Max Spiegel smilingly assured the “Jewish Daily Bulletin” yesterday that he is a zealous opponent of Nazism and all it represents but why, he asks, should that prevent him from lending the facilities of his printing plantr at 9 Barrow Street to the publication of the Amerikas Deutsche Post militant anti-Semitic weekly.
Why indeed? After all Spiegel is a close personal friend of Friedrich Heiss, publisher of the Post. He even employs Friedrich’s son John as a typesetter.
In an interview yesterday Spiegel denied that Heiss is anti-Semitic and desribed at length what he called the publisher’s humanity and “deep philosophical ability,” He is “a spiritualist,” explained Splegel, who was one time printer of The Daily Worker, Communist organ, resigning from the party in 1929. “His object is to give the Nazis a hearing but he dosn’t sympathize with their views on anti-Semitism with their views on anti-Semitism.”
“Not at all. In fact he is a dear friend of the Jews.”
The printer revealed that while the Amerikas Deutsche Post admittedly has been indentifying itself with anti-Semitism, its publisher does not side with the authors of the anti-Semitism articles. As a matter of fact, he said, there has been a break be- tween many of the German socie??? ties with Nazi leanings and the Post. The reason for the brealc, Spiegel observed, waa that Heisa realized the American Nazi sym pathizers were “getting wild.”
SLAMS OPPOSITION
“I don’t think we Jews are doing: the right thing in making a big fuss about Hitlerism,” said Spiegel, “Half of the stories com ing from Germany aren’t true anyway-” Firmly, Spiegel expressed the conviction that printing an anti-Semitic broadside doesn’t involve the printer-or the publisher either. They may harbor liberal views and oppose the pro-or anti-racial expressions of opinion which pass through their hands. He mentioned that for years he has been in sympathy with Jewish movements. He praised Heiss for his ‘.’splendid view of things” and added that their twenty-two-year-old friendship never “was disturbed by differences.”
Spiegel’s secretary told a reporter when he first entered the printing shop that the boss “Is out.” But Spiegel was in, and Heiss, bespectacled, ancient, slightly deaf, was there with him, preparing the next week’s issue of the Post.
“I am not anti-Semitic,” Heiss shouted. “I have many friends who are Jews. They are fine people. Max Spiegel here,” pointing to the printer who stood beside him, “is my best friend.’ They patted each other on the shoulder. The walls of the printing t office are covered with clipping’s. Adolf Hitler’s photograph and a number of swastikas grace the walls of Spiegel’s office. In a pile to one side are back issues of the Post. A headline reading’ “An Open Letter to Samuel Dickstein” was on top.
‘NAZIS ARE BROKE’
Spiegel was asked whether the German societies in this country are financing the publication of the Post, “The Nazis here are broke,” said Spiegel. “They were tied up with the Post but have since severed their connection are tied up with another paper.”
Spiegel is a well-built man, with a high forehead and prominent features, “I wish we could let the (Jermans. Work out their own troubles/1 he said. “We can’t be any help to them. After all you must realize, .that, they are working out an economic policy.”
Quoting Heiss, the printer said that whatever harm Hitler is doing, “the good weighs more heavily on the scale.”
“He has unified Germany and brought much good to the German people,” said Spiegel, again echoing the publisher of the Amerikas Deutsche Post.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
