U. 4 JC v 143 ft3r^^ j?9" MAY <955 j > - ^ File N^pber: (mm Registry 1 Religious persecution in Germany. Number /C 4324/239/18 Transmits letter of 14th May received from ' Archbishop of York forwarding copy letter of same date F R O M Yacht Racing sent to British Olympic Association asking that body m w J W C l l r Association. to send letter to Herr Hitler (draft enclosed) Wo. appealing to him to inaugurate forthcoming Olympic games by declaring amnesty for benefit of a l l those DateU M B V. 1 Q,. ^ i y o Enquires whether Yacht Racing Association may J 1 - imprisoned for religious or racial reasons. ^ 1 CENTRAL. S^SSL in +v, <%t\me P^perly accede to Archbishop's request that they inregtstry <jj 9 th May;1935 should support this appeal. Germany. Last Paper. (Minut*».) H References. <^^^ «^ «CycUy^U C<riA+sL*s u.l^c'^6v ( Jjt^fif*^u, ^^-t-^v. ck&)yvr\*~x I ~ (Print.) T^U^t t U^-t) / C c * ^.'cot ^ ^ ^" (Hoyfdisposed of.) \ ~ (Action (Index.) -MS Next Paper. - y ^Af^^^B
r = 144 Address MAJOR B. HECKSTALLSMITH. \ ( % j\ jl Q /J H Secretary. Y.R.A., ^. J) ^ ' St. Mary Cray, ST. M A R Y C R A Y KENT. Telegrams: Heck.tall Smith, i QQ li AY Q35 1 P St. Mary Cray. I, ^ ' ^ J JuA^oLurvtAtU (At, C*t**+4^L ^ idu. ^*y+m (t^u*^ CA^yj^ zu^u^i^ fcru&ssrxi I ^ flgy We ^ SAW yt+a^cmz^ 4 ^ ^ ^
145 u (C 4324/239/18) York. " COPY Bisnoptnorpe, Private and Confidential 1 4 t h U a?, 1935. Dear Sir, I enclose for the consideration of your committee a copy of a letter wuich I have today sent to tue Olympic Games Committee, and a copy of a letter wuicn I hope that tne Olympic Committee will sent to tierr hitler. If your committee can agree to support tnis appeal, I shall be extremely grateful. Yours faitnfully, (Signed) WILLIAM EBOR.
COPY (C 4324/239/18) Bisuopthorpe, PRIFATE AND CONFIDENTIAL York. 14tn May, 1935. Dear Siacs, I hope you will forgive me for approacaing you on this suhject, but I know that many people, including many athletes feel strongly about i t. The nature of our concern is indicated in the enclosed letter which I hope your Committee may see its way to send to nerr hitler. I am assured by those wno know Germany well, and wuo are in close touch with German athletes, that an appeal of thie description will be welcomed by the saner elementa in Germany, who hate the present tendencies as much as we do. Furthermore I am assured tnat the Britisu Olympic Committee mignt easily succeed where a l l others have failed. It is difficult, perhaps, for an Englishman, ao I nave been told, to realise the enormous prestige of Great Britain in tne world of sport, a prestige which is unaffected either by our victories or by our defeats in particular sporting events, but Wiiich depends on tue fact that we invented most of tne games wnich we have taught the world to play, and that we are s t i l l regarded as the final court of appeal in everything wnich concerns tae spirit in wuich games should be played. I am assured that those wno are entirely unaffected by any appeal to the old-fashionedmoral code, and who accept witn equanimity the a l l but universal condemnation of cruelty axid injustice wuich have stained the record8 of tae present regime in /Germany
I COPY (C 4324/239/18) J f PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL Sir, The Britisu Olympic Committee have resolved to appeal to Your Excellency to follow tue precedent of the ancient Olympic Games wuich were, as Your Excellency is aware, inaugurated by a general truce. We appeal to Your Excellency to show yourself no less generous than the Greeks, and to issue a general act of amnesty for tne benefit of a l l those who are suffering imprisonment for religious or racial reasons. International sport may either conduce to friendly relations or exasperate unfriendly relations. If the Olympic Games in Germany in to f u l f i l their historic mission, they must, as Your Excellency will agree, open in an atmospnere of friendship and reconciliation. Your Excellency will readily understand tne special reluctance of athletes wuo are also sincere Christians mmwm to compete in a country in wnich religious papers are being suppressed, and in wiiicn Christians are being imprisoned or interned for loyalty to their faitn. his Excellency Herr Adolf hitler.
Registry No. C 4324/239/18 F. 0., M.J.C. a /3 June ( 193 5. m Drdft jy 1 The Secretary, Sir, Yacht Racing f^m ^f' C H J Association. T 1 111 -t-^ ^y Ti ""tfry _ i r.tr-hn 1 ^ J ^ ^, Simon fro j-tili i n i m 1 1.iHfJ I! ii.nnirit nf ynn- l e t t e r! : \ ^ LSh^MU. / fl Tv^W^ f to ffyrpr 9 p tin " f i ni nn "n thn propriety or Z fla^h-j" «- ^ othorwiofc of tho^httar from the. Dillish U E 0 \ A y, ^ Olympic Association to the UUmncllor of 4fre l.^^--^ i (/IJfc tl / German Reich unleoolroquootod by that Accoc/a. i IS-~*»*>-f'' -ST The Occrttkry of Statu»o>tes that ^LWM Wfjf*, \j t t, _ynnr Cnnnr-il jjxprcso Vbhc opinion thntztfchey ^ WM Lihr4ry firsty f^j^^f^have no ope&ial qualification lu daal witbxthe / /\ \ I / ftii^jrp.t i n ^iiprtini»i aad iii view uf Luis i t >^ ' \ / alght bo fnadviaable fut thorn Lu suppui l b^-_n ^ T [ ^ITni^iaTlv- of tills s o r t ^ i f l - must, n'owdvor, ; / l^av/^i/t^^ the /^/f ^ P^/vw ^ ^- or nut Uiey should accede (L) Lhe rey.ue&l uf _!<<\!^f ^ ' ' tho Arohbiohop of Yo.rlti^ \"
# 149 I C 4324/239/18 FOREIGN OFFICE, 13Ui Jane, VUfc fl atr, Villi reiemuce to your letter or,..yt«fray a.a erected I ay secretary Si* Samuel Eomre to inform you that tfco witter fl dealt vis* w.-.nn ie not one UR wnicn Uiie de.^ert&eut la I eole to i-i- viae you* * eaeloaurea to your letter ait* returned I H the iecrttar^, I Yacht bciuj; Aseociation* 0 tt«
Catalogue Reference:FO/371/18864/4324 Image Reference:0001