Mystery surrounding the current activities of the “League of American Friends of New Germany,” foreign branch of the Nazi Party, whose New York headquarters are at 309 East 92nd Street, deepened yesterday, as Nazi members announced that they would carry on to gain “a place in the sun” for their fatherland.
The German consulate had earlier in the week announced the dissolution of Nazi Party units in America, stating that the usefulness of the organization had ended with Hitler’s ascension to power in Germany.
New York brown shirts have declared that the surrender of their present headquarters on May 1, when their lease expires, does not mean the disruption of the organization. They state that activities will be immediately resumed at new premises, probably near the North German Lloyd Steamship Line terminal.
MEETINGS NOT CANCELLED
According to the statement of leaders of the local Nazi Party, their work is by no means completed. So long as Jewish persecution propaganda and other unfavorable publicity continues to be broadcast, they will deny inaccuracies in news bulletins, they state.
Weekly meetings of the New York Nazi Party have not been cancelled, notwithstanding an order for their closing issued by Heinz Spanknoebel, chairman of the Nazi Party in the United States, shortly before his departure for Germany last Tuesday night.
The meeting scheduled for last night at the New York Nazi headquarters and another slated for Nazi headquarters at 416 22nd Street, Union City, N. J., would be held as planned, the New York office stated.
German consular authorities yesterday declared that they knew nothing of the intentions of the Nazi Party in this country other than the fact that they had been ordered by Berlin to disband. The consulate disclaims knowledge of reorganization of the Nazi Party in new headquarters.
In the meantime operations of the Nazi Party have continued unabated, despite the dissolution of the organization which was declared by the consulate to have been effective more than two weeks ago.
TONS OF PROPAGANDA
Activities of the Nazi Party in the United States include the coordination of various German “singing” societies and sport clubs under the new Hitler regime and the dissemination of propaganda designed to gain the good will of foreign countries for the present German administration.
Since the beginning of the Jewish persecution in Germany, the New York office of the Nazi Party has been the principal clearing house in the United States for tons of Hitler propaganda, printed in Germany as well as New York and Boston.
New York Nazi chiefs stated yesterday that the demand for pamphlets and periodicals, which they are distributing here, has exceeded the supply. And they regretted that thousands of more copies of publications, especially those printed locally, had not been run off the press.
Members of the local Nazi Party unit have been delegated to speak before regular meetings of virtually every German social and commercial organization in the city. Party spokesmen state that they have been successful in winning the support of these groups for their leader, the German Chancellor.
“Friends of New Germany” are made up chiefly of World War veterans, who have migrated to this country since 1918. They are composed of both naturalized American and German citizens. Germans of monarchist political sentiments as well as those favoring the present republican form of government are included in the party. The society has been in existence for six years.
CONSUL GENERAL SURPRISES JEWS BY PRAISING HITLER AT RALLY
No sooner had leaders of the Jewish community here got over their surprise at the announcement that Dr. Otto Kiep, Consul-General for Germany, had appeared on the plat-form of the Teutonia Hall meeting a week ago Saturday night in celebration of the 44th birthday of Chancellor Hitler than news came that the Consul-General had sailed for Germany. He sailed ostensibly to visit an aged and ailing father.
Dr. Kiep, it will be remembered, was one of the guests and speakers at the dinner given in honor of Professor Albert Einstein. He praised Dr. Einstein as a great scientist whose work contributed to the prestige of Germany and told his auditors that it was Dr. Kiep’s intention to settle here permanently.
Dr. Kiep has been a guest of honor at other functions of a similar nature, and has been understood to be a liberal and friend of the Jews.
At the Teutonia Hall meeting, in which were represented officers and men of German steamers in port, the Stahlhelm organization here, the Eagle and the Falcon, American Friends of Germany, the Order of German Youth and the Sons of Italy, a pro-Fascist organization, Dr. Kiep cried, “Hail the Chancellor” and concluded with an expression of hope that the political leadership of the present government by the Chancellor in cooperation with President Hindenburg would prove to be a blessing to the German Fatherland.
Dr. Kiep described the inner political development in Germany during the last years which led, according to him, to the logical necessity of the National Socialist Party taking over the government. He emphasized the importance of the fact that as a result of the March 5 elections, there was created for the first time in years a working majority in the German Parliament.
Chancellor Hitler’s achievement has succeeded in obtaining for him a popularity among the German masses which no other chancellor since Bismarck had attained, said Dr. Kiep.
More than 1,200 people attended the meeting, which was held on the occasion of Hitler’s forty-fourth birthday. Shouts of “Hail Hitler” frequently interrupted the session. The hall was decorated with imperial flags and on one of the walls was a large picture of Hitler hung under a gigantic Swastika flag.
Colonel Edwin Emerson, head of the “American Friends of Germany,” also addressed the group.
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