Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1940-12-23
Made Fortune
In u. S.. But
Hear+'s in Italy e
Italian Publisher in East
Spreading Propaganda

Spreading Propaganda
(Eduor's note. The opinions
expressed by Westbrook Pegisr
are entirely his own, and not
necessarily those of the Detroit
Times.)
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER
WE HAVE in. our midst an
w Italian immigrant million
aire who is Tam any
politician. He operates two news
papers of large circulation pub
lished mostly in the italian
language and often has declared
his devotion TO Mussolini. His
name is Generoso Pope and his
papers are called ii Progresso
Italo-Americano and II Corriere
d America.
Pope made his fortune in this
country. starting from scratch.
For a long time Pope has en-
joyed and capitalized for profit,
and for his personal vanity.
which is markedly similar 10
MusSolini's own self-approval,
the favor of the Fascist govern
ment.
LIE HAS received pompois
H honors in Naples. the port
from which he sailed as a hand
kerchief / m m igrant. and in
Rome. at the hands of the duce
and the king.
He has not neglected to re-
mind his readers of these gaudy
compliments and his editorial
theme has been unpleasantly
reminiscent of that which was
employed TO set apart from their
neighbors the German minorities
in the Sudeten. area of Ccecho-
Slovakia and in Poland.
1t is theme of persecution OF
a national minority. of discrimi-
nation against those for whom
he assumes the role of spokes-
Hldil anu utItflucI.
DOPE S papers constantly i'm
press on his readers a belief
that they are different from the
rest of the Americans; that they
are Americans. yes. but some
how still Italians: that il is
possible 10 he loyal American
= and still he loyal 10 a country
whose official Spokesman have
constantly rcviled this country
IN the Italian press for four
years: that decent American
resentment OF this anti-Ameri-
can policy is nothing but British
propaganda. and that they owe
II 10 their blood to cherish not
I only the culture of Italy and
their relatives there, but fascism
and Mussolini.
This constant propaganda in
Popes paper tends 10 make
these people self-conscious. to
segregate them from other
Americans both socially and
politically. and to place them
morally on the defensive as
though they really were some
how responsible for the awful
obscenity of fascism.
The Italian conSuls. OF course.
play ball with Pope
TIIS is no longer a harmless
i folble of a quaint individual
II * no trivial thing TO permit
man who has expressed his adj
miration ~ European dictator
10 create in the United States
national minority with a perse-
cution complex.
These people are victims all
right. but not victims of their
American neighborS or Of any
policy Of the American govern
mcnt Pope's investment in
publishing enterprise would Suf-
fer if they became ono with their
neighborS.
Among the Americans of Ital-
ian blood or birth there are
many who resent any attempt
10 speak for them as Italians or
Italo-Americans.
Like John Lewis when he =
fects TO speak. sweepingly. iOr
labor. Pope takes in vastly more
territory than he commands.
nor example. the author of hIe
L letter received today, which
saws. in part:
81 am young woman Of Ital-
ian birth, but Of American cit
itzcnship. Some who come from
Italy make II difficult for the
rest OF us who love America and
detest MnssoIini and all he
stands for.
There are those Of us whose
ewes ill with tears ut the sight
of the American Tag, tears of
gratitude for the ideals of free
dom and humanity II represents.
I'VE. hate FaSsist culture. we
only recognize the culture of Da
Ninci. Dante. Calico. Please
write kind word about us
who pledge allegiance only to
America.
os WEARS AGO TODAY