Search JTA's historical archive dating back to 1923

U.S. Apology for Mundelein Speech Asked by Nazis

The United States was officially called up-on to apologize to the Reich Government again today, this time for the “insulting” anti-Hitler remarks by George Cardinal Mundelein, Archbishop of Chicago, the Havas News Agency reported. The bitterness with which the officially-inspired press bracketed the Catholic prelate with Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia as brothers-in-arms against the Reich […]

May 21, 1937
See Original Daily Bulletin From This Date
Advertisement

The United States was officially called up-on to apologize to the Reich Government again today, this time for the “insulting” anti-Hitler remarks by George Cardinal Mundelein, Archbishop of Chicago, the Havas News Agency reported.

The bitterness with which the officially-inspired press bracketed the Catholic prelate with Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia as brothers-in-arms against the Reich had given advance notice of the “energetic” protest lodged with the Washington Department of State today by German Ambassador Hans H. Dieckhoff.

While no official announcement was yet forthcoming, it was understood the protest would be coupled with a vigorous note to the Vatican demanding that the Archbishop be publicly rebuked for his “stupid and ill-advised insults” to the Fuehrer.

According to the explanation given by the D.N.B. (official German news agency), “the Reich Embassy has lodged energetic protests with the Department of State as a result of the stupid and ill-advised insults to Hitler by Cardinal Mundelein, Archbishop of Chicago.”

The ire provoked in the German press and official circles by the New York Mayor’s sensational indictment of the Fuehrer was again raised to the boiling point, with Nazi circles bitterly accusing the Cardinal with attempting to fan anti-Reich propaganda in the United States.

Some of the more inflamed even charged the Catholic prelate with having deliberately thrown in his lot with the commercially-inspired Jewish drive to effect a complete boycott of German merchandise in the United States.

According to this thesis, Cardinal Mundelein’s speech reviewing Nazidom’s anti-Catholic tactics had been purely designed to intensify the anti-German propaganda campaign brought to the fore by Mayor LaGuardia.

Recommended from JTA

Advertisement