Our Man in Vienna

A Volunteer

“For those who can fight, and resist, and stick together, and stick to their guns, I have the greatest respect! Yes, even if Hitler were living now, he would also admit that the Jews are a spunky race. – I would be ready to join them now and help them in their fight! – No, I am not joking! Absolutely! I am not joking! – And do you know why? Because the democratic world is too weak and isn’t fit to exist! I warned them for 25 years, but now I see that the Jews have determination and spunk. They will yet dominate the world, mark my word! And I would be glad to help lead them to victory because they are strong and tenacious, and I know Jewry. I have spunk too! And I can stick to my guns! – And if the Jews would be willing to accept me as one of them, I would fight for them, because when I believe in something, I know how to fight!

“I have studied them so long, that I suppose I have adapted myself to their characteristics – at least I could lead a group in Palestine. I am not joking. I’ll give it to you in writing. I’ll make a proposition. Let me address a gathering at Madison Square Garden in New York. – It would be a sensation!

“Oh, I don’t think we have exterminated as many as they say, I don’t think it was six million. I figure it was perhaps four million. And according to my figures there were 16 million Jews in the world, including those of mixed blood, but they are spread out in important positions all over the world, and they are destined to rule the world, and since I know their plans so well, I could help. Of course I will have to be given a furlough after the sentence.”[1]

These words were spoken by Julius Streicher on July 26, 1949 to G. M. Gilbert, the official American court psychologist at the Nuremberg Trial, on July 26, 1946.

Yes, the man who was editor of Der Stürmer, the official Nazi Party anti-Semitic Newspaper for a quarter of a century, volunteered to go to Palestine to help Jews in establishing a Jewish state.

No, you can’t laugh about that since Streicher, not only stirred up hatred for a quarter of a century, but he helped organize pogroms and participated in them. So there is no laughing or chuckling.

Streicher was appointed gauleiter (district leader) of Franconia by Hitler, but he was stripped of that post in 1940. What were his transgressions? He slandered Hermann Göring, claiming that his fellow Nazi was impotent that that Hermann’s daughter was a test tube baby. And he was accused of being corrupt. What was corruption? Streicher not only stole from Jews, but also from his fellow Nazis. However, due to Hitler’s intervention, he was able to keep his editorial post. After all, who could do a better job at demeaning Jews than Julius?

“If you can’t lick ‘em, join ‘em!” is the way it’s put in the States. So Streicher offered to go to Palestine on “furlough.” Well, the judges didn’t have “furlough” in mind and Streicher’s last walk took him up wooden steps. But if he had been able to go to Jerusalem, the Jews there
would have made short shrift of him.