The House Committee chosen by Speaker Rainey last Thursday to conduct a thorough investigation of propaganda subversive to the interests of the United States, disseminated by Nazi agents, sympathizers and the Fascist element in this country, is expected to hold its first meeting Tuesday. Representative John W. McCormack of Massachusetts leads the probebody, which was sponsored by Representative Dickstein of New York.
Representative McCormack contacted the other members of his committee right after Speaker Rainey had announced their names. They are Representative Samuel Dickstein of New York, chairman of the Committee on Immigration and Naturalization; Representative Carl M. Weideman of Michigan, Representative Charles Kramer of California. Representative Thomas A. Jenkins of Ohio, Representative J. Will Taylor of Tennessee, and Representative U. S. Guyer of Kansas.
THOROUGH INVESTIGATION SOUGHT
As outlined recently by Representative Dickstein, the investigating committee is to seek three primary objectives: “First, ascertain the facts about methods of introduction into this country of destructive, subversive propaganda originating from foreign countries; second, ascertain facts about organizations in this country that seem to be cooperating to spread this alien propaganda through their membership in this country; third, study and recommend to the House appropriate legislation which may correct existing facts and tend to prevent the recurrence of a similar condition in the future.”
Appointment of the committee is the result of passage on March 20 of a resolution introduced by Representative Dickstein, who a few months ago headed a subcommittee of the Committee on Immigration and Naturalization in the conduct of an informal and unofficial investigation of propaganda activities directed from abroad. This unofficial investigation brought to light sufficient information to warrant the authorization of an official congressional investigation.
WILL HAVE TO PROVE FINANCING
Among the facts the McCormack committee will have to prove definitely is whether or not propaganda activities in this country are financed from abroad. The Dickstein committee already has brought to light that “a large fund set aside by the official German government is being used in advocating abroad, in America and elsewhere, the principles of a National Socialist Party of Germany, popularly known as ‘Nazi’ principles.” Other facts to be proved definitely relate to methods of conducting the propaganda activities in this country.
Representative Dickstein has charged that Nazi chieftains in Germany have in the United States their own system of secret police for the purpose of intimidating persons in this country, who have relatives in Germany through fear of bodily harm to these relatives, to join and cooperate with organizations established in the United States to promote the Nazi ideas of government.
One of the main efforts of the McCormack committee will be to uncover definitely the activities of such organizations as the Silver Shirts, Order of ’76, the Crusaders of Economic Liberty and the Friends of New Germany.
It has been indicated that the committee will call Representative Louis T. McFadden of Pennsylvania for an explanation of reports that he is allied with the Silver Shirts. This fact became known after Federal agents had under investigation the alleged dissemination of a purported Congressional address by the Pennsylvanian attacking international Jewish bankers. The purported address had been allegedly sent through the mails under McFadden’s frank from Muscatine, Iowa, a center of propaganda activity.
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