The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-10-01
GERMAN ENVOY.
DENIES STORY.
Takes Issue With Testi-
mony Placed Before
Un-American Quiz
BY MACK JOHNSON
United Press Staff Correspondent

United Press Staff Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Oct. /. (UP)
German Ambassador Hans Helm
rich Dieckhoff yesterday lodged
denial with the state department
of allegations made before the
house un-American invest eating
committee that his government
had directed Nazi propaganda,
sabotage and spy schemes IN the
United States. :.
He called on Undersecretary OF
State Sumner Welles less than "a
hours after John C. Metcalfe, COM
mittee Investigator. charged that
Fritz Kuhn, German American
Bund leader, is working with the
German embassy and consular OF.
ficials under a "secret agreement
with Chancellor Adolf Hitler.
Dieckhoff asserted that German
nationals "for a long time" have
been strictly prohibited from
belonging to the bund because 1T
is their duty to refrain from any
interference in internal American
affairs"
1.-The German government has
always taken the point of view
that the Observation-Disclosures Volks-
bund is to be considered as a
purely American affair."" he add
ed. "There has never existed any
open or secret understanding be-
tween the bund and the German
ambassador. the German embassy,
or the German consulates."
His visit to the state depart
ment came shortly after Hans
Thomson, the embassy counsellor,
tartly criticized Metcalfe, former
Chicago newspaperman who join
ed the bund to get the Inside
story" as not Trustworthy per-
son" and demanded that the COM
mittee summon Kuhn to tell OF his
alleged activities.
Rep. Martin Dies, D., Tex, COM
mittee chairman, assailed Thom-
sen during yesterdays hearing, ex-
pressing Surprise" that the en-
bassy should suggest that Kuhn
be called, and warned that ne IN,
tends to "corduct a fearless and
fair investigation regardless OF
criticism or ridicule."'
"In the case of Kuhn, the evil
dence is almost conclusive that ne
issued orders to bund posts. all
over the United States to destroy
records-and issued these orders
after passage of the. resolution
creating this committee" Dies
said. an view of that order the
chair is somewhat surprised that
the German embassy would sug-
gest that Mr.. Kuhn is fit witness
to appear before this committee"
He said that if Kuhn wishes to
appear, he must come with clean
hands" and bring "full and true"
documentary evidence regarding
bund memberships and contribu-
tions and "be prepared to explain
correspondence seized by this COM
mittee." .. =,
After the hearing was recessed
until next Tuesday, Dies said that
he had heard unconfrmed rumors
that the state department thinks
the inquiry should be suspended
because of the complicated inter-
national situation.
eff the state department has
the slightest objection, it can com,
municate with me and we will
work out something because we
don't want any hard feelings" he
said. H..
Metcalfe yesterday asserted that
Kuhn had said that the bund had
only 5000 members, mostly poor
people, yet the group had spent
thousands of dollars in purchasing
camp sites. He said that Kuhn
had projected construction of
$4,000, 200 national headquarters
building in New York, and that ne
planned to purchase 1000 acre
site near the Canadian border for
an old peoples home and hospital.
He pictured Kuhn as officially
earning "from $50 to $75 weekly"
but added that he "is spending
for his own amusement from go
to $50 night" several times
weekly.