Los Banos Rotary Club History
German Student Is Rotary Speaker

Wilhelm Hass, a German born lad who has been a student at Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Me., for the past year on a scholarship provided by one of the fraternities at the school, was a guest speaker at the local Rotary Club luncheon Tuesday noon, Hass, who is to return to his home in western Germany this fall, is spending the summer hitchhiking his way about the country, sight-seeing as he goes. He came from Boston to Los Angeles in five and a half days, and Tuesday morning hitch-hiked his way to Los Banos from Berkeley in less than three hours.

Hass was born in Germany, went with his parents to Japan in 1933, where his father was attached to the German diplomatic service in 1937 for political reasons, Mr. Hass and family moved to China where they spent the war years. In 1946 they returned to Switzerland and a short time later returned to Germany.

Discussing present day conditions in Germany and throughout Europe, Hass said that the younger generation in western Germany is sincerely desirous of perfecting a democratic form of government there, not necessarily like our U. S. government in all details, but on the same solid democratic foundation. There is less communism in western Germany today, he said, than any other portion of Europe. And by the same token, there is little or no enthusiasm for any extreme "rightest" government, with the exception of a few negligible groups of older citizens, who still feel the German Nazi government was in error only in that it suffered defeat in World War II.

As to eastern Germany, Hass said the press and radio have overly emphasized political activities there, and said the rallies and political activities of Eastern German youth should not be interpreted as being of their own volition but rather as the effect of pressure applied by Russian occupation troops and the present puppet government.

Economic conditions in Western Germany he said, are not good by any means, and there is need for much economic and moral help. But the people are generally hopeful and optimistic and determined that Germany shall work out its future welfare and stability. The younger people feel that their job is, first, to solve their own problems and achieve unity with other western European countries, then to assist and unite the people of eastern Germany into common democracy.

As to his stay in this country, Hass said he has enjoyed his year here to the utmost, and is greatly impressed with the hospitality and sincerity of the American people. Though he would like to remain here permanently, Hass said he felt that the need for young people with optimism, hope and enthusiasm is just as great in Germany today as it is here and he is anxious to return to his homeland and take his part in the job ahead.

In brief ceremony preceding Haas' talk, Hilvary Halsey, field executive for the West Side district of the Yosemite Area Boy Scouts, officially presented the Rotary Club with its new Boy Scout charter, signifying sponsorship of local Boy Scout Troop No. 85. Boy Scout charters are issued to all sponsoring groups. Listed on the charter are the names of Dick Keefer as institutional representative and chairman of committee; committeemen G. S. Elliott and Jack Duarte, and Scoutmaster Dick Painter. Rotary Club president Louis Castellucci accepted the new charter on behalf of the club.

Dr. L. R. Hillyer, who has just returned from a three-month vacation tour in Europe, spoke very briefly concerning his trip, merely outlining his travels and saying that he was happy to be home again. The doctor is scheduled to give a more detailed report of his trip at a future meeting of the club.
It was president Castellucci's first full meeting and in the customary brief fine collecting skirmish he left no doubt among the group but that he would wield the gavel with a heavy and determined hand.

July 11, 1950

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