Reports just received from Munich tell of the detention by the Fascisti crowd which packed the brewery where the Hitler-Ludenderf short-lived putch was proclaimed, of Dr. M. Hindes, special Jewish Telegraphic Agency investigator in Bavaria, together with two other journalists, one an American woman. Dr. Hindes and his colleagues made their escape through a side door, thanks to the commotion in the brewery on the night of November 8th.
The correspondents proceeded to the Burgherbrau cellar where celebration of nationalist societies was in progress in honor of Dictator Von Kahr. The streets swarmed with Hitlerists wearing steel helmets, arrayed in full military equipment displaying black Swastikas on the white armlets. The audience exceeding a thousand nationalists included but three Jews, viz. the three newspaper correspondents.
The trouble started when the Chairman Zentz in congratulating Von Kahr called for a happier and better Germany. “Without Jews!” was the interruption which greeted the Chairman’s remarks.
At half past nine, Lieutenant Hitler broke into the hall and while Hitlerists guarded the exits the Fascisti leader proclaimed the revolution against the “Jewish Government in Berlin.” His followers in the meantime searched through the audience, brandishing pistols and swords reminiscent of Ukrainian pogromists. While the search for Jews was going on none were allowed to leave the hall. Ministers and high officials suspected of lack of sympathy for the putch were arrested and led outside the hall.
Hitler then invited the newspapermen to the platform. When the second in command cried out his discovery that the “pressmen were all Jews,” one of the Fascisti thrust a rifle at Dr. Hindes’ breast until approached by Hitler. Hindes was chosen by his two colleagues as the spokesmen and he demanded to be released.
“We waited five years, surely the pressmen may also wait,” was Hitler’s reply.
A group of the Hitlerists in the meantime started the well-known Hitler tune to the words, “Schmeisst heraus die ganze Hudenbande, Schmeisst sie heraus aus unser Vaterlande.” Shouts of “What a pity there are no Jews here to kill!” resounded through the hall, together with the song. Drunk with excitement the Hitlerists forget entirely about their journalist captives and the correspondents, taking advantage of the situation, escaped through a side door.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
