Evening star., 1938-11-15
Reserve Officer
Held a Leader
Of Silver Shirts
Navy Man Heads Body
Like Nozis in Area of
Pittsburgh, Dies Told
BACKGROUND

BACKGROUND
Special House committee ou-
thortsed to Investigate subpersipe
influences in America has spent
most OF its attention on activities
OF Communist party. Acceptance
OF frequent criticism of New Deal
ledderSh,p and administration
friends finally Uas climared bv
public rebuke from President
Roosevelt.
BY the Associated Press.
House investigators received testi-
mony today that Charles Bruce
swift, described as in charge of
naval intelligence for the Pittsburgh
area, was an organizer and leader
OF the Silver Shirts in that region.
John c. Metcalfe, investigator for
the House Committee on Un-Amer-
lean Activities, said Mr.. Swift, a
Reserve officer had been given his
naval assignment by a Capt. Pules-
ton, formerly chief of the Naval In
telligence Service in Washington.
Capt. William D. Puleston re-
tired from active service early in
1887 after completing his term as
naval intelligence chief. Rear
Admiral Ralston B. Holmes is
now head of that naval branch.
The Navy said Mr.. Swift was
lieutenant, junior grade. in its engi-
neering reserve and was not in the
naval intelligence)
Investigator Metcalfe said the
Silver Shirts was an organization
engaged in distributing anti-racial
and anti-religious propaganda in the
United States and that it's leaders
espoused the same principles as the
Nazi regime in Germany.
Espionage Agency Charged.
The witness said he had talked to
Mr.. Swift and to businessmen in
Pittsburgh and added:
Il learned that Swift also is the
organizer and leader of the Silver
Shirts in the Pittsburgh area; that
he has in his possession large Navy
intelligence file, and that he also
obtains information in cooperation
with the military intelligence in
Pittsburgh.
He has built up, aside from that,
a sort OF espionage agency of pri-
vate citizens, who apparently have
been duped into believing they are
! Ho Iri o1t
Swift is engaged in un-American
and subversive activities"
Mr.. Metcalfe said he could not dis
close the names of the businessmen
he consulted, because they feared
"reprisals against them by certain
subversive leaders in the Pittsburgh
area" He said, however, he had
given the names. together with the
facts he had obtained, to the pres
ent head of naval intelligence in
Washington and to other Navy De-
partment officials.
Later. Mr.. Metcalfe asserted that
Mr.. Swift also was chairman of the
Constitutional Defense Committee
of the Allegheny County American
Legion
Make Violent Talk"
About october /, Mr.. Metcalfe
said, Mr.. Swift talked to Pittsburgh
businessmen and told them there
would be secret meeting, "a sort
OF vigilante meeting" and in getting
them to come, "he flashed his naval
intelligence card
When some Of the businessmen at
tended the meeting at headquarters
OF the Pittsburgh Athletic Associa-
ton, Mr.. Metcalfe continued. they
found it meeting of Silver Shirts
and Mr.. Swift was presiding"
He said the main speaker was Roy
Zachary, field marshal of the Silver
Shirts, who, he said, has been going
all over the United States Instruct
ing the Silver Shirts to arm for
pending revolution"
That night, the investigator as
serted, the speaker made a violent
anti-religious and anti-govern-
mental talk
Akron Mayor Called.
Under questioning by Chairman
Dies the witness said the Silver
Shirts very definitely" had adopt
ed the same strategy as Nazis.
Mr.. Metcalfe asserted that William
Pelley, head of the Silver Shirts, had
admitted in his own literature that
he was the first man to advocate in
America the same principles set
forth by Adolf Hitler in his book,
"Mein Kampf."
The next committee witness, c.
Nelson Sparks, former mayor of
Akron, Ohio. testified that Com
munists had taken a prominent
part in strike in the Goodyear
Rubber Co. plant in Akron. The
strike began February IT, 1886.
Mr. Sparks declared approximate
ly 200 men started the strike al
though. "the bulk of the workers
were not in favor" of it. In order
to obtain pickets, he added SOS
calls we're sent out all over North
eastern Ohio for reinforcements."
A slightly built elderly man with
large brief case beside him, Mr..
Sparks said he had been chairman
of the Law and Order League dur
ing the strike. After it had ended,
he asserted, Communist leader,
John Williamson, spoke at a meet
ing in an Akron high school, in
which he called the strike "glori-
Gus victory"
The former Mayor said Mr. Will
Hanson asserted with the strikes
end the picket lines merely had been
transferred to the inside of the fac
Aae Il