A number of Congressmen today advocated contempt of Congress prosecution of an American Nazi party “stormtrooper” who disrupted opening proceedings of the House on Monday by running onto the floor and shouting Nazi slogans. The Nazi, Robert Lloyd, was released upon forfeiture of a mere $20 in collateral posted by him with some help from George Lincoln Rockwell.
Rep. Charles S. Joelson, New Jersey Democrat, appealed to District of Columbia legal officers to bring court action against the American Nazi party for “systematic and deliberate acts of disorderly conduct.” He said the Nazi agitation in the House Chamber this week was only one incident in a series of conspiracies “to disturb the peace through systematic and deliberate acts of disorderly conduct.”
Rep. Joelson felt that authorities have not taken adequate steps to deal with the Nazis. In letters to David C. Acheson, United States attorney for the District of Columbia, and Chester Gray, Corporation Counsel for the District, Rep. Joelson asked strong legal action against Lloyd and the Nazi party to stop such incidents.
In flagrant defiance of the decorum of the Congress, Nazis in the last two years have created disturbances during Congressional sessions, including even the display of swastika banners within the halls of Congress and intrusions into the chambers with propagandistic demonstrations. Nazis have been released, however, with forfeiture of $10 or $20 in collateral for each offense.
Rep, Seymour Halpern, New York Republican, today characterized as “absurdly inadequate” the measures taken to preserve the dignity of Congress in the face of repeated provocations by the Nazis, He made known that he has received Nazi threats and anti-Semitic abuse from the Nazis by mail and telephone but that authorities failed to prosecute. He asked “why are the Nazis seemingly immune from action which would be taken against Communists or other extremist fanatics?”
Rep. Tom Steed, Oklahoma Democrat, also said he thinks that Lloyd or other Nazi agitators annoying Congress should be severely punished.
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.
