member of Congress he worked with Nazi agents in this country.
[12] As this book went to press, the U.S. Government had just begun
action to revoke Schwinn's citizenship, claiming that he had obtained it
by making false statements.
[13] Congressman Samuel Dickstein. The McCormick Congressional Committee
was frequently referred to as the "Dickstein Committee" because
Dickstein had introduced the resolution for the investigation.
[14] During the trial of the four Nazi spies in New York the Federal
prosecutor brought out that they also carried orders sealed in brown,
manila paper.
[15] Von Buelow has since sold his home and moved into the El Cortez
Hotel in San Diego.
[16] At that time working for Henry Ford.
VIII
_Henry Ford and Secret Nazi Activities_
One of the Chief Nazi propagandists in the United States recently ran
in the United States Senate primaries in Kansas and was almost
nominated. He is Gerald B. Winrod, who poses as a Protestant minister
but has no affiliations with any reputable church.
Winrod, even before he tried to get into the Senate, was one of the
most brazen of the Nazis' Fifth Column operating in this country. He
has held secret consultations with officials in the German Embassy in
Washington and carries on his propaganda under Fritz Kuhn's direction.
Shortly after Winrod returned from a mysterious trip to Germany and
held an equally mysterious long consultation at the Nazi Embassy in
this country (1935), he organized the _Capitol News and Feature
Service_, with offices at 209 Kellogg Building, Washington. The "news
service" supplied smaller papers throughout the land with "impartial
comments" on the national scene. The _Service_ was edited by Dan
Gilbert, a San Diego newspaperman, and the material was sent free of
charge (as is the material sent to the Latin American countries from
Germany and Italy). It was of course, deliberately calculated to
spread pro-Hitler sentiment and propaganda.
Few who read Winrod's publications realize the extent of his
activities. On March 1, 1937, Senator Joseph T. Robinson addressed the
United States Senate on what appeared to him to be "unfair propaganda"
carried on by Winrod against President Roosevelt's proposed
reorganization of the judiciary system. The Senator stated that he
could not understand why the issues should be deliberately falsified
by a gentleman of the cloth--that it reminded him of the old Ku Klux
Klan tactics.
The Senator did not know that Winrod's propaganda against Roosevelt
was only part of a propaganda campaign cunningly and brazenly
organized by Nazis in this country in an effort to defeat a man who,
they felt, was not friendly to them. In this campaign, Nazi agents
worked openly and secretly with a few unscrupulous members of the
Republican Party in an effort to defeat Roosevelt.
Several years ago Winrod was a poverty-stricken man living at 145 N.
Green Street, Wichita, Kansas. He called himself a minister but all
church bodies have repudiated him. Without a church, he did a little
evangelistic preaching and lived off collections made from his
audience. It was a precarious livelihood and often the "Reverend" did
not have enough money to buy even ordinary necessities.
Records in several Wichita department stores tell the story of the
evangelist's poverty before an angel came to visit him. All the
storekeepers with whom Winrod dealt requested that their names be
withheld, but signified their willingness to present their records to
any governmental body which might be interested in the sudden wealth
he acquired after he became an intense Hitler propagandist. In the
days of his poverty Winrod, the records show, could afford to buy only
the cheapest furniture, the cheapest clothes, and pay for them on the
installment plan in weekly payments ranging from fifty cents to two or
three dollars a week.
I am reproducing with this chapter several of the installment cards.
The reader will notice that as late as 1934 Winrod was paying at the
rate of one dollar a week. It was in this period that Nazi agents in
the United States were carrying on their intensive campaign, and it
was also in this period that Winrod began to harangue his audiences
about the "menace of the Jews and the Catholics."
[Illustration: Account cards for the Reverend Gerald B. Winrod in
a Wichita department store, showing his straitened financial
circumstances during the early thirties.]
Then one day, the Reverend Gerald B. Winrod suddenly found himself
possessed of enough money to go to Germany. When he came back in
February, 1935, he had new suit cases, new clothes and a fat check
book. The records in the Wichita department stores where he had been
getting credit for clothes and furniture show that after his return
from Germany he paid all his debts in lump sums--by check. Then he
became a publisher.
In his newspaper, _The Revealer_, he published a report on his trip to
Europe, but did not mention where he got the money for the jaunt. The
report (February 15, 1935) told of his discovery that the German
people loved Hitler and that only "Jewish influence in high circles of
certain governments is making it impossible for Germany to carry on
normal trade and financial relations with other countries."
In this period of his new-found prosperity he established contacts
with Nazi agents and pro-fascists like Harry A. Jung of the American
Vigilant Intelligence Federation, Colonel Edwin Emerson, James True
and a host of other patrioteers.
Before the Presidential election he made another trip to Germany. When
he returned, he enlarged his distribution apparatus and was apparently
important enough for high Nazi officials visiting the United States to
meet with him. One of these was Hans von Reitenkranz, who came quietly
to the United States as Hitler's personal representative to arrange
for oil purchases--oil which Germany needed badly for her factories
and especially for her growing war machine.
Von Reitenkranz is a friend of Professor Kurt Sepmeier of the
University of Wichita. He introduced Winrod to the Professor. They
became friendly. When I was in Wichita making inquiries about the
Reverend Winrod, I constantly came across the Professor's trail. Both
he and Winrod had been meeting regularly but with an effort at
secrecy.
In January, 1937, after several meetings with Professor Sepmeier,
Winrod went to Washington. I also went to Washington and found that
the Reverend was calling at the German Embassy. On one of his visits
he remained inside for an hour and eighteen minutes. Whom he saw or
what he discussed I do not know; but immediately after this long
visit, the _News and Feature Service_ was organized with money enough
to send its items out free of charge to the papers that would accept
them.
Gilbert, who headed the _Service_, was for many years the personal
representative of William Dudley Pelley, leader of the Silver Shirts.
The Nazis had been trying to get the Silver Shirts to cooperate with
them in a fascist "united front" and the appointment of Gilbert was
the first indication that a friendly cooperation had been established.
[Illustration: Sample of the "Capital News and Feature Service,"
in the establishment and distribution of which the Reverend
Gerald B. Winrod had a hand.]
Winrod had been in constant communication with Pelley, and Pelley had
conferred several times with Schwinn. The Nazis were eager to get a
native American body into the organization so they would have an
American "front."
Gilbert opened offices in Washington and, fearful lest their
location become known, rented Post Office Box No. 771, Ben Franklin
Station, for use as a mailing address. After the first issue had been
sent out, Winrod and his agents canvassed prominent industrialists for
donations to support the "news service" on the grounds that it was
furthering religious activities and fighting Communism. The money
collected was actually used to carry on anti-democratic propaganda. A
number of industrialists contributed. I have a list of them, but since
there is no conclusive evidence that they knew the money was being
spent by Nazi agents, I shall not publish the names. I mention it
merely as an illustration of how wealthy men are victimized by
racketeers with pleas of "patriotism" and "public service." Harry A.
Jung did the same thing by getting money from rich Jews "to fight
Communism" and from rich gentiles "to fight the menace of the Jew."
[Illustration: Letter from a small-town newspaper showing the
kind of confusion caused by the "Capitol News and Feature
Service."]
With the first issue of the _Capitol News and Feature Service_, the
following announcement was mailed to the editors of rural weeklies:
"Good Morning, Mr. Editor! _Capitol News and Feature Service_ herewith
delivers three priceless articles, fresh from the Nation's capitol.
Use them without cost. You will hear from us each week. Watch for
these interesting articles."
An examination of the "priceless articles" showed that they were
designed primarily to attack American democracy.
Since his return from Germany and his conferences at the Nazi Embassy,
Winrod has made frequent trips into Mexico where he has met with
Mexican fascists--especially with leaders of the Mexican Gold Shirts
which were organized by Hermann Schwinn. Again we discover the tie-up
between fascist organizations in the United States and those to the
south of us.
When the Nazis reorganized their propaganda machine several years ago
and established smuggling headquarters on the West Coast, propaganda
taken off Nazi ships docking in San Diego and Los Angeles included
material printed in Spanish for the special use of General Nicholas
Rodriguez, head of the Gold Shirts.
The Spanish as well as the English material was taken to the
_Deutsches Haus_ in Los Angeles and turned over to Schwinn, who
forwarded the batches to Rodriguez. The contact man between Schwinn
and the head of the fascist movement in Mexico is a native American
named Henry Douglas Allen of San Diego. Allen, under the pretext of
being a mining engineer and interested in prospecting in Mexico, went
repeatedly into the neighboring country with the smuggled propaganda
and delivered it to Rodriguez' agents.
Since native Americans, especially if they say they wish to prospect,
can travel across the international boundary into Mexico as often as
they please without arousing suspicion, Allen was chosen as the
liaison man between Nazi agents in the United States and Rodriguez. As
I said earlier, the Nazis tried from the beginning to get an American
"front" and to draw as many Americans into it as possible--obviously
strategic preparation for future work more serious than mere
propaganda. Hence Allen was instructed to become active in the Silver
Shirt movement. He organized Down Town Post No. 47-10 and established
Silver Shirt recruiting headquarters in Room 693 at 730 South Grand
Ave., Los Angeles.
In August, 1936, when a lot of Nazi and anti-Roosevelt money was being
shelled out in efforts to defeat Roosevelt, Allen became extremely
active. While Pelley was out of town, he was instructed to work with
Kenneth Alexander, Pelley's right-hand man. Alexander was formerly a
still-photographer at United Artists Studios. The two opened offices
in the Broadway Arcade Building and on October 1, 1935, moved to the
Lankersheim Building at Third Street near Spring, Los Angeles.
Rodriguez, after he was given assurances of Nazi aid, worked not only
with Nazi agents in this country but also with Julio Brunet, manager
of the Ford factory in Mexico City.
The earliest documentary record I have of their tie-up is a letter
Rodriguez wrote to Ford's manager on September 27, 1934, on Gold Shirt
stationery. The letter merely asks Brunet to give jobs to two "worthy
young men" and is written in a manner that shows Rodriguez and Brunet
are rather close.
By February 7, 1935, Rodriguez and the Ford executive in Mexico had
become sufficiently intimate for the fascist leader to express his
appreciation of Brunet's placing Gold Shirts in the plant. His letter
addressed to the manager of the Ford Company follows:
We have been informed by our delegate, Senora N.M. Colunga, that
she was very well treated by you and that in addition you
informed her that our request for work for some of our comrades
who needed it has also been heard. Not doubting but that this
will be fulfilled, A.R.M. [the Gold Shirts] sends you the most
expressive thanks for having seen in you the recognition of one
of the greatest obligations of humanity to Mexicanism.
On November 19, 1935, shortly before the Gold Shirts felt they were
powerful enough to attempt the overthrow of the Mexican Government and
the establishment of a fascist dictatorship, Rodriguez wrote to the
manager of the Ford plant, asking for the two ambulances which had
been promised the fascists by the Ford manager. Rodriguez had
organized his attempted Putsch carefully, with a women's ambulance
corps to care for the wounded in the expected fighting. The letter,
again translated almost literally, follows:
Sr. Manager of the Ford Company Nov. 19, 1935.
City
Highly Esteemed Senor:
This will be delivered to you personally by Sr. General Juan
Alvarez C., who comes with the object of ascertaining if that
company would be able to supply two ambulances which they had
already offered, for the transportation of the Women's Sanitary
Brigade on the 20th day of this month at 8 A.M.
Thanking you in advance for the references, I am happy to repeat
that I am at your command. Affectionately and attentively, S.S.
NICHOLAS RODRIGUEZ C.
Supreme Commander.
[Illustration: Letter from General Nicholas Rodriguez, Mexican
fascist leader, to the Ford manager in Mexico City, soliciting
employment for two proteges.]
In the street fighting that followed the attempted fascist Putsch a
number were killed and wounded. It was after this fight that Rodriguez
was exiled.
I am reproducing some of these letters from carbon copies, initialed
by Rodriguez, which were in his files. Why he initials carbon copies
I don't know, but I have a stack of his correspondence with Nazi
agents and almost all of his carbons are initialed.
On October 4, 1936, Allen wrote to the exiled fascist leader.
Ostensibly the letter invited him to address the Silver Shirts.
Actually it was for a special conference about "matters of vital
importance to us both." This letter was written when Schwinn was
holding conferences with Pelley to merge forces in a fascist united
front, and when Schneeberger was preparing to leave for Japan on a
training ship ordered up from the Canal Zone by the Japanese to take
him on board. The letter follows:
Dear General Rodriguez:
Upon receipt of this letter will you kindly communicate with me
and advise me whether it would be possible for you to come to
Los Angeles in the near future to make an address to our
organization here. We shall be glad to defray all expenses which
will include airplane both ways if you desire it. We shall also
offer you bodyguard for your protection if you deem it
necessary. Your fight is our fight and it is our desire to have
you come to Los Angeles especially to confer with us relative to
matters of vital importance to us both. I would suggest that if
you can arrange to come, you telegraph me (charges collect) upon
receipt of this letter so that I may make arrangements without
delay.
Fraternally yours,
HENRY ALLEN.
When I went to Mexico to look into Nazi activities, I gave a copy of
this letter to the Minister of the Interior. At that time Allen was
again in Mexico under the pretense of looking into his mining
interests, but a check showed that he had actually gone there to
confer secretly with a Mexican army man, General Iturbe. At my request
the Mexican Government looked into Allen's movements and learned that
he had entered Guaymas, center of Japanese activities, with Kenneth
Alexander, Pelley's chief aid.
The connection between Ford's Mexican manager and General Rodriguez
might be considered an unfortunate incident for which Ford could not
be held responsible. This would be a reasonable assumption if the
Nazi-Rodriguez-Ford tie-up in Mexico were an isolated case. The facts,
however, show it is not.
[Illustration: Letter from General Rodriguez to the Ford manager
in Mexico City. The translation is given on page 110.]
The national leader of the Nazi propaganda machine in this country has
been on the Ford pay roll. Kuhn was supposed to work for Ford as a
chemist, but while on Ford's pay roll he traveled around the United
States conferring with other secret Nazi agents and actively directing
Nazi work in this country.
Ford has a highly developed and exceedingly efficient espionage system
of his own which, among other things, watches what his employees
do--even to their home life. Kuhn's activities were known to Harry
Bennett, head of the Ford secret service or "Personnel Department," as
it is called, and Bennett reports to Ford. Furthermore, Kuhn's Nazi
connections had been publicized in both the American and the Nazi
press and were no secret. Jews and Christians alike protested to Ford
about his employee's anti-democratic work while on the motor magnate's
pay roll, but Kuhn was left undisturbed to travel around organizing
Nazi groups. In 1938 Ford was given the highest medal of honor which
Hitler can give to a foreigner. No statement was ever made as to just
what Henry Ford had done for the Nazi Fuehrer to merit the honor.
Simultaneously with Kuhn's intensified work, Ford's confidential
secretary, William J. Cameron, became active again. Cameron was editor
of Ford's _Dearborn Independent_ when that newspaper published the
"Protocols of the Elders of Zion" after they had been proved to be
forgeries. When a nation-wide protest arose from Jews and Christians
who were shocked at seeing one of the richest and most powerful men in
the country use his wealth to disseminate race hatred, and when the
protest grew into a boycott of his cars, Ford apologized and
discontinued the newspaper. But instead of easing his editor out or
giving him some other job, he made him his confidential secretary.
[Illustration: Letter from Henry Allen to General Rodriguez,
showing the tie-up between American and Mexican fascist
organizations.]
When Kuhn went to work for Ford, the national headquarters of the Nazi
propaganda machine was moved to Detroit, and the anti-democratic
activities increased in intensity. Employing Nazi anti-semitism as the
bait to attract dissatisfied and bewildered elements in the
population, a new organization made its appearance: The Anglo-Saxon
Federation, headed by Ford's private secretary. Headquarters were
established in the McCormick Building in Chicago, Room 834, at 332 S.
Michigan Ave. and in the Fox Building in Detroit.
In July, 1936, Cameron, obviously because Ford was violently
anti-Roosevelt, stepped out as head of the organization and became its
Director of Publications. When Winrod was raising money from American
industrialists to support the _Capitol News and Feature Service_,
Cameron was among the contributors.
The Anglo-Saxon Federation began to distribute the "Protocols" again.
I bought a copy in the Detroit offices of the organization, stamped
with the name of the organization. The introduction quotes Ford as
approving of them. It states:
Mr. Henry Ford, in an interview published in the _New York
World_. February 17, 1921, put the case for Nilus[17] tersely
and convincingly thus:
"The only statement I care to make about the 'Protocols' is that
they fit in with what is going on. They are sixteen years old,
and they have fitted the world situation up to this time. They
fit it now."
When Ford was on the witness stand in a libel suit some fifteen years
ago and admitted his ignorance of matters with which even grammar
school children are familiar, the country laughed. His ignorance,
however, is his own affair, but when he takes no step to curb his
personal representative from working with secret foreign agents to
undermine a friendly government, it becomes a matter, it appears to
me, of importance to the people of this country and the Government of
the United States.
[Illustration: LEFT: American-made anti-Semitic sticker of a type
appearing with increasing frequency in recent times. RIGHT:
Title-page of the German edition of "The International Jew," by
Henry Ford, of which 100,000 copies have been distributed.]
FOOTNOTES:
[17] The man who forged the "Protocols" originally and who subsequently
confessed to having done so.
IX
_Nazi Agents in American Universities_
The universities are too important a training ground for Nazi agents
to ignore. A few professors in some of our universities have joined
the growing list of anti-democratic propagandists. Some of them are
German subjects and do not disguise their pro-Nazi bias; others carry
on their propaganda as a "scholarly analysis" of the Hitler
regime--with a fervor, however, that smacks of the paid propagandist.
German exchange students, too, studying at some of our universities,
are active in various efforts to draw native Americans within the
sphere of Nazi influence. Some of these students came here ostensibly
to study for degrees, but devote most of their time to spreading Nazi
ideology and meeting with secret Nazi agents and military spies. Such
was Prince von Lippe of the University of Southern California.
Von Lippe is not an American citizen as so many of the agents are.
With no visible means of support, he received expenses from a total
stranger--oddly enough, Count von Buelow whose home overlooked the
naval base in San Diego and who was constantly in conferences with
Nazi agents. It was to Count von Buelow, you recall, that Hermann
Schwinn brought Schneeberger as soon as he arrived on his way to
Japan, and von Buelow took him around while Schneeberger photographed
areas in the military and naval zone. A number of very secret
conferences were held while Schneeberger was on the West Coast, in the
home of Dr. K. Burchardi, a Los Angeles physician who visits Nazi
ships with Schwinn and von Buelow (on one occasion Schneeberger
summoned Burchardi to come with him to a Nazi ship which had just
docked in Los Angeles--and the physician dropped his work and went).
German exchange students, when they enter this country, are under
instructions to report to the German-American Bund. On July 4, 1936,
three exchange students--a young lady and two young men--entered Los
Angeles while on a motor tour of the country. They were students at
Georgia Tech. In Los Angeles they went directly to the _Deutsches
Haus_ and presented a letter of introduction to Hermann Schwinn who
assigned them quarters at the home of Max Edgan, one of Schwinn's
lieutenants. The students then made a detailed report to Schwinn on
the political work they were carrying out at Georgia Tech.
But the professors are the chief hope of Nazi agents attempting to
spread the idea of totalitarian government and a bit of race hatred as
the bait to attract some elements in the population. Some of the
professors and some of their activities follow briefly:
Professor Frederick E. Auhagen, formerly of the German Department,
Seth Low Junior College, Columbia University.
Dr. Auhagen came to this country in 1923 and worked as a mining
engineer in Pennsylvania. From 1925 to 1927 he was with the Foreign
Department of the Equitable Trust Co.; then became connected with
Columbia University in 1927. He is not an American citizen and
constantly refers to Germany as "my native country."