The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-01-26

ing, Butler simply fatty refused to
go.
what did all these people want
you to do about these veterans all
this tims?" l asked
Butler said he did not know, exc
cept that obviously the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad wanted to get the
veterans cut of Johnstowrl.
did FARRELL or any of them ever
tell you they we're interested in
forming a fascist organization2"
asked.
mo" Butler said, simply
1 had information which 1 shall
give later. that some Of these peo-
pie said fatty about the time of the
Bonus March that they were in
terested in forming fascist move
ment. He repeated he he'd never
heard of it. At the end of the con-
versstion, also, he agreed, even over
the objection Of Mrs. Butler, who
had just come in. that l might use
what he said about it.
AS left the Generals house that
morning / asked him, Tell me,
General, what would you do If it
came to choice betwesn Fascisn
and working class revolution and
working class dietatorsl1ip?"
"I'm for the preservation Of DEM
ocracy-and you can quote that!'
he exclaimed. II am opposed to
anything or anybody who won't
abide by the constitution 1t ought
to be changed in many ways, it's
true, but it's there and we've got
to abide by it,
He's For Democracy
"But when you say you are for a
democracy do you include the kind
of democracy they have now in
Germany"
"Oh, you mean if it came to a
choice would be for Nazism or
Communism"
"Yes.'
"Why," he exclaimed aim for
democracy. 1 think there will al
ways be three" He paused, as
though thinking this over ard
added, There's bound to be more
than just Fsscisfn and Commune
ism, and I'm with democracy"
"You think that despite the fact
that both in Germany and italy
fasoism was resorted to to head of
Communist revolution, and the So
cisl-Democrsts who urged 'denoc-
racy instead of Communism really
helped the fascists?"
"oh, that was Germany, girl" he
exclaimed. "We're not Germany"
Thus, General Butler himself
characterized his political attitude
AN attitude which. all know Of
him indicates, is full of danger to
working people. In the conversation
above he completely ignored The
defionStrsble fact that democracy"
under capitalism is freedom for the
ruling class TO exploit end brow
Esat and send armed strike -break-
ers against labor. He ignored the
historical truth that both in Ger
many and in Italy, the fascist en-
ployers oppressed the working class
through democratic" ferns, until
the people rose against them, and
then the fascists used the private
armies which they had carefully
financed in the meantime. He ignor-
ed the fact that precisely this is
haprening in the United States to-
dev. although he himself earlier
said he knew that democratic"
riahts do not now exist here fully"
I believe that General Butler doss
not recognize fundamental facts
which the American people must
recognize to guard themselves
against this menace. General Butler
is aware. rs he bitterly said to me.
"Everybody's trying to use me-" but
he evidently does not recognize h-w
o. for what nuroes4s ne might he
used. Although he h,nself has bsen
d focus CT efforts to adyanse fsccism
in the United States for two years,
he ren1arked. 81 think our denioc-
racy is safe"
As 1 left the General after Our
second conversation, I asked him
why he thought the Congressional
COMMITTEES went into the specific
MacQuire- Murphy dictatorship plot,
in view of Ell the evidence that it
did not want to 60 to the top Of the
thing. He said. Maybe 1 talk too
much,' and bads me a cordial good
bye.
In Mondays Daily Worker Mar
suorite Young will describe the
fase'i. and n.i-fasclst crgAnisa-
tiens which approached General
Butler during the past two years