History Unfolded: US Newspapers and the Holocaust

Headline: Gotham Girds For Violence At Nazi Meet
Sub-Headline: Police Mobilized To Prevent Rioting as Bund Observes Washington's Birthday

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 Knoxville News-Sentinel
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Page Section and Number: 10
Author/Byline: UP
Article Text: NEW YORK Feb 20 — Police ordered elaborate precautions today to prevent rioting at tonight's "Americanization" rally of the pro-Nazi German-American Bund in Madison Square Garden.

Policemen assigned to the meeting were increased by 350 to 1300, Police Commissioner Lewis J. Valentine announced that he would command personally and Acting Mayor Newbold Morris warned that the bund "will have to do its' 'bunding' inside" the Garden.

It was one of the largest police details ever assigned to a public meeting here. It was increased after several anti-Nazi organizations protested against the meeting. The Trotskyist Communist "Socialist Workers Party" issued a circular urging its members to gather in front of Madison Square Garden Monday by the thousands!

Watch For Bombs
A guard of 15 patrolmen and a sergeant remained at the Garden during the night because of a report that three bombs would be planted in the building and exploded during the meeting. Detectives of the bomb squad and the Fire Department's prevention bureau searched for bombs.

Acting Mayor Morris said that the bund would not be permitted to have loud speakers outside the garden. He warned against sidewalk demonstrations and indicated that police would prevent uniformed bund members parading to or from the garden. Bund officials said 3000 members in uniforms would be in the garden to act as ushers and maintain peace.

Mr. Morris criticized the wearing of uniforms, pointing out that the Federal Foreign Relations Act made the wearing of the uniform of a foreign government unlawful.

Backs Free Speech
"Why is it necessary for them to disport the storm trooper uniform, the symbol of a doctrine which stirs bitter resentment in the hearts of free people throughout the world?" he asked. "We do not want a hostile Sudeten garrison within our gates."

He said that in the absence of Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia who is in Arkansas, he would follow his decision that the meeting would be permitted so long as it was orderly. Mr. La Guardia had said that "it would be a strange kind of free speech which permits free speech only for those we agree with. That's the kind of free speech they have in Fascist countries—but it isn't free speech."

The bund rally will celebrate Washington's Birthday, Fritz Kuhn, national leader of the bund, and a man whom he identified only as "a prominent Catholic," will be the chief speakers. Kuhn indicated that Jews would be castigated.
History Unfolded Contributor: Randall S.
Location of Research: Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com)