Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-01-27

pressed for more than an hour
opinions which are Numerically
opposed to those of the Government
Persons sympathetic with his point
OF view crowded the committee room
and applauded what he said. Men,
bers of Congress, including in par
ticular those who disagreed with
Col. Lindbergh, gave him respect
full hearing And then Col. Lind
hergh went home unmolested by
anybody. He is not in concentra-
ton camp and he is free to come
again and express his views. In fact
the newspapers of the Nation de-
voted part of their front pages to
what he had to say
Within "a hours came an ASSoci-
ated Press dispatch from Berlin,
also printed widely in America,
stating that authorized sources" in
Germany had said: Hats off to
Charles Lindbergh for his courage"
Now that's the only sad part of the
story. Authorized sources here IN
Washington feel bit hurt. They
its compliments. in fact that they
are somewhat misdirected. For II
there is any Soft taking it should
be to the courage of the House OF
Representatives of the Congress in
permitting a view to be expressed
so freely against the policies and
sympathieS of the Government.
N
feelings because the courage OF the
press of the United States in print
ing what Col Lindbergh said did
not come in for a modicum OF praise.
Suppose Nazi Flyer Talked.
As a matter of fact. Berliners can
be let in on little secret. 1t didn't
require any courage at all for Col.
Lindbergh to testify because he had
nothing of which to be afraid.
But if some German flyer, or per-
haps some former German subma-
rine commander, were to attempt to
speak in opposition to Herr Hitler
to a committee of the German
Reichstag. many Americans would
really call that courage and there
would be good deal of hatS-off-
taking throughout the United States.
Indeed. there is man by the
name of Niemoeller, who was a
heroic commander of German sub
marines in the last war, but he is in
Jail in Germany now because, as a
Christian clergyman, he expressed
himself freely against totalitarlan
doctrines.
Americans are beginning to Won
der how long it is going to be before
the German press or the govern
ment behind it realizes that Berlin
dispatches criticizlng American pol
lev are printed here and yet Amerl-
can press dispatches and speeches
criticizing Nazi policy are not per-
mitted publication. Will this not
keep the American people from be-
lieving German protestations of I'M
fairness about anything else?
Test of German Fair Play.
One group of Americans known
as the Council for Democracy has
set about to test the German sense
of fair play, if there be such thing
any more. Letters by the thousands
all identical in teXt-have just
been addressed by the council to
MAYORS of cities and other officials
newspaper editors and businessmen
in Germany, Italy and Russia. The
mail is being sent by way of Siberia
so 1t cannot be touched by the Brit
ish censorship. The message does
not boast that Americas system Is
better than any other but merely
states the facts concerning the OPP
erations of our democracy with
emphasis on freedom of speech free
dom of worship and freedom of the
press. 1t says in conclusion:
"Such are the facts we want you
to know. We have written to you
about them, for We know that you
are interested in having the truth
If there l.; any additional informa
ton YOU would like to have about
how democracy works in the United
States, please write to us. Even II
you cannot ask questions, tell us
somehow that you have heard from
us. 1t will give us great pleasure
to be assured that you have received
this report on the health of oul
Nation
1t will be interesting to see how
much courage the residents Of
Germany, Italy and Russia are per-
mitted to exhibit with respect tr
this simple letter. The Council Of
Democracy says in formal state
ment that the purpose of the com.
munication is to test the interna.
tional postal agreements whereby
the governments of the dictatorship
states send into the United State:
all the propaganda they wish by
mail via Siberia and the Pacific
Ocean whereas America does no
insist on the same privilege in Ger
many for American mail.
1t is commended by the council thai
the United States after the evidence
obtained through this test is avail
able should then deny to the dicta
torship states the freedom to seno
their propaganda into the United
States by low mail rates. The pro
posal will be disputed on the grount
that America can we'll afford to Sc
an example of tolerance, even o
propaganda, so long as it is plainl,
labeled as to source. American
alertness, or what the NaZis cal
courage" exists to such an extern
that it can pe relied upon to expos
and to refute the propaganda of thu
dictatorship governments. That
another privilege of democracy.