(Article written c1943, in New York)
Many people very likely don't know that before World War II broke out, American Chambers of Commerce were distributed practically over the whole globe. One found them in Central and South America, in Europe, Asia and Africa. Their offices were located in 20 different foreign countries. With only five exceptions they were organization members of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States in Washington. The war has forced a number of these Chambers to close their doors. In Europe, only the Chambers in London and in Barcelona still carry on.
The main objects of these American Chambers of Commerce are (or were) to further the development of the foreign trade of the United States. They also examine questions concerning the commercial and industrial relations between firms and individuals of the United States and the countries in which these Chambers are located, and take measures which facilitate and protect the transaction of business between them. They participate in the movements for the promotion of international good will. They collect information for the benefit of their members.
What I have said so far applies to all American Chambers of Commerce in foreign countries. What follows deals with the activities of the American Chamber of Commerce in Germany, and especially with its Frankfort Branch. This Chamber was founded in 1903 in Berlin, where its head office was located. The first president of the Chamber was Mr. Frederick W. King. The membership consisted of active (American) members and associate (German) members. The dues for both classes of membership were alike and amounted to 24 dollars per year. The associate members had no vote and were not eligible to election as officers or members of the Board of Directors. The membership of the Chamber reached its peak on January 1, 1939. At that time the Chamber had 1098 members, the largest membership of any Chamber outside of the United States. The Chamber had for over 20 years published a well-edited monthly organ "Transatlantic Trade", which was discontinued as soon as war had broken out in September 1939.
One of the aims of the Chamber was to bring American and German businessmen in personal contact. In order to accomplish this, our Chamber in Berlin, whose Executive Secretary was Mr. Arthur E. Dunning, gave weekly luncheons, to which visiting Americans were invited. In Frankfort we held a meeting every month. During the summer months we varied this, sometimes by inviting our members and their families to a social evening followed by a dance, at a hotel in one of the resorts near Frankfort. On Thanksgiving Day, Washington's Birthday and on the Fourth of July we arranged official dinners at the Hotel Frankfurter Hof, followed by a ball. To these big affairs the whole Consular Corps and the leading German officials, who were stationed in Frankfort and vicinity, were invited.
Arranging these banquets generally gave me a big headache. The reason for this was the "Tischordnung" (seating arrangement). Nobody is so jealous of precedence as German officials, and often their wives are still worse. It has happened that such snobby officials, after seeing someone of slightly lower rank or seniority sitting at what they considered a better seat or table, walked out on us. The Consular Corps presented nearly the same problem (8 career consuls and 33 honorary consuls were stationed in Frankfort). Only they didn't walk out on us, but complained about it afterwards. As far as the peevish Germans were concerned, on the day after, although it went against my grain, a lot of apologizing had to be done.
At our meetings, which we held alternately at one of the four leading hotels of Frankfort, we sat down to an informal supper first and afterwards the speaker, whom I had selected, had his turn. American foreign service officers, consular officers of foreign countries, prominent visiting American businessmen, German university professors, bankers and exporters spoke before our gatherings. Until Hitler took over the German government in 1933, it was fairly easy to select an interesting German speaker, but afterwards it got more and more difficult. The old German proverb: "Talking is silver, silence is gold" seemed to have gotten hold of every promising speaker I approached. I really couldn't blame them, for one incautious word, which some Nazi official or Gestapo agent who happened to be present, could twist into a defamation of Hitler and the Third Reich, might have landed the speaker in a concentration camp.
As time went on, more and more of our German associate members joined, or were forced to join, the National Socialist party. Many of them were getting afraid to attend our meetings, where the Stars and Stripes were draped against the walls. The attendance started to dwindle from 1936 on. Goebbels' (the propaganda minister) campaign of hatred against the United States was taking effect.
But there was another problem which complicated matters for our Chamber. The district of our Frankfort office covered the States of Hessen-Nassau, Hessen, Baden Wuertemberg, the northern part of Bavaria, the Palatinate, the Saar Region and the southern part of the Rhine Province. In this district many prominent Jewish exporters, bankers and manufacturers were located and a large percentage of them were members of our Chamber and regularly attended our meetings and banquets.
The seating of them, because of the anti-Jewish propaganda, became very difficult--as most of the so-called Aryans were afraid to sit at the same table with Jews. It easily might have brought them into conflict with the Gestapo. On the other hand, we could under no circumstances have separate tables for Jewish members, as, by doing this, we would have been playing the game of the Nazis. I solved this problem by placing them at the tables with our American members and with Britishers and other foreigners, whom I invited as guests.
Shortly after I thought I had settled this matter, the manager of a large firm, who only a short while ago had come to Frankfort from Berlin called me up over the phone on the morning after one of our meetings. He was highly indignant: "At the table with me last night there were four Jews! This is the first and last meeting of your Chamber I will ever go to, and I will ask my firm to resign." I asked him to wait a minute until I could get the table arrangement list. From this list I read to him the names of the seven men, who had been sitting together with him. All were so-called Aryans!! He stuttered an apology and hung up.
After the anti-Jewish riots of 1938 all hotels, restaurants, theatres and other places of entertainment refused to allow Jews to enter their premises. This also made it impossible for them to attend the few last meetings we were able to hold.
The Chamber held its last meeting on June 30, 1939. The political situation was fast approaching a crisis and it was absolutely impossible for me to secure a speaker. I decided to speak myself and selected as my topic: the New York Worlds Fair. All reports about this exposition had been killed by order of Goebbels, and what I had to say was news to all those present. The Frankfort papers did not give us a line, although they had reported all our previous gatherings. I heard afterwards that the Gestapo was well represented at this gathering.
Reverting to our German speakers, some of them showed how little regard the Germans have for the feeling of other people, even if they are their guests. As I only know the theme of the speeches given, but not the full text, some unpleasant surprises happened. At one of our meetings the speaker was a high city official. He also was in charge of the Frankfort Tourist Office, which tried to induce Americans and other foreigners to visit Frankfort. His theme was "Americans who come to Germany."
He started out all right, but soon got fault finding and nasty. Speaking about art, he remarked that Americans considered more the quantity of art than the quality. He mentioned an American couple, who viewed the Frankfort Cathedral. Being in a hurry, as according to the speaker Americans always are, the wife told her husband: "You do the outside, while I do the inside." Then he spoke about the popularity, which resorts like Baden-Baden, Wiesbaden and Bad Nauheim enjoy with Americans. "Of course," he went on to say, "there is a reason for that. Nearly all Americans suffer from stomach trouble on account of taking too many cold drinks." This was too much for the chairman of the meeting, a prominent American who lived in Frankfort. He got up from his seat, looked around the room and remarked dryly:
"Mr. Speaker, looking at those present, I see many pot-bellied Germans. Do they also all suffer from stomach trouble?" Embarrassed, the speaker ignored the question, cut his speech short and sat down.
During the three day riots of November 1938 our offices became a place of refuge for Jews who had fled there. We were located right next door to the Frankfort Fair Buildings, where thousands of Jews were temporarily detained, before being sent to the concentration camps. I witnessed terrible scenes. Driven like cattle through the streets to their place of detention, they were subjugated to barbarous indignities. Among them were members of our Chamber, who had built up the industries of Frankfort, who had donated, every year, millions to charity and who, before the Nazis came into power, had held honorable and respected positions in the community.
None of their former German friends and business partners-- who, not so long ago, felt themselves honored by being invited to their homes--now raised a hand to help them. What was behind this changed behavior? Cowardice, pure and simple. The same kind of cowardice which made it so easy for Hitler and his gangsters to gain complete power over Germany. Germans are absolute tools in the hands of their superiors, too cowardly to refuse to carry out the most atrocious and inhuman orders.
As from 1938 on the spectre of war came closer and closer, the trade between the United States and Germany dwindled more and more, from a commercial standpoint there was hardly any reason why our Chamber of Commerce continued its work in Germany. The motives why we did not close our doors were twofold: First, we had to look after the interests of a number of American firms, which still had large investments in Germany, and secondly, we tried to help our Jewish members, and also Jews who were not members , as much as we could. Many hundreds of Jews, who were able to leave Germany in those exciting days, have to thank our Frankfort Chamber for it (Note: here my father is too modest to mention that he was the Frankfort Chamber of Commerce).
From 1939 on practically 80% of all visitors to our Frankfort Office were Jews. They came there to get letters of introduction to foreign embassies and consulates and also to American Chambers of Commerce in non-occupied countries. They wanted all kinds of information about the United States and about Central-and South American countries. Our telephone directories of American cities were in great demand. In them they tried to find the addresses of friends and relatives.
But soon trouble started. Our Chamber was located in a building which belonged to the City of Frankfort. A large number of offices in this building were occupied by the German Reichsbahn (State Railway). The officials and clerks who, up to the outbreak of the war in September 1939, had been at least outwardly polite, rapidly changed their attitude. Jewish visitors to our Chamber were insulted by them in the hallways, often I heard the expression "American pig" behind my back. The signs were torn from our doors, burning cigars and cigarettes were thrown in our mailbox.
Complaints to the City Authorities only brought vague excuses. The Reichsbahn ignored our letters. During July 1941 matters got so bad that I gave notice. But now I found that, although there were many vacant offices in Frankfort, no landlord would rent them to the American Chamber of Commerce. This, of course, was because of pressure from above. There was only one thing left for me to do--move my office to my residence.
But there my troubles soon got worse instead of better. My apartment occupied the whole second floor of a three family residence. On the first floor a 100% Nazi and his wife were living. Spending over 150 nights in the air raid shelter together had made us fairly well acquainted.
I might also mention here that these same Nazis who adored Hitler and later denounced my father, told one of our cleaning ladies that we did not need to have our aparment cleaned three times a week, and that from now on she would have to work once a week for them. The cleaning lady was too scared to say 'no.' She was the same lady who used to clean my Dad's office when it was still located in the office building.
After the war, they had the nerve to ask us to send them CARE packages!
Right after I had moved my office, the Star of David Order went into effect. Every Jew over five years of age had to wear this star on the outside of their clothing. The many people with the Star of David, who now came to my residence, must have hurt the Aryan feelings of this Nazi, although he never mentioned a word to me and kept on being outwardly polite.
One morning in October 1941, I found a summons in my mailbox ordering me to report the next day at Gestapo Headquarters. I had been denounced! I must admit that I didn't sleep well that night and neither did my wife and daughter. A summons from the Gestapo is a serious matter. Many persons who entered their gate never were seen again alive. I also didn't have a clear conscience, at least not from a Nazi standpoint. I had listened to American and English broadcasts, which even for an American was a penitentiary type of offence in Nazi Germany. Germans, guilty of this offense, risk their heads. I had criticized the Nazi methods of warfare, the persecution of the Jews and of the Christian Churches in talks with people, whom I thought I could trust. But whom can one really trust in a country where children denounce their parents, wives their husbands and brother denounces brother?
When I reported to the Gestapo the next morning, I was informed that I was accused of being on friendly terms with Jews, although 'I must have known that this was strictly forbidden.' I pointed out to the Gestapo Inspector who examined me, that my office was now located at my residence. He cut me off short: "We have been watching you for some time, we also have been watching the meetings your Chamber held. We know that you have been sitting with Jews at the same table during the meetings; you have entertained them at your residence and you have accepted invitations from them" and, looking at a file card, he continued "this happened many times." I asked him if that meant that I was not allowed to receive any more Jewish visitors at the office of the Chamber. He was evasive. All he would say was: "You are living in Germany, you know our attitude towards the Jews, you have our warning, you can go this time."
A few days afterwards the first deportation of Frankfort Jews to Poland took place. Nearly 1500 men, women and children were in this first transport. Some of them were members of our Chamber, former leading business- and professional men of the city on the Main. Again horrible scenes were enacted. Many, who were on the deportation list, committed suicide. Because the American Consulate General in Frankfort was closed on June 30, 1941, a still greater rush of terrified Jews to my office started. Although I could do only very little to help them, I did not have the heart to turn them away.
Every day the mailman brought letters of resignation from our still remaining German associate members. Many of them resigned under pressure from the Gestapo.
On December 11, 1941, three hours before Hitler declared war on the United States, the Gestapo made good their threat. I was arrested and the office of the American Chamber of Commerce was closed. I am not ashamed to say that I was scared, for to fall into the hands of these hangmen of Hitler would scare most anybody.
Although I was a political prisoner, they put me in a cell, in which were already three long term convicts. The food was insufficient, the jailers brutal. As sanitary arrangement we only had a wooden bucket. The cell was in absolute darkness from 6 pm until 6 am. Sleep was hardly possible because of the foul air. I was ill (angina pectoris), but the hard-boiled Nazi doctor refused to even look at me. I asked to see a lawyer, but legal assistance was refused me. I was the only American in the whole district who received such treatment. The Gestapo never forgets! I spent three weeks in that horrible cell.
A week or so later, we were allowed to see him at the jail. He looked so awful, we did not recognize him when we first saw him behind the barred doors of the prison.
On January 1, 1942, a convoy of 60 long term convicts left Frankfort for the concentration camp in Dachau, not far from Munich. I was forced to join this convoy. It was terribly cold. We were locked up in a railroad prison car, which was divided into little individual cells, in which one could hardly move. After 36 hours we reached Munich. From there I was sent to the American Internment Camp in Laufen in Upper Bavaria.
The life there, is a story for itself.
During May 1942, my wife, my daughter and I were exchanged. With the exception of ten Reichsmark each, we had to leave all our money in Germany. Our furniture we also had to leave behind. All we were allowed to take with us was one steamer trunk each and two suitcases each.
While passing through occupied France, one of the Americans, who was sitting in one of the compartments of our car, wanted to close the window shade and pulled the emergency cord by mistake. The train came to a screeching halt and the Gestapo jumped out. They thought it was sabotage. Thank God the matter got cleared up and we continued on our journey.
Should trade relations between the United States and Germany revive again after this war is over, the American Chamber of Commerce in Germany perhaps will start its work again. The same thing happened after World War I was ended. The Chamber at that time was of great help to American firms, which wanted to regain their former trade relations.
The last president of the Chamber was Mr. Louis P. Lochner of the Associated Press of America and the last chairman of the Frankfort Committee of the Chamber was Mr. Charles N. Powers, who was also a Vice President of the Chamber.
