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THE BUSINESS PLOT
"The Business Plot was a political conspiracy in 1933 in the United States. Retired Marine Corps Major General Smedley Butler revealed that wealthy businessmen were plotting to create a fascist veterans' organization with Butler as its leader and use it in a coup d'état to overthrow President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1934, Butler testified before the United States House of Representatives Special Committee on Un-American Activities (the "McCormack–Dickstein Committee") on these revelations.[1] No one was prosecuted.
At the time of the incidents, news media dismissed the plot, with a New York Times editorial characterizing it as a "gigantic hoax".[2] While historians have questioned whether or not a coup was actually close to execution, most agree that some sort of plot was discussed.[3][4][5][6]"
Butler and the veterans
Main article: Bonus Army
"On July 17, 1932, thousands of World War I veterans converged on Washington, D.C., set up tent camps, and demanded immediate payment of bonuses due to them according to the World War Adjusted Compensation Act of 1924 (the original act made the bonuses initially due no earlier than 1925 and no later than 1945). Walter W. Waters, a former Army sergeant, led this "Bonus Army". The Bonus Army was encouraged by an appearance from retired Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Smedley Butler; as a popular military figure of the time, Butler had some influence over the veterans. A few days after Butler's arrival, President Herbert Hoover ordered the marchers removed and U.S. Army cavalry troops under the command of Gen. Douglas MacArthur destroyed their camps.
Butler, although a self-described Republican, responded by supporting Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1932 US presidential election.[7] By 1933 Butler started denouncing capitalism and bankers, going on to explain that for 33 years he had been a "high-class muscle man" for Wall Street, the bankers and big business, labeling himself as a "racketeer for Capitalism."
"1933
On July 1, 1933, Butler met with MacGuire and Doyle for the first time. Gerald C. MacGuire was a $100-a-week bond salesman for Grayson Murphy & Company[18][19] and a member of the Connecticut American Legion.[20][21] Bill Doyle was commander of the Massachusetts American Legion.[22] Butler stated that he was asked to run for National Commander of the American Legion.[23]
On July 3 or 4, Butler held a second meeting with MacGuire and Doyle. He stated that they offered to get hundreds of supporters at the American Legion convention to ask for a speech.[24] MacGuire left a typewritten speech with Butler that they proposed he read at the convention. "It urged the American Legion convention to adopt a resolution calling for the United States to return to the gold standard, so that when veterans were paid the bonus promised to them, the money they received would not be worthless paper."[10] The inclusion of this demand further increased Butler's suspicion.
Around August 1, MacGuire visited Butler alone. Butler stated that MacGuire told him Grayson Murphy underwrote the formation of the American Legion in New York and Butler told MacGuire that the American Legion was "nothing but a strikebreaking outfit."[25] Butler never saw Doyle again.
On September 24,[26][27] MacGuire visited Butler's hotel room in Newark.[28] In late September Butler met with Robert Sterling Clark.[29] Clark was an art collector and an heir to the Singer Corporation fortune.[30][31] MacGuire had known Robert S. Clark when he was a second lieutenant in China during the Boxer Rebellion. Clark had been nicknamed "the millionaire lieutenant".[31]
1934
During the first half of 1934, MacGuire traveled to Europe and mailed postcards to Butler.[32] On March 6, MacGuire wrote Clark and Clark's attorney a letter describing the Croix-de-Feu.[33]
On August 22, Butler met MacGuire at a hotel, the last time Butler met him.[34][35] According to Butler's account, it was on this occasion that MacGuire asked Butler to run a new veterans' organization and lead a coup attempt against the President.
On September 13, Paul Comly French, a reporter who had once been Butler's personal secretary,[36] met MacGuire in his office.[37] In late September, Butler told Van Zandt that co-conspirators would be meeting him at an upcoming Veterans of Foreign Wars convention.
On November 20 the Committee began examining evidence. Journalist Paul Comly French broke the story in the Philadelphia Record and New York Post on November 21.[38] On November 22, The New York Times wrote its first article on the story and described it as a "gigantic hoax".[2][39]"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_Plot