Evening star., 1939-08-21
College Head
Says Nazi Aide
Offered Books
New Orleans Consul
Made Such Gifts to
Others, Dies Told
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
John Harvey Sherman, president
of Tampa Fla) University, told the
Dies Committee today that high
German consular official had of.
fered to donate books to his uni
versity's library but that the offer
was rejected.
The official whom Mr.. Sherman
named, in testifying at the commit
tees inquiry into un-American prac-
tices, was Baron Edgar Freiherr
Spiegel Won Und Zu Peckelsheim,
consul general at New Orleans.
The baron said," Mr.. Sherman
testified, this was practice they
followed to encourage the study Of
German in American colleges"
Adding that Won Und Zu Peckel-
sheim had said such donations had
been made to other educational in
stitutions, the university president
declared:
HE didn't say where. I did not
ask
Mr.. Sherman, a native of Virginia
who was educated at Georgetown
University here, among other COLI
4eges, and who was superintendent
of District markets here in 1876,
described his contact with the baron
in detail.
Not I, My Government.
He said that an interview with
the baron at the university fol-
lowed telephone call from a
stranger" who identified himself
as Ernest Berger.
He said he had friend who he
believed could be induced to give
us some books and asked If we
would like such donation" the wit
ness said
After making an appointment for
March 16, 1938-six days after the
time of the telephone call-Mr. Ber-
ger telephoned later, saying his
friend was the German Consul at
New Orleans and because of busi-
ness could not arrive until the next
day.
That was the first I knew who
the donor was and that started US
to thinking" said the witness, a
mild-appearing former World War
flyer.
When the baron arrived and was
introduced by Mr.. Berger, Mr.. Sher.
man continued:
L asked, is this the gentleman
giving us the books?'
The baron answered: Not I,
but my government
Mr.. Sherman related that be
fore I told him we were not inter.
ested drew him out
1t was then, the witness asserted,
that he learned such dona tions were
being made to other institutions.
Attacks on Professor.
Mr.. Sherman, answering questions
by Rhea Whitley, committee counsel.
said Otto Kraus, native Viennese.
was Tampa University's German
professor.
Has he indicated sympathy for
the present NaZi regimen" Mr.. Whit
ley inquired.
NO, sir" replied Mr.. Sherman.
DIR. Kraus, on coming to America.
became an American citizen at once.
He left because he was not in SYM
pathy with conditions there. He is
frankly democratic and liberal" the
witness emphasized.
| Some months after DR.. Kraus
Joined the faculty Of the eight-year-
old school, Mr.. Sherman went on,
there began a series of attacks
through innuendo" against the pro-
| fessor.
They all traced back to undemo-
cratic sources" he added. I'VE
couldn't prove it but we knew it,"
This was followed by attacks on DR..
Kraus personal character" the
witness said.
| After the discussion of book dona-
tlons, the president said, Won und
lu Peckelsheim wanted to know
whether the university was satisfied
with its German professor.
We dealt in mutual recrimina-
t1ons and that ended the interview"
Mr.. Sherman said.
He told the committee he had
been advised that the books offered
by the baron were books in Ger
man and about Germany"
The witness said that at meet
ing OF the Southern Association of
Colleges in Memphis last March he
talked over Won Peckelsheim's activ-
tiles with President Rufus Harris of
Tulane University.
| president Harris told me he was
| quite discontented with the activities
OF the baron around his campus
and that the baron had snugeled
up to members of his faculty very
effectively" he said.
Mr.. Whitley asked whether Won
Peckelsheim had made any refer
enceS to Jews in his conversation
with Mr.. Sherman. Replying af-
f1rmatively, the witness added:
He said that the fact that we
had no quotas on Jews and that
we had Jews on our board was a
mistake, and that with further ex-
perience we would regret it"
Chairman Dies, Democrat, of
Texas, of the committee asked
whether Mr.. Sherman regarded the
offer OF books "as an effort to prop-
agandize for the Nazi government"
"Yes," the educator replied. .
Committee AdjournS.
The witness was questioned for
about As minutes, then the commit.
tee adjourned for the day.
When Mr.. Sherman concluded his
testimony, Mr.. Whitley read into
the record excerpts from what he
described as official German publ-
cations which stated that Germans
throughout the world should give
their positive cooperation" to the
German government.
Some Of the excerpts referred to
the German organization" in other
countries. and Mr.. Dies asked
wIether the German-American
sund was regarded as Germany's or
ganization in the United States.
Mr.. Whitley replied afirmatively.
At one point during the hearing
u AA