Fascists in America Are United Against Jews

The following is the last of a series of eighteen articles dealing with the anti-Semitic movement in the United States. The first was published on Wednesday, April 18. The articles were based on an exhaustive investigation of Nazi propaganda activities in this country and in Germany for a period of over a year.

Is America going Nazi:

In the course of seventeen articles I have pointed out the tremendous growth of Fascism, the adoption by old anti-Semitic organizations of a Fascist political nature, the creation of hundreds of new Fascist organizations throughout the United States, the tendency of reactionaries to abandon all but the party in power to join the rising Fascist movement, and the efforts to unite all small political groups into a powerful Fascistic and anti-Semitic party. This development, considering the rapidity with which it embedded itself in American political affairs, is the most remarkable in the history of the country.

How far it will go is a question which may now be answered as accurately by the most ignorant dullard as by the shrewdest politician. The Fascist movement is generally scorned. It was so received by other European countries, which eventually bowed before the overwhelming forces of unity, aggression, violence and persecution which characterize the Fascist movement. As yet no nation, aside from those led by non-Fascist dictators, has found a means of stunting the growth of Fascism within its boundaries. It will be surprising if the United States government, traditionally tolerant of alien political beliefs and activities, succeeds in discouraging the Fascist and Nazi movements.

A POTPOURRI

Fascism provides a link for the reactionists, the disgruntled, the envious poor, the rugged individualists, the prophetic intellectuals, the proud "Aryans," the religious and nationalistic fanatics, the demagogues, the political racketeers, and lunatics of all descriptions.

Fascism has played into the hands of such ardent patriots as Ralph Easley, Professional anti-Communist. Easley, in line with his business, has scattered anti-Communist and somewhat anti-Semitic pamphlets throughout the nation. These are printed in Germany and distributed free of charge here. The booklets he distributes justify Hitlerism and the Hitlerite type of government. Easley trades on a number of respectable American names subscribed to these booklets.

Dr. William A. Wirt, the Gary patriot, has been championed by a number of Fascist organizations in his charges against the new dealers. William Dudley Pelley, psychic genius behind the Silver Shirt movement, "explained" the Wirt charges in confidential letters widely circulated from Washington. Pelley pointed out that Jews were at the bottom of the conspiracy mentioned by the Hoosier teacher. George Christians, commander-in-chief of the Crusader White Shirts, took occasion to identify himself as the author of the "Kerensky" phrase, and thereby won for himself nation-wide publicity.

A COMMON ENEMY

While in many cases there is no tangible alliance between the various Fascist organizations operating in the United States, nevertheless they strive for the same goal, batter their common enemy which is Democracy, and generally aid each other’s cause. They all seek to render "America to Americans," although the Khaki Shirts speak English with a heavy Italian accent; although the Silver Shirts in New York (75 per cent of their following drawn from the League of Friends of New Germany) normally converse in their native German; although the American Nationalists speak with an Irish brogue; although the Croix de Feu are entirely at home in French and not at all in English; although the entire Fascist movement, particularly in the East, is expressed in a babel of tongues in which English is scarcely recognized.

On one thing can the divergent Fascist groups see eye-to-eye. That is the Jewish question. Virtually all Fascist organizations are anti-Semitic, and they experience in this respect a kindred feeling despite their entirely different economic and social philosophies. It is remarkable that the Jews, Unable to achieve unity in their own ranks, should so effectively inspire unity among their enemies.

What assurances have Jewish citizens, or Catholic citizens, or any other citizens who might be considered a minority group that one or two years hence some powerful leader will not emerge, knit together all minor political parties into a Fascist machine, and then proceed to invoke the terrorism of the Middle Ages? As far as this reporter’s investigation goes, there is no authority to protect these people.

Three authorities which might be commonly expected to defend the American democratic form of government are the Department of Justice, the Post Office Department and Congress.

U. S. OFF HER GUARD

My inquiries at the investigation bureau and the press office of the department of Justice revealed an apparent ignorance of Nazi conditions throughout the United States. When I asked for specific information concerning action being taken against such groups as the Silver Shirts, the Crusader White Shirts, the Khaki Shirts, and other Fascist organizations, the Department of Justice spokesmen indicated that they had little data and less chance of taking action against these groups.

In the Post Office Department the same situation prevails. Members of the inspection force presented what they said was the complete file of anti-Semitic literature being circulated through the mails. The specimens had been gathered over the course of the last two years and aggregated approximately ten letters and circulars. One of the "anti-Semitic" samples happened to be a seal sold months ago by what is now the Non-Sectarian Anti-Nazi League. It was about the size of a postage stamp and its inscription urged that for humanity’s sake Nazi goods should not be bought. Members of the department told me that the sale of these stamps, circulated through the mails, had been declared illegal because of a clause which enjoins against the use of seals so closely resembling stamps.

Other evidences of anti-Semitic propaganda included a number of chain letters which demand, "Hit the Jew whenever you can!" Copies of a number of scurrilously anti-Jewish newspapers were on display in the Post Office files, but they continue to circulate, and for all the action the Post Office Department may take, will continue to do so. Here and in other departments I discovered an awful respect for the freedom of the press and sanctity of the mails. It appeared that none is willing to take the responsibility of prosecuting the case against American Fascism because of the howl that might emanate from the entire press of the country.

MR. ALDRICH COMMENTS

When such charges were laid before Chief Inspector A. P. Aldrich, he wrote in part: "The absence of greater activity by the Post Office Department in connection with Nazi and other anti-Semitic propaganda is not due either to timidity or to an unwillingness to assume responsibility. Action is taken whenever it is shown that matter is being circulated through the mails in violation of the Postal Laws. The department has no authority, however, to suppress the dissemination through the mails of literature which does not come within the scope of the Postal Laws even though such literature contains statements objectionable to particular groups or organizations.

"With respect to the opening of mail matter, Post Office inspectors, as well as all others in the postal service are governed by Section 701 of the Postal Laws and Regulations of 1932, which reads as follows:

"No person in the postal service, except those employed for that purpose in the Division of Dead Letters, or a branch thereof, shall break, or permit to be broken, the seal of any letter or other matter while in the custody of the postal service. Neither postmasters, inspectors, employees of the Post Office Department, nor officers of the law, without legal warrant therefore, have authority to open under any pretext a sealed letter while in the mails, not even though it may contain improper or criminal matter, or furnish evidence for the conviction of offenders.’"

Thus these chain letters and seditious circulars may be sent through American mails with virtual impunity.

SECTION 211

Perhaps the only clause which might be brought into play is one tacked on to the end of Section 211 of the Act of Congress with regard to mails. This act, approved March 4, 1909, and amended two years later, provides for the nonmailability of lewd or indecent material, instruments for abortion or the prevention of conception, and various devices related to both categories, the circulation of which is punishable by not more than five years’ imprisonment, a fine of $5,000, or both. "And," the appended paragraph reads, "the term, ‘indecent,’ within the intendment of this section shall include matter of a character tending to incite arson, murder, or assassination."

Pelley fairly stuffs the mails with matter that tends to incite to wholesale murder of Jews: Christians has sent through the mails orders for the capture of all local governments and a march on the national capital; the organ of the Friends of New Germany has stirred a large portion of German Americans to an intense hatred of the Jews. And yet no action has been taken.

Section 212 provides for the nonmailability of material which slanders or defames another when such matter is written on the outside of an envelope, cover, or wrapper. It offers no protection, however, for the circulation of covered Fascist propaganda of hate which today is the platform of the Facist parties.

AGENTS ARE ACTIVE

It is difficult to prophesy with regard to the success of the Congressional Committee created by the Dickstein resolution for the investigation of Nazi and other propaganda. German Nazi agents continue to remain in this country, and will do so more than likely, until, like the refugee Spanknoebel, they are summoned to an accounting. Then there will be left only the American citizens who have been appointed by the German agents to head the Nazi groups, and these can plead innocence of their former chiefs’ doings.

Even the War Department appears to be unaware of efforts made by Nazis to corrupt and proselyte its forces. Information regarding these attempts, substantiated by statements from local army officers and court testimony, has been given in earlier articles.

The failure of the War Department to keep up with the Nazi situation is reflected from a communication recently directed to this reporter from a spokesman for the National Guard Bureau is Washington. He said in part:

"This bureau has no information and no means for securing information on German Nazi activities as they affect the National Guard. The Congress has always been strongly opposed to any activity on the part of the War Department or any of its agencies that may give it even the appearance of gathering information on the activities of citizens of this country.

"It would appear," he wrote, "that the Department of Justice would be the most likely federal agency to consult."

The preceding articles, as specifically as space permitted, have dealt with the rise of Fascism in the United States. The series is not intended as an indictment against the Nazis and Fascists, but rather as a statement of facts as observed by one who has devoted a year to reporting exclusively on Fascist developments both in the United States and abroad. Volumes of material are at hand which might further prove such generalizations as limited time and space have made necessary in this series.

As far as this reporter can see there is little hope of an immediate cessation of Fascist organizational activities in the United States. It appears that the best way to cope with the situation is to carefully analyze the movement, isolate its specific complaints, and eliminate as completely as possible the provocations which might cause otherwise patriotic Americans to adhere to it. The alien agitators and political racketeers should then be placed out of harm’s way.

(The End)