Evening star., 1934-11-29

Nearly all Of the newspaper COM
ment on the story Of a plotted Fascist
coup told to the Senate Munitions In
vestigating Committee by Maj. Gen.
Smedley Butler, the famous retired
Marine, dubs the whole business as
too fantastic and absurd for serious
consideration.
Probably there are interests in this
country that would like to see Fas-
cist government" says the Youngs-
town Vindicator, but it is hard to
imagine that any one would be so
silly as to believe that he could set
up a dictatorship which would stand
for everything the great mass OF the
people oppose" The Grand Rapids
Press describes the tale as "a sturdy
revelation. with the punch and BOOM
ing characteristics worthy OF a Ma
rine who has lived hard and ad-
venturous life" The Syracuse Herald
declares that it reads like the worst
nightmare ever dreamed by an Amer
ican mortal"
lie INO(IlCSIcl IllOlA 4NNAo
that there always is something rather
funny about these yarns that revolu-
ton, communism or fascism is i'm
minent in these fairly well balanced
United States of America" The
Tampa fla Times concludes:
While the general public may judge
Mai. Gen. Butler from some of bis
more lurid outgivings. those who kr3w
his record will find it difficult to sup
press grins over the picture Of the
doughty former Marine heading
march of half million men on the
Capital"
1T will give us something to talk
about and take our minds OF our
troubles" remarks the Rock Island
Argus, while the Providence Bulletin
suggests that the story of the man
on the white horse sounds like one
that might arise from boisterous
gathering" and the Kalamazoo Ga
zette gives it "a certain amount OF
value as an element of comic relief"
1t is called "a poor jest by the Newark
Evening News, and the st. Paul Daily
News feels that it is dangerous
horseplay." The New York Times
calls it "a gigantic hoax" The Pitts
burgh Post Gazette comments: Per
haps Gen. Butler is reliving his ex-
ploits in Haiti or Nicaragua. Such an
overturn as he pictures might have
been possible in those countries when
United States Marines were required
to maintain order. but not in Uncle
Sans own front yard
"A good myth never dies" declares
the Wall Street Journal. Twenty
and 80 years hence the Smedley But
Ter Spearhead will be orthodoxy to
millions Of Americans accustomed to
take their Wall Street history neat.
How many Phi. DIS. will be awarded
its exegetes there is no knowing, nor
how much it will do to warm the al
ready friendliness of the country for
its financial center" The Chicago
Tribune predicts that continental
Europe, where the rule is that the
wilder an American yarn. the greater
its credibility, will eat this story up"
The Indianapolis Star says that 1.-The
Hollywood stars have potential
rival"
Gen. Butler has been on horseback
for some years." states the Akron
Beacon Journal, land the steed is
that winged Pegasus whereon great
imaginative writer's soar into the
stratosphere."
Proper investigation Of the details
Of the story is advocated by the Con-
nellsville (Pa) Courier and the Dav-
export Uowa) Daily Times, but the
Schenectady Gazette insists it should
receive no further attention.
Gen. Buffers scare" thinks the
Long Beach (CalifD Press Telegram