Autobiography by Samuel A. Carlson - Meeting Adolf Hitler

Samuel A. Carlson, circa 1900

Continuing with the post from Feb. 26, 2011 regarding the 1943 Autobiography of former Mayor of Jamestown, Samuel A. Carlson (1868–1961).

I thought I'd jump ahead in the book a little bit and present the passage in Carlson's Autobiography where he discusses his encounter with Adolf Hitler. The meeting took place during the summer of 1933 when Carlson - along with a group of other U.S. mayors - toured nearly every major country in Europe. The purpose of the trip was to promote municipally owned/operated utilities and services. 

Carlson first mentions his meeting with Hitler on page 46 of his autobiography. The section is entitled, "Hitler True to Form." I think it was most likely written in 1942 or early 1943. The mayor is, as expected, highly critical of the German leader.  


Later in the book there are further accounts of not only the mayor's encounter with Hitler, but also with his trip throughout Europe. I'll have more on that at a later date. 

Autobiography by Samuel A. Carlson - Mayor Emeritus

and Comments on His Fifty Years of Public Service

[Page 46-47]

Hitler True to Form

     "I was in Germany when Hitler first assumed power. I was privileged to meet Hitler personally. To me, he looked the very past he has played in the present European drama. He has all the earmarks of the type of merciless tyrants we read about in the history of the dark ages. The average German who I met seemed to be stunned and cowed into an acceptance of the Nazi regime. He feared to express any criticism lest he be made to suffer the fate of dissentients who had been thrust into concentration camps. The German school children I saw are now fighting for the idiologies they had been taught (viz., Hitlerized World of Feudalism.)

Carlson met Hitler (above) in 1933

     "Regardless of some past differences as to the attitude of English Tories and Royalists, it is simply unthinkable that we should not aid in preventing the invasion of British soil and the attempt of the Hitler Gestapo hordes to substitute the Nazi abomination for English culture and the civilization of which we are a part. We can however fortify and maintain our American civilization against any possible attack now or hereafter.

     "Since we are in this war, we must aid in every way to insure victory for U. S. A. But in planning for peace after war, let us keep in mind that all history proves that every attempt to foist upon the world a Super Government has failed. Why? Simply because no government no matter how powerful can make all races and all different nationalities think alike. Conflicts of opinion about religion soaked the soil of the old world with rivers of blood for ages, in an attempt to establish a one minded world. We are winning war victories in distant lands, but have we yet won any political or governmental battles for democracy in any of these old world countries? Are there not already indications that we may be compelled accept Monarchy rule over these lands in place of democracy for which we declared our purpose to wage war? 

     "Are we not facing the same confusion, complications and intrique [sic] that George Washington foretold in his Farewell Address? Why in planning for peace do we repudiate the Washington, Monroe and Jefferson Doctrines that kept us free and insured progress and international peace until 1917? 

     "Let us insist that those nations with whom we are asked to unite in Post-War period, first renounce all forms of hereditary or totalatarian [sic] power and adopt the democratic principle of rule. Let us not repeat the blunder we committed in neglecting to aid struggling democracy in span where the present war began."


As I said, there are more details on Carlson's meeting with Hitler, and I'll get to them next time.

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