Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-06-20
Nazis Froze
Our Funds
For Years
for President
Seems Universal
BY HUGH s.. JOHNSON

N'iSi III NiOSiiS iitt Nfti-
man consulates and freezing
Axis funds seems to be universal.
1t should be.
The Germans have been freez-
ing our funds for years.
General Motors German SUBJ
sidiary makes automobiles, but
the American parent company
can't touch the proceeds.
A top-side official of one OF
our greatest corporations told
, me recently of the tribute paid
regularly under contract for
royalties for the use of German
owned patents.
II was astonishing and even
more astonishing were the Ger
man orders as 10 how. 10 whom
and where it was TO be paid.
The very obvious effort was
10 put the money where it could
he used for Nazi purposes with
out fear of internment or seques-
tration.
The Presidents action re-
stricting outright Nazi propa-
ganda agencies was equal y
justified much as we have 10
fear executive control Of Ve-
hicles of free speech and eX-
preston.
I SUPPOSE that every column
L ist is on the regular mailing
list Of these German news
agencies.
Anyway my mail gets some
thing nearly every day. II goes
into the waste basket Of the
outer office-not because don't
want to hear all sides and keep
all possible feelers out for mate
rial, but because. by experience.
/ have learned that il is so in
accurate as 10 be too dangerous
10 use.
The closing Of the consulates
is not a breach of diplomatic
relations because they, do not
have diplomatic status. II is
harsher in form. but no more
effective than the way in which
the NaZis seem 10 have quar-
antined not only our consulateS,
but also our embassies from
German news and dependable
factual information.
The obvious ignorance of our
state. war, navy and commerce
departments about what has
been going on in any
through all these dangerous
years is proof enough that our
representatives have been as
effectually sewed up as a cater
pillar in a cocoon,
Enthusiastic as has been the
public reaction 10 these recent
moves. there are good many
informed people who wonder
why there has not been equal
vigor in opposing other foreign
influences in this country.
The government itself. the
Go unions and the host Of en-
ployeS in defense industries are
well known 10 be infiltered with
people who, IF they are not out
right Communist cells. are AZ
least still very sympathetic with
Communistic purposes.
NOR is this all.
A With all the sympathy we
have for England. il is piling it
on pretty Thick for official Brit-
iSh and Canadian representa-
tives TO he trailing up and down
this country. lecturing us on
what we ought 10 do and at
lacking Americans who in this
serious debate express opinions
in favor of all-American, rather
than all-British interests.
/ saw the following phenome-
non in the World War and / am
told on the very best authority
that it is being repeated now
Representatives OF the British
beneficiaries of our lease-lend
generosity saying to our defense
authorities:
I'VE demand this or we de-
mand that"
Thus far. praise be, the
answer Of our people has been,
Indignantly, Demand and be
damned" but in the present at
tempt of some Americans 10
repeal the Declaration of indie
pendence and buns rush us back
into the British Empire under
the slogan of Union now with
Britain" there is some question
of how long this American indie
pendence will be tolerated by
our Anglophiles headed. as in
1917 by the House of Morgan.
IT is getting harder and
Il harder TO criticize the foreign
policy of our government and
the state department.
The stakes are very high.
Dependable facts. presumably
in the knowledge of officials,
but withheld from the public
even from the ablest OF news
hawks-are few.
But from the rare bits of de-
pendable information. l can
CLEAN. can't escape a growing