate that the committee hearings frequently were something less than decorous and that its members permitted them often to degenerate to the level of a farce. Several constructive measures to check the spread of racial prejudice here by alien agitators can, however, be offered by the committee in its report on the basis of its investigations. It is to be hoped tha these will not be overlooked in the hue and cry over the “red menace.”

THE BARTER PACT

Secretary of State Hull, as indicated by his recent Nashville speech opposing barter agreements to develop international trade, put his foot down hard on the agreement reached by George N. Peek of the Import-Export Bank for a thirty million dollar barter deal with Germany, and the deal was reported on the verge of collapse, well-nigh buried.

Although the agreement is now in Peek’s hand for revision, the firmness of Secretary Hull’s opposition to that type of agreement. as well as his squeamishness regarding further financial transactions with Germany in view of her tactics toward American creditors, made it appear definite that American citizens opposed to the Hitler regime would not be forced into the position of giving it financial support by any action of their government.

A NAZI FALLING-OUT

Yorkville presented an interesting spectacle last week as two Nazi factions fought it out for control of the Friends of New Germany organization. In the course of the battle, a few skulls were cracked and shinbones bruised, and much dirty linen was washed in public.

Anton Haegele, a Nazi extremist, booted the National leaders of the movement out of control in New York, seized the official organ of the bund and accused his adversaries of playing high and mighty with their positions and with the funds of the Friends.

The fight for leadership revealed again that profits are to be found in Jew-baiting and that it is not necessarily devotion to Hitler that makes a man a good Nazi.