The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-08-31
On Capitol Hill
By GEORGE L. KNAPP

Washington betWeen-SeSSlonS dOld-
runs has been broken by highlight
of unusual brillance. This is the in
vestigation by Representative Martin
Dies committee on un-American ac-
tivities of the German American Bund.
Chairman Dies seems to have stum-
bled upon something worthy Of the
attention of committee of Congress.
Hitherto, the committee has shown a
disposition to "view with alarm" every
shade of thought and every form of
organization not bearing the stamp of
approval of the Liberty League, Ham
Fish, the D. A. r. or the National AS
sociation of Manufacturers. Bogies
were conjured up in every alley and
"made in Moscow" ghosts in every
attic except those belonging to the
Tory wing of the Republican or the
Bourbon wing of the Democratic par
ties.
The committee has shown a marked
blindness to such un-American ac-
tiIties as the assaults upon demo-
rr3 3tic rights of wage earners in which
have been found usurpation of the
military functions of government, ex-
pensive and vigorous ballyhoos to
mislead the voters of great states;
conducted in the self-assumed name
Of agriculture, patriotism, ETC., etc.
Exposure of these transgressions of
Americanism, frequently through the
use of force, have been left to the
more realistic Committee on Civil
Liberties, headed by Senator La! Fol-.
F., lette. ~. -! =. -, .7.5,
~ X X t%
Now, the Dies committee seems to
"have something" Its fishing eXpedi
tion into the operations of the "Bund"
indicate that it will serve con-
structive purpose by going further in
to the various "shirt" rackets.
AS near as has been so far learned,
these buffooneries have for their prin-
cipal purpose the furnishing of abund-
ant material sustenance and initiation
for the megalomania of various
screwballs. The testimony of Fueh-
rer Fritz Kuhn, of the Bund, furnished
an enlightening case study. When
first appearing, he assumed the boor-
ish arrogance of the traditional Prus-
sian drillmaster. When his table
pounding, shouting, "liar," refusal to
answer questions, ETC., had exhausted
the patience of the committee, he pro-
ceeded to curl up in typical bully
fashion. He was being browbeaten, he
whined, the committee was unconstitu-
tional, he wanted the protection Of le-
gal counsel, ETC., etc.
AS revealed, the operations of his
organization has for front an amaz-
ing collection of 'heiling," heeling and
toeing, goose stepping and other
caperings. The actual objective ap-
pears to be that of inducing youths
of German descent to be Germans
first, in all that the present Germany
implies, and Americans so far as ne
cessity and expedience compel.
The dark-haired, swarthy fuehrer
was clear on one point, that of "Nor-
die supremacy" Speaking with a
strong Teutonic accent, he was GER
tain as to the opposition of his bund
to "der Chews." The grievance seemed
to be that the Jews had achieved much
greater influence than that to which
their proportionate four per cent of
the population entitled them. Just how
the contributions and rewards of the
Jewish and other elements in our
American setup were to be decimal
pointed was not developed.
Our fellow citizens of recent Ger
man, Irish, Scandinavian, Italian, Po-
lish and other descendants are making
a fine contribution to that America
toward which we are all looking by
building loyalty and understanding Of
democratic ideals upon the foundation
of rich ancestral devotion to the same
spirit.
Lifting the lid from such organized
efforts to pervert this fine American
ism is a simple act of justice and vim
dication to them.