The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1935-01-04
Continued from last week.
WASHINGTON

/ - 0S~AOO ebSCAb VI Lie Sc
cret espionage Order of '76 by an
pointment in the Racquet Club on
10th Street where Washington's
blue bloods, diplomats and "bip
business" men gather to irveigh
against Communism and the
Menace of the Jew"
! was in the State Department
when l telephoned Sidney Brooks,
OF the Republican Senatorial and
Congressional Campaign Commit
tee for an interview. Readers of
THE NEW MASSES will remem-
Der that Brooks, close in the con-
tldences of Senators and Con-
gressmen, was shown to be the
son of Col. Edwin Emerson, motor
lous Hitler agent, who first organ
lied the anti-semitic movement on
national scale in the us.
l had just been informed bv
THE NEW MASSES that a letter
from Brooks had arrived. The
questions Mr.. Brooks raises as to
the accuracy of certain statements
In my article of Oct. 2 can be set
tledonly after examination of data
which is not available here in
washington. l hope to be able to
settle that question: next week.
But meanwhile 1 tried to get an
immediate appointment with
Brooks. He asked me to call la
ter.
Two hours later, with Seymour
Waldman of the Daily Worker
Washington staff beside me l tel
ephoned his office again. His Sec
rotary answered.
"Oh, yes, Mr.. Spivak. Mr..
Brooks isn't here just now, but he
asked you to call him at the Rae
quet Club"
l had never been to Washing
tons Racquet Club. I had heard
a lot about it. l knew that Kurt
&. Sell, the Nazi foreign press cor
respondent, lived at the swanky
club, ard Sell is always in touch
with the German embassy. I
thought it was fitting that NEW
MASSES reporter see an Order
Of ZIG espionage agent at this
place.
l took a stenograpler along
with me to take notes IF the in
terview 50 that Brooks could not
say he was mosquoted. The club
However, would nor permit her in
and with Waldman beside me I
took my own laborious and detail
ca notes. Mr.. Brooks came down
the wide " iriously carpeted
stairway to ~ re us. He is of
medium height, rather dark.
We were ushered upstairs to a
stylishly furnished sun parIor.
There, a well-dressed man to
whom he introduced us without
mentioning his name, rose to greet
US.
Il wrote to your magazine"
Brooks began. "They have nv
letter. I have said all 1 have to
say"
81 understand that you do not
want to say any more than you
wrote. There is only one thing I
am assuming: that you are, as you
wrote, patriotic Americana"
"Of course"
Certainly then, you would be
interested in helping to expose anv
subversive activities in the us.
which threaten the peace of the
country? ?"
i am not interested in uncov-
erlng subversive clements"
The man with him feigned to |
read his newspaper. His eyes
were glued to the same spot on
the same page. At this he raised
his head and looked at Brooks.
I'm interested in a number of
things" Brooks continued. "But
am not engaged in the work you |
mentioned"
He was so pathetically on the
defensive that I smiled assuringlv
10 him.
"But I hadn't said you we're
IS yet. I merely asked you if YOU
we're interested in uncovering such
iubversive activities"
II might be opposed to them but
am not free to participate act
vely."
isn't it your duty as an Amer
can citizen?"
Brooks threw his cigarette a.
way.
"That is a question I am an
werable for only to myself"
I'm your application to the Or
erof '76 you stated that you were
as certain OBLIGATIONS to fI1I-