The Wilmington morning star., 1946-12-17
As Pegler Sees 1t
BY WEsTBROOK PEGLER


NEW 4ORk, Dec. ID oswald Garrison
Willard, of New York, one of the genuine
liberals on the original roster of the nom
sectarian anti-nazi league, strongly disap-
proves the secret police activities in which
the league boastfully revealed itself in the
attempt to purge a small organization called
the Columbians, in Atlanta. In the coup, the
anti-nazi league planted a New York woman
as a secretary in the office of the Columbians
and obtained photographs of the Columbians'
correspondence by means Of a camera dis-
guised as a fountain pen. The expose amount
ed to nothing more than publicity for the
anti-nazi league and against the Columbians
at the time of the denunciation, for no formal
charges were made of illegal action by any
individual and no person was arrested.
In the reaction, however, the anti-nazi
league stood self-disclosed as a secret, snoop-
ing organization and dispatches from Atlanta
said that when the Columbians had caught
their breath they swore out warrants against
James H. Sheldon, the directing chairman of
the league, and two secret agents, including
the woman secretary, charging them with
making investigations Illegally.
Mr.. Willard does not recall precisely why
he quit the league but he said he "supposed'
he did so because Of general dissatisfaction
with "the way it was going" He withdrew
several years ago.
1--WE didn't do anything of that kind" Mr..
Willard said. "It was purely an anti-Hitler
movement. I was very much astoundei by
what l have read of sending people south
and acting as detectives and trapping people.
All I can say is that no action of that kind
was taken when I was in it. Actions OF that
kind never were considered. ! think the whole
thing must have changed very much.
IF it were the same organization, I should
say it was time for it to pass out of existence.
1t never was in its functions to undertake to
purge anything in the United States"
Tho Cn111po hJ9nc are a1InOaA IN no anti.
Semitic and anti-Negro and there seems to
be no reason to doubt that. There have been
inexact references to sticks of dynamite but
the value of the case, if any, against the
Columbians, will not be established until the
evidence is presented. Thus far, the ease"
has consisted of publicity which, on second
thought, and on research into the background
of the anti-nazi league, leaves the league in
an exposed position.
AS these dispatches have related, the treas
urer of this organization, which presumes to
spy on Americans. violating their confidence
and their privacy and exposing their private
records to public view. is 1sidore Lipschutz,
a Belgian refugee who describes himself as
an importer Of diamonds and whose applica-
ton for American citizenship has been held
up by the government. A writer in a publica-
ton strongly sympathetic viii the league
wrote in June, 1943, that Lipschutz was doing
a gigantic job for the league and had turned
his vast business organization into what is
virtually an adjunct Of the league" His vast
business organization is not further de-
scribed.
In a book called II Found Treason" pub.
lished by William Morrow in 1871, an author
calling himself Richard Rollins wrote:
During Feb. 1899, the executive secretary
of the anti-nazi league called me. The league
was about to develop a., large department OF
investigation. He wanted me to head il. 1
liked the possibilities for more action and
power. The secretary had not exaggerated
when he described the league as the worlds
greatest anti-nazi organization. Over 500 or
gained groups-fraternal. religious, industri-
al, labor, educational-made up It's more than
two million membership. In March, the league
appointed me its national director Of investi-
cation. The department was my responsible
ity-to run exactly as l thought best"
Rollins" as the author calls himself, said
this meant the broadening Of the scope Of
the leagues investigations. He kept his 'old
operatives" added new members and moved
into new Offices.
Rollins claims for the league and him
self considerable credit for anti-nazi work,
including the conviction Of Fritz Kuhn, the
leader of the nazi bund who was run down
and convicted by Dist 4ct Attorney, now Gov
ernor Tom Dewey, and his authorized profess
sional staff. In developing his claims ''Rol-
Inns" puts the league into association with
privately conducted secret organizations in
other countries, a form Of espionage in which
some New York labor unions OF European
leanings also took part, even levying assess
ments on their members for underground
work, the nature Of which never was explain
ed. The danger to the nation Of free lance
international espionage, ostensibly in the ma
tional interest but privately directed, was
pointed out occasionally in these essays dur
ing those days. 4
rollins writes that he began as an lrdi-
viduaI snooper, spying On an American or
ganizatior in New York called The Order OF
76." He says THE Order of rs" was anti
Semitic and tells proudly OF robbing sailors
lockers. aboard a German ship in the harbor.
He writes that Samuel Dickstein, then a
member of Congress and chairman Of the
House immigration Committee, engaged him,
informally, and without putting him on the
government payroll, to "see what you can
find"
He claims that he robbed lockers aboard
the Deutschland pursuant to his engagement
with Dickstein and came ashore with two
small German pistols which he had stolen.
He did not declare them and, obviously, fore
arms we're contraband.
Rollins says that, later, Dickstein intro
duced him to the first House Committee on
Subversive Activities, of which Dickstein was
the acting chief, and that under the name
of Rollins he was engaged as its investiga-
passage of which Dickstein proudly an
nounced to Rollins specified that it should
investigate "Nazi propaganda activities and
R--- ~ ~yip6