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i + 5 SPBCTAL RATER REPORT -2- Hitler’s dictums-—-"Be who controls the streets of Berlin rules Be Germany® — to the New York scene. They proceeded to take over kay strects of the City; to hold curd metings thet were transformed - into riots. They recruited among the police, fire-departnent, utility workers, transport workers, worming their way into every artery of . public safety. Cunningly, they concentrated on the crucial 2% which, * strategioally located, can easily gain control ef the City. Their speakers ridiculed the President, called for a boycott of Jews, preached dictatorship. Coughlin spurred them on. 80 completely were their outrages ignored by our local press that even today few people (outside our Comcittes) are aware of what cocurred, = - {he chief technique used was organised anti-Semitism. Times Square, Borough Hall and Queens Plata were invaded. by "atorm-troopers". A Brora police stetion was besieged =. by 2,000; heads wore broken. All in all, 210 arrests wore rade. In addition, our files for timt period bulge \ with affidavits of assaulte—ranging from the beating of. Willian Abramsky to the stabbing of Samel Applebeum, THe RLPERIMENT THAT POINTED THE WAY Obviously, Haxi-Fasciam was operating with both personal and group salesmanship. It was clear, therefore, that siaple slogans and exposes would not stop it from gaining fighters for its army. ‘THE AVERAGE, CHUACH-OOINO CITIZEN HAD 3 BE GALVANIZED INT ACTION if democracy was to have its aray also. Y Gisocover the mst effective means of combating the Front @ group of us conducted sn experiment in the Irish-Catholic South Bronx where the *"Christian® front was particularly strong. Leading local citizens were gathored together. They wodertook to distri- bute leaflets, #612 magazines, and hold counter-nestings. Every . effort was made to probe the mind of the average citisen. Litera~ . : ture distributed ranged froa exposures of Father Coughlin to quota- tions from the Pope. Some material was discarded; other material proved its worth. : : Today, thanks to this pioneer group, there is no longer any open “Christian® Front activity in the South Bronx. Above all, this experiment deaonstrated a clear line of action. ‘Organized op-; | position could check the Coughlinites! A field report of May 22, > 1939, said: . ;