![]() ![]() Catapulted to national fame, Butler became even more famous when he wrote War is a Racket a short time later. MacGuire died suddenly and, according to some reports, mysteriously, in Connecticut of pneumonia on March 25, 1935, shortly after the hearings. That testimony was not made public until journalist John Spivak unearthed and published it in 1967. President Roosevelt intervened to essentially suppress transcripts of the most damning testimony, apparently out of concern over the public outrage that likely would ensue. In part, because of a lack of concrete evidence, no charges were brought. All of those who Butler named as being involved denied the charge, including MacGuire. Butler, meanwhile, finally told MacGuire his true feelings about the plan: “If you get 500,000 soldiers advocating anything smelling of Fascism, I am going to get 500,000 more and lick the hell out of you, and we will have a real war right at home.” Congressional Hearingsīutler reported the meetings to various government officials which led to Congressional hearings in 1934. He steered the reporter to some of his associates and French wrote an expose that appeared in both the Record and the New York Post. When contacted by French, MacGuire spoke openly about the plot and of his desire for a fascist America. Weapons and ammunition would be supplied by the Bridgeport-based Remington Arms company, or Remington UMC, which had recently been taken over by the DuPont Corporation.īutler told the story of what became known as the Business Plot to Paul Comly French, a reporter for the Philadelphia Record. Morgan banking interests (including Thomas Lamont, great-grandfather of Connecticut governor Ned Lamont) and Grayson Murphy, a director of Goodyear Tire, Anaconda Copper, and Bethlehem Steel. According to Butler, Clark confirmed everything MacGuire had said and named other plotters, some of whom were among the most prominent and best-known industrialists, politicians, and military figures in the country.Ĭlark reportedly told Butler that some of those who supported the plan and were willing to bankroll it were executives from the DuPont Corporation (including Irenee du Pont) the Democratic Party’s candidates for President in 19, John Davis and Al Smith several people associated with the J. ![]() The American Legion would be the 500,000-strong vehicle to bring about the coup and they wanted Butler to lead it.īesides MacGuire, Butler stated that he met with Robert Clark, an heir to the Singer Sewing Machine Company. When he returned, he met with Butler several more times and, according to Butler, stated that very wealthy, powerful men had 50 million dollars available to spend on a coup against Roosevelt. ![]() According to testimony Butler later gave to Congress, MacGuire said he had large sums of money at his disposal to bankroll a run by Butler for the Legion’s top post.Ī short time later, MacGuire traveled to Italy and Germany to study how veterans’ groups helped the fascists come to power there. He and many of the moneyed men he worked with felt alarm at the proposed policies of Franklin Roosevelt, the country’s new president. ![]() MacGuire was born in Rhode Island on May 10, 1897, served in the First World War, settled in Darien, and worked at a prominent Wall Street brokerage house. MacGuire, three-quarter length portrait – Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs DivisionĪmong the visitors was Gerald MacGuire, the Legion’s Connecticut commander. ![]()
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