The Reader’s Forum

To the Editor, Jewish Daily Bulletin:

As a Jewish jobless family man I am condemning our Jewish employers and monied class, for they are responsible for the unemployment and despair of our Jewish oppressed.

I plead that you fight for unemployment insurance instead of keeping up bogus philanthropic organizations and bureaucracies that thrive on misery.

Yours for a Golden Age.

Joseph Rosenthal.

Minneapolis.

November 26, 1934.

CONCERNING ZIFF

To the Editor, Jewish Daily Bulletin:

Through William B. Ziff’s lone courage the noble traditions of justice and freedom, upon which were built the American republic and the spiritual empire of the Jew, have found their united voice. He is one of the few correspondents in the Diaspora who has measured to the greatness inherent in the duty of his profession and of whom it may be truly said, “He is a Hebrew and an American.”

May my words strengthen him to remain one of that minority of Jews who now, as always, make of Judah a youthful though aged people, and a “lion’s whelp.”

Jeroham Sahpeer.

Roxbury, Mass.

November 26, 1934

How big is the membership? This is a difficult question to answer, since the form the organization has taken makes it hard to obtain any exact figure. When the movement was started a sustained barrage of propaganda was directed from the center in London, and in response to this groups and branches sprang up spontaneously in the big towns. Touring officers were sent out to give instruction in organization, and if necessary, to finance initial activities of local branches. The branch was then allowed to develop as an autonomous body, with freedom to direct its own local activities in organization, but accepting a rigid central control on all questions of policy.

AREA BRANCHES RESPONSIBLE FOR SUBSIDIARY GROUPS

In the subsequent stages an area branch was made responsible for a given territory and for the setting up of groups and branches, subsidiary to itself, in the area under its control.

There are now 150 of these area branches, and many of them have three or four satellite branches. The official estimate of membership has been worked out from reports sent in by the local branches, and their optimistic estimates make up a total of 500,000. This is a figure that experienced political observers find it impossible to accept. It is clear, however, that the membership is large—far larger than many people believe.

With this support it is not surprising that Sir Oswald has decided to fight both at the next general and municipal elections.

GROWING MOVEMENT HAS ELABORATE ORGANIZATION

The organization has some interesting features. The staff is highly centralized and highly disciplined. The huge building in London houses all the principal officers, and is completely departmentalized into treasury, accounts, branch organization, propaganda, research, publicity, legal department and defense forces. It is estimated that headquarters deals with 3,000 letters a week, and that the average number of meetings held over the whole country is in the neighborhood of 500 a week. Fifteen to twenty headquarters propagandists are always on tour, and smaller meetings are addressed by local speakers.

Two weekly papers are printed, the Fascist Week, at two pence, and the Blackshirt at a penny. These are sold on the streets by uniformed members wherever branches exist.

The Fascists deny allegation that members of the defense force are paid. It is asserted on the other hand that, like all other members, they have to pay their membership fees to belong. In all cases the minimum membership subscription is one shilling a month, or four pence a month if the member is unemployed. Members must also buy their own uniforms, and this is often done by instalments.

EACH BRANCH OPERATES ITS OWN DEFENSE FORCE

Every branch has its own defense force. General instructions are given by the officers of this section at headquarters, and contact is maintained throughout the country by touring officers.

It is claimed that the officials of the movement are paid less and work harder than in any of the orthodox parties. The touring officers, organizers and propagandists are paid £2 a week and subsistence allowance of seven shillings a day. Higher officials get more, but there are no highly paid posts.

The movement has now passed through its first two stages, Fascist propaganda and Fascist organizations, and the next stages will be the building of an electoral machine in the constituencies. By the next election the movement hopes to have a virile machine and a sufficient number of candidates to prove it is seeking power through constitutional forms.