The Hanfstaengl Furore

(Ed. Note--The Crimson does not necessarily endorse opinions expressed in printed communications. No attention will be paid to anonymous letters and only under special conditions, at the request of the writer, will names be withheld.)

To The Editor of the CRIMSON:

One year ago this Thursday the German Nazis publicly burned 20,000 of the world's greatest books. Before that time and since, they have earned the hatred of the civilized world as persecutors and robbers of the enlightened, and as bloody butchers of the German working class. Now, alarmed by what the ultra-conservative New York Herald Tribune calls the "lack of enthusiasm" on the part of the German workers for the Nazi regime, they are turning in a frenzy to a new and possibly greater orgy of slaughter. They have won the gratitude of the German capitalists and munitions makers by driving down the living standards of the German workers to starvation levels, and they are attempting, though with decreasing success, to stifle the manifestations of struggle against this terror on the part of the German tolling masses. At the same time they are busily sending their representatives throughout the world, making their alliances for future wars, and attempting the not too difficult task of convincing the capitalists of the rest of the world not to fear the protests of the liberals, but unhesitatingly to use Nazi methods to achieve Nazi ends. The Nazi party is, in short, a party of paid and shameless thugs, employed by German capital to use the ultimate means of repression against the inevitable attempts of the German masses and their allies among the intellectuals and students to create a better world.

A member of this party of darkness and high in their councils, is Ernst Franz Hanfstaengl '09. The National Student League, which looks upon him and his associates with horror and disgust, cannot therefore fail to protest against the publicity given to his disgraceful letter by the CRIMSON. To find the CRIMSON, the official organ of that university which of all is most firmly dedicated to civilization and enlightenment, publicly approving and encouraging the presence in Cambridge of such a man, cannot help but fill us with surprise. Is it not a travesty to speak of dealing fairly with, and according the privileges of free speech to, a murderer who comes openly proposing to propagandize for murder? It seems to us that one does not have to be a Red to appreciate this. If the CRIMSON is honest in its support of reason and culture, we call upon it to change its stand in this matter, and to announce to the world and to its subscriber, Hanfstaengl, that it is unalterably opposed to the presence in Cambridge of any Nazi agent.

If, however, the CRIMSON is saying in effect, "Let us be gentlemen in the matter. . After all the objectionable aspects of Nazism are only used to keep the vulgar mobs in control. There is no reason why the methods which Gentlemen are forced to soil their fingers with in the market place should be used to discredit them among other Gentlemen in the drawing room. Business is business;" if the CRIMSON is saying this, then we can have no discussion with it. For we, too, consider that Nazism is the weapon of the German Gentlemen to keep the German mobs in control. Only we think of the German Gentlemen as German capitalists, German junkers, German barbarians. And we consider the German mobs to be the tolling masses of Germany, the brothers of the workers of the world. And whereas the CRIMSON feels itself allied with the German Gentlemen, we proclaim our allegiance to the German toiling masses. If the issue is put thus clearly, we do not fear the outcome. We hope the CRIMSON is not saying this. If it is, this protest can have no effect upon it.

It can however, have its effect upon Hanfstaengl, who is aware of the message of hate which his German cruiser "Karlsruhe" has received from the workers in all American ports in which she called, and which she will receive when she calls in Boston. To him we say, if you should come here, not all the police which your anonymous friends will provide for your necessary protection, will insulate you from the boiling hatred of the toiling masses of America for the murder of their German brethren. Yours very truly,   NATIONAL STUDENT LEAGUE.

(Ed. note--The CRIMSON does not feel that the political activities or political creeds of Mr. Hanfstaengl enter into this question. As a member of the Class of 1909, he is perfectly justified in returning to any reunion of that class.)