Evening star., 1938-09-30
D|ECKHOFF DENIES
BUND-ENV0Y LINK
Ambassador Assures State
Department After Dies
Unit Gets Charge.
By the Associated Press.

DR.. Hans Dieckhoff, German Am
bassador to the United States, assured
the State Department today there was
no understanding" between the Ger
nan-American Bund and German en-
voys in this country
The House committee investigating
un-American activities was told yes
terday there was such a connection
Its testimony came from John c..
Metcalfe, committee agent, who
quoted Fritz Kuhn, the Bunds leader
While the Ambassador was at the
State Department, the Embassy iSsueo
a statement, which it said was in sub
stance what DR.. Dieckhoff told Under
secretary of State WelleS.
The statement follows:
The German government has al
ways taken the point of view that the
Amerika -Deutscher Volksbund is to be
considered as purely American affair.
There has never existed any open or
secret understanding between the
Bund and the German Ambassador
the German Embassy or the German
Consulates
"On the contrary, for long time
all German nationals have been
strictly prohibited to be or to become
members of the Bund, in view of the
fact that it is their duty to refrain
from any interference in internal
American affairs. The Government of
the United States is informed about
this point of view adopted by the Ger
man government"
Dies Accuses Attache.
Meanwhile, Representative Dies
Democrat, of Texas, the committee
chairman, accused DR.. Hans Thomson
German Embassy Counselor, OF issuing
an unfair statement criticizing Mr.
Metcalfe.
He quoted Dr. Thomson as saying
the committee investigator was not a
trustworthy person" and suggested
that if the committee wanted facts, it
question Mr.. Kuhn himself.
Chairman Dies said evidence was
almost conclusive that Mr.. Kuhn had
issued orders to all Bund posts to de-
stroy their records Immediately after
the House created the investigating
committee.
Mr.. Kuhn would be welcome as q
witness. Representative Dies said. if
he would bring books, records and
financial statements and explain cor
respondence which the committee
views as showing "a close connection
between the Bund and the German
government
Mr. Metcalfe, appearing for the
third day as witness, SAID he would
leave the question of his integrity ''to
Americans who are in better position
to Judge my responsibility
How Would He Know:
I'VE have charged and We continue
TO charge" he said, that there is q
direct tie up between the German
American Bund and the Nazi govern
ment. Dr.. Thomsen's own statemen,
would Thomson be able to say: =
know that he (Kuhn) has said no such
things"
He said the attache failed to mention
that his country's consuls in the Unitec
States were the first to use their dip.
lomatic immunity to foster hatreds, tc
buy propaganda with cash that they
hoped could not be traced, and urged
loyalty and allegiance to Germany
after the men and women had sworn
they wanted to become American
citizens
quoting a statement which he said
was made to him by Bund Leader
Kuhn, Mr. Metcalf told the commit
tee yesterday close coordination be.
tween the Nazi government and the
Bund had brought about the recall te
germany last year of Ambassad do,
Hans Luther, who was replaced by DR.
.Dieckhoff, the present Ambassador.
Dieckhoff Relationship.
Herr Dieckhoff he said, had a
secret relationship with the Bund
as did German consuls throughout
the country"
The witness said Kuhn told him that
whenever any of the groups have
trouble with the consulates in their
districts they are to report it to me
in full detail'
L then take it up with the Ambas-
eador,' the Bund leader was repre-.
sented as saying. Germany is not te
oe troubled with it unless 1 get nc
satisfaction from the Ambassador"
In the course of his testimony Mr.
Metcaf related information as to how
Bund leaders regarded several Ger.
man oHclal representatives in this
country. This information was OBJ
tanned, he said, while he was a men,
Der OF the German American organi-
zatlon and secretly investigating its
activities.
Counsuls Recall Predicted.
He declared the recall of Dr. Fried
helm Draeger, vice consul at New
York, had been predicted to him by
Otto Arndt, leader of the Astoria
Iong 1slanD Bund, in 1897. He said
Mr.. Arndt told him Hitler is going to
recall him (Mr. Draeger) along with
the Consul General"
You see he quoted Mr. Arndt as
saying, they still hold dreams of the
Old Kaiser and were not appointed by
Hitler, but before he came into office
by Hindenburg. Ambassador Luther
was recalled for this reason. =
The new Ambassador is o. K, but we
don't like this old crowd of diplomats
and they know it in Berlin"
The investigator also said Bund
leader related in August, 1887. that
the German Consul General at Cleve-
land had been replaced by a true
Nazi consul who was decidedly friendly
to them
Consul Denies Bund Aid.