16—Friday, July 29, 1966

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Spengler's Letters Reveal Stand
Against Hitler: Author of Book
on West Faced. Prison Camp

Oswald Spengler, author of "The • dents are recorded, and valuable
Decline of the West," was for a exchanges of views with important
time the idol of the Nazis. Then figures of his time — and about
there was a mutual disenchant- Nazi and other leaders — will be
found in these letters. Knopf has,
ment.
In "Letters of Oswald Spengler: indeed, produced an important ad-
1913-1936," published by Knopf; dendum to "The Decline of the
selected and translated from the West" which his firm originally
German by Arthur Helps, it is re- issued in two volumes in 1926 and
vealed that Spengler faced perse- 1928.
—P. S.
cution by Hitler, that "if he had
lived a few years longer (he died
May 7, 1939) he might have found
his way to a concentration camp,"
but he owed his immunity from
such persecution to his friendship
with the Wagner family. Richard
Wagner was Hitler's idol. The note
referred to states that "Hitler is
There is no doubt that Irvin
said to have been greatly struck Faust writes well. He is imagin-
by Winifred, the British--born wife ative. His ideas seem to create
of Siegfried Wagner."
a new style of writing with a
In his introduction, A. M. Kok- jumble of meaningless words.
tenek states that "Spengler be-
Action, love, sex — lots of it —
longed to the Nationalist Right," extramarital experiences, the book
that hatred and distrust were his is full of them. The Jewish re-
guides, hatred for France, dis- lationships are dragged in. They
trust towards the revolutionaries can, of course, be dragged in at
of 1918 and for the creators of the will.
republic . . . This was as near as
But why do reviewers get so
Spengler got to National Social-
excited about lots of capitalized
ism . . . Nevertheless, Spengler re-
jected National Socialism. For this nonsence like YOBBOU OBRAND
MOBBEE HOBBAVE BOBBEEN,
there are various reasons: he did COBBONED, SCROBEWED BOB-
not believe in the Race-theory.
BYE, etc., etc.
Hitler did not appeal to him as
"The Steagle" is the Jewish
the hoped-for leader personality.
The one interview between them professor of English, Harold
in Bayreuth in 1933 was a disap- Aaron Weissburg. Around him re-
pointment to Spengler. His repug- volves the story into which are
nance to the dictator had an earli- melted many characters, drawing
er origin, dating from the days of in Cuba, Vietnam, Israel.
Among- the episodes is one of a
the Munich Putsch in 1923 . . . "
shiksa, but there are many other
From another footnote, we learn
sex incidents. If Weissburg is
that "Spengler objected to the post-
ing of notices by the Nazis, `Juden hin-
likened to Herzog, what a howl
aus' — 'In England every foreigner
of protests we may hear !
is recognized as an Englishman, so
long as he uses his talents, means
Actually, there is lots of non-
and connections for the good of Eng-
sense in this story, the excite-
land.' "
ment over the novel is puzzling.
In one of Spengler's letters (Mu- Good writing has led an able au-
nich, Feb. 14, 1917) there is this thor into a literary sex orgy.
reference to Jews: "I can well un-
derstand why Jewish novelists in Peace
particular, imitate Flaubert.
I beliee -Le without a shadow of
Stendhal as a modern is beyond doubt that science and peace will
their reach. A Jew like a French- finally triumph over ignorance and
man has intelligence and tech- war, and that the nations of the
nique. He can be an artist but no earth will ultimately agree not to
more . . . " destroy but to build up. — Louis
There are few other negative Pasteur (1822-1895).
notes. But in a letter to Spengler
from Alfred Jeremias (Leipzig,
ELECT . . .
July 2, 1927) there is a reference
to Spengler's inquiry about Jere-
SEYMOUR
mias' "Religious Culture Hand-
book," and Jeremias wrote:
"The Jewish question has also
State Representative
taken a lot of time. Modern Jeru-
Republican-16th Dist.
salem is aging because I do not
Political Advertisement
recognize Reform Jewry. But the
Martin Buber party harass me
with their sympathy. The confer-
ences in Budapest and Warsaw
were of burning interest. In other
conutries there is a powerful move-
ment for a future Jewish-Christi-
anity. I am sending you an article
from 'Jews.' "

`The Steagle' .. .
What a Puzzle .. .
What Nonsense

MARKOWITZ

JACK FAXON

State Representative
Democrat-15th District

We endorse and urge your support for the re-election of Jack Faxon
to the Michigan House of Representatives.

The legislative record Representative Jack Faxon has developed
is one of solid achievement. As Chairman of the House Ways and
Means Subcommittee on Appropriations he has taken the initiative
in securing vital increases in general school aid and greater finan-
cial support for our state colleges and universities. This is matched
by other achievements in helping to secure the passage of bills to
protect consumers in home modernization, establish the Michigan
Council for the Arts to encourage cultural activities, expand our
community health program, better the enforcement of the Kosher
Food Laws and advance many other constructive measures.

For continued responsible and effective representation help

RE-ELECT JACK FAXON.

Signed:

Robert Alpern
Harold Berry
Irving Cane
Dr. Abraham Citron
Mrs. I. Goodman Cohen
Zeldon Cohen
Avern Cohn
Melvin Ehrenfreund
Dr. Herbert Goldstein
Mrs. Irving Goodman
Dr. John Grekin

Dr. Leonard Gordon
Hondon Hargrove
Richard Kux
Dr. Samuel Lerman
Irving L. Levine
Richard Lobenthal
Milton J. Miller
Professor Harold Norris
Mrs. Annette S. Rand
Sol Schwarz
Melvin Weisz

Paid Political Advertisement

EIGHT Mal It0Ae.

GIVE THE NATION MICHIGAN'S BEST

There are friendly tones in the ex-
change of letters between Spengler
and Walter Rathenau (Munich, May
11, 1918, and Berlin, May 15, 1918).

Among the interesting letters to
Spengler is one from Roderich
Schlubach (Feb. 11, 1934), who
wrote:
". .. Roosevelt, who at the bot-
tom of his soul perhaps subscribes
to Fascist principles or allows
himself to be influenced by this
line of thought, is not strong
enough, like Mussolini or Hitler,
to free himself from the concep-
tions of past times, namely from
the liberal democratic point of
view . . . His chief adviser in fi-
nance questions . . . is a certain
Morgenthau. This man is the son
of the former American ambassa-
dor to Constantinople, who was
considered particularily suitable
for Constantinople, owing to his
Galician origin. Further Roosevelt
has advisers like Strauss, War-
burg, and similar Jewish fellow
workers . . . They are dragging
Roosevelt back into the old chan-
nels . . . "
What amazing ideas emerge
from these pages!
Many important historical inci-

VOTE AUGUST 2

PENN

VULLERTOH

RE-ELECT CONGRESSWOMAN

VREMAN

MARTHA W.

I GRIFFITHS

mg *Mk

27

17at

Congressio nal

District

DEMOCRAT

Paid for by Volunteers for Griffith, Helen C. Bryant, Chairman