Now-editorial Notes

John L. Spivak, writing in this week’s New Masses on “Plotting the American Pogroms,” devotes the fourth article of his series “Rich Jews who finance anti-Semitism.” He states that a number of prominent wealthy Jews, directors of well-known corporations, have directly or indirectly contributed funds to anti-Communist racketeers in America who are at the same time promoting Fascism and anti-Fascism in this country, and who are using these funds to disseminate in the United States the “Protocols of the Wise Men of Zion.”

Mr. Spivak writes in the New Masses:

“Harry A. Jung, of Chicago, is the head of a widespread espionage organization, the American Vigilante Intelligence Federation, Post Office 144, Chicago. This organization was originally founded to spy on Communists and Socialists, but Jung found that he needed a new terror-inspiring ‘issue’ with which to collect money from suckers. There are anti-Semites who actually believe the stuff in the ‘Protocols of Zion,’ but others, active in spreading the seed of hate against Jews, do so only because it has become a moneyraising proposition. Jung is in the latter class….

“When Hitler came into power this Prince of Racketeers discovered that he could get cash by fanning the smouldering flames of anti-Semitism in the United States. With five years of economic crisis for millions of Americans, and failure on the part of most of them to understand the causes, putting the blame on the ‘International Jew’ came easy. This ‘patriot’ promptly made connections with Hitler’s anti-Semitic propagandists in this country and started disseminating the ‘hate the Jew’ creed on a large scale. And in the course of this activity he used money collected from Jews to distribute the ‘Protocols of Zion’ as well as other anti-Semitic propaganda. Today Jung is in constant touch with directors of anti-Semitic propaganda in Germany, and receives his instructions from Hitler’s stronghold in Munich.

“The man to whom this hundred and twenty percent American ‘patriot’ reports is Frank Schuller, c/o Frederick Deckel, Waskirnerstrasse, 7-13, Munich, Germany.

“When Jung heard how Pelley and others were capitalizing anti-Semitic propaganda in this country, he got busy and discovered that the Jews were plotting not only to seize the United States but the whole world, Scandinavia included. ‘The Protocols of Zion’ long dis#redited as forgeries, were raked ### and armed with these Jung’s high pressure salesmen wandered about the country, collecting shekels from sacred Christian businessmen, and getting their commissions.

“But—there are a lot of wealthy Jewish business men. These certainly would not fall for the ‘Protocols of Zion,’ and yet—their checks are good. So Jung’s nimble agents sell the Jewish business men the idea that the Third International is on its way here to take their businesses away and nationalize their wives and daughters. The wealthy Jews, half scared out of their wits, contribute to fight Communism. In this way Jung’s salesmen collect from anti-Communist Jew and from anti-Semitic Gentile simultaneously. Among the contributors to the American Vigilante Intelligence Federation are business houses owned by prominent Jews and other businesses in which Jews are heavy stockholders.”

The New Masses telegraphed a number of these prominent Jews, mentioned by Mr. Spivak, asking for their explanations. Most of them could not be reached in time. Only one answer is published in the New Masses. It came from Mr. Max Epstein, chairman of General American Transportation Corporation, Chicago. The telegram from Mr. Epstein reads as follows:

“In response to your telegram very much appreciate it if this company or my name were not mentioned in the article you intend to have appear in your next issue but the information you are now giving will be remembered by me and in future I will act accordingly.”

This naive request of Mr. Epstein, in response to the inquiry addressed to him by the New Masses, practically contains the admission that the Jewish-controlled firm had been taken in by the anti-Jewish propagandists.

It is of course absurd to suspect that some of the Jews mentioned by Mr. Spivak had knowingly subsidized the anti-Jewish propaganda, the distribution of the “Protocols” in this country. Some of the Jews mentioned in that list are closely identified with Jewish organizations combating anti-Semitism. They are known to be devoted to American and Jewish ideals. They are also regarded as practical and capable businessmen. Is it possible that they have been fooled by the propaganda racketeers into financing anti-Semitic propaganda under the guise of combating Communism?

All those Jews mentioned in the list published in the New Masses this week owe it to themselves and especially to the Jewish people to give immediate frank and complete explanations of their contributions to these propaganda organizations. It would be extremely unwise to ignore the Spivak accusations and insinuations merely because they appear in the New Masses.

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