The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-08-18
Liberal Viewpoint
BY DIR. HARRY ELMER BARNES =

- BY DR. HAIRY LINER bAhNEo
This is the first Of two articles BY Harry Elmer
Barnes phD., the oh araeter Of the actual Fascist
organizations operating in the United States today
THE question Of whether the United States is
l. bound to 90 Fascist as an inevitable phase
of the terminal stages of capitalism is being
warmly debated
In an able article in the June number Of
Harper's magazine J. B. Matthews and r. E.
sharcross examine the evidence and poitn out
the dangers They indicated that there is de-
cided drift toward Fascism in this country, but
denied its coming is by any means inevitable.
In the July issue Of the American Mercury,
George Sokosky described in more positive fash
ion the American drift toward Fascism and con-
Guided that "the New Deal is in very real sense
the father of all these Fascistic tendencies.
More precise and factual is report made for
the American Civil Liberties Union by Travis
Hoke on the actual Fascist organizations now
extant IN this country.
First and most important are the silver
Shirts" led BY William Dudley Policy.
Mr.. Pelley is 200 Per Cent American" son
Of New England Methodist minister, and "of
uncontaminated English stock" He was at one
time very successful popular writer for Amer
lean Magazine, Golfers, Good Housekeeping and
the Red Book. earning, he tells us, at one time
as much as SIS, 900 year
I'm 1929 he resigned to form the League for
L Liberation about which he has subsequently
established the Foundation for Christian Eco
Monies and Galahad college. Their headquar-
tiers are at Ashevile, N. c. The chief organ
of the movement is entitled Liberation. the
militant organization which he has founded is
known as the Silver Shirts Of Amer1ca-'a
strictly Christian militia"
he League
for Liberation are compounded of occult orr
entail mysticism and high-power patriotism
The general flavor of the organization is ad-
mirably summarized in the following official
statement of its detectives:
do you know that right here in America
there is already a preventive and protective
militia long working under cover, called the Sill
yer Shirts, and that its representatives in forty
six of our forty-eight American states are fully
appraised of these facts (such as allegations that
President Roosevelt is of Jewish descenD and
more. some of which would prevent your Sleep
ing soundly tonight?
do you know that this strictly Christian
militia, the Silver Shirts of America, means to
save America as Mussolini and his Black Shirts
saved Italy and Hitler and his Brown Shirts
saved Germany-but without republican
representative form of constitutional govern
ment, if it can be managed?'
Il F1btI6 Is Il close TeldClOnSnlp between Jne
Silver Shirts and the Hitler movement in
Germany. Policy tells us in Liberation that he
has received revelation from on high to the
following effect When A certain young house
painter comes to the head of the German peo-
pie do you take that your time symbol for
bringing the work of the Christian militia into
the open!"
Accordingly, Pelley launched the Silver Shirts
on the day after Hitlers rise to power was an
nounced in the public press. If anything, Pei
ley outdoes Hitler in his anti-SemitiSm.
Policy holds in specially reverential awe Con-
ressman Hamilton Fish and Louis McFadden
He also vastly impressed by DR.. Writ. OF
the latter's revelations he wrote:
The onlinous clouds of economic and social
chaos which have been curdling blacker and
blacker above the nation since October, 1929
parted for a feeting instant on Friday, March
a. and a shaft Of real light reached eyes so
blinded by camouflaged skullduggery that they
could scarcely recognize what they were behold
ing. Then as swiftly the servile publicists for
the marplots closed that brief cloudrift and be-
logged and outraged press started to wither the
episode with Scorn."
The Silver Shirts have claimed as many as
1000 900 members, but it is doubtful if the actual
membership exceeds $4,000 Just now the move
ment is cramped by the suspension of Liberation.