Washington Police Clear True of Pogrom Plot

District of Columbia police today exonerated the anti-Semitic leader, James True, of charges by the radical magazine New Masses that he was plotting a pogrom next month against American Jews.

Major Ernest W. Brown, superintendent of police, who conducted an investigation into the magazine’s charges against True, said no action would be taken against him as the investigation had disclosed the charges were unfounded.

True, who heads the anti-Semitic organization known as James True associates and America First, Inc., denied ever having given an interview to a representative of the New Masses.

Branding the interview a “fake,” True said:

“Nothing has ever been given out in this office favorable to or encouraging Fascism, Nazism or pogroms.”

NEW MASSES INSISTS INTERVIEW WAS GENUINE

In the article in last week’s New Masses, True is quoted by the magazine’s reporter, Porter Niles, as having made the following statement:

“We’re getting set We’re preparing for September. When we have the pogrom, not even our ‘pet’ Jews will stay alive.”

A World-Telegram reporter, following publication of the New Masses article, interviewed True and quoted him as denying having given the interview to the New Masses, but admitting that he was interested in “getting rid of political Jews.”

Joseph Freeman, editor of the New Masses, when informed of the exoneration, said he was not surprised, having predicted it. He declared the interview had been given Niles as an individual rather than as a representative of the New Masses, so that technically True was correct in his denial.

Freeman said exactly the same interview had been given two other reporters, sent by the magazine several days later to corroborate the first. The reporters also spoke to True as private citizens rather than as newspaper men.