Rockwell Appears Before Arlington Board; Told to Disband His Group

Arlington police today impounded George Rockwell’s Nazi party “hate bus,” decorated with swastika emblems, and arrested its driver.

The driver was Ralph Perry Forbes, 21, who told police his occupation was a “professional Nazi” and that he lived as a “stormtrooper” at Rockwell’s headquarters barracks. He was charged with having no Virginia driver’s permit. The vehicle was seized for lacking proper Virginia registration papers and an Arlington County license.

Arlington police meanwhile revealed that the bus is registered in the name Schuyler Ferris, who holds a strategic Job in the U.S. Army Map Service. Defense Department officials said they are investigating Mr. Ferris’ association with Rockwell.

Meanwhile, Rockwell appeared before the Arlington County Board in an explosive hearing, after the board read a resolution from the Arlington chapter of the U.S. Veterans of Foreign Wars urging strong legal actions to curb the local “Nazi activities.”

Rockwell asked and was granted 10 minutes to present a defense of his activities before the board. But when he began a tirade justifying Nazism, board member Thomas Richards said the board had done itself “a disservice by giving Rockwell a forum.” Mr. Richards told Rockwell and the squad of “stormtroopers” that accompanied him that “democracy is the only reason you are tolerated” and suggested that the Nazis “disband this organization and crawl back into the holes where you belong.” Board member Ralph Kaul denounced Rockwell. Commonwealth Attorney William Hassan looked the Nazi in the face and called him a “faker.”