Anti-communism Elizabeth Dilling

dilling s political activism spurred bitter opposition encountered upon return illinois in 1931, against telling truth russia ... suburbanite intellectual friends , own episcopal minister. began public speaking hobby, following doctor s advice. iris mccord, chicago radio broadcaster taught @ moody bible institute, arranged address local church groups. within year dilling touring midwest, northeast , west coast, accompanied husband. showed home movies of soviet union , made same speech several times week audiences large several hundred, hosted organizations such daughters of american revolution (dar) , american legion.

in 1932, dilling co-founded paul reveres, anti-communist organization headquarters in chicago had 200 local chapters. left in 1934, after dispute co-founder col. edwin marshall hadley, , folded after due lack of interest. mccord s encouragement, lectures published in local wilmette newspaper in 1932, , collected in pamphlet entitled red revolution: want here? dilling claimed dar printed , distributed thousands of copies.

the red network (1934)

beginning in 1933, dilling spent twelve eighteen hours day eighteen months researching , cataloging suspected subversives. sources included 1920 four-volume report of joint legislative committee investigate seditious activities, , representative hamilton fish s 1931 report of anti-communist investigation. result red network—a s , handbook of radicalism patriots, hailed irony in new republic handy, compact reference work . first half of 352-page book collection of essays, copied red revolution. second half contained descriptions of more 1,300 reds (including international figures such albert einstein , chiang kai-shek), , more 460 organizations described communist, radical pacifist, anarchist, socialist, [or] i.w.w. controlled .

far more spider-web chart of 1920s – chart composed member of dar plotted suspected red-affiliated organisations progressive individuals – red network revealed power of guilt association, tactic used future red baiters devastating effectiveness.

the book reprinted 8 times , sold more 16,000 copies 1941. thousands more given away. sold in chicago book stores , mail order dilling s house. distributed kkk, knights of white camellia, german-american bund, , aryan bookstores. subscribers gerald winrod s new journal, revealer, received copy; fundamentalist preacher w. b. riley, president of northwest bible training school, claimed had given away hundreds of copies; , advertised , sold moody bible institute. endorsed officials in dar , american legion. copies bought pinkerton detective agency, new york police department, chicago police department, , federal bureau of investigation. los angeles arms manufacturer bought , distributed 150 copies, , tear gas manufacturer bought 1,500 copies, distributed standard oil company, national guard, , hundreds of police departments.

in 1935, dilling returned alma mater accuse such people university president robert maynard hutchins, educational reformer john dewey, activist jane addams, , republican senator william borah of being communist sympathizers. retail tycoon charles r. walgreen asked obtain public hearing after niece complained professors @ university communists. demanded closure of university. illinois legislature convened discuss matter, deciding claims unfounded. dilling delivered frenetic half-hour speech @ assembly, calls audience kill every communist . declared, university of chicago diseased communism , contagion menace community , nation.

dilling s next book, roosevelt red record , background, published 2 weeks before 1936 presidential election, less successful. of later writing, largely disjointed series of quotations. president franklin d. roosevelt s jew deal (as many including dilling calling new deal) central theme of red network, , being debated elsewhere. dilling later claimed house un-american activities committee founded largely 2 books. wrote pamphlet attacking borah, entitled borah: borer within g.o.p., fearing if won presidential nomination voters forced choose between 2 communists. distributed 5,000 copies @ republican national convention, , claimed credit defeat.

in 1938, dilling founded patriotic research bureau, vast archive in chicago staff of christian women , girls moody bible institute. began regular publication of patriotic research bulletin, newsletter outlining political , personal views, mailed free of charge supporters. editions 25 30 pages long, youthful photograph of author on cover conveying personal touch. masthead of issues reads: patriotic research bureau. defense of christianity , americanism .

dilling paid $5000 in 1939 industrialist henry ford investigate communism @ university of michigan. distributing anti-semitic newspaper dearborn independent during 1920s, ford financial supporter of dozens of anti-semitic propagandists. dilling discovered hundreds of books @ university library written radicals . 96-page report stated university typical of american colleges have permitted marxist-bitten, professional theorists inoculate wholesome american youths collectivist propaganda. reached similar conclusion when los angeles chamber of commerce paid investigate ucla, , when investigated children s universities, cornell , northwestern.

in 1940, hoping influence presidential election, dilling published octopus, setting out theories of jewish communism. book published under pseudonym rev. frank woodruff johnson . avedis derounian reported dilling claiming jews can never prove m anti-semitic, m clever them. husband feared allegations of anti-semitism damage law practice. admitted author @ divorce trial in 1942. explained wrote book response b nai b rith. stated: airs dirty lying attempts shut every christian mouth , prevent getting fair trial in country (for cited contempt).

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