The Congressional committee investigating subversive activities in this country was told today Semitic articles attributed to Henry Ford, are being circulated in third country as well as in Germany.
Congressman Carl Weideman, member of the committee, testified that although Ford had repudiated the book and its contents and demanded that it no longer be distributed, Nazi propagandists are freely circulating the book here and broadcasting it in Germany.
Copies of the book, easily obtained here, Weideman said, bear the imprint of the Fritsch publishing house of Leipzig, for many years one of Germany’s chief publishers of anti-Semitic literature.
The Michigan Congressman placed in the record, with a copy of the book, a telegram from H.H. Bennett, Ford aide, declaring use of Ford’s name in connection with the book is entirely unauthorized.
“The use of Henry Ford’s name on the book is entirely unauthorized for the reason that Mr. Ford is not the author of the literature indicated,” Bennett’s telegram to the committee stated.
Weideman testified he had bought a copy of the book without any difficulty in a New York bookstore.
Ford repudiated the volume and the articles it contained, which previously had appeared in the Dearborn Independent. In 1927 Ford wrote to the Fritsch concern announcing that he had retracted charges against the Jews contained in the articles and demanding that the sale of the book be terminated immediately.
“You are accordingly notified that whatever rights you have or claim to have to publish ‘The International Jew’ anywhere or in any language whatsoever are here-by revoked and terminated and that the publication, sale or other distribution of ‘The International Jew’ and the use of the name of Henry ford or of the Dearborn publishing company in connection therewith by you or by any person or corporation is hereby forbidden,” the letter stated in part.
GISSIBL ADMITS CHARGES
The committee earlier heard Fritz Gissibl, founder of the New Germany in this country and a leading figure in the Nazi movement here, continue his testimony which he began towards the close of yesterday’s season.
Gissibl, who yesterday described the rise and growth of the “Friends,” today admitted that the organization had received large quantities of propaganda from Germany, which it distributed here, Under questioning he disclosed that this propaganda was distributed through chapters of the organization in New York, Brooklyn, Astoria, white Plains, Buffalo and Rochester, N.Y.; Philadelphia, Detroit, Milwaukee, Cincinnati Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Ore, and Jersey City, N.J.
GISSIBL OUTLINES CAREER
Testifying yesterday, Gissibl, under questioning by Hardwick, traced his personal history and that if the Friends of New Germany.
“I believe I am still a citizen of Germany,” he declared in answer to questions put by Mr. Hardwick.
Militant and unruffled, Gissibl, whose features are anything but those of a German “Aryan,” described himself as a former printing pressman. He disclosed that in 1932 he had organized a Chicago group known as Teutonic, the majority of whose members were also members of the German Nazi party. It had fifty Chicago and twelve Detroit members, the latter of whom were under the leadership of Walter Hentchel, who is now in Germany.
Gissibl declared he met Heinz Spanknoebel in 1932 in Detroit and dissolved the Teutonia in order to organize with Spanknoebel an American branch of the German Nazi party. In April, 1933, Rudolph Hess, general manager of the Nazi party, dissolved the American branch and at the convention in Chicago in July of former members of the group, Spanknoebel formed the Friends of New Germany with himself at the head. As a second in command, Gissibl said, he succeeded Spanknoebel on the latter’s flight to Germany last October.
He asserted that until March 20, 1934, when he resigned, the membership rose a thousand per cent and is still increasing.
The Chicago Nazi, he said, bought the shirts for their uniforms in an army store. When Hardwick asked about drills, the witness only smiled. Asked if he had guns, he laughed outright.
He said he wrote last November to Ernst Wilhelm Bohle, director of Nazi foreign activities in Hamburg, resigning from the German Nazi party in order to remain with the Friends of New Germany. He said he had received no reply from Bohle and decided to return to Germany to take up the matter.
When Gissibl was sworn in by McCormack, he raised his right hand in a gesture identical with the Hitler salute.
A series of cables between Bohle and the Friends of New Germany was read into the record.
ROASTS NAZI SPY
In one Spanknoebel denounces Schollback’s installation as a Nazi confidential agent here and terms him irresponsible and a troublemaker. It was dated August 25 of last year.
On August 31 Spanknoebel cabled, in part: “Dr. Gessner in San Francisco died mysteriously. Fear connected with Luedecke (Kurt W.)”
On September 8 he cabled Bohle: “Money leaving on Europe”
On September 13 Ernest Hanfstaengel, close adviser to Hitler, cabled Spanknoebel: “Expecting material announced in your last telegram as well as more similar material.”
Again on September 19 Spanknoebel wired Bohle: “Transmission party dues to Hamburg. Progress local work overwhelming.”
Earlier Bado had testified that Gross had repeatedly told him some German consul had purchased a hundred copies of an anti-Semitic pamphlet for $70.
DICKEY DEFENDS FIRM
Carl Dickey, member of the firm of Byoir and Associated, who yesterday testified to payments made to the concern for conducting a German publicity campaign here, last night issued the following statement:
“Certain implications in early reports of the testimony at the McCormack-Dickstein inquiry in Washington today may give the public impression that the firm of Carl Byoir & associated assisted in the dissemination of anti-Semitic statements in the United Stated. Such implications are without foundation in fact. The intention and actions of this firm always have been to allay anti-Semitism and racial hatred and their effects in the United States. We believe that our statements to the committee clearly indicate this purpose and no client has ever requested us to alter that fundamental policy. As a matter of fact, this firm advised and assisted one client in combatting intolerance and this fact is recorded with the committee.”
TO TRACE NAZI-PELLEY UNION
Indications that the committee will delve deeply into the relationship between the Nazi organization and the Silver Shirt followers of William Dudley Pelley, now under indictment in North Carolina, were seen today in the submission of a letter by pelley in which he declared that the Silver Shirts, “working with the American Hitlerites (we) are launching an anti-Semitic boycott throughout the entire nation.” The letter promised that “there is going to be plenty of excitement here in the United States.”
A formal denial of the startling charges made yesterday by the Rev. Francis gross and John Bado, Hoboken, N.J., printer, that German diplomatic officials had aided the publication of anti-Semitic propagandas, was issued by the German Embassy last night.
VIERECK DENIES IMPROPRIETY
George Sylvester Viereck yesterday denied from Danville, N.Y., that there was any impropriety in the Byoir German contracts or in his contacts with Carl Byoir and Associates.
“There is not the slightest touch of impropriety in the contract between Byoir and Associates and the German railroads nor in my connections with that distinguished firm,” Viereck declared.
“In view of the high power campaign by German baiters and race racketeers the German railroads resent efforts to attack German tourist trade, and it is only natural that they turn for advice to Byoir and Advocates, who act as public relations counsel for several important foreign and domestic interests.
“It was specifically understood that the work involved no propaganda and no anti-Jewish activity in any form, otherwise I for one would not have entered into the association.”
Samuel Untermyer, anti-Nazi boycott leader, yesterday issued a statement pointing out that what has been exposed at Washington linking Ambassador Luther to propaganda activities here “is a mere drop in the bucket compared to the extent to which it will be shown that our hospitality is being abused” :One will imagine,” Untermyer declared, “before the committee gets through, that America is a dumping ground and a captured Hitler province for the dissemination of poisonous libels against our Catholic and Jewish citizens.”
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
