Douglas Chandler (May 26, 1889 – after 1970s) was an American broadcaster of

Nazi propaganda The propaganda used by the German Nazi Party in the years leading up to and during Adolf Hitler's dictatorship of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 to 1945 was a crucial instrument for acquiring and maintaining power, and for the implementation o ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. He was convicted of treason and sentenced to life imprisonment in 1947 but was released in 1963.

Early life

Born in

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, Chandler was an officer in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and later wrote a weekly news column for a newspaper in

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

. He was financially ruined in the

Wall Street Crash of 1929 The Wall Street Crash of 1929, also known as the Great Crash, was a major American stock market crash that occurred in the autumn of 1929. It started in September and ended late in October, when share prices on the New York Stock Exchange colla ...

and "fed up to the chin with the Depression and the miasma that was enveloping Washington." He moved from the United States to France and then to Germany in 1931. There he worked as a journalist who showed Nazi Germany in an ideal light and contributed on that theme to the ''

National Geographic Magazine ''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...

''.

Propaganda for Nazi Germany

In April 1941, Chandler began to broadcast Nazi propaganda from Berlin for the

Reichs-Rundfunk-Gesellschaft The Reichs-Rundfunk-Gesellschaft (RRG; ''Reich Broadcasting Corporation'') was a national network of German regional public radio and television broadcasting companies active from 1925 until 1945. RRG's broadcasts were receivable in all parts o ...

, German state radio, working as a commentator in its U.S.A. Zone. When Germany declared war on the United States on December 11, 1941, American citizens were repatriated by the U.S. government, but Chandler chose to stay. Chandler broadcast to the United States under the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

Paul Revere Paul Revere (; December 21, 1734 O.S. (January 1, 1735 N.S.)May 10, 1818) was an American silversmith, engraver, early industrialist, Sons of Liberty member, and Patriot and Founding Father. He is best known for his midnight ride to ale ...

." His programs began with the sound of clattering hooves and the song "

Yankee Doodle "Yankee Doodle" is a traditional song and nursery rhyme, the early versions of which predate the Seven Years' War and American Revolution. It is often sung patriotically in the United States today. It is the state anthem of Connecticut. Its ...

" and were mainly anti-

Roosevelt Roosevelt may refer to: *Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), 26th U.S. president *Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945), 32nd U.S. president Businesses and organisations * Roosevelt Hotel (disambiguation) * Roosevelt & Son, a merchant bank * Roosevel ...

and

anti-Semitic Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...

in content. He appealed to Americans to "throw off tyranny" and to their

isolationist Isolationism is a political philosophy advocating a national foreign policy that opposes involvement in the political affairs, and especially the wars, of other countries. Thus, isolationism fundamentally advocates neutrality and opposes entangl ...

sentiment. He also asserted that Washington was under the control of Jewish advisers. Chandler became known as America's

Lord Haw-Haw Lord Haw-Haw was a nickname applied to William Joyce, who broadcast Nazi propaganda to the UK from Germany during the Second World War. The broadcasts opened with "Germany calling, Germany calling", spoken in an affected upper-class English acc ...

because of his cultivated American voice. Though he had become a convinced Nazi, his activities were not motivated by idealism alone. He was paid $3,200 a month as a broadcaster, which put him in the top six on the Reichs-Rundfunk-Gesellschaft’s payroll. Towards the end of 1943, the increased Allied bombing of Berlin caused Chandler to be relocated first to

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

and then to

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...

, where he made his last broadcasts sometime in February 1945.

Arrest

Chandler was taken into custody by the U.S. Army at his home in

Durach Durach is a municipality in the district of Oberallgäu in Bavaria in Germany. The village came into international media attention in August 2008 when a light aircraft hit power lines Electric power transmission is the bulk movement of elec ...

Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...

, in May 1945, but he was released on October 23, 1945. He was then rearrested by the U.S. Army on or about March 12, 1946 at the request of the

Department of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a v ...

. He was then flown to the United States to stand trial and arrived on December 14, 1946.

Trial

On July 26, 1943, Chandler, along with

Fred W. Kaltenbach Frederick Wilhelm Kaltenbach (March 29, 1895 – October 1945) was an American of German ancestry who broadcast Nazi propaganda from Germany during World War II. Early life Kaltenbach was born in Dubuque, Iowa, Dubuque, Iowa, and was raised ...

Jane Anderson Jane Anderson (born 1954 in California) is an American actress, playwright, screenwriter and director. She wrote and directed the feature film ''The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio'' (2005), and wrote the Nicolas Cage film '' It Could Happen to ...

Edward Delaney Edward Delaney (1930–2009) was an Irish sculptor born in Claremorris in County Mayo in 1930. His best known works include the 1967 statue of Wolfe Tone and famine memorial at the northeastern corner of St Stephen's Green in Dublin and ...

Constance Drexel Constance Drexel (c. November 24, 1884 or c. November 28, 1894 (possible; disputed) – August 28, 1956), a naturalized United States citizen,John Carver Edwards, ''Berlin Calling: American Broadcasters in Service to the Third Reich'', Praeger ...

Robert Henry Best Robert Henry Best (April 16, 1896 – December 16, 1952) was an American foreign correspondent who covered events in Europe for American media outlets during the Interwar period. Later he became a Nazi supporter and well known broadcaster of Na ...

Max Otto Koischwitz Max Oscar Otto Koischwitz (February 19, 1902 – August 31, 1944) was a naturalized American of German origin who directed and broadcast Nazi propaganda against the United States during World War II. Early life Koischwitz was the son of a prominen ...

, and

Ezra Pound Ezra Weston Loomis Pound (30 October 1885 – 1 November 1972) was an expatriate American poet and critic, a major figure in the early modernist poetry movement, and a Fascism, fascist collaborator in Italy during World War II. His works ...

, had been indicted ''

in absentia is Latin for absence. , a legal term, is Latin for "in the absence" or "while absent". may also refer to: * Award in absentia * Declared death in absentia, or simply, death in absentia, legally declared death without a body * Election in absen ...

'' by a District of Columbia grand jury on charges of

treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...

. Chandler stood trial at the Boston Federal District Court on June 6, 1947. He entered a defense of insanity because of

paranoia Paranoia is an instinct or thought process that is believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of delusion and irrationality. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concer ...

and did not testify at his trial. The prosecution relied mainly on the evidence provided by recordings of Chandler's wartime broadcasts from Germany recorded by the

Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdiction ...

station at

Silver Hill, Maryland Silver Hill is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, approximately southeast of Washington, D.C. Per the 2020 census, the population was 6,381. Prior to 2010, Silver Hill ...

, to show his active participation in propaganda activities against the United States. Chandler was found guilty of all ten counts of treason on June 28, 1947. He was fined $10,000 and sentenced to life imprisonment by Federal Judge Francis Ford.United Press, "Chandler Given Life Sentence: Convicted Traitor Also Receives Fine," ''The San Bernardino Daily Sun'', San Bernardino, California, Thursday July 31, 1947, Volume 53, page 4. On being convicted for treason, Chandler also automatically lost his

U.S. citizenship Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Constituti ...

. According to a contemporary newspaper, "Death by hanging had been demanded by Special Government Prosecutor

Oscar R. Ewing Oscar R. Ewing (March 8, 1889 – January 8, 1980) was a 20th-century American lawyer, social reformer, and politician who was one of the main authors of the Fair Deal program of U.S. President Harry S. Truman. Background Oscar Ross Ewing was ...

who characterized the tall and gray-haired defendant as a black-hearted traitor who 'gave his heart and soul to Hitler' because he wanted Germany to win the war." Chandler's subsequent appeal was denied.

Release

After 16 years of imprisonment, Chandler's sentence was commuted by then U.S. President

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination i ...

on the condition of immediately leaving the United States. Chandler was released from the

federal penitentiary The Federal Bureau of Prisons classifies prisons into seven categories: * United States penitentiaries * Federal correctional institutions * Private correctional institutions * Federal prison camps * Administrative facilities * Federal correctio ...

Lewisburg, Pennsylvania Lewisburg is a borough in Union County, Pennsylvania, United States, south by southeast of Williamsport and north of Harrisburg. In the past, it was the commercial center for a fertile grain and general farming region. The population was 5,1 ...

on August 9, 1963 and immediately returned to Germany. In 1970, Chandler wrote a letter to

National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...

editor

Melville Bell Grosvenor Melville Bell Grosvenor (November 26, 1901 – April 22, 1982) was the president of the National Geographic Society and editor of '' The National Geographic Magazine'' from 1957 to 1967. He was the grandson of telephone inventor Alexander Graham Be ...

, requesting reimbursement for expenses that incurred on an assignment that had been canceled shortly after his Nazi sympathies were revealed. Later unverified witness reports placed him on the

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...

in the 1970s, however this cannot be confirmed.

References

External links

Courtroom Battle of World War II (Part 1 of 3).
Contains information on the careers and fates of some of the Nazi broadcasters and other collaborators.

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Chandler, Douglas 1889 births Year of death missing Military personnel from Chicago American fascists United States Navy personnel of World War I American collaborators with Nazi Germany American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment American radio journalists American radio reporters and correspondents American male journalists American expatriates in Germany Antisemitism in Germany German anti-communists German radio personalities Nazi propagandists Nazis from outside Germany Loss of United States citizenship by prior Nazi affiliation People convicted of treason against the United States Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by the United States federal government United States Navy officers