ABSTRACT
Outside prison, the world was quivering with the names of Sacco and Vanzetti. At first their support had come overwhelmingly from Italian migrants. Then came the groups of wealthy, liberal New England women who circled around Vanzetti. In 1926 their menfolk began to break ranks and declare their sympathies. The Communist Party belatedly tried to take over the Defense Committee, failed, and then attacked it for 'trying to represent he martyrdom of Sacco and Vanzetti as an "unfortunate" error which can be rectified by the "right" people proceeding in the "right" way.' It organized worldwide fund raising of which $6,000 eventually reached the Committee, though critics claimed many 'millions' were actually collected by Red Aid. Possibly these millions, if they existed, went on promoting the demonstrations now held in a dozen different countries, putting the American government under increasing pressure.
