The British Government cracked down on native fascists here this weekend, raiding the headquarters of Colin Jordan’s National Socialist movement and searching the homes of individual British Nazi and fascist leaders.
It was the first time such action has been taken since the start of this summer’s intensification of racist and anti-Jewish activities, resulting in a series of riotous rallies held both by Jordan’s group and the fascist British Union, led by Sir Oswald Mosley.
While Jordan himself looked on, a dozen Scotland Yard plainclothesmen searched his headquarters thoroughly Friday night, going through filing cabinets, removing documents, flags and photographs of Adolf Hitler and Rudolf Hess off the walls, piling up Nazi uniforms and taking from the premises all of the Nazi appurtenances. Crowds gathered outside the headquarters, packed the street in front of the building, shouting “Dirty Nazis, Go Home!”
Meanwhile, other Scotland Yard officers raided the homes of various Nazi and fascist leaders, confiscating other materials found in those homes. All the searches were carried out under an order issued by a judge of the High Court under a section of the Public Order Act of 1936 that prohibits quasi-military organizations.
LONDON COUNCIL ASKS TO OUTLAW ANTI-SEMITIC PROPAGANDA
At the very time the raids were being carried out, a motion calling upon the British Government to amend the Public Order Act in such a way as to outlaw “incitement to violence by advocates of racial hatred” was passed unanimously by a meeting of the London County Council.
The resolution had been introduced by Sir Isaac Hayward, leader of the County Council, and declared: “The Council, while adhering to principles of free speech, is concerned by the nature of recent disturbances in this country, and requests Her Majesty’s Government to consider amending the law so that incitement to violence by persons advocating racial hatred and discrimination may become a criminal offense.”
Jordan today sent a letter to Home Secretary Henry Brooke, protesting against the raids and requesting “the immediate return of our property.” He announced today that he was planning another meeting in England for the coordination of National Socialism “throughout the world. ” A Nazi encampment conducted by Jordan at Gloucestershire last week had been attended by a number of foreign Nazis, including George Lincoln Rockwell, leader of the American Nazi Party. Reports here stated that, at that parley, Jordan was “elected” world leader of the Nazis, although Rockwell had presumably, at first, competed for that designation.
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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.
