PLOT TO OVERTHROW GOVERNMENT

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 82, 31 December 1934, Page 7

PLOT TO OVERTHROW GOVERNMENT

Evidence Before American Committee SOURCES OP 1 TESTIMONY VAGUE By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright. (Received December 30, 6.30 p.m.) Washington, December 29. The Congressional committee, investigating “un-American activities,” listened to partial and unconfirmed testimony to-day revealing an anti-Government plot more sensational than that outlined by General Butler. An unidentified army captain declared that another Wall Street group had suggested that ample finance would be available if he recruited 500,000 young men from the Government’s Civilian Observation Corps and prepared them to overthrow the Government. The figure of seven hundred million dollars was mentioned as the financial backing available. The sources of the testimony Were so vague that official circles placed little credence in the plans, but the committee heard the evidence with interest and said it would further investigate the report. A message dated November 20 stated that General Smedley Butler, retired, testifying before the Congressional committee, gave evidence comparable with that of Dr. Wirt’s Brain Trust charges, although this time it was a threatened Fascist putsdh instead of a Communist movement. General Butler, whose somewhat flamboyant manner of speech got him into many scrapes during his military career, told investigators that, a representative of a powerful group of Wall Street brokers offered to finance him to the extent of 3,000,000 dollars to recruit 500.000 men from the American Legion and other veterans’ organisations, march on Washington, and force President Roosevelt to abdicate, after which a dictatorship would be established as the only possible means to save capitalism from the radical tendencies of the Administration. General Butler said .he Considered such an offer treason, but listened to the plan in order to trap the plotters. All the persons named by General Butler flatly denied his accusations, most terming them too laughable to comment on. Representative Dickstein, chairman of the committee, however, said that, the charges had been partially checked, and would be further investigated.