In 1934 a group of rich, well-connected Portlanders tried to get a local leftist they disliked deported to Hitler's Germany (a country he never lived in and claimed he wasn't born in). He would have likely been imprisoned or put to death by Hitler's regime. - ThreadSky

sethcotlar.bsky.social • 2 days ago

In 1934 a group of rich, well-connected Portlanders tried to get a local leftist they disliked deported to Hitler's Germany (a country he never lived in and claimed he wasn't born in). He would have likely been imprisoned or put to death by Hitler's regime.

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Comments

ceu---azul.bsky.social•2 days ago

always such great guys the conservatives /s

petershulman.bsky.social•2 days ago

great thread, Seth.

scasburn.bsky.social•2 days ago

Do you happen to know who those Portlanders were?

sethcotlar.bsky.social•2 days ago

At this point I do not. But I hope to figure that out eventually.

scasburn.bsky.social•2 days ago

Thank you and good luck!

jrehm.bsky.social•2 days ago

It's the "married a woman of Oregon pioneer stock" as if that is some virtue that gets me

evieeternal.bsky.social•2 days ago

This is a lesson, the rich fascists cannot be negotiated with. They need to be gotten rid of.

themaninblackfled.bsky.social•2 days ago

The more I learn about my home city the more I look sideways at yt folk 😂😂🤣🤣

sethcotlar.bsky.social•2 days ago

Here's a longer account of Walter Baer's case from the 1945 Congressional Record. The Governor of Oregon in the mid-1930s, Charles H. Martin, was one of the officials who refused to intervene on Baer's behalf. Martin was a staunchly anti-Red, anti-New Deal Democrat. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Congressional_Record/RbJtG-BrlF0C?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=walter%20baer%20deportation&pg=PA12525&printsec=frontcover

sethcotlar.bsky.social•2 days ago

In 1936 Baer was on a ship in New York harbor about to be deported to Germany when he was saved at the last minute.

jaidne.bsky.social•2 days ago

this reads familiar to how the american government is treating protestors against israel

phidipdbq.bsky.social•2 days ago

That last paragraph is extremely relevant today.

hellsworth406.bsky.social•2 days ago

Alfred Miller, publisher of The Producer News, of Montana, is someone I would love to know more about :)

sethcotlar.bsky.social•2 days ago

This is a flyer from what I believe was a 1935 mass meeting in Portland to protest Baer's deportation.

sethcotlar.bsky.social•2 days ago

The very same week in January 1936 that Baer barely escaped deportation to Hitler's Germany, a German ship flying the swastika flag docked on the river in downtown Portland. The reception it got from the city was generally quite positive. https://www.ohs.org/blog/the-first-time-nazis-marched-in-portland.cfm

tommylamb.bsky.social•2 days ago

That’s kind of a shock, seeing a swastika on a warship docked in Portland.

bole7y.bsky.social•2 days ago

Ugh. Shameful.

frambley1.bsky.social•2 days ago

I worked in SF (it was at Gap hq) for a short time in what must have been 2009. A russian navy ship was docked there at the time and there was russian navy dudes wandering the city. It was very weird.

sethcotlar.bsky.social•2 days ago

Two local residents even got married on the Nazi flag flying ship.

frambley1.bsky.social•2 days ago

gross

sethcotlar.bsky.social•2 days ago

The Nazi ship's soccer team played a friendly match against a local Portland team. That match was held in the stadium in which the Timbers and Thorns currently play...as a season ticket holder for both teams, I can confidently say that those sites are not Nazi-friendly sites today.

benfranklinsaid.bsky.social•2 days ago

🤯

gpijanowski.bsky.social•2 days ago

Sewage disposal used to be considered a radical idea.

molliestratton.bsky.social•2 days ago

Now I’m wondering if there was a Wow Hall in Portland back then. The only Wow Hall now is in Eugene. Side note. The rest of this story is horrifying.

davidrlurie.bsky.social•2 days ago

Of course, the ACLU - which also supported the Nazis right to rally in NYC - supported Baer.

starlinger.bsky.social•2 days ago

Seriously rude neighbors.

catsluck.bsky.social•2 days ago

It doesn't matter who you are or where you're born. If you get in the way of their plans they can lie about you and destroy your life using the force of the federal government.

sergiol652.bsky.social•2 days ago

Love that sport fishermen were supporting him

rwreports.bsky.social•2 days ago

it says he told the authorities he was born in the US and moved to Germany at 6 months and moved back 5 years later

deaconblues555.bsky.social•2 days ago

Portland has an interesting history,doesn't it?

petewestpark.bsky.social•2 days ago

It's weird that my great-grandfather was referred to as an Alien Enemy on his WWI draft registration card. He was a baker.

He died in 1935, then his 5 sons fought for the US in WWII. I honestly have no idea how he was treated in the early 30s, but I wonder.

alherix.bsky.social•2 days ago

There were a lot of Americans in 1930s who were supporting Nazis. USA did not get into WWII in Europe until December 11, 1941 when Germany and Italy declared war on USA after they declared war on Japan post Pearl Harbour attack.

Americans should stop and think about their past Nazi sympathies

chbarts.bsky.social•2 days ago

A minority supported the Nazis, and America was supporting the British and the Soviets with massive lend-lease programs well before we were officially fighting the war.

alherix.bsky.social•2 days ago

The Land Lease Act was passed on 11. March 1941 so just 6 months before USA entered WWII. However, Hitler invaded Poland on 1. September 1939. Britain and France declared war on Germany on 3.September 1939.

Over 18 months had elapsed between start of WWII in Europe and USA being at war with Germany

alherix.bsky.social•2 days ago

Should have been Lend Lease Act! It followed Neutrality Act of 1937 otherwise referred to as “cash and carry” where Britain and France could buy goods (no arms) in America, pay at the time and have third country ships transport them!

So no, Americans sat on the fence for a long period.

alherix.bsky.social•2 days ago

In Gallup poll in early September 1939, Americans were specifically asked if the U.S. should declare war on Germany in support of England, France and Poland and should deploy forces to assist those countries. Americans were strongly opposed, with 90% rejecting the idea and 8% in favor.

chbarts.bsky.social•2 days ago

Being opposed to war doesn't mean you support either side, as all the non-Hamas-supporting people who wanted a ceasefire in Gaza will tell you. At its peak, the German-American Bund could get all of 20,000 people to attend a rally, and protestors fought them physically.

alherix.bsky.social•2 days ago

I have added references to relevant legislation from US Congress that clearly shows America was trying to maintain neutral stance for as long as they were not directly endangered. Hence several Neutrality Acts

https://history.state.gov/milestones/1921-1936/neutrality-acts?utm_source=perplexity

alherix.bsky.social•2 days ago

Link in the Gallup Vault

https://news.gallup.com/vault/265865/gallup-vault-opinion-start-world-war.aspx