The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-07-12
Drama OF Fear Hate
BY RODEEY L. BRINK


night recently. It played to q capacitv audi
ence, members of which had been admitted
by CARDS mailed to them in advance mailed
to those who had evinced an interest in tho
great delusion bearing the grandiose and
misleading title America First
There had been hints in advance that tbere
might be trouble at the meeting. The ternno
and tone of a Gerald L. K Smith meet
ing invites trouble. Friction is his stock in
trade, al excited and excitable audience the
ideal vehicle for his loW-level appeal. His
oratorlcsl attack is like that of a bombing
plane: unpredictable, staccato. violent.
q A eporter goes to such events seeking back
ground if rothing else. went earlv and found
an end seat in the tenth row on the extreme
right The Philharmonic is an auditorium of
the Old school. with great main floor. and
five balconies and galleries rising sharplv.
Filled with citizens in workadav midsummer
Southern California clothes, it was picture.
motion picture
The crowd was restless. eager, like bull
fight or a prjze-fioht crowd and e,oral.c
hand-clappng began Ten r,inutes before The
annorncd time for the '1ec+,1re'' TO beoin
Thera was slight motion in the throng. even
after al seats were filled and doors closed
The auditorium seats 2e7n persons. and some
were Standing in the upper galleries.
The low hum Of many voices filled +l,e
auditorium with vibrations Everyone was Talk
ing 70 his neiohhor. It seemed: and not
whispering but talking.
1t was not eavesdroppire to bear the ron.
versations near at hard II would have been
impossible not to hear them Those Individuals
in the two or three end seats in rows g. and
| 10. earlv found their Point Of sa~eement in
the matter Of fears and hates They dislike
Jews. and obviously were present in support nf
Gerald L. K. Smith because his perfervdlv
histericsl doctrine Of 'the Cross and the
historical doctrine of 'the Cross and tho
tinuatio of the XII Klux Klan that followed
the previous World War.
One large firmly built woman keut brine
ING the subject of liquor into the conversation
Finally the others near hv surrounded her
CONVEX sal ionally and captured her without
either facts figures thev converted her to
the notion that Jews. somehow. are almost
solely RESPONSIBLE for the liquor traffic in the
United States.
One mentioned beer and Germans But
others chiIred in that they had known some
very rice Germans" Thereafter there was
no note o. dissent among them. Thew had
achieved unity of thought and they waited
for :he American king OF hate.
Gerald L. K. Smith starts off slowly with
an audience, but warns up RAPIDLY. Sarcasm.
bitterness, and hatred fairly drip Mr. Smith
keeps his audience boob:ng up ard down from
its seats giving people or his statements "big
hands, yelling AYE" at the very tops of
their voices in support of any declaration he
makes which seems to him to call FOR audience
affirmation If the chorused "aye'' isn't loud
enough to suit him he has it repeated until it
does seem loud enough. Twentv-eieht hundred
persons can make very loud AYE if pressed
to do So
M. Smith is minister, a Carcnbellite he
says. "1ll call myself q Camphellite but
dom. want any Methodist to- he tells his
audience He is the fourth of four generations
of ministers. There has net been a conviction.
an indictment, an arrest, a divorce, or
a separation in his family in The four gen.
erations, he confides
Mr. Smiths platform delivery is rerindful
of that of baseball pitcher of 3 few years
back, Dizzy Dean. Mr.. Smith stands sidewise
to his m,crophone mucn of the time. He turns
his back to his main audience sometimes, and
addresses those who sit on the platform with
him. calling upon them for affirmation. prais-
ing them for fearlessness
There was an effort in Los Angeles to
keep the main prophet CT "Amerjca First out
of the Philharmonic He made great capital
of the attempt Freedom of speech. Next morn
ing's three newspapers gave his large meet
ing r. IS, and Is lines Of type. respectively
The ro,ice were out with nightsticks at the
meetings close. Reds picketed the nall II
was worth more news space, actually. Mr.
Smiths cne-man drama. There must always
be a villain in such piece. Stain is Simon
Legree and every other stock villain rolled
into one, for Mr.. Smiths purposes.
The old-tme personal aevil undoubtedly De-
labored by Mr. Smiths ministerial forbears
has gone out of style. Mr. Smiths trumpet
voice, ideal for beaboring must have Its OBJ
iect It is a strident voice, somewhat hypnotic
in its effect. 1t plays the impresslonanle
ones in his audience after the manner OF INT
Ter and EIussolini. Women do not swoon' out
some fu;ter as if they would like to-
Tremolo and muted tone come into play
when mention is made of the Cross the Flag
home wife. parents. veterans. soa Full Oiass
with all stops out, when Communism oi ''e
Stain ale under attack. 49,,
Lindbergr and Huey Long are PRAISED. but
mot another nickel of lend-lease LOT RUSSIA
until she helps us whip the Japs ana II any
one ar esn't like things the way they are mere
let's put him on boat and SEND MIN 10 NUS
sia.'
# would be a good show, much as some
~ w. III Ku tlux Khan rallies were good
shows ;f i were not for the terrible lmp'l-
c.+i,ns. If If we're not fol the TACT that 1ne
limited States is working its hardes1 10 prove
th.+ ~ can oct along with the allies VINO 1ouent
1.a.s;,,a enenoies so valiantly. And IN spite
oss - +l,+ +heir thoughts and institutions