[Ads-l] Saying: Fascism will come disguised as anti-fascism

[Peter Reitan]

I found the 1938 Mencken citation when the discussion was going on here last week, but didn't mention it here because I was under the impression that someone had already found an early citation.


I also found a news item from 1933 that expressed the general idea that anti-fascists could act with fascist-style violence, although not in a pithy phrase and not by a notable personage.  Interestingly (at least to me) the news item involves a "The Fugitive"-style manhunt for a one-armed man:


"Possibility that the bomb explosion which demolished the home of John M. Di Silvestro, 1619 S. Broad st., on January 28 [(1933)], may have been perpetrated by a notorious group of New York anarchists was suggested by Mr. Di Silvestro yesterday. . . .


"Police, meanwhile, revealed yesterday that they are searching for "a one-armed man" who was described to them in an anonymous tip as holding 'an everlasting hatred against Di Silvestro.' . . . .


"'Rev. Di Domenica,' he added, 'speaks today the same language as the notorious anarchist group in New York which believes in intimidation and terrorism, under the guise of Anti-Fascism, to foster violent revolt against all constituted authorities and government.'"


Philadelphia Inquirer, February 7, 1933, page 2 (Newspapers.com).



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Great thanks to Dan and Stephen. The earliest match I've located is
still February 22, 1936. Here are some more instances. The first one
below ascribes the comment to Bruce Bliven.

H. L. Mencken expressed the same idea in a column dated November 6,
1938. I found the Mencken citation several days ago, but I now see a
note at newspapers.com saying: "clipped by pjreitan 6 days ago". So I
think Peter Reitan found it first.

[ref] 1937 June 22, The Evening Herald (The Daily Herald), Not All
Fascists Wear Funny Colored Shirts (Editorial), Section 2, Quote Page
2, Column 1, Provo, Utah. (Newspapers_com)[/ref]

[Begin excerpt]
Bruce Bliven, editor of the New Republic, sagely remarked not long ago
that if or when Fascism ever makes any headway in America, it will
probably be known as "Anti-Fascism."
[End excerpt]


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