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


This is the first Of two articles by Harry Elmer
Barnes. Pr. D.. on the character of the actual Fascist
organizations operating in the United states today.
THE question Of whether the United States is
L bound to go 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.
shallcross examine the evidence and point out
the dangers. They indicated that there is a 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 Sokolsky described in more positive fash
ion the American drift toward Fascism and con-
Guided that the New Deal is in a very real sense
the father of all these Fascistic tendencies"
More precise and factual is a 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 PeLey.
Mr.. Pelley is a 200 Per Cent American" son
of a New England Methodist minister, and of
uncontaminated English stock" He was at one
time a 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 2 5000 a year.
n n II
TN 1929 he resigned to form the League for
i Liberation, about which he has subsequently
established the Foundation for. Christian Eco
Monies and Galahad college. Their headquar-
tiers are at Asheville, N. G. The chief organ
of the movement is entitled Liberation" The
militant organization which he has founded is
known as the Silver Shirts of America-"a
strictly Christian militia"
The doctrines and purposes Of the League
for Liberation are compounded of occult orr
entail mysticism and high-power patriotism.
The general flavor Of the organization is adj
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?
D 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 our republican
representative form of constitutional govern
ment, if it can be managed?"
THERE is a close relationship between the
Il Silver Shirts and the Hitler movement in
Germany. Pelley tells us in Liberation that he
has received a 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 as 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 a~nti-Semitism.
Pelley holds in specially reVerential awe Con-
reSSman Hamilton Fish and Louis McFadden.
He also was vastly impressed by DR.. Writ. OF
the latter's revelations he wrote:
The ominouS 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 camoufaged 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 a 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.