ATTACK ON NAZIS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 June 1938, Page 7

ATTACK ON NAZIS

ADDRESS TO VON LUCKNER

ON HIS YACHT COUNT DECLARES HIMSELF INSULTED NOT CONCERNED WITH POLITICS SYDNEY, June 8. Count von Luckner got the surprise of his life aboard his yacht, the Seeteufel, today when he received a group from a school of modern writers who expressed the desire to present him with an “address of welcome.” He was compelled to listen to things about Nazi Germany which literally made him boil with indignation. The address of welcome consisted of a parchment scroll, read by Mr H. Collingwood in the presence of his silent colleagues. The text of the address began: “In the name of the tens of thousands of political prisoners incarcerated in German concentration camps, the tens of thousands of victims who have deen treated with unspeakable barbarity in brown houses and the tens of thousands of pacifists, Socialists, Liberals and Jews condemned to slow, economic strangulation ” Von Luckner heard only the first few lines before crying out: “Gentlemen, gentlemen." He placed his hands over his ears and appeared bewildered. Mr Collingwood, undaunted, read the remainder of the “address,” which was a trenchant condemnation of Nazi rule and Nazi persecution of scientists and the churches, and concluded by welcoming von Luckner to "our free and democratic Australia." Count von Luckner was now thoroughly indignant. He described the address as an insult. He declared that he was not concerned with politics, and rebuked the writers for coming aboard his yacht as guests and reading such a document. A hot argument ensued before the writers withdrew insisting that their address was not intended as an insult to Count von Luckner personally.