HENRY FORD AND SECRET NAZI ACTIVITIES
impossible for
Germany
relations with other
In
tacts
to carry
105
on normal trade and
financial
countries."
period of his new-found prosperity he established con
with Nazi agents and pro-fascists like Harry A. Jung of
this
the American Vigilant Intelligence Federation, Colonel
Emerson, James True and a host of other patrioteers.
Before the
Presidential
election
Edwin
he made another trip to
When
he returned, he enlarged his distribution ap
Germany.
and was apparently important enough for high Nazi
paratus
officials visiting the United States to meet with him.
One of
these
was Hans von Reitenkranz, who came quietly
States as Hitler
s
to the
United
personal representative to arrange for oil
pur
chasesoil which Germany needed badly for her factories and
especially for her growing war machine.
Von Reitenkranz
is
a friend of Professor Kurt Sepmeier of
He introduced Winrod to the Pro
the University of Wichita.
fessor.
They became
friendly.
When
I
was in Wichita making
inquiries about the Reverend Winrod, I constantly came across
the Professor s trail. Both he and Winrod had been meeting
regularly but with an effort at secrecy.
In January, 1937, after several meetings with Professor Sep
meier, Winrod went to Washington. I also went to Washington
and found that the Reverend was calling at the German Em
bassy. On one of his visits he remained inside for an hour and
eighteen minutes. Whom he saw or what he discussed I do not
know; but immediately after this long visit, the News and Fea
ture Service was organized with money enough to send its items
out free of charge to the papers that would accept them.
Gilbert, who headed the Service, was for many years the per
sonal representative of William Dudley Pelley, leader of the
Silver Shirts. The Nazis had been trying to get the Silver Shirts
to cooperate with them in a fascist "united front" and the