Artifacts, the United States holocaust memories museum, historical daniel green, gave us a tour of the exhibit he curated. Americans and the holocaust. Part one focused on the 1930s, and the leadup to world war ii. Part, terrell we learn about the american first movement, and how the United States responded to nazi persecution and murder of jews, as some of the atrocities became public knowledge. This is about 45 minutes. In 1939, september 1st, germany invades poland and world war ii breaks out, that week. Whats on americas mind in 1939 is staying out of lauren. And you see, in this section of the exhibition, deep concern in the United States about spies, nazi spies in the United States. At the time called a fifth column. Americans are asked by gallup, do you believe that the americans are organizing a fifth column on this, country and 71 or meghan say yes. And you start to see this fear of spies play out in a popular culture, and in a political culture. The First American movie, big studio movie to take on nazism, is a Warner Brothers movie from 1939 called confessions of a nazi spy. Were showing the trailer here, its based on a true story of a nazi spy who lived in the United States. Nurse i am a nazi spy. I am one of thousands stationed in every part of the United States to steal the secrets of your national defense. There are five stations in all of the navy area of brooklyn, philadelphia, newport. There are nazi agents in airplanes in factories, buffalo, seattle, washington. United states inspector is one of the secrets for the german nors nurse spies. A trial in the United States several cord, first brought to the attention of a startled nation, it is amazing danger to its safety and freedom. So even as americans are thinking about nazism and the threat of nazism in 1939, they are worried about nazis here, nazi spies on our shores. And you see jay at gore hoover, here, the head of the fbi, writing in popular magazines like derek magazine here, about stamping out despise. By the time we go to war, you will see posters like this with warnings from the fbi about spies or lower the United States. And we were fascinated to find, reported in the Washington Post, that the fbi was getting 3000 tips a day by 1940 about buys. So, this influences american popular culture, but it deeply influences the state department as well. And this man, is the head of the Visa Division for the state department. He is in charge of overseeing all the issuance of these as. There is no doubt, there is a deep culture of antisemitism. In the u. S. State department, in the 19 forties. Long himself, if you read his diary, you see a deeply antisemitic sentiment about wanting to keep jews out. Publicly, what the state department is effectively doing is citing this National Security concern, to keep refugees out. So the secretary of state sensed this instruction to all the councils in 1940, saying that every application for an immigration visa has to be examined with more extreme care, and if you have any doubt whatsoever concerning the applicant, keep them out. The state Department Institute stay series of road changes to our immigration procedures, in the summer of 1941, that effectively takes a door that is slightly open to refugees and slams it shut. And they use these National Security concerns about spies. They basically argue that we cant be letting refugees in, if theres any doubt that they might be spying for foreign nazi germany. And that fear of spies really gets jammed up in the United States, through the actions of hoover and the fbi, as well as through our popular culture. Also on americas mind is staying out of the war. And americans get asked this question, or a version of this question, i almost every week between 1939 in pearl harbor, in december of 1941. In may, of 1940, as western european nations are falling to nazism, americans are asked whether we should declare war in germany, and 93 of them say no. In the aftermath of world war i, there is not appetite among the americans to go to war. The loudest, or most influential isolationist organization, is known as the America First car mary. Here is a propaganda posed for the America First committee, saying that warns First Casualty will be liberty itself. America first is founded by your group of students, at yale intercity. In the fall of 1940. But they moved to chicago and found their rank and file in the midwest. America first is an isolationist organization that wants to stay out of war, but protect aboard ors of the United States. Charles lindbergh becomes the loudest spokesperson for the America First committee. Lindbergh was one of the most famous american, after his solo flight across the atlantic, and the kidnapping and murder of his child in the 1930s. Here, this is a really powerful artifact in the show. Lindbergh had gone to nazi sherman e. , in october of 1930, to revise advise them on the air force and on their air power. He meets with goring, one of the top nazi officials, and he hands in this box that contained this pin. Its a Service Cross of the german eagle. And lindbergh says that, look i didnt know i was getting this, i was surprised, to receive this award but he receives it a month after crystal not, before the violent attack on jews. And he was pressured after this event to give this award back, which he never does. Weve borrowed lundbergs diary, also from the archives at yale university. And what you see here is his writing about a speech that he cave in des moines, iowa, on september 11, of 1941. During the speech he asks, who wants us to go to war . And he lists three groups. He says the british wants us to go to war, and of course this makes sense, france has fallen and western european nations are falling. The british are the last line of the fence. He says fdr wants us to go to war. He calls fdr a warmonger. And argues that the administration has been lying to the american people. And then third, he says and the jews want to go to warren. And he cites the fact, or his belief, that america has been a tolerant land for jews, and then he basically issues a threat to jews in america. He says if we go to war, it is perceived as a jewish war, that tolerance might fail. And then he quickly slips into mini antisemitic tropes, arguing about jews clinician, is due to control of hollywood and their control of International Banking systems. I think what hes doing there is actually saying out loud, what Many Americans believe, at the time. And one of the loudest critics, one of the most effective critics is a political cartoonist, who we today know as dr. Seuss. But he was writing for this magazine, newspaper, out of new york, called pm. And what you see in this newspapers, and on the screen, our multiple cartoons published by pm that show this person attacking the isolationism of America First. Here is one of my favorites where you see lindbergh on the top of keeping file that guys all calls nazi antisemitic stink wagon. Out of that war and americans dont want to live in refugees. Fdr spends all of his Political Capital during this period, 39, 40, 41, trying to move Public Opinion from isolation to intervention. He is doing this also as he is making the unprecedented choice to run for a third term, which is unpopular among Many Americans. But the American Government and fdr specifically doesnt spend any time trying to move Public Opinion on that refugee question. So this film looks at his president ial leadership, instituting the first peacetime draft in u. S. History, for example, in the summer of 1940. Running for a third term. Trying to get americans to support the land lease bill to arm the allies. Ultimately, moving us toward the brink of intervention by the time of pearl harbor in december of 1941. This is the attack on pearl harbor on december 7th of 1941, that pulls us into war. Would you see in this exhibition is one of our first responses to pearl harbor. That is to round up our own japanese american citizens and to forcibly remove them from the west coast. Nearly 120,000 people of japanese ancestry are removed forcibly to ten inland camps. Two thirds of those are citizens. And this, again, speaks to National Security theories. This is one of fdrs worst moments as president , issuing the executive order that allowed these citizens to be forcibly removed. And its done in the name of National Security. A fear of spies among these communities. Interestingly, some americans call these places concentration camps. You see congressman john rankin in 1942 saying, i am for catching every japanese in america, alaska and hawaii now, and putting them in concentration camps. The crisis magazine, the double naacps magazine writes about american concentration camps. They say, color seems to be the only possible reason why thousands of american citizens of japanese ancestry arent concentration camps. The mainstream press, by contrast, life magazine, they call a campaign independence, california a scenic spot of lovely loneliness. You see here some of the really racist, anti japanese propaganda. These are japanese hunting licenses. Or licenses and pins encouraging people, as it says here, to shoot a jab a day. The defense stamp way. Open season declared december 7th, 1941. American opinion is very much for ramping up and removing japanese aliens away from the pacific coast. You see that 93 of americans argue that that is the right thing to do. We wanted to show in this exhibition as well how americans saw nazism during wartime. Here you see images of hitler that americans would have seen during war. There is a range of images that were making fun of hitler on the cover of the new yorker. Comparing him to the wicked witch of the west. There is a pin cushion here that encourages you to stick a pin in hitlers rear end. The tag that came with that figurine says, its good luck to find a pin, heres an axis to stick it in. Or, hitler as a skunk. Hitler as a pincushion. Hitler on a toilet bowl. You also see american heroes, like captain america, this is a reproduction of the first issue of captain america, where captain america is punching out hitler. Then you also see hitler as a mad man and a murder. There is a wanted poster poster for hitler. A pin that says lets pull together, you have uncle sam and you can pull this string and you can lynch him. You hang him from a tree. Theres a range of opinions about hitler and a range of images. But he remains a key figure in our popular culture. The poster art from wartime, i think, is graphically fascinating, but the messages are also fascinating. What you see here in a poster like this one with the dagger going through the bible, is nazism being portrayed as an enemy of christianity. Or, nazism, will this deliver us from evil . Portraying it as an enemy of American Children and american values. Would you do not see here is nazism as an enemy of europes jews. The key here is to understand that americans go to war to fight fascism, to defeat nazi germany, but the message is not to rescue jews. The priority is never to rescue jews. Thats an essential question we asked in this exhibition. Why did the rescue of jews try not become a priority during world war ii . The nazis fight two wars. They fight a war against the allies and they fight a war to destroy the jews. In response, the allies decide to fight one war. They fight a war to defeat nazism, but not a war to rescue jews. You see this in the poster art, and the messages that the government, these are government issued posters. You also see it in hollywood films. Most hollywood films do not mention jews specifically. There are some deeply anti nazi interventionist films that start to get made by 1940, 41, 42. Films like the mortal storm. Or foreign correspondents, or sergeant york, casablanca maybe the most famous film of the 20th century. Its a film about refugees stranded and waiting for visas. But what you dont see is a direct mention of jews. There is a lot of coated messages in these films about jews. But there is not a language of jews. The exception is charlie chapmans great dictator, which is a slapstick film in many ways, which he makes in 1940 independent from the studio system. Heres a great clip coming up where chaplain place a fictional dictator of a country, a fictional country. Here you see him addressing the nation. Hes using a combination of english german and nonsense. We were fortunate enough to be able to borrow a costume that chaplain war from the great dictator. You see it here, as well as an oscar that gary cooper won for best actor for his portrayal of alvin york in sergeant york. Sergeant york is a world war i gnome, or, it is set in world war one, but made and released in 1941. Its arguing, you know, york began as a pacifist and then learns that sometimes you need to fight to preserve democracy. Americans seeing that film in 1941, certainly would have understood this world war one story as a commentary on the necessity to intervene in world war ii. One of the things you see in casablanca is a language of concentration camps without a specific mention of jews. One of the best scenes in casablanca as when rick, promptly bogus character, learns that victory last low is coming to ricks cafe in casablanca. Rick says, hes escaped from a concentration camp, the nazis have been chasing him all over europe. But guards character is sure that somehow last low will be figure out how to get visas. But the character does not read is joeish, as many of the characters in casablanca dont. There was a reluctance among the Hollywood Studio system to specifically mention jews, even though you hear about the language of concentration camps and movies like casablanca. Escape from a concentration camp in the nazis had been chasing him all over europe. By 1942, america is at war and our nation has changed significantly by going to war. Our military doubles in size. You have millions of women entering the workforce. We still go to war with a segregated army, but African Americans launch a campaign arguing for victory against fascism abroad and victory against racism at home. One of the points we want to make to visitors is that its in 1942 in americans learn about what the nazis call the final solution. Here we are showing you how that information makes it from the u. S. Government to the American Public between august and november of 1942. This man is the World Jewish Congress representative in switzerland. He learned through a german industrialist that the nazis have a plan to murder all the jews of europe. He sends disinformation, he wants to get it to rabbi stephen wise, one of the leading reform rabbis in the United States, and the head of the World Jewish Congress. He writes this letter. Hes trying to get the information to wise through the state department. The contents of this letter is really harrowing. He says, in hitlers headquarters, a plan is being considered to wipe out at one below, from three and a half million to 4 million jews this autumn. With the state department writes here is, the legation at burn has no and for nation which would come from this rumor. This is august 13th, of 1942. You see the state department has written on here, do not send. They block disinformation from making it to steven lies because they dismissed it as an unreliable or rumor. He had already sent the information to this man, a member of british parliament, samuel silberman. Here you see a facsimile of the telegram that is then sent to rabbi wise. You see it there in pencil, august 29th, 1942. The information does make it to wise from silverman that there is a plan discussed under consideration, all jews in countries occupied are controlled germany, number three and a half to 4 million, should, after deportation and concentration in east, at one below exterminated to resolve once and for all the jewish question. Why is it goes to the state department. He goes to see undersecretary of state sumner wells. Welsh says, dont go public with this. Let me confirm first. The state Department Takes three months to confirm throughout the fall of 1942. Welsh calls wise back to the state department and says its true. He allows wise to talk to the press about this. By november of 1942, you get articles like this across the country. Nazis this is the l. A. Times from november 25th, 1942. Nazis wiping out jews in cold blood. The u. S. Government, in the next month, in december of 1942, issues a declaration of all the allied all the allied nations issue a declaration against what they call cold blooded extermination. So that language is in this declaration in december of 1942. It is front page news for a short time in december of 1942. Americans will hear edward are murrow in december of 1942, saying millions of human beings, most of them jews, are being gathered up with ruthless efficiency and murdered. So we cannot say that americans did not know. We did not have all the details. But if you think about, whats the crux of the story, the story is that the nazis are departing jews to the east for mass murder. That story we had. That story was reported, even if all of the details of it were not known. It does not mean that all americans believed it. And americans are asked in january of 1943, by gallup, just two months after this news goes public, they are asked do you believe the stories that 2 million jewels jews, at that point they asked 2 million jews, have been murdered . The results are about half an half. 48 of americans believe its true. What we are showing here is how the american magazines picked up that story. You see a chart like this in pm magazine.