Evening star., 1940-02-08
Silver ShirtChief
Says His Legion
MAY Fold Up
Dies Probe ENDING
Need for Group,
PeIIey Says
BACKGROUND

"ttNHt Dnutcy IcLtcy, oHOcf
Shirt leader, appeared uner.
pectedly before Dies committee
Tuesday to deny charges OF col
lusion" betWeen Chairman Dies
and himself. He had been sought
for many months to testify on
committee charges that his or
ganisation is one of the largest
Fascist groups in United States.
By the Associated Press.
William Dudley Pelley testified
today that if the Dies committee
continued its Investigations of un-
American activities his Silver Shirt
Legion would fold up
Pelley, whose group has been
called Fascist" by the committee,
told the House investigators that
conditions, as far as un-American
activities were concerned, had inn
proved in the last few years.
He attributed much of the i'm
provement to the work of the Dies
committee.
DO you mean that if the Dies
Committee continues its investiga-
ton" asked Representative Thomas,
Republican, of New Jersey. that the
Silver Legion will fold up?"
"Yes, sir, and with my blessings"
Pelley promptly replied. He had
testified yesterday that the aim of
the silver shirts paralleled that of
the committee in that both were
against un-American activities.
every Much" Anti Semitic.
Pelley later proclaimed that he
feels toward Jews in the United
States exactly as the Nazi party"
does toward members of that race
in Germany.
He qualified this declaration,
however, by saying that it did not
mean he would "countenance all
the methods Mr.. Hitler may have
put in force"
Are you anti-Semitic? asked
Representative Casey, Democrat. of
Massachusetts,, member of the
committee.
VIVIAN So2l SCly
So" Pelley replied.
Pelley said the Silver Shirt Le-
gion, with members in % States,
was organized on military con-
cept,' used military titles and orders
and had uniforms, but there was
no drilling and no guris." It also
has metaphysical" side. Acting
/ Cho ~
Alabama brought out when he ques-
toned Pelley about a membership
blank request for the hour and
minute of an applicants birth.
The question, the witness ex-
planned, was asked for "metaphysi-
cal" and not political or economic"
reasons.
Limited to Christians.
Pelley identified the blank as one
issued some years ago by his organi-
zatlon. AS it showed, he said, the
organization was limited to Chris
| tianS.
BY elimination" Pelley added,
that would have censorship on
people of the Judaistic faith
Mr.. Starnes quoted from Pelley
publication which said that after
the World War armistice I'VE sud-
denly found" that 10000 Jews had
''inflltrated" into the United States.
Mr.. Starnes inquired whether Pei
ley thought most of the 100000
were sympathetic to communism.
Unfortunately, that's been my
experience" Pelley sighed.
Representative Thomas wanted to
know whether the witness thought
| Hitler was "SubverSive."
II can't see how Mr.. Hitler was
subversive when he was put into
Office by the lawful, legal President
of Germany" Pelley shot back.
Mr.. Starnes' quotation was from
"T'he Hidden Empire" which Pelley
identified as one of his publications.
The witness said that most of the
editing of the pamphlet was done in
Lincoln, Nebr The work was re-
lated to bitter church con-
troversy" in that city in 1888 or
1884, he said, without further ex-
PLANTATION.
Situation different Now"
Pelley said the Silver Shirts was
organized to combat "subversive
forces" such as those which the Dies
Committee has looked into. In
1888, he said there was a situation
entirely different from the one we
now enjoy in 1870"
I'VE were looking at a condition
where there might be an overthrow
of the constitutional government Of
the United States" he declared.
Starnes Explains Action.
Earlier. Acting Chairman Starnes
said that at yesterdays hearing he
had stopped a line of questioning
involving President Roosevelt be-
cause he was afraid that Pelley might
! use the occasion to "say something
personal" against Mr.. Roosevelt.
Opening the second day of testi-
(See UN-AMERICAN, Page A-6)