Representative John W. McCormack, chairman of the Congressional committee investigating Nazi and other un-American activities, yesterday interviewed five unidentified persons in the Bar Association Building here. He will hold secret hearings daily until open hearings are called in the same building Monday.
In response to questions following yesterday’s session, McCormack declared that he was well satisfied with the results of his committee’s findings thus far.
“Our Washington hearings,” said the Congressman, “have clearly shown that certain German consuls in this country have been dispensing money to array Americans against Americans because of their race.
“In addition to spending money,” he continued, “which is in direct violation of international law, it has been shown that the Nazi party in Germany and the present Minister of Labor have issued direct instructions to persons in the United States. On one occasion, at least, the Friends of New Germany paid the expenses of Fritz Gissibl, their leader, to go to Germany to try to influence officials of the Nazi party to change certain orders operative here.”
McCormack expressed pleasure at the fact that “all evidence received to date tends to show that no person of German blood born in America has taken an active part in the leadership of Nazi party activities here.”
He said: “The active membership is confined to some aliens and some recently naturalized citizens.”
“We have a pretty nice country here,” observed the Congressman. “Everyone can and should speak his mind, but we want no movements successfully concluded which will take away the human rights of others.”
He issued an invitation to all persons to give the committee any evidence against Fascism and Communism here, but added: “It must be evidence. We want no speeches, well-meaning as the speakers may be.”
Representative J. Will Taylor of Tennessee was to have arrived here last night to take part in committee hearings today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
