Unit of Silver Shirts Disturbs Bostonians

The Jewish community here has became somewhat concerned over reports that the Silver Shirt organization is spreading anti-Jewish propaganda in this vicinity.

Under the leadership of William Dudley Pelley, who formerly hailed from the suburb of Lynn, the Silver Shirts are engaging in violent tirades against the jews in this country. Newspapers here have been featuring their activities with banner headlines. According to reports, the organization is split into two opposing factions, one led by Pelley and the other by Arthur Ajax, self-styled “Provost Sate Commandant for Massachusetts.”

There is prevaling in Boston and suburban communities a concerted distrust of the organization as an offshoot of the Hitler movement, by which it is believed to be supported.

Judge Jacob J. Kaplan, outstanding public leader here, who is the former law partner of Justice Brandeis, of the United States Supreme Court, issued a statement yesterday in which the recent statement of Dean Holmes of Harvard lauding “certain elements in the Nazi program”, is attacked. The Dean has since published a communication to the public in which he denounces religious intoleration as practiced in Germany. He said that a newspaper man had neglected to publish his interview in toto, with the result that there was considerable misunderstanding. He insisted nevertheless that many of Hitler’s policies are “reasonable.”

The Rev Dr. Azariah F. Reimer, pastor of the Tremont Street Methodist Church, in a sermon which attracted much attention locally, bitterly condemned those whom he called “guilty of Jew baiting.” He said that Hitlerism is a “vicious reversion to medieval barbarism.” He also assailed Dean Holmes, of Harvard.