I appeared before the Congressional Committee, the highest representation of the American

people under its subpoena to tell what I knew of activities, which I believe might lead

to an attempt to set up a fascist dictatorship.

The plan as outlined to me was to form an organization of veterans, to use as a bluff or as a club

at least to intimidate the government and break down our democratic institutions.

The upshot of the whole thing was that I was supposed to lead an organization of 500,000

men, which would be able to take over the functions of government.

My main interest in all this is to preserve our democratic institutions.

I want to retain the right to vote, by the right to speak freely, by the right to right.

If we maintain these basic principles our democracy is safe.

No dictatorship can exist that suffrage freedom of speech and prayer.

That's a man called Smettly Butler, once a high-ranking Marine Corps officer.

Speaking in 1934 about what he had just told the Congressional Investigating Committee,

that he had been recruited by powerful business interests to spearhead a coup to overthrow

the government of the United States.

The idea was disarmingly simple, if frightening.

Butler, a decorated major general, was being asked to lead an army of 500,000 veterans who

would march on the Capitol and put a permanent end to Franklin Roosevelt's new deal.

General Butler accuses New York brokers of plotting dictatorship in the US, read the headline

in New York newspaper about Butler's dramatic testimony.

It's an incident largely forgotten by the history books, but it's brought back to light

in a new book, Gangsters of Capitalism, by journalist Jonathan Katz.

...