 You can't do business with Hitler. We are now at war. There are but two alternatives. Total victory or total defeat. There can be no such thing as a military stalemate that would result in the survival of Hitlerism. That is the opinion of a man who knows. Douglas Miller. For 15 years commercial attaché to the American Embassy in Berlin. With nothing a radio series adapted from Mr. Miller's book, you can't do business with Hitler. Episode 2. Broken promises. This is Douglas Miller speaking. To win this war we must do more than defeat the armies and enemies of the Axis powers. We have to exterminate the Nazi party. You can't kill a weed unless you pull out the roots. The Nazis must never again be able to carry on the same vicious kind of propaganda and trade attack they used before this war started. I said trade, attack. I mean by that that international trade as the Nazis practice it, is a weapon. A weapon to soften up enemies for the military and during the six year period leading up to the outbreak of the war in 1939 the Nazis continually tried to sabotage American business in Europe. Here's how the Nazis worked it. Consider for example the case of Martin T. Johnson. Johnson represented an American firm that had been importing large into Germany and other parts of Europe. One day in 1934 he came to my office in Berlin. Mr. Miller. I'm hardly fed up with the way the Nazis treat American business men. The word of a Nazi? No better than that of a low-grade racketeer. Tell me what's the trouble. I'll see what I can do. The Nazis are permitting us to import large into Germany only up to a quota of 40 percent, aren't they? Yes. In other words, only 40 percent as much as you used to import. Sure. And remember when we kicked about getting cut down so low? The Nazis said that every other country was getting the same thing. True enough, the Nazis have a commercial treaty with the United States government promising not to discriminate against American business men. What would you say if I told you that the Nazis have deliberately broken that treaty? Broken the treaty? How do you know that? Because I've got the go John. Here. Take a look at this magazine article. Let me see. According to the secret treaty the German Reich has granted Danish exporters the right to... Say what is it? That's a Danish agricultural magazine. And what you are reading is the text that the Nazis have with Denmark granting them the right to import large up to 65 percent of the quota. Yes, it's right here in cold print. Mr. Miller, this is ranked discrimination. The Nazis promise artificial treatment and then sneak off and make a secret agreement on the side. Can't you do something about it? Well, as commercial attaché of the American embassy I can protest at the German foreign office. I seem to be forever protesting and getting nowhere. Yes, that can be arranged, of course. I tell you what we'll do, Mr. Johnson. Following day, Mr. Johnson and I called at the German foreign office. We were ushered into the presence of a certain Nazi official. But I assure you, Mr. Miller, this company of Mr. Johnson's is being printed as fairly as those of any other country. I don't think so, Air Hoffman. You're only permitting Mr. Johnson to import large up to 40 percent of the quota. I happen to know you're letting the Danes import large up to 65 percent of the quota. Do you call that pet treatment? Nine, nine half million. That is for the past of us. No such discrimination exists. Mr. Johnson, show Air Hoffman that magazine article. With pleasure. Take a look at this, Air Hoffman. But what is it? It's the text of your secret agreement with Denmark. That's what it is. A secret treaty with Denmark? Haven't you ever seen that treaty before, Air Hoffman? Now that you mention it, Air Miller, I have here. In fact, I have a copy right here in my desk. So you knew right along then. This is the dirtiest piece of underhanded cooking as I've ever seen. Well, Johnson, I deeply shopped. Air Hoffman, you must understand that Mr. Johnson is thinking of the interests of his American investors. Yeah, I understand that. Oh, then you admit your government has plagued and plagued this regard. Oh, no. The point is this, Air Hoffman, what would you advise us to do now? I... I suppose you can submit the protest. I've already submitted a number of protests, most of which weren't even answered. Well, that is the only advice I can give you. I see. Well, then, thank you, Air Hoffman. Come, Mr. Johnson, I think we'd better run along. Yes, I suppose so. Air Miller, just a moment. Yes. You've always been friendly, Air Miller. I hope this little incident will not disturb our personal relationship. After all, you understand that. Well, if you understand, I must make a living somehow. Well... Come and see me again any time I can help you, gentlemen. Good day, Air Hoffman. Well, Mr. Miller, that's that, I guess. I'm afraid so. I'm sorry I couldn't help you, Mr. Johnson. No, that's all right. It represents the loss of millions of dollars for my company. But, after all, you're not responsible. There's only one thing to do, Mr. Johnson, and if I were you, I'd do it. What's that? Get out of Germany and stay out. You might as well face it. You can't do business with Hitler. And that's what happened to Mr. Johnson. This case is typical of hundreds of others. Sounds unbelievable, doesn't it? But if you want proof, get the September 1940 issue of the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Sciences. Turn to page 51 and read how, because of the Nazi treacherous tactics law and exports from America to Germany dropped from 93,000 tons in 1929 to a mere 55 tons by 1937. Remember, when you're dealing with the Nazis, you're dealing with men who will use any gangster method to get the best of you. Blackmail, for instance. Our favorite Nazi device. I remember the representative of a soft drink firm who came to my office. Mr. Miller, my firm is having trouble with the Nazi authorities. I'm afraid there are a lot of people in that boat, Mr. Hartman. We were doing fine before Hitler came to power, but we've had nothing but trouble since. But what kind of trouble do you have? Well, the Nazis have forced German doctors to testify that the soft drink we turn out is injurious to health. And it isn't, of course. Certainly not. We've also had trouble with the police. They demand we tear down some of our buildings. They say they don't measure up to the building code. Well, Mr. Hartman, here's what probably has happened. German soft drink manufacturers no doubt have their representatives in the German Ministry of Economics. This is their way of driving you out and getting all the business with themselves. But it's unfair, obviously. But you're not in America now, Mr. Hartman. You're in Nazi Germany. But can't everything be done? Well, like, get in touch with the Nazi party and see, and they did, of course, quite a bit of money. And I'm willing to pay quite a bit of money. If these are that, I'll go completely broke. So I contacted the Nazi party. I was told they would take care of Mr. Hartman's case. About a week later... Mr. Hartman, about a week later... Mr. Miller, there's a cow-cannon here to see you. Cannon? I don't know any cow-cannon. He's a member of the Nazi party. All decked out in a beautiful brown uniform and fifty kills. He acts like he's heaven's gift to the entire world. Oh, I see. Is he a young fellow? Not over thirty. Shall I tell him you're too busy to see him? On the contrary, uh, send him in this morning. Very well, but get ready for a storm and don't say I didn't warn you. You may go ahead, Mr. Miller. Darn it, sir. Ah, Mr. Miller, I say glad to meet you. I am Carl Kerner, a propaganda leader of the province of Saxony. How do you do, Herr Kerner? No, thank you. I prefer to stand. Now, what can I do for you, Herr Miller? Well, uh, Mr. Hartman, an American friend of mine, I presented him the American soft drink manufacturer. How did you know? The Nazi party has a way of discovering such things, Herr Miller. Well, uh, Mr. Hartman tells me that an unfair mission travels and he is afraid the authorities might drive him out of business and he wants you to help him. Yes, sir. That's just about it. That's precisely it, Herr Ritter. Now, I am the man to explicate your friends on his difficulties. That is, if he wants my help, I'm sure he would welcome your help. Good. Then here is what he must do. Appoint me a member of this board of directors. Oh, I see. And what, uh... salary would you expect, Herr Kierner? Eight hundred dollars a month. Eight hundred dollars a month? Precisely. Well, I'll have to consult Mr. Hartman about that. Are you, uh, sure you can help him? Absolutely. I'm already helping 17 other companies who are having similar difficulties. I very much enjoy helping found firms. I see. It doesn't, uh, pay very much, like the work. What a sense of humor your Americans have. Yes, uh, haven't we? No. Persecuting foreign firms and then making them pay off to relieve the pressure is an old trick of the Nazi party leaders. In the case of Mr. Hartman, his firm paid eight hundred dollars a month merely to gain the privilege of staying in business. This would have been a bad enough bargain, even if the Nazis had lived up to it. But Nazis never lived up to the bargain. Hartman soon found himself. A few months later... Hello? Just a minute, please. It's Mr. Hartman, Mr. Miller. He wants to speak to you. Well, thank you. Well, hello, Mr. Hartman. I haven't heard from you for quite a while. I thought you were paying character, and I'd take care of that thing. Oh. Oh, that's too bad. Well, I'll do what I can. All right. Goodbye. What's wrong, Mr. Miller? Now, the Nazis have ruled that Mr. Hartman's soft drink is Jewish and will pollute any pure area in his races. Oh, fantastic. Mr. Hartman's firm is Jewish, and even if it were, how could that possibly make any difference? I know, Mr. Lord. This Jewish line is merely a blind, of course. The truth of the matter is, Carl Chenner's superior wasn't getting a big enough cut out of that eight hundred dollars, so he banged down on Hartman. I don't know some of the labor funds. Perhaps he can suggest some way out of this. So I called on Dr. Lay. This high Nazi official suggested that the American soft drink manufacturers pay the expenses of a Nazi delegation to go to the United States and investigate whether or not the soft drink was actually Jewish. In spite of the high cost involved, the American firm agreed and the delegation was sent. Finally, the delegation returned and made out a report that the soft drink was not Jewish and could be enjoyed by any pure Aryan without danger of contamination. By this time, the American firm had paid out a good deal of money in the hope that the troubles were ended. But troubles never end when one is dealing with a Nazi. In a few months, the Nazi officials who had been causing all the trouble came out with a ruling that even though the soft drink was not Jewish, it was still a foreign drink and therefore could not be consumed by any true German. For the third time, Mr. Hartman came to me first. Well, what are we to do now, Mr. Miller? Well, Mr. Hartman, you might as well face the facts. You're trying to do business with totalitarians and it just doesn't work out. However, you have one or three courses of action left. And what are they? Well, first you can go to this Nazi official and see how much it'll cost you but he's already blackmailed me out of thousands of dollars. What are the other alternatives? The second thing you can do is close your business and go back to the United States. And that's what I'd advise. But you said there were three courses of action. What's the third? Well, uh... if a Nazi firm was in the same fix as you are, they might consider having the official assassinated. Assassinated? I wouldn't shed too many tears to see some of these people assassinated. But Americans just don't do those things. No, but that's what you're up against. Face facts, Mr. Hartman. You can't do business with Hitler. You have been listening to the second broadcast in a series entitled You Can't Do Business with Hitler. This series relates the actual experiences of Douglas Miller, who was, for 15 years, commercial attaché to the American Embassy in Berlin. Listen for the third broadcast in this series which is entitled No American Goods Wanted. This program is prepared and directed by Frank Talbert and brought to you by the Office for Emergency Management in Washington.