862.4061 Merry Widow/2: Telegram
The Chargé in Germany (White) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 26—10:10 a.m.]
12. Your 5 January 24, 6 p.m. Foreign film exhibitors in Germany have “kontingent” of specified number of such film they may show. When about to exhibit they ask “kontingentschein” for permission to use one of their contingent. This permission refused for “Merry Widow” which consequently is not eligible for submission to board of censors. Informed that treatment of Merry Widow is merely one of numerous instances where American film refused admission. The reason though well understood is not openly admitted by German film authorities, it is that while disposed to view askance all Jews of whatever nationality they perhaps object to showing any film where a German non-Aryan emigrant is concerned even though such a person may have left Germany before Nazi revolution. In the present case a German believed to be the director Ernst Lubitch.
In view of the number of cases where such discrimination exists any protest should preferably not be based on one film but on general grounds such as discrimination against American artists.