I was reading up on Smedley Butler when I came across this. The most interesting part was the note at the end that discusses his dealings with the FBI. It seems odd that a man who had no problem associating with communist radicals could be on good terms with J. Edgar “Red Scare” Hoover, but he was. In a speech denouncing the rest of the government he said the FBI was one of the few departments “which did not smell to high heaven”. Butler had also been an ardent enforcer of Prohibition (he worked as Director of Public Safety for Philadelphia and turned over half his revenue to groups attacking politicians that hampered his efforts to enforce Probition) and declared “put the law books in cold storage and bring out the high-powered rifles and machine guns”. It also notes that he was the target of a hoax about Charles Coughlin invading Mexico. I suspect the “coup” he was asked to take part in had no more substance to it. It would seem odd that anyone would believe Butler would be willing to take part in it. It’s too his credit that he opposed pro-Republican intervention in the Spanish Civil War when many of his radical associates is, as I suppose it is that despite his dislike for FDR he would refuse to unseat him. At the same time I can’t help but think when I read Kevin Grier say “I’d rather see the craziest policies coming out of a democracy than excellent ones coming after a coup from a military junta”: why?
April 24, 2008
Entitled to an Opinion 
April 24, 2008 at 1:37 am
The one thing no one seems to get right on Smedley is the timing of his journey. In the 30s, no one had the slightest idea J. Edgar was a cross-dressing manipulator with a drawer full of dirt on every bigshot in the country. The FBI was riding a wave of populist Elliot Ness-style popularity thanks to its recent introduction of “Most Wanted” lists. When Smedley was talking to the FBI about all the weirdos contacting him, I have no doubt he thought he was doing the country a service. You mention his dislike of FDR. Do you know that in the ’10s, as undersecretary of the Navy, FDR signed Smedley’s promotion papers to Lt. Col. while Smedley was assigned to Haiti? That in the early 30s Smedley wrote to then-NY governor FDR asking for his help when he (Smedley, then the highest-ranking Marine on active duty) was facing a court-martial, and that FDR responded and volunteered to testify if needed at the planned hearing? That Smedley, a lifelong Republican, campaigned for FDR (in 1932 at least) ? The mid-to-late ’30s, when Smedley was in retirement and could see WWII coming even years in advance, then of course, his presidential “pal” FDR was betraying Smedley’s personal peace at all costs rhetoric as Europe descended again into all-out war and the US needed to figure out how best to address the situation. The aroma of immediate war was not so strong while the business plot developed shortly after the eventful first 100 days of FDR’s presidency, back in 1933. With this, I guess I mean to say that while the business plot was hot, Smedley had no reason to dislike FDR. It was only later that his rancor for him grew.
April 24, 2008 at 1:28 pm
I think it would be a stretch to say that FDR was Butler’s patron.
FDR attracted broad support in 1932, because he ran to the right of Hoover.
Might also add that despite Butler’s popularity the America-First movement, as a presidential candidate, the most success he might have hoped to achieve would have been a place in the history books, as Major General Goldwater’s predecessor.
April 25, 2008 at 12:45 am
1. I agree calling FDR Smedley’s patron would be more than a stretch, as you did and I did not.
2. Tell the Bonus Army (summer of ’32 – just prior to election) FDR was right of Hoover.
3. Butler had regrettably passed away before the America First Committee was organized in September 1940. So it would’ve been hard for him to run on that ticket.
April 25, 2008 at 7:04 am
You hinted that FDR was responsible for Butler’s rise in the military.
Hoover and FDR had no diverging views on the Bonus Marchers.
After Hoover’s failure, FDR was simply obliged to take a differing approach.
Note that I said the America First movement which existed prior to the formulation of the Committee.
April 25, 2008 at 1:12 pm
I know FDR helped out Butler after he had pissed off Mussolini, but I don’t think Smedley campaigned for him in 1932. He mocked veterans for supporting FDR back then.
April 27, 2008 at 11:59 am
I usually don’t go to the books, but just to add a little gravitas to this conversation . . . Hans Schmidt says in “Maverick Marine” that in 1932, Smedley declared himself a “Hoover for ex-President Republican”, that he “came out for the Democrats” and shared a platform with another Republican, George Norris as the pair made some 40 speeches on a coast to coast stump during the (much shorter than we are now used to) campaign. Most of the speeches were outside Pennsylvania, where Smedley had just lost in the Republican primary for Senator.
There are other sources that say essentially the same thing. As I said, by ’36 he had journeyed in a very different direction and by ’40 he was dead.