The Weimaraner Klub e.v.’s Letter

At the height of the Blue controversy, just before the disqualification in 1972, the Weimaraner Club of America devoted quite a few pages of their official publication, the Weimaraner Magazine, to present pro and con views of the proposed disqualification. The March WCA Board of Directors Meeting Minutes from March 1970 – PDF notes that the membership voted not to disqualify the Blues.

These minutes also reveal that despite the vote, the Board continued to discuss the Blue controversy at length — with a plan to advise judges of the interpretation of the standard, the semantics of the terms mouse-gray and blue, and finally the idea of sending a Blue to Germany for their clarification. Helen Schulze, the WCA Liaison to Germany stated that “Germany would not recognize the blue but she would be very happy to contact the German Club regarding it if the membership wished.” (May 1970, Old Board Minutes – PDF)

A letter from the German Klub regarding the Blue Weimaraner was published in the April 1971 issue of The Weimaraner Magazine – PDF, along with an English translation of the letter. Read by the entire membership, this translated letter was probably one of the most influential pieces of “op-ed” that the magazine published. Unfortunately, the English translation of the letter was highly biased and slanted towards the WCA’s desire to disqualify the Blues.

For ease of comparison, the English translation of the German Klub letter as printed in the Weimaraner Magazine – PDF is copied below in black text. The text in blue was provided by Reilly Translations and published in the BluMar magazine – PDF. The third translation is in red and was provided by Thomas Merkle – PDF.

Both the alternative translations are compelling variants to what was presented to the WCA membership in the magazine, and these alternative translations, done independently, are much closer to each other than the original.

For point by point discussion of the differences in translation, please see Merkle’s excellent analysis.

···

To the President of
The Weimaraner Club of America
Mr. Ted Jarmie
10071 Brier Lane
Santa Ana, California
USA

Fulde (West Germany) Sept. 27, 1970

Regarding the “Color Standard” of the Weimaraner Club of America
Re: Color variants of the Weimaraner Pointer
Subject: Colour variants of the Weimaraner setter

Correspondence from members of the AWC, also reading your magazine on “blue and gray”, and talking the situation over with your Liasion to our Club, I come to the concludion [sic], that in the USA a new color shade is to be brought into the Weimaraner Breed. This shade to be called Blue.
The present correspondence of the Weimaraner Club of America, as well as oral reports of their agent, Mrs. Helen Schulze, and, furthermore, inspections in their Weimaraner Magazine shows that a color variant (or: sport) exists in the United States which has been designated “The Blue Weimaraner.”
The present correspondence of the american Weimaraner Club, same as the verbally transmitted coverage by your appointee Mrs. Helen Schulze, and furthermore the inspection of your Weimaraner magazines indicate the existence of a colour variant in the USA which is designated as “Blue Weimaraner.”

The Weimaraner Club of Germany as Standard designing for the Weimaraner Breed, would like to go on record that it cannot recognize the color shade “Blue”.
The German Weimaraner Klub e.V., as a standard determining institution for this breed of dog, confirms that such a color variant cannot be recognized.
The Deutche Weimaraner Klub e.V., being an institution [responsible for] defining the standard of this bred, concludes that such a colour variant cannot be approved.

The Institution “Federation Cynologique Internationale”, which would compare with your “American Kennel Club” would not give permission to change the color in the standard.
Also, there is no intention of petitioning for recognition of this color variant at the FCI (Federation Cynologique Internationale).
Neither is it intended to file an application for approval of this colour variant as the FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale).

We consider the Weimaraner Club of America our friend, and we beg you to breed our Weimaraner as it was breed [sic] now for nearly 200 years, namely “Gray”.
On account of the good relations with the club there (in the United States) we strongly urge that our pointing breed be bred according to the known standard, otherwise we will be forced to bring about an import embargo for all these Weimaraners – including the breed associations located outside of Germany and outside the continent.
Based on the good relationship with the local Weimaraner Club [means the WCA], we solicit you to breed our setter in the sense of the common standard only, as in the opposite case we will be obliged to dispose an import protection against all Weimaraner setters, including the non-german and oveseas breeder associations related to ourselves.

Our 3 gray shades are:
In order to clarify our breed’s color variants defined in the standard, we have enclosed 4 photos (numbered 1-4 inclusive and stamped with the seal of the Breed and Examination Warden and his signature).
For the clarification of the colour variants of our breed which are defined in the standard, we enclose 4 photographs (numbered 1 – 4 and stamped with the core of the Commissary for Breeding and Examination, accompanied by his signature).

1. the Silvergray – Picture No. 1.
2. the Rohgray – Picture No. 2
3. the mousegray – Picture No. 3
Photo 1 Weimaraner Pointer SILVER GRAY
Photo 2 Weimaraner Pointer DEER (ROE) GRAY
Photo 3 Weimaraner Pointer MOUSE GRAY
To Image 1 Weimaraner setter SILVER GREY
To Image 2 Weimaraner setter DEER GREY
To Image 3 Weimaraner setter MOUSE GREY

Picture No. 4 (right side of Pictures) from Mrs. Helen Schulze as “blue” marked Weimaraner. This color and its shades will not be recognized in our standard.
Photo 4 (on the right): a pointer designated for us by Mrs. Helen Schulze as a “Blue Weimaraner: that, assuming the color (hue) of the photo and the original are identical, is not recognized.
To Image 4 (right part of the image): a setter described as “BLUE Weimaraner” by Mrs. Helen Schulze, which – presuming the consistency of the represented with the original colour shade – shall not be approved [homologated].

Picture No. 4, was send [sic] to me from one of your own members in 1966. At that time I did not cornider [sic] it worthwhile to mention. As it did not confirm with our color standards. At this time I have to take a stand. If the “Blue” color variation is taken in the standard, we have to close our import for the Weimaraner from the USA. We also will advice [sic] our Weimaraner Clubs all over the World to do the same. We have to do this to guard our Breed.
As for photos 3 and 4, it has been established that these photos were sent to the Weimaraner Klub e.V. in 1966 from the United States for an opinion. At that time doubts existed as to the true natural color rendering. These doubts have now been eliminated through oral explanations and agree with the color designation of the owner (BLUE).
Referring to the Images 3 and 4 it is stated that these images have been supplied from within the USA to the Weimaraner Klub e.V. for response in 1966. At that time, the authenticity of the colour representation were disputed. These doubts henceforth have been dispelled by the given verbal declarations and are in accordance with the colour description by the owner [female form] (BLUE).

May I also say, Taking in the “Blue” color, will also change the “Amber” color of the eyes and automatically the color of the nails. Both characteristics of our Breed.
Reference is expressly made to the fact that, analogous to the standard-conforming color possibilities, there exists a relationship between the color of the nails and the color of the eyes. The eye color may not exhibit a darker shade than that of dark amber and represents a yellowish brown, in which the emphasis is to be placed on yellow.
It is explicitly referred to the fact that, analogous to th ecolour variants [possibilities] within the standard, a relation to the colour of the claws and the eye colour exists. The eye color may not show a darker shade then dark amber (AMBER) and represents a yellowish shade of brown, emphasizing on yellow.

HA/ha

[No signature in WCA’s translation]
Breeding and Examination Warden
Commissary for Breeding and Examination
(Klaus Hartman)

Virsutzender des Deutschen Weimaraner Klubs
First Chairman (President)
First Chairman
(Heinz Kullmer)