The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-08-28
Book
Reviews

By GERTRUDE SCOTT MARTIN


UNDER COVER. tE. p. Dutton:
New York City: $500. is the
courageous account of native fas-
c.sm told by a man who for four
years spied upon those persons and
groups which seek TO undermine
and destroy the democratic system
and set up in its place a brand #
Fascism. The book is printed UNI
der the name of John Roy Carl
son although that is not the authors
real name: and the substitute is
MY Four Years In The Nazi I'm
derworld of America"
Mr.. Carlson began his adventure
in New York passing from one
group 20 another OH the recommen-
dalton OF those whose confidence
lie had won by his protested Nazi
leanings. There was a large num-
Der OF groups into which he wormed
his way but the purpoc, Of all was
more or less the same: spreading ma
tionalist teachings. denouncing Jews
and often Negroes; often praising
Hitler and the Nazi regime openly.
Different groups catered to differ
ent levels OF society and changed
their approach accordingly but
there was common denominator
in all: the desire to destroy Ameri-
can democracy. The American Ma
tional-Socialist party. the German
American Bund. the Ku KluX Klan;
the National Workers League. the
Christian Front the America First
Committee, Coughlin's Social JUS
tice group and many others are
linked together in vicious net
work OF hate.
Many OF those named by the
author are familiar: some have al
ready been convicted OF sedition,
others are still free to preach their
Nazi propaganda. Fritz Kuhn. Joe
McWilliams. Mrs. Dilling. Gerald L.
X. Smith. George Deatherage, Sena-
tor Wheeler. Senator Nye, Michi-
gan's own Clare Hoffman, Joseph
p. Kamp and many others play
their part in the dramatic pages OF
Under Cover. but each plays the
role OF a villain.
There is a chapter. Detroit Is
Dynamite. which We would like to
call to the attention OF the city
fathers who are so naive on the
subject OF native fascism and its
workings. Here is outlined the
technique OF anti-semitic. anti
Negro preachings being used in the
plans TO win over workers by men
like Tony Bommarite and Parker
Sage: you begin your work by
talking against the Jews and the
The Jew got us into the
war. You tell EN- that. The Jew is
keeping labor down by controlling |
the money. It's the Jew who hires
niggers and gives them low wages
. :" The author tells of the con-
nection between Garland Alderman
and Gerald L. X. Smith and states
that Alderman told "such an
astounding story Of collaboration
between the committee (America
FirsD and Nazi interests that
would never have believed it IL !
had not seen its duplication in the
East"
OF Detroit the author writes: 81
succeeded in showing the common
denominator between the respec-
table groups pleading appeasement
and defeatism, and the outright
Nazi front.sts striving to achieve
those same goals under identical
slogans of patriotism" and "Ameri-
canism." I succeeded in showing "le
common meeting ground between
the America First Committee, the
National Workers League. Smiths
coterie OF followers and the lead
ers OF the Mothers groups / inter-
viewed"
There Is a chapter too on Hitler
and Hirohito In Harlem which out
lines the program of hate preached
by black Hitlers who had ties with
the white fascist groups and wee
encouraged by them. The Negro
fascists preached anti-semitism and
anti.white doctrines to their follow
ers and extolled the japanese. This
chapter reminded me great deal
O.. Carl Offord's story OF Harlem,
White Face" in which he sought
to expose this same sort Of vicious
teaching.
UNDER COVER tells Of actual
danger to our way OF life which
will grow unhindered unless there
is a widespread realization OF the
forces at work and the techniques
used TO set group against group.
The material here is carefully docu-