Speaking before the Teachers’ College branch of the League Against War and Fascism at the Horace Mann Auditorium yesterday, Professor George S. Counts declared that this country seethes with racial, religious and sectarian prejudices, and that any movement, such as Fascism, if properly led, could succeed by making a blind appeal to the deep-seated prejudices of Americans, just as the Ku Klux Klan did after the Civil War.
Fascism, he said, is one of the most powerful movements in recent years. The movement has a different appeal here than it has in Italy or Germany, he added.
“The racial question will have complete ramifications here not found in Europe,” he stated. “The attack will be on Jews, Negroes and recent immigrants.
“In Germany, the attack upon the Jews was motivated in part by economic considerations. Many of the Jews held jobs. Some of these were wanted badly by members of the new group.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
