Christian Front
The Christian Front was a predominately Catholic group of working class Irish and German Americans in the USA from 1938 to 1940. The motto of the organization was "For Christ and country".
Contents
History
The Christian Front emerged in New York City in response to the banning of Father Coughlin from the radio station WMCA. The station had insisted Father Coughlin present his radio remarks at least 48 hours in advance for review. Previously Father Coughlin had addressed his national audience on a number of radio stations and referred to the Protocols in explaining the current world situation. Father Coughlin refused to the station’s demands and his supporters began weekly demonstrations against the station and its sponsors. Activist Allen Zoll and others began the demonstrations against the radio station on December 18, 1938.[1] The demonstrations went on for months consisting of thousands of protesters.[2]
The Christian Front began to sell Father Coughlin’s newspaper Social Justice on the streets of the city. At one time they had nearly five hundred salesmen in the streets of New York.[3]
In 1939 the Christian Front held its first meeting at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle at Columbus Circle and 59th Street in New York City. Many of the early members were also members of the German American Bund.[4] By the Fall of 1939 Christian Front membership had spread to the major cities of Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Boston, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Louis and Detroit.[5]
The Christian Front welcomed Protestants to join them in the fight against communism. Christian Front speakers called for Christian unity, to "Think Christian", and to buy from only Christian businesses and to boycott Jewish merchants.
A militant offshoot of the Christian Front was the Christian Mobilizers.
Alleged seditious activities
On January 14, 1940, eighteen members of the Christian Front were arrested and later indicted for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government of the United States.[6] A "Parents' Defense Fund Committee" was ogranized to collect money and hold rallies on behalf of the defendants. A rally was held on March 1, 1940, at Prospect Hall, Brooklyn, to raise money for defense expenses, Bernard T. D'Arcy and Father Edward Lodge Curran were the speakers.
See also
- Iron Guard (Christian Front)
- Christian Front sedition trial
- American Patriots
- Lineage of American Nationalist organizations and individuals
- Crusaders for Americanism
- National Union for Social Justice
People
- William Bishop
- Father Edward F. Brophy
- Floyd Carridi
- John F. Cassidy
- John Cecil
- Russell Dunn
- Joseph Gallagher
- John J. Geis
- John E. Kelly
- Francis P. Moran, Boston leader
- Walter D. Ogden, secretary
- Liam Walsh
External links
- Christian Front introductory pamphlet
- Christian Front terrorism
- Norman Thomas, "What's Behind the 'Christian Front'?", (Workers Defense League, August 17, 1939)
References
- ↑ American Jewish Yearbook REVIEW OF THE YEAR 5699 (July 1, 1938 to June 30, 1939), page 211(25)
- ↑ Memorandum on the Street Disturbances in New York City (AJC, ca. 1939)
- ↑ Under Cover, p. 63, by John Roy Carlson, (1943)
- ↑ Under Cover, p. 54, by John Roy Carlson, (1943)
- ↑ Under Cover, p. 56, by John Roy Carlson, (1943)
- ↑ Time Bomb, Page 29
