Capital Comment

Washington.

Official Washington was treated to a spectacular piece of diplomatic maneuvering during the past week when the Ambassador of Germany, Dr. Hans Luther, staged one of the most elaborate diplomatic functions of the year while his boss, Hitler, was beating war drums more than 3,000 miles away.

Approximately 1,500 persons representing every diplomatic group at the nation’s Capital as well as those high in the official circles of this government, attended Herr Luther’s blowout. Held in the swankiest hotel in the city, the feature attraction was the Dresdener Kreuzchor. This chorus, composed of very young German men and boys, presented a program of lieder, which to the surprise of many, included numbers by Mendelssohn. The program opened with “The Star Spangled Banner,” which was immediately followed by the singing of the Nazi anthem, the Horst Wessel lied.

Herr Luther certainly did things up in true Nazi style. He did not forget to display the swastika which was molded into a cake of ice and illuminated by small electric bulbs. The German flag also was encased in ice and close by, in a similar setting, was the Stars and Stripes. Conspicuous among those assembled, were a number of Nazi government representatives who by their close cropped hair and foreign dress looked as if they had come into the country just for this special occasion. Some of them actually did, although there was one who came to this country a few weeks ago to settle an estate for his wife.

Hitler certainly has his boys trained for the purpose of visiting folks in other countries. They are well behaved, likeable chaps. But through all of their conversation there runs an apparent thread of uncertainty as to their future status. Take the chap who came to this country to settle an estate for his wife. He is one of the Hitler regime—has some vestiges of the nobility in him. He says he owns property in Germany but is in constant fear that governmental policies there may change so that he may lose his property.

How long will Hitler last? For a considerable time to come, providing nothing happens to end his career. Uncertainty dominates the whole German picture. The internal situation is tense. But every effort is being made to put up a bold front for the view of the other nations of the world.

Confidential reports received by United States government agencies in Washington reveal that in Germany there exists a “deterioration of business sentiment.” That this is true is backed up by a report from the United States Department of Commerce which says that business in Germany is getting worse, unemployment is increasing, and the unfavorable trade balance of the country is mounting. Meanwhile Hitler talks about increasing Germany’s military strength.

President Roosevelt has made it known that the United States stands ready to strike back at countries which discriminate against the United States in the field of foreign trade. In stating this position, President Roosevelt is upholding the views of Secretary of State Hull who has been insistent that “equality of treatment is the keynote of the foreign commercial policy of the United States.”

Reiteration of this country’s attitude toward trade discrimination by foreign nations, comes largely as a result of the increasing number of agreements among European nations which tend to freeze out American trade interests. Germany has been very aggressive in her trade policy which tries to increase exports through forced bilateral trade balancing—a system under which goods and services exchanged between two countries must balance. Secretary of State Hull is fighting this form of agreement and has pointed out that it prevents the natural flow of trade. Other forms of trade discrimination being practiced against the United States by Germany and other European nations include those made possible through allotment of foreign exchange, establishment of quotas and excise taxes.

The State Department, cooperating with other branches of the government, it is understood, is studying the whole question of foreign trade discrimination. If foreign nations continue their policy of discrimination against the United States, it is quite likely that this country will end existing trade pacts with them. These nations include Germany, Italy, Denmark and Portugal. The State Department points out that “The United States neither seeks nor accords preferential, discriminatory treatment—it asks only that a foreign country treat American commerce no worse than it treats the commerce of any third country, and, in turn, accords equality of treatment to the commerce of foreign countries.”

Representative-at-Large William M. Citron of Connecticut is considerably worried these days about the future of the cotton textile industry in the United States, particularly in the Northeastern group of states. He points out that the number of active spindles in the United States decreased from 32,260,000 in 1923 to 27,742,000 in 1934, the greatest portion of this decline taking place in New England.