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Picket Firm Which Violated Boycott Pledge

December 2, 1934
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Charging that the Jewish-owned Mills Sales Co., which has stores at 901 Broadway and 85 Orchard street here, is violating a written pledge not to purchase German goods, the Anti-Nazi Minute Men on Friday planned to continue picketing the establishments.

Sol Elton, national vice-chairman of the Minute Men’s boycott committee, displayed a letter written him by Robert Gottsegen, a partner in the Mills firm, which imports and exports notions and novelties. The letter follows:

“Pursuant to our conversation, we hereby wish to assure your organization that we will not purchase any German merchandise as we are in full accord with the commercial boycott of Germany. We have also decided not to display any German goods that we may have on hand in our windows.”

Despite this promise, Elton charges, the concern has continued to purchase and feature Reich products and has further bought several thousand dollars worth of German marks.

At a conference between members of the firm and his organization, Elton says, Mills executives were offered the choice of taking all German goods off their shelves, packing them up and placing them in storage until the boycott is lifted, or of being subjected to picketing by the anti-Nazi group.

Gottsegen and David Jacoby of Brooklyn, his partner, refused to comply with the Minute Men’s request to retire Nazi merchandise from their active stock, the organization asserts. It plans to continue picketing until a satisfactory agreement is reached.

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