U.S. Nazis Choose New Fuehrer, Tool of Gissibl, at L. I. Pow Wow

Somewhat less drastic than the shift in Germany’s official Nazi personnel, American Nazis have changed their leadership, it was learned yesterday.

During a four-day session, scheduled to end tomorrow with a mammoth celebration at Franklin Square, Long Island, Hubert Schnuch was elected to succeed Reinhold Walter as national leader of the League of Friends of New Germany. Schnuch rode to power Sunday, the first day of the convention, with an overwhelming vote. Walter, fighting bitterly to maintain his position, was defeated with scarcely a show of support.

Gathered for the convention were forty-four delegates from as many “ortsgruppe” or cells throughout the country. During the last four weeks the number of Nazi cells in the United States has doubled, it was reported.

Schnuch is the tool of Fritz Gissibl, member of the Nazi party in Germany, and creator and guiding genius of the Friends of New Germany. He gained thirty-eight of the forty-four votes cast by ortsgruppen leaders. Walter secured but four votes, and F. Haegele, who was later elected as leader of the New York ortsgruppe, gained but two.

It is understood that the remainder of the session is being devoted to changes in the constitution of the Friends of New Germany. These changes are not expected to alter the present anti-Semitic pro-Hitlerite ideals of the league.

Held in the secrecy of a Long Island private address at Franklin Square, the sessions are generally acclaimed as a success by the old guard Nazis, who fostered first the American branch of the National Socialist Party, which later became a Nazi-Aryan group known as Teutonia, and at a still later date the present Friends of New Germany. The “big three,” Fritz Gissibl, Walter Kappe (editor of the Deutsche Zeitung and godfather to all main line Nazi organizations), and Joseph Schuster, are leading the procession with all their gilt and braid. Schuster is leader of the New York storm-troops, known to the Friends of New Germany as ordnungs dienst.

Schnuch, who obtained his master of arts degree at Yale, who taught at the university and others in the Middle West, and who is as rabidly Hitlerite as his less erudite masters, has been in the country about twelve years, it is understood. Nazis claim he is an American citizen.

WALTER FIGHTS BACK

Reinhold Walter, retiring fuehrer of the league, parted with his official responsibilities not without a struggle. Previously he had denounced the Friends of New Germany before the Congressional committee investigating Nazi activities. At open hearings in Washington he stated that as leader of the Bund he had been a “straw man,” a dupe conveniently endowed with American citizenship, behind which Gissibl, Kappe and Schuster had carried out their un-American activities.

Walter told the committee he had no desire to carry on as number one Nazi because he did not wish to take orders from Hitler. He reaffirmed his pledge of allegiance to the United States and recognized in his testimony the fact that the powers behind the Nazi throne here had taken orders from the Nazi foreign office in Germany. Correspondence introduced between Nazi officials in Berlin and leaders of the Friends of New Germany here indicated a close cooperation between American and German Nazi forces.

Walter went into the election fight Sunday determined to win out and instill American policies into the Nazi organization. The popularity of his suggestions is reflected from the vote he received. He received the same consideration given his orders some months ago when he ordered the American Nazi stormtroopers to lay aside their uniforms. At that time he called upon the police to prevent the uniformed stormtroopers from appearing in public—for all the good it did.

Haegele, the local leader, is a compositor and member of the American Federation of Labor. It was learned at the same time that Fritz Gissibl, boy ruler of the American Nazi empire, is also a member of the A. F. of L., being a printing pressman. When Nazis were asked facetiously yesterday whether or not the two were abiding by the A. F. of L. boycott on Nazi goods, they indicated appreciation of the humor. The Friends of New Germany are sponsoring the DAWA (German American Protective Alliance), which has instigated a boycott of American Jews regardless of their participation in anti-Nazi activities.

APPOINTMENTS A LA NAZI

It is understood that, aside from the election of the national and New York leaders of the Friends of New Germany, all other offices will be filled in typical Nazi manner—by appointment.

The most remarkable feature of the conference of Nazis (Schnuch’s election having been considered “in the bag” for some weeks) is the number of ortsgruppen that have recently sprung up. It is understood that one was formed in the national capital at Washington immediately following the Congressional Committee’s open hearings on Nazi tactics there four weeks ago. Another has been formed in Westchester County under persuasion of W. L. McLaughlin, editor of the English language supplement of the Deutsche Zeitung, and one of the most bombastic battlers of the brown battalions.

It is expected that a number of stormtroops in uniform will take part in the closing celebration at the Plattdeutsche Volks Park at Franklin Square Wednesday.