Evening star., 1946-10-23
Nazi-Backed Scheme
To Beat Roosevelt in
40 Related by Rogge
BY the Associoted Press


the Attorney General, has described
what he termed a fantastic Nazi.
backed scheme" designed to thwart
the reelection of President Roose-
welt in 1910 by having John L. Lewis
president of the United Mine Work
ers, AFL. come out against him.
In an address delivered al
SWarthmore College last night, Mr.
Rogge said this scheme involved
Herman Goering, Nazi agent by
the name of Joachim Hertslet, and
William r. Davis, promoter of the
oil business.
Qn Washington, Mr.. Lewis re-
fused to comment on Mr.. Rogge's
remarks. Mr.. Davis, described by
Mr.. Rogge as a peace emisSary
for Goering in September, 1889,
died August l, l941, after a color
full careerD
Says Committee Was Formed.
The Justice Department official
added that other attempts were
made by the Nazis to prevent Pres
ident Roosevelt's reelection in 1886
and 1914. One included the eStab-
lishment of an America committee"
in the German Foreign Oftice by
Joachim Won Ribbentrop, Nazl For
eign Minister recently hanged Tor
war crimes.
Mr. Rogge said the Nazis always
preferred the one who opposed Presi-
dent Roosevelt. They preferred In
turn Landon, Willkie and Dewey.
They had a strong preference for
Dewey. They did not particularly
like Willkie, but they felt any Presl-
dent would be better for their pur-
pose than President Roosevelt.
In Topeka, Kans, Mr.. Landon
said this whole story sounds to me
like the rawlings of lunatic." In ad-
dition, he added, the German
American Bund denounced me in
1886 as being pro-Semitic. That
doesn't sound to me as if the Nazis
wanted me to be President.
Gov. Dewey, in Syracuse, cam
paigning for reelection, withheld
comment.
Tells of Interviews.
Mr.. Rogge, based his statements
on information gathered from cap
tured NaZi documents and inter-
views with high German officials
during more than a month abroad.
He quoted Goering and HertSlet at
length on the alleged Lewis-Davls
tieup in connection with the 1910
election. HertSlet recalled three con-
ferences he said Davis had with
Goering between September 80 and
October 4. 1899.
The justice official said "Goering
remembered his meetings with
Davis" and recalled that they had
discussed Mexican oil and using the
influence of John L. Lewis to defeat
President Roosevelt for reelection
in 1940.'
Mr.. Rogge declared this is the
substance of what he tGoering) had
to say on these subjects: Davis
talked to me about John L. Lewis
and that one ought to reach an
agreement with him. He was the
one who was seeing me about pal
business in Mexico. He told me
that Lewis was not tied up with
either of the two major parties but
was a free lance as far as political
decisions were concerned and was
one of the few people who under
stood Germany's position.
Would Spend 100 Million.
"He presented himself as a
very good friend of John L. Lewis.
He told me that Lewis was very in
fuential; that he was backed by
the trade unions; and that he was
very important for positive atti-
tude towards Germany. Davis told
me that by the use of his influence
on Lewis he could influence the
elections in such manner so that
the reelection of Roosevelt which,
in his opinion, would mean war,
would be prevented.
Mr. Rogge said Goering told him
"I would have spent s100,000,000 to
sl50,000,000" to influence the 1910
election.
The justice official, quoting a
memorandum from the then Assist
ant Secretary of State, Adolf A.
Berle. jr., dated September Is, 1899.
1t related that Mr.. Davis conferred
with President Roosevelt after the
had been arranged by Lewis,
and informed the President that he
had been told by Goering that Goer-
ing wanted to make peace. The
memorandum related that Mr.. Davis
said Goering wanted him to ascer-
tain whether the President might act
as arbitrator or help get some neu-
trail nation to do so.
Mr.. Berle's memorandum said that
while the President was naturally
desirous of obtaining any informa-
ton on the situation, he pointed
out that until some proposal reached
him through some government, he
could not take any position
Subsequently, Mr. Rogge added,
Lewis called at the Berle residence
on October %, 1899, and informed
Mr.. Berle the time had come for a
general peace and that he had seen
Davis and understood that Davis
had message from high German
officials which afforded such a pos
sibility"
Mr., Rogge said Mr.. Berle reit-
Grated the Presidents stand that no
suggestion would be considered on
peace negotiations unless it was re-
ceiVed through recopniZed channels !"