Untermyer Assails Hull for ‘regrets’ to Luther on Charges Against Him

Samuel Untermyer yesterday replied to the statement issued by Secretary of State Cordell Hull in Washington, following a visit paid the Secretary of State by the German Ambassador, Dr. Hans Luther, to protest against the statements made by Mr. Untermyer in a speech delivered in Cleveland Wednesday.

According to the statement issued by the Department of State, Secretary Hull expressed his concern to the German Ambassador that “an Ambassador accredited to the government of the United States should have been subjected to a public attack such as that made yesterday on Dr. Luther by Samuel Untermyer.”

In his speech Mr. Untermyer declared that Dr. Luther “is masquerading as the German Ambassador and is one of the most destructive of propagandists.” Mr. Untermyer also declared that the German Ambassador was spending in the United States money allocated by the German government for foreign propaganda.

HULL CALLED HASTY

“The Secretary of State,” said Mr. Untermyer’s reply, “was most precipitous and unjudicial in publishing in this morning’s newspapers his acceptance of the assurances of the German Ambassador that there is no Nazi propaganda in the United States supported by German money, without calling on us for proofs, which are already not only overwhelming but conclusive.

“What right has he, without inquiry, to give credence to such a monstrous falsehood? Almost every corner of the United States is infected with this propaganda. At least seven newspapers, mostly in German, have already been started throughout the country, spreading the doctrine of bigotry and race hatred, not only against the Jews but against the Catholics. Every great city has an organization devoted to that purpose. Every German steamship brings over German recruits for this propaganda army and smuggles in thousands of newspapers that are systematically distributed by German stewards and sailors throughout the city of New York and carried throughout the country. All sorts of organizations are being established, many of them chartered under the laws of different states, with the swastika emblem stamped in the center of and desecrating our glorious flag.

“Where does all the money come from? The German government recently appropriated ten million marks (over $3,000,000) for foreign propaganda. Where is it being spent? How many German students have been recently planted in Columbia University? How many men have recently come over on visas as students and seamen who have remained here? And for what purpose? They have joined the German propagandist army to undermine our institutions.

RECALLS BERNSTOFF

“These newspapers are filled not only with scurrilous libels against the Jews but they also contain attacks upon the Roman Catholic Church and upon the President.

“I could go on forever citing the evidences of this conspiracy of which the German Ambassador claims to be so innocently unconscious. So did Ambassador Bernstoff and Ambassador Dumba whilst we were supposedly at peace with Germany and Austria.

“Just as fast as these fellows are uncovered they scuttle the ship and hide away.

“Do you suppose, Mr. Hull, that the control of our loyal, peaceable German-American Societies, was forcibly invaded and seized by Spanknoebel (who has since fled the country and for whom a warrant is outstanding) and his gang and sought to be converted into an anti-Jewish propaganda army without a guiding hand from above? To what extent does Mr. Hull or Dr. Luther know that the brief extracts from a long speech of which the latter complains correctly represents what I said? Or the official documents that I cited in support of many of the disclosures of this foul, widespread conspiracy against the peace, order and security of our country?

DEMANDS INVESTIGATION

“Give us a Congressional investigation, with power to subpoena witnesses, and the country will be startled as it was only once before.

“If, like the British government, our Secretary of State were as alert and solicitous to protect the rights of our citizens as he is to issue ill-considered ‘regrets’ upon the basis of alleged, random remarks taken from the context of a long speech, this country would not be made the favorite stamping ground for these conspiracies against our citizens.

“No one would ever delude himself, since this trouble began, into the belief that our Secretary of State is a champion of our cause, as would be his duty, but I predict that he will before long live to regret his ‘regrets’,” Mr. Untermyer declared.