Paul Scheffer

Memorandum for Mr. Ladd

 Re: Walter Winchell Broadcast 

December 19, 1943 

III.SEDITION MATTERS 

A.     Book entitled “Sabotage” 

Mr. Winchell stated: “ New York City. New Yorkers and Others, listen please. Be sure and buy tomorrow’s issue of PM. It exclusively reprints the new disclosures in the revised edition of  ‘Sabotage’ a best-seller earlier this year. The book itself will also be on the newsstands everywhere to morrow at fifty cents a copy. The name of the book, ‘Sabotage.’  Read it , please, and get a down-front seat at the soon due sedition cases. 

PM’s reprint will allege that Joseph Camp of New York City… 

Mr. Winchell has previously commented favorably upon the book ‘Sabotage’ in his broadcasts of September 13, 1942 and September 20, 1942. This publication was written by Michael Sayers and A.E. Kahn, was published by Cotheran Brothers. The book ‘Sabotage’ was reviewed by Supervisor B.M. Suttler of the Crime Records Section.

 

Office Memorandum – United States Government 

To E.A. Ja…….

From: D.M. Ladd

Date: March 27, 1944

Time: 4:10

DML:MMC 

Colonel Weckerly of G-2 at this time and inquired if I had heard the broadcast of Walter Winchell last night, particularly the part which referred to the great spy who was once traded for seven Russian Agents in a deal Moscow made with Germany, and who was now writing articles for a very large New York newspaper.  Colonel Weckerly wondered if it was the same man he had in mind. I asked him if he Meant XXXXXXXXXXXXX   XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  who was interned at the time we arrested the entire Embassy group but later decided not to be repatriated and who was still later arrested as an alien enemy and given a hearing and then released on parole on the Attorney General’s order; he later worked for OSS in New York; that is was my opinion he was up for another rearing tomorrow.

Colonel Weckerly stated that probably accounted for the statement Winchell made to the effect that the Department of Justice had just arrested him. I told him the Immigration Service had arrested him one day last week. Colonel Weckerly mentioned that Winchell stated: “he also learned this former Nazi spy is working for our military – his name must be omitted now.” The colonel asked if this could mean OSS. I advised him I thought it did but this was just a guess on my part; that I did not know to whom he was referring but the description seemed to fit XXXXXXXXX XXXXXX. 

Colonel Weckerly stated he was thinking of someone else but the information did not exactly coincide with this. He then wanted to know if XXXXXXXX employed by this New York newspaper under another name.  I advised him I did not know that.