SECRET ARMIES
140
democratic sentiments in cooperation with secret agents of the
German Government and in addition was a convicted thief.
(Shortly after Slap-Happy Eddie, as he was known around
Boston because of his convictions on drunkenness, lined up with
the Nazis, he got six months for a little stealing.) Before going
on with the Congressional Committee s strange attitude toward
suspected spies and known propagandists in constant communi
cation with Germany, it might be well to review a meeting which
the Congressional Committee
s
investigator
addressed in the
Nazi stronghold in Yorkville.
On the night of Tuesday, June 5, 1934, at eight o clock, some
2,500 Nazis and their friends attended a mass meeting of the
Friends of the New Germany at Turnhall, Lexington Ave. and
85th Street, New York City. Sixty Nazi Storm Troopers attired
in uniforms with black breeches and Sam Brown belts, smuggled
off Nazi ships were the guard of honor. Storm Troop officers
had white and red arm bands with the swastika superimposed
on them. Every twenty minutes the Troopers, clicking their
heels in the best Nazi fashion,
speakers
The
stand.
Men and women
Hitler
changed guard in front of the
Youth organization was
present.
Nazi publication, Jung
Sturm, and everybody awaited the coming of one of the chief
speakers of the evening who was to bring them a message from
the Boston Nazis.
W. L. McLaughlin, then editor of the Deutsche Zeitung, spoke
in English. He was followed by H. Hempel, an officer of the
Nazi steamship "Stuttgart," who vigorously exhorted his audi
Nazis sold the
official
ence to fight for Hitlerism and was rewarded by shouts of "Heil
Hitler!"
McLaughlin then introduced Edward Francis Sullivan
of Boston as a
The gentleman whom the
one of its investigators into
gave the crowd the Hitler salute and
"fighting
Irishman."
Congressional Committee chose
subversive
activities,
as
launched into an attack upon the "dirty, lousy, stinking Jews."
In the course of his talk he announced proudly that he had