NAZIS ATTACKED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23002, 1 April 1938, Page 9

NAZIS ATTACKED

MAYOR OF NEW YORK ANOTHER HOSTILE SPEECH CONDITIONS IN EUROPE By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyriglt (Received March 31, 5.5 p.m.) NEW YORK, March 30 The Mayor of New York, Mr. F. La Guardia, addressing a group of Jewish women, repeated tho attacks he made upon the Nazis last year. "You all come from respectable homes," ho said, "and it is indeed a sad commentary upon our present civilisation that we Avitness the conditions in Europe to-day."

Commenting upon President Roosevelt's suggestion to Britain, France, Belgium, Holland, Scandinavia, Italy, Switzerland and all the Latin American countries that a committee should he created to facilitate the emigration of political refugees from Austria and Germany, Mr. La Guardia said: "At least there is one land that says: 'Shame 1 Shame on your outrages!' " The Mayor bitterly criticised the seizure of Austria.

Mr. La Guardia has made no secret of his hostility to Nazi-ism. In May, 19.36, he declined an invitation to attend, ns president of the United States Association of Mayors, the Congress of Local Authorities in Berlin. Ho declared that it was a paradox to hold a conference on municipal government in a land where local self-government had been obliterated. Mr. La Guardia aroused a strong protest from the German Government in March, 1937, by a speech in which ho described Herr Hitler as "the brown-shirted fauatic who is now menacing the peace of the world," adding: "When a nation goes wild because it is financially and morally bankrupt, it is time for America to call the attention of the world to it." The Nazis, of course, declared that, he was a Jew. Ho was actually an Italian Catholic, but his mother had some Jewish blood in her veins.

The American Ambassador made representations to the Gorman Government about vituperative articles in the German press which followed this attack. The National Socialist Party press had called Mr. La Guardia a "Jewish lout" and made other insulting references to American Jewry. The State Department, however, apologised to Germany for Mr. La Guardia's remarks. A few weeks later, the Mayor again angered the Nazis by describing Herr Hitler as "not personally or diplomatically 'satisfaktionsfahig'." (A phrase he translated into the American colloquialism, "He can't take it.") Following renewed protests by the German Ambassador, Mr. Cordell Hull. Secretary of State, again apologised for Mr. La Guardia.

NO BRITISH REFUGE OVERSEAS POSSESSIONS EMIGRANTS FROM AUSTRIA GOVERNORS CONSULTED (Roceived March 31, 5.5 p.m.) British Wireless RUGBY. March 30 Asked in the House of Commons whether the Government would evolve some scheme to offer Jewish refugees from Austria and similarly-placed European countrios ft new home in a suitable British possession ovcrsens, the Colonial Secretary, Mr. W. OrmsbvGore, replied that the objections to the policy of indiscriminate admission of refugees mentioned by the Homo Secretary, Sir Samuel Hoare, recently, applied also to tho colonies. Owing to climatic conditions and the existence of largo native populations, there was no territory in the colonial Empire where any large-scale settlement was practicable, said Mr. Ormsby-Gore. Tho governors of a number of colonies had recently been consulted as to openings for individual cases of refugees possessing a small amount of capital, but he regrotted that tho replies so far received showed that such openings were likely to bo few. In another answer to a question on the subject of refugees, tho Under-Sec-retary for Foreign Affairs, Mr. 11. A. Butler, referred to tho United States Government's proposal and said it was hoped to reply at a, very early date.