INVESTIGATION OF UN-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA ACTIVITIES IN THE SPECIAL MAY 1941 COMMITTEE ON UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES SEVENTY-SIXTH CONGRESS THIRD SESSION ON H. Res. 282 TO INVESTIGATE (1) THE EXTENT, CHARACTER, AND OBJECTS LEGISLATION APPENDIX-PART II A PRELIMINARY DIGEST AND REPORT ON THE Printed for the use of the Special Committee on Un-American Activities PROPAGANDA ACTIVITIES IN THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SEVENTY-SIXTH CONGRESS THIRD SESSION ON H. Res. 282 TO INVESTIGATE (1) THE EXTENT, CHARACTER, AND OBJECTS OF UN-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA ACTIVITIES IN THE UNITED STATES, (2) THE DIFFUSION WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF SUBVERSIVE AND UN-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA THAT IS INSTIGATED FROM FOREIGN COUNTRIES OR OF A DOMESTIC ORIGIN AND ATTACKS THE PRINCIPLE OF THE FORM OF GOVERNMENT AS GUARANTEED BY OUR CONSTITUTION, AND (3) ALL OTHER QUESTIONS IN RELATION THERETO THAT WOULD AID CONGRESS IN ANY NECESSARY REMEDIAL LEGISLATION APPENDIX-PART II A PRELIMINARY DIGEST AND REPORT ON THE Printed for the use of the Special Committee on Un-American Activities A PRELIMINARY DIGEST AND REPORT ON THE UNAMERICAN ACTIVITIES OF VARIOUS NAZI ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS IN THE UNITED STATES SECTION I The Nazi Government, shortly after its assumption of power, took control of all the media of expression in Germany and all equipment and agencies used to express German views and ideology in foreign countries. One of these agencies was the Transocean News Service. The Transocean News Service had its origin during the last World War. Its headquarters are located in Berlin; and it has scattered throughout the world various branches for the purposes of compiling and disseminating news. At the time of its inception, the Transocean News Service could be compared with the various legitimate news agencies in the United States United Press, Associated Press, and International News Service. At that time, foreign offices of the Transocean News Service were chiefly concerned with the gathering of factual information in the countries where they were working and of transmitting such information to the home office for domestic consumption. However, when Hitler took over the Government of Germany, he transformed the Transocean News Service into an agency for the dissemination of propaganda in foreign countries and also utilized it as an organization that could, with a minimum of suspicion, engage in espionage activities. Transocean News Service did not attain any prominent standing in the United States until the latter part of 1938. In the closing months of that year, one Manfred Zapp was sent to this country from Berlin for the express purpose of increasing the scope of Transocean News' effectiveness, not only in the United States but in Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America. Zapp was a man well trained for the task that confronted him. In this connection we may allow Zapp to speak in his own behalf. Agents of the committee, pursuant to the terms of a subpoena duly served upon Zapp during August of this year, obtained possession of certain of his records, including the following exhibits, Nos. 1 and 2. The English translation of these exhibits reads as follows: Herr VON BISMARCK, [Exhibit No. 11] German-American Chamber of Commerce, 10 East 40 Street, New York City. MARCH 21, 1939. MY DEAR HERR VON BISMARCK: I thank you once again for the charming luncheon. It was really very pleasant and agreeable and it pleased me very greatly to become better acquainted with you. I hope that you will soon give me the pleasure of lunching with you. Enclosed herewith I should like to send you a brief description of my career with a small photograph for the German-American Commerce Bulletin. With best greetings. Heil Hitler! 1 For facsimile of original, see p. 1115. MANFRED Zapp. |