New York City Commissioner of Parks Newbold Morris indicated today that George Lincoln Rockwell’s “American Nazi Party” will be issued a permit to hold a Fourth of July rally in Union Square here. The announcement by Mr. Morris coincided with a statement by Emanuel Targun, state commander of the Jewish War Veterans that his group has protested against the Nazi group from Washington, D.C., being allowed to “desecrate” Independence Day.
Parks Commissioner Morris said the constitutional right of free speech will force the Parks Department to issue the permit to the Nazi organization unless the Police Commissioner warned that the rally constituted a riot danger. Deputy Police Commissioner Walter Arm confirmed that Mr. Morris had spoken with Police Commissioner Stephen Kennedy and said the matter was one which the Department of Parks had to decide.
Michael J. Caslin, commander of New York County Council of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, urged “all patriotic ex-Gl’s” to assemble in the square in uniform at the time of the rally, if the permit is granted. “It would be pitiful to see the Nazi swastika desecrate the original meeting place of the Union Army,” he declared.
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