5.1.3 Der Alberta Herold The Alberta Herold re-appeared in another incarnation in as a bi-weekly, edited by Otto Tangermann who was a leader of the Edmonton Ortsgruppe of the Deutscher Bund (see 3.6.2). Its editorial policy was strongly völkisch, admiring in the strongest possible terms the achievements of Nazi Germany. On March 16, 1938, under the heading “Ein Volk - ein Reich - ein Führer” the paper reported in glowing terms about Austria’s anschluss and sent very best wishes to the new state.1 It claimed that the German-Canadians were full of enthusiasm for the anschluss, especially the local Austrians. The editor expressed his hope that this would be a signal for the Germans in Canada to be “welded together” as well.2 Five weeks later the Alberta Herold trumpeted the organisation of a Grossdeutscher Festabend in which the anschluss was celebrated. The speakers were Paul Abele (see Chapter 9), F. Leikert (see Chapter 9) and A. Triska, who spoke on behalf of the City of Vienna emphasizing the development of the “German idea” under Georg von Schönerer [a fervent supporter of pan-Germanism and German nationalism in Austria in the late 19th and early 20th century]. There were more speeches, and then a record was played with Hitler speeches. The Horst Wessel-Lied [“Die Fahne hoch …”] concluded the official part of the celebrations.3 In , the Alberta Herold and the Deutsche Zeitung für Canada (see below) came to an agreement under which Alberta readers could get both papers at reduced rates ($1.75/year), which was considered ideal because the two papers agreed in spirit anyhow.4 Until its demise in the Alberta Herold railed against the alleged defamation of the new Germany, rejected all allegations that there were Nazis in Canada and defended the Deutscher Bund. It carried on editorial warfare against the Edmonton Bulletin and the Edmonton Journal for printing stories about alleged atrocities against the Jews that never occurred and never would. It championed the Deutsche Tage, pleaded for ethnic solidarity and, from May 1938 on, solicited support for a summer camp for German-Albertan youth between the ages of 7 and 18 to be established at Sylvan Lake (apparently the fundraisers not very successful: for example, at the Christmas celebrations of the Deutsch-canadischer Nationalverband in a mere $3.44 was collected for the establishment of a German summer camp;5 in $6.75 was collected at a performance by the theater group of the In Treue fest German club in Hay Lakes).6 In addition to publishing news from across Alberta and Canada the paper kept reprinting columns and articles from Germany on such topics as “Deutschland und die Judenfrage” and “Die Frau im Dritten Reich.” The Alberta Herold also insinuated that the Jews and the Communists were trying to undermine the newly found German spirit in Alberta. The paper was just as anti-Semitic in reporting and making snide references to Jews as its very big brother, the Deutsche Zeitung für Canada. In the paper reported that a protest meeting against the German government had taken place in Edmonton’s Rialto Theatre on November 27. 7 1,200 left-wingers were present, the paper said. Rabbi Eisen (serving at Edmonton’s Beth Shalom Synagogue, the first English-speaking rabbi west of Winnipeg) had been the main speaker. A resolution was passed condemning the Nazi government for its racial and religious persecutions. It was claimed, the Alberta Herold mused, that the vote was unanimous, but clearly it wasn’t because a few days later a letter to the editor in a local paper appeared to indicate otherwise: Apparently a few people were not prepared to welcome Jewish refugees in Canada. If Canada did not “love the Jews enough to invite them to her shores, then Canadians should remain very quiet at this time.” The Alberta Herold said that a Social Crediter who was at the meeting could now appreciate much better why Germany was dealing with its Jews the way it was. He would do whatever he could to prevent them from coming here, the person said.8 A few weeks later, the Alberta Herold published an anti-Semitic letter from a reader (D.E. Hartmann) in Westlock who was upset about Rabbi Eisen because he was allegedly sowing discord and hate. The writer called on Christians “to make sure that the Jews get what they deserve.”9 At about the same time, the paper insinuated that the defamation of Germans was only a diversionary tactic to cover up certain activities in eastern Canada—carried out exclusively by non-Germans [Canadian fascists, the National Unity Party], which demanded the exclusion of all Jews from the state. But Germans would not react well, the paper said. Pressure causes counter-pressure. German-Canadians have a right to be left in peace by the Jewish defamers and its mouthpiece, the press.10 The anti-Rabbi Eisen outburst of hate reared its ugly head again in the paper in . The Alberta Herold was upset about a report in the Edmonton media that Rabbi Eisen had claimed to have been the object of threats and hate letters and had alleged that there were three Nazi organizations in Edmonton who took their orders from Winnipeg, etc. Why would he make these ridiculous accusations? The rabbi also claimed, according to the Alberta Herold, that he was asked by a reader in Westlock to switch his radio broadcast to another time slot so as not to “spoil the Christian Sunday with the Devil’s hate.” The Westlock letter writer (D. E. Hartmann?) had continued that Christ was no Jew and no one could prove it to him that he was. The Alberta Herold said that this letter was proof that no “demands” were made of Rabbi Eisen to stop his radio program.11 In the Alberta Herold reported that on June 21, 1939 the first meeting of the National Unity Party in Edmonton had taken place. A Mr. Hartmann (very likely D. E. Hartmann from Westlock, the rabid anti-Semite) was the authorized representative of the party headed by Adrien Arcand (a Montreal journalist who led a series of fascist political movement). 60 people were said to have been present at the meeting. Among other remarks, Mr. Hartmann said that Freemasons and Jews would not be accepted into the Party because the Party was fighting against them with all means at its disposal.12 As has been pointed out before, the extent of support—if any—for such views expressed in the Alberta Herold among the German-Albertan community cannot be demonstrated. It should be noted, however, that the paper always ran advertisements by many German businesses, trades people and professionals just as they did in the Courier und der Herold at the same time. The Alberta Herold stopped publication with the outbreak of war.

1 AH, March 16, 1938, 1. 2 AH, March 16, 1938, 3. 3 AH, April 27, 1938, 2. 4 AH, April 27, 1938, 2. 5 AH, Dec. 21, 1938, 2. 6 AH, June 21, 1939, 2. 7 AH, Dec. 7, 1938, 2. 8 AH, Dec. 7, 1938, 2. 9 AH, Dec. 21, 1938, 4, 5. 10 AH, Dec. 21, 1938, 2. 11 AH, March 15, 1939, 2. 12 AH, July 7, 1939, 2.