The House Committee on un-American Activities has summoned John D.M. Hamilton, cochairman of the Republican National Committee, and Major-General George Van Horn Moseley, retired, to testify in the committee’s inquiry into anti-Semitic activities, Chairman Martin Dies announced today.
Mr. Hamilton, in a formal statement, said he wold be “happy” to appear before the committee to deny any anti-Semitic interest of activity by the Republican committee, as intimated by James C. Campbell. Reserve Army captain at Owensboro, Ky., in secret testimony before the committee yesterday. Mr. Hamilton said he had only had routine correspondence with Captain Campbell and this would not have taken place had “any anti-Semitic interest or activity been indicated.”
Development of a well-organized anti-Semitic camping in the United with General Moseley’s support was charged by Mr. Dies on the basis of testimony at yesterday’s secret session.
In New York, Brigadier-General Walter A.Delamater revealed that he had tried to persuade General Moseley to have a talk with Lewis L. Strauss, member of the banking firm of Kuhn, Load and Co. , in order “to clear up any misunderstanding ” on the Jewish position, but the retired general spurned the suggestion and expressed several “hersh” statements on Jews.
Mr.Dies made public portions of two letters written by General Moseley. One, to a New York National Guard officer, said: “The fact is that the most serious problem confronting America today is just this problem of the Jew and how to get rid of his influence definitely locally, nationality and internationally.” The second, to a reserve army captain, declared: “If the Jews bump me off, be sure to see they get the credit for if from coast to coast. It will help our cause.”
Six witnesses were heard by the committee under to ensure the utmost secrecy. Committee members declared they had evidence to show that the anti-Semitic campaign took the from of mailing out reports of conversations reputedly taking place in an unnamed exclusive New York club. On the mailing list were reserve officers and American Legion officials. According to Mr. Dies anti-Semitic material was woven into the reports of the conversations, which consisted in part of predictions of events which later developed.
“This is one of the most clever and dangerous methods that can be devised, “Mr. Dies said, “because in predicting some events that did come to pass they gave plausibility to statements that followed.”
Mr.Dies asserted that Dudley P. Gilbert, wealthy New Yorker, had spent more than $8,000 to finance dissemination of the reports, allegedly brought to Mr. Gilbert by a club waiter. The reports were sent on to Captain Campbell at Owensboro for dissemination to “key people ” throughout America. Capt. Campbell told the committee that in addition to the conversation reports he sent out copies of speeches by Gen. Moseley and Father Charles E. Coughlin, the “radio priest,” to a list of 200 persons.
According to Mr. Dies Mr. Gilbert testified that was not anti-Semitic and was not interested in “stirring up racial hatred.”
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.
