The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-11-23
FASCIST TREND
DYING IN u. S.,
SURVEY SHOWS
Movement Reached Peak,
Now on DOWngrade,
Is Indication.

( BIZ United Press
NEW YORK, Nov. 23.-The Fas-
cisti movement in the United States
is at present negligible, United
Press survey revealed today.
In various parts Of the country
were found small groups advocating
/ principles similar to the Fascism OF
Benlto MuSsolini and Adolpf Hitler.
Also there were several groups or
/ gan zed along Fascist lines whose
pub,lcized purpose is to safeguard
the government against Commun-
ism and protect the constitution"
The survey was undertaken fol-
lowing the sensational charge of
Major General Smedley D. Butler
/ u. s. Marines, retired, that he
had oeen approached by Wall Street
interests to lead an army of $780,
900 men to Washington and replace
President Roosevelt with a Fascist
dictatorship.
In almost all the larger cities
small groups of Fascists were found
organized. but these were much too
small to form even the nucleus Of a
movement as extensive as that
charged by General Butler.
Khaki Shirts Dying
Two Fascist movements that had
shown promise of reaching large
proportions, today gave every indi-
cation Of dying. One was the khaki
shirts which seemed completely
moribund following the conviction
Of its leader, Art Smith, on a charge
Of manslaughter.
The other was that of the Silver
Shirts, backed by William Dudley
Pelley, who is awaiting trial on a
| charge of violating the blue sky
law. Pelley still claims $4,000 men,
bers in the southwest, but probably
the actual membership is much less.
Both the Khaki and Silver Shirts
advocated radical changes in gov
eminent, along lines Of the tate
corporation thesis of Mussolini.
Both borrowed anti-Semitism from
Hitler.
Khan Again in Field
The only remaining Fascist move
mentS that still give the appearance
of fair health are the White Shirts
and the revitalized Ku-Klux Khan.
The White Shirts. with headquar-
tiers in Chattanooga, Tenn, want
| Of a.
effort. The Khan, in its new aspect.
seeks to fight Communism and
radilcalism generally through mill
tant effort. The memberships Of
these organizations is not known,
but is not large.
Various organizations, some with
memberships of not more than
twenty men, exist in the south that
preach doctrines similar to FasciSm,
but have no wide appeal Included
are the Men of Justice" and the
American Fascist" or Black Shirts.
In New York city is the organiza-
ton of the Light Blue Shirts" with
undetermined, but not large men,
bership. 1t claims organized groups
i. three states and wishes to ex-
terminate foreign influence. unity
America, and make the western
hemisphere dance to the tune of
Uncle Sam" 1t calls itself Amer
lean Concentration.
German Fascists Exposed
In Chicago there are several
small Fascists organizations that
hold secret meetings in the homes
of members. Their purpose for the
most part is no more unOrthodox
than to save America from the
Reds" and uphold the Constitution.
In California there are no Fas-
ciSti groups organized as such but
there are a number of citizens
committees" formed to combat
| Communism.
The magazine Today recently ex-
posed organization Of German Fas-
cists in various cities. These or
CARNATIONS, however, are confined
to German aliens, Germans who re
naturalized citizens, and first gen.
Grafton German-Americans who
still retain the language Of The
fatherland. They apparently have
made no inroads among Americans
without racial affiliations.