The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-10-22
IMerry-G0-ROun

:. fEDITOR,S NOTE-Drew Pearson today tinues his revelation of important excerpts from the suppressed ROgge report on Naz activities in the United States early in the war;
 WASHINGTON Oct. 22-Hermann Goering was depressed and sullen shortly before he cheated the Allied gallows But when interviewed some time earlier by John Rogge and Justice Department ofti- cals his attempts to sway American public opinion he was frank and full of braggadocio
 Gladly would he have spent $15O,OOO,0Oo to defeat Roosevelt in 1s4O. Goering said During the same in- terView he boasted that he once considered having a sign hung in his office reading:
 "No business transacted here unless the amount involved is more than $10,0O0,OOO."
 The only thing Goering quibbed about when he told Justice Department agents of NaI attempts to defeat Roosevelt through John L. Lewis, was that he would not have paid as little as $S00OO00 to do the job.
 It was Lewis's close friend, w. R. Davis, then engaged in selling Mexican oil to the German navy who went to Berlin after the started in 1889 and discussed the whole strategy with Goering.
 Davis talked to me about John L. Lewis and that ought to reach agreement with him" Goering told Justice Department agents. He was the one who was seeing me about oil business in Mexico He told me that Lewis was not tied up with either of the two major parties but free lance far as political decisions were concerned and was one of the few people who understood Germanys posi- tion. He presented himself as very good friend of John L. Lewis He told me that Lewis was very influ- ential; that he was backed by the trade unions; and that he was very important for positive attitude towards Germany. Davis told me that by the use of
  tons in such manner so that the reelection of Roosevelt which, in his opinion, would mean war, would be prevented"
 The Rogge report then continues:
 i've asked Goering whether in connection with using Lewis to try to defeat Roosevelt in 1940, any sum of money from 8 GOO 900 to $5 100000 men, toned. eve had heard that representative of the Italian Government by the name of Luigi Podesta had taken from $3 100000 to 5000 600 in United in New York0
 "I am certain Goering replied, that I did not talk to Davis about influencing the American Pres dential election on basis as ridiculous that of $3000000 to $5,0O0,O00. If serious representative had approached me and told me that he could influ- ence the Presidential election that they elected President who was favorably inclined towards Ger many, for such purpose would have spent $100- 100000 to $l500O0000."
 Lewis quite aware of the Davis conversations with Goering, according to the Rogge report, Davis even giving him telephone report from Berlin
 Altogether Goering had three different talks with Davis.
 Davis work with Lewis and split up the labor unions in order to prevent the reelection of President Roosevelt" says the Rogge report During the course of the conversations, Davis stated that he willing to put millions of his money into the scheme to have Lewis help him de- feat President Roosevelt, but added that he would He further stated that in the event he successful in having President Roosevelt defeated, he wanted to become Secretary of State.
 At the third session Goering stated that he had taken their discussions up with Hitler and gave Davis an advance copy of the speech which Hitler made on October G. 1939 In that speech Hertslet him. self commented, Hitler made no real concessions whatever toward peace" It was to negotiate an appeasement peace that John L. Lewis purported to be interested in the Davis mssion) During the course of these conferences, Davis, according to Hertslet telephoned from Berlin to Lewis in the United States and reported to him." NOTE-JOachim Hertslet, referred to above, was director of the German Economic Ministry, who c0llaborated closely with Davis in buying oil and later came to the United States to confer with both