History Unfolded: US Newspapers and the Holocaust

Headline: 1,500 N. Y. Policemen Will Guard Nazi Rally at the Garden Tonight
Sub-Headline: Bomb Scare, Picketing Threat by Socialist Workers' Party Upsets City—Bund Plans to Call Out 'Storm Troopers'

Publication Date: Monday, February 20, 1939
Historical Event: American Nazis Rally in New York City
This database includes 1,208 articles about this event
Tags: Gannett full page downloadable; Public Responses in America; Racism and Antisemitism in America
Article Type: News Article
Newspaper: The Binghamton Press/Press and Sun-Bulletin
Location: Binghamton, New York
Page Section and Number: 1
Author/Byline: AP
Article Text: New York, Feb. 20 (AP)—Fifteen hundred policemen were assigned to Madison Square Garden by Police Commissioner Lewis J. Valentine today as extraordinary precautions were taken against any disorders at a pro-Nazi rally scheduled for tonight.

The officers were ordered to report at the Garden, a block from the Broadway theatrical district, at 4 p. m. They will augment a 24-hour guard of 16 men which has patrolled the big block-square arena since Saturday, when reports reached City Hall that three time bombs had been secreted in the building. No bombs were found.

Ernest Rice, organizer the New York local of the Socialist Workers party, labelled the bomb scare reports as "deliberate provocations by Fascists against contemplated anti- Fascist action."

The German-American Bund, sponsors of the rally, described it patriotic meeting in celebration of George Washington's Birthday.

The rally has been protested by American Legion units and other organizations and the Socialist Workers' party has announced it would have as many pickets outside the building as there were persons inside.

Max Schachtman, editor of the Socialist Appeal, of the Socialist Workers' party, said he expected 50,000 anti-Nazis to engage in "peaceful counter-demonstration and picket line" activities.

The party which claims a membership of 2,000 in New York issued circulars last Wednesday calling upon laboring groups and anti-Fascists to protest the presence of the Nazis and their sympathizers in the Garden.

Fritz Kuhn, bund leader, said that 3,000 uniformed "storm troopers' would help keep order.

Preparations were started after Mayor LaGuardia, frequent critic of Hitler and the Nazi regime, declined to cancel the permit for the meeting. He held that the bund members were entitled to the constitutional right of free speech. Commissioner Valentine said his department would have two motorcycle side cars for communication, three patrol wagons, a sound truck and a two-way radio car at the scene.

Mr. Valentine and Chief Inspector Louis F. Costuma will command the police detail which includes five captains, 120 sergeants, 1,200 patrolmen, five mounted sergeants, 50 mounted patrolmen and 10 lieutenants. At least 100 detectives, including men from the criminal alien and bomb and forgery squads also will be on hand.
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