Evening star., 1933-10-13
KHAKI SHIRT ARMY
HOMEWARD BOUND
Small Force of "Invaders''
MeIts Before Police.
Leader VaniShes.

The Khaki Shirt aImys march OF
25o.ooo" on Washington vanished into
thin air today as struggling groups OF
the followers of Arthur j. Smith, COM
mander in chief, who disappeared even
before his troops turned homeWard.
The first contingent to reach WASH
ington arrived yesterday afternoon.
about 35 strong in battered cars, but
went back the way they came after
short conference with police ofhclals
who were awaiting them, bulWarked by
a force of 25 detectives, uniformed
marksmen, motor cycle ohcerS ana loot
patrolmen.
Last night another division of almost
200 of the brown clad American
Fascists" were reported in camp this
side of Laurel, Md, waiting for daylight
to enter the city. They were visited
there by Lieut. Frank J. Varney Of the
fifth precinct, who notified police head
quarters here. A guard was posted on
the Rhode Island avenue and Bladens-
burg road approaches to the city this
morning to stop the marchers before
they enter the District.
Contingent Vanishes.
After a four-hour vigil today, how
ever, it was discovered that the threat
ened invasion apparently had packed
up its kit and gon. home. No trace OF
the men could be found at their sup
posed camping ground and Maryland
State police reported the caravan Of
trucks and automobiles could not be
found anywhere on the highway be-
tween here and Baltimore.
While the single scout cruisers which
are maintaining watch at the main en-
frances of the city were not withdrawn.
it was believed nothing more would
be heard of the Khaki Shirt move
ment on the Capital.
The origin of the strange army re-
ported on its way here last night was
not known to police, and where it went
on turning northward again also re-
mains a mystery. The only suggestion
of an encampment found after thor
ough police search of the highways
this morning was a small group OF
gypsies who put up their tents near
where the lost battalion" was first dis
covered.
Force Heeds Caution.
Whether impressed by the display OF
police force which greeted them yester
day afternoon. or convinced they had
been miSled into coming here in the
: first place, the Maryland Khaki Shirts
and small group of their New Jersey
colleagues who were first to arrive here
TO wait the coming of the 100000"
returned to their homes willingly
enough when the situation was ex-
planned to them by Chief of Detectives
Frank S. w. Burke and Asst. Supt. OF
Police L. l. H Edwards.
Told that members of the Phila-
6elphia regiment had been arrested
and found with arms the night before
and that their chief of staff had un-
tremendously made his exit through
a window, the men, led by George C..
Zirkler of Baltimore and Patsy Teresi
OF Camden. N. j.. became very much
fabbergasted at their predicament.
They said they had received orders
to come on to Washington to ioin in a
giant parade of Khaki Shirts. who were
to proclaim President Roosevelt as die
tetor of the Nation and by some mirac-
ulous means convert the United States
Government into a dictatorship in
which the American Fascists would
exercise extraordinary powers.
None of yesterdays would-be visitors
was found to be armed. The only
weapon discovered among them was a
riding crop which they said was part
of the officers equipment of Major
General Zirkler. They promptly sur
rendered this stick to Inspector Burke
to be kept as souvenir.