Americans question participation in 1936 Olympic Games

When the American Olympic Association met last week in Washington everyone knew it would be asked to do something about the status of German Jewish athletes and the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. When the meeting adjourned, many a delegate was still not clear as to exactly what he had done.

The question was first formulated in the annual convention of the Amateur Athletic Union at Pittsburgh, immediately preceding the Olympic meeting. There bald, white-fringed Gustavus Town Kirby took the floor. He recalled the meeting of the International Olympic Committee last June at Vienna, where German delegates promised not to exclude Jews from their teams. Since then, said Mr. Kirby, Jews had not only been barred from teams but by various Nazi rules had even been prevented from training. He offered a resolution calling upon the American Olympic Association to refuse to send a U. S. team to Berlin "unless the [German attitude] is so changed in fact as well as in theory as to both permit and encourage German athletes of Jewish faith or heritage to train, prepare for and participate in the Olympic Games of 1936." The resolution was loudly adopted. On to Washington marched the A. A. U.'s delegates.

Meanwhile the German Olympic Committee retorted that its Vienna pledge would be strictly observed, denied that any discrimination against Jewish athletes was contemplated. But the American Olympic Association had ample evidence of discrimination, not by Government decree but by Nazi-dominated athletic organizations. Boxing clubs banned Jews altogether. In hockey, Jews were removed from the first three teams. According to the Ullstein Vossische Zeitung, Jews were to be excluded from tennis "but individual clubs could retain members belonging in old established families."

Nevertheless the cautious American Olympic Association was not to be stampeded into adopting the A. A. U.'s "boycott" plan. Against fiery old "Gus" Kirby stood equally fiery Brigadier-General Charles H. Sherrill, American member of the International Olympic Committee and onetime Ambassador to Turkey. Barked General Sherrill: "In its present form [this resolution] is a threat to Germany. I move it be amended so as to be a protest. . . ."

The resolution the A. O. A. finally adopted "expressed hope" that restrictions on Jewish athletes would be lifted before the time for preparing for the 1936 games so that U. S. teams "can and will be certified for competition under the Olympic standard."

Reichstagsbrandverordnung!

In response to the fire at the Reichstag, after being asked by newly appointed Chancellor Hitler, President Hindenburg issued a decree yesterday suspending several German Civil Liberties. It goes into effect immediately and would be so until further notice.

The decree, officially called Verordnung des Reichspräsidenten zum Schutz von Volk und Staat (Order of the Reich President for the Protection of People and State), suspends Article 48 of the German Constitution. Many of the Liberties that have been suspended are the freedom of opinion, Habeas Corpus, Freedom to assemble, Freedom of the press, Freedom, Privacy of Postal, telegraphic and telephonic communications, and warrants being necessary. In addition, property rights have been restricted and the government's ability to confiscate property have been loosened.

In the further articles 2 and 3 of the decree, the Reich government was granted powers normally accorded federal states. Further articles 4 and 5 set out strict penalties such as capital punishment for arson to public buildings. Article 6 of the declaration stated that the decree went into affect at proclamation.

The fire occurred six days prior to scheduled parliamentary elections. This election was set after Hitler's appointment to the Chancellorship. He urged the President to dissolve the Parliament and set these elections.

Reichstag Burns

In Berlin tonight, the Reichstag building burned. It appears to be a case of arson. A Dutch man by the name of Marinus van der Lubbe as found without a shirt in the building. it is believed that the man has recently arrived in the country to carry out this arson attack for the Communist Party.

Berlin firefighters were alerted to the fire at 2200 hours, Berlin time. Within an hour the building was gutted but the fire was extinguished.

New Chancellor of Germany

A new Chancellor is leading Germany. Adolf Hitler, leader of the National Socialist Party has ascended to this position in the German Government. He was appointed today by President Hindenberg on January 30th.

He spoke to the Reichstag upon his appointment on February 1st. In it he outlined his goals for Germany.

He stated that Germany will use two four-year-plans. Farmers would be aided. Measures would undertaken to ease unemployment.

He also went on to state

May the good will of all others assist in the fulfillment of this our earnest wish for the welfare of Europe and of the whole world.

Great as is our love for our Army as the bearer of our arms and the symbol of our great past, we should be happy if the world, by reducing its armaments, would see to it that we need never increase our own.

If, however, Germany is to experience this political and economic revival and conscientiously fulfill her duties toward the other nations, one decisive step is absolutely necessary first: the overcoming of the destroying menace of communism in Germany. We of this Government feel responsible for the restoration of orderly life in the nation and for the final elimination of class madness and class struggle. We recognize no classes, we see only the German people, millions of peasants, bourgeois, and workers who will either overcome together the difficulties of these times or be overcome by them. We are firmly resolved and we have taken our oath. Since the present Reichstag is incapable of lending support to this work, we ask the German people whom we represent to perform the task themselves.

With the worldwide economic situation, this may be fruitful for Germany and its hard economic times.